Sassy Southern Cooking with a French Twist

Culinary Institute of Charleston

Sweet Street Newly “Glazed”

First there was Cupcake, then there was Macaroon (now with a second location). With the recent and closely timed openings of P.I.E. and Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts (both within a chocolate quarter’s throw from one another), Upper King Street just got even sweeter.

It’s a nifty and whimsical trend that’s well-suited to the eclectic crowd – from farmers’ market denizens to COC students, families and business types – that flock to this hip part of town for food, art, and drink.  For Pastry Chef Allison Smith, who opened Glazed back in early October, it’s all for the love of pastry, especially doughnuts. A 9- year veteran of the F & B business, the Culinary Institute of Charleston grad left her most recent post at Anson to dedicate herself entirely to her funky, fun and delightfully delicious new doughnut shop. For Smith, the time to make the doughnuts is 3 a.m. on weekdays when she joins her staff of two bakers to crank out a daily array of at least 8 – 10 rotating doughnut flavors.

Doughnut Lover's Glaze Over with Choices at Glazed

 

Smith has two core recipes for the doughnuts: cake and yeast. While the cake doughnut is crumbly, tender on the inside, and crunchy on the outside, it’s the yeast doughnuts (almost exclusively the “glazed” variety) that truly shine, in more ways than one. She tweaked her recipe over the years, comparing and contrasting it with “tons” of others she encountered to come up with her own. The results are airy and irresistible. It’s the kind of doughnut that slightly resists with sweet crunch as you sink your teeth into it, then slowly implodes and melts into its delicious self, until it’s all gone, leaving a lingering happy memory in its admittedly fattening wake.

Glazed cranks out at least 8 to 10 doughnut flavors daily. Glazed fans can count on at least 7 doughnut regulars daily: raspberry glazed, berry-filled, cream-filled, “some kind of chocolate,” and two “seasonal” doughnuts. Right now, the seasonal choices include Ginger Cranberry and The Sweet Potato topped with a brown butter glaze and pecans, that is until Smith comes up with something new.

Mexican Chocolate and Raspberry Glazed Doughnuts on display at Glazed.

 

As far as coming up with her exceptionally creative and balanced flavor inspirations ( a huge part of the fun for both her and her customers), Smith just rolls with “whatever combinations I like to eat.” For example, yesterday, it was a banana pudding doughnut based upon the “most amazing banana pudding,” she says. Other days, it’s been as inventive and delicious as Strawberry Lime Basil, Salted Caramel Apple and The Purple Goat filled with berry goat cheese and a lavender glaze. It’s pairings such as these that give some of Glazed doughnuts an almost savory edge; a kind of true “cook’s” doughnut not unlike the many delicious mixed drinks being muddled and concocted at nearby bars and restaurants such as The Cocktail Club and The Belmont.  At the latter, the drinks seem more like a layered, complex meal to be savored, while the former definitely are a testament to Smith’s ability to think and bake her way well-outside of the mundane doughnut box.

While a little pricey at almost $2 a pop, Glaze offers a worthwhile indulgence for any bona fide doughnut lover. There is coffee, too, and the always welcome service with a smile.

Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts

481 King Street, Charleston

(843) 577-5557

www.glazedgourmet.com

Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-3 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Sun., 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

 

 

 

 

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Chestnuts for Charity

Being around culinary students, especially of the enthusiastic, passionate kind, is one of the most thrilling experiences around for a lover of food and the art, technique and challenges making the really good stuff requires. Whether I’m visiting a restaurant at one of Charleston’s two, premier culinary arts school, or just being in or a near a kitchen with culinary students, is a sure, one-way ticket to a smile and a happy heart.

So, I was delighted to participate as a judge in L.I.M.E. Charleston’s annual Cook-Off Scholarship last evening, hosted at L.I.M.E. founder, Renata Dos Santos’ home on picturesque Johns Island. The food was prepared by able teams from both the Art Institute of Charleston and the Culinary Institute of Charleston. The mystery ingredient theme was “chestnuts,” which were incorporated into every single one of the 12 dishes prepared and presented.

Chestnut Smoked Salmon Roe and Chestnut Bellini

The evening began under the “Round House” which billowed with cool, damp breezes and the flutter of lime-hued napkins and Champagne-enhanced anticipation. The chefs for the CIC team were in full-view in the downstairs kitchen, while the AI team worked more clandestinely upstairs, all-clad in black, in the other kitchen.

The first-courses set a most perfect stage for what would turn out to be an entirely delightful evening. It was fabulous to see the diverse creativity the respective teams employed, starting from the very beginning with the hors d’oeuvre courses. Tiny, quarter-sized pancakes, prepared from chestnut flour,  formed a pillowy bed for a nest of salty, chestnut-smoked roe and a swath of cooling sour cream (pictured above).

Getting the sear on AI's "Nutty Scallops"

   Meanwhile, AI’s stealthy crew descended with one of their most winning dishes, perfectly seared, crunchy, sweet scallops, served with a chestnut and spinach coulis and a dot of  sweet pear soubise on top.

From there, the chestnuts and the fun just kept rolling along. Subsequent courses included a stellar venison carpaccio (CIC), a buttery, nutty chestnut bisque (AI), another gorgeous soup in a crystal clear consomme, deftly garnished with delicate mushrooms and full of the sweet flavor of butternut squash and chestnuts (CIC), a lusciously herbed, sous vide venison medallion (AI), and an exquisity prepared pork belly (CIC). Wines were well-paired by Trish Digliodo of Vidalco – no small task with the diversity of the tastes combined in each course from each of the two teams. 

Captain Ulfet Ozyabasligil Ralph and Jamie Simpson from the CIC team

  As the evening progressed along between courses, so too did the fun and laughter at each of the two long dining tables where some 30 guests were gathered to enjoy the evening. By the time the entrees were served, my appetite and pre-destined curfew (to ensure an early morning meeting would not disappear in a cloud of dreams) were both over their limit. So, I missed the dessert course, but not the much-awaited opportunity to talk to both of the teams about the food they had produced for the evening. There were those wonderful, proud and enthusiastic faces (see above) I so love to see. Eager for input, both negative and positive (which was most of which I had to share), they shook hands and discussed the issues and inspirations for most of the dishes. The AI team even gave me a sneak taste of their chestnut zepolle dessert wonder – a combination of freshly fried beignets and a creamy, cold chestnut cream.

I submitted my votes (there was another judge in attendance) and went home, hopeful that, in some way, both teams could win. This morning I awoke to the happy news that they had. CIC won the $1,200 L.I.M.E. Cook-Off Scholarship, while that winning chesnut zeppole from AI grabbed the prize for the best dish of the evening.

Congratulations to all for a job well done. You made my night, and I know I wasn’t alone. 

www.limecharleston.com

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