Candace Lately

Austin, TX Edition: Curra's Grill

10:00 AM

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Rivesville Edition: Dairy Sensations

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Column

Those trendy ramps are rooted in Appalachia

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Here's a column I wrote for the Charleston Gazette-Mail about how important I think it is that we reclaim Appalachian cuisine:

A simple, garlicky green growing wild in Appalachia has made its way to kitchens in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.

The ramp, with its bright green leaves descending into a deep red stem and culminating in a slender white bulb, has been a pungent mountain secret for decades — home cooks and local restaurants alike paying homage to the spring treat.

In recent years, the ramp has been elevated in prominent culinary circles that have praised the incorporation of the leek as innovative and groundbreaking — often at the expense of Appalachian cooks and chefs who pioneered its use and put the ramp on the map.

Appalachian cuisine has very humble roots, and as this style of cooking becomes more trendy, it’s important to take ownership of our foodways.

Empower our local food systems. Reclaim our narrative. Make the Appalachian voice heard.

On one hand, it’s great the region is getting noticed for its culinary ability and for the diverse, inventive food created here. On the other, plucking ingredients or ideas from Appalachia to make a dish elsewhere strips the context from that food and the stories behind those meals. The result is a shallow facsimile void of the complex history and sense of place that makes up Appalachian food.

Take that ramp for example. We lovingly create authentic meals that recognize its place in our culture and as part of our narrative. From ramp feeds to haute cuisine, in West Virginia we celebrate the Allium tricoccum myriad ways.

Richwood is the self-proclaimed Ramp Capital of the World. Here, you can sit down for the Feast of the Ramson for the true, utilitarian meal that highlights the ramp: cooked ramps, ham, bacon, potatoes, brown beans, cornbread, dessert and sassafras tea.

It’s a simple meal that is hearty, filling and uses local ingredients. It draws on historical roots and carries on our tradition.

Then, take Hill & Hollow’s Ramp-A-Rama beer pairing dinner held at the end of April. It drew on inspiration from our lands and melded it with a modern interpretation.

The Morgantown restaurant featured ramp and camel albondigas in a smoked banana barbecue for its first course (paired with Greenbrier Valley Brewing Co.’s Devil Anse IPA). The second course featured Cape Cod littleneck clams steamed in ale with pancetta, cannelloni beans and ramps (paired with Chestnut Brew Works’ Halleck Pale Ale). The third was lemongrass-smoked Gardner farms spareribs with ramp-mango mojo (paired with Big Timber Brewing Company’s Robber Baron Rye IPA). And, finally, dessert was a ramp-Meyer lemon sorbet with mint-anchovy granite (paired with North End Tavern’s Roedy’s Red).

West Virginians do both: the filling, utilitarian meals and the inspired, imaginative dishes that illustrate the power of Appalachian ingredients. And, of course, everything in between.

But the essence of the food remains the same: It pays tribute to our foraging past and respects the integrity of the ingredients. That is what helps tell our story.

And, that ramp. The wild onion is small — but mighty — and has opened the door for other Appalachian ingredients to shine.

So let’s celebrate others recognizing what we’ve always seen in the ramp, all the while crediting the folks who forged that path so we can all enjoy that little stinker.

Candace Nelson is a marketing professional living in Morgantown. In her free time, Nelson blogs about Appalachian food culture at CandaceLately.com. Follow @Candace07 on Twitter or email Candace127@gmail.com.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Ramps, Bacon & Morels

Scott Jones, a native of Richwood, who now lives in Huntington, shared a recipe for Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Ramps, Bacon & Morels he crafted from his hometown’s delicacy:

“The most traditional — and best — way to fix up a mess of ramps is to fry up a bunch of bacon (thin-cut works better than thick) low ‘n slow in a cast-iron skillet, set the bacon aside and fry (well, saute) ramps, cleaned and chopped, into 2- to 3-inch segments ‘til they’re the desired texture. That said, when we bring back a few pounds from Richwood, we try to incorporate them into our family meals. They are similar to shallots, so they are great roasted with veggies.”

1 pound Brussels sprouts, cleaned and halved

5 ramps, cleaned and diced

4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

1/2 tablespoon rendered bacon fat

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons if you leave out bacon fat)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 ounces morel mushrooms (or whatever are available)

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 lemon

Toss all ingredients except for the lemon and crumbled bacon.

Roast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

Turn over every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, squeeze lemon half over the dish and toss.

Top with bacon crumbles if desired.

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The West Virginia Pepperoni Roll is available!

10:00 AM

The West Virginia Pepperoni Roll is now available. The book that I've been working on for 2+ years can now be found in book stores all across West Virginia and online retailers, like Amazon, Target, and Barnes & Noble. When writing this book, I set out to tell a piece of West Virginia's story, and this book intends to be the most comprehensive guide to the pepperoni roll that we have.

The pepperoni roll, a soft bread roll with pepperoni baked in the middle, originated in the coal mining areas of north central West Virginia when Italian immigrants invented a food that could be eaten easily underground.

This spicy snack soon found its way out of the mines and into bakeries, bread companies, restaurants, and event venues around the state, often with additional ingredients like cheese, red sauce, or peppers.

As the pepperoni roll’s reputation moves beyond the borders of West Virginia, this food continues to embody the culinary culture of its home state. It is now found at the center of bake-offs, eating contests, festivals, as a gourmet item on local menus, and even on a bill in the state’s legislature.

The West Virginia Pepperoni Roll is a comprehensive history of the unofficial state food of West Virginia. With over 100 photographs and countless recipes and recollections, it tells the story of the immigrants, business owners, laborers, and citizens who have developed and devoured this simple yet practical food since its invention.

There has been so much time, effort and love put into this project, and it's incredible to see it as real, live thing. I have a whole media kit prepared here and an updated list of events coming up. So, please, take a look around. Come out to an event. If you're local, I have some on hand and am happy to meet up with you (and I accept cards via Square!). I hope you have as much fun reading it as I had creating it. Can't wait to hear your thoughts. Email me Candace127@gmail.com.

Upcoming Events:
June 3 - Apothecary from 2-5 p.m. in Morgantown, W.Va.
June 10 - Weirton Book Company at 4 p.m. in Weirton, W.Va.
June 15 - Taylor Books at 6 p.m. in Charleston, W.Va.
June 17 - Barnes & Noble at 1 p.m. in Morgantown, W.Va.
June 20 - Rolls on the River from 5:30 - 8 p.m. in Charleston, W.Va.
July 8 - Town Run Brewing (hosted by 4 Seasons) at 5 p.m. in Shepherdstown, W.Va.
June 24 - Empire Books at noon in Huntington, W.Va.

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Morgantown

New Buffalo Wild Wings is open at University Town Center

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Brewery

Parkersburg Brewing Company

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One of my absolute favorite new breweries in West Virginia is Parkersburg Brewing Company. This brewery is churning out some of the tastiest brews in the Mountain State.

I've had the pleasure of trying them at a few different festivals and recently stopped in at their location along Market Street.

Born in true West Virginia tradition with the highest dedication to quality and craftsmanship, Parkersburg Brewing Co. develops, promotes, and delivers full flavored and unique specialty beers to suit every occasion. We are committed to promoting small business and giving back to our communities. By providing the best taproom experience in the tri-state region, we aim to bring business minded people and decision makers alike together to make a positive impact within this great states borders and beyond. Cheers to all of our loyal friends and customers! Enjoy Parkersburg handcrafted beer brewed in the mountains of West Virginia (MISSION).

While I've yet to try their grub, I've had quite a few of their beers - including From Ash & Ember, Citrus Tsunami, Palooka Pale Ale Cell Block 304 - and my favorite - Hip Hef Hefeweizen. I loved each one of these, but the last one could possibly be my new favorite beer in West Virginia. It's a close call.

Parkersburg Brewing Company started out as the Hebrank & Rapp Brewery in 1864, which was opened by German immigrants John Hebrank and Marcus Rapp. Hebrank and Rapp incorporated as Parkersburg Brewing Company 1889 when they outgrew their original facility on Marrtown Road. The initial beer offering consisted of Genuine Pilsner, Extra Old Lager and Club Export. At its peak, Parkersburg Brewing Company produced 60,000 barrels per year and employed 30 men year round. The beer was brewed, bottled and stored on-site. The barrels in which the beer was distributed were also manufactured on-site.

The brewery officially closed in 1912 due to the growing temperance movement and state side prohibition. Over the years the brewery building was re-purposed by a variety of businesses, such as a car dealership, cola bottling plant and a candy wholesaler just to name a few. Eventually the building was purchased by a real estate developer and subsequently demolished in June of 2004. The original site of the brewery is located next to Lou Thomas Subaru on 7th street (HISTORY).

This is a really, really cool spot to grab a beer, some food and hang out. The interior is lovely, with art on the walls and cool exposed brick. Dim lighting provides an intimate atmosphere, and everyone was super friendly when I got my growler to go. I could definitely see myself spending an evening here.

What's your favorite beer? And what should I get to eat next time?