God Bless America

I am usually the type to laud the merits of things locally produced, organic and whole wheat. But sometimes one gets sick of this sort of politically sensitive ingestion and craves things bleached, colored and lacking in nutritional value. So it was that yesterday morning I, feeling gustatorially irreverent, ate a grilled egg sandwich with bacon and American Cheese on White. Genius.

Seriously though, when was the last time that you, a food snob, indulged in something a little bit plebeian for breakfast? Screw the granola made with unrefined sugar and no trans-fat, ditch the rBGH free yogurt and grab yourself an American classic. Cap'n Crunch, Pop Tarts, Wonder Bread and Welches grape jelly--they are all pleading for you to jump off the high horse and take a trip down memory lane. And I promise, if you throw aside your preconceived expectations, you will, as I was yesterday, be thoroughly pleased with your choice.

For a dining experience that serves up all things Bisquick with a side of chintz, be sure to hit up the Italian Villa.

Distant Future

Imagine: What would your life be like if you couldn't easily order some pizza?

This has nothing to do with Charlottesville. But it does have something to do with food and just how dire our lives would be without it...

Set to the wailings of Sigur Ros, my dear friend Alex and his pal Sebastian have painted a stark picture of the future of home delivery. This film won the UChicago 48 hour Film festival. Way to go boys.

POTLUCK

I delayed this post in the hopes of acquiring some digital images to post alongside. Alas, a) I was too lazy to ask people with cameras to send me stuff and b) no one posted any on facebook. So, you will have to survive without visual representation and rely solely on my prose.

SO! As I mentioned before, I attended a potluck this past weekend and it was everything one hopes a potluck will be--copious amounts of food, good people, cheap beer, and an impromptu dance party to top it all off. For my contribution, i set off in an attempt to recreate the DELICIOUS Korma I ate with Mundy at Royal Indian Restaurant (3450 Seminole Trail) last week. However, I ended up printing off the wrong recipe, and made chicken Masala instead. My expectations were a little deflated because the Masala used Yogurt in place of cream and the dish lacked the sweetness that had been so satisfying in the Royal Indian version. (Also, because I hadn't felt like spending money on ghee (clarified butter) and used vegetable oil instead, the flavor enhancing qualities of butter were lacking.) Nevertheless, I started to feel better when, to go alongside, I whipped up a batch of Jasmine Basmati rice, the smell of which rivaled that of the curry in terms of olfactory pleasingness. Turmeric, garlic, cloves, cardamom, ginger, and fennel ain't got nothing on white rice and jasmine.

Feeling satisfactorily confident in my dish, I awkwardly carted the giant pot full of curry three blocks to my car and strapped it into the front seat. When I finally made it to the third floor apartment to which i was headed, my glasses fogged with the steam of thirty friends and their thirty dishes crammed into a small room. After finding a spot to dump my pot and taking a chance to survey my surroundings, I saw that the contributions included a stick-to-your-ribs-sorta-comforting chicken, pea and pasta casserole, spicy gazpacho; a salad or two; Kyle's signature meatiferous lasagna and plates upon plates of rice krispy treats with M&Ms. We ate, we laughed, and eventually we danced. It was, in a word, awesome.

The Hungarian Walnut Torte Takes the Cake

Howdy y'all. I'm sitting in the alcove of the Tea Bazaar sharing a pot of Cocoa Rooibus and alternating forkfuls of orange poppyseed and double chocolate layer cakes. The wireless network making this post possible is called "The Crystal Passage" (enough said.) The lovely Ms. Steph Salter is sitting to my left and perusing internet job listings.

What is notable about this particular Bazaar experience is that it marks the day I have tasted all baked goods offered here. My conclusion? The gluten-free Hungarian Walnut Torte offers the most-scrumptiousest of gustatory possibilities. The cheese cakes and Chocolate-Chocolate cakes are close runners up but what distinguishes the walnut cake from the others is the sheer "wow" power of surprisingly spongey, gluten-free cake layers. I don't know about you all, but the last time I made a gluten (the protein that creates elasticity and allows a cake to rise without falling)-free cake, it came out of the oven looking less enticing than a hockey puck and completely lacking in fluff. In short, when layered with marmalade and covered in chocolate ganache, this cake wins the taste and texture award.

Welcome to The Sliv

Welcome to The Sliv: A Blog About Food in Charlottesville.

So, What's a "sliv?" A sliv is what my grandfather is referring to when he, ever so reliably, asks for a second helping of cake or pie at family dinners. This can be endearing and it can also be annoying ("Why did you ask for a small piece to begin with?!?!?") but, irritation aside, the sliv will always remind me of the spirit of communal food preparation and shared experiences with loved ones. So, I chose to call this blog "The Sliv" for a couple of reasons. The first pays homage to the spirit of occasional overindulgence in the things we love--such as a good slice of cake--and the second has to do with my mission for this blog. I want to create a forum where people talk about why its awesome to eat together, what they eat that makes it awesome, and how others might attempt to recreate the magic. Really, I just want to share my love for food--to promote a belief in the power of food and provide a glimpse (a sliver if you will) of the bountiful and sensational opportunities for community dining in Charlottesville.

In the future, I hope to compile lists of community friendly dining experiences, recipes, and ideas for awesome ways to share, buy, and make food. I hope that many a guest writer will contribute his or her delicious, disastrous, luscious and smell-rific shared dining experiences with us!

I'm on my way to a pot-luck dinner. I'll be sure to share what I made with you. Now then, GO EAT people.