Notes
Oct 5, 2008 St. Louis, books, farmers' markets, groceries, offal watch, restaurants
1. I spotted hardback copies of one of my favorite foodie books, The Apprentice
It’s hard to imagine a time when people were attempting to make chain food that actually stood up to some level of high standards.
2. Guanciale. Salume Beddu was slinging some made with Fararr Out Farm Berkshire jaws at Tower Grove recently and it is delicious.
Toast some good bread, render some up like lardons, and top it with arugula and a fried egg cooked in the rendered fat for the ultimate (and fast) after-work snack.
3. Grits. I’d been unimpressed by Revival’s in the past, but this week, cheesy grits baked in a dish and topped with a slice of ham and a sunny-side up egg were absolutely perfect. It doesn’t get much better than egg yolk running over anything.
4. Getting much better…the Fat of stlbites.com has made an appearance at Niche. Lamb belly is now the final savory course of the tasting menu and it’s ridiculously good–everything a solitary slice of tender lamb gut was meant to be.
Lamb - mushroom, cauliflower, tapenade (& Brussels Sprouts when I had it)
5. A guilty pleasure: Chicken Modega and a side of white cavatelli at the Town & Country Rich & Charlie’s. Bonus: it was $28 for two of us to eat. Bonus 2: That Rich & Charlie’s is BYOB. Bonus 3: It was enough for lunch the next day too.
Tags: Farrar Out Farm, fried egg, grits, guanciale, Jacques Pepin, lamb, Niche, Revival, Rich & Charlie's, Salume Beddu
October 6th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Bill, my guanciale will be ready in another week and a half and you can be sure I’ll give this preparation a go. Yum.
Scott
Columbia, MO
ShowMeEats.com
October 6th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
I just finished reading The Apprentice and couldn’t resist every chapter saying to Brian, “did you know that he…” Very interesting. He is having an appearance/book signing on the 15th of this month. Tickets are free with the purchase of his new book.
We had the cheese grits at Revival and ended up having a conversation with Cary about them. My friend is from Tennessee which is apparently where he is ordering them from. We both agree wholeheartedly with you. Yummy!
October 6th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
I used a recipe from The Apprentice this weekend; boned leg of lamb with a crust of breads crumbs, parsley, garlic, shallot-which I didn’t have on hand so I used some red onion-and enough olive oil to moisten. Good stuff and easy. I served it with gratin of eggplant, rough cut tomato and onion, and mashed potatoes. I also baked two loaves of prosciuto bread which was excellent with a simple salad of bitter greens, walnut oil and white wine vinegar.
Anyone who likes The Apprentice by Pepin should also check Pierre Franey’s memoir.