Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series: The Raleigh Semifinal!

Thursday night, I had the privilege of serving as one of three Pro Judges for the sold-out Raleigh semifinal of the Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series in downtown Raleigh’s historic 214 Martin Street. This battle pitted Team Will Work For  Food from Pinehurst, with chefs Matthew Hannon, chef at Ironwood Restaurant; Jen Curtis, chef de cuisine at Chef Warren's Bistro in Southern Pines; and Niklas Anderson, sous chef at Curt’s Cucina in Southern Pines against Team Fuquay-Varina's Finest: Joseph Fasy, proprietor and executive chef at Hook and Cleaver Market on Broad and part owner and executive chef at Old North State Catering; Leo Cuthbertson, chef at Hook and Cleaver Market on Broad; and Bryan Dahlstrom, executive chef at the Crown Complex in Fayetteville.

This semifinal was Battle Cheese (provided by Boxcarr Handmade Cheese) and Applesauce (courtesy of Heirloom Goodness) and, as has come to be expected in the Competition Dining Series, the chefs brought their A-game—so much so, that the teams were only separated by .02 of a point going into the dessert course. But, as frequently happens in these competitions, dessert proved to be one team’s downfall.

Will Work For Food’s Local Beet and Heirloom Goodness Winesap Applesauce Root Cake with Caramelized White Chocolate Boxcarr Cottonbell Cajeta, Boxcarr Cottonbell Custard, and Winesap
Applesauce Gastrique received a 29.975, whereas Fuquay-Varina’s Finest’s Mountain Apple Cake with Heirloom Goodness Stayman Applesauce and Perry Lowe Orchards Dried Apples, Apple Cider Glaze, Thai Basil Sour Cream Custard, Boxcarr Robiola Wafer scored a devastating 25.775.

With an overall score of 28.909, Will Work For Food bested Fuquay-Varina’s 26.851 final tally and will move on to face the winner of Raleigh’s second bracket in the Raleigh Finale on July 24.

The battles in Raleigh’s second bracket are scheduled for July 18, 19, and 21 and are $59 each, and tickets for the Raleigh finale battle on July 24 are $69 each. Tickets are available now at www.competitiondining.com/events/Raleigh.

For more information, visit www.competitiondining.com  or join the conversation and follow along at www.facebook.com/competitiondining and @CompDiningNC on Twitter and Instagram.

Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series Raleigh: Preliminary Battle 7/11/16

On Monday, July 11, I had the pleasure of attending the sold-out preliminary battle of the Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series in downtown Raleigh’s historic 214 Martin Street. This battle pitted Team Sandhills, including Rhett Morris, owner and chef at Rhett’s Restaurant, Personal Chef and  Catering; Renee Beaulieu, pastry chef at Ashten’s Restaurant; and Raymond Martin, sous chef at Rhett’s Restaurant against Team Fuquay-Varina's Finest: Joseph Fasy, proprietor and executive chef at Hook and Cleaver Market on Broad and part owner and executive chef at Old North State Catering; Leo Cuthbertson, chef at Hook and Cleaver Market on Broad; and Bryan Dahlstrom, executive chef at the Crown Complex in Fayetteville.

Every Dining Series dinner event requires each team to prepare three courses based on two special North Carolina ingredients made known just hours before the competition. Guests not only dine on a full-service, six-course meal but also vote for their favorite dishes to help determine who moves on to the next round. The entire meal is a blind tasting in which the creators of each dish are kept secret and only discovered once the final scores have been posted.

Not long after 7 p.m., Competition Dining Series Founder and Host Jimmy Crippen announced that the secret ingredients were Olinda Olives and NC Yellowfin Tuna. He also explained that both teams had opted to include a dessert course (not a requirement of the competition) and, much to the delight of the crowd, that the “chef referee” ruled that the teams would not have to use tuna in their desserts.

A few moments later, our first course of Olive Oil Infused Yellowfin Tuna with Local Canary Melon-Calabrian Chile Gazpacho, Carrot Salad, Quick Pickled Local Watermelon Rind, and Mint-Infused Ran Lew Dairy Crema arrived. It was refreshing and a little sweet with a slight touch of heat. The tuna was beautifully rare, and the pickled rind was sweet and tart.

The second course, Tuna Puttanesca, was amazing! It featured a Queen Olive, Caper, and Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce; Clemson Blue Cheese Polenta; Oil-Cured Black Olive Tapenade; and Jalapeno Crisps. The dish had a delightfully briny heat, and the diamond-shaped blue cheese polenta added creamy richness.

The Olive Oil-Cured, Black Olive-Encrusted Yellowfin Tuna with Queen Olive Grits, Local Corn, Okra, and Field Pea Relish was up next. This one was a bit too vinegary and a little light on the corn, field peas, and okra in my opinion. But the olive crust on the tuna was fantastic. 

Our fourth course was a Duo: Olive Oil Poached Tuna with Queen Olive Pesto and Peppercorn Seared Tuna Mignon with Peach-Sweet Vermouth Glace. Saffron Lentils with Local Romano Beans, Lima Beans, and Corn accompanied the fish. I found the lentil and vegetable medley extremely dry, but the tuna along with both sauces were very good. In fact, the "queen olive" pesto was absolutely brilliant. 

By the time the Olive Oil- Pecan-Cardamom Cake with Rosemary Buttercream, Olive Oil-Lemon Ice Cream, Maple Candied Pecans, and Black Olive Salted Caramel were served, I was already full, but I somehow found the strength to carry on. And I am so glad I did! It was the best dessert I’d eaten in a long time. The mini cake featured great flavor and texture, the ice cream was perfect, and the rosemary butter cream divine.

The final course comprised a Verjus Blanc Chess Tart with a Cured Black Olive Crust, Roasted Pineapple-Canary Melon-Passion Fruit Compote, Local Blueberries, and Lemon Verbena. The artfully plated dessert was tasty, but it wasn’t quite a tart, more like a cookie topped with mousse, and I couldn’t detect even a hint of olive.

We spent more than two hours eating, but now it was time to vote. We logged onto a special website on which we rated each course based on appearance, aroma, creativity, flavor, and use of the secret ingredients. Within minutes, Jimmy began the big reveal. Courses 1, 3, and 5 were from Team Sandhills, whereas the even-numbered courses came courtesy of Team Fuquay-Farina’s Finest. As the scores for each course were announced, I quickly realized that my fellow diners felt the same way I did. It was a win for Team Fuquay-Farina’s Finest, but the teams were separated by a mere 1.564 points.  

Team Fuquay-Varina’s Finest now awaits the winner of the Tuesday, July 12 battle to compete in the Raleigh Semifinal on Thursday, July 14. That winner will then move on to the Raleigh Finale and face the semifinal winner from the second bracket. The Raleigh champion will advance to the annual Battle of Champions and the chance to vie for the state title against the Charlotte, Durham, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and Wilmington champions. 

If you’ve never been to a Competition Dining event, I cannot recommend it enough. It’s fun, delicious, exciting, and thought provoking. You’ll have a blast and make a few new friends in the process. I certainly did!

The battles in Raleigh’s second bracket are scheduled for July 18, 19, and 21 and are $59 each, and tickets for the Raleigh finale battle on July 24 are $69 each. Tickets are available now at www.competitiondining.com/events/Raleigh.

For more information, visit www.competitiondining.com  or join the conversation and follow along at www.facebook.com/competitiondining and @CompDiningNC on Twitter or Instagram.

The Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series returns to Raleigh!

The Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series returns to Raleigh! Celebrating North Carolina products and agriculture and showcasing culinary ingenuity and talent across the state, this unique interactive, single-elimination tournament is scheduled to take place at 214 Martin Street in Raleigh on July 11, 12, 14, 18, 19, 21, and 24. Eight chef teams will compete for a grand prize of $2,000 in cash and prizes. In addition, each member will receive the coveted “Red Chef Jacket,” a handcrafted knife by Ironman Forge, an autographed cookbook by La Farm Bakery’s master French baker Lionel Vatinet, and a place in the annual Battle of Champions to vie for the title against the Charlotte, Durham, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and Wilmington champions.  

Every Dining Series dinner event features two chef teams, each preparing three courses based on a special North Carolina ingredient revealed just hours before the competition. Guests not only dine on a full-service, six-course meal but also vote for their favorite dishes via a free app to help determine who moves on to the next round.  

“We have so many loyal diners in this foodie town, and we can’t wait to share some exciting new twists to the competition with everyone. The Raleigh series will feature several dream teams competing in the seven dinner events, and we’re really looking forward to seeing what these dynamic chefs whip up in the kitchen,” said Jimmy Crippen, Competition Dining Series founder and host.

The first new twist allows chefs from various restaurants to collaborate to form three-person “All-Star Dream Teams.” The other is a change to the format. For the first time in Raleigh, the series will feature two brackets, and the winners of each will battle it out in a finale to name one local champion who will then move on to the Battle of Champions.

The Raleigh Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series schedule is:

Bracket 1

July 11

Team “Sandhills Chefs” from Southern Pines: Rhett Morris, owner and chef at Rhett’s Restaurant, Personal Chef and Catering; Renee Beaulieu, pastry chef at Ashten’s Restaurant; and Raymond Martin, sous chef at Rhett’s Restaurant.

Vs.

Team “Fuquay-Varina’s Finest” from Fuquay Varina: Joseph Fasy, proprietor and executive chef at Hook and Cleaver Market on Broad and part owner and executive chef at Old North State Catering; Leo Cuthbertson, chef at Hook and Cleaver Market on Broad; and Bryan Dahlstrom, executive chef at the Crown Complex in Fayetteville.

July 12

Team “Will Work For Food” from Pinehurst: Matthew Hannon, chef at Ironwood Restaurant; Jen Curtis, chef de cuisine at Chef Warren's Bistro in Southern Pines; and Niklas Anderson, sous chef at Curt’s Cucina in Southern Pines.

Vs.

Team “Ironclad” from Greensboro: Michael Roberson executive chef at Iron Hen Café and Fresh Local Good Food Group; Kathryn Hubert, executive assistant at Fresh Local Good Food Group; and Michael Turner, sous chef at Fresh Local Good Food Group.

July 14 Semifinal

The July 11 winning team versus the July 12 winning team

Bracket 2

July 18

Team “Scratch Mavericks” from Halifax: Chelsi Hogue, owner, proprietor and executive chef at The Hen & The Hog; Jeremy Law, owner and chef at Soco Farm & Food in Wilson; and Jessica Ricks, sous chef at The Hen & The Hog.

Vs.

Team “Orange Crush” from Raleigh: Rich Carter, executive chef at Catering Works; Sara Samuels, personal chef at Catering Works; and Anthony Calcagno, executive pastry chef at Catering Works.

July 19

Team “Mirepoix” from Apex: Franz Propst, executive chef at Peak City Grill & Bar; Ryan Summers, chef at Chef's Palette Restaurant and Bar in Cary; and Tom Halik, chef and proprietor at Main Street Grille Café & Bakery in Wake Forest.

Vs.

Team “Brinehaus” from Raleigh: Steven Goff, owner and chef at soon-to-open Brine Haus Meat + Provisions food truck and former head butcher at Standard Foods; Geoff Seleen, chef and farmer at Piedmont Biofarm in Pittsboro; and Chris Valenzuela, lead line cook at Old Etowah Smokehouse in Etowah.

July 21 Semifinal

The July 18 winning team versus the July 19 winning team

July 24 Raleigh Finale

The July 14 winning team versus the  July 21 winning team

  

Tickets for the July 11, 12, 14, 18, 19, 21 battles are $59 each, and tickets for the local finale battle, July 24, are $69 each. Tickets are available now at www.competitiondining.com/events/Raleigh. For more information, visit www.competitiondining.com or join the conversation at www.facebook.com/competitiondining and @CompDiningNC on Twitter or Instagram.

Announcing the 2015 Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series

The Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series Triangle events begin this Monday, January 19, and culminates with a single regional winner on March 2. The champion then goes head to head in the final battle with the winners of the City series (Charlotte) and the Triad series (Winston-Salem). One person will be crowned state champion.

This series is unlike anything anywhere. In an NCAA-style bracket tournament, two chefs face off and cook a three-course dinner based on a secret local ingredient that contestants learn about only an hour before each event. Then, in a blind tasting, 150 diners, including three professional judges, use an interactive app to rate each of the six plates to determine who will advance to the next round. Each course receives scores based on presentation, aroma, overall flavor, execution, creativity, and use of the secret ingredient.

This year’s Triangle First-Round match-ups are:
Jan. 19 Dinner: Gerry Fong of Persimmons Waterfront Restaurant in New Bern, versus Benjamin Harris of Midtown Grille in Raleigh
Jan. 20 Dinner: Trey Cleveland of Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery in Chapel Hill, versus Ryan Conklin of Rex Healthcare in Raleigh
Jan. 21 Dinner: Shane Ingram of Four Square Restaurant in Durham, versus Ben Strange of Aperitivo at Lawson’s Landing in New Bern
Jan. 26 Dinner: Christopher Hill of Faire Steak & Seafood in Raleigh, versus Teddy Diggs of Il Palio in Chapel Hill
Jan. 27 Dinner: Ben Adams of Piedmont Restaurant in Durham, versus Chelsi Hogue of Ed's Southern Food & Spirits in Goldsboro
Jan. 28 Dinner: Patrick Cowden of Tobacco Road Sports Cafe in Raleigh/Durham, versus Curt Shelvey of Curt's Cucina in Southern Pines
Feb. 2 Dinner: Spencer Carter of Weathervane in Chapel Hill, versus Rhett Morris of Rhett's Restaurant in Southern Pines
Feb. 3 Dinner: Benjamin Guaman of Governors Club in Chapel Hill, versus Brandon Stark of Michael's Seafood Restaurant in Carolina Beach. 

                                                          The 2015 Triangle Competitors

If you’d like to attend, and I highly recommend you do, all Triangle events are held at 1705 Prime, located at 1705 E. Millbrook in Raleigh. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets for a preliminary battle cost $55 per person. Tickets for a quarterfinal battle are $59 each, excluding beverage, tax and service fee. Attending a semifinal battle costs $69 per person. Tickets for the final competition are $75 each, excluding beverage, tax and service fee.  Make your reservations now at www.competitiondining.com.  

The past regional and Final Fire winners are:
2014 Final Fire - Jon Fortes: Mimosa Grill in Charlotte

2014 Fire in the City - Jon Fortes: Mimosa Grill in Charlotte

2014 Fire in the Triangle - Dean Thompson: Flights in Raleigh

2014 Fire in the Triad - Tim Thompson: Marisol in Greensboro

2014 Fire on the Rock - Michelle Bailey: Seasons at Highland Lake in Flat Rock

2014 Fire on the Dock - Antoine Murray: Cape Fear Country Club in Wilmington

2013 Final Fire - Adam Hayes: Red Stag Grill in Asheville

2013 Fire in the City - Jon Fortes: Mimosa Grill in Charlotte

2013 Fired in the Triangle - Dean Thompson: Flights in Raleigh

2013 Fire in the Triad - John Bobby: Noble's Grille in Winston-Salem

2013 Fire on the Dock - Gerry Fong: Persimmons in New Bern

2013 Fire on the Rock - Adam Hayes: Red Stag Grill in Asheville

2012 Final Fire - Ryan Payne: Weathervane in Chapel Hill

2012 Fire in the Triad - George Neal: 1618 Seafood Grille in Greensboro

2012 Fire in the Triangle - Ryan Payne: Weathervane in Chapel Hill

2012 Fire on the Dock - Andy Hopper: Chefs 105 in Morehead City

2012 Fire on the Rock - Michael Foreman: Bistro Roca in Blowing Rock

Food: To be a better cook, buy the right knives | CapeCodOnline.com

I had the pleasure of working with Andrea Weigl from the News and Observer on this piece. It was originally published in that paper and has since been picked up by the Charlotte Observer and Cape Cod Times.

Food: To be a better cook, buy the right knives | CapeCodOnline.com

Smashburger Comes to the Triangle

The plethora of burger options in the area has made discerning one from another increasingly difficult. So, when Smashburger opened its first Triangle store in Durham (and only the second in North Carolina), I was curious to see what (if anything) would set this chain apart.

Upon entering the fast-casual eatery, I received a pleasant surprise. A smiling team member greeted me: “Hi, welcome to Smashburger. How are you today?” Walking to the service counter, I felt appreciated and at ease. After a few moments of small talk, she asked, “Have you dined with us before?”  When I told her I hadn’t, she explained the menu, the technique used to cook the burgers, and the company philosophy.

Smashburger’s menu features seven composed 100% certified Angus beef burgers (including one local, seasonal special), a vegetarian black bean burger, five composed chicken sandwiches, and three salads in addition to the option to create your own burger or chicken sandwich. Naturally, Smashburger offers the usual assortment of cheeses and a variety of sauces, but the toppings and salad ingredients are outside the norm. Here, they are fresh and either prepared daily (the raw red onions, jalapenos, grilled onions, and grilled mushrooms, for example) or to order (like the fried eggs, guacamole, applewood-smoked bacon, and sliced avocado). Further surpassing burger chain expectations, Smashburger serves its sandwiches on artisan buns. Customers can choose between egg, multigrain, spicy chipotle, or gluten-free. Additionally, the menu not only offers traditional fries but also Sweet Potato Fries; “Smashfries” – seasoned with minced garlic, olive oil, and rosemary; “Veggie Frites” – flash fried green beans, asparagus, and/or carrot sticks; and “Haystack Onions”- thinly sliced onion rings, battered, fried, and seasoned.  Then, to go along with the typical soft drink options, Smashburger sells wine and local craft beer as well as hand spun shakes, malts, and floats, made with Haagen-Dazs ice cream.

    

My new friend then explained the “smash” in Smashburger: “Every time a burger is ordered, we take a loosely packed ball of fresh, never frozen, 100% Certified Angus beef and place it on a 400 degree butteredgrill. Then, we smash the burger with our signature smashing utensil, hold it for 10 seconds, and sprinkle it with our special seasoning mix. By doing this, we create a sear on the bottom of the burger that ultimately forces the burger to cook in its own juices and locks in all the flavors. The result is a consistently delicious, juicy burger that, we hope, will keep you coming back for more. This technique also enables us to cook your burger in less than four minutes, which is about half the time of a normal restaurant.”

After you place your order, the food is delivered to your table. So, unlike other burger joints, you don’t have to stand around awkwardly waiting for it to cook. Plus, Smashburger serves all its food in metal baskets, not in bags or wrapped in paper, and, if you’d like a knife or fork, you are given stainless steel to eat with, not prepackaged plastic.

Smashburger’s mission, to offer satisfying, affordable, fresh, high-quality food in a place with a burger soul, has definitely struck a chord. The Denver, Colorado-based company has more than 220 locations in 29 states and four foreign countries with new stores opening every month. If that’s not impressive enough, Forbes ranked the chain sixth on its list of Most Promising Companies.

The décor and atmosphere at Smashburger are atypical, too. Eye-catching local photos hang on the walls, and frosted glass separates the dining room from the entryway. Modern design, soft pendant lighting, cushioned booths, and wooden tables and chairs define the space.

How’s that for differentiation?

With a little help from my friend...

I know, I know. It has been a ridiculously long time since my last post. I’m sure some of you are asking, “What have you been doing?” or “What made you decide to start blogging again?” The first question is easy. I’ve moved twice, started writing for OKRA Magazine, and taught over 2500 students in my cooking classes. As for the second, …

I recently had the pleasure of sharing lunch with the generous, kind, inspiring, amazingly talented, and always gracious Nancie McDermott. Nancie urged me strenuously to blog again. Her last words to me that afternoon were “1 post, 1 week, don’t over think it, and don’t make it too long…or I’ll have to yell at you.”

In the days that followed our lunch, two of Nancie’s insights kept playing in my head. The first was an old Chinese saying: “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, but the second best time is today.” That is, don’t lament what you haven’t done. You can’t change the past, but you can get started (or restarted) today. Just show up every day and take baby steps. You’ll get stronger along the way.

The other was that we, as professionals, have a lot of knowledge that we take for granted. The techniques and tidbits we have stockpiled may be common practice for us, but they could be what motivates someone else to get in (or back in) their kitchen. As a culinary instructor, that hit me hard. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen something on Facebook or Twitter liked or shared a thousand times or called “genius” and thought, “Really? There are people out there who didn’t know that?” So, please, don’t take your talent, expertise, or experience for granted. Celebrate and share them. As Nancie reminded me, “You never know what someone else doesn’t know.”    

Thank you, Nancie! Here is my first baby step, my first post in over two years. And, by the way, I’ve already begun writing my next!

P.S. On top of being such a wonderful person, Nancie is the author of 10 cookbooks chock full of delicious dishes (including Southern Cakes, Quick and Easy Thai, Southern Pies, and Quick and Easy Vietnamese) with another on the way. Please read more about her and keep an eye out for her new book at http://www.nanciemcdermott.com/index.htm. Nancie also runs her own blog http://nanciemcdermott.wordpress.com.  You can find her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NancieMcDermott and Twitter @nanciemac.  

What's going on, you ask?

Another busy month is coming to a close, so I thought I’d get you caught up before getting into a new post, especially since it's an important topic.

I started a new semester at Wake Tech where I’m teaching the Cooking Fundamentals course as well as From Brunswick Stew to Manhattan Clam Chowder. The latter is an idea I’ve been kicking around and dabbling in for a while now. I’ve taught a couple of individual classes at A Southern Season on the topic and they were well received (they sold out, too!). So, I decided to dedicate a whole course to the subject. It’s been fun, challenging, and a great learning opportunity for me.

I’ve also tried to embrace a few more social media sites; Twitter and Linked In specifically. I’m starting to wonder if I’m just wasting time or truly sowing seeds though.

I also made the cover of the new A Southern Season CLASS booklet. Come “Grill & Smoke” with me on 4/14/12 or bring your children for a Father’s Day special: “Dad and Me in the Kitchen” for some fun and tasty bonding on 6/10/12!

https://www.southernseason.com/class/department.asp?id=51