A Charleston Wedding

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Tyler Gregg!

May 11, 2013

My Best Friend's Wedding, Part II

(BOLO -"Be on the Lookout"- for the bloopers post to come)

When me and my 4Runner pulled into Columbia, South Carolina, in August of 2004, the only person I knew in the entire state was my dad. He was with me. He left and I voluntarily threw myself into a gym of 700 other freshman girls so that we could voluntarily weave in and out of hundreds of other girls who were clapping and handing out coffee filters (to wipe off the August heat).

On the last day of the madness that is "rush," 50 of us lined up outside the Chi Omega house in alphabetical order. Wouldn't you know it: "Alliman" was a few girls in front of me. From that day forward we were wing-ladies. We lived in the super cool small and quiet out-of-staters dorms which led to copious amounts of socializing. Sometimes I credit our friendship to the fact that I would often say, "Peace be with you," to friends instead of, "Goodbye," and Laura was the only one who would respond, "And with you." We get each other like that.

During our pledge retreat in the fall of 2004.

While this was happening...

...this was happening.

Fast forward about 5 years...

Preface: The following Goggle chat takes place between Rhett and I on May 16, 2009, 

while Laura and I were traveling around Costa Rica.

 8:59 PM me: on another note, what do you think about laura and tyler having a summer fling?

 rhettcraig: who knows

 me: i mean they know it cant be anything serious because they both have law school to go back to in the fall

 rhettcraig: once again, who knowstyler's in town now by the wayme: ooooh yea. lucky yourhettcraig: yeahhe thinks that laura is a hottie

If you haven't already asked me this, you're probably thinking, "What took so long for these two to get together?!" At any given point during college, one or the other was involved with someone else...until that fateful summer of 2009. Fast forward about 3 years... they married! And here is that story:

Kickoff Thursday happy hour with my mom at Rooftop Bar at Vendue Inn

and getting lobster-faced with a steamed/tempura/ravioli trio at Peninsula Grill.

Friday morning mani/pedis at Aqua.

Champagne served with or without bagged hands.

Friday rehearsal at St. Luke's Chapel

and rehearsal party at the Harbour Club.

There are a hundred photos of them like this.

I could cry. #bromance

Perfect, 75 degree wedding gift from the man upstairs.

Putting on our faces and teasing the wedding mullet Saturday morningwith the mother of the groom's first look.
Taping up the feet for the marathon that is: wedding day.
Upstairs at the reception site, the Governor Thomas Bennett House.
Mother of the bride dressing her other daughter in a wedding gown for the second time inside one year.
She finally took a moment to look in a mirror :)
Surprise! We fixed the mullets.
Sneaking in a birds-eye first look shot.
The Greggs.
The ladies.
The Craigs.
Dipping into the banana pudding on the grounds of the Thomas Bennett House.
Kentwool strikes again!

Mrs. Gregg.

They had to leave. They had to catch a flight to Greece.

(honeymoon photos are up on Facebook)

Sunday King Street bliss.

Mother's Day brunch, bellinis, and bloodys at 82 Queen.

Sunday Funday with friends at Red's Ice House.

A boatload of thank yous to the Lee/Alliman/Gregg families for the entire weekend. It was perfect. We laughed, we cried, we plucked dusty millers, and the bride was breathtaking. We are lucky BFFs. 

My Best Friend's Wedding, Part I: A Seattle Wedding

[photo source: Mrs. WRCIV]

Spotlight : Lawrence, Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas. My hometown and fifty percent of my blog's namesake. I swear I'm not making this up, but the first thing the person giving my college campus tour said to me after I said I was from Kansas was, "You're not in Kansas anymore!" I could retire at the ripe old age of 27 if I had $100 for every time someone in South Carolina told me that I was the first person they've ever met from Kansas. I take it as a compliment.

My parents raised Sadie and I under the "give your children roots and wings" philosophy. My mother's side of the family is from Kansas and she somehow successfully convinced my dad to move from Napa to the middle of nowhere to raise a family. Located in the northeast corner of the sunflower state, it was indeed the best place to grow up and I am grateful. Muddy "beaches" at Clinton Lake, rats in the locker room because our school was in the middle of a corn field... they may be crazy roots, but they're my roots.

Lawrence is like the little unknown family/college town oasis in the middle of all those "square states." A town that takes pride in small shops, local restaurants, and is home to the cathedral of basketball, Allen Fieldhouse. Dorthy doesn't actually live there, tornadoes don't actually plow through town, and there are actually hills... big hills. Although I haven't physically called Lawrence home for nearly nine years, it will always be home and the Kansas Rock Chalk Chant will always equal March Madness.

My sister and I living the simple life out on the farm. 

We didn't have chickens, or a farm,
but we had friends that lived in the country
and those are most definitely our coveralls.
(1988)

Rhett in Lawrence where the buffalo roam (state animal).
(2006)


Kansas summers are hotter than yours
and the winters are colder than yours
except if you live in Canada or Russia or something.
This was taken last week during a winter storm in March
which ended up dumping 6 inches or so.
NBD.

Also taken last week, my first time watching March Madness at home since high school.
Kansas basketball is magical, impossible to understand unless you've lived it,
and is Lawrence's #1 import.

Quick! Trivia question:
Who invented basketball?

Answer:

James Naismith in 1891 with a pair of peach baskets.

Naismith also founded the Kansas basketball program.

Allen Fieldhouse, home of Kansas Jayhawks
and Mecca to basketball fans everywhere.


During a recent hometown progression lunch at some Mass St. favorites.
Mass St. (Massachusetts Street) is where everyone gravitates for
food, shopping, and adult beverages.
First course: Spinach and artichoke dip at Quinton's.
Second course: Wings at Jefferson's.
Third course: Pizza "as big as your face" at Papa Keno's.
Dessert: Darts at Harbour Lights.


An institution in every sense of the word:
Free State Brewing Company.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Photo featuring the menu art with description below,
infamous bottle in the wall at the entrance,
and the man himself: James Naismith.
The place smells of hops and their infamous cheddar ale soup.


If you don't know this saying, you don't know Lawrence.
The back of Free State's t-shirts.
Excuse my small edit.

"Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam

Where the deer and the antelope play.

Where seldom is heard a discouraging word

And the sky is not cloudy all day."

-"Home on the Range"

State song of Kansas

Funny story: my aunt Sandy Praeger has been in the politics scene my whole life, including the Senate, Mayor of Lawrence, and she's currently insurance commissioner. One year at a statehouse dinner, the main course was buffalo. Rude.

[photo sources: My Hero, Mrs. WRCIV]

Trader Joe's is coming to town!

GRAND OPENING
March 22nd!

It IS a beautiful day in the neighborhood! Trader Joe's is about to expand their "cult-like following" to the people of the Midlands- Forest Drive to be exact. Only a mile away from my office, thank you very much. Hours will be Monday-Sunday 8am-9pm.

Before we begin, I have learned of some sad news. "Two Buck Chuck" has gone on to that big vineyard in the sky. Charles Shaw Wines (known to friends and family as "Two Buck Chuck") were introduced to Trader Joe's 11 years ago and have since sold over 600 million bottles of wine. Due to unavoidable cost changes, Two Buck Chuck is no longer with us. It is survived by it's new $2.49 and up relatives (price varying due to state laws, taxes, and shipment fees).

Trader Joe's began as a small chain of convenience stores in the 1950s and has since grown to be a full-blown, privately held chain of specialty grocery stores that focus on great food, great prices, and value. They have nearly 400 stores and 80% of their items bear one of their own brand names. Because they cut out the middle man, their prices are hard to beat, but it doesn't show in their products. And they're super, duper friendly.

...and maybe you'll run in to Anna Faris while you're there?

My parents live next to a Trader Joe's in Kansas City and have some tried and true favorites. If something in the house isn't homemade, most of it is from Trader Joe's because it's "Oh my gosh, so good." I love giving credit where credit is due and when I love something, I'll probably tell you about it, then ask you again next week, "Did I tell you about..[it]..?" I asked my mom to send me a list of her favorite stuff. She's big on their frozen items so she can just pop them in the oven when friends stop by or kids are home.

Frozen

• Chicken and cilantro mini wontons (serve with Gyozo Sauce, on the aisle with soy sauce; warning: we inhale these)
• Mini Sprizzico di pizza
• Potato pancakes
• Mini chicken pot pies
• Mushroom turnovers
• Organic brown rice (microwave in bag for just 3 minutes)

Food

• Smoked almonds
• Dark roast coffee
• Boxed broth
• Salad dressings
• Produce is always fresh and they carry unusual items, too

Wine 

(In loving memory of Two Buck Chuck)

• Wide selection and prices are competitive
• And I quote my mother: "For real bargains, you can't beat their boxes of chardonnay ($9.99)"
• Favorite cheap bottle: Benefactor Cellars from Australia ($4.99)

Household

• Flower market
• Everything from cut flowers to orchids to potted herbs
• Prices are best in town and blooms are fresh every day
• Disposable sponges
• Make up remover packets (just as good as the cosmetic counters at 1/3 of the price)

I am chomping at the bit to learn my way around their store and find my favorites (although now we'll never be without those dang wontons). We already got an über creative "Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer" in the mail. I also learned they wear Hawaiian shirts because they don't think grocery shopping should be another chore. I happen to love grocery shopping, but appreciate their attention to detail.

[photo sources: Trader Joe's, Business Insider]

How to : Hibachi at Home

日系アメリカ人夕食

Would it be too much if I said this was "easy shmeasy Japanesey"? (bashful face). Back when my mom's office was next to an authentic Asian market, one day she came home with a rice cooker, a lifetime supply of rice, and a complete setting of Asian-style dishes so I could make hibachi at home. I've probably made it 100+ times since.

 

Miso soup > Asian salad > Stir fried veg > Fried rice

The hibachi dinner is to Japan as Taco Bell is to Mexico. We hosted some Japanese exchange students when I was in elementary school (sister city exchange: Lawrence, Kansas and Hiratsuka, Japan) and I asked them if they did hibachi like this and they we're puzzled. To be fair, they had just seen a garage door open for the first time. They didn't realize they were staying with magicians. Hibachi, meaning "fire bowl" in Japanese, is a traditional open-topped heating device.

The ingredients for this hibachi dinner are easy to find, but you could step it up with some real deal items from an authentic market that would make it taste more like the restaurants. I make the soup first, then cut and prep everything down to scrambling the eggs so it's all ready to go, otherwise I'm eating it cold or solo.

Hibachi at Home

Serves: 4

Everything you'll need

• 4 T. miso paste (I use Miso & Easy from World Market)
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
• 1 pint white mushrooms: 1/3 of the container sliced thin (for soup), quarter the other 2/3 (for veg)
• 1 bag Romaine lettuce
• Asian style- ginger, sesame, miso, etc.- dressing (I use miso-scallion vinaigrette from Williams-Sonoma or go to an Asian restaurant and ask to buy some of theirs. Most will let you.)
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 medium yellow squash, sliced
• 1 medium onion; slice half of the onion (for veg), dice the other half (for rice)
• 3 T. sesame seeds
• 1 T. dark sesame oil
• 4 cups cooked rice
• .5-1 lb. chicken, diced and stir fried in a stir fry or teriyaki sauce
• 3 eggs, scrambled
• 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, cooked
• 3+ T. butter
• Soy sauce
• Salt and pepper
• A wok or large, wide pan and a sauce pan
• Glass of wine

Directions

Miso Soup and Salad

Add sliced mushrooms and 1/3 of the sliced green onions to 3 cups of boiling water. Stir in miso paste once mushrooms become soft. Serve with salad.

Vegetables

Heat sesame oil in wok over med-high, then stir fry zucchini, squash, sliced onion and quartered mushrooms until done (about 6-7 minutes). Everything should cook in the same amount of time. Toss in 1 T. of the sesame seeds and salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Fried Rice

1. Cook rice as directed.
2. Stir fry chicken until done, then set aside.
3. Melt a pat of butter over med-high and cook the diced onion until soft, then set aside.
4. Melt a pat of butter over med-high and cook scrambled eggs until done.
5. Mix in rice, chicken, diced onion, the remaining green onion, the remaining sesame seeds, and mixed vegetables.
6. Add soy sauce, salt, pepper and butter to taste.

*This can all be vegetarian by losing the egg and chicken (or substituting stir fried tofu). 

Japan has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. I've always wanted to go to a country where they use symbols, not letters. You could say I like to be a little uncomfortable when I travel. I suppose that means I'm learning.

The above Japanese symbols say, "The American Japanese Dinner."

[photo sources: Decor Arts, Mrs. WRCIV]

The incredible, edible artichoke

Anyone else get a little twinkle in their eye when they see an artichoke? Just me? That's cool. And I'm going to write about the artichoke now.

Growing up, our family vacationed in Vail, Colorado, every summer and every year my first stop had to be the Ore House to get a steamed artichoke. Much as Vail has changed dramatically through the years, apparently so has their menu. I went to their website to confirm they hadn't let this delicacy die, and while the artichoke is still on their menu, it is now a "gluten free grilled artichoke with toasted bread crumbs." They've still got the roasted garlic mayo going on though.

I don't remember the first time I ever had a steamed artichoke, all I know is I don't know life without it. It has been, and always will be, my favorite food. As you can see in the anatomy above, the artichoke can be quite the complex vegetable, sometimes intimidating to those who don't know how to work one, but I consider it the "lobster" of the vegetable world... fitting since it's often dipped in melted butter. They're best in the spring through summer and should be free from scratches, bruises, and split leaves

Without further adieu, a step-by-step pocket guide if you will to the magnificent:

ARTICHOKE

Thorns: NO! Don't go! We're just getting started. They won't bite, but use a sharp knife to trim off the pointy tops of the leaves and move along.

Outer leaves: These are the appetizer to the heart. Once the artichoke has been cooked, slide the bottom half of the leaf between your teeth to scrape off the meat.

Inner leaves and choke: On a fresh artichoke, these need to be scooped out with a small spoon (if soft enough) or sliced out with a pairing knife and thrown in the trash, not the garbage disposal. These are edible on canned artichokes.

Heart: This is the artichoke's money-maker. Enjoy slowly.

Stem: Although I wish this could be cooked and enjoyed as an extension of the heart, it's just can't. The stem, if not sliced off near the base of the heart, gets stringy and bitter.

To cook an artichoke

• Wash and cut off stem about 1/2 inch from base
• Remove small bottom leaves and cut off thorny tips
• Stand artichoke upright in a deep saucepan with 2-3 inches of water
• Cover and boil gently 35-45 minutes or until base can be pierced easily with a fork
• Drain and serve with a dipping sauce (garlic butter is legit)
• Sit back, relax, and enjoy

Spinach Artichoke Dip
Serves 6-8

-10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
-2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
-1/2 c. mayo
-1/2 c. sour cream
-1/2 c. cream cheese (optional)
-1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
-1 c. grated pepper jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. Combine all ingredients except pepper jack in a large bowl and stir well.
3. Transfer to the casserole dish and sprinkle pepper jack on top.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Serve with bagel chips, crackers, or Italian bread. I kid you not, the Food Network wine suggestion for this recipe: chardonnay.

Heart-y Salad
Serves 2-3

-1 bag of romaine hearts, chopped
-1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
-1/2 can hearts of palm, chopped
-Dressing (a vinaigrette or balsamic and olive oil is best)

Evenly divide the artichoke hearts and hearts of palm on a bed of romaine and drizzle with dressing.

Artichokes can also be marinated, grilled, roasted, etc. etc. Saki Tumi Grill and Sushi Bar in Downtown Columbia's Vista District has the best fire roasted artichoke... although to be fair, every artichoke is the best artichoke. Theirs is marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic, then roasted and served with a garlic aioli sauce for dipping.

They say taste buds change every seven years or so and mine are guilty of this. I pray to the food Gods that really, really good tastes stand the test of time. So far, so good.

[image sources: Rookie Cookie, Taste of Home, Food Network]
[recipe sources: Food Network, Mrs. WRCIV]

Spotlight : Charleston, South Carolina

"I'm going back to Charleston, back where I belong."
-Rhett Butler, Gone with the Wind

Charleston: you're going up on the proverbial pedestal today! But you've earned it fair and square. Charleston was recently awarded Reader's Choice #1 City in the U.S. by Conde Nast for the second year in a row. Through this Thursday, vote for Charleston as Southern Living's "The South's Tastiest Town" (Greenville and Austin are also a contenders... rock the vote, family).

I keep saying I predict a Top Chef Charleston because it is a tasty treat for all the senses and producers would have so much to work with-- Sight: mossy trees. Sound: horses clopping on cobblestone. Smell: salty air. Touch: sandy toes. Taste: I could go on for days. Head Judge, Tom Colicchio, is consultant to Kiawah Island Club's Voysey's. This season, Executive Chef of Charleston's Husk and  McCrady's, Sean Brock, was a guest judge on Episode 14 of Top Chef and word is he is getting chummy with Anthony Bourdain. I can feel it, it's coming.

A tip of the hat to you, Mr. Brock.

Everyone loves Charleston. I love it, you love it, we all love it. Charleston satisfies on all ends of the spectrum. Spend the day at the beach, drop 20 bucks beach-side at Taco Boy or Coconut Joe's, crash on a friend's couch and you're good to go. Parents in town (wink face)? Shop King Street, walk along the Battery, then go see Chef Doyle at Poogan's Porch. Parents are less likely to go along with the sleeping arrangements in scenario one, so stay at the Market Pavilion Hotel and invite friends to meet you at their rooftop pool bar for a drink.

Spend a day, spend a week, move there. Charleston has a beach, a restaurant and an experience for everyone. No, no I could never (like... ever) spotlight Charleston in one measly post, but if I had to play favorites...

"Rainbow Row" by Virginia Fouche Bolton,
one of the most iconic scenes of the city.

Poogan's Porch Restaurant.
Order the pimento cheese fritters
as soon as you cross the threshold
and not a moment later.

...and Poogan :)

 

Shopping on King Street.
Boutiques to antiques.


A woman making and selling sweetgrass baskets outside the
City Market. Sweetgrass baskets were first made by Lowcountry
slaves to collect rice and cotton in plantation fields.
Today, they are more a work of art
and can be looked at as a status symbol...


This big boy, 24"W x 36"H, sells for $24,000.
That's 24 with three zero's.

Market Pavilion Hotel's rooftop pool and bar.
This is... how you say... "perfection"?

Coconut Joe's Beach Bar & Grill on Isle of Palms.
I can't understand why their Jamaican wrap is so good.
I suppose it is the pineapple salsa and cilantro mayo.


A performance during the annual Spoleto Festival in the Spring.


One of my favorite views.
No, not the chardonnay (well, maybe the chardonnay...).
View of the United States Custom House
across the marsh from the Fleet Landing Restaurant.

So, Charleston my love, keep on doing what you're doing. You do it so beautifully.

See you soon,

Em

[photo sources: Access Hollywood, Trip Advisor, Charleston CVB, Charleston Sweetgrass, Mrs. WRCIV]