One of my favorite podcasts, The Sporkful, released a new pasta shape called Cascatelli.



The podcast tells food stories, and the host has talked about the various qualities of pasta that appeal to him. 



He created a small sub-series on how he went from concept to execution on a perfect pasta shape. 



I really enjoy this podcast, and it was very interesting to hear about the process of getting a pasta shape made - and it's a genius marketing ploy. Was the whole series an effort to tell a story? Or sell a product? Or both. 



Either way, I was hooked. And at the end, I wanted to try the pasta shape. It was backordered and so many types were sold out that I purchase the only available one available: a 5 lb. bulk bag. 



"From the mind of James Beard Award winner Dan Pashman, creator and host of The Sporkful food podcast, comes CASCATELLI (Italian for “waterfalls”). Three years in the making, this brand new shape was created in collaboration with the artisans at Sfoglini. Cascatelli is designed to maximize the three qualities by which Dan believes all pasta shapes should be judged:

- Sauceability: How readily sauce adheres to the shape
- Forkability: How easy it is to get the shape on your fork and keep it there
- Toothsinkability: How satisfying it is to sink your teeth into it

Listen to the story of Dan’s quest to create this shape in a special Sporkful series entitled “Mission: ImPASTAble,” available in your podcasting app or at Sporkful.com. And try cascatelli today to experience the next chapter in pasta history!"

Have you tried it yet?

My first bite of D.P. Dough was while attending undergrad at WVU. This calzone company has locations in college towns across the country and are open late into the night. 

While I wouldn't categorize Charleston as a college town, I was nonetheless happy to see some more late-night options in the capital city. That's one luxury I miss about college town life. And - there are only a couple locations in the state, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to shed some light on them if folks are unfamiliar. Dan (the founder) and Penny (his mom) named their new restaurant D.P. Dough after their initials.



Recently, I places an order for D.P. Dough on GrubHub for a Speed Zone + mushrooms. This has: Breaded Chicken, Spinach, Garlic, Mozzarella, Ricotta. I love this combo of flavors. I could've even done without the chicken, but good overall.



We also ordered Roni Rolls - pepperoni and mozzarella rolled in D.P. Dough, cut into 8 pieces, and topped with garlic parmesan. These are kinda like crispy pepperoni rolls. Tasty.



And finally, they also serve milkshakes. I don't remember them having this before - but I was more than happy to enjoy a strawberry milkshake.

My friend Kayla posted a photo of a meal from Chef Ke on Instagram, and I was intrigued. First of all, she had grits, and I loved any sort of southern and soul food. Second of all, I had never heard of Chef Ke. 

After a little bit of Instagram research, I learned that Chef Ke is a chef based in the Cross Lanes area who creates meals from her home.  



"Chef Ke is a home based chef from Alexandria,Virginia. The youngest of six children, Chef Ke spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her mother as a young girl. As Chef Ke began to watch her mother prepare meals before and after work everyday she grew a love for food and cooking. Chef Ke found her true passion for cooking in 2017 when she attended college in West Virginia. Cooking for herself and many friends on campus Chef Ke was given a lot of encouragement to create an Instagram account to showcase her various beautiful dishes and prepared meals. Finally, in 2019 Chef Ke founded keekrEATionzzz, an experience Chef Ke created to stay connected with her community, share and provide delicious quality food to the areas she serves."



She has been posting specialty menus every few days, and when she shared the chicken mini with mac & cheese option, I was sold. I messaged her on Instagram, paid via cashapp and picked up the next day. It was piping hot, and THIS is the mac & cheese you need in your life. Cheesy, baked with MORE cheese on top. And those chicken minis - little fried crispy bites of goodness on a sweet roll. Even better than other versions - and all the while supporting a local business.

Have you checked out Chef Ke yet? 

Food Truck Friday has begun in Charleston! And, it's even bigger and better than before. On Fridays during the summer, the city is shutting down Kanawha Boulevard between Capitol and Court streets for food trucks to park for lunch. 



This week's event featured nearly a dozen different vendors - and a couple I hadn't tried! So, during lunch, I found a nearby parking spot and made my way down the boulevard to check it out. My first - and most favorite - stop was Sunset Slush of WV. I ordered a small "Hi-C," which had fruit punch, lemon and tangerine. And, wow, it felt like the first taste of summer. The ice is so finely shaved that it almost has a creamy texture. Sweet and summery and perfect.



Also new to me was "Just Drinks,"which was selling water and lemonade. 



Then, I saw Skeeber Flob's Kettle Corn - and they had a few fun varieties, like strawberry. I can't wait to check them out again. 

Other folks in attendance were Dem 2 Brothers & A Grill, Shape Shop Cafe, Joey's Rockin' Dogs and Tacos, Chick-fil-A, and others I may be forgetting! Who do you hope to see this summer? 

I love a good pairing. It's fun to think through flavors and see how they mix with others. In Morgantown, The Cupcakerie hosts a cupcake and craft beer festival - and this year was the fourth annual celebration. Because of COVID-19, it was held in a different way: drive-through.



We were guided through an area in the Wharf District where we drove right up and received our order - whether it was a 6-pack or 12-pack. Go big or go home, right?



The cupcakes included: red velvet, very vanilla, peanut butter chocolate, lemon shandy, blackberry beer, chocolate coffee beer, lemon filled, apple butter, triple chocolate, sweet & salty Irish red, orange wheat beer and strawberry ale. 



I was really hoping to get some Morgantown Brewing Company beers, but the selection was lovely: Parkersburg Brewing Company, Screech Owl Brewing, Big Timber Brewing Company, and Berkeley Springs Brewing Company. 



It was a fun little treat that I actually enjoyed with my parents. Did you try it out this year?