Alan "Patric" McClure stands in front of his demo table at Central Market's Chocolate Festival (photos by William Neal)

Alan “Patric” McClure, owner of Patric Chocolate, is the kind of guy who blushes when you tell him, “My editor sent me here because you’re famous.”

We’re standing in the middle of Central Market’s busiest intersection – a place where people and grocery carts collide – and it takes him a couple minutes to recover from my forward introduction. When McClure gathers his thoughts, he launches into his insane foodie-ism and then does something completely unexpected: he starts modeling with his chocolate. Tyra would be proud.

Jump for some funny photos.

Chocolate samples

Before he launched his modeling career inside Central Market, Alan McClure was just a regular guy who was crazy about food. He decided to invest in some high-quality cocoa beans online and make his own chocolate from scratch. Sounds pretty normal, right? Actually, no; most chocolate doesn’t come straight from cocoa beans anymore, so McClure’s chocolate is special (and pricey at $7-$8 per bar). The ingredients are kept to a minimum because good chocolate doesn’t need much to bring out its flavors.

Take his Mocha OMG bar, for example. McClure only uses cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and espresso beans to create a bar that is rich and buttery.

Photographer William Neal and I told McClure to stand in front of his chocolate so we could take a few photos. But then he got really into it… does anyone else foresee an America’s Next Top Chocolate-Maker?

Showing off his tattoos

Rock on

Making use of props

Double face-age

Alan “Patric” McClure was here in Dallas as part of Central Market’s Chocolate Festival. The last vendor of the festival, Shawn Askinosie of Askinosie Chocolate, will be at the Southlake location from noon until 4 pm today.

]]> http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2012/02/14/alan-patric-mcclure-is-a-full-time-chocolate-maker-and-part-time-model/feed/ 7 http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2012/01/30/pouting-over-poutine/ http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2012/01/30/pouting-over-poutine/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:20:38 +0000 Daniel Walker http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/?p=35333

Poutine from the Greenhouse Tavern, Cleveland OH (photo from Columbus Underground @ www.columbusunderground.com)

A couple of weeks ago I gushed about my love for the burgers at Kenny’s Burger Joint.  One of our Sidedishers, “Kirk,” commented that they offered “the closest facsimile of poutine in the DFW area.”  When I heard this, it was not long until I found my way back to sample the Kenny’s version.  As you likely know, “poutine” is a classic Canadian dish, traditionally composed of crispy French fries, cheese curds, and a brown gravy.  The most successful variations of poutine are able to serve the fries thick and crisp, the cheese curd soft but not so completely melted that they lose all their texture, and the gravy incorporated into each bite, but not so much as to turn the whole thing into a soup or make the fries overly soggy.  However, this dish is incredibly hard to find in Dallas.  I don’t understand why this is so.  Perhaps it’s our distance from our neighbors to the North? Perhaps there are not enough Canadians here in the Lone Star State?  It really is a travesty.

Kenny's version of "poutine"

Kenny’s version was tasty but had some flaws compared to the more traditional Canadian versions. It was very heavy on the gravy, which left the otherwise exceptional fries a bit too soggy.  The melted Jarlsberg cheese was rather scant and lacked the textural chew that comes from a good cheese curd.  One of the more memorable American variations can be found at the Greenhouse Tavern in Cleveland, OH which serves duck fat fries, mozzarella curd and veal gravy.  However, there seems to be nothing like this in the Dallas area.

What gives, Dallas restauranteurs?  This is a dish I think Dallas would truly embrace.  Even a poutine food truck could work.  Anyone know where this delectable dish may be found in Big D?

Oh yeah, it's for real.

We’re suckers for any press release that contains the following sentences:

• Yes, this is really real.
• Don’t you judge us; we all knew it would end up here someday.
• And yeah, your right we probably did go too far this time.
• Sorry, Mom.

It seems a couple well-intentioned entrepreneurs have teamed up with J&D’s Foods to create a little something they’re calling baconlube—the world’s first bacon-flavored, water-based, American-made, personal lubricant.

Billing itself as the “gold standard of meat-flavored massage oils” (natch) baconlube, they say, is like the McRib of sex: it’s delicious, makes men crazy, is here for a limited time, and is in short supply.

If you’re thinking “stocking stuffer!” (let’s stay on track here), we’re right behind you. But the boys only made 3,000 bottles of this pork-flavored nectar. It hit the interwebs yesterday at www.baconlube.com. How much, you ask, for a product that promises such a satisfying holiday season? Only $11.99.

you know you want more. jump for it…Still on the fence? Here’s a little rationalization.

FACT – People are passionate about bacon.  According to a recent survey of Canadians by Maple Leaf Foods, Canada’s market leader in the bacon category, when asked to choose between bacon and sex, more than four in 10 (43%) chose bacon.  Thanks to baconlube, Canadians will never have to choose between two of life’s greatest pleasures again.  So you’re welcome Canada, you’re welcome – we’ve got your back.

Need I mention, we’ve requested a sample?

I’ll admit, it’s been a while since my high school Spanish class, but I’m pretty sure “Empa Mundo” translates loosely to either “world of empanadas” or “empanadas-so good-they’ll-melt-yourface-off.”  Although this humble establishment may be a bit off the beaten path, this is one path is filled with richly rewards for those willing to traverse it.

Owner Raul Gordon is a man who understands one simple culinary concept: if you are going to do only one thing, then do it well.  And when it comes to empanadas, Raul does his job superbly. His quiet dedication to the empanada has produced a nearly perfect little pocket of love.

Every empanada is hand-made to order and fried to order right before your eager eyes.  The crispy exterior shell is light and flaky, never too oily, and creates a perfect vessel for each of the tantalizing fillings awaiting you inside.

There’s more…

Drool-inducing flavors include the criolla (beef or chicken, onions, raisins, and eggs); spinach (with ricotta and parmesean cheeses); Texas brisket (with potato and chiles); and chilipanzingas (with ham and cheese).  Each is accompanied by the herbaceous house-made chimichurri. Believe me, you will be drinking this stuff with a straw after a few tastes.

If Hugh Hefner wasn’t such a senile old coot and had a little more sense, he would stop selling magazines full of silicone-enhanced naked women and throw in a few centerfolds of these empanadas.  He would have a copy hidden under every foodie’s mattress in America.

Don’t be fooled by the strip mall facade, what lies within the doors of Empa Mundo is nothing short of a culinary gold mine. Go eat this now.

3977 North Belt Line Road
Irving, TX 75038
(972) 746-4516

Before you tell me to put a macaron in it, please allow me to introduce you to the very cupcake that I think might be over the edge: Trailercakes.

Jump for the rest of the glory.

On Friday I was gifted a dozen and quickly shuffled them to the office for an official taste test. We tried Hitched (white cake/white icing), RV (red velvet with just the right hint of cream cheese in the frosting), OMG (chocolate cake topped with chocolate ganache with little “sparks” of chocolate in the cake), 24 Carrot (both disappeared before I got a bite), Strawberry Fields (real strawberries in the frosting, topped with a little heart cut from a Pop-Tart), and PB&J (the smell of which had us drooling even before we opened the box). The vote was unanimous.

Here’s just a sampling of what our tasters, which numbered about 10, had to say:

“This might be my favorite thing in the world.”

“This icing is unreal.”

“It’s like the most awesome peanut butter and jelly sandwich ever.”

“Holy  moly! That’s the best cupcake I’ve ever had anywhere.”

“My! Oh! I like it! What’s happening to me!?!”

If that doesn’t make my point, I don’t know what will.

The brains behind these incredible baked goods are Leora Lesh and Heather Zidell. They both have day jobs (real estate and internet sales, respectively), and they share a passion for cupcakes. Between deals they’re baking in a commercial kitchen in Richardson. Right now, the cupcakes are available only for delivery in orders of three dozen or more. And in a matter of weeks they’ll be making those deliveries in a shiny refurbished Airstream named Bubbles. Won’t that be fun?

"Wish Kid" Sarah

On Oct. 23, to celebrate the opening of their new Addison location, Tiff’s Treats will partner with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to raise funds for local “Wish Kid” Sarah, a 7-year-old battling leukemia. During the event, Tiff’s Treats will sell boxes of one dozen cookies for only $3. Proceeds from the sales will go to help make Sarah’s dream trip to Disney World a reality.

Come by to lend your support and check out Tiff’s Treats new location.

Helado de Elote (Corn)

He specializes in the food of Italy, a country that pioneered ice cream as we know it. However, in the event chef David Uygur decides not to make his own ice cream at Lucia, he might want to source it from just a few blocks away at Paletas Fruititas on Jefferson in Oak Cliff. Two of the many interesting flavors are shown here.

Mango with Chile

Cristiana Ginatta with a fresh batch of gelato.

As I sat in my car outside the Paciugo Gelato corporate headquarters waiting for my digital clock to read 10:20 (I had wildly overestimated my morning commute), I applied some Burt’s Bees, went over my interview questions, and made a wish on a rogue eyelash.  Prepped and ready, I entered the building where a perky and animated Cristiana Ginatta, co-owner and founder of Paciugo, greeted me. After handing me a hairnet (if only I were kidding), she guided me into the gloriously scented kitchen and began to discuss her family history.

Growing up in northern Italy, Ginatta adopted a love of gelato from her grandfather who ran a “neighborhood cafeteria,” Bar Acerbi, in Lodi. It was from him that she mastered her first six flavors: chocolate, hazelnut, lemon and strawberry sorbets, coffee, and fiordilatte (a vanilla-ish flavor), which sparked a passion that would eventually leap the Atlantic Ocean. After attending school in Italy and meeting her husband and fellow co-owner, Ugo, she moved to Dallas in April of 2000. By September, the first Paciugo opened its doors on Lovers Lane.

And before you ask, no, opening a gelateria in five months is not an easy task. There was a scouting trip in February to find a potential storefront, meetings with attorneys to acquire E-2 visas, and the constant battle of convincing a landlord that a couple with no credit history who could barely speak English (well, Ugo could but with a heavy Italian accent) would make a successful business out of gelato. Even after they found a willing landlord, the obstacles kept piling up. The rent was expensive, the parking was limited, and a truck strike in Italy delayed the arrival of their equipment. However on September 9, they were ready for business.

Although her recipe book had expanded to around 80 flavors, Ginatta jokingly admits how bewildered she felt when some of her initial customers would come in asking for Rocky Road or pumpkin pie flavors. But it’s due to this inspiration from customers that Ginatta’s creativity and innovation have flourished.

Now with 44 stores nationwide, a handful in Mexico, and a few more on their way (Mall of America, get pumped), Ginatta continues to expand her sweet repertoire, which totals about 330 flavors. In fact, she’s currently trying to master a new flavor, spicy avocado, which will eventually be paired with tortilla chips. Being the fearless intern that I am, I tried this frozen treat and can firmly say that it tastes remarkably like avocadoes.

Beyond testing new flavors, the Paciugo factory is in full swing preparing for the chain’s 10^th anniversary. This month visitors can expect the following celebratory events:

1. At the beginning of the month, Paciugo launched its Passaporto campaign, in which willing customers are given a mock passport and charged with the task of accomplishing 12 activities in order to receive a free medio Paciugo pack, which contains four flavors of gelato and generally serves up to 10 people. After completing an activity, which ranges from busting a move on your way to the cashier to wearing mismatched socks, guests will receive a stamp and be one step closer to the desired complimentary pack.
2. On September 30, as a way to thank their customers for the past 10 years, Paciugo will be announcing National Gelato Day. (Though not an official holiday, Ginatta is hopeful it will one day become one. She says Ronald Reagan was able to establish July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day. So why not National Gelato Day?) On this groundbreaking day, guests will be treated to one free scoop of two signature flavors: Amarena Black Cherry Swirl or Mediterranean Sea Salt Caramel.

So grab a spoon and your mismatched socks and head over to any of the 16 North Texas locations. I’ll see you there. –Taylor Walker

Big Balls.

Tonight is Thursday night and almost time for one of the most mind-numbing single hours of television experience.  Families used to gather around the TV for Bonanza.  Now we snuggle up for Wipeout.  Admit it.  You love it or you know someone who loves it.

So help out a snack-challenged family.  I’m tired of microwaved popcorn stinking up the house. Give me snack ideas for guilty TV pleasures that don’t require Kent Rathbun skills.

And PS: Don’t you really, really want to try, just once, your shot at the Big Balls?  Come on, tell me.

You may know him from his comments as Dallas Dude, but Steven Doyle is a real person — one who, in his job in high-tech sales, does a lot of driving around the DFW. As he does so, he keeps an eye open for great-looking spots to eat. I’m pleased to tell you that Steven will be joining us as a community blogger… Steven Doyle loves Indian, Chinese, “other ethnic cuisines,” and taqueries; his favorite restaurants include La Calle Dolce, York Street and Kalachandji’s Palace and Restaurant.

A few minutes later I  discover a City of Ate post written on January 4 by Mr. Dave “Fairies” Faries. Mr. F announces the new line-up for City of Ate 2010 which includes this:

On Thursday, newcomer Steve Doyle pits one restaurant against another in Toque To Toque. It’s a dish against dish battle for supremacy.

I’m confused. Is Dallas Dude a real person or is Steve Doyle a real person? Is the City of Ate Steve Doyle the same as the Eatsblog Steven Doyle? Do both Doyles love Kalachandji’s?  Dallas Dude, (I know you’re there), what’s going on? How can you be two places at once when you’re not anywhere at all?

New holiday whoopie pies at Society Bakery.

Last week, Nancy told us about whoopie pies at Tart Bakery and and Maple & Motor Burgers and Beer. One more, and whoopies were a trend, she said. Well, here’s our third: Society Bakery is selling them, and they brought us some to try. In the box: chocolate mint (gourmet Thin Mint, they say), brown sugar, bread pudding, and spice. The pies are saucer-sized and make a great cupcake alternative, IMO. My favorite was the brown sugar. Loved the maple whoopie filling, which is like vanilla frosting but much less sweet. The cake-to-frosting ratio will also likely be appealing to pepole who get overwhelmed with mile-high frosted cupcakes.

If these look good to you and you want a sample, stop by Society tomorrow night from 6–8 for their joint open house with the Corner Market. They will be giving away samples of these new flavors as well as some of their other goodies.

Pinkberry owner Adam Saxton smiles pretty and eats yogurt.

Last night was the grand opening party of Pinkberry Dallas, the frozen yogurt store that started the tart frozen yogurt craze in 2005. Back then, you couldn’t open up an In Touch without seeing a photo of Leo DiCaprio or Lindsay Lohan chowing down on the stuff, and rumor had it that lines were so long you had to wait an hour for a taste of the Swirly Goodness (not our term: that’s what Pinkberry press release calls it). We didn’t see any celebs last night (does Lucy Wrubel count?), but there was a searchlight, and there was a line out the door for the yogurt, so there. Our location, at Preston and Royal next to Barnes and Noble and the Merge clothing store, is the first in the U.S. outside of New York and California. The party was also the debut of Chocolate Pinkberry, and for now, we’re the only city that has it (woot!). It was explained to me that the chocolate comes from Mexico and is very expensive, because it’s tough to find chocolate that would mix with their yogurt and taste good. I thought the chocolate flavor was fine, but I like Pinkberry (and others like it) because of the tang, and chocolate doesn’t have it. I’m sticking with the original. Jump for photos and more info.

According to Pinkberry peeps, the store is going to shine above the rest of the frozen yogurt places we already have because they make their yogurt every day in-house using local ingredients when possible. The fruit for the toppings is fresh every 24 hours, etc. Franchise owner (and SideDish lover) Adam Saxton said the deal was about a year in the making. He also told us about all the toppings, which include gluten-free brownies, coconut macaroons (yes please), organic gummy bears, all kinds of fruit, and a few cereals. Original, pomegranate, coconut, passionfruit, green tea, and chocolate flavors will be for sale.

Chocolate Pinkberrry makes its debut.

The party in full swing at the Merge boutique next door to the store.

Inside Pinkberry.

Pinkberry is open from 10am–11 pm every day. A small yogurt without topping costs $2.75 and a small yogurt with topping is $3.95, which is less than I usually spend at Yogilicious/Yumilicious when I’m free to go crazy and add six different kinds of cereal. If you’ve sampled the rest of the yogurt in town you should definitely try Pinkberry–they were the first ones doing this in the states and many companies have totally copied their interior design, topping choices, etc. It almost feels a little late in the game for a new yogurt store to open, but judging from the looks of things last night, people are still really excited about yogurt. Go try it and let us know what you think.

While the overall trend in dining today is to eat sloooowly, the Gen Y’ers I know are more content to snack quickly. What happened to the good old days of turning on The Thorn Birds (before you knew Richard Chamberlain was gay), grabbing a spoon and a half gallon of ice cream, and eating the whole thing? Once, after I got turned down for what I thought was my dream job, I went back to my apartment, made a three-layer German chocolate cake, and ate every last crumb. Did I feel better? You betcha.

What is comfort food? At home it is one thing, but now restaurants are trying to comfort us in public. Take Kent Rathbun. (beat, beat…) He has gourmet comfort food. He isn’t alone; there are lots of folks making their mortgage payments by selling upscale mac and cheese. Isn’t gourmet comfort food an oxymoron? If you agree, then WTF is healthy comfort food? A lie? You betcha.

I was curious to see if there were any distinctive differences between generations when it came to constant cravings. I didn’t have to Google far to find this little salty tidbit. Jump with me.The following is copied and pasted from the “Generational Comfort Foods” trend mapping report from the Center for Culinary Development (CCD) and Packaged Facts. (I am not making that up. Someone got paid a lot of money to come up with that. Packaged Facts is going to be the title  of my autobiography.) And here they are:

CCD’s national online survey on the topic (3,700 respondents) found that sweets dominate category choices regardless of age. Nearly half (46%) of men and women across the Boomer, Gen X and Gen Y segments say they turn to baked goods, sweets and desserts for comfort, versus 19% who cite entrées, 14% salty snacks, 13% side dishes, and 4% breakfast foods.
Women favor sweets even more than men (51% of women cite sweets as comfort food, versus 36% of men). Among respondents who cite sweets, 26% chose ice cream as their top comfort food, 23% chocolate and 21% brownies.
Within entrées, roasted meats are the top choice across generations; within side dishes, macaroni and cheese and potatoes are nearly tied in popularity; and within salty snacks, chips rule (cited by 60% of total respondents, followed by popcorn and cheese, at 10% and 8%, respectively).
Cheese — either by itself or with a bread or starchy food — seems to elicit the most “passionate” response across generations, but with generational nuances (Boomers citing artisan cheeses versus Gen X’s cheese crackers, for example).

The research also identified top trends in comfort foods, including:

* Breakfast for dessert. Gen Y pastry chefs and a desire to start the day with a “protein burst” are driving this just-emerging trend. Boxed cereals, already found in snack bars and frozen yogurt shops, are now turning up in desserts, along with desserts such as “glamorized” versions of French toast, waffles and doughnuts.
* Madeover meatloaf. Regional restaurants, nouveau diners and sandwich shops are featuring meatloaf offerings with fuller flavors and natural or leaner meat blends. Boomers like the healthier versions of this nostalgic favorite, while Gen Y is drawn to bolder taste variations.
* Artisan pies. The pies now seen in specialty cafes and fine restaurants reflect the “artisan sprit” of inspired pastry chefs and are not only fresh and “home made,” but “full of good things,” CCD reports.
* Pho/Vietnamese beef noodle soup. First spotted as an emerging trend in 2005, this soup’s popularity has now spread, particularly among ethnically diverse Gen Y consumers. In addition to small shops and Vietnamese restaurant chains, it can now be found in mainstream soup restaurants and Pan-Asian noodle houses. The appeal: flavors that translate well to American tastes, combined with “infinite customizability” via fresh garnishes like sprouts, herbs and condiments.
* Asian curries. Very big among Gen Y and also popular as one-pot dishes among Gen Xers who are cooking meals for growing families. CPGs are beginning to offer curries with new simmer sauces and curry meal kits and frozen entrées.
* “New” casseroles replacing processed ingredients with fresh ingredients, including vegetables and “contemporary” proteins such as turkey, crab and shrimp.
* Mac ‘n cheeses featuring natural and organic ingredients and other flavor twists.

Hmm, is this interesting? Not really, but it is a nice primer to get you in the mood to tell me your guiltiest pleasure(s). When you are down and troubled and need a helping hand, what do you want in that helping hand? Lines are open 24/7. Dish it.

When I lived in Spain, my favorite breakfast was Pan con Tomate. (In the north it is referred to as Pan a la Catalana.) I’ve eaten versions here in Dallas at Cava where it is served as part of an appetizer combo and at Chic from Barcelona where the tomato mixture is piled on top of grilled vegetables. But I prefer to make the easy breakfast version at home. Jump for the recipe.

Cut a rustic baguette or any type of thick bread like ciabatta in half.
Toast until crisp.
Take one or two ripe tomatoes (I’ve found that plum tomatoes work best because they have fewer seeds) and cut in half. Rub on a cheese grater into a bowl.
Spoon mixture onto bread, drizzle with a good quality EVOO (Catalonian is best) and top with a sprinkle of salt.
In Catalonia and at Chic from Barcelona,they rub the bread with tomatoes and garlic first. If you want to add protein consider serrano ham and/or Spanish goat cheese.