“Because Thursday night is grocery night!”
Photos and quote by Rick Lee

By Brooke A. Brown

Every so often, my cyber-colleague Bill Lynch highlights a local blogger on his Strange Places blog, which is part of The Gazz media network. Because it’s both a good concept and I’ve currently got nothing else to post, I’m following his lead and adding a food-related twist.

Local photographer and blogger (‘photograblogger’?) Rick Lee started his On Location with Rick Lee blog in 2005, where he posts a wide variety of random images nearly every single day. One learns very quickly visiting Rick’s blog that he prefers to do his grocery shopping on Thursday nights. How so, you ask? Because on most Fridays he posts photos of the previous night’s excursion.

And the photos are amazing. Intimate, detailed images of green beans and avocados, bell peppers and cauliflowers, and whatever else might be filling the produce bins at our local grocers. To see a gallery of Rick’s produce blogging, click here.

WATCH: ‘WineBoy, Show 20:

“WineBoy” closes out the year with show No. 20 devoted to one of host John Brown’s favorite holidays — New Year’s Eve. He serves up some instruction and guidance in the art of picking Champagne and sparkling wines, including where the wines come from and how the traditional Champagne method is undertaken. If you’ve not yet picked up something bubbly for New Year’s Eve, watch “WineBoy” first.

So there are only, what… five days left until Christmas? And you still haven’t finished (or started!) shopping, yet? Well, you’re not alone. Trust me.

Taking a cue from fellow Gazz bloggers Rich, John and Rudy, I’ve come up with a gift recommendation of my own. And it’s one that is special to my heart for two reasons. First off, it’s food-related. Secondly, it features a recipe from my wife, Stacey (aka the Lovely Miss S).

Each year, Southern Living magazine compiles the recipes featured in their publication into a glossy, hard-backed book. There’s no denying the quality of the magazine, or the recipes found within its pages. But for some of us, the recipes are the only reason we pick up the periodical in the first place. That’s what makes this book such a valuable resource, as well as a fine addition to any cook’s library. (more…)

“Buy them ready-made in the big blue box with the picture of the biscuit on the front, or in the brown bag with the dark stains that indicate freshness.”
-Garrison Keillor

By Brooke A. Brown 

Ahhhh… now that’s the type of wrapping paper I like to see. Okay, so it isn’t terribly colorful, and it’s lacking festive icons such as snowmen, reindeer and candy canes. But thanks to the buttery, greasy goodness contained within, it shines as bright as the glossiest, most glittery holiday paper around.

Tudor’s Biscuit World is probably why the New Year’s resolution was created. But let’s not feel guilty just yet about the goodness that is a biscuit sandwich from Tudor’s. Instead, let’s celebrate this West Virginia institution and the incredible product that they make from scratch every single day. (more…)

Who says you shouldn’t play with your food? Sure, Brian Wilson (of Beach Boys fame) gave it a valiant effort with the song “Vega-Tables” from his 2004 album “SMiLE.” But an entire orchestra that performs solely on instruments created from vegetables? You bet your sweet broccoli!

NOTE: Thanks to my friend Al – a heckuva fine musician in his own right – for alerting me to this video.

On the first day of Christmas, WineBoy gave to me: one Umberto Lupini … Actually in the latest episode of the five-minute webcast, The Marcrazi Lupini opens the show and introduces host John Brown, who regales us with several nonwine suggestions for holiday gift giving. Our spirited host also recommends a wine to please even the most bah-humbugger among us. Get some good information and have a little fun — tune in to episode 19.

“Soup breathes reassurance, it offers consolation; after a weary day it promotes sociability… There is nothing like a bowl of hot soup, its wisp of aromatic steam teasing the nostrils into quivering anticipation.”
-Louis P. De Gouy, The Soup Book (1949)

Soup really is good food. M’m M’m Good, even. And one of the best places to get a hot bowl of soup in downtown Charleston is at a place primarily known for its frozen delicacies.

Ellen’s Ice Cream is a true Charleston gem. Just don’t let the name of the place fool you. Sure, they’ve got great ice cream (my favorite being the cinnamon espresso bean, a flavor unfortunately offered only as an occasional special), but the frequent aromas of curry and cumin signal the fact that other things are a-brewin’. Savory, comforting things. (more…)

What we have here is half a container’s worth of my most favorite snack food: wasabi coated peanuts. These Shrek-colored treats pack a fiery punch familiar to those who enjoy the occasional sashimi. For the uninitiated, wasabi’s kick is very much like horseradish’s – a non-lingering heat that burns the nasal passages much more so than the tongue. Maybe that doesn’t sound so great, but believe me… it’s exhilarating!

I liken the experience to that of riding a roller coaster. You know that big drop is coming, it’s just a matter of when. Same with the wasabi. You pop one of these snacks into your mouth, crunch down and then… wait for it… wa-hoo! An intense rush of electricity shoots upward from the back of your throat toward the nasal passages where the sensation briefly lingers before quickly exiting via the nostrils (or tear ducts). The vapor action of Halls Mentho-Lyptus has got nothing on wasabi. (more…)