If you go
The Sweet and Savory Classroom45 E. Main St., Suite 112 (entrance on backside of Soho Building)423-661-8750Sweetandsavoryclassroom.com
Side Dish: Standout Chef
James Beard Foundation-awarded chefs are considered some of the creme de la creme in the culinary world. Chef Erik Niel, of Easy Bistro & Bar, may soon be able to add that to his resume. He was nominated for Best Chef: Southeast. A big congrats on making the cut! Niel is the only chef nominated this year from Chattanooga, and this is his first time being a semifinalist. The finalists will be announced at the James Beard Awards on May 2 in Chicago. Visit jamesbeard.org/awards to learn more.
Afew years ago, our friend Mimi stayed with my husband and me for a few days between art shows. A talented fiber artist, she is also an accomplished amateur chef, and to thank us for our hospitality, she decided to cook us a meal.
All I had to do was show her where I kept my cookware and utensils. This is when things started to go downhill. In my kitchen there was one 12-inch pan, a soup pot, a peeler, one badly burned spatula, and two ancient Kmart steak knives that wiggled in their shafts. My stove had only three working burners, one of which was iffy. There was no microwave. And there was certainly no dishwasher. Mimi threw up her hands.
“Someone should film a reality cooking show in this kitchen,” she said. “Contestants would have to prepare a meal using only what’s here.”