Eat this Word: Spoonbread

by jbfauthor on February 08, 2010

WHAT? "The apotheosis of cornbread." Or so said writer Redding Sugg. This Southern soufflé may take its moniker from suppon or suppawn, an Indian porridge. Perhaps the name stuck because this Southern comfort food is best eaten with a spoon. It's made from cornmeal, eggs, butter, and milk, sometimes enlivened with baking powder and a dash of sugar, and it's served across the South with country ham or rabbit stew or all on its own. Spoon bread is an any-meal kind of food: Jefferson, for instance, ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Spoonbread, according to Southern Food author John Egerton, is "the ultimate, glorified ideal" of cornbread." True Grits author Joni Miller declares it "one of the most elegant and classic Southern dishes." An essential Southern savory, "a properly prepared spoonbread," Egerton writes, "can be taken as testimony to the perfectibility of humankind." WHERE?

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Reel Food: Sichuan Buttons Tingle Tongues at the Beard House

by jbfauthor on February 04, 2010

As we noted in Tuesday's New Feed, a handful of adventurous chefs are experimenting with sichuan buttons, the yellow flower buds that tingle and numb the tongue when eaten. And sure enough, the unusual ingredient popped up in the Beard House kitchen that very same day. Check out this clip of Bryan Forgione, brother of Marc and son of Larry, discussing the effects of the sichuan button while he preps for their Beard House event:

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On the Menu: JBF Haiti Benefit with the Oak Room

by jbfauthor on February 01, 2010

Hungry to make a difference? This Thursday's Beard House dinner, which features David Burke alum Eric Hara of the Oak Room, will benefit victims of the earthquake in Haiti. All event proceeds will go toward the International Rescue Committee and its efforts on the island. Here's what's on the menu: Kumamoto Oysters2 > Warm with Osetra Caviar and Truffle Glaçage; and Cold with Pineapple–Vanilla Emulsion Sautéed Foie Gras with Chestnut–Celery Soup and Roasted Bosc Pears Lobster and Sweetbread Potpie with Périgord Truffle–Lobster Sauce Short Rib Pot-au-Feu with Crayfish Dumplings, Bone Marrow Custard, Gremolata, and Shellfish Consommé Lemon Pavlova with Lemon Sorbet and Rose Water Click here to view the full menu and reserve a seat.

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On the Menu: The Farm in the City

by jbfauthor on January 28, 2010

At the much lauded Barn at Blackberry Farm, where the distance between product and plate is measured in footsteps, chef Adam Cooke has cultivated the ultimate model of local cuisine. He and his team will bring a taste of pastoral Tennessee to the Beard House kitchen this Saturday night; see what's on the menu below: Olive Oil–Confited Columbia River Sturgeon with American Sturgeon Caviar, White Wine–Poached Green Apples, and Mustard-Preserved Winter Root Vegetables Raw Sheep’s Milk Cooked–Anson Mills Grits with Egg Yolk, Tennessee Black Truffles, and Ham Hock Consommé Jelly Roasted Four Story Hill Farm Quail with Warm Onion–Field Pea Salad and Hickory Gastrique Chestnut and Mustard Green–Stuffed Lamb Loin with Lamb Bacon and Caramelized Turnips Blackberry Farm Singing Brook Cheese with Apple Stack Cake, Black Walnut Compote, and Local

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