Apr 28 – Turnip Greens & Tortillas
My first guest this week is Chef Eddie Hernandez author of Turnip Greens & Tortillas – A Mexican Chef Spices up The Southern Kitchen.
Learn more about Chef Hernandez and his restaurant – Taqueria del Sol
USA Today called Taqueria del Sol “a runaway success.” Bon Appétit wrote: “Move over, Chipotle!” The fast-casual food of Eddie Hernandez, the James Beard-nominated chef/co-owner of the restaurant, lands on the commonalities of Southern and Mexican food, with dishes like Memphis barbecue pork tacos, chicken pot pie served in a “bowl” of a puffed tortilla, turnip greens in “pot likker” spiked with chiles, or the “Eddie Palmer,” sweet tea with a jab of tequila. Eddie never hesitates to break with purists to make food taste better, adding sugar to creamy grits to balance the jalapeños, or substituting tomatillos in fried green tomatoes for a more delicate texture. Throughout, “Eddie’s Way” sidebars show how to make each dish even more special.
“In his first cookbook, Hernandez, executive chef of the Taqueria del Sol restaurants, delivers a fun and adventurous mash-up of his influences—he was born in Mexico, raised in the American South, and developed a love of New Orleans cuisine. The common denominator here is heat, especially in the form of various peppers. For breakfast, there is a spicy Cajun hash with andouille sausage. For a hearty soup, there is posole, in which pounds of pork butt and four cups of hominy are flavored with the puree of 30 dried chiles. For dessert—ancho-chile pralines. Hernandez enjoys teasing a bland food with a spicy kick, thus presenting meatloaf with tomato-habanero gravy, mac and cheese with feta and jalapeños, and buttermilk fried chicken with green-chile-horseradish sauce. But tacos are the soul of the book, and these are simple yet complex, with 20 different varieties. There are Americanized versions such as the cheeseburger taco, as well as traditional carnitas tacos and regionalized offerings such as a Nashville hot chicken taco. Puckett, the former food editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, renders Hernandez’s stories in tight, captivating prose, and photographer Mosier showcases, for example, a small island of creamy grits surrounded by pink shrimp in a bowl of tomato and jalapeño puree. This is an outstanding cookbook of innovative recipes.” —Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Born in Monterrey, Mexico, EDDIE HERNANDEZ is the executive chef of Taqueria del Sol. He and his business partner, Mike Klank, were nominated for a 2017 James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur Award. His recipes have appeared in Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Southern Living, and Garden & Gun. There are two Taqueria del Sol restaurants on Face Book…one in Nashville TN and the other in Atlanta GA . On Twitter.
In the second half my good friend Dan Stockemer of Prarie Hill Vineyard at Stockemer Farms joins us to talk about a great private tour to San Francisco and Sonoma wine country that he has put together. The dates are October 29 – November 2, 2018. For one low price Dan will lead you on a tour of lifetime that includes San Francisco Bay cruise, Fisherman’s Wharf, Trolley ride, tour and tasting at six wineries a visit to Armstrong Redwoods…all this and your airfare, ground transport, luggage handling and all meals except one are included. For more information or to make a reservation call Dan’s travel partner Getaway Easy Travel 316 747-4446
Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2015 J. Lohr “Los Osos” Merlot
The 2015 J. Lohr Estates Los Osos Merlot shows an intense and properly matured red hue in the glass. Varietal aromas of black cherry and anise are integrated with a barrel signature of hazelnut,
dark chocolate, and baking spice. We use whole berry fermentation and a generous amount of Malbec in this blend to accentuate bright fruit tones and provide a rich, lengthy finish.
Three vintages in a row of this great value Paso Robles gem have been rated 90 or better and for good reason, this wine is stellar. I thought the 2013 was exceptional, then the 2014 came out and it was even better. The 2015 continues the tradition 🙂 Grab a bottle at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road and thank me later!
Miscellaneous Wines’ owner/winemaker, Grant Long Jr., has always been intrigued with creating small-lot wines. The idea that he could hand select only a few barrels of wine, each with its own set of unique characteristics, and then isolate them to create an unsurpassable wine, was his inspiration. So each year, after harvest is over and the wine has had time to develop in the barrel, the process of creating small reserve lots begins.
Winemaker
Then a quick chat with Björn Öste CEO of Good Idea® – the Swedish Sugar Buster notably known for helping a healthy person handle the sugar spike following a carb-rich meal has made its way to the NorCal region and is now securing placement at a growing number of retailers. Most people would perceive Good Idea as just another flavored sparkling water, but the fact is that it is far from that. The “supplement facts” on the backside of the can reveal a proprietary blend of five amino acids and chromium, clinically proven to help the body handle the blood sugar spike following an ordinary meal rich in fast carbs. Good Idea is the result of years of research and development conducted by Good Idea Inc´s Swedish mother company Aventure AB and the Food for Health Science Centre at Lund University in southern Sweden. “We´re on a mission to bring health to the table”, says GoodIdea Inc´s CEO Björn Öste. Visit 
**Tickets $100 online or $125 at the door** 
Alive & Well olives come from small, family farms and village co-ops in Greece, who follow the same traditional agricultural methods used in the region for thousands of years. Some of the trees are over 1,000 years old. These raw, heirloom olives are grown, harvested and cured to capture their delicious flavors while delivering naturally occurring probiotics and essential nutrients. Perfect as a snack, in salads, appetizers or entrées, Alive & Well olives are rich in live, active cultures. 
Tightly knit groups of collaborating growers produce the crop for Alive & Well olives in contiguous olive groves in Greece. The families involved cultivate and tend the groves, harvest the crop and transfer the fruit to communally owned vats in the respective olive grove regions. The olives are picked by hand, often in multiple stages, then the just-ripened fruit is quickly transferred to near-by curing vats, minimizing deterioration by exposure to air.
I’ll also be taking to Elliott Benitez about NUNI toaster, a six slot counter top toaster for tortillas! Perfect for “Cinco de Mayo”
40% Cariñena, 40% Grenache and 20% Syrah aged 4 months in French & American oak. Brilliant ruby color with fresh and assertive perfume nose, displaying an array of red and dark berry scents and a soft floral character. Sweet and seamless on the palate, with juicy black raspberry and violet pastille flavors and an undercurrent of smoky minerality. The persistent finish shows very good focus and lift, framed by silky, slow-building tannin.
If you missed it LIVE… 
Tom Faley, as a 29-year employee of Sargento, had the opportunity to share numerous, private conversations with the founder, Leonard Gentine, before his passing. As a long-term veteran of Sargento, Tom speaks on a large portion of the corporate history from first-hand experience. Holding an MBA in Marketing, Tom played active roles in shaping Sargento, including starting and developing many departments within the company: marketing, consumer research, consumer promotions and new product development. In addition, he holds a patent in his name for Sargento. For over eight years, he has written a blog as well as weekly essays underscoring the company’s culture. 
Though it’s not a true ‘Forty’, this liter of Muscadet has all the attitude of 5th Ave & Bergen on a late Friday night. Julien Braud wanted it that way, so he found the right bottle and slapped a shiny green & gold label on it. In addition to his own 27-acre biodynamic estate, Julien also runs Fief Aux Dames, his dad’s 65-acre property that’s now its 6th generation under Julien. His ‘Forty Ounce’ is made from 100% Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine that goes into his more expensive bottlings. This stuff is no joke, just a great deal for the money.Flavor Profile: Lighter medium-bodied, dry. Citrus aromas followed by minerals, green apple, and a touch of brine. Crisp finish. Pair with seafood and any white protein. Only 12% ABV