BrentKulman

There's a poster today on Chowhound who says that he used to frequent the Coffee Cup for breakfast all the time, but since it has changed hands, he feels the quality has declined and the prices have risen. I haven't been there since the ownership change. Anybody have any perspective on this?

I visit the North Fork wineries every summer. The overall quality is very good, but it is a bit hit or miss vineyard by vineyard which compounds the problem. Among my favorites are Bedell Cupola, Corey Creek Reserve Chardonnay, Palmer Select Reserve Red and Pelligrini Merlot and Vintner's Pride Chardonnay. I also enjoy the turnips (and just about everything else) at the Modern Snack Bar whenever I visit. Channing Daughters is on the South Fork. I haven't been there in quite a few years but I don't remember it as being particularly memorable compared to some of the others I preferred. Perhaps I should give it another try next summer.

Here's a twist for you. We purchased a heritage turkey this year and the family that raised the birds also happened to sell some desserts. The one we selected was a cranberry pecan pie. It's basically a pecan pie with about a cup of fresh cranberries tossed in the mix. I was a little skeptical about the combination as I don't like cranberry jelly or sauce with my turkey, but the combination of the tart cranberries in an otherwise sweet pie was blissful. I really don't like overly sweet pecan pies so for those of you who do, this combination may not be for you. For me, however, it was a stunner. Any of you ever tried this combination before?

While we didn't get our Bourbon Red from Mary, that marinade sounded wonderful. Minus the onions (an oversight we were in no mood to correct), we just rubbed it on our bird and stuck it in the fridge. One thing we found was that the skin was very tight on the flesh and there was no way we could loosen it to sneak some marinade underneath. Anybody else have this problem? One recommendation that the farmer who sold the bird made to us was to roast the bird breast side down, initially, so that the fat drains from the back onto the breast meat. Halfway through cooking, flip it breast side up and finish cooking. He also said not to baste in the last half so that skin can become really crispy. We're going to serve the bird with Mama Dip's Cornbread dressing which is a family favorite.

Beccaboo - I'm going to try to make 8 pumpkin popovers for Thanksgiving. Looking more carefully at your recipe, I have a few questions: 1) Can I use skim milk? 2) I presume that you still use the other ingredients (flour, eggs, salt and oil) in the same proportions as the original recipe. Thanks.

I have made that recipe before and it's definitely a keeper.

I'm doing a heritage turkey for the first time this year and was planning to brine it. I've also never previously brined a turkey. So are you folks saying that brining turkeys in general is a waste of time or that brining heritage turkeys is a mistake. Please elaborate for those of us who don't know any better.

Beccaboo - Do you need to use fresh pumpkin "mush" or will canned work fine?

Since you said you were going to be in Durham on Sunday, another idea is the Sunday brunch at the new cafe at Gugelhupf. I have been to the bakery several times and, while I haven't tried the cafe yet, I have a hunch it will be extraordinary.

I'd give the Q Shack a try. I haven't been since they have opened additional locations and I have read some complaints that the place is no longer as good as it was. Still, it is open on Sunday from noon - 8 PM at the original location on University Drive. Check out the website for more information on this atypical place which serves several kinds of BBQ. The Q Shack

Delirium Tremens is actually a Belgian Strong Dark Ale and is a wonderful brew. Witbiers are a very different style, with their bananas, orange peel and coriander characteristics. Personally, I'm not a big fan but I don't generally care for wheat beers. A lot of beer connoisseurs love them and also a lot of folks who don't generally like the taste of beer like them, too. Guess that's what makes the world go 'round.

Just stumbled across this thread, but I'll make two suggestions for Belgian Strong Dark Ales: Nostradamus and Delirium Nocturnum Both have deep fruity flavors, a good bit of alcohol and are best served only slightly chilled. Nostradamus tastes of dried dark fruits such as raisins, figs and dates with a hint of floral and butterscotch flavors. It has a slight sourness to balance the primary sweet flavors. Delirium Nocturnum is a similar sweet and sour blend, but has more of an apple and caramel flavor. Both are highly carbonated, so be careful when you pour. As these beers warm in the glass, I find they are wonderful to sip, just as you would an after dinner liqueur. Oh, and the bottles are great fun to look at, too.

I don't really know the answer to that question. The bogs were all cooked by the time I arrived so I just assumed that the chefs used the biggest pots they could find.

I don't know about Greene County, but I do know that you can't buy Duck-Rabbit at the brewery, which may be due to county regulations. The brewery is the same, however. They used to brew Dergy's under contract for Williamsville Brewery. Now, they are brewing for themselves. They are one of the bright stars of the NC craft brewing scene and I hope they are successful.

Let me second the recommendation of Penn Brewing Co. You'll probably like Penn Dark (which is a Munich dunkel) and Penn Oktoberfest. You have another great microbrewery in Pittsburgh - Church Brew Works. This place is a mecca for beer lovers and they brew many of the great Belgian style beers as well as the German and British styles I mentioned in my previous post. Looking over your list, I'd drop the Sierra Nevada Wheat (note - this is a hefe weizen, not a witbier), the Tetley's, the Boddington's and the Newcastle. Substitute similar beers from Young's, Fuller's or Samuel Smith's. Also, the IPA is going to be very hoppy. Be warned. Otherwise, I like your list. Enjoy the discovery.

I know the Duck-Rabbit line very well. It is actually brewed in Farmville, which is right next to Greenville (not Greensboro), NC. They specialize in dark beers and, in addition to the Milk Stout, also brew a Porter (which I think is their best beer), an Amber Ale and a Brown Ale. Only recently introduced, all of the beers are available in bottles as well as on tap but the distribution is very limited - basically in select markets in North Carolina. Their label has a picture on it which, depending on how you view it, is either a duck or a rabbit. Technically, milk stout is a sweet stout, with the sweetness derived from the addition of lactose. The concept is to produce a medium to full-bodied creamy consistency that is somewhat akin to a sweetened espresso. Mackeson's is another example of this style. Guiness, by comparison, is a dry stout, which will taste bitter, rather than sweet. Here is their website: Duck-Rabbit craft brewery

I'd recommend becoming familiar with the maltier beers by seeking out the original European versions - Germany - doppelbocks, maibocks and Oktoberfests (brands: Ayinger, Tucher, Paulaner) British Isles - Scottish ale, wee heavy, and the various porters and stouts (brands: Fuller's, Bellhaven and Samuel Smith's) Once you understand these styles, then you can seek out domestice microbrew versions. There are a number of very helpful websites that list each of the breweries and all of their beer styles that you can peruse to see what is available in your area. In addition to the styles mentioned above, I suspect that you would also enjoy American Amber Ales, which is a style made by a lot of microbreweries.

I was partial to the two dirty rice versions. The one on the bottom came in two varieties, mild and spicy. Even though chicken bog is not traditionally a spicy dish, I enjoyed it with a bit of heat. I have only seen it on buffet menus in and around Florence, SC where it is ubiquitous. Most of the BBQ shacks in that area use a buffet format which includes hash and chicken bog among the dishes.

I was in Florida about a month ago and noticed that Cafe Maxx was closed for renovations. Don't know exactly what that means as I would like to have a dollar for every restaurant that was closed for renovations that never re-opened. In any event, you should look into whether it has re-opened. By the way, I went there several years ago and it was terrific.

From my previous post on this topic, it is apparent that few of you are familiar with chicken bog, the rice pilau specialty of the Pee Dee River region of South Carolina. This past weekend, I attended the 25th annual Loris Bog-Off, the region's chicken bog festival. The highlight of the festival was the chicken bog competition, featuring 20 different versions of chicken bog. Here are some photos of the event: Chicken bog is a jamalaya-like combination of rice, chicken and spices. The dish is generally mildly seasoned, although some variants can be quite spicy. As you can see from the photos below, there are a variety of other meat ingredients which can appear in the bog - sliced sausage, bbq turkey, ham hocks, sausage links and bbq pork. Onions tend to be the only vegetable, although one bog did include a bit of green pepper. Sometimes the rice is light and fluffy and other times it can be moist and creamy. The trick is to keep the rice from becoming mushy or to have the whole dish dry out. Fortunately, most of the contestants avoided either fate. Here are a few white rice bogs, the first of which is what I would consider the classic recipe: Here are some appealing yellow rice bogs: And, here are some dirty rice bogs, a variation that I suspect has some influence from Louisiana:

I had a wonderful dinner at Salute a few months ago but I understand that they have recently changed chefs. I have not been back but I have heard that the new chef is not as talented as the previous one. While Helen Schwab's review has just been published, perhaps she dined there under the prior regime.

Here are a couple of links to Dixie Dining that describe the history of chicken bog and provide a recipe. As the article states (you'll need to scroll down to find it), there are as many variations of chicken bog as there are chili recipes. Doing some searches around the web, I have seen spice selections ranging from salt and pepper to various combinations of poultry seasoning and hot sauces. I have even seen some recipes which included bacon bits sprinkled on top. Here is the article: A brief discussion of chicken bog And here is a recipe: Chicken bog recipe Unlike this recipe, which includes sausage, the chicken bogs I have eaten have been straightforward and tasty but have never included any meat other than chicken. I looked around the web for a picture of the dish but was unable to find one. If you want to use your imagination, chicken bog looks something like risotto, but is not quite as creamy.

While the south is known for many wonderful dishes that are served throughout the region, some of the dishes are sub-regional favorites. Chicken bog, which is rarely seen outside the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, deserves a broader reputation. In the pilau family, chicken bog is a combination of chicken, spices and rice that is made by stewing a chicken with spices, removing the meat from the bone, and returning it to the stockpot. Next, mix in some rice and cook it until all the liquid is absorbed. The rice takes on a wonderful flavor from the chicken and spices. This Saturday, Oct. 16th, is the annual Loris Bog-Off in Loris, South Carolina, not too far from Myrtle Beach. If any of you have been to the festival or have stories to recount or recipes to post about chicken bog, this thread is for you.

I'm going to be at The Design Center for a meeting later today. Too bad they are not yet open!

I'll second the recommendation on Luisa's. Their brick oven is the primary feature of the restaurant and it is openly visible when you walk in the door. Cooking in that oven adds a wonderful charred taste to everything that they place in it. Luisa's deserves far greater attention than it receives in the various pizza surveys taken in Charlotte. Another decent place for NY-style street pizza is Portofino's, which is the granddaddy of the Charlotte pizza scene. There are two locations: the original, on Eastway, in a strip shopping center next to a great little Peruvian-Chinese spot called El Loco Pollo and another, in fancier digs, on Park Road about a mile north of Tyvola. I haven't been to the new one but I have heard some who prefer the original location.