Battle of the Bakers
Regional pastry chefs to compete against each other in the Valley Chef Showdown Bake-Off at The Historic McFarland House in March. by Meghan Burket, Platinum PR Last fall, The Historic McFarland House wowed us with the debut of the Valley Chef Showdown, a culinary cook-off styled after nationally televised cooking competitions like “Top Chef” and “Chopped.” The sizzling three-round competition was held at the downtown Martinsburg wedding and special-event venue in September. Chef ML Carroll, owner of Canapés Catering in Frederick, Md., emerged victorious over runners-up Chef Ed Matthews, owner of One Block West in Winchester, Va., and Chef Alyson Zimmerman, then-executive chef at Domestic in Shepherdstown, W.Va., to become the first-ever Valley Chef Showdown Champion. In March, the Valley Chef Showdown is returning, but this time, the pie’s the limit. Brad Spates, executive chef at The Historic McFarland House, has announced the next showdown will be a bake-off pitting some of the region’s top pastry chefs against each other. The competition will take place from 2 to 5 p.m., March 7 at The Historic McFarland House. Chef Spates, who’s no stranger to cooking in culinary competitions, couldn’t be happier that The Historic McFarland House is hosting the event. “I absolutely love baking,” he says. “Pastry is where my interest in the culinary arts began so I’m really looking forward to this event.” A Culinary Competition of a Sweeter Flavor Baking isn’t an improvised art, according to Chef Spates. It’s a calculated science. It’s all about the preparation work. Unlike last year’s Valley Chef Showdown, where chefs were challenged to chop, season and cook nearly everything from start to finish right in front of the audience, the competitors will be baking their cakes before the competition actually starts. Since the cakes will already be baked, the contest really kicks off when the competitors begin the process of stacking and decorating their cakes. Attendees will get to watch with bated breath as the bakers move their masterpieces from preparation area to display area, a challenge in itself. At that point, they’ll have two hours to decorate their cakes to perfection while keeping in mind the following rules: Cakes must have a spring theme. Creations must be three tiers or higher. Cakes may not be pre-stacked. Any type of fondant, pastillage, marzipan, pulled-sugar or frosting work must be done during the competition. Contestants’ creations will be judged on appearance, taste and skill, according to Chef Spates. Rising to the Occasion While the process of choosing competitors was still under way at the time of this writing, Chef Spates says two local pastry chefs have been selected to compete in the Valley...
A Bibliophile’s Haven
Cat Tail Run Hand Bookbinding by Wendy Gooditis photos by Lauri Bridgeforth Bibliophiles are lovers of books, and there are many of them out there. Sometimes they run in families and enjoy the same book for generations, until it becomes so worn the pages are falling out or mildew or pests are wreaking havoc with the fragile old paper. Thankfully, Cat Tail Run Hand Bookbinding, north of Winchester, Va., is a haven for much-loved books in desperate need of care. Founded in 1991, the business serves a steady stream of private, institutional and government clients. The shop is set at the end of a winding lane in a forest. It is a place of peace and retreat: a perfect spot for the practice of an art which has been honed over all the centuries since Guttenberg built that press in 1450. The owner and founder of the book bindery, Jill Deiss, opens a book which is a reproduction of an early 17th century how-to for the book binder. “We use all the tools illustrated in this old, old manual,” she says. “A plow (for cutting), laying presses, a sewing frame— everything. And we use them every day.” This faithful adherence to the old ways is what has put the book bindery on the map, attracting the custom of prestigious institutions such as the Wharton School of Business, the Manassas Battlefield Park, various colleges and universities, and the United States Park Service. The restoration of Bibles is a big part of the book bindery’s work, and the Bibles they have restored include Robert E. Lee’s Family Bible for Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery and Washington National Cathedral’s pulpit Bible. Some of the most famous – and infamous – names in U.S. history are on the projects which have benefited from the Cat Tail Run treatment: Abraham Lincoln’s bank records for Riggs Bank, John Wilkes Booth’s diary for Ford’s Theater Museum, and works from George and Martha Washington’s own library. The list of historically significant projects is endless, and is endlessly impressive, but the book bindery is also in the business of creating. Various members of the team specialize in different sorts of creation, including the forming of new books, perhaps for a family history or a private collection of poetry. These books are bound lovingly in as grand or as simple a style as the owner’s heart desires – plain gray linen or rich red-velvet brocade. Unpretentious black letters on the spine, or intricate gilt ones. Imagine the thrill of bringing home one’s own writings in the form of a pristine new volume! Cat Tail Run Hand Bookbinding makes...
Domestic
Chef Creates Comfort with a Twist story & photos by Pam Lettie Last fall, Desiree Garcia walked into Domestic as the new executive chef. Twenty-four hours later, the Shepherdstown bastion of modern home cooking had a complete menu makeover. The evolution continues as Garcia brings quality ingredients and contrasting flavors together to create 21st century comfort food. The friendly staff, ambiance and Web site suggest that Domestic is the place where you can relax and “come as you are.” The menu is a creative interpretation of childhood favorites, sourcing ingredients locally whenever possible. Yet, the Domestic experience is never simple mashed potatoes and gravy, or traditional fried chicken. Each dish has a surprise, a tension between old and new. While the choices showcase childhood favorites, reminiscent of mealtimes with family and friends, the addition of Cajun spices or new food combinations gives sophisticated diners a chance for exploration. The restaurant’s two rooms are a study in contrasts. Diners enter through the bar, where table seating is also available. A map on the wall describes wines; dim lighting makes it a place where regulars might feel at home. The far end serves as a stage for bands that liven up the atmosphere. A right turn brings diners into a slightly brighter dining room, with minimalist, modern décor, wood shelves against the back wall stacked with memorabilia. The chandelier of repurposed glass bottles casts interesting shadows across the ceiling, while a barn door acts as the canvas for an abstract painting. All of this evokes a feeling that Domestic is definitely not about the quick bite. It’s a place to slow down around the dinner table amidst good food and drink, recalling our collective memories about home and family where we linger and unwind. The menu item that best illustrates the blend of tradition with a modern flair may be the macaroni and cheese. Sharp white cheddar cheese sauce clings to cavatappi pasta, with the perfect balance of sauce. Full strips of applewood-smoked bacon garnish the side of the bowl, while slightly sweet and delicately browned caramelized onions accented by diced chives and the crunch of the breadcrumbs top the corkscrew pasta. The sweet-savory flavor combination is a theme that Garcia explored throughout the meal, often combined on the same entrée, a creative mix calculated to surprise and to please. Consider the Monte Cristo, a deep-fried sandwich of ham and cheese dusted with powder sugar and accompanied by jam. Garcia hasn’t decided if it will make the cut and become a regular menu item, so for now, diners wanting to give it a try will have to keep an eye on...
Nibblins – A Kitchenware Emporium
by Victoria Ryles photos by Lauri Bridgeforth Susan Dolinar’s kitchenware emporium, Nibblins, is a haven for all who love food and enjoy preparing it. This culinary treasure is nestled nearby in the Rutherford Shopping Center, north of Winchester. Susan and Blair Dolinar began Nibblins as a small mom and pop operation in the Apple Blossom Mall in a kiosk/byorder bakery they set up in 2003. It morphed into its current and larger enterprise when the Dolinars accepted the invitation to lease the present and more substantial location on Thanksgiving of 2011. Dolinar’s previous career role was a CPA, which surprises her customers, who associate her only with cooking. But baking and cooking are things both she and Blair are passionate about. Her fortieth birthday was a wake-up call for her to do something special with her interest in gourmet cooking and desire to share this knowledge. Susan is therefore pleased to offer her customers, epicures and amateurs alike, high quality kitchenware, along with unique and creative foods, many imported from Germany and other locations in Europe and the United States. Available are many varieties of specialty items including teas, coffees, oils, vinegars, red cabbage and sauerkraut, spices, baking mixes, and jams and jellies. The spacious and colorful interior is clearly organized in a user-friendly fashion, with sections for entertaining, gizmos and gadgets, baking needs, knives, electronics, microwave tools, bar accessories and gifts. Dolinar says, “One of our goals is to find those gadgets you can’t easily find elsewhere.” Nibblins is not a franchise, and thus has more options for acquiring specialty items most large box stores aren’t able to purchase. For example, the popular Breville coffee makers and food processors are not easily found locally. Most anything cooks need and might drive out to a larger city to purchase, say to a Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table, can easily be found at Nibblins, or special ordered. Dolinar says, “Just the right product can make a distinct difference to your recipe and make it taste better, like when you use a special baking dish for a ‘gratin’.” In addition, Dolinar says, “Being located in a smaller city allows us to get to know our patrons better and offer more personalized service. I react to my client’s needs a little more quickly than the large chain stores.” Many of her staff have culinary training which results in more helpful guidance.” Dolinar has taken classes with the American Institute of Baking in Kansas as well as high level courses at L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Md. Enthusiasm plus training help Dolinar meet her clients’ needs. “Nibblins customers usually come in with...
Through the Front Door
For a Love of Books by Lisa Bartell of Wisteria Manor Books take us to faraway places, places we never dreamed of. Through them, we gain knowledge and experience every emotion from sorrowful tears to rich belly laughs. They open up our minds and make us use our imaginations. From them we recite quotes, pass a test or prepare a recipe. As book lovers, we accumulate a lot of books and sooner or later we run out of room to store all of them. Although many people now download e-books to their computer gadgets, if you are like me, you enjoy a real book. Nothing beats the feel of a crisp paper at your fingertips or the “swish” of a turning page and the smell of a leather binding or vintage book. So we need storage space, such as a bookcase, but not just any bookcase. Something unusual, something creative and beautiful. My dream bookcase would actually be an entire library — the kind you see in magazines in an elaborate home. It would have bookcases reaching two stories high with ladder attached to a brass track that runs along the rich wood cases that slides along to access the books on the upper shelves. The room would be complete with a huge fireplace with a large oil painting above it. A secret passage, like those in the movies, would make the room especially magical. Of course this is never going to happen because: A. I only have a 1500 square foot home and B. I am not a rich heiress. However, I can have my secret passage by making a bookcase with hinges and attaching it to a door frame as a door. This would work great in place of a door to a closet, basement or in an old house where two bedrooms have an adjoining door. Wouldn’t that be super cool? Another idea would be to create a secret book nook in a closet or small room. This would consist of putting bookshelves around three quarters of the space and making a platform (such as you would a window seat) to hold a nice comfy cushion with fluffy pillows to relax on while reading by the light of a small chandelier above. Creative cases You can turn ordinary everyday objects into bookcases. For instance, a legless shell of a baby grand piano mounted to a wall with keyboard pointed down and the top off — the interior would have shelves running across to place your books on. This would work with a big old bass as well. Take off the front, place shelves on the interior...
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