Kathleen Purvis writes about food and dining for The Charlotte Observer Food Section. You can reach her at (704) 358-5236 or email kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com. We cannot provide copies of lost recipes at this site. Send requests to cpr@charlotteobserver.com or call (704) 358-5040.
Submitted by from Charlotte, NC
Q: My mom used to make the best pound cakes and other goodies; but now with the trans fat issue (Crisco, etc.), her cakes have sad streaks or just crumble. Can you give us any substitutions to make when using the new "no trans fat" products? Thanks.
Answered 07/02/08 14:18:21 by Kathleen Purvis
A: Trans-fat-free baking is still a developing science. New York City, where a trans-fat ban goes into affect July 1, actually has set up a Trans-Fat Help Center -- headed by a former editor for Martha Stewart Living -- to help bakeries make the transition to new formulas for bulk baking. Theoretically, the trans-fat-free shortening should work the same in a cake. I have heard reports that it can make cookies more crisp, but I haven't read much yet about changes in cakes. There are other things that could be causing the trouble with your mother's cakes. Sad streaks in poundcakes can be caused by oven temperature, for instance. Since home ovens typically are off by 25 to 50 degrees, you can get an inexpensive oven thermometer in a kitchen-supply store and check that. In the meantime, she might try a poundcake recipe that uses only butter. That's closer to the traditional poundcake (and all-butter poundcakes taste really good).Submitted by Andrea from Charlotte, NC
Q: Is there any local source for fresh gooseberries or canned gooseberries. I used to be able to find canned gooseberries at the grocery store, but I have checked the local grocery stores and they don't seem to carry them any longer. Thanks!
Answered 07/02/08 13:02:51 by Kathleen Purvis
A: I've never seen fresh gooseberries around here. I don't think they grow well in this hot climate. I have seen them in cans, although I haven't checked for them in a while. There's a line of Oregon and Washington State berries in cans, including marionberries and sometimes gooseberries, that usually are on the very top shelf in the canned fruit section of the supermarket. The things that don't sell as quickly tend to be either on the top shelf or the bottom shelf.Submitted by Taylor from Charlotte, NC
Q: For the person looking for quinoa - I have purchased it at the Trader Joe's off Rea Road. It's definitely hard to find at the store, but it's there. Or if you go to Earth Fare or the Home Economist, I would suggest the Ancient Harvest Inca Red Quinoa - it's a beautiful color and makes for a fun presentation. I make a quinoa and black bean salad with corn, jalapenos, peppers, lime juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and cumin... delicious!
Answered 07/02/08 12:59:57 by Kathleen Purvis
A: Good idea on all three places, Taylor.Submitted by Susan Canipe from Gastonia, NC
Q: For the pimento cheese lovers out there, please give Stan's Pimento a try. I've found it only at Harris Teeter. It is WONDERFUL - even better than homemade. Either on bread or a Ritz, it just can't be beat!!!
Answered 07/02/08 12:59:22 by Kathleen Purvis
A: Thanks, Susan.Submitted by Bobbie Cloud from Charlotte, NC
Q: Is there any place in Charlotte to buy bison meat? I am interested in ground bison meat. Thank you
Answered 07/02/08 12:59:12 by Kathleen Purvis
A: I've seen it at the Home Economist market on South Boulevard. You also might try Earth Fare, either the store near SouthPark or the one in the Ballantyne area.Submitted by Laura from Davidson
Q: Any TRUE Southerner(born & raised here)knows that NO OTHER Mayonnaise exists except DUKES!! If you are a TRUE southerner you have eaten local homegrown tomatoes on fresh white bread, salt & pepper, and DUKES mayonnaise your entire life and always will!
Answered 06/25/08 13:32:43 by Kathleen Purvis
A: Thanks, Laura.Submitted by from Charlotte, NC
Q: Just another comment: I've been in NC for 17 years and been going to Price's Chicken Coop about that long. After reading your article, I went out on a limb and tried their gizzards. Thanks, they are wonderful! I was very surprised.
Answered 06/25/08 12:37:27 by Kathleen Purvis
A: Glad to nudge you out on the limb. I was a hesitant, too -- I'm not a fan of most innards and I can't abide fried chicken livers. But my co-worker, Karen Garloch, coaxed me into trying them and I was hooked.Submitted by Bobby from Charlotte, North! Carolina
Q: What's with this Hellman's versus Duke's dilema? No self respecting Charlottean should be using anything other than JFG mayo in the first place. It's the best there is, period. End of discussion.
Answered 06/25/08 08:34:12 by Kathleen Purvis
A: Great answer, Bobby! Thanks for the wisdom -- and a laugh to start my day.Submitted by Anonymous from Charlotte NC
Q: Why is it so hard, seemingly, to find food that is both organic and local? Can you tell me where to look please? My goal is to try to eat as locally as possible and have as much of that food be organic as it can be. Thank you!!
Answered 06/20/08 15:12:55 by Kathleen Purvis
A: I don't think it is hard at all. I buy local food, much of it grown according to organic practices, every weekend. There are many farmer's markets, including grower-only markets like the Southend Tailgate and the Matthew's Community Farmers Market. At the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market on Saturday mornings, look for vendors displaying the "Local Farmer Local Food" sign. If farmers markets aren't your thing, you can try a store like Earth Fare, which has a sign in the produce department noting how many items are organic and/or local. Now, finding food that is local and certified organic is more difficult, but that's because many farmers who are following organic principles haven't gotten certified. Certification can be time-consuming and expensive for farmers. But if you buy from local growers, they can explain how they grow and what they do in their fields.Submitted by from Charlotte, NC
Q: How can you tell, from visual appearance or touch, whether or not a head of garlic is starting to "bloom"? (green bits in the cloves)
Answered 06/20/08 13:29:46 by Kathleen Purvis
A: I don't think there's a reliable well to tell. The green sprout in the middle really is a sprout; it's a sign that the head of garlic is older and is trying to put out a shoot. The main thing is to make sure you buys heads that are firm with tight cloves and dry skin. Don't buy garlic that looks shriveled or has soft cloves, and don't buy whole heads that have been kept in a refrigerated case (although I can't say I've seen stores doing that for quite awhile). The good news is, the green shoot won't hurt you. It can be bitter, though, so you should remove it. It's easy to pull it away when you cut the clove in half.Submitted by Confused from Charlotte, NC
Q: Quick question: What causes the "green" ring around egg yolks when you chill a hard boiled egg?
Answered 06/18/08 09:12:12 by Kathleen Purvis
A: That's sulphur and it's not caused by chilling. It's caused by overcooking the egg. (Actually, if you really want to get scientific, it's caused by hydrogen in the egg white binding with sulpher in the egg yoik. It's harmless, but it is unsightly.) Cooking the eggs more gently keeps it from happening. The method I use is to put the eggs in the pan covered by cold water. Put the pan on the stove and just bring it to a rolling boil. Cover the pan, turn off the heat and let the eggs stand in hot water for 17 to 18 minutes. Then rinse them under cold water (or put them in ice water, to cool them using less water.) I think people get confused by the term "hard-boiled" egg and think it means boiling them hard. I usually use the term "hard-cooked" to get away from that notion and steer people toward handling their eggs a little more gently.Submitted by Jennifer from charlotte, nc
Q: I was looking on www.CharlotteRestaurantWeek.com and when I tried to look for a reservation at Melting Pot, I could not find them listed. Are they still participating?
Answered 06/18/08 09:06:00 by Kathleen Purvis
A: I just checked the web site and Melting Pot was listed.Submitted by Didi Dinah from Charlotte, NC
Q: Ha! I couldn't by-pass this one! There are 10-12 of us "mature" women who take a week's trip to the beach twice a year and the mayonnaise is one thing we always disagree on............half of the "girls" want Dukes and half of us want Hellman's so we always have each. We have a continuing debate going and even have fussed about it in e-mails throughout the year. We are constantly disagreeing which is the REAL mayonnaise. If you really want a good pimento cheese, all you need to do is grate a block of medium cheddar cheese, mash up the jar of pimentos, mix together with HELLMAN'S mayonnaise, salt and pepper and there you have it. (I wrote you asking about the tomatoes at the Farmers Market and we girls even disagreed on which mayo to use on a tomato sandwich.)
Answered 06/18/08 09:04:10 by Kathleen Purvis
A: I understand the dilemma. If I even mention that Hellmann's exists, I get flooded with protests from Duke die-hards. Just like barbecue, I try to be nonpartisan. But Hellmann's (sold as Best Foods on the West Coast) deserves praise for producting a good, consistent product. It consistently wins taste tests and panels. For your beach trip, if you have 10 to 12 people, you have enough people to buy a small jar of each and make everybody happy!Submitted by Ellen from Charlotte
Q: Kathleen, I don't have a question, but I do want to ask you to use local stores and suppliers everytime you answer a question. Like the other writer, I shop Home Economist all the time because of the local connection, because of the education of their customers and because they have great stuff. If you haven't already, it would be great to see a feature article on all local products (NOT JUST STRAWBERIES). That would get people's attention. Thanks!
Answered 06/12/08 11:05:13 by Kathleen Purvis
A: Thanks, Ellen. I do write very extensively about local food, and will continue to do so on every possible occasion. Thank you for letting me know your interest; some readers do complain, though, if I write about local food that is only available in one area of the city, so I also try to include as much variety as possible. Local can mean many things. For instance, in answering the question about quinoa, I included Earth Fare as a possible source. Earth Fare is based in Asheville, so it could be considered local to the Carolinas. There are so many good resources for food in this area, it's impossible to include every place in every store. But I do try to spread the attention as much as I can.Submitted by Florabora from Charlotte
Q: Kathleen, about the Quinoa question - the author is in Huntersville - why didn't you direct them to Home Economist in Davidson instead of referring to EarthFare that's 20 or 30 miles away? They have a wide selection of whole grains - and I'm sure the staff would be glad to point it out to her and even suggest recipes. I'd hate to see Home Economist go the way of Talley's - we really should be supporting our local stores, too, especially with gas prices (and the fact that not everyone who likes to eat healthy lives in the Southpark/Ballentine region!) thanks
Answered 06/11/08 16:23:53 by Kathleen Purvis
A: Simple oversight on my part, Florabora. I didn't notice she was from Huntersville. (I'm usually so busy looking at the question that I don't really notice the name and town.) Home Economist in Davidson also would be a good source.
