NC F&B Podcast

How to grow mushrooms. Fox Farm & Forage

If you are ever concerned about living in a post apocalyptic world or you just want to know lots about much, listen to Amy Fox of Fox Farm & Forage. Mrs. Fox has figured out how to turn a degree in nursing into becoming a mushroom farmer. Not only is Amy a mushroom farmer, she is the darling mushroom grower/supplier to many of the elite chefs in the Raleigh-Durham area. Oh on top of everything else she does, Amy is a laugh a minute as an example she is a self-proclaimed, "Tricky Bitch." (Not our words)

Amy Fox gives us insight into how to grow your own mushrooms, some of the science behind different mushroom species and she distills down why some mushrooms taste better than others. Mrs. Fox doesn't have time to forage much anymore as her mushroom growing, being a wife and being peer pressured by her kids to skate board take up most of her time however, she gives us plenty of sound advice into which mushrooms we should not be eating. Get in on the fun…guys!

GIFT BAG Friends & Sponsors:

Social House Vodka

Triangle Wine Company

Food Seen

Michael's English Muffins

Larry's Coffee and 42 & Lawrence

Ramona Wine Coolers

Happy Hour Vitamins

The elite barkeep is just one of Shannon Healy's many monikers. Shannon is proud to be a barkeep but he is so much more. Mr. Healy helped put Durham on the map of the national culinary scene by creating one of the top cocktail bars in the triangle, in what was previously a deserted dark alley. Recently that cocktail bar Alley 26 has been expanded into one of the Triangle's top restaurants garnering 4 stars from the Alley 26 review in the news and observer.

Shannon Healy knows so much about so many things. He was a somewhat successful musician and band leader before his career in hospitality. You can say that Shannon Healy is a certified authority on spirits, mixology, wines, hospitality oh and he can even read real estate documents. Finally, he makes a damn good cocktail, try it, on this week's edition of the NC F&B.

We have some stuff going on...

March 22-25th - We will be at the OBX Taste to the Beach Festival

Sunday April 8th - We're slinging drinks with CHICKENWIRE + friends present Soup for Syria

Thursday, April 12th - We are behind the stick for Dames in the Kitchen: Celebrating Community & Food · Hosted by Les Dames NC

We dedicate this week of the NC F&B Podcast to a 2-part Series celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Triangle Wine Experience, benefiting The Frankie Lemmon School.

TWE part 2

1:00 Jasmine Hirsch

35:56 OBX Taste of the Beach Festival

40:03 Rajat Parr

We speak with General Manager of Hirsch Vineyards, Jasmine Hirsch and 3 time James Beard Award Winner: author, winemaker/sommelier Rajat Parr

For more information: Triangle Wine Experience

We dedicate this week of the NC F&B Podcast to a 2-part Series celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Triangle Wine Experience, benefiting The Frankie Lemmon School.

In the early 1990's a group of friends gathered to celebrate their love of wine and to raise money for the Frankie Lemmon School. The gathering became a tradition that eventually resulted in the formation of The Frankie Lemmon Foundation, a non-profit organization that is the school's primary funding source.

Each year the foundation organizes a series of wine related charitable events, including the Triangle Wine Experience to generate proceeds, which fund the tuition-free school.

TWE Part 1

9:24 St. Roch & Lioco

18:38 Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat

42:14 OBX Taste of the Beach Festival Announcement

46:24 Winemakers of RYME Cellars, Ryan & Megan Glaab

We speak with contributors of the event from legendary winemaker Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat, New Orleans inspired local chef, Sunny Gerhardt, owner of Lioco Matt Licklider and the married winemaking team of RYME.

For more information: Triangle Wine Experience

What do you do when you are not the man anymore? Chef Scott Howell had to learn the answer to that question after a 1,500lb grill fell on him and mangled his leg. Chef Scott is an 8 times James Beard Award semifinalist for best chef in America, Mr. Howell earned those nominations with elbow grease. This is not your typical story of how rockstar chefs work hard and get praise. More so, this is a tale of how a chef with all the gifts and determination to be a great chef discovers 3 absolutes:

• He cannot work like he used to.
• He must rely on his wife and team, trusting he put them in a position to succeed.
• Discover new ways he can lead and still be effective.

In addition to the inner conflict of a great chef that's been injured, here is the story of the dynamic women (Aubrey Zinaich-Howell) by his side. This story reads like a Shakespearian drama; we learn how a husband and wife can no longer be married yet continue as wonderful and caring partners in business. We hear how students are groomed and eventually become successful business owners and partners to the Howell's. We even hear about the origins of Nana and how to properly make cornbread in a cast iron skillet.

The Howell's story is inspirational and educational. You are very likely to shed a tear when you are listening to Scott realize his future, or how the Howell's coordinated with Global Breath to provide free yoga to their entire staff. Nana's restaurants continue even today to lead the way for the culinary movement of Durham, NC, this episode makes it clear as to how and why.

Want to start your own distillery? The first step is to resolve to make at least one bottle of liquor, that's what the Pinetop Distillery team did. This is the story of how four neighbors with engineering backgrounds created a grain to glass distillery in Raleigh, NC.

In this episode Jon Keener and Grady Knight put the shine on Moonshine! They tell a classic story of, have you ever had one of those days at your job where you say to yourself "geez I wish I was doing something else?" We all have and the guys and gals behind Pinetop put "substance behind passion." At first everything was handmade and operated until they used some science savvy to automate a few things. Jon, Grady and the rest of the team put pen to paper, hashed out logistics and maximized strengths of each individual to create a genuinely successful Raleigh distillery that is currently producing 750 bottles per month, of high craft grain to glass liquor booze.

This episode will give you insight into the science and the art of distilling. Additionally, you will get a sense of how to organize a business successfully with buddies. Finally, you will also get a couple of cool cocktail ideas, "sip" back and enjoy.

How does one fuse creative drive with practicality? How about be a ski bum for a few years then decide to go to culinary school?

Growing up, Sean's father made Golden Corral a successful national restaurant chain, but that didn't push Sean into restaurants. Sean worked restaurant jobs to support his skiing habit and after a few years realized he needed a steady job. He decided to go to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and hone his culinary skills there. While in New York City he worked at some notable establishments, most impressively, was the time he spent learning from Chef Eric Ripert at Le Bernadin.

After working at Le Bernadin and sharpening his technique, the call of home, North Carolina began to ring. Eventually, Sean used both practical and creative parts of his brain to run his own business. In order to learn how to become a business owner in North Carolina, Chef Sean worked his butt off at the Fearrington House for seven years; eventually he became the Catering Chef. During his time, Fowler met his wife Lizzie by wooing her with his culinary delights.

Lizzie and he were ready to strike out on his own when the Fowlers created Mandolin. The location for their new project serendipitously happened to be Sean's childhood stomping ground.

Since 2011, Mandolin has been a staple of the Raleigh farm to table culinary world. The Fowlers planted a farm in order to supply the restaurant with all sorts of produce. Mandolin is in elite company in the Triangle of North Carolina as one of the few restaurants to be awarded 4.5 stars from the News and Observer. Enjoy Chef Sean Fowler's song on his Mandolin...

Learn how to plan your life. Coleen Speaks has it all mapped out. Coleen knew that she wanted to live in New Orleans after high school so she found a university in New Orleans that would accept her and fit her needs. She knew accounting would be a major part of running a business so she decided to major in it in college. While in college she strategically decided that working front of the house at NOLA for Emeril Lagasse would be more knowledge she could bank for her own future business.

After New Orleans, Coleen intentionally went to a city that was on the rise as a culinary destination. Not only did Coleen move to Raleigh but also when she got here she worked for none other then Ashley Christensen, waiting tables at the cutting edge Enoteca Vin. While working at Enoteca she also began her catering business, oh and by the way she was five months pregnant!

Mrs. Speaks is the ultimate juggler however it's evident that when you love what you do, and you know where you want to go, you grow extra hands to juggle with. Coleen grew Posh Nosh catering from a small kitchen in her home to today where she has three businesses at the ultra-cool dock 1053 adjacent to downtown Raleigh. Three businesses aforementioned are Hummingbird Café, Posh Nosh Catering and the party venue for catering events Whitaker and Atlantic. Impressive would be an understatement in describing Coleen Speaks. I recommend that unless you are Kasparov; do not challenge this woman in chess!

Blake Gotliffe doesn't stop. After Blake regained consciousness from a heroin overdose to find himself in his mother's arms and alive he regained control of his life. His near death experience was the catalyst for him to be able to juggle so many businesses and activities. Whether Blake is curing meat to end up at your next dinner party or perhaps on your sandwich order from Meats and Pickles, he doesn't stop. Blake might be pickling vegetables picked from his own garden so that he can use that in a future Under the Oak Farms dish. It doesn't end there as Blake might be helping his expecting wife Megan create a new icing for her I Do Cakes business or he might be reaching out to colleagues to help him out in a Roots For Reece charity dinner. At this juncture of the story you get the point, Blake Gotliffe is not only a tenacious worker but a talented and resourceful chef. Hear how darkness turns to light in this story of an addict revived!

"Cheap seafood ain't good & good seafood ain't cheap!" Listen to the silky tones of the Steward of North Carolina Aquaculture aka our original fan, Top Chef contestant Keith Rhodes explain that statement. Chef Keith walks the walk and talks the talk. He literally eats, breathes and sleeps (in that order by the way) the North Carolina food culture. Rare is it to find such humility, passion and sincere zeal for others' success, in such an accomplished chef.

Chef Keith Rhodes is a 3 time best chef Wilmington award winner and a James Beard Award nominee for best chef in the Southeast. Keith discuses the high level of work, dedication and focus it takes to be successful in the restaurant business. We delve into how a prospective chef should build their resume. We come to understand how the culinary culture has ethnically evolved in this country; thanks to television minorities can see chefs of the same ethnic background become successful in the culinary world, it becomes a "if you can see, I can be" mentality.

There are so many valuable lessons learned in this episode. Find chefs who go beyond cooking, their soul speaks to the community. Understand why it's important to eat local and support your neighbors. Finally, answer the question, are we experiencing a turning point in North Carolina food culture different from anything before? Listen and learn!