Friday, October 21, 2011
These secrets from Tiffany's Diner reveal why the Maplewood restaurant has been so successful.
From the outside, it's difficult to tell that Tiffany's Diner is always packed with people. But the Maplewood diner was in business long before Manchester Road was jam-packed with shops and restaurants. "For a long time we were the only place around," owner Greg Winchel said. Winchel has kept the tradition going for about 17 years, when he took the business over. The diner is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week except Sundays from 2-9 p.m. Sometimes, it's so busy that the diner is standing room only. How can that be? Is it that the diner is the only restaurant left open on a Saturday night when the bars close and tipsy residents wander the streets looking for decent grub? That's a good possibility, but I've been to Courtesy Diner and …
38.612594
-90.319826
Tiffany's Original Diner
7402 Manchester Rd, Maplewood, MO
/articles/how-diner-food-can-rival-haute-cuisine
1427099
/locations/5716135
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Ever tried a light rosé wine with BBQ?
Pairing wine with food can be complicated. With so many wines to choose from, and endless food combinations to work with, how can the average person create a winning pair? I was taught to match what my wine instructor called "power with power," which simply means pairing lighter dishes with lighter wine and vice versa. For more in depth information and expert advice, I went to manager and marketing director Dianne Blaskiewicz at Saint Louis Cellars. Blaskiewicz concurred the "power with power" concept, though admitted it can be difficult. "We try to keep it as simple as possible," Blaskiewicz said. "People come in and tell us what they want to make, and we match the wine according to that." Some dishes don't quite fit the mold, however, …
38.613557
-90.322816
Saint Louis Cellars
2640 S Big Bend Blvd, Saint Louis, MO
/articles/tips-on-pairing-food-and-wine-from-saint-louis-cellars
1427728
/locations/5438054
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Ever wondered who eats that prickly vegetable? Or how to cook it? Read on to find out.
It may look simple enough from the outside, but the Economic Shop in Maplewood is a hidden gem of South and Central American food. It's only one small room, but the store packs a wallop of ingredients you can't find anywhere else. With more than ten hot sauces to choose from, the store is a great destination if you like spice in your food. You can also find items like canned Spanish plums, beef or pork chorizo, gandules verdes (green pigeon peas from South America), sofrito, a staple in Latin American cooking as a tomato base, frijoles (beans) and much more. I was especially excited about the Concha, a Mexican sweet bread with cinnamon topping. Oh, and the fresh cactus. Fresh cactus, also known as nopales, is imported from Mexico, though …
38.615021
-90.312417
Economic Shop
7168 Manchester Rd, Maplewood, MO
/articles/cook-with-cactus-at-economic-shop-in-maplewood
1427918
/locations/5199015
Sunday, August 14, 2011
An employee at Whole Foods in Brentwood offers some suggestions for homemade ice cream.
Making ice cream always seems like a feat only the pros can master. To achieve that perfect balance of rich flavor and creamy texture, you absolutely need an ice cream maker, right? Well, almost. This week's Kitchen Curious endeavor stayed at home, with a recipe that produced ice cream without expensive equipment or hours of churning it yourself. By definition, ice cream must contain at least 10 percent milk fat and include various sweeteners, generally either sugar or corn syrup. As all St. Louisans know, frozen custard is different than ice cream. It contains egg yolks, hence the custard base, and has a slower churning process. The result is a much richer, creamier product. Mix it with various candy or other treats and you have a …
38.621597
-90.321209
Mr. Wizard's
2101 S Big Bend Blvd, Saint Louis, MO
/articles/how-to-make-ice-cream-at-home
1508642
/locations/5092470
38.629098
-90.343548
Dierbergs
I 170 S & Eager Rd, Saint Louis, MO
/articles/how-to-make-ice-cream-at-home
1427937
/locations/5092471
38.627291
-90.346472
Whole Foods
1601 S Brentwood Blvd, Brentwood, MO
/articles/how-to-make-ice-cream-at-home
1427261
/locations/5092472
Thursday, July 28, 2011
You can use culinary herbs for more than just soup or pasta.
This week I'm broaching the topic of herbs and spices as home medicinal remedies. I'd like to say that in no way are the suggested uses for either in this article meant to replace professional healthcare. Everyone has their own unique, individual health needs, and I do not intend to tell you how to address them. I do intend to share some interesting ways to use items that might otherwise sit forgotten in your pantry, however. To start, eat a lot of thyme. Cheryl Hoard, owner of Cheryl's Herbs in Maplewood, said making tea out of the herb can help some with respiratory problems, such as cold symptoms. "It's a medicinal tea, so you want to steep it for several hours if not overnight," Hoard said. She also recommended steeping the herb loose …
38.61498
-90.312526
Cheryl's Herbs
7170 Manchester Rd, Saint Louis, MO
/articles/herbs-and-spices-as-medicine-cheryls-herbs-helps-you-choose
1427887
/locations/4952665
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Open-faced or closed, kolaches are delicious and healthier than doughnuts or other fast food fare.
When you look at a kolache, it doesn't seem like it could possibly be healthier than a doughnut. Stuffed with fillings like cheese, chocolate and bacon, it tastes just as decadent as a doughnut, though it is less sweet. But don't be fooled: the kolache is healthier, just ask Ryab Smith, owner of Brentwood's The Kolache Factory. "Doughnuts are fried, while these are all baked," Smith said. "You don't get the heavy feeling in your stomach after eating them. We even have a few people who will come in and get three, four or five of them on their way to the gym. It's a really healthy breakfast." (See related on Patch: Frank Papa Talks Pasta, With a Surprise Twist) Smith said one kolache only contains between 100 and 250 calories, depending on …
38.61386
-90.34906
The Kolache Factory
2604 S Brentwood Blvd, Saint Louis, MO
/articles/find-healthier-breakfast-to-go-in-a-kolache
1426752
/locations/4857555
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The owner of Frank Papa's Ristorante has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.
Frank Papa has a lot of stories and a lot of secrets to his success. The chef and owner of Frank Papa's Ristorante has run the Brentwood restaurant with his wife Diana for the past 17 years, building over time a 200-bottle wine list with selections from top producers around the world and a menu that will make you yell Mangia! with gusto. One said story revolves around the bar downstairs, which Papa had appraised by a wood expert who walked in one day. The expert said the bar is 1800s Japanese Oak and was almost surely part of the World's Fair at one point. Papa and long-time bartender Tim Krampe also insist at least 15 women that have come into the restaurant in their ninth month of pregnancy give birth within 24 hours of eating the Penne …
38.620454
-90.348443
Frank Papa's Ristorante
2241 S Brentwood Blvd, Brentwood, MO
/articles/frank-papa-talks-pasta-with-a-surprise-twist
1427218
/locations/4801542
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Start with farm fresh ingredients, then go from there.
The first step to creating, or recreating, any successful dish in the kitchen is to start with high-quality ingredients. Using an heirloom tomato, for example, in place of a standard Beefsteak or Roma, can instantly elevate a meal both in color and flavor intensity. Reinventing recipes that may have become old hat in this fashion can be fun, easy and rewarding - plus you'll impress your friends. One good recipe to tackle from a new angle is pesto. Basic pesto generally contains basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, lemon and olive oil. By spending a quick half hour at the Maplewood Farmers Market, however, I was able to quickly adjust that ingredient list. To start: Yellow Tree Farm was selling purple basil. Same basic flavor, more …
38.613453
-90.31487
Schlafly Bottleworks
7260 Southwest Ave, Maplewood, MO
/articles/reinvent-your-food-with-maplewood-farmers-market
1427546
/locations/4671918
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Porter's Fried Chicken makes mouths water from miles around.
There are some things in life that just never get old, and one of them is fried chicken. In order to get that perfectly crisp skin with juicy interior, I headed to Porter's Fried Chicken in Maplewood where I was met by new co-owner Steve Johnson. Johnson's lips were sealed tight when asked to divulge even a portion of Porter's famous fried chicken recipe, though given the restaurant's history, that's understandable. The location on Big Bend Boulevard has always been a chicken joint—no pun intended—since it began 35 years ago. Originally named Charlie's Chicken, it was bought by a man named Dean Porter, who then sold it to the Johnson family 20 years ago. Randy Johnson, Steve's dad, has run the place the entire time, using the same recipes…
38.602008
-90.325625
Porter's Fried Chicken
3628 S Big Bend Blvd, Maplewood, MO
/articles/kitchen-curious-porters-chicken-is-a-family-business
1426888
/locations/4801564
Friday, June 3, 2011
Fly fishing looks more at the relationship between man and animal than just a tasty meal.
Food isn't always just about a recipe, though that's what I was looking for one when I went into Feather-Craft Fly Fishing for the secret to cooking great trout. The relationship between man and beast is one many chefs and cooks strive to learn from, as understanding where food comes from and what it takes to get to our plate makes cooking all the more enriching and rewarding. The fishing season is getting into full swing, so who better to know how to cook a fish than an avid fisherman? For many, it's about the game, not the meal, so instead of a recipe, long-time employee Mike Jacobs gave me a philosophy. "There are so many life lessons to be learned through fly fishing," Jacobs said. "It's the key that unlocked many different …
38.611868
-90.340486
Feather-Craft Fly Fishing
8307 Manchester Rd, Brentwood, MO
/articles/kitchen-curious-man-vs-trout
1427276
/locations/4801646
Karen
12:41 pm on Thursday, August 4, 2011
I love visiting Cheryl's Herbs. I always walk away feeling empowered by knowledge and equiped with natural solutions to help me and my family be healthier and less dependant on pharmaceuticals. I'm always telling friends to visit. Even if you're not ready to go the herbal route, it's fun just to go in and see what they have. Thank you Cheryl and your knowledgeable staff! more ›