Culinary Arts - 2011

Mickey Bakst

Mickey Bakst is a doer. But he can’t do it all by himself. As a man of many talents, Bakst realizes that one of his greatest gifts is his ability to connect people.

He is passionate about food, but not just the incredible culinary feats served to the diners of the Charleston Grill every night, where he is the much-loved Maitre D. Bakst is passionate about ending hunger and homelessness in the Lowcountry and beyond.

In 2009, Charleston Chefs Feed the Need was born. When the city’s newspaper reported that a local soup kitchen was going to have to close an extra day each week, leaving those who depended on them hungry, Bakst knew that was not right. In a collaborative effort between 52 Charleston chefs and restaurateurs, they have been able to provide the extra support the kitchens needed to stay open and serve the hungry.

Each restaurant serves meals one day a year at Crisis Ministries, Tricounty Family Ministries, East Cooper Meals on Wheels and Neighborhood House. They have served 22,000 meals to struggling local residents and donated $110,000 in food by the participating restaurants! Think about how many lives a simple idea has impacted!

Now, Bakst is the first to admit, he could never do this alone. It takes the commitment of the community. “Individually, we all have the ability to do something to help people – you just have to get off the couch and do what you can!” says Bakst. “Use your connections, your friends, your network, to effect change. You just have to ask for the support,” and Bakst believes you can make a huge impact.

Helping others can be done in so many more ways than writing a check—even though that is, of course, always appreciated. These organizations need volunteers – people to be champions in the community. Get your network of friends and friends of friends involved. You’ll be amazed at the difference you can make in the lives of others.

Bakst has a challenge to us all: “Whether you are helping feed the hungry or helping the homeless, just make the commitment, and you can make a dramatic difference.”

Charleston Chefs Feed the Need

www.charlestonplace.com
www.charlestonplace.com/web/ocha/feed_the_need.jsp

Ken Vedrinski

words: Matthew Rickerby

Chef First. Restaurateur Second. Clients? Satisfied.

Chef Ken Vedrinski earned his chops making authentic Italian dishes in his grandmother’s kitchen. Those formative childhood moments served the inspiration for many of his signature dishes, and later on, those same memories seemed to be the driving force of several of his own restaurants.

An aspiring little helper in his grandmother’s kitchen was just the beginning. A degree in restaurant management from Columbus College taught him how to make his passion profitable, and a three-year apprenticeship under Certified Master Chef Hartmut Handke solidified his culinary abilities. Vedrinski soon worked his way from smaller Italian eateries to five-star restaurants, earning himself perfect food scores and television appearances.

He began his Lowcountry career serving up five-star dishes as the executive chef at the Woodlands in Summerville. He was a hit, and it wasn’t long before he decided to open up his own restaurant, Sienna, on Daniel Island. Esquire magazine dubbed Sienna “One of the Best New American Restaurants.”

Going back to his roots of quaint, cozy, and very Italian, Trattoria Lucca is an amazing little place that’s a bit tricky to find if you don’t live here. It’s totally worth finding though. Once inside, you truly feel like you’ve been transported to a small, romantic, candlelit restaurant somewhere in Italy.
This is a great date spot, but if you’re rolling with a crew of folks, try the “Family Dinner” on Mondays. For only $38, you can each have a four-course meal. This is a perfect way to try new things as the dishes are all chosen by the chef! You are at his mercy. Luckily, he’s pretty darn good at what he does.

Trattoria Lucca,
41-A Bogard Street, downtown
843-973-3323
www.luccacharleston.com

If you’re not up for an entire Italian meal or if there’s a wait for a table at Lucca, check out Vedrinski’s charming wine bar, Enoteca. Situated right around the corner, it’s the perfect place
to enjoy some handpicked Italian wines.

Enoteca
18 Percy Street

(Corner of Percy & Bogard)

843-577-0028

Johnny Battles

words: Stacy Huggins

Full name: John Eric Battles. Alter-egos: Johnny Battles, Johnny Sweeteeth.

“Meet Johnny. He makes chocolate that people like to eat. He’s a nice guy. You’d like him.” That is the welcome when you visit the Sweeteeth Chocolate Facebook page, and we agree.

This Alabama native moved to Charleston after a whirlwind of studying anthropology at the University of Alabama, leaving it all to live in Holland, and finally returning home to the States. At the suggestion of a friend, he relocated to Charleston, where he began working in a trade learned straight from his mother: cooking.
While working at Normandy Farms bakery, Battles discovered two things: ”They hid me in the kitchen,” he says, where his (incredible) tattoos didn’t matter – and he loved making pastries. His next gig was at the popular EVO Pizzeria in North Charleston’s Park Circle. It was there that he began to experiment with chocolate, and this meteor of cocoa-based goodness was born.

“EVO was a great platform for the chocolate,” says Battles. With tremendous word-of-mouth support from the loyal patrons of EVO, the choco-gospel spread like wildfire. Now most every upscale grocery/coffee/gourmet shop in the area carries popular Sweeteeth flavors like Sea is for Caramel (a grown up Caramelo) or the PB & C (peanut butter and chipotle).

Collaborating with other local creatives is something Battles and the Sweeteeth team hold near and dear. Roots Ice Cream, whom we profiled in the Summer issue of Art Mag, uses the Sea is for Caramel to make their Pluff Mud Ice cream. Local artist Johnny Pundt designed and screen-printed t-shirts and made special Valentine’s Day truffle boxes. Holy City Brewing has even gotten on board to make special beer-chocolates. Local web and graphic design firm Fuzzco handled the look of their packaging.

Sweeteeth chocolates are now available in 12 different states, from Portland to Brooklyn, or delivered right to your front door! Just visit their website to place your order and enjoy the fruits of Mr. Battles’ labor!

Sweeteeth Chocolate
www.sweeteethchocolate.com

There's Pinot in Them Ther' Hills

words: Sommelier Brad Ball

It seems New Zealand is at the top of everyone’s list as a place to visit. Any country that boasts bungee jumping as its national pastime is beyond awesome! Plus, the juice is good – really, really good!!

New Zealand wines are bottle for bottle the most expensive in the world. They command the highest average bottle price because of their quality. Besides their ideal climate conditions, every part of the wine creation process costs more on this South Pacific island that has a severe labor shortage. To remain economically viable, the Kiwis must be able to charge for their juice, which means it better be darn good, and it definitely is!

Luckily (or with great planning and foresight), the New Zealand wine community struck it rich with Sauvignon Blanc from Marlboro back in the ‘90s, putting New Zealand on the map. This led to large foreign wine conglomerates investing and capitalizing on the increasing demand of NZ Sauvignon Blanc, meanwhile spurring the growth and expansion of other varietals throughout the country. Though producers have had great success with a number of varietals, Pinot Noir has shown to be the true standout, particularly from the South Island region of Central Otago.

Central Otago is the southernmost growing region in the world and also one of the most remote (the nearest stoplight is over 100 miles away). This unadulterated land boasts a continental climate that produces a long, slow-growing season, ideal for the wildly stubborn Pinot grape. The terroir-driven varietal produces complex notes of bright red and black cherries, moss, evergreen tree, cardamom, Indian cooking spices, pomegranate and potting soil. Structurally, the heightened acidity and silky texture give these wines a refined, elegant touch. I would liken it to pouring a glass of Audrey Hepburn.

If you haven’t had the chance to experience these wines, put them high on your list. Here are some of the best:

Less Expensive
Wild Rock
Mudhouse
Mohua

More Expensive
Mt. Difficulty
Peregrine
Felton Road

Bouillabaisse Recipe from Chef LaFour

Traditionally, Bouillabaisse is a French stew made with Herb Provencal, bony fish and bread served with a rouille. This variation from Chef Howard LaFour of Muse uses shrimp, scallops and mussels. Follow these directions and use local Charleston produce to give your dish some Lowcountry flair.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

The Meal
5 Shrimp
5 Mussels
2 Scallops
¼ cup Leeks (chopped)
¼ cup (cooked) Orzo

The Broth
2 cups fish fumet or water
1 cup sliced shallots
1 cup plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon diced garlic
Dash of thyme

1 bay leaf
Pinch of chili flakes
Pinch of saffron
1/2 cup white wine

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO

The Broth
You’ll want to make the broth before you prepare the shellfish, orzo and leeks. Sauté the shallots, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, chili, and saffron on medium heat for five minutes. Add tomatoes and white wine. Simmer for 10 minutes. Next add the fumet and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Spice and season according to taste. Then remove the bay leaf and put the mixture in the blender. Pass it through a fine sieve and reserve it in a separate bowl for serving.

The Meal
Once done with the broth, move on to the really good stuff.
Sauté the chopped leeks in olive oil until tender (about 2-3 minutes). In the same pan add the cooked orzo and a bit of the reserved water orzo was cooked in (to prevent sticking). Set the leeks and orzo aside for serving. Grab a separate sauté pan and heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil until smoking. Add the scallops and sear until golden. Flip the scallops and add your shrimp and mussels. Quickly add 4 oz of your broth and cover the pan and cook until the mussels open (about 2-3 minutes).

To Serve
First spoon the orzo-leek mixture into the center of your serving bowl. Then add and alternate the shrimp and mussels in bowl. After that, neatly place the scallops on top of orzo-leek mixture. Pour the remaining broth in the bowl. Garnish your stew with some chopped parsley, et voila! Bon appétit.

MUSE

82 Society Street, Charleston

Lowcountry Field Feast

words: Matthew Rickerby

As fall arrives and the cool weather is enough to allay the cruelty of insects but still warm enough to frolic without a coat, attendees of the Lowcountry Field Feast will enjoy Charleston’s best produce as they dine together outdoors. The family friendly feast guarantees to stretch your belly before Thanksgiving. Chef Mike Lata of FIG is putting the supper together, so expect some of FIG’s signature straightforward style with lots of fresh local produce.

If you’re the type that feels guilty for overeating don’t worry. The event raises funds for Farm Fresh Food, which works to put local food first. You’ll be able to feed your belly and your conscience as you help local farmers grow their businesses and feed our own community’s needs.

Charleston may be one of the most beautiful cities in America, but it is still a city. This epicurean celebration is an excellent opportunity for urbanites to experience the “great” in “the great outdoors.” There’s nothing more deliciously romantic and indulgent than gathering at a picturesque table in the middle of a field and enjoying a five-star feast.

Dirt Hugger Farm
Sunday October 2, 2011
James Island, South Carolina
5PM till Dark
Tickets $125
www.lowcountryfieldfeast.com

Summer Essentials: Burgers and Beer

words: Stacy Huggins

Nothing feels quite like summer as a delicious burger and ice-cold pint of your favorite beer.

You know how great it feels when you head to your favorite watering hole after a sunny day at the beach. You sit down, order an ice cold, frothy beverage and a juicy burger with all the fixins’…well it doesn’t get much better than that. Many of the restaurants in the Lowcountry are really focused on giving you burgers and beers made from organic ingredients, using produce from local farmers and we applaud them for it. So read on to find out what and where you should be eating
and drinking!

The Burgers

We polled our Facebook and Twitter friends to what their local favorites are.

Sesame Burgers and Beer

Park Circle, North Charleston

The Memphis Burger, an ode to the King with peanut butter, bananas and bacon, or the Black Bean Burger for the veggie lovers.

39 Rue de Jean
downtown Charleston
The Brasserie Burger, no matter how you order it, it’s incredible.

Poe’s Tavern
Sullivan’s Island
The Tell-Tale Heart, with fried egg, bacon and cheese, or the Amontillado, with guacamole, Jalapeno Jack cheese, pico de gallo and chipotle sour cream. Get the grilled chicken breast if you need a break from red meat.

Surf Bar
Folly Beach
Whatever is on special; they are all awesome. Great Philly cheesesteaks too, if you’re in the mood for something different.

The Beer

Charleston is home to many great things, including our own beer, thanks to Jaime Tenny and David of COAST Brewing Company.

The Tenny’s take their beer very seriously, but not themselves. “It’s fun because we’re not restrained by any one ale. Except the Kolsch and Hop Art that we brew year round, each day is different,” says Jaime. This summer, the Tennys plan on trying out another Belgian brew and possibly a wheat beer for the first time.

Their personal faves: Hop Art IPA, Boy King Double IPA, Smoked Rye Pale Ale, Blackbeerd the Imperial Stout, Rye Knot Brown Ale, and the soft and smooth 32/50 Kolsch. Go there yourself and claim your own favorite. Every Thursday from 4 – 7 pm and Saturday from 11 am – 2 pm, they throw open the doors to the public for brewery tours and tastings.

Where to get good beer:

Downtown: Head to the Charleston Beer Exchange at 14 Exchange Street, downtown Charleston, for a growler. Bring one to your neighbor's next cookout and you'll always be invited back, promise!

Folly Beach: the Folly Beach Brew Pub at 32 Center Street has some great selections on tap and by the bottle—if they’ve have it, get a Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, it’s incredible!

COAST Brewing Company
1250 2nd Street North
North Charleston
843.343.4727
www.coastbrewing.com

Culinary Artist Profile: Chef Nate Whiting

words: Stacy Huggins

When Rochester, New York, native Nate Whiting and his wife were looking for schools, they had one requirement – one city with both a pharmacy and a culinary school. They were super excited that Charleston had it all, and have made this their home ever since.

Whiting attended Johnson & Wales University and also trained in fine dining restaurants in Italy, New York City, Washington DC, and Atlanta. He then spent six years as the executive chef at The Dining Room at Woodlands Inn in Summerville, a five-star and five-diamond restaurant and inn twenty miles north of Charleston.

Since taking the helm of Tristan, one of Charleston’s most adventurous and modern restaurants, Whiting has made some fantastic menu changes. Every dish pops with color, flavor, and artistic detailing.

Whiting and his team place a lot of emphasis on vegetables and create many of their dishes “from the veggies up,” rather than basing the rest of the dish on a central protein. “Beef and chicken stay the same, but vegetables change the most with the seasons,” says Whiting. He also has a trusted source in Dave at Lowcountry Shellfish, who sends him the freshest fruits de mer he can find. Their salmon dish, one of my favorites, is a sustainable, organic, farm raised salmon that does not deplete the ocean’s resources. Chef has also started his very own artisanal pasta program.

The artistic presentation of each dish is invariably both modern and simply stunning. Even the she-crab soup is served with a flair that shows incredible attention to detail. A delicate crab salad rests in the center of the bowl while the server pours the soup over top. The amuse bouche and little tastings between courses are always adventurous – like the blackberry cream with effervescent powder that literally fizzes in your mouth.

Tristan has found a fearless leader in Whiting. “You find the best ingredients you can afford and use proper technique. We don’t feel like we’re creators; we just enhance the natural flavors of good product with pure, direct flavors,” he says humbly.

We are especially excited for the monthly “Dining with Whiting,” a unique opportunity to enjoy a five course meal with wine pairings for only $75. Tristan also offers complimentary valet parking for their dinner patrons, making it so easy to come downtown for one of the best meals around. Order the beet salad, salmon or scallops... I promise you won’t regret it!

Tristan
10 Linguard Street
843.534.2155
www.tristandining.com

Culinary Artist Profile: Roots Ice Cream

words: Jessica Dennis

They say that big things come in small packages, and in the case of the entrepreneurial duo that created the new local sensation, Roots Ice Cream, that package was a sweet pea. Always agriculturally inclined, Drew Harrison and Matt Frye worked as distributors at Our Local Foods CSA, an organic vegetable farm outside of Charleston. One day, Frye picked a sweet pea, took a bite, and thought to himself, “All this needs is cream and sugar.”

Imagine any edible you love – fruits, vegetables, even a drink – being carefully churned into gourmet ice cream. Well, Roots does just that. With Harrison’s strong background in business and Frye’s culinary forte, what started as a part-time endeavor turned into something much bigger than the two ever anticipated. (Frye even has accreditation from the same school attended by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s and Burt Baskin and Irv Robins of Baskin-Robbins!)

Using only local organic ingredients, the Roots guys have created a multitude of delectable and innovative seasonal ice cream flavors, including but not limited to: beet, sweet tea, champagne Kool-Aid sorbet, Earle Grey Tea, Benne Wafer, strawberry cilantro, chocolate pluff mud, cucumber melon, watermelon, loquat, and coffee. Roots Ice Cream is sold around Charleston at places like the downtown Marion and Mt. Pleasant Farmers’ Markets and Freshfields Village at Kiawah, but their biggest sales come from catering events, especially weddings. “We can take the bride and groom’s favorite flavors and create a personalized ice cream for them to serve on their big day,” says Harrison.

Why call it Roots Ice Cream? “The name is a play on the agricultural roots of the fruits and vegetables that we use, as well as our own local roots in Charleston. We also strictly use products that are locally and organically grown,” says Harrison. “The idea behind Roots Ice Cream is to support our community, and what better way to celebrate the community than with ice cream?”

The Art Mag girls say bring us seconds!

919.413.5485
Wherever You Want Them to Be!
www.rootsicecream.com

Culinary Artist Profile: The Giddy Goat

words: Jessica Dennis

Farrah Hoffmire isn’t your typical Southern belle who’s afraid to get her hands dirty. She’s an artist, a film producer, and now a goat-cheese maker. Her local, handmade, Giddy Goat Cheese has already caught the eye of the finest chefs and stores in the region.

Having grown up on a small farm in Summerville, SC, Hoffmire is well acquainted with the agrarian lifestyle and has always kept it close to her heart. In 2005, she and her husband Mitchell began their own philanthropic media company called Organic Process Productions which focuses on art and media projects, particularly things that highlight local food and cultural heritage in South Carolina.

Though OPP is still going strong, Hoffmire wanted to do more hands on work. She yearned for a farm of her own and began thinking about what she could produce herself. In 2009, she reached out to strong pastoral figures, Sidi and Louise Limehouse (owners of local organic Rosebank Farms) and helped them launch their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Amid this process, her new friends taught her how to make fresh goat cheese from goat’s milk and provided her with kitchen space to do it. True to her roots, she quickly took to the process and began making and selling it herself. “Basically people started asking for it, I kept making and improving it, and people kept buying it. We were thrilled”, she says.

And buy it they did. Giddy Goat Cheese has been sought after and sold to many of Charleston’s best restaurants, grocery stores, and markets. Giddy Goat Cheese comes in four flavors: Pure (salt-free), Cracked Pepper and Sea Salt, Pimiento, and Crystallized Ginger.

When asked how she manages all of her interests so efficiently, Hoffmire humbly jokes about how much time there is in a day when your whole life is your work. She manages Giddy Goat Cheese during the day, then paints or edits video at night.

“Giddy Goat is a great start, but only the beginning,” she says. She has also recently launched a healthy handcrafted whey soda using the nutrient rich by-product whey from the cheese making process. We can only imagine what’s she’s got in store for us next!

Farrah Hoffmire
Giddy Goat Cheese
www.giddygoatcheese.com

Gruner Veltliner

words: Brad Ball

I absolutely love Grüner Veltliner (pronounced grooner veltleener). It’s a fascinating varietal because it is one of the few that can only grow in a specific place in the world—Austria*. Grüner has been making its way into the spotlight via the somm world over the past five years, but it is just now starting to infiltrate the non-geek wine drinker’s vocabulary.

So why all the love from sommeliers across the nation? Simple – it has a great ability to pair well with difficult dishes and ingredients. These wines possess a green, vegetal flavor profile (with such descriptors as green bean, lentil, tarragon, watercress and asparagus) that pairs well with all forms of greens, making it a million times easier for salad pairings. Literally every mid- to high-end restaurant in every major city seems to be pouring Grüner by the glass for that very reason.

It’s not all about the green though! The best Grüners are highly complex wines with white peach, yellow apple, Bosc pear, lime blossom and white pepper flavors and aromas that make these decidedly delicious on their own as well.

*There are some very good examples from Northern Italy and Germany where the countries border Austria, but they are not quite as excellent.

HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITES:

Martinhof, Wein, 2010 – One liter of Grüner for only $12. Done and done.

Heidler, Löss, Kamptal, 2010 – The Kamptal region is known for high-tone complexity and steely minerality. Heidler is one of my favorite producers in all of Austria and his entry-level wine outperforms its class. ($17)

Prager, Federspiel, Hinter der Burg, Wachau, 2009 – The Wachau is considered Austria’s top region, producing brooding whites of amazing depth and complexity that can take decades to age properly. ($30)

Szegeti, Brut, NV – Sparkling Grüner!!! The moment this came into the market I thought I had died... a combination of two my favorite things in the world. It’s like pepperoni pizza and chocolate chip cookies had a baby. ($24)

Creative Entreprenuers: Sugar Bakeshop

words: Stacy Huggins

After a lifetime of creating inspired structures, former architect Bill Bowick was at a point in his career where he knew it was time to go out on his own or resign himself to working for others for the rest of his life. Neither option appealed to him, so he and David Bouffard decided to pave their own road. Thus was born Sugar Bakeshop.

Bowick and Bouffard were both successful architects in Manhattan. Bowick had always dreamt of owning a bakery and Bouffard was a major supporter in following that dream. Bowick’s family has deep roots in Charleston, and during his years in New York, he found the things he missed most were the Southern confectionary delights he had grown up with, like caramel cake.

They looked around at spaces in Brooklyn, but nothing suited them quite like Charleston. The purchased the Cannon Street shop and adjoining house, and eventually opened Sugar Bakeshop.

“Baking is not such a big switch from architecture. It’s about taking components, or ingredients, and turning them into things you can experience,” says Bouffard. “The best part is the instant gratification,” adds Bowick, “I’d be working on one project for two or three years, but you can bake something in the morning and enjoy it that afternoon.”

Bowick and Bouffard strive to always make the best product they can and to be honest to the taste. Cakes, cupcakes and tarts are decorated with a clean, modernist approach, showcasing the desserts rather than the flair. They keep things fresh through developing new items, like Hummingbird cake with honey-buttercream icing. Their ginger molasses cookies taste like stepping back into childhood, but better.

Sugar Bakeshop has also taken up the mantle of resuscitating near-obsolete recipes, like Lady Baltimore cake, named for a turn of the century book set in Charleston, funnily enough. At Thanksgiving, they make a special Huguenot Torte. This summer heralds the return of homemade popsicles like watermelon, strawberry, lemon-blueberry, kiwi-lime and grape.

Grab a glass of their homemade mint sun tea, the perfect confection, and enjoy a few stolen minutes on the sunlit patio of Sugar Bakeshop. Feel free to get a few treats to go and bring them to the Art Mag office, 8 Gillon Street.

Sugar Bakeshop
Bill Bowick & David Bouffard
59 ½ Cannon Street
843.579.2891
www.sugarbake.com