Cookies, cookies, cookies. That's what I do best at the Inn. I love to bake. I love to make not only homemade or homebaked cookies, but cookies from scratch. No box mixes, no pre-made store bought concoctions, no canned recipes off the internet or copied from someone else. Nope... it is not me.
I usual will take a recipe off the internet or out of a cookibook, and change it. DRIVES MY WIFE CRAZY!
"Why....WHY do you ALWAYS have to change the darn recipe", Doris will ask. "Just do it as it is listed in the recipe; otherwise you just may screw it up!"
I have read a couple of cook books that teach you the scientific basis of cooking. They explain why you use the ingredients that are listed. After you read a couple of books and practice at what they teach you, you slowly develop the necessary skills in baking.
I take a recipe and modify it by changing it to make it my own. I always strive to use the best and freshess ingredients. If for some reason the batter does not look like it has in the past, I will try to 'SAVE IT" by using other ingredients to help recover the "sweet treat."
On occasions, I have felt badly for guests staying at other hotels or lodging facilities.... where they usually have commercially made and baked cookies. It does not take much for me to move through a recipe and decide what I should do, and what should this cookie look and taste like. As the baker, I know the ingredients, and what goes into making the cookies better.
I have made cookies for guests who have diet restrictions, like gluten free, or dairy free. The hard one for me was a gluten and dairy free cookie. I made that for a little boy who stayed at the Inn with his parents. That was a difficult one in that it just did not stay together. I ended up making the cookie in a mini-muffin pan and they tasted like granola. But the little boy liked them! That was a success in my eyes. At least he was able to have a nice sweet treat, and he was a sweet little boy!
Gary
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Sixteen local chefs will be competing in the first Fire in the Triangle dining competition this summer.
Using a bracket system like that in sports, it pits chefs against one another in "Iron Chef-style" battles with a twist – the audience/diners get to eat and vote! Their votes make up 70 % of the total score, with the judges' panel only counting for 30 percent.
Diners will not know which chefs made which dishes. Emcee Jimmy Crippen said diners are urged not to try to figure out which chefs made each of the six dishes. "Just vote your palate," Crippen suggested.
Voting will also be easy. Diners can scan a QR code and vote on their smartphones. Paper and pencil voting will be available for those who don't have a smartphone.
The format is simple: Chefs arrive at the restaurant, 1705 Prime, which is located at 705 E. Millbrook Road in Raleigh at Noon the day of the competition. This is the site for all battles.
They find out the secret ingredient and must get to work with their two assistants to create three courses featuring that ingredient. They all have access to the same pantry and the same ingredients. They are also prohibited from making anything from their restaurants.
Their menus are due by 3:30 p.m. and diners start arriving at 6:30 p.m. Dinner is served at 7 p.m.
This sounds like a wonderful dining experience for anyone who enjoys food and showcases many of the excellent chefs we have in the Triangle. There are many more great chefs that are not competing!
Tickets for all first round battles are $49 per person. The price EXCLUDES BEVERAGE, TAX AND TIP.
Tickets can be purchased at http://www.competitiondining.com/events/fire-in-the-triangle
It a single-elimination contest with the winner being crowned on July 31.
First round match-ups:
June 11: Shane Ingram (Four Square) vs. Adam Jones (Twisted Fork)
June 12: Adam Rose (Il Palio) vs. Josh Decarolis (Jujube)
June 13: Ryan Payne (Weathervane) vs. Chris Harris (Fork and Barrel)
June 18: Scott James (Midtown Grille) vs. Matthew Hannon (Ashten's)
June 19: John Childers (Herons at Umstead) vs. Chad McIntyre (Market)
June 20: Reto Von Weissenfluh (Mia Francesca) vs. Serge Falcoz-Vigne (518 West)
June 26: Christopher Hill (The Oxford) vs. Jimmy Reale (The Carolina Inn)
Fire in the Triangle is part of the Got to Be NC Competition dining series. The winner from the Triangle will go on to the "final four" to compete against the winners of the Fire on the Rock, Fire on the Dock and Fire in the Triad competitions. These two competitions were held earlier this year and the winners from The Rock and Dock have been selected. The Triad competition is coming up in August and September. More information on that one as it becomes available.
The last chef standing wins $2,000 and the coveted red chef’s jacket. The runner-up will get $500.
Dock winner Andy Hopper of Chefs 105 in Morehead City said some of the secret ingredients he had to deal with during his battles were strawberry moonshine, grits, Johnston County hams, pasta and quail.
That doesn't sound too unusual for me, but I'm not picky. If you happen to be in the Raleigh area, the restaurant is only about 20 to 25 minutes from the Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast. Rent a room, stay the night, and have a wonderful dining experience that is unique and different. What a nice little gift for your spouse, friend, partner, or significant other.
A NIGHT AWAY AND A NIGHT OUT!! Check us out at www.oakwoodinnbb.com.
A NIGHT AWAY AND A NIGHT OUT!! Check us out at www.oakwoodinnbb.com.
Gary
