Guglhupf to Host 4th Annual Rocktoberfest

When the weather turns cooler and the harvest arrives, everyone can share in the German festival best known for sausages, beer and baked goods.

Guglhupf Café in Durham, NC will host its annual Rocktoberfest party on Saturday, September 28 from 4pm to 10pm.  Now in its 4th year, this family-friendly “Oktoberfest-with-a-twist” features live music, delicious German street food and specialty beer on tap!

Originating in Munich, Germany in the early 1800’s, Oktoberfest is now celebrated around the world. Here in Durham, Guglhupf’s German-born owner Claudia Cooper brings an innovative spin to the festivities at this contemporary European café.

Traditional German street fare will be cooked and served outside on the patio, which will be decorated with colorful banners and long tables for family-style dining. The grill will sizzle with house-made Bratwurst, Weisswurst and rôtisserie chicken.  A la carte sides include German potato salad, cucumber salad, braised red cabbage and Sauerkraut.  Also on the menu:  Zwiebelkuchen (a single-crust pie of steamed onions, cream and caraway seeds) and freshly-baked soft Brezels.  And for your sweet tooth, indulge in Guglhupf’s Berliner doughnuts, oozing with raspberry jam and coated with granulated sugar. Or choose from apple fritters and Strudl with ice cream – all house-made at Guglhupf’s adjoining bakery.  And of course….sample specialty draft brews from Hacker Pschorr, Spaten, Franziskane and Gaffel, along with wines by the glass.

Three bands will perform live on the patio:  The Oompah Trio (traditional Bavarian tunes); D-Town; and Pipe.  So make sure to dig out your Dirndl dresses and Lederhosen for the party!  And don’t miss out on face-painting from the talented Character Paints – for both kids and adults alike.

Reservations are not needed and there is no cover charge.  Guglhupf is located at 2706 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd, Durham, NC.  Go online or call 919.401.2600 for further information.

Kitchen X: A Celebration of Durham’s Food Scene and fundraiser for Urban Ministries of Durham

Durham is the Tastiest Town in the South, and it's innovative, too. Pop-up restaurants are an exciting new trend, and in Durham, the idea is being taken a step further.

Outsiders Art & Collectibles and a cast of motley misfits is joining forces to celebrate a true taste of Durham.  Kitchen X is a four course wine dinner, inspired by the Durham-based film ‘Foodie,’ which was recently invited to show its trailer at the Cannes Film Festival, brings together some of Durham’s top ‘foodies’ for an evening of great food, wine and frolics.  Kitchen X will take place at Outsiders Art & Collectibles, 718-C Iredell Street, Durham, NC 27705 on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $75 per person with very limited seating.  Kitchen X is a fundraiser for Urban Ministries of Durham.

The Conspirators:
Aaron Benjamin has been cooking for over fifteen years, the last eight of which have been spent around Durham's finest restaurants. He prefers the simple combination of fresh ingredients, flavors and technique. His real comfort zone is found cooking on the line of a busy restaurant full of happy guests on any day or night of the week.

Eryk Pruitt is a former restaurant professional living in Durham as a screenwriter, author, and filmmaker.  His short film "Foodie" has won awards at film festivals across the United States, including Best Horror at Mt. Hood International Film Festival, Best Short at Tucson Terrorfest, and Best Original Fiction at ConCarolinas in Charlotte, among others.  His fiction has appeared in The Avalon Literary Review, The Speculative Edge, Mad Scientist Journal and Pantheon Magazine.  "Keepsake," directed by Meredith Sause, and "Disengaged," directed by “Foodie's” Christopher G. Moore are currently in preproduction.

Scott Richie has worked in bars and restaurants for nearly twenty years, most of his time spent in the Triangle.  He was on board for such long gone projects as the Basement on Broad Street and Triangle staples like Federal and Milltown.  He may be familiar from his time behind the bar at Whiskey, where he tended bar from their opening until 2012.  Scott now works as an independent bar management and design consultant.  There's a reason why Scott has earned The Independent's Best of the Triangle's 2010, 2011 and 2012 "Best Bartender of Durham County" awards - he is truly innovative, combining a commitment to unique ingredient combinations, classic cocktail knowledge and as we all know, a style all his own.

Claudia Kemmet-Cooper, Guglhupf's founder and owner, learned early on that food was so much more than just sustenance, but rather a commodity that was carefully sought out, purchased and prepared by the women in her family. After brushing shoulders with the corporate world, Claudia quickly turned back to the comforts of the kitchen, and set on the path that ultimately led to the establishment of the popular foodie destination Guglhupf Bakery & Patisserie. After completing her formal training in baking and pastry at Rischart's in Munich, Claudia began tackling the many thorny issues of transplanting a German bakery concept to the US. Today Guglhupf is a popular destination and enjoys a reputation for outstanding artisanship and attention to quality. Claudia's passion for simple food in a welcoming and personable atmosphere is evident in the preparation, presentation, and ambiance one feels while shopping in the bakery or dining in the café.

About Outsiders Art & Collectibles:
Outsiders Art & Collectibles is Durham’s only gallery focusing on the genre of Southern Outsider Art. Outsider’s owner, Pamela Gutlon prides herself on using the gallery, not only as a venue for exposing Durham to Outsider Art, but also as a means towards creating community.  For more information visit the gallery online or call Pamela at 919-451-3231.

For more information about food events happening in Durham, visit the Durham Event Calendar.

UPDATED: A Heaping Portion of Media Coverage

Durham is a place for food lovers - this is widely known. Despite the loss of culinary icon, The Magnolia Grill, last month, there are plenty of places in Durham that are generating buzz (and drinks and food) that will surely make folks look forward to great meals in the place where great things happen.

Below are two three links to articles that show off some of Durham's great food places. Recently, journalists from Southern Living and the NY Post have spent time here, and their articles indicate they had a mighty good time.  The latest addition is a piece in the Oxford American.

Read the NY Post piece by Jennifer Ceaser. Ceaser hit some high spots in Durham on her visit, including some of Durham's most notable fine dining establishments, and one of it's high end watering holes. This is an example of a journalist making the most of a visit to Durham.

Read the Southern Living Piece by Graham Averil. This article is about the Best Burgers in North Carolina. Two of them can be found in Durham.  Read on and see which ones made the cut.

Read the Oxford American piece by Erin Sroka.
Sroka is from Durham, and this piece is about Dame's Chicken and Waffles. Forewarned is forearmed, it's like to make you very hungry.

Durham County Library Hosts Program on Local Artisan Bakers

Durham is home to learning opportunities available to people from all walks and stages of life.  Coming up in a few weeks is a great opportunity to combine a love of learning for a lifetime with another of Durham's great ingredients, food and those artisans who prepare it.

Long-time baker, Frank Ferrell of Ninth Street Bakery, will moderate a panel of Durham’s artisan bakers on Sunday, June 3 at 3 p.m. at the Main Library. Many different paths have led these food experts to Durham to bake professionally, and the region has become famous for their talents. According to Bon Appétit Magazine, the Durham-Chapel Hill area is ranked as “America's Foodiest Small Town,” citing partnerships between award-winning local restaurants, growers and organic farmers that have resulted in a thriving culture of eclectic cuisine.

Artisan bakers are credited with using local organic ingredients and traditional baking methods. As farmers’ markets have experienced great growth in Durham and the surrounding areas, the number of specialty bakeries has increased as well. The program features panelists from some of these well-known local patisseries including: Anna Branley of The Cupcake Bar, a custom order bakery featuring classic cupcakes and those inspired by favorite cocktails and other flavors; Claudia Kemmet-Cooper of Guglhupf, a European inspired café with a southern German twist; Kevin Farmer of Rue Cler, a Parisian style neighborhood restaurant serving downtown Durham since 2006; Phoebe Lawless of Scratch, one of Travel & Leisure magazine’s picks for “where to go for America’s top pies”; Durham resident Rob Nichols of Weaver Street Market, a community-owned cooperative grocery store, committed to supporting local farmers and small producers; and Ronald Graff of Loaf, a long-time presence at the Durham Farmers’ Market, now operating a bakery in downtown Durham.

Participants will learn how these bakers got started and what they love about the business. The panel will be followed by a Q&A session. This program is sponsored in large part by Durham Library Foundation. For more information contact Joanne Abel at 919-560-0268.

Durham County Library provides the entire community with books, services and other resources that inform, inspire learning, cultivate understanding and excite the imagination. For more information, visit your local library or visit online.

Program:       Artisan Bakers of Durham
Date:             Sunday, June 3
Time:             3 p.m.
Location:       Main Library, 300 N. Roxboro St.
Cost:              Free and open to the public

Durham Farmers' Market Is All About Eggs and Cheese

The American Cheese Society has declared October American Cheese Month, and Durham Farmers' Market will present cheese related is all set to help raise awareness and celebrate the diversity of cheeses made in the US. Durham Farmers' Market boasts a handful of dedicated, talented and creative cheesemakers.  All three  cheesemakers raise their own animals (cows and goats), do the daily milking and make the cheeses in cheesemaking facilities on their farms. Durham and the Durham Farmers' Market are fortunate to have a great community of chefs who work hard to support the efforts of these farmers and make use of great local cheeses in their dishes. 

In celebration of National Cheese Month, Durham Farmers' Market will host a couple of cheese related demonstrations this month. This Saturday, Chef Dave Alworth from Guglhupf will be doing a cooking demonstration of Cheese Spatzle that highlights Chapel Hill Creamery's Calvander.  Calvander is cheese that is similar to asiago. There will be samples to taste and recipes available.   

The Durham Farmers' Market is a proud sponsor of the Bull City Coop Tour  which is being put together by Bull City Chickens. In early 2009, the Durham City Council voted to allow backyard chickens with in the city limits. The Coop Tour is a little bit like the farm tours in the spring and the fall, but this tour gives you an inside look at the lives of Durham's urban hens. The Coop Tour is a self guided tour and will take place next Saturday, Oct. 22 from 9:30-3:30pm.  You can pick up maps and get information tomorrow and next Saturday at the Market.  

Bull City Chickens is also hosting two other events in conjunction with the Coop Tour: Eggalicious and the Chickenstock Festival. During October, a number of local restaurants will feature "Eggalicious" items on their menus that feature locally raised eggs.  Chickenstock Festival, a free "edu-party" that features information about sustainable living and great music will follow the Bull City Coop Tour at Bull City Burgers & Brewery on Oct. 22nd.


Fresh this Week
Fruit: Asian Persimmons, Asian Pears, Scuppernong Grapes 
Vegetables:    Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Asian Greens, Arugula, Beans, Longbeans, Beets, Butterbeans, Cherry Tomatoes, Collards,  Cucumbers,  Dandelion Greens, Eggplant, Garlic, Ginger, Gourds, Herbs,  Mustard Greens, Kale, Lambs Quarter,  Lettuce,  Okra, Onions, Peanuts, Pea Shoots, Peppers, Potatoes, Popcorn, Purple Hull Peas, Pumpkins, Salad Mix, Shiitake Mushrooms, Sweet Potatoes, Swiss Chard,  Summer Squash,   Tomatoes, Turnips,  Winter Squash, Zucchini
Flowers:   Asiatic Lillies, Celosia, Dahlia, Gomphrena, Gladiolus, Lisianthus, Sunflowers, Tuber Rose, Zinnia
Meats: Beef, Bison, Chicken, Duck, Goat/Chevon, Lamb, Rabbit, Pork
And: Fall Vegetable Seedlings, Honey, Chicken and Duck Eggs, Flour, Yellow & White Cornmeal, Grits, Pecans, Wines, Fresh and Aged Goats and Cows Milk Cheeses, Baked Goods, Chocolates, Pasta, Beer, Wine, Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Preserves, Wool, Landscaping Plants
Crafts: Hand-dyed Clothes, Jewelery, Baskets, Pottery, Stained Glass Art, Woodwork, Photographs, Soaps and much more!

Fresh from Durham Farmers' Market

This week Durham Farmers' Market Chef in the Market will be Chef Dave Alworth from Guglhupf. Dave will demonstrate how to make Kohlrabi Latkas with Chapel Hill Creamery's Quark. The demo starts at 10AM on the Central lawn under the blue tent. Quantities will be limited; recipes will be available.

A quick note about honey....
When the Tulip Poplars start to bloom that means that it is almost time to start harvesting honey.  Well, the Tulip Poplars have bloomed so, it won't be long until to 2011 honey crop will be available at the Market.  David Fruchtenicht, of Fruchtenicht Honey, has taken the month of May off to harvest honey and he'll be back at Market in early June.  This week, if you are looking for honey, check out Little Tree Farm's booth, they will have the last of their 2010 "vintage" honey.

Fresh this Week
Fruit:  Peaches, Strawberries, Blueberries, Dewberries and *maybe* some Sour Cherries
Vegetables:  GREEN BEANS! Asparagus, Artichokes, Arugula, Bok Choy,  Beets, Braising Greens, Broccoli, Broccoli Raab, Celery, Chinese Cabbage, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Collards,  Cucumbers, English (Shelling) Peas, Escarole, Fava Beans, Fennel, Frisee, Green Garlic, Green Onions, Herbs (Cilantro, Oregano, Parsley, Dill, Chives, Mint),  Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, New Potatoes, Radishes, Onions, Pea Shoots, Salad Mix,  Shiitake Mushrooms, Swiss Chard, Spinach, Summer Squash, Sugar Snap Peas, Tat Soi,  Greenhouse Tomatoes,  Turnips - white and purple,  Turnip Greens, Vitamin Greens, Zucchini
Flowers:  Asiatic Lillies, Batchelor Buttons, Calla Lilys, Delphiniums, Larkspur, Phlox, Snap Dragon
Meats: Beef, Bison, Chicken, Duck, Goat/Chevon, Lamb, Pork
And: Honey, Chicken and Duck Eggs, Flour, Yellow & White Cornmeal, Grits, Pecans, Wines, Fresh and Aged Goats and Cows Milk Cheeses, Baked Goods, Pasta, Beer, Wine, Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Preserves, Handmade Chocolates, Wool, Landscaping Plants and Vegetable Transplants
Crafts: Handmade Clothes & Jewelery, Baskets, Pottery, Photographs, Soaps and much more...

Scratch Makes The List

In the event that an occassion for pie arises, Durham's newest bakery, Scratch, can fill the need.  That they are being nationally recognized - again - for the quality of their product is not really a surprise.

Travel and Leisure magazine posted a ranking of America's Best Pies on their website, and sitting tasty at number four is the Shaker Lemon Pie created by Phoebe Lawless and her crew at their downtown location on Orange Street.

Open for breakfast and lunch with coffee and baked goodies available until 4 PM, the store has generated quite a buzz in its short tenure.  It has been nationally recognized before...and it hasn't been open a year.

A long-time Durham chef, Lawless is a chef's baker using as much local product as possible and crossing the line into the savory realm more than most pastry chefs do.  With savory sandwhiches involving house cooked meats, their own pickled vegetables and fresh made condiments, the shop is a place for those with and without sweet toothes.  There's even a sandwich called the Hot Mess...it's open-faced, it has a poached egg on it.  Get extra napkins.

Scratch also returns to the Durham Farmers' Market each week.  The place where the bakery really got its start, the thousands of Lawless' fans that came there each week also make up some of the customer base at her store.  The now famous donut muffin is available in both locations each week.

One of Durham's more than three dozen nationally celebrated restaurants, Scratch joins Guglhupf, another Durham bakery and restaurant that has received significant national praise most recently in Cooking Light magazine.