Varmint

I just wanted to bump up this discussion to see if anyone has been to Vin Rouge lately. I've heard that Matt Kelly continues to improve this restaurant. It's what I would call an "honest" restaurant. I remember kidding Matt that he should have tried to take over the helm of a more "ambitious" restaurant. How foolish of a comment that was, as this type of place may be considered to be far more ambitious than what springs up throughout the Triangle -- this is a chef and a restaurant that takes pride in the classics, while giving them just a slight modern twist.

I always add ricotta to my turkey/chicken burgers, along with some McCormick's Seasoned Salt. That's what they need. Of course, I usually get ground chicken thighs from Whole Foods, which adds some flavor.

Just got back from eating some tacos with detlefchef at Miranda's (sorry, Phlawless, but I didn't know how to contact you at the last minute). As stated above, this is just a walk-up counter with absolutely no seats. I had 3 tacos, barbacoa, pastor, and carnitas, and each were solid. The hibiscus drink really hit the spot on this very hot day. I'm looking forward to exploring some of the other places in the area. And one day, detlefchef is going to open a kick-ass Mexican restaurant. Some day that's too far away!!!

Thanks, detlef. This again demonstrates that Raleigh can really be lacking in good authentic dining establishments. I go to a couple of taquerias, the one on Peace Street whose name changes every other year (was T. Zacatacena, then T. Mi Mexico, and now T. Parri-something or another) and Taqueria Chicos on Maynard near Chatham in Cary. I've not been to the taqueria on Capital, but that's all I'm aware of. What a shame. I have noticed a lot more trucks, however!

Hmmm, as good as mine?????? I'd volunteer for a second smackdown to go with the fried chicken, but I'll just focus on the pig, thank you very much.

Let's make biscuits for the staff meal. Hush puppies are where it's at for the pickin'.

As a benefit for a not-for-profit entity, we can get one-day permit that'll cost about 10 bucks. We just haven't worked out the details.

I think a parmesan flan could be great. It also can be made in the second oven, which makes things easy.

On that note, one could argue it's farce to have Ed Mitchell return for this event year after year. Many people like Ed Mitchell's barbecue, but there aren't a lot of people in North Carolina who would say that he's the best pitmaster of them all. This is a lot of promotion that Ed Mitchell has wisely pushed, but it certainly doesn't even represent the plurality opinion, let alone a consensus. I also think it's appropriate for the New York restaurants to have some rotating schedule for barbecue restaurants. Space is limited, so allow others to share the stage. I understand that you may think Blue Smoke should step aside, but on that note, this event wa Danny Meyer's creation, wasn't it?

Cannoli would be a good idea. I'm intrigued. We did Sicilian/Sardinian last go around, so we'll not focus on a single region this year.

And again, I don't have a grill. Maybe I'll pick one up at a yard sale by July.

Risotto's always good, and I think it's time to revive it. As far as the scallopini idea, I love it. My only concern is trying to get together 24 portions of those at one time. They're pretty much flash fried, so having 2 skillets going at once may be doable. I like it. Plus, you get folks doing the egg wash and dredging -- tons of fun! Query: Is duck every cooked scallopini style?

I'll have all day to get things ready before the guests arrive around 6. We can then assign folks to different teams to get some of the dishes ready for final cooking. Thus, I can do a braise earlier in the day and have it ready as an ingredient for a filling for a pasta. I also try and have no more than 1 dish of red meat. Sometimes I'll need some pancetta or prosciutto as a flavoring agent, of course, but only one course where the focus is red meat. That's why fowl and seafood are always desirable.

We'll take all the help we can get, but right now, I'd love for folks to spread the word about the pig pickin'. The more people that purchase tickets early, the more I can plan and make different things. Feel free to chime in with suggestions for any traditional Southern side dishes you'd like to see.

I really want to do filled pastas. This is where I could make things interesting and can do some hearty braises for the filling. Hell, maybe I'll just do an all pasta dinner, which could be lots of fun. A bit filling, however! I won't have any grill space at all this year, unfortunately. I'm doing it at my house, and my grill died. Having just renovated our kitchen, it's not yet in the budget to get a new grill!

As we discussed in this thread from 2 years ago, I host an annual dinner party for the summer clerks in our law firm. In every year but one, we've done Italian food, and although the Louisiana feast was great last year, we'll be returning to Italy again. But this is no ordinary dinner party. Each guest is required to be involved in preparing or presenting at least one dish. I choose the menu, buy the ingredients, and do much of the prep work. I then just watch over the guests and give them pointers about cooking and plating. We generally have 20-30 attendees. Oh, we pair wine with each course, and we've traditionally had 5 courses plus some antipasti. It's a long night, but it's always a ton of fun. Hell, the lawyers in the firm try and bribe me to get an invitation! Go back to the thread above if you want to know what I've done before, but I'm looking for fresh ideas. There's really only one rule: the dishes pretty much have to be made and cooked after the guests arrive. Thus, I can't do any long braises. We can make pasta, and we might be able to get luxury ingredients. But the guests' tastes will vary wildly, so I generally stay away from anything that would be considered unusual, such as offal. So, suggestions?????

Uh, this is a question from the person I go to for Mexican food information!!! I've heard some good things about Miranda's, which is near Four Square and Super Taqueria on Roxboro Rd. before you hit Club Blvd. The Independent had the following to say about this spot: Hopefully, detlefchef will chime in here. He's our resident taqueria expert. So, when are we going????

This is the South, where bribery is just part of the process. Remember that one of the beauties of this event being on a Sunday is that if you get here on Friday, well, you'll have a lot of time to play with food!!! What we learned last time around was that the actual pig pickin' was just a small part of the total fun we had. So, go ahead and get those tickets, book those rooms, and come on down to North Cackalacky!!!

I'm not at all a moderator in this blog, but I believe Marlene has pretty clearly explained that she's not inclined to go with the vegetarian basket. I suggest she and Sam look at the top vote-getters and make a decision between themselves. That way, some democratic elements remain, but they make something their loved ones will actually eat!

Yup, just what I had for lunch today! Yum!

Man oh man. I get violently ill when I eat oysters, but I might be willing to suffer the 14 hours of misery just to enjoy the 10 minutes of bliss by eating a few of these. We'll likely be spending Christmas week on Dauphin Island, AL, and Mrs. Varmint has informed me that she and the eldest L'il Varmint will likely be making the 2-1/2 hour drive to Metairie to eat a couple dozen of these suckers. Damn, they look awesome.

We also hit a nice Snowball place near city park back in March: Of course, I failed to take a picture of the final product!

Tell me that the 4 pieces on this plate represent 2 oyster loaves and not just 1!!!

If you do go on the Maid of the Mist, make sure you pick up one of these babies, as no home should be without!

I just met a local farmer who raises organic chickens, rabbits, ducks and beef. Actually, they're not certified organic, but there's no pesticides, hormones, etc. The beef is pasture fed. I'm going to pick up some of his stuff in the next couple of weeks, but let me say this: I'm pretty pumped about all this good stuff that will be going into Dave the Cook's Brunswick Stew (aka "Varmint-Dave Stew" or by its worse name of "VD Stew"). Be sure to pick up your tickets to the pig picking by clicking on the any of the links below. Pig Pickin’ Basic Entry -- $30 per person ($12/meal + $18 donation) Pig Pickin’ “BBQ Lover” Entry -- $50 per person ($12/meal + $38 donation) Pig Pickin’ “Boss Hog” Entry -- $70 per person ($12/meal + $58 donation) If you wish to make a larger donation, an in-kind donation or an offer to match donations, please contact me by PM or e-mail.