Here's my latest column for The Charleston-Gazette Mail:

Wineberry” is one of those beautiful, ethereal words for me that conjures up images of other delicious foods like “Cosmic Crisp” apples and “Orange Blossom” honey in my mind.

Wine? Berry? Yes. Please.

It is not, however, a berry specifically used to make wine; instead, its name is likely derived from a general Middle English term for grape or berry and reflects its deep red color.

Wineberries grow wild through the Appalachian Mountains along roadsides, thickets, trails, creeks and edges of fields. Also known as “wine raspberry,” wineberries originated in Eastern Asia and were introduced to the United States in 1890 for their raspberry-like fruit. The shrub is still used today by berry breeders but is classified as an invasive species in Appalachia due to how well it took to the region. It adapts so well, in fact, that it can crowd out other native species.

But, many beloved plants are also invasive species: Pokeweed. Dandelion. Garlic Mustard.

Wineberries have a sweet and tart, raspberry-like flavor, which lends itself well to both savory and sweet dishes, like:

Pastries: Wrapped in phyllo dough or puff pastry, wineberries could make for a sweet treat

Jams and jellies: Spread on toast or paired with peanut butter, wineberries could add a different flavor

Pies and cobblers: Replacing raspberries or blackberries in a pie or cobbler recipe could create a new favorite

Sauces: Cook wineberries down into a sauce that can be a sweet complement to savory meats

Salads: Think of the role cranberries or strawberries can play in salads and try replacing those with wineberries

Cocktails: Muddled fruit can add a sweet burst

Sorbet: Blend the berries with sugar and freeze on a hot summer day

The versatility of wineberries has been valuable to Appalachia historically, culturally and economically. They have been an accessible food source for local communities — everything from making wineberry desserts for community functions to bottling wineberry jam to be sold by small-scale producers at farmers markets.

Wineberries are a sign of summertime in the mountains. The leaves have been produced and the shrubs are flowering now. Soon, wineberries will be growing on long, thorny canes covered with fine, red hairs through August.

For many people in Appalachia, wineberries hold a special place in their heart. Whether berry picking is a beloved summer tradition or creating recipes together holds deep memories, families and friends gather together to explore the mountains and search for the best spots to harvest wineberries.

It’s a great way to get outdoors, appreciate the natural beauty of the region, while also bringing home a delicious and healthy snack. There are a lot of terms for desserts made with fruit. The following recipe is for a cobbler, but there are many other options where you can tweak things slightly and have a whole new sweet treat.

Let’s break down the differences before we get into it so you can change things up if you want!

- Cobbler: fruit dessert baked with a biscuit-style topping. It’s called a cobbler because its top crust is not smooth like a pie crust but rather “cobbled” and coarse. It’s usually dropped or spooned over the fruit, then baked. A version called “grunt” is popular in Massachusetts and another called “slump” is popular in areas of Vermont, Maine and Rhode Island.

- Sonker: like a cobbler, but made with a lot of juice and usually in North Carolina.

- Crisp: fruit dessert that has a topping made of oats, flour, butter, and sugar (and sometimes nuts). The topping completely covers the fruit and is baked.

- Crumble: like a crisp but the topping does not contain oats.

- Betty: like a crumble but rather than having the topping solely on top of the fruit, it’s layered throughout, then baked.

- Buckle: fruit and cake baked together, with a streusel topping. As it bakes, the fruit and streusel topping makes the cake “buckle.”

- Clafoutis: French cobbler, with fruit (usually cherries) on the bottom, custard, and a rough batter crust baked on top.

- Flaugnarde: like a clafoutis, but with a different fruit.

- Pandowdy: fruit on the bottom and a rolled crust on top, which is broken up to allow the juices to come through.

Fired Pie is a "fast, casual, rich in flavor customizable pizzas and salads made from scratch using fresh ingredients, just the way you like it" and found in 16 locations in Arizona.



The menu starts with two options: pizza or salad. Then, do you want a specialty type or custom. First is your crust, select sauce, then choose cheese, move onto meats, pick your veggies and finally garnish with fresh herbs. I went with a regular crust, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, mushroom, garlic and artichokes. I love all these ingredients separately, but maybe not the best together. I think a sweetness would round out the flavors, and it was a bit mushy - maybe because of the ingredients I chose. Not bad enough to stop me from devouring it.



Grade: B

Regional chains are always fascinating to me because they often have a loyal fanbase. Sometimes while traveling, you're on a tight time crunch. But I refuse to get something I can get back at home. So regional fast food chains kinda fill that gap.

    

Blake's Lotaburger claims "The Original Green Chili Cheese Burger," which uses their exclusive variety green chile that is 100% grown, harvested and flame-roasted in Hatch, New Mexico.

     

"When WWII Navy Veteran, Blake Chanslor, flipped the first LOTA Burger in 1952 he gave birth to a New Mexico Tradition. Seventy years later, Blake’s LOTABURGER® has become a cultural icon in the Land of Enchantment. Our Signature “New Mexico Style - The best ingredients, always cooked fresh, have made Blake’s a favorite for locals & a must-stop for visitors to the Southwest. Our signature “New Mexico Style” LOTA Burger is made with two large, fresh premium beef patties, melted cheese and our exclusive, flame-roasted Hatch Green Chile."
    

I went there for breakfast, so I opted for that green chile in a breakfast burrito. Sausage, eggs, cheese, potatoes and some heat. I like my burritos oozing with cheese, where it becomes a sauce. And that acts as a foil to some of the hotness for me. This would be more preferable for someone who wants to feel those chiles. Decent flavor, yes, overall meal - okay.
     

Grade: B

"Wienerschnitzel is an American fast food chain founded in 1961 that specializes in hot dogs. Despite the name, the company does not sell Wiener schnitzel, only selling it once as a promotional item ... The chain is recognizable by the A-frame-style roofs of its older restaurants. Structures that have been converted from Wienerschnitzels into other restaurants often retain the distinctive architecture. The chain's advertising mascot is an anthropomorphized hot dog known as The Delicious One, who runs from people who want to eat him."



This building was just so interesting; it was like you were driving through the middle of a building. It caught my eye, and I was interested to check it out.



I went with one of their specialty hot dogs, The Kansas City dog, which had bacon, beer mustard, grilled onions, and Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. This is just one of their specialty dogs that include everything from chili and cheese to sport peppers and tomato slices.



It was a decent hot dog. A lil bit on the mooshy side, even though it was a new, fun flavor combo. The texture could use a bit of improvement. But I'd be curious if somee of their hot dogs that didn't have so many toppings might be different.



Grade: B

"As we say in Spanish, “my house is your house” and we are pleased that you are paying us this visit. The history of this famous Mexican restaurant a stone’s throw from Las Cruces, NM is long and colorful. This is the original La Posta. For more than a century and a half, these adobe walls have withstood the attack of elements and man, sheltering such personalities as Billy the Kid, Kit Carson, General Douglas MacArthur and Pancho Villa. A roaring Wild West town during the late 1800’s, Mesilla was the largest town in the Southwest between San Diego, California and San Antonio, Texas. During this period, La Posta served as the Corn Exchange Hotel, a favorite stop on the Butterfield Stagecoach Line. Many years later a young, vivacious and colorful Katy Griggs Camuñez started La Posta de Mesilla Restaurant and Cantina with four tables, dirt floors and no running water! La Posta’s authentic dishes are made from century-old recipes handed down to us from the Fountain, Chavez and Griggs Families. Now one of the oldest and most recognized Mexican restaurants in the Southwest, La Posta de Mesilla still offers its traditional hospitality, fine food and spirits to all who wander here…just the way Katy would have wanted it!"



I ordered: Enchilada Plate, which consisted of rolled enchiladas - one red chile cheese, one green chile cheese and one meat with cheese (I went with red carne, which is made with achiote peppers). These were saucy and spicy. But there was a depth of flavor here that I really enjoyed.



I also ordered chile con queso, which I thought would be thick and cheesy, but this was a much thinner and heavier on spice than dairy. Really good flavor, though. It was less of a dip and more of a soup. A hearty, hot, rich soup.



Grade: B