Story and photos courtesy of the Inhulsen Family.

Cary, NC – A seventh grader in Cary decided to see how much food he could collect for charity by clipping coupons. Over the course of three months, he spent less than $20 and collected over 1,400 pounds of food.

The Seventh Grader Who Could

Lori Towner, a CaryCitizen reader, sent us this note and pictures of her son Chris Inhulsen’s coupon quest to fight hunger:

Cary seventh grader Chris Inhulsen has been involved in food donation drives in the past but nothing like this one!

Last fall armed with coupons and food drive supplies from ConAgra’s “Schools Fighting Hunger Project,” he and his family approached a number of groups at his middle school but none wanted to take on this food drive. “We can’t just recycle all those coupons,” Chris told his mom. That’s when Chris and his dad started clipping coupons and his mom started scouring grocery store ads.

The family decided to see how much they could donate and how little money they could spend just by using coupons and following sales to make their donation purchases.

On February 4th, the family donated 1,474.5 pounds of food to the Western Wake Crisis Ministry  in Apex, NC. The total money spent by the family was $19.80 for this donation.

On the way home from dropping off the donation, Chris asked, “When are we starting to collect for the next food drive, Mom?”  The family plans on starting another food drive in the fall.

CaryCitizen emailed Lori Towner to double-check those facts and figures. How was it possible to collect 1,474 pounds of food for an expenditure of less than $20?

“Don’t you watch those coupon shows?,” Lori wrote back.  ”It’s all about COUPONS!  Double coupons and sales where we were able to purchase the products and not pay a thing was what made it happen,” she said. “It would have been free but for those 20 boxes of popcorn at .99 each that we purchased.”

We love this kind of story, illustrating one of our community’s signature virtues – giving back. Congratulations to Chris and the entire Inhulsen family on a job well done!

If Chris cranks it up again in the autumn, we’ll be sure to let Cary citizens know how they can help.

Story and photos by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – You know the Cary restaurant scene is coming of age with the introduction of fusion cuisine. Say hello citizens of Cary to KoMo KoMo, a new French-Korean restaurant in Maynard Crossing.

Korean Mosaic

KoMo is shorthand for Korean Mosaic Kitchen, a blending of French and Korean cooking.

Chef Jae has cooked at Veritas, Danube and Palladin in New York and at the Washington Duke Inn here in North Carolina.

Food: Soup For You

Forget Seinfeld: Chef Jae has soup for you.

How about Asparagus Soup w/ Tahitian Vanilla Lobster Cream? Or perhaps Sweet Potato Leek Soup w/Caramelized Apple? Maybe Parsnip Soup w/Black Truffle Cream and Crispy Parsnip Chips?

Chef Jae’s soups are one-of-a-kind and leave guests and other chefs gasping with delight. You certainly won’t find anything like it in the Triangle.

Chef Jae is a soup artist.

Food: Main Courses

Ssam is a traditional Korean dish. It literally means “wrapped.” Diners will find several Ssam dishes on the menu including Smoked Pork Ssam.

If you’re in the mood for something French, try the Bouillabaisse or Crab Lobster Raviloi w/Citrus Beuree Blanc.

Plenty to choose from for meat lovers at KoMo KoMo. Lift a fork for the Pan Seared Rib-Eye w/Sauce Medoc, Rosemary Potato and Watercress.

Food: Desserts

I like a good dessert and KoMo KoMo doesn’t disappoint. The Belgian Chocolate Brownie with Bourbon Caramel Sauce looks almost sinful and the Ginger Lemongrass Crème Brule is a refreshing fusion take on a French classic.

The Room: Cozy and Cosmopolitan

KoMo KoMo has a small footprint, sandwiched between Corner Tavern and Time Warner cable in the Kroger shopping center at the corner of Maynard and High House.

The room has a quiet elegance with Korean and French influences blending harmoniously.

The intimate setting reminds me of visiting Po, Mario Batali’s first restaurant, many years ago with Lindsey Chester. Mario has super-sized his restaurant empire, but the chef-inspired, personal dining experience is still alive at KoMo KoMo in Cary, NC.

KoMo KoMo

KoMo KoMo is open six days a week (closed on Sundays). They serve a delightful tea every afternoon at 2:30 (reservations only).

• Lunch –  Monday – Friday  11 am – 2:30 pm
• Dinner - Monday – Saturday 5:30 pm – 9 pm
• Tea Service (reservation only) - 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm everyday

KoMo KoMo Korean French Kitchen
Maynard Crossing (Kroger shopping center)
1305 NW Maynard Rd
Cary, NC 27513
919-462-3555

More Great Cary Restaurants

See more of our favorite restaurants in and around Cary in the Restaurants category.

Story and photo by Lindsey Chester.

Cary, NC- Narong Sapsuwan, owner of Thai Spices and Sushi, came to Cary and opened his restaurant four years ago, but his journey began long before that.

Journey from Thailand

Narong’s sister had left Bangkok more than twenty years ago to “make her fortune”, and settled in the Berkeley area of California, where she opened her own restaurant, Thai Delight Cuisine. About ten years after that, she asked Narong if he could come to help her. He was married and had 2 children at the time, but made the move with his family to this country and eventually took over her business. He remodeled her restaurant and after 1-1/2 years his business improved about 50%.

He still owns that restaurant with his niece, and his sister still helps out. In fact Narong told me, he will travel to California next week to check up on things.

Choice Between Boulder and Cary

Four years ago, Narong started to think about expanding.   He visited fifteen cities that were listed as top places, finally making a choice between Boulder, Colorado and Cary, NC. When he found his current location at Preston Corners, the deal was sealed.

Narong moved first, renting an apartment adjacent to the shopping center. He left his family behind in California for 2 years, while he got started. He said when he opened in 2008 the economy was very tough to open a new business. He persevered and has survived and now business is picking up.

A Few Favorites

I frequent the restaurant for lunch and often choose a bento box. A Bento Box is a complete lunch, with salad, kimchee, spring roll, rice and a main dish (like House Curry with Chicken) all for under $10. They feature a Massaman curry shipped all the way form Bangkok, as authentic as it gets.

Other favorites include their incredibly fresh sushi. You can see the chef make his creations from most any seat in the house. One of the best are Spider Rolls, (Soft shell crab, asparagus, avocado and masago with spicy mayonnaise)  for just under $10.

Many Thai food lovers will order the Pad Thai, which is another one of our favorites. Their large platter is just under $10 and includes stir-fried thin rice noodles with ground peanuts, tofu, egg, scallions and bean sprouts. You’ll have plenty left to take home to enjoy the next day for lunch!

The staff is always friendly, and the atmosphere inside is an oasis from the usual strip mall box. With private booth and trickling fountain you will think you’ve left Cary. If you are lucky enough to live within 3 miles of the restaurant, they offer free delivery.

Go Local: Thai Sushi & Spices

Thai Spices and Sushi
Preston Corners Shopping Center
986 High House Rd (at Cary Parkway)
Cary, NC

http://thaispicesandsushi.com/

Story by Matt Young. Photo by Felix.

Cary, NC – To those of you who followed the Panthers Beat this year, thanks.  They had a heck of a year.

If you are a football fan, you know that last week was one of the best weekends for NFL football all year – the NFC and AFC Championships.

I can’t think of many things better than being parked on my couch on Sundays in the fall. Unless it’s with a good beer.

So I got to thinking. There are four pretty darn good breweries in those towns. Baltimore, San Francisco, New York, and Boston.

Why not write about those great cities’ great beers?

Playoff Inspired Beers

We’ll start with the AFC and NFC teams that lost. The Ravens and the Niners.

Baltimore. Home of Clipper City Brewery. Makers of Peg Leg Imperial Stout. First, if you don’t mind, always drink a stout in a glass. An oversized wine glass works great.

Here’s what you get with this beer: it looks like coffee, it even has a bit of a coffee aroma. And the intense taste of malt. And chocolate. It sports an average size head that dissipates pretty quickly. As Clipper City says:  it’s “focused on the malt rather than the hops”. And it’s darn good. Peg Leg is 8% alcohol by volume. That’s twice as powerful as that “Natty Light” in your hand.

By the way, dark beers like stout are dark because the barley used in the grist is “kilned” at higher temperatures that your average brew. Often this barley is referred to as “chocolate malt” or “black malt”. Stouts originated in England, as did many styles.

San Francisco. Genuflect. The original craft beer. The venerable Anchor Steam.  And Fritz Maytag, the founder, is one of the most fascinating businessmen ever. ‘Ever hear of Maytag Blue Cheese? That’s Fritz’ brainchild too. He bought the failing brewery in the mid ’60′s, kept it small, and is credited as the “father of microbreweries”.

Anchor Steam is in a beer style known as a “California Common”. It is made with a California-grown proprietary yeast. It has a great head. It’s naturally carbonated, meaning it does not have CO2 forced through it but is carbonated by active yeast cultures in the bottle. Cool.

The flavor, ironically enough, is bready and tangy, like sour dough. Anchor Steam is a rich dark amber color. It’s a great first craft beer for the beer novice to try.  Afterall it is where all the fun began in this country.

It has character, but is not scary to Budheads at all. And it is a tame 4.9% alcohol by volume.

Super Bowl Beers

The Patriots versus the Giants in the Super Bowl.

I chose Harpoon IPA from Harpoon Brewery (self-proclaimed as “New England’s Craft Brewery”) to rep New England. I chose Brooklyn Lager from Brooklyn Brewery as the New York representative.

New England. One of my favorites – Harpoon IPA - is on the low side of hoppiness for an IPA – or “India Pale Ale”. IPA’s are named as such because the beers that were sent from England to India in the 1800′s for the colonists’ use were jam packed with hops. India Pale Ales, as a result, are bitter. The liberal hops usage was to counteract the dilemma of the lack of available refrigeration and take advantage of the preservative qualities of hops. In this case the hops make Harpoon piney, citrus-y and floral (Cascade hops, if you care). It is 5.9% alcohol by volume.

And delicious. I am not lying. Of course, I am an admitted hophead, I even grow hops in my back yard.

New York. A great brewery is New York Brooklyn Brewery. I mean…”fugettaboudit”! Brooklyn also makes a terrific (relatively low-hopped) IPA.

But in this case I chose Brooklyn Lager.

Lager beer is fermented at lower temperatures with a special yeast that gives it its crisp character.

Brooklyn Lager has more character than many lagers. It is almost ale-y – not “thin” like that Miller Beer that you love (and I do too!).  Brooklyn Lager is 5.2% ABV.

Valentine’s Day is the Week After

For you guys or gals that have been watching football every weekend for the past 20 weeks that want to do something special for your other half…the week after Super Bowl Sunday is Valentine’s Day. Here’s a couple quick tips on pairing chocolate and wine.

Porto Rocha is a reasonably priced Port that goes great with milk or dark chocolate. It brings a burst of cherry flavor on your tongue and is mildly sweet. The Porto Rocha Company is 150 years old and grows its grapes from 100-year-old vines.

Port gets its name from Porto, a seaside port city in Portugal in the 1600′s from which Port was exported. By the way, I just used “port” 6 times in one sentence. Port is “fortified wine” - meaning distilled beverages are added to boost its flavor and potency. In this case aguardente (distilled wine or “grape brandy) has been added. The fermentation (yeast conversion of sugar to alcohol) is also stopped earlier in the process than it is in wines, which gives it the sweet Port character. Give it a try. It comes in a great stencil-lettered bottle too.

If you are into white chocolate, give Alma Negra Sparkling Chardonnay a try. Heck, it would go great with milk chocolate and strawberries too. The general rule of thumb is – the darker the chocolate, the more full-bodied the wine that it should be paired with. But rules of thumb were made to be broken. So experiment! If you are going the white chocolate route, sherry is also a traditional choice.

Salut!

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Food coverage on CaryCitizen is sponsored in part by Triangle Wine Company.

Recipe by Chef Alan Panzer from the Kroger store in Apex, NC.

If you are throwing a Super Bowl party this Sunday, be prepared to satisfy your New York Giants fans with a proper snack. You can’t go wrong with hand-rolled, hand-twisted, fresh-baked pretzels — hey, after all, they are a New York tradition — everybody loves ‘em!

These warm, fragrant pretzels served right out of the oven will make your guests reminisce about the times they enjoyed these treats at sports events or just on the streets of Brooklyn, if they have ever had that wonderful opportunity.

Your guests will never be able to “fuh-get about it!”

Chef Al’s New York Style Soft Pretzel Recipe

Ingredients

for approximately 8 pretzels

• 1 ½ cups warm water (about 105 degrees)
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 Teaspoons salt
• 1 Package active dry yeast
• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter
• 1 whole egg, beaten
• 2 Ounces coarse Kosher salt
• Pan spray, as needed

Preparation

You will need a pot of boiling water, with 1 tablespoon baking soda in it, large enough to boil 2-3 pretzels at a time. Also 1 cookie sheet lined with parchment paper on which to bake the pretzels.

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl add the warm water, sugar and salt. Whisk them together to dissolve. Then sprinkle the package of yeast on top. Let stand for a few minutes until the yeast starts to make the solution milky and foamy looking.

2. Add the flour and melted butter. With your hands knead the mixture together to form a dough ball. Remove the dough from the bowl and, working on a floured counter top, knead until smooth and workable. If the dough is really sticky, work a little more flour into it until it is smooth to the touch.

3. Spray a clean bowl with pan spray (Or butter it) and place dough ball in bowl. Spray a little pan spray on top of ball and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside and let the dough double in size. (Approximately 45 min.)

4. Once the dough is ready place on floured countertop and cut strips off. Roll out one at a time to approximately 18 inches long. Make a U shape with the rolled-out strip. Holding each end of the U, cross them over each other, and press onto the bottom of the U in order to make the shape of a pretzel. Pinch to secure the ends.

Cooking the Pretzels

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

6. Place the prepared pretzels into the boiling water 2 or 3 at a time. They will rise to the top in about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spatula and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

7. Brush each pretzel with the beaten egg and sprinkle a little Kosher salt on each. Bake in pre-heated 400 degree oven for 12-15 min. or until golden brown.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with spicy brown mustard or a cheese sauce. Keep some un-salted and brush them with melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!

Watch How It’s Done

Watch this video of Chef Alan rolling the dough Chef Alan rolling the pretzel dough.

Chef Alan Panzer works at the Kroger store in Apex. Kroger, the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer, has 16 stores throughout the Triangle.

Story by Dean Ogan, owner of Rocky Top Hospitality. Photo by Lynn Gardner.

Cary, NC - Old-fashioned New England style clam “chowda” is sure to score with your guests at your Super Bowl Party no matter who wins the game.

Superbowlicious

An American classic that has been around since the mid-18th century, clam chowder should be thick and hearty enough to stick-to-the-ribs, warming you up on a cold winter evening.

Better yet, serve the chowder with smokey grilled BBQ wings for a meal that will satisfy everyone from your daintiest eaters to the biggest and baddest of those manly men gathered and yelling at the top of their lungs around your television screen!

Here are two recipes from my new restaurant in Cary, Rockwell’s American Grill.

Recipe: Rockwell’s New England Clam Chowder

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow onion diced
• ½ bunch celery diced
• ¼ pound bacon chopped
• ½ pound butter
• ½ pound flour
• 1 16 ounce can chopped clams
• 1 gallon milk
• 1T thyme
• 3T Tabasco
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pound diced and cooked potatoes

Directions:

Sweat celery, onions and bacon in butter until bacon is rendered.  Add flour and stir over medium heat to make a roux.  Add milk and clams and bring to a simmer.  Add seasoning, spice and potatoes.

Make it a Meal and add these wings.

Recipe: Rockwell’s Smokey Grilled BBQ wings

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup chopped yellow onion
• 3T chopped Shallots
• 1-1/2 cups red wine vinegar
• ½ cup molasses
• 4 cups ketchup
• 2T paprika
• 2T cayenne pepper
• 2T chili powder
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 cups tomato juice
• 2T liquid smoke
• ¼ cup chipotle peppers
• 2 cups pineapple juice
• 1 cup whiskey

Directions:

Sweat onion and shallot in butter until soft.  Add remaining ingredients.  Puree.  Chill completely. Toss 4 dozen wings lightly in olive oil and salt & pepper and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Toss the wings in the sauce and place on grill until lightly charred.  Toss in sauce again.  Serve.

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Dean Ogan, owner of Rocky Top Hospitality, has opened a new restaurant, Rockwell’s American Grill, at 1080 Darrington Drive in Cary, NC. 

Story and photos by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – Want to liven up the dinner table in your house? Try visiting one of Cary’s fine Asian food markets. Specially for Chinese New Year, here’s a round-up of places to get spring roll wrappers, chow fun noodles, daikon radish and a whole lot more.

Asian Food Markets in (and around) Cary

It is entirely possible that we missed something in compiling our list. If so, please share in the comments (on the website).

Grand Asia Market

Grand Asia is a big, busy Asian supermarket on Buck Jones Road. The address says Raleigh but it might as well be in Cary. It’s on our side of 440.

The list of vegetables alone is impressive – seven kinds of bok choy, chive flowers, winter melon, lotus root and something called eddo. See Grand Asia’s List of Vegetables.

Noodles, sauces, meats, seafood and a marvelous selection of teas are also in abundance. You can get a bite to eat at the Joy Luck Club Cafe.

Grand Asia Market
1253 Buck Jones Rd.
Raleigh, NC 27606

SMart Supermarket

SMart (I never know whether to say “smart” or “s-mart”)  is a large, clean supermarket off Walnut Street in Cary. It carries a wide variety of Asian food products, fresh and packaged, with a special emphasis on Korean food. SMart also has a very tasty cafe.

SMart Supermarket
1000 Ryan Rd
Cary, NC 27511

Triangle Indian Market

Right on East Chatham Street is the Triangle Indian Market. Easy to find in the Chatham Square Shopping Center with an iconic mural on the wall. Fresh and packaged Indian foods from mild to wild are sure to enliven your dinner table conversation. Stop by for a jar of Rogan Josh sauce and use it to simmer pieces of chicken. Serve with Basmati rice.

Triangle Indian Market
740 E Chatham St.
Cary, NC 27511

Toyo Shokuhin

Toyo Shokuhin, also in Chatham Square in Cary, advertises itself as the only Japanese grocery store in the Triangle. You can get sushi supplies, miso, Japanese curries, gifts and other interesting things.

Toyo Shokuhin
748 E Chatham St.
Cary, NC 27511

VGS of Morrisville

VGS is a store-front market on Morrisville-Carpenter Road. Great place to pick up a curry or other South Asian item if you live in the area.

VGS of Morrisville
Morriville Square Shopping Center
128 Morrisville Squareway
Morrisville, NC 27560

Apna Bazar

On Davis Drive, also in Morrisville, is Apna Bazar. It’s a newer entrant into the Cary-area food market, specializing in South Asian cuisine. Fresh and packaged goods include dals, curries, masalas, rice and more.

Apna Bazar
3607 Davis Drive,
Morrisville, NC 27560

Garlic stems from SMart

Story by Kaynan Goldberg. Kaynan is CaryCitizen’s 13-year-old columnist on all things frugal, crunchy, healthy and green. She blogs at VeggiesGoCrunch. Photo by Mike.

Cary, NC – Beef has a bad reputation.  It’s considered dirty, and fatty, and just plain unhealthy.  But not all beef is equal.  In fact, it can be one of the best foods for you.  It all depends on where it’s from, and how it was raised.

Feedlot Beef

Now, if you buy the supermarket beef, then, yeah, it’s probably unhealthy.  That’s because it’s likely to be feedlot beef.  I’m sure you’ve heard the horror stories of the feedots and processing plants – I’m not going to go into those here.  I’m not going to write about abused cows or CAFOs.  I’m not even going to write about the absurd practice of fattening cows up on grain (which isn’t something they’re designed to eat in the first place). I’m just going to say that there is no point in eating meat from cows treated regularly with antibiotics and growth hormones.  If they’re that sick, there is no way that meat can make you healthy.

Photo by NDSU Ag Comm.

Cows Are Supposed to Eat Veggies

On the other hand, I’m more than happy to talk about grass-fed, grass-finished beef.  Cows are ruminants; they’re supposed to eat grass and other leafy green plants.  This diet gives them the correct balance of omega-3′s and omega-6′s.  Grass-fed meat is also a great source of conjugated linoleic acid, an important nutrient that can strengthen your immune system and even reduce your risk of cancer.  Most importantly, the meat tastes a hundred times better!

How to Eat Beef

Here are some of my favorite ways to eat grass-fed beef.

Hamburgers!  This is one of my all-time favorite foods, and the rest of my family agrees with me.  We have them almost every week during the summer.  My dad takes some ground beef (we eat around two pounds combined – a family of four would be good to go with a pound) and sprinkles a little salt and pepper on it.  Then he makes some patties and grills them until they are juicy and delicious. I can definitely taste a difference between these grass-fed burgers and supermarket beef – the grass-fed beef has so much more flavor, and the texture is like meat, not a ground-up paste.

• Pot roast.  I am in love with pot roast.  My mom uses the recipe from The Joy of Cooking, and we put the pot roast on savory pancakes that soak up the gravy.
• Throw a ribeye on the grill.  Eat.  Done.
• Chili. We use stew meat and Italian sausage (pork).  Diced tomatoes, onions, chili powder, and jalapenos join the party, and then our secret ingredient: honey.
• Baked ziti.  Or lasagna.  Or spaghetti and meatballs.  Or any kind of Italian food!
• Tacos.  Enchiladas are great, too.
• Brisket!  Barbecue beef brisket is one of the best things that I have ever eaten.  It’s a crowd-pleaser, but if you’re lucky, you won’t have a crowd – you’ll have lots of leftovers!

Mmm… steak.

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The Food column on CaryCitizen is sponsored in part by Thai Spices and Sushi of Cary.

Recipe by Chef Alan Panzer from the Kroger store in Apex, NC

Did you know Monday Jan 23 is Chinese New Year? How about celebrating the Year of the Dragon with a recipe for pork dumplings? It takes just 30 minutes to create from start to finish, and it is easy to spice up by adding chili paste or Chinese five spice paste if desired. Before filling dumplings, fry a sample of your mixture and taste, and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Chinese Dumplings: Ingredients

• ½ lb. ground pork
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped finely
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup green onion, sliced
• 1 tbs. fresh cilantro
• 2 tbs. cornstarch
• 1 tbs. teriyaki sauce
• 6 drops sesame oil
• Ground fresh black pepper, to taste
• 1 package of wonton wrappers (round)

Chinese Dumplings: Recipe

1. Combine all above ingredients except wrappers in a bowl.
2. On a clean working area, place a few wonton wrappers flat down on surface (always keep other wonton wrappers covered with plastic, as they can dry out).
3. Using chopsticks or a teaspoon, place less than 1 teaspoon of mixture onto the center of each wrapper. Do not overfill – they may explode!
4. Dip a finger into a bowl of water and moisten one side of the dumpling wrapper with the pork mixture on it.
5. Pick up the parcel and, with fingers, pinch the two opposite sized of the dumpling wrapper together, forming the parcel into the shape of a half-circle. Press all air out of the dumplings so they do not open when cooking. Keep dumpling covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
6. In a large deep pasta pot, fill a little above half with water. Bring it to a boil.
7. Lower temperature so that the water is at a low boil – too high a boil can break the dumplings.
8. Place dumplings in carefully and close to the water to prevent them from breaking.
9. Boil uncovered for about 10 to 12 minutes, checking to see if the inside is cooked.
10. Gently strain or take out with a slotted spoon. They are now ready to eat with the dipping sauce.

I have two choices for you to make.Dumplings are not complete without some dipping sauce. This is very easy to make and requires only two ingredients. (see below)

Simple Sauce Ingredients:

• 3 parts teriyaki sauce
• 1 part pickled ginger juice

If you wish to get a little fancier, try this instead…

Complex Sauce Ingredients:

• ¼ tsp. garlic, minced
• ¼ cup teriyaki sauce
• 1 tbs. honey
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. scallions, sliced
• 3 drops sesame oil

A leek garnish can complement the dumplings. Cut off the bottom of the leek, slice it in half and then turn and split it again. Slit the sides and put it in ice water to sit.  The leek petals will open-up easily.

This can be an excellent party appetizer, it looks very fancy and encourages peopel to group around a plate and mingle as they sample these home made delicacies.

How to say Happy Chinese New Year in Chinese?

The most common Chinese ways of saying Happy New Year are Gong Xi Fa Cai (Mandarin) and Gong Hey Fat Choy (Cantonese). Even though the pronunciations are a little different, both are written the same way.

How do you write Happy Chinese New Year in Chinese?

Traditional Chinese: 恭禧發財; Simplified: 恭禧发财.

Enjoy!

Story and iPhone photos by Hal Goodtree.

Morrisville, NC – How many sandwiches are made and eaten everyday in Cary? Thousands, surely. But you’d have to eat a lot of sandwiches to find any as good as those from Peppers Market in Morrisville.

Peppers Market in Grace Park

The mood is bright, modern and cheerful at Peppers. Light floods in from windows on two sides, local artwork decorates the walls and a cozy patio seems to bring the outdoors into the restaurant.

The shop is located in Grace Park at the corner of Davis Drive and Morrisville-Carpenter Road. Grace Park has a neighborhood-y feel with residences above the stores and plenty of light and space.

The Food

There’s always something unusual about the sandwiches from Peppers – even the ham and cheese has something magical about it (ham piled high on a crispy flat bread with creamy goat cheese, tomatoes and whole grain mustard).

Other sandwich favorites include BBQ Bleu Chicken (grilled chicken breast with Sweet & Tangy Homemade BBQ sauce, baby spinach and a roasted garlic & blue cheese aioli), Pork Lion on a Ciabatta roll, or Citrus Salmon (grilled salmon steak lightly marinated in Peppers Sweet Citrus Sauce and topped with red onion, crisp lettuces and ripe tomatoes).

Peppers also offeres soups, salads, smoothies and vegetarian fare. See the menu.

Everything we’ve had at Peppers has proven wholesome, well-prepared and delicious. The restaurant also serves breakfast.

Service

The attention to detail one experiences in the restaurant and the food is mirrored in the service.

Service is quick, unobtrusive and efficient from order-taking to food delivery. The staff cranks it up and visibly hustles during lunch hour.

Peppers isn’t a franchise – the owner walks around and makes sure everything is good and everyone is happy. When was the last time you saw the CEO of McDonald’s walking around to find out if your Big Mac was okay? Think about that when you’re deciding where to spend you lunch money.

For uniqueness, quality, cheery atmosphere and good service, CaryCitizen is please to recommend Peppers Market as one of our favorite local places.