Recipes from Chapel Hill Magazine’s past pages that celebrate the local chefs and flavors that shaped our community
By Jessica Stringer
DECEMBER 2022
MONKEY BREAD
By Leslie Heintzman, Sari Sari Sweets
Biscuit Dough
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter chilled, cut into 1⁄₂-inch pieces
11⁄₂ cup buttermilk
Sugar Mixture
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1⁄₂ cup pecan or walnut pieces, if desired
Caramel
9 oz. (2 sticks plus 1 Tbsp.) unsalted butter
11⁄₂ cup light brown sugar
1⁄₂ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. dark rum
1 Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2 In a large bowl, mix all biscuit dry ingredients together and cut cold butter in with a pastry cutter until pea-size chunks. Add buttermilk and mix until dough just forms together. Don’t overmix.
3 Roll dough into ½-inch thickness and cut into ½-inch strips. Cut strips into small squares. Roll squares of dough in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
4 In a greased Bundt pan, place the dough chunks and add pecans or walnuts if desired.
5 In a small saucepan, melt butter for caramel mixture and whisk in brown sugar, salt, vanilla and rum. Pour caramel mixture over the dough evenly and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes.
6 Once done, place a platter on top of the Bundt pan and flip the monkey bread carefully upside down and remove the pan. Serve while still warm and enjoy!
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012
TRUFFLED CAULIFLOWER VELOUTÉ
By Bret Jennings, Elaine’s on Franklin
¼ lb. butter
2 yellow onions, sliced
3 leeks, washed and julienned (white parts only)
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 heads cauliflower (main core removed and florets broken apart)
1 Yukon gold potato, peeled and quartered
1 cup good dry white wine
1 gallon chicken broth, divided
1 pint heavy cream
Fresh truffles (or truffle butter, or both)
Salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
Chervil sprigs, to taste
In a stainless sauce pot, heat butter and sweat onions and leeks until soft but don’t let them get color. Then add garlic, and stir for two minutes. Add cauliflower and potato, stirring until warmed through and coated with butter. Add white wine, and let simmer down until reduced by half. Add all but 2 cups of chicken broth, and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Add cream, bring to a simmer again and remove from heat. In a blender, carefully process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper while hot. If needed, add more leftover broth to your taste. When ready to serve, reheat in pot and whisk in truffle butter, if using, or chopped fresh truffles. Save some fresh truffle slices, if using, for garnish. Place chervil sprigs in center and serve.
MAY/JUNE 2021
GOAT CHEESE CHEESECAKE
By Moreton Neal, longtime author of our Joyous Cooking column
6 Tbsp. salted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
1¾ cups graham crackers or gingersnap crumbs
¾ tsp. salt, divided 1 lb. goat cheese, room temperature
1 lb. cream cheese, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
2 cups sour cream, room temperature
⅓ cup honey
5 large eggs, plus 2 yolks
1 Before starting this recipe, set out the goat cheese, cream cheese, sour cream and eggs to make sure all come to room temperature.
2 Heat the oven to 325 F. Grease the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with butter or a cooking spray.
3 In a large bowl, stir melted butter, crumbs and ¼ teaspoon salt until well mixed. Pour crumb mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes or until the crust is golden. Cool to room temperature.
4 Turn the oven to 450 F. Grease the inside walls of the cooled pan with butter, then set on a baking sheet. With an electric mixer, beat the goat cheese and cream cheese until creamy and combined. Add sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and lemon zest, then beat until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
5 Gradually add the sour cream, followed by the honey. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Pour into the springform pan and smooth out the surface. Bake the cheesecake for 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and prop open the door slightly for 10 minutes.
6 Close the oven door and set the oven to 250 F. Continue to bake for 35-40 minutes or until the center is almost firm in the middle. It will continue to cook after you take it out.
7 Set the baking sheet with the cheesecake on a wire rack and cool.
8 After about 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen the sides. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for several hours before removing the pan’s sides and serving
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006
GRILLED YELLOWFIN TUNA WITH LOCAL TOMATO AND SWEET CORNBREAD SALAD
By Kevin Callaghan, Acme
Dressing
16 basil leaves
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp honey
2 garlic cloves
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Salad
2 cups French-styled bread cut into large cubes
Coarse sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
½ cup fresh corn, cut from the cob
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 cups sliced assorted multi-colored tomatoes
¼ lb baby Arugula (or other green)
Good quality feta cheese or local goat cheese
Tuna
2 8-10 oz thick cut yellowfin tuna steaks
Canola oil
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. honey
2 garlic cloves
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 In a food processor, add basil leaves, lemon juice, garlic and honey and puree at high speed until basil and garlic are minced finely, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the food processor on high, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream to create emulsion (about 1-2 minutes) and then add sea salt to taste. Place in a nonreactive container and chill in the refrigerator. This can be made a few hours in advance.
2 Preheat oven to 225 F. Place bread cubes in a bowl and toss with sea salt, black pepper and olive oil. Spread cubes on a sheet pan and cook for 30 minutes or until croutons are crisp and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3 In a pan over medium heat, melt butter and saute corn for about 4 minutes. Add red onion and a sprinkle of sea salt and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool. You can also skip the butter and toss the onions with olive oil if you want to put on a grill pan should you choose to grill the tuna.
4 If you want to grill the tuna, brush canola oil on tuna steaks and sprinkle with salt. Grill approximately 2 minutes per side. If cooking in a pan, heat the pan with canola oil until oil shimmers, salt the tuna steaks and sear in the pan, again for approximately 2 minutes per side for medium rare.
5 Slice tomatoes (not too thin), cutting any cherry tomatoes in half. Keep tomatoes cold. Wash arugula and set aside. Place all ingredients except arugula in a large bowl. Add crumbled cheese to salad and then toss with desired amount of dressing. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt.
6 Add arugula to the salad bowl and toss again, separating onto two plates. Remove tuna from heat and place it on top of tomato salad. Top with 2 turns of black pepper. You may want to add a touch of basil dressing to the top of the fish or a bit more cheese. Serve immediately.
DECEMBER 2014
Morrocan-Style Lamb Shank
By Jamil Kadoura, Mediterranean Deli, Bakery and Catering
6 lamb shanks
2 cups water
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
6 bay leaves
1 carrot
1 zucchini
2 medium onions
1 small celery
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 red pepper
1 tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. allspice
2 cups tomato sauce
Place lamb shanks and the next four ingredients in a roasting pan and cover with foil. Cook at 375 F for 1 1/2 hours. Chop all vegetables into small cubes and then add to the juices in the roasting pan. Mix cardamom ad the next three ingredients and pour over lamb. Cover with foil and cook for another 1 1/2 hours, or until lamb is well done. Uncover dish for another 15 minutes while still in the oven so it can get a nice color. Serve lamb over warm Moroccan couscous.
DECEMBER 2013
BOURBON BRAMBLE
By Gary Crunkleton, The Crunkleton
2 oz. Four Roses bourbon
1 tsp. Marasca cherry paste
1 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon
3 drops orange blossom water
1 drop Dale DeGroff pimento bitters
¾ oz. sugar
Mix all ingredients into a tin and shake with cubed ice. Strain into a julep cup filled with crushed ice. Garnish with seasonal greenery, if desired.
APRIL 2015
VIETNAMESE HOT POT BROTH
By Michael Chuong, Elements
2 tsp. cooking oil
2 tsp. garlic, chopped
2 oz. lemongrass, chopped
2 leeks, washed and chopped
8 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. salt
2 oz. Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc mam)
2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
Proteins
Beef, sliced
Vietnamese beef meatballs
Salmon, sliced
Cuttlefish, trimmed
Mussels, fresh in shell
Shrimp, peeled
Surumi
Fish cakes, sliced
Tofu, chunks
Vegetables
Yu choy
Napa cabbage
Mushrooms, assorted varieties
Zucchini
Cellophane noodles, soaked and drained
1 In a medium stock pot, heat oil and add garlic and lemongrass. Saute until mixture turns golden, then add leeks and cook for 5 minutes. Add in chicken stock. Let the stock simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and fish sauce, and then add cayenne pepper (to taste). Your stock is ready for the hot pot. You can personalize it by adding your own spices.
2 It is not necessary to include all proteins and vegetables, and feel free to substitute others that you like. Arrange all ingredients nicely on a serving plate, keeping vegetables and proteins separate. Add small quantities of ingredients to hot pot broth, keeping track of contents to avoid overcooking.
