Take Me to Your Cake Lady!

Or: The Official Call-out to Find Southern Cake Ladies.
Or: I'm Writing a Book!



I am very pleased, happy, and proud to announce that, by the forces of serendipity, good luck, and clean living, I have signed a book contract with Lark Books! This summer, I will be researching and writing a book about the lives and recipes of Southern Cake Ladies. This is an idea that has been germinating for quite some time, and there will be more information about it to come, but for now, I will just say that I really do feel that it was a magical alignment of the spheres that led me to this point, aided by the support, advocacy, and general awesomeness of Lark Books in general, and Nicole McConville in particular. I'm very grateful, very honored, and very excited to take on this project, and I vow to put my heart into it, to do my very best to represent the beauty and depth and breadth of what it means to love people in this one particular way.

But.
I need your help.
All my cake ladies live in Georgia.
I need more.

I need names, phone numbers, and directions to the women in the backwaters and big cities of the South who are making cakes for their families and loved ones; the women who hold the culinary secrets passed down to them in deathbed confessions by the matriarchs of their families. I need introductions to the women who brought their recipes to Chicago, Detroit, and New York City when they moved there mid-century to build a better life, and the women who know the history of your hometown because they've made every single birthday cake for sixty years. Rural and urban, young and old, professional and labor-of-love, of every one of the many cultures- Black, White, Latina, rich, poor (you get the picture) that make up the South- I want to meet them, interview them, bake with them. Jasper and I (and hopefully Gracie and Susan) are going to Texas and New Orleans and Alabama and Miami and Virginia, and everywhere in between and beyond. We're going on a soul journey to hang out with Mountain Cake Ladies, Piedmont Cake Ladies, Atlanta Cake Ladies, and Bayou Cake Ladies. I hope to spend some time camping and hanging out in rivers, lakes and streams, too, along the way.

So... I need your help, in two ways.

1) Would anyone like to lend me a camper for this very worthy endeavor? Something like this, perhaps:

Just putting it out there.

2) But very most importantly: take me to your cake ladies! Below find a brief questionnaire. I would be so grateful if you would fill it out and return it to me if you know a special Cake Lady that you think I should meet. Also, please pass the questionnaire along to friends and family who you think might be able to put me in contact with special Cake Ladies. Really, y'all, this is going to be amazing. And don't worry, the Cake Shop will be in very capable and competent hands during the days when I'll be on the road, and I'll be there to bake your wedding cakes on the weekends.

Cake Ladies Questionnaire!
Copy it! Print it! Hang it on bulletin boards! Fill it out! Re-Post to your blog and your facebook!

And please return it to:

Jodi Rhoden
Jodi@shortstreetcakes.com
Or mail to:

Cake Ladies
225 Haywood Road
Asheville, NC 28806

My name is Jodi and writing a book about Southern Cake Ladies for Lark Books. I am seeking contact information and introductions for Cake Ladies to interview. If you think I should meet a cake lady from your town or community, please fill out and return the following questionnaire to me at the address above. Specifically, I am interested in meeting and interviewing women in and/or from the Southeastern US who bake cakes; professionals and amateurs, young and old, of every racial, ethnic, geographic and socioeconomic background. I am interested in women for whom cake baking is a meaningful part of their family and community lives, and livelihoods. Please note that I am only interested in women who bake traditional, scratch-made cakes. While cake design and decorating using boxed mixes, fondant, and food coloring is a worthy discipline, it is not the subject of my study. I am interested in traditional table layer cakes of the various cultures of the American South.


Your Name:
Your Address:
Your Phone:
Your Email:

Cake Lady Name:
Her Address:
Her Phone Number:
Her email (if applicable):


What is your favorite cake that she makes?

What is unique about her or her story?

Please give some biographical information- (age, ethnicity, etcetera)

May I contact this person and let her know that you referred me to her?

Are there any barriers that I should be aware of (language, literacy, disability, geographical access, etc?) I am committed to meeting a very diverse group of women, and I will work to accommodate special needs in order to do so.

Gratefully,
Jodi Rhoden

Asheville dandelion soup - as local as you can get

An Italian friend of mine and I were discussing the meals of our youth (we are both American-Italians) when she mentioned a dish I'd never had. Dandelion soup. I grew up eating lots of dandelion but it was generally sauteed in garlic and olive oil and then served as such. The simple sauteed dish remains my very favorite vegetable dish. We've been growing domesticated dandelion for a couple of years since I love it so much and could eat it daily.

In any case dandelion soup caught my attention. We'd never eaten it. My friend told me it was Sicilian. I am not of Sicilian descent. In any case she told me it was the same sauteed version I make but then it's thrown into chicken stock with egg and parmeggiano cheese.

Our garden is not yet planted. But if you're blessed, as we are, with natural, local Asheville dandelion, wild in the backyard...otherwise known as weeds...then you just might have a meal waiting for you.



My husband picked a big bag of it. It wilts quite a bit once it's cooked so I don't know how to say how much I used, but I can assure you to use more than you think you need.

So this is what I did to make it. I am not assuming this is authentic at all. I only had the ingredients to go by and then I did my own thing.

• 64 oz chicken stock


• 5 eggs beaten


• 1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese


• 1/2 a grocery bag half full of packed dandelion (how's that for a measurement?)


• 5 cloves of chopped garlic


• salt to taste


• red chili flakes to taste


• olive oil for sauteeing

I sauteed the garlic for a few minutes and then tossed in the dandelion. Sauteed until completely wilted.

Heat chicken stock to boiling. On a simmer start stirring the stock in a steady fashion while slowly pouring the egg in a steady stream. Stirring the stock during this process is important so that the egg cooks the right way. This part is much like my Egg Drop Soup recipe here.

Following the egg, put in the dandelion and then the cheese. Salt to taste along with the red pepper flakes.

Original post at Cucina Naturale.

Songstress Laura Reed Kicks Off Warehouse Dinner/Dance Party on May 22

Dinner and Warehouse Dance Party fundraiser for Green Opportunities on May 22! GO is an Asheville-based, community-based development organization dedicated to building a strong and just green economy through job training and placement, community education, and green micro-enterprises.

Soul/funk songstress, Laura Reed from Laura Reed and Deep Pocket is playing an acoustic set! It’s her first time playing in Asheville in more than a year.
Details on Pollinate Asheville.

Garden Help While Supporting Social Justice.

Bob White at Pisgah View Peace Garden and a team of landscape experts, including Farm Girl, has a team to help you:

1. Get Your Garden Started (planning, tilling, soil resources, seed resources, and more)

2. Take Your Garden to the Next Level (soil assessment, making the best use of your space, finding reusable materials, and more)

3. Here’s the Best Part: It is done on a sliding scale, based on your ability to pay, and while providing jobs for those in need of employment. What you are able to pay in turn pays those in need of income. Yes. Very Cool, I know.

More at Pollinate Asheville

Pack's Tavern opening Monday

packs from above
Originally uploaded by zen

Helen and i were lucky enough to be invited to a pre-opening of Stewart Coleman's Pack's Tavern and the food was pretty darned good! (Ok, it wasn't the Admiral, but it was better than Tripps or similar franchises). The theme is 1932, just after prohibition was repealed with a real 30's tavern look and license plates abound from nearly every state in the year 1932.

We decided to be fair to it and not wear our "Save the Magnolia" T-shirts and even spoke to Stewart Coleman about the compromise and he really either isn't much of a conversationalist or didn't care much to talk about it, but most of the wait and other staff were excited about the place, the theme and the food.

Click here to see more photos of our visit.

squirrel spotted while strolling sunset mountain yesterday. anyone know anything about this critter?.

Stand Against Racism April 30

Cross-posted from the YWCA of Asheville's blog:

We put together this video to encourage people to join us in the Stand Against Racism on April 30th. You may see someone you recognize in it! Any group can sign up, and there is no cost to participate. The deadline to sign up is April 23, 2010. Get more info and sign up here: www.standagainstracism.org.

You can click here to see all of the Asheville groups and businesses that have already agreed to participate, and what they are planning to do. It's an impressive list, but many of you are missing from it. Right now Asheville has the second highest nuumber of sign-ups in the country. It's not too late for us to move to number one! Please help spread the word.

It is going to be a powerful day.

Last Round of Sponsor Shout-Outs

One last round of sponsors to thank for our Spookypalooza event!

Like BlogAsheville? Support our local sponsors!

Arts2People is...

...a non-profit social service organization devoted to promoting the role of the arts as an integral part of our culture by serving the entire community through arts outreach, bringing the arts to those in need of the healing power of art, supporting the careers of artists, and through community cultural development.

Our major projects include the Lexington Ave Arts and Fun Festival (LAAFF), the Asheville Mural Project (AMP) and The REACH educational programming. For more information, please visit our website at www.Arts2People.org

Mission

1. We believe everyone should have access to the transformational power of creative expression. We offer classes to the general public on a sliding scale, and provide arts-in-education opportunities to underprivileged populations.

2. We see a need for local career artists, musicians and craftspeople to learn more about marketing themselves and networking with others in their field. We offer a variety of showcasing, networking, and mentoring opportunities for these professionals to increase their ability to be financially self-sufficient.

3. Lastly, we are committed to strengthening the reputation Asheville has as a haven for the arts. We want to make the arts so firmly established here that the future growth of Asheville will not weaken our identity as an artistic community.

Greenlife Grocery is a full service natural foods store dedicated to bringing you and your family the freshest and healthiest foods and products available. No artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or hydrogenated oils. We are committed to supporting local foods and local economy.

We believe a healthy environment starts with a healthy community. We strive to offer as many organic options to our customers as are available. We pride ourselves in being the first store in the East Coast to implement the sustainable seafood program Fishwise, the first grocery store in our area to ban shopping plastic bags, and the highest volume independent natural foods retailer on the Southeast.

Social media class Thurs April 8

Yes, there was a social media workshop just last week -- but this is a new one!

Hope to see you there!


Looking for social media skills? Mountain Xpress offers a new workshop series for small businesses, nonprofits and anyone who wants to learn the ins and outs of so-called social media from a local expert.

Local star tweeter Wendy Lou (2009 Blogapalooza winner for both most retweetable AND best hashtags) leads an interactive workshop. Disclosure: I work for Mountain Xpress, a sponsor of this workshop series.

Social Media Jams

• Mountain Xpress presents Twitter/Facebook for the Small Business Owner: An Intro
• Thurs. April 8, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
• Tomato Jam Cafe
• $20, RSVP required, PLEASE NOTE CLASSES FILL UP FAST!
• email jsaylor@mountainx.com to request a space
• Facebook: search Social Media Jams
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/SocialMediaJams, @socialmediajams
• Social Media Jams blog here

From a press release:

Social Media Jams, a new monthly workshop series offering education in how businesses and people can use blogs, Flickr, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for fun and profit, continues March 31 at Laurey's Catering Gourmet To-Go and April 8 at Tomato Jam Cafe.

Co-sponsored by the Mountain Xpress, Tomato Jam Cafe, Laurey's Catering and Skyrunner (a local internet provider), the Jams offer homegrown social media expertise in everything from how small businesses can use Twitter to how to use Facebook to manage a sales or nonprofit campaign.

"We want to harness local talent and expertise from people already using social media effectively right here in Asheville," said Social Media Jams organizer Jennifer Saylor, who leads community initiatives for Mountain Xpress. "These workshops are presented by local experts, for local users of all levels."

Leading both workshops is Wendy Lou of Creative Imp Works, whose social media clients include Monkeywhale.com, TEDxAsheville, Twestival Global Asheville, the Susan Fisher campaign and Asheville Vaudeville.

"It's a beginner-friendly introduction for all levels, for anyone looking for new avenues to grow their network and reach new clients," Wendy Lou said. "Twitter and Facebook aren't difficult, they're for all ages, and they're easy to master when you have a little help with the nuts and bolts."

Cost per person is $20 (dinner graciously provided, but not included in the workshop price). An RSVP is required as there is limited seating, and space is first come, first served. Participants should RSVP via e-mail to jsaylor@mountainx.com.

As well as RSVP-ing, participants should bring a laptop or web-enabled device.

Vote Daily

Let’s Go To Church–The Lee Boys in Asheville-Thursday April 8th- with Hill Country Revue

From the Garage at Biltmore's blog:

"We are really excited to have The Lee Boys at The Garage, this coming Thursday (April 8th). Anyone who has seen these guys should be prepared for the experience. There will be no sitting down; strictly boogieing down, as their music is infectious."



"As if a feet stomping ensemble like The Lee Boys weren’t enough to get you out of the house and into this lovely spring weather, they are bringing with them, Hill Country Revue. So all you North Mississippi All Stars fans, here’s a special treat for you."



All Ages

tickets are $15 (under 12 are free if accompanied by their parents)

Doors open at 8pm and music starts at 9pm

The Lee Boys will go on first, then Hill Country Revue, then they will have an All-star Jam!! Woo-hooo!!

For more, go to the Garage at Biltmore and its blog. 

Vortex Cabaret this Thursday

From the Vortex Cabaret:

Taste That! Restaurant Reviews from a local foodie.

Yes, I'm one of those annoying foodies who pays attention to every detail of my meal when I go out to eat. I can't help it. My first real job was busing tables in a humble comfort food restaurant in South Asheville; from there I went on to wait tables over the next fifteen years or so in a vast array of establishments, from Pizza Hut in Asheville to Frederick's of London, where I placed a napkin in the lap of Tony Blair and had my first taste of Krug. I have served Cambodian, French, Indian, Latin, Italian, Southern food and more; I've opened hundreds of bottles of wine and wiped and reset thousands of tables, I've done dishes, cleaned bathrooms, prepped food and spilled my fair share of drinks on people. I've eaten almost every dish on each menu I've served, and to this day dining out is one of my greatest pleasures.

Hence I offer my thoughts to you, dear readers of BlogAsheville. Having grown up in Asheville, I've seen lots of places come and go, and may have waited on you during my past life as a server.

So for my first review, I chose Chai Pani, a fairly new addition to the Asheville smorgasbord whose tagline is "Namaste, Y'all." Just like this phrase does so well, I can describe this whole experience in just a few words: sweet, light, and fun! The front door, decorated with charming hand-painted flowers in bright festive colors, opens up into a cozy space with a menu filled with traditional and not-so traditional Indian dishes with a price point for every budget and a portion size for every appetite. They have done two very unique things with their quality ethnic offering to the downtown scene: they have created a walk-up counter to expedite the ordering process, and they've combined local color with some of my favorite Indian dishes. Probably the best example are their already famous okra fries ... they also use sweet potatos and other local ingredients to please the palette.

As far as the service, every time I've walked in, I've been greeted by a friendly server in a black t-shirt, designed to match the hand-stamped menu style. There's nothing pushy about this place, and it adds to the casual easy feeling I like when I am looking for a simple meal.

I had the chicken Thali platter, an item that at $9.99 was one of the most expensive on the menu (not a lot considering a burger costs that much these days), and I was presented with (literally) a silver platter with a wide variety of flavors and textures. Each item was obviously prepared with care, nothing was over the top intense, and the lack of heavy ingredients left me feeling light and healthy. Though it may have looked like a small portion, I was completely satisfied and even left a little bit of pickle on the plate! Two cups of chai (which I got to sweeten myself) and a friendly conversation later, I was telling the owner how much I enjoyed the place.

There's movement and energy here, people sit in a row of booths or at one of the several tables, but often get up and down to order drinks and desserts. It makes for a very social atmosphere, one in which the customer is in control of the things that can sometimes make eating out really time-consuming or frustrating. This place is great for a light lunch, and its location makes it a perfect destination for any downtown event at night; especially if you just want a samosa to go. Highly recommended!

Don't Be A Fool! Hilarious Video From LaZoom

Check out this hilarious video from LaZoom!

Ride Local, $10 tickets on LaZoom for Asheville residents April 15-30. Asheville Vaudeville performers on the bus.