Bob's Big Gas Subs & Pub

Crisp, citrusy, fresh grapefruit flavors

Owner, Robert Powell, trying to look suave (he really is)

Up-close and personal.

Dear Mr. Robert Powell,
Please bring back Pap's Pesto Sandwich.
It was delicious and the only sandwich I've ever truly loved. Thank you.
Love, Me.

I added sprouts. It needed texture.

Culinary Barometer

In the South, people use potato salad as a barometer for how clean your kitchen is and your culinary prowess. If you can "throwdown" on potato salad, people will eat nearly anything you cook. Not everyone will eat just "anybody's" potato salad. People are picky and finicky when it comes to this comfort food.

German.
Sour Cream.
Red Bliss.
Traditional.
Loaded.
Grilled.
Baked.

And the list goes on. And so does the list of ingredients.

Mayonnaise.
Celery Salt.
Paprika.
Eggs.
Bacon.
Caraway Seeds.
Onions (red, vidalia, white, green, chives, shallots)
Vinegar (white, apple cider, flavored)
Mustard (yellow, whole grain, honey, spicy, brown)
Potatoes (russet, white, red, new, old, borrowed, blue)

My family's 54th annual family reunion was in late August and this year was hosted by my branch of the family tree. My mother, her siblings, her first cousins and I orchestrated all of the events. I was responsible for quite a few things, but the main thing was to make 25 lbs of potato salad for 100 people.

I won't list a recipe here, but I will leave some tips.

*Cut your potatoes in 1-inch pieces before cooking them. You want them in bite-sized pieces; Not so big you need a knife, but not so small they break apart and make mashed potatoes when you're mixing all of the ingredients.
*Make your dressing first. Mix your mayonnaise, vinegar and seasonings while your potatoes are baking, boiling, grilling.
*Pour your dressing over the potatoes while they are hot. The creamy, seasoned, vinegary goodness will soak into the potatoes and make the entire melange of potato salad taste its best this way.
*Nothing says "I didn't plan this out well" more than warm potato salad (unless it's German) so make sure you make your potato salad the night ahead so it can be chilled properly for the next day.

A Fair To Remember

It's TEN days until the Dixie Classic Fair opens the gates and lets throngs of people in. I will be among those numbers, at a minimum of four times.

The Dixie Classic Fair in Winston-Salem, N.C. is the 2nd largest in the state and the 11th largest in the United States. This year marks the 129th year of this regional attraction. I always feel proud of this event in my hometown, but also miniscule and insignificant when it comes to all of the activities and special events going on at this time.

So much is jam packed in nearly two weeks: livestock shows, gem shows, consumer sale and trade shows, and outdoor events such as picnics, auto shows, food, wine, craft, writing competitions--and more!

Italian lasagna

This year I am entering recipes and dishes in FOUR competitive culinary competitions. Piedmont Books Best Lasagna, Smitty's Apples Fried Apple Pie, Lowes Foods Sausage, and the Great American Spam Championship.

Soon-to-be fried apple pies

The one I'm most looking forward to is the Fried Apple Pie contest. First prize is $800. I've heard there are usually over 200 competitors. I guess your pie has to really be BANGING!

Next, the Spam Championship. I will admit this right now: I do not like Spam, I do not like ham. I do not like any meat that is from a can (except tuna and no one really likes canned tuna, it's just what Americans eat sometimes) but I am willing to enter this contest for the potential to go to Hawaii. I'm not sure if my recipe will win, but I hope I net something from one of the four contests. I'll post them as I compete. I don't want any other contestants googling me & getting tips.

Thirdly, Lowes Foods Sausage. You can make any dish, hot or cold with as many or as little ingredients as you want. Carte blanche in a contest is lethal. I'm going to knock them dead.

Last, but not least, I am only entering the lasagna contest because I make pretty good lasagna. I mean, most lasagnas are run-of-the-mill and taste the same: noodles, sauce, meat, sausage, cheese, the end. I'm toying with the idea of making it with exotic ingredients as opposed to classic ones....but we'll see.

Last Days of Summer

Summer is coming to an end. Everyone thinks it ends after Labor Day weekend, but I hold on until the last possible second. It's the best, shortest season of the year and I don't understand the lure of cold, harsh wind whipping around your face.

All that being said, there are a few things that you need to do before September 22.

Eat more tomatoes
Summer is peak for tomatoes. They are available year round because of greenhouses, but those fruits are inferior and not worthy to be eaten. A little salt, a little pepper, and you're good to go. The melange of juiciness with firm flesh, balanced acidity, sweetness, earthy freshness all make in-season tomatoes worth while. My favorite varities: Campari, German Johnson, and Cherokee Purple.

Go to the beach & play in the ocean
September and October are prime months to go to the beach because the ocean is at its warmest. I went to the beach in late July/early August and I stayed out in the ocean for hours. So blissful.

Make a fruit pie
The best way to eat summer fruits is in a pie: berries (cherries, blueberries, strawberries, etc.) and stone fruits (peaches, apricots, plums, etc.) Nothing beats fruit sweetened with sugar, thickened with corn starch and wrapped in a piping hot all-butter crust.

Take pictures of you & your friends
I have always been fortunate to be surrounded by lots of dedicated people I like to call my friends. Any given night, you'll find a group of us hanging out, going to concerts, planning trips, and enjoying our awesome city of Winston-Salem.

Visit a local winery
Just because fall harvest is just around the corner doesn't mean you can't throw on a tank top and flip flops and enjoy a day at your favorite local winery or vineyard. What's that? You don't have a favorite? Jump in the car and visit the closest one.

Go stargazing
Viewing the constellations is a great way to pass a clear evening. Starting with the brightest stars and the clearest formations, we can learn to spot constellations.  Check out where you should look and what you can see TONIGHT, right here.

Have a cookout
Yes, yes--I know--you've been chillin' and grillin' all summer long. You'll continue to grill during the fall and winter, too. But having one more cookout (or barbecue, as you Northerners call it) won't kill you. Coolers full of ice and beer, smoking grill, sizzling meats, seasoned vegetables, mayonnaise-laden salads... ahh--bliss.

Texas Pete Twin City Rib Fest Part 2

NOTE: I thought I'd published this post months ago. Oops.

On Saturday, June 11, I was a judge at the Seventh Annual Texas Pete Twin City Rib Fest. By responding to a contest via Facebook,

Click to enlarge

There were 9 professional competitors (and 27 amateurs--I was not a judge for that contest, thank the Lord) and competitors came from South Carolina, Alabama, Ohio, Arkansas, and other points south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Each judging sheet had places for each 9 ribs and 9 sauces. The ribs were judged by taste, texture, and appearance. Each sauce was based on the same.  There were so many ribs to try, I couldn't eat them all in one sitting.

The scale to judge the ribs is between 2 and 9. No one category can get a score of 1 or a perfect score of 10.

TRUE STORY: There were 6 judges total, from all walks of life: newspaper journalists, editors, quality control specialists for beer, wine and food...and me. We'd tasted 4 different ribs and all of them lackluster. Run-of-the-mill ribs with mediocre taste, fair-to-middling texture and forgettable taste.

Then we tasted the 4th rib. So hot, tangy, smoky, deep layers of flavor, pink with perfect smoke ring, succulent, moist, and the best rib I'd ever eaten in my life. Hands down, I scribbled three 9's for my scores. I happily ate through 4 more ribs, saving the bulk for my post-judging feast. Lo and behold, the number 4 rib was Bib's Downtown from here in Winston-Salem. Ultimately, Bib's won Grand Champion, Best Ribs and People's Choice.

Yes, I live here in Winston-Salem, but I'd never had ribs from Bib's--only pulled pork and brisket. The losers other competitors were so pissed off, they thought the contest was rigged and stormed off the stage in a huff. Drama!