Food Archives - The Memphis 100

Bacon Lovers Rejoice! International Bacon Day Is Here

(Photo courtesy of Amelia Ables)

It’s bacon time! International Bacon Day is Sept. 2. Celebrate by whipping up a sweet, salty, satisfying batch of bacon-wrapped dates. If you’re vegetarian or don’t eat pork, opt for soy or turkey bacon, and they’ll still be tasty.

40 pitted medjool dates
2 pounds thin bacon
40 toothpicks

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut bacon strips in half and place on plate in single layer. Microwave three minutes. Repeat with remaining bacon. Wrap each date with a half piece of bacon and secure with toothpick. Bake 20 minutes, turning dates halfway through. Enjoy immediately or at room temperature.

— Amelia Ables, KQ Communications

Food

Traveling #PoBoy901: The Sauce is Boss

The #PoBoy901 is piled high with fresh gulf shrimp and drenched in a secret sauce. (Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Johnson)

When Jacqueline Johnson was a schoolteacher, she began selling fresh gulf shrimp on the side of the road, not knowing they would soon serve as the main ingredient in one of Memphis’ greatest seafood finds, the #PoBoy901.

Because her business, Fresh Gulf Shrimp, is mobile, on Sunday evenings, Jacqueline posts her weekly lunchtime locations on her Facebook page. Customers line up for a taste of the popular PoBoy, the Cajun Sampler (her favorite) or the Saltwater Catfish PoBoy (my favorite).

All of the menu options are rightly seasoned and worth trying. The service is exceptional and the sauce is boss!

– Joyce McKinney, KQ Communications

Food

How to Eat Healthy at a Barbecue

Barbecues can be enjoyed while eating a little healthier; you simply have to choose the right foods and control your portions.

During the summer months, barbecues are happening all the time. Everyone wants to be outside enjoying the weather with friends and family. Below are some tips I have for making nutritious choices at BBQs without missing out on the fun:

1. Skip the buns: use a knife and fork and eat your burger or hot dog bun-less.

2. Use mustard: Ketchup is full of additional ingredients disguised as sugar.

3. Fill up on leafy salad rather than potato salad. If you need potato salad, volunteer to bring it and substitute olive oil and celery instead of mayo and bacon.

— Amanda Santucci, The Skinny Spice

Food

Healthy Eating Sprouts Up in Memphis

Sprouts, coming to the Bluff City this month, also offers recipes and shopping lists online.

Finally, healthy living with an affordable price tag just got a little bit closer for those of you living in the city. Sprouts Farmers Market, an indoor farmers market, will open at the corner of Poplar and South Perkins July 12.

The national chain is committed to providing customers with affordable foods and friendly, knowledgeable and engaging service every day.

Said to be a less expensive competitor of Whole Foods, Sprouts boasts features clean eaters and foodies alike will love, including: sandwich bar, salad bar, juice bar, beer, wine and much more. Check out the website at www.sprouts.com.

– Natalie Shinault, KQ Communications

Food

Hometown Eatery, Alcenia’s, Featured in O Magazine

Alcenia's was recently featured in O Magazine as one of the nation's best restaurants. (Photo courtesy Brittney Elkins)

Owner B.J. Chester-Tamayo received the surprise of her life when a customer mentioned that her restaurant, Alcenia’s, had been featured in O Magazine. Alcenia’s is the only eatery in Tennessee to make the U.S. of Yum list, which highlights some of the best restaurants across the country.

Chester-Tamayo has been serving up scrumptious soul food for 20 years. If you’re lucky enough to check out her restaurant, located at 317 N. Main, be sure to try her world famous chicken or delectable collards.

Click here to learn more about Chester-Tamayo, her history and her restaurant.

– Brittney Elkins, KQ Communications

Food

Fried Green Tomatoes: a Southern Summer Staple

Green tomatoes being prepped for frying(Photo courtesy of Amelia Ables)

Some recipes, like fried green tomatoes, are best enjoyed in the heat of summer. Below is my family’s recipe for the classic Southern summer staple.

4 firm green tomatoes

⅔ cup cornmeal

⅔ cup flour

Salt and pepper

Oil (I use canola and bacon drippings)

Combine cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper. Place a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and pour in enough oil to thoroughly coat. Slice tomatoes ¼-inch thick and dredge in cornmeal mixture. Shake off excess meal. Add tomatoes to the hot skillet in a single layer and fry each side until golden brown.

Enjoy them piping hot!

– Amelia Ables, KQ Communications

Food

Delivering Fresh Produce to DeSoto Food Desert

A volunteer shares the week's selection of produce. (Photo courtesy of Brown Missionary Baptist Church)

Mississippi ranks 49th lowest in the nation for overall health, and more than 45 percent of the state’s adults are considered obese, according to the 2016 America’s Health Rankings report.

Brown Baptist Church is partnering with UnitedHealthcare Community Plan and Alcorn State University’s Extension Program to distribute farm-fresh produce to DeSoto County residents through its farmers’ market.

The program was developed to address a lack of nutritious food options and provide a fresh start for healthier eating among people at risk of obesity, heart disease and certain cancers.

To learn more about the program, visit www.uhccommunityplan.com/ms.

— David Brown, KQ Communications

Food

Farmers Markets Alleviate Food Insecurity

Bright blooms at a local farmers market. (Photo courtesy of Amelia Ables)

One of my favorite activities is perusing farmers markets. Tomato sandwiches are a warm-weather staple in my family, and finding that perfectly red, ripe fruit takes me back to my childhood in rural Tennessee.

But farmers markets do more than give us a reason to get up early on Saturday to purchase the best tomatoes. By providing locally sourced produce to food deserts – areas without access to fresh, whole foods – farmers markets help prevent food insecurity throughout our city.

Some of my favorites include: Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market, South Memphis Farmers Market and Overton Park Community Farmers Market.

– Amelia Ables, KQ Communications

Food

Picking up Pizza at the Pump

(Photo courtesy G. Ramsey at Dodge's Southern Style)

Ask anyone in the mid-South where to find the best pizza, and you will receive many different answers. What you probably won’t expect to hear is, “At the gas station.”

But Dodge’s Pizza, located in a gas station in Olive Branch, is where I discovered the most amazing pizza in this area. A large, specialty pizza with a couple of toppings or every topping imaginable is the same price — $10 with a coupon, which are available in the store.

It’s one of Olive Branch’s best kept secrets and definitely worth the drive. Try it, and see if you agree.

– Joyce McKinney, KQ Communications

Food

Mid-South Festival Is a Crawfish Paradise

Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival goers enjoying a crawfish eating contest. (Photo courtesy of porterleath.org)

Get your seafood bibs ready. The 25th annual Stinson’s Industrial Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival benefiting Porter-Leath is just weeks away.

Make your way to downtown Memphis on April 23 for the largest Mid-South crawfish festival and enjoy live entertainment, family-friendly activities and tons of crawfish. In addition, crawfish enthusiasts can participate in a variety of competitions including crawfish bobbing and racing.

Each year the free event brings more than 25,000 guests to Memphis. All proceeds raised from the Rajun Cajun benefit Porter-Leath’s programs that serve local at-risk families. For more information, visit porterleath.org.

– Brittney Elkins, KQ Communications