Check out John Kessler's article on Charleston's Food Scene in the May 2011 issue of "Everyday with Rachael Ray". Just click on the link below, then on the Rachael Ray link...kick back and enjoy Charleston's finest!
http://www.charlestoncvb.com/media/press.html

Ahhh...the morning after a LIME is always interesting! Vague recollections of Pyrat Rum, Santa Carolina Reserva, Bloody Peppah, Ruth's Dark & Stormy, Zentini, Prosecco...just to name a few! Limers won Fruit Carvings hand crafted by Chancel Nuque; A Giclee Painting by Eve Herbick; Training sessions with Personal Trainer Stephen Clipp of Body Architects...also just to name a few! Scott Carpenter serenaded us with the entire gang joining in for a few songs!
But the highlight was the vegetarian menu prepared by Chef Renata Dos Santos. Funny enough, the favorite dish was the ONLY non-vegetarian dish (see photo): Triggerfish (supplied by Mark Marhefka of Abundant Seafood), Buttered Cauliflower and Pattipans with Sesame Haricort Verts. There were many converts over the cauliflower. Brown butter was lovingly basted over the entire head of cauliflower, allowing the residual heat to cook the crowns. The Triggerfish, caught in SC waters, was simply seasoned with salt & pepper, then sauteed in butter. Comments included "It just melted in my mouth!" and the ever favorite "OMG".
Our other featured farmer was Maria Baldwin of Our Local Foods. Maria supplied us with Escarole. The Escarole White Bean Soup was a close second favorite amongst our limers.
All of this was to benefit Louie's Kids. Ashley Gunnin and Kevin Adcock of Louie's Kids, brought us up to speed on the mission, goals and upcoming events of their organization.
Our special thanks to our hosts, Eve and Tom Herbick, for sharing their home with us. We could not have had a more beautiful setting. They welcomed us and made us all feel like we were part of their family. And in a way, we are all now a part of a very unique family...LIME!

Check out CIC Grad Chancel Nuque's video recap of Chef Ulfet Ralph and Chef Josh Shea December LIME! Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/l/ef27flbaJq7TLtFVGMMKze0nrSQ;vimeo.com/18355411

One of our CIC grads did this video recap of Chef Laura Vein's LIME. Enjoy!
Garden Tea Party benefit for Lowcountry Orphan Relief.

You asked! We supplied!

LIME and Sun Dog Cat Moon Veterinary Clinic will be hosting an evening fit for the dogs! Through the generous donations of local sponsors and veterinary drug companies, we able to offer this 7 course dinner for you AND your dog, for only $75.00 in advance or $95.00 at the door...Dogs are FREE!!

As usual, we will be offering a cocktail portion called Cattails and Yappitizers! This will be free and open to everyone. It starts at 5:00pm till 7:30pm. The sit down dinner portion for you and your dog will be from 7:30 to 10pm. All proceeds will be going towards The Charleston Animal Society.

You can expect all the same surprises as in previous LIMEs with a twist! Everything will be revealed before hand with the exception of the local menu. We can share that while dogs will be served all 7 courses with accompanying beverages...we can assure you that only your beverage courses will be alcoholic not your dog's! Because this is in conjunction with Sun Dog Cat Moon's Open House, the LIME will take place at their location on Johns Island.

Our very own Chef Renata Dos Santos will be both the featured chef and mixologist! Music will be provided by the talented Mark Schuler (www.markschuler.org) .

We're all very excited to host this LIME and can't wait to see you there!

Our October LIME started at Rococo Bakery, where limers were asked to retrieve their mystery package. The mystery location was inside a syringe tube. The package also included the menu, comment card, brochures to the participating businesses and charity. The location turned out to be the Lowcountry Food Bank's warehouse in North Charleston.

Limers gave their names to the bouncer at the gate and proceeded to the open shed where they were greeted with a glass of Prosecco. Many were given a tour of the Community Garden. And many were left wondering about the giant Tesla Coil next to them. As it got closer to 6pm, limers were escorted to the main entrance of the warehouse. Smoke greeted everyone at the door and the sounds of bluegrass was wafting through the air. After a brief explanation of the warehouse's function, limers came around the corner to see not only dry ice smoke but the electrifying display of Tesla Coils by our resident mad scientist!

The black linen tables were laid out family style with the signature lime green napkins and a list of contributing businesses and farms. There were also beakers with neon green; bright blue and cloudy white liquids as center pieces. There were also tabletop tents with information on Nikolai Tesla. The cloudy white liquid turned out to be a corn starch mixture which when manipulated using force, became solid and when left alone or gently touched became liquid!

As we were served our first course (Pate de Campagne with cold pickled vegetables and Oud Beersel Framboise Lambic), Chef Kaldas and Mixologist John Aquino came out to greet us and explain what was in store for us that evening. John Aquino was great and served each limer tableside, making sure everyone was having a sweet lime. Chef Kaldas prepared each of his courses in an enclosed room with windows, which added to the "mad science" theme lending the appearance of a laboratory.

Between courses we had several offerings of door prizes. The top two were Grand Champagne Brunch for Four at The Five Star Woodlands Resort in Summerville and two tickets to the November 13 LIME. There were also bags of coffee from Island Roasters, handmade jewelry, gift certificates for massages and chiropractic sessions...just to name a few!

Chef Kaldas treated us with Seared Sea Scallops, Carrot ribbon, Lemon Agrumato; Alexandrian Grilled Fish with Traditional Accompaniments ( which came with instructions on how to eat it and was in honor of his mother); Rabbit Duo, Cauliflower Puree, Sweet and Sour Beurre ( the rabbit was in honor of his father...but he suggested we ask his father why this was in his honor...indicating that it wasn't a pleasant story for the rabbit); Sous Vide Venison, Field Peas, Eggplant; Glazed Pork Belly with Mepkin Abby Oyster Mushroom; Pumpkin 7 ways and Chocolate Pot de Creme. A special surprise came with the final course...one limer had accidentally emailed us about bringing some Honey Ice Cream for us to try...really meaning to send it to her date for the evening. In good fun, she bought it anyway for us and we served it with the Chocolate Pot de Creme, becoming an instant favorite with everyone else.
The beverages comprised mostly of various beers and lagers, the occasional wines and rounded off with a Buller Orange Muscat.

Our bluegrass trio came with the name Penny Creek Gals. One of the doorprizes was to help them come up with a name. It was finally decided that Palmetto Snakepit was the chosen name and another lucky limer won the two free tickets to the next LIME!

Throughout the evening, our mad scientist did demonstrations with his wand, tesla coils and jacob's ladder. At the end of the night, he escorted limers outside to view the electricity from the huge tesla coil.

Based on the comments, everyone had a great time and yet another successful sweet LIME!

What do these three things have in common? Chef Jonathan Kaldas says you have to come to his LIME on October 9, 2010 to find out. But we can give you a clue!

Chef Kaldas is very proud of his 90% local ingredient menu that he plans to serve you limers. Rumor has it that he plans on catching the fish the morning of the LIME for his fish entree. Which by the way will be a tribute to his Egyptian mother. As he plans on preparing it Alexandrian style.

The majority if not all of his courses will be done via molecular gastronomy.  Molecular gastronomy is a discipline practiced by both scientists and food professionals that studies the physical and chemical processes that occur while cooking. Molecular gastronomy seeks to investigate and explain the chemical reasons behind the transformation of ingredients, as well as the social, artistic and technical components of culinary and gastronomic phenomena in general. Other names for the style of cuisine practiced by these chefs have included "New Cuisine", "Progressive Cuisine", "Nueva Cocina", "Culinary Constructivism", "Modern Cuisine", "Avant-Garde Cuisine", "Experimental Cuisine", “Techno-Emotional Cuisine”, “Molecular Cuisine” and “Molecular Cooking”

So what does that mean to the Average Joe? Well, it means you can make grits by using dried corn, butter, marscapone cheese, shrimp consomme and LIQUID NITROGEN...or at least that's the way James Beard winner and molecular gastronomist Chef Sean Brock prepares his grits.

Not only is Chef Kaldas preparing a locally inspired progressive cuisine, but Five Time Barcardi Mojito Champion John Aquino is also utilizing this technique to prepare each courses accompanying beverages. John Aquino, best known for his work at The Coast and Wild Olive behind the bar, is very happy to show off his first drink for the night: Prosecco with Homemade Orangecello Pearls. He says think "Lava Lamp"!!

So where does Tesla fit into all this? Nikola Tesla is famous for electromagnetism, wireless energy transfer, wireless communication, and remote control, to name but a few of his influences. Because of his radical views and persistence, he was considered by many in his time, to be a Mad Scientist. His true genius wasn't fully appreciated till long after his death in 1943.

LIME has a different theme for each event. The first was a "Masked Affair". The upcoming LIME pays homage to all the Progressive Mad Science out there. Whether it's with Tesla Coils, Scallops cooked sous vide or Orangello Pearls, October 9, 2010 promises to be an evening you will not soon forget!