Of all the things I have in common with Andy Stancil, two are essential. Andy and I are both descendents of rebels. That's right--our ancestors were the original patriots, a fact contributing to our meeting each other some fifteen years ago. Secondly, we both have insatiable appetites. There is endless material to exchange on all gustative matters. It is the meat of our friendship. I value Andy's opinion above all others when it comes to food. He is bold in the kitchen and in life, but underneath it all is such earnestness and heart. I'd take a meal of his over any celebrity chef, any day. If you knew him, you would to.
Dish you most request?
Grits. Love them. Salty and creamy and buttery and glorious. Whenever I find someone with a wondrous recipe for grits, I constantly request it. As a brief aside, I recall once, in the wee hours of the morning at Waffle House in some uneventful town in middle America, convincing the author of this blog that grits, to be consumed properly, must be drank with straw. That was perhaps when I first learned that grits were not a dish appreciated as widely as I had believed.
Pig part?
The easier way to answer this question would be to list the select few categories of porcine goodness which I do not love. And that would be limited to trotters and tongue. Though my love for all things pig ranges from crispy fried pork skin to luscious meaty belly – and almost everything in between - I have not managed to acquire a love of headcheese either . . . yet. But the most glorious portion of the pig, and my favorite part therein, the jowl, resides right there next to all the other “heady” goodness so I am going to keep working on it.
Food memory?
Everything I ever got to eat from my amazing grandmother’s (“Mawmaw”) house. Some of my warmest memories are of watching Mawmaw haul out her giant tub of Sunnyland Lard, scoop out a portion and throw it right into her flour trough, and proceed to magically transform that mess, solely from the warmth of her hands, into soft dough which soon morphed into crispy, fluffy, buttery biscuits. If we were really lucky, we’d get some of those biscuits served alongside a dish of warm syrup poured over a cold wedge of butter, perfect for sopping. Any wonder my entire family has a history of coronaries?
Beverage of choice?
I wish I could brag about some wonderful bottle of wine here – I want to be an oenophile, I really do. I find it somewhat repulsive that I fancy myself such a food fanatic, yet have not mastered a dedication to wine. I love wine, drink it whenever I can, but I just don’t have the time to master it at this point in my life, and as a result, if I had to pick a beverage of choice to have daily for the rest of my life, wine would not be it. It would have to Bourbon as it is delicious and has it has been involved in some of my fondest memories: roadtrips with friends, college football tailgates, going home to visit my wonderful parents and sharing a patio and a Manhattan or Old Fashioned with them. A close second would be chocolate milk. It is like crack to me.
Cookbook?
Right now it would have to be Ad Hoc. Popular and unoriginal pick I know, but it is my kind of food and the techniques in the book are so transferable to other dishes. The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook is solid also for great Americana food, minimal fuss and it always comes out nicely. Nothing fancy, just functional. The corn fritters in that book are earth shattering.
Most beloved item in your kitchen?
My crappy old analog radio. It’s the only thing I use every time I am in the kitchen. It picks up the local NPR station perfectly which is my favorite aural salvation after a long day at work when I just want to unwind in my kitchen and make some tasty vittles. Its especially beneficial on Sunday’s for This American Life. Despite my fondness for NPR, I promise promise promise I am not boring!
Spot for BBQ?
Lexington Barbecue in North Carolina. If you love vinegar sauce, smoked butts, and hot red pepper, this is your spot. If you can’t make it to North Carolina but happen to be passing through Atlanta, check out Fox Brothers Barbecue. Great meats and sides, and maybe the perfect hangover cure known as the Tomminator (mounds of homemade tater tots, topped with Brunswick stew and melted cheese). Also, as an aside, please disregard any suggestion from any source (such as from George Clooney in Up in the Air) to visit Fat Matt’s in Atlanta. Pedestrian at best.
Aphrodisiac?
While I’ve never noticed a direct link between what I eat and my resulting libido, there are certainly things that get the mind headed in that direction. Oysters, though cliché, certainly get the wheels turning. Red wine and Solomon Burke work too.
Restaurant you could never tire of?
La Pietra Cucina in the basement of the Invesco Building in midtown Atlanta. Consistent, a nightly list of specials as long as the menu itself, pork-centric menu, friendly and unassuming service, and they have figured out a way to put an Italian spin on bourbon drinks. Pretty close to heaven for me. And its only 5 blocks from my house.
Last Supper?
Stiff cocktails around the table surrounded by my family and a few close friends. A charcuterie plate, a shellfish platter, hot wings and beer to start. Pork belly, golden crisp scallops, and short ribs, mashed potatoes, summer vegetable soup and corn bread. Coconut pie. All served at a leisurely pace and to a table of folks laughing and smiling too much to realize this is the “last” anything.
notes
* Lexington BBQ is located on Lookout Ave in Lexington, North Carolina
* Fox Brothers BBQ is located at 1238 Dekalb Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia
* La Pietra Cucina is located at 1545 Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia