February 2012

These fragrant black beans are a good change from the tomato-based bean dishes. Serve them over hot rice or wrap them up in a burrito. Or remove all the bay leaves, then whirl some beans and broth in a blender or food processor to make black-bean soup.

2 pounds dried black beans
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt
7 bay leaves
12 cups water
7 cloves garlic, diced
2 1/2 large onions, chopped
2 1/2 large green peppers, chopped
1 1/4 teaspoon dried chipotle or cayenne powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon crushed, dried oregano

Clean the beans. If you want to, soak beans for 6 to 10 hours.

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Making your own salad dressing is a quick way to up the goodness of a meal. You'll get more flavor than with bottled dressings, with no artificial flavors, emulsifiers, or preservatives. Use local honey to support your community beekeepers.

1/4 cup prepared mustard, such as Whole Food Market's 365 Organic German Mustard
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, such as Spectrum Natural's Organic Unpasturized Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons honey

Mix all ingredients in a small glass jar or other non-reactive container. (Vinegar reacts with aluminum, cast iron and copper, giving the dressing an unpleasant metal taste.) Stir or shake to mix.

Refrigerate any extra. This dressing keeps for weeks.

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Local teens can enjoy an afternoon of free food, fun and time with friends at Teen Day Fuquay, May 5, at the Fuquay-Varina Community Center from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Teen Day is organized by the Fuquay-Varina Police Department. In addition to activities like a rock wall, Iron Man obstacle course, music by Flowers for Faye, prizes and other free entertainment, the event emphasizes the perils of drunk and distracted driving.

Teens can attempt to drive a pedal kart wearing “drunk goggles,” or drive in a DWI simulator, helping them learn the effects of alcohol in a safe environment. A Seat Belt Convincer demonstrates the importance of seat belts by simulating a low-speed collision. A texting obstacle course shows the dangers of texting while driving.

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The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern North Carolina has granted more than 2,300 wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions since it was founded in 1986.

To further that mission, the organization will host its Walk for Wishes on Sunday, March 25. Five cities across the Eastern region of North Carolina will hold 5K walks to raise funds that will help area children’s wishes come true.

The Raleigh-area walk will be held at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre. Fayetteville, Greenville, Morehead City and Wilmington will also host events.

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For our March/April issue, we’re celebrating all things edible — and drinkable.

We asked some local restaurants to show off their favorite Signature Cocktails. Read in-depth descriptions of four of the best — and don’t miss online extra photos and descriptions for some of the other top drinks. 

You can even swipe Lucky 32’s Bloody Mary Mix recipe! 

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Welcome to March — we’re one step closer to all-out springtime!

Celebrate by stepping out to enjoy these local entertainment options. From songs to storytelling, music to magic, the fun lasts all month long.

Broadway Voices
This Saturday night! Don’t miss your chance to hear Broadway’s beloved Susan Egan, star of Beauty and the Beast, Cabaret, and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

A regular on the stages of Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, Egan appears in Garner for one night only, as the second show in the award-winning Broadway Voices concert series.

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Family, fashion and food aren’t distractions from work for the 2012 Business Icons — they are work. These Triangle business owners started solo, growing their ventures from idea through expansion by doing what they love.

Uncover their keys to success in the following stories.
 

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30 ounces V8 juice
2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
4 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon parsley flakes

Mix all ingredients well in a blender or by hand with wire whisk.

Makes 1 quart

Disclaimer: All our recipes were originally designed for much larger batch size. This recipe has been reduced, but not tested at this scale. Please adjust as to your taste and portion size.

©1989-2011
This recipe is property of Quaintance-Weaver Inc. Unauthorized commercial use is forbidden.
 

Red lentils are the fast food of the legume world. This stew takes only 20 minutes to make, not hours like other bean stews. Enjoy asparagus flavor in every bite by cooking the lentils in an asparagus tea made from the woody stems. It’s a great choice when you're eager to get outside to enjoy the spring weather or on any busy day.

1 clove garlic
4 ounces asparagus
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup red lentils (3 ounces)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 red or yellow onion
2 new potatoes (8 ounces)

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Hot-Milk Cake

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar 
1 cup all-purpose flour or white whole-wheat flour 
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
shortening or butter and flour for greasing and flouring the pan

Preheat oven to 375 F. Microwave milk until it begins to steam, about a minute and a half. Add butter and allow to melt. Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan or a muffin tin that holds a dozen muffins.

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Lighter than traditional potato salad, this recipe is healthier and more colorful too. With no mayonnaise to weigh it down, it's also safe to pack for lunch. Serve as is or on top of shredded lettuce.

2 sweet potatoes, about 1 pound, 7 ounces
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 green onions
1 bell pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil or corn oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon chipotle hot sauce (optional)

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Put in medium pot with water and salt, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are fork-tender but still hold their shape, about 4 minutes.

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Rex Healthcare has served the Triangle for more than 100 years. Its full-service Raleigh hospital, with more than 650 beds, anchors the Rex family with a 24-hour emergency department, birth center, gym and surgical facilities, among many others.

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Cary Magazine staff celebrated with the 2012 Best of Western
Wake winners on February 2.

Winners convened at the Mellow Mushroom in Cary, which itself
took three Maggy Awards, to celebrate their own wins and meet other
honorees. A raffle of items from winners and other local businesses
benefitted the SPCA of Wake County, winner of Best Charity.

More than 100 winners and supporters joined Cary Magazine staff to celebrate.

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Garner Rallies for Relay

When your life knocks you down … stand back up and make a difference.

In 1998, in her 20s, Jill Wanchock Cottengim was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The Garner Magnet High School teacher was thrust into a “surreal” world of chemotherapy and radiation treatments to fight the cancer, while she continued lessons in the classroom.

But during her treatment, she responded to a notice regarding Relay for Life, the signature fundraising event of the American Cancer Society.

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A wall of smiling faces welcomes you to Fuji Japanese Steakhouse — photos of people you may know, a community of diners.

While you’re here, you’re not a customer; you’re a guest, in the “home” of second-generation chef David Chen, and something for everyone is the goal, from menu to amenities.

“The atmosphere is family friendly, with a community feel,” said Chen, who opened the Garner restaurant last summer. It offers seating for 280 diners, hibachi-side, at the sushi bar, and at booths and tables.

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Ever pick up something new and feel like you’re trying to read Greek?

In the case of a sushi menu, it’s Japanese, but the experience can be just as confusing. What’s the difference between sashimi, maki and nigiri? And how are you supposed to eat this stuff, anyway?

Sushi-Thai Cary, a “best of both worlds” Thai and Japanese cuisine authority for nearly 14 years, gave us a crash course in the oft-feared food.

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An ever-intensifying buzz has reached fever pitch over Little Hen, an upscale farm-to-table restaurant in Holly Springs that has been in the works since last summer. At the time this article went to press, husband-and-wife duo Regan and Dawn Stachler were just a few days away from debuting their eatery to eager locavores.

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Kelly Shatat thinks she has finally found her passion in life as the owner of Moon and Lola, a jewelry studio based in downtown Apex. Just a few years ago, she was living a totally different life as a pharmacist. Although she enjoyed it, it was too serious of a profession. “People aren’t exactly excited when they come to pick up their medicine,” she said. Still, she never intended to do anything else — until that something else fell into her lap.

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Bob Smith, CPA, knows the key factor in life’s equation: family.

“Among my eight siblings … everybody is in the health care field. I was the numbers guy, so I went into hospital administration,” said Smith, 55. “I enjoyed it thoroughly. But ever since my wife, Sharon, and I married and had our boys, my dream was to build a business we could all participate in.”

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Start with a solid business plan. Gain experience in a successful restaurant. Make sure you are well-funded. These are the keys to success for aspiring restaurateurs according to Dean Ogan — rules that he has followed through his career in the restaurant industry.

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After 15 years of living with “late ’80s builder grade” Terri Zacco was ready for an update. An unused formal dining room, cramped entryway and outdated kitchen made way for practical and pretty spaces that serve her family’s needs much better. Overwhelmed by the scope of an entire first floor remodel, Zacco sought help from Designer Brittany Ruch of Design Lines to achieve a look that marries form and function.

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The days of the cosmopolitan are numbered. Restaurants around Western Wake are mixing up new cocktails with boutique liquors, fresh ingredients and a splash of creativity. Whether you prefer something fruity for a warm evening or something sweet to end a meal, local chefs and bartenders are reinventing classic recipes and adding their own personality to bring you signature cocktails that are as unique as they are delicious.

The work’s been tedious and the hours long, but we’ve found a selection of drinks that will impress you with their presentation and flavor. Now … who’s thirsty?

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Blue skies and sunshine make us feel festive, as evidenced by the number of community celebrations taking place locally this spring. From annual favorites to all-new fetes, they offer family fun from Easter eggs to arts, chili to wine and wildlife.

CHILIBREWFEST
Consider yourself a connoisseur? This fest could be for you.

Spice up your spring at Cary’s first Pepper’s Chilibrewfest with the chance to taste more than 75 craft beers, 10 types of chili, specialty cheeses and an array of hot sauces.

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FEELING THE BURN

If Gregory Ng ever finds himself on Jeopardy, his first personal anecdote will be he’s crazy about Legos.

His second will be that he’s the founder and sole employee of Freezer Burns, a video-based blog that garners 200,000 views per episode.

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About five years ago, Linda Watson hit the aisles at Harris Teeter with $42 in her pocket for the week to feed herself and her husband, Bruce. She wasn’t cash strapped, but rather trying to prove it’s possible to eat fruit, vegetables and otherwise healthy foods on a shoestring budget.

“I experienced a bit of cart rage,” she said, grappling with prices for two hours, realizing that the quest wasn’t going to be easy.

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Prime planting time for spring lettuce runs from March into early April, and it is also when gardeners tend to spread two misconceptions about this tasty, leafy vegetable: (1) Real lettuce is round and green, and (2) it is always planted in the veggie patch.

The familiar, rounded crisphead (also called iceberg) lettuce can be grown in area gardens, but why not go with a lettuce that is easier to grow and faster to mature that also and has more vitamins and better flavor? Try loose leaf lettuce.

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Anna's Angels hopes to reach $1 million in funds raised for Down Syndrome research overall in 2012.

The organization and its supporters will convene at Prestonwood Country Club for a night of dinner, dancing, auctions and more at the ninth annual Anna's Angels Gala on March 10 from 6 p.m. to midnight.

Broadway composer David Friedman will perform his song “Anything is Possible.” The song was written for a young adult with Down syndrome, who will also attend the gala.

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How do you build a Walkway of Honor? Brick by brick. And you are invited to take part.

The Garner Veterans Memorial Committee gathered on Tuesday at Lake Benson Park, site of the soon-to-be constructed Garner Veterans Memorial, to announce the opening of brick sales for an accompanying walkway.

Everyone is welcome to purchase bricks to honor or memorialize friends or loved ones who have served, or are serving, in our nation’s military.

“This is once in a lifetime — I never thought I would get to be part of something like this,” said veteran Terry Chatfield of Garner’s American Legion Post 232. “Now, even when I’m no longer around, the memorial will always be here. Truthfully, I feel so proud.”

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If you never got to see Michael Jackson in concert, here’s your chance.

The new Cirque du Soleil show celebrating Michael’s life and music, Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, will be playing at the RBC Center in Raleigh on March 10 and 11.

The show promises to be an amazing experience for lifelong fans of the King of Pop and for those who are just learning about his legacy.

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We meet a lot of amazing and inspiring people in producing Cary Magazine. Many of their stories are told in our pages, but others stay behind the scenes. So we developed the Inside CM profile series to share even more about the great people of Western Wake.

Gretta Handley volunteered to model for Cary Magazine, not knowing what her assignment would be. We asked her to model wedding gowns for our Wedding Whites story (you might recognize her from this month’s cover).

While working with her, we found out she has a pretty exciting wedding story of her own — one not many of us can top!

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If you’re reading this e-newsletter, odds are you’re at least a little tech-savvy — but should that extend to your wedding? Should all your friends be allowed to bring a date? Is there any tactful way to request gifts of cash? See what industry experts have to say in our Etiquette Update.

No matter the location, date or theme of a wedding, the dress is a big deal. Will the bride choose edgy or classic? Stark white or off-white? Strapless? Sleeved? Belted?

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Blend the intricate rhythms and harmonies of native South African music with the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel, and you get Ladysmith Black Mambazo, performing at The Clayton Center on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m.

Best-known for defining the sound on Paul Simon’s groundbreaking Graceland album, Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s musical efforts have earned many accolades within the recording industry.

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We meet a lot of amazing and inspiring people in producing Cary Magazine. Many of their stories are told in our pages, but others stay behind the scenes. So we developed the Inside CM profile series to share even more about the great people of Western Wake.

We met Jennie Patrick for the first time when she volunteered to work as one of the models for our Wild Elegance fashion photo shoot.

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If you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day in North Carolina, why not celebrate with North Carolina?

The Produce Lady, a program that advocates bolsering the state economy by purchasing locally grown foods, has collected a list of treats from right here at home that will make your Valentine smile — and feel a lot more personal than a drugstore box of chocolates.

“There’s a common misconception that local foods — particularly fruits and vegetables — are not available during the winter, especially here in North Carolina,” says The Produce Lady co-director Leah Chester-Davis. “In reality, several farmers markets are open through the winter months, and local foods are available year-round.”

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Do something different this Valentine’s Day!

Get creative with all-local outings this week, from music to martial arts to hoops with Scotty. We’ve also got a few special treats just for you.

Then, whether you wear jewels or jeans, this Valentine’s Day will be one you and your sweetie both remember.

Here are ideas to get you started — just click for details:

Romantic Fantasies, Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m.
The Clayton Piano Festival kicks off its first season with this concert featuring Schumann’s oh-so-passionate Fantasy in C Major and other works by Chopin and Liszt, performed by Jonathan Levin.

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You’ve finally decided when and where your wedding will take place. Now the question remains, how will you decorate? Are you more of a traditionalist, or are you open to trying a few new wedding trends? Then there’s the issue of wedding favors. Should you choose something sentimental, creative or funny? The possibilities are endless!

We talked to a couple of local wedding planners, who offered their insight on wedding décor and favors to help make the process easier for brides-to-be like you.

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On the day you’ve dreamed of all your life, make a statement. Do you want to feel like a princess in a classic ball gown, or would you rather let your inner wild child peek out with black-on-white accents or funky accessories?

Emily Cox, at Traditions by anna bridal boutique at North Hills, chimed in on the rising trends for the upcoming wedding season.

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North Carolina is among the fastest growing states in the nation, but Holly Springs can beat that: This town’s population has grown from 908 people to some 26,000 since 1990.

A blend of new Southern elegance and aged picket fences, Holly Springs has a culturally diverse population drawn by high-tech jobs at the Novartis pharmaceutical firm here, or at companies in nearby Research Triangle Park.

Jim and Holly Evans and their children are among these career-related newcomers, arriving from Tallahassee, Fla., last summer. They’ve fallen in love with their new community.

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RED, we said.

After all, it's February - the season of love!

You'll love these red-hot style recommendations to boost your look from head to toe for Valentine's Day or any other.

Oval Slide, $98, on 16-inch chain, $64. Anfesa's Jewelers

Dolce & Ganna Red, $330; Ray-Ban Wayfarer polarized sunglasses from the Rare Print Special Series line, $170. Both courtesy of Oasis Eye Care.

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