Though it might be best known for Graceland and all things blue suede, Memphis has a pretty incredible dining scene, including the acclaimed new French-Creole Restaurant Iris. After checking it out recently (and experiencing the biscuits-and-grits southern goodness myself), I concur. Rising star chef Kelly English, who opened the restaurant in 2008 and was named Food & Wine's best new chef this year, shared a few of his culinary secrets with us.  
 
You opened Restaurant Iris just a little over a year ago, and already you’ve received so many accolades. How does it feel?
It always feels good to be recognized, but we are committed to getting better at we do every day we walk in the door. I can't begin to emphasize enough what every member of the Restaurant Iris family means to our success; this is definitely not a "one-man show."

We noticed that you have your grandmother’s (delicious) buttermilk pancakes and your father’s grillades on the menu. Is your family a big influence in your cooking?
Without a doubt, my family's influence is ever present. Coming from south Louisiana, everyone cooks. You aren't a real man if you can't make a dark roux. The memories of my family's meals always inspire me.

We understand that you’ve trained under John Besh. What is the most important culinary lesson he taught you?
Let me tell you first that John Besh is a better man than a chef, and he is the best chef I have ever met. Passion for food and making people happy surrounds him every moment of the day. The most important thing he ever taught me was to cook every meal as if I were serving it to my mother. If it's good enough for Mama, then it's good enough for me.

Do you try to cook with local, seasonal ingredients?
I don't know any other way. There is nothing better than knowing your farmer and knowing where your ingredients come from.

Do you have any cooking advice for time-strapped parents?
My advice is for time-strapped parents to give me a call and eat with us! Seriously, good ingredients don't need to be fussed with too much. If you feed your children foods in season, there is nothing to worry about.

While recently in Portland, Oregon, I was blown away by the quality of the food. (These Pacific Northwesterners really take that whole farm-to-table concept seriously!) But my absolute favorite meal was breakfast at Mother's Bistro & Bar.

First of all, I couldn't put down the menu. Beyond having to decide between wild salmon hash, the wild raspberry pancakes, and the pork-apple sausage and cheddar scramble (my final choice, shown below), I loved the story printed on there about Chef Lisa Schroeder's philosophy that the best meals from her travels have always come from mothers at home--not from restaurants. Because of this, she selects a "Mother of the Month" ("M.O.M.") from somewhere in the world each month and features her photo, story, and a couple of her dishes. (You can nominate your own mom here.)

And of course, the locally sourced food was amazing, and the coffee was fair-trade. (The waitress was like a coffee psychic and brought out a French press of an Ethiopian brew of the exact right strength for me without even asking if I liked it strong--which I do.) The menu also boasted a selection of about 30 hot teas, hot chocolate, hot apple cider, and a special Oregon chai latte. Combine all that with the cozy-chic interior, a magazine library, and little playspace for the kids, and you're in breakfast heaven.

Epi-Log offers up their weekly list of foodie happenings around the country. We highly recommend Michiganders trek up to the Traverse City Wine & Art Festival.

Watching my 4 1/2-year-old daughter, Vivi, chase fireflies the other night brought back memories of being a kid during the summer. It's amazing to relive so many great moments with her: picking tomatoes off the vine, learning to open your eyes underwater, listening to Wings. But nothing beats the sheer delight of vanilla soft serve with a cherry bonnet. We stumbled upon Wally's Ice Cream Parlour in New City, New York (145 South Main Street--no website), on our way home from Storm King. What sets Wally's apart from the rest of the pack of soft-serve joints is the Wallypops. A vanilla ice cream pop in the shape of a face (Wally, natch!) dipped in either chocolate or cherry coating. When Vivi saw the poster and immediately asked for the "red dip," I was transported back in time, to the local Dairy Creme after a disappointing day on the baseball fields. A vanilla cone with cherry dip always brought a smile to my face. Now, though Vivi hasn't experienced the humiliation of missing the pop fly to center field, she certainly knows the pleasures of the dipped pop. Thanks, Wally. She shoved the pop in her mouth so fast, I barely had a second to snap this picture.

Let’s face it, mac and cheese is as American as, well, pizza. The Italians may have come up with the idea, but we’ve made it our own. And because this is America, and we are reluctant to leave well enough alone, restaurant impresario Stephen Starr’s Continental Mid-Town (below) in Philadelphia has upped the mac-and-cheese ante.

The sharp cheddar from Wisconsin or Vermont? Not for him. The familiar shape of the elbow macaroni? Nope. Instead, the Continental Mid-Town’s kitchen has decided to use orzo and a medley of American, Italian, and Swiss cheeses and—why not?—lobster.

The result is cheesy, creamy, rich decadence that will warm both adults and children.  While the dish may be long on sin for adults (pair it with champagne or a sauvignon blanc) the lobster is a good source of amino acids, complex B vitamins, phosphorous, and iron for the little ones. And the empty plate in front of you will leave you with a sense of longing.

“I was really sad when it was gone,” recalls Sarah Engler, an associate editor at Cookie who edits many of the magazine’s travel pieces.

Click to the jump for the recipe. Let us know how it turned out.

Also check out our Philadelphia City Guide.

 

Continue reading Mac and Cheese 2.0 »

In this GOOP newsletter, Gwyneth Paltrow shares a few of her favorite places for dining with the whole brood. Of course, every restaurant is probably kid-friendly when you are, you know, an international movie star.

A week ago I had lunch with some friends at Bar Pitti, one of my all-time-favorite restaurants in New York City. It was hot, so we sat outside and ordered the cold special of the day: vitello asparagi, a thin slice of braised veal leg served at room temperature under a thick blanket of bright green, chilled asparagus sauce. The sauce was so delicious--rich and creamy yet light and not at all cloying, it tasted strongly of fresh asparagus without an overpowering vegetable flavor--we lapped up every last bit, and I had fantasies of eating it with a spoon. What was the secret? We guessed heavy cream or butter. The proprietor assured me it was nothing so nefarious; asparagus, olive oil, mustard, and salt were the sole ingredients, he promised. I've since made it several times and can assure you not only that this is true, but also that the sauce is equally delicious on grilled or baked fish. It's also ridiculously easy to prepare and would lend itself brilliantly to soup. See the recipe after the jump.  Continue reading The Perfect Summer Sauce ... or Soup »

Open Table presents their 2009 Diner's Choice winners, including this list of the top 50 kid-friendly restaurants. Don't miss Zingerman's, a Cookie staff favorite.

Julie Alvin

What's the new cilantro? Is drunken goat cheese at a dinner party too 2003? If I send my kid to camp with a Capri Sun, will he be teased? Am I supposed to only be buying food harvested within, like, a mile of my house? We checked in with chefs, bloggers, and Cookie contributors to see what food trends are affecting you and your family today.

As Local as Locavore Gets

Thanks to Michelle Obama's White House backyard garden, growing your own fruits, veggies, and herbs is catching on in households countrywide. The Obama's "victory garden" was created to teach Americans about sustainable, organic foods and to offer a launching point to show children how to eat nutritiously. For a worthwhile summer outing, take your kids to the New York Botanical Garden's summer-long edible garden exhibitions, or check out PBS's garden guide for destinations across the country. To get started on your own, check out NY Times tips on creating a home garden, follow PBS's advice, or pick up Catherine Woram's Gardening with Kids (Ryland Peters & Small), or the Brooklyn Botanical Garden's own Gardening with Children.

Big Names for Little Kids

If last year's most obvious cookbook trend was food memoir meets recipes, this year it's food manifesto meets parenting. Look for Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma for Kids (Penguin), and Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals (Houghton Mifflin) out this fall. 

Quick Pickling

As we scrambled for ramps last month, we couldn’t help but wish that some of our favorite greenmarket foods had a longer growing season. Other foodies seem to feel the same, hence the trend in restaurants and homes toward quick-pickling everything from spring onions to rhubarb. To enjoy spring veggies all summer long, check out the new Well Preserved cookbook, or try this recipe from chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier of Arrows restaurant.

Brain Food
Gerber, Juicy Juice, and Breyers, among others, have started infusing their products with DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that boosts essential brain development during the all-important ages of 6 months to 2 years. Look out for other products taking this smart step.

Recession Specials
With the economy still in the toilet, even the most food-obsessed among us probably won’t spend this year’s anniversary dinner at a $100-a-head prix fixe joint, and the powers that be at schmancy dining establishments have taken note. Pricey NYC spots like Per Se, Del Posto, and Jean Georges have accommodated for the downturn by offering previously unavailable à la carte menus or gently priced tasting menus, so you can justify dining in high style.

Hello, Pork Belly!

They say it’s in hard times that creativity really flourishes, and what’s true in literature and art can be true in your own kitchen or favorite restaurant. Expect to see restaurants executing slicker versions of down-home classics and working wonders with the cheapest ingredients and cuts of meat. On your own stove, whip up some of Cookie's most wallet-friendly recipes:  scrambled-egg pasta, Caribbean rice and beans, fagioli on toast, and braised short ribs. Care to entertain on a budget? Check out cookbook author Rick Rodgers suggestion for a four-course meal that tastes far pricier than it is, and Mark Bittman's ideas for a $20 dinner party.

Highbrow-Lowbrow
Along the same lines as the above, Caviar and Wagyu are no longer in vogue, with haute cuisine chefs instead satisfying tough-times cravings for comfort food with elevated versions of lowbrow classics. Truffled grilled cheese, pizza with radicchio and zucchini blossoms, and burgers topped with tomato confit are all high-low combos you can enjoy at your favorite gastropub or your own table. We swear by this recipe for truffled mac and cheese.

Asian Street Food
Simple, savory, and satisfying, Asian street foods will continue to cement their place in the restaurant landscape. Make your own hearty recipes for banh mi, noodle soup, bibimbap. "Peasant foods" from other cultures like coq au vin, shepherd's pie, and chicken and dumplings make for simple, cheap, and hearty meals.

Fresh Flavors
Last year it was salted caramel, and Cookie recipe developer Victoria Granof expects that “spicy sweet” will be the next trendy flavor combo. Look for it in desserts or snack food, or take matters into your own hands by adding a dash of chili powder to dark-chocolate dishes or bags of kettle corn (try our favorite momandpopcorn.com).

Julie Alvin, Editorial Assistant

This weeks favorite food blog finds:

Check out what the BA Foodist dubs 'The Country's Best All-You-Can-Eat Feast'.

Practice safe eating during summer BBQs with the help of Cafe Mom.

Serious Eats offers up a recipe for tonight's dinner: Chicken and Rice with Saffron.

Matthew of Gastrokid tries out the classic boiled egg on his little ones.

The Atlantic Food Channel navigates D.C.'s Dupont Circle farmer's market.