Monday, January 22, 2007

Welcome to the Durham Foodie blog!

Greetings! Durham is easily the best place in the Triangle for food. For all those people who live in Cary or Raleigh, Durham is worth the trek for its exciting culinary possibilities. I may occasionally venture a word or two about Chapel Hill or Raleigh, but I have to say that Durham is where it is happening right now.

My intent is not to be a restaurant critic, although that may happen. Rather I will write about specific culinary experiences in restaurants, my kitchen, my friends' kitchens, and in supermarkets, butchers, bakeries, etc. My aim is to give guidance and tips to anyone who cares to listen.

For example, the best cupcake recipe on earth is in the April 2005 Cooks' Illustrated magazine. Go to the library or borrow from a friend. I have made the cupcakes twice and tried two of the frosting recipes included in the issue. If you make them for kids, use the vanilla buttercream frosting. If you are making for adults, try the mocha frosting. It is wonderful. Actually both are equally terrific. Maybe next time I'll just make the frosting and eat it straight out of the bowl w/ a spoon!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a cruel joke. I stumbled across your blog, read this entry, and rushed to the downtown [Durham] library. Despite what their online catalog says, they only retain the issues within the last year. Oh well. Maybe you could post the recipe(s)?
bj

Anonymous said...

Hello, I'm a budding foodie and came across your blog in a search on Bonne Soiree. I became very interested and was wondering a few things.

1. When did you decide that you were a foodie?
2. Are you involved with any groups that promote the interest of cooking? For me time and money have been the main issues. That and a general lack of a group whom I could ask questions of or could have maybe a monthly cooking/gathering... I'm in Chapel Hill
4. How do you come by the time and money to cook what you cook?
5. The recipes that you post. Are they all recipes you have tried to cook yourself?
3. So as to not be so anonymous since I don't have a blog id account.. I'm late 20 M who has watched enough foodtv (eh), frugal gourmet, america's test kitchen etc. to pick up on terms and come across ideas that I've wanted to try and either didn't have the utensils or was a bit intimidated and didn't want tow aste money on products only for it to fall flat. I'm currently trying to perfect a good loaf of Challah and possibly chocolate cups via a small balloon (then I could fill it with mousse, mixed berries or what have you. I do find myself baking more than cooking. Anyways, I was wondering if there was some email group you and others belong to or something that is more general discussion and not as detached as a blog.

K said...

1. I've loved food since day 1. It's always been a topic of conversation in my family. Then living in France pushed me over the edge.

2. There is an online community of Durham food bloggers I hang with. And food is a topic w/ friends, but other than that no. Why don't you start a group? Like a book club but people talk about food!

3. I doin't actually know of any groups but there must be some. Start one!

4. I save my pennies. Time is harder. I like to cook on weekends. Most of my favorite recipes are simple and fairly quick.

5. Yes, I only post recipes I've actually made.

Anonymous said...

Hi me again from the 2nd post on here. Thanks for the reply. Yes, Time does seem to be more of an issue than money. I've recently made chocolate cups and will be filling those with mouse and maybe a self made raspberry sauce. I'd have gone for callebeaut, but I was in a hurry and for $2 for roughly 1/2 lb of Semisweet Ghirardelli I wasn't going to argue. I'm going to try eclair from a choux recipe and eventually some bread when I have a day to let the dough rise.