No'Ala Huntsville, September/October 2013

EAT LIKE A MAN/LIVE LIKE A MAN | GAME DAY GEAR | MASON DIXON BAKERY: FEEL GOOD FOOD

SEPT/OCT 2013 $3.95

noalapress.com

A NEW KIND OFFAMILY FARM

CALLING THE SHOTSWITH RECE DAVIS

4 » September/October 2013

20FASHION TO DIE FORChillingly beautiful fashion in some of the Huntsville’s most haunted locations.

PHOTOS BY WHITE RABBIT STUDIOSPRODUCED BY CLAIRE STEWART

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51EVOLUTION OFTHE MAN CAVEFour unique spaces any manwould love to call home.

BY LAURA ANDERS LEEPHOTOS BY PATRICK HOODAND DANNY MITCHELL

80AMANDA IN WONDERLANDAmanda Chapman is a girlwho loves Halloween—andit shows.

BY ALLEN TOMLINSONPHOTOS BY AMANDA CHAPMANAND EVAN TIDWELL

34BE A MAN (OR AT LEAST EAT LIKE ONE)We’ve grilled up some of thebest tailgating recipes anycarnivore would be proud tosink their teeth into.

PHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD

72CALLING THE SHOTS WITH RECE DAVISFrom North Alabama toESPN, Rece Davis gives us the play-by-play ofhis journey as one of America’s favorite sportscommentators.

BY LAURA ANDERS LEE

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60FEEL GOOD FOODThe Ramirez family wantsyou to know that gluten-freedoesn’t have to be taste-free.

BY LAURA ANDERS LEEPHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELLAND BRIGETTE CHRISTOPHER

64A NEW KIND OF FAMILY FARMTate Farms grows up a cropof fun year-round.

BY LAURA ANDERS LEEPHOTOS BY IAN MCCALISTER

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6 » contents

8 CalendarEvents for September-October 2013

46 MarketGame Day GearBY CLAIRE STEWART

88 The VineArgentine WinesBY AMY COLLINS

90 Bless Their Hearts“You Can Go Home Again”BY MOLLY TOMLINSON

92 Food for Thought“Trick or Treat—Old-School Style”Baking up some meringue ghostsBY SARAH GAEDE

94 LoweDown“Do You Have Any Superstitions?”BY CLAIRE STEWART

98 Parting ShotBY IAN MCCALISTER

September/October 2013Volume 2: Issue 5

• • •C. Allen Tomlinson

Editor-In-Chief

David SimsCreative Director

Contributing WritersAmy Collins, Sarah Gaede, Laura Anders Lee,

Claire Stewart, Allen Tomlinson, Molly Tomlinson, Will Whaley

Contributing PhotographersAmanda Chapman, Brigette Christopher,

Patrick Hood, Ian McCalister, Danny Mitchell, Evan Tidwell, White Rabbit Studios

Marketing Coordinators/Advertising SalesMyra Sawyer, Heidi King

Features ManagerClaire Stewart

Business ManagerRoy Hall

Graphic DesignerRowan Finnegan

InternsWill Whaley

• • •No’Ala Huntsville is published six times annually

by No’Ala Press PO Box 2530, Florence, AL 35630

Phone: 800-779-4222 | Fax: 256-766-4106Web: www.noalapress.com

Standard postage paid at Huntsville, AL.A one-year subscription is $19.95for delivery in the United States.

Signed articles reflect only the views of the authorsand do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors.

Advertisers are solely responsible forthe content of their advertisements.

© 2008-2013 No’Ala Press, All rights reserved.

Send all correspondence toAllen Tomlinson, Editor,

at the postal address above, or by e-mail [email protected].

Letters may be edited for space and style.

To advertise, contact us at:256-766-4222, or [email protected].

The editor will provide writer’s guidelines uponrequest. Prospective authors should not

submit unsolicited manuscripts; please query theeditor first.

No’Ala Huntsville is printed with vegetable-based inkson 100% recycled paper.

Join us on Facebook: No’Ala Huntsville

N O ’A L A H U N T S V I L L EA D V I S O R Y B O A R D

Jennifer DossHuntsville Symphony Orchestra

Leslie EcklundBurritt on the Mountain

Dan HalcombHuntsville Symphony Orchestra

Jeff JohnsonTerramé Day Spa & Salon

Elizabeth JonesBurritt on the Mountain

Ginger Penney Liles

Matthew LilesAIDS Action Coalition

Patrick RobbinsAlabama Pain Center

Charles VaughnVaughn Lumber Company

Anna Baker WarrenAnna Baker Warren Interiors

64 Ian M

cCalister

editor’s letter « Allen Tomlinson « 7

Autumn in North Alabama is marked by a kick-off at oneend and holidays at the other, and is pretty much about threethings: football, outdoor activities in cooler weather, and foot-ball. Wait, have I mentioned that one already?

Whether you like football or not—or even understand it—youcan’t help but notice that it is sort of an obsession in Alabama.For those of you who can’t wait to see how your college teamwill do, there’s a lot for you in this issue: you’ll meet Rece Davis,from North Alabama, a man you probably already think youknow because you see him on ESPN. We’ll show you some “Man Caves,” where otherlucky men gather their friends to watch the games, and we’ve put together somerecipes that will give you something to chew on while you’re cheering on your team.(With a borrowed Primo Grill, we personally prepared everything you’ll see in thisissue, and then ate it to make sure it was good. I can’t tell you it was healthy, but itwas insanely delicious.)

For those of you who are football-challenged, there are plenty of other things to readabout—and do—this fall. We’ll tell you a few ghost stories and show you some beau-tiful fashion. We’ll introduce you to Amanda Chapman, who loves Halloween somuch she transforms herself (and others). You’ll even learn about a bakery that spe-cializes in gluten-free goodies. There’s a lot of variety this time!

If you look at the calendar in this issue, you’ll see that there are a lot of activitiesplanned for September and October, traditionally cooler and beautiful months(although this summer was unusually mild. And wet.) Tate Farms, in Meridianville,is a spot where many families head for an autumn tradition—it’s a place to pick theperfect pumpkin and spend a beautiful fall day. The Huntsville Symphony Orches-tra kicks off their 59th season in October, and is bringing 2CELLOS, a remarkablepair of musicians who play pop music on not-very-pop instruments, later thatmonth. It’s a great time to visit Burritt on the Mountain or the Botanical Gardens tosee the changing colors, or take in an exhibit at the Museum. If you like music,Huntsville’s AAC is presenting a concert and fashion show in Florence called RedRhythm Runway to celebrate local music and local fashion designers. The MonteSano Art Festival returns in September, too. And, in case you have forgotten thatyou live in Alabama, there’s football. A general rule of thumb in this part of the worldis to check the football schedules before you plan a weekend party—that is, if youwant anyone to come to your event!

Enjoy the shorter days, the beautiful colors of fall, and War Tide. Or however thatgoes. I hope your team wins!

Now Through FallLittle Garden Little MeMon-Sat 9:00am-5:00pm; Sun noon-5:00pm; Admission charged;Huntsville Botanical Garden; 4747 Bob Wallace Ave.; (256) 582-5259; hsvbg.org

Now-September 21Carnegie Visual Arts Center Presents Embracing Art: A Coming Together of Area Amateur and Professional ArtistsTues-Fri 10:00am-5:00pm and Sat 10:00am-2:00pm; Free; CarnegieVisual Arts Center; 207 Church St., Decatur; (256) 341-0562;carnegiearts.org

Now-September 29Memories of World War II/Photography from the Archives ofthe Associated Press Tues-Sat 11:00am-4:00pm and until 8:00pm on Thurs, andSun1:00pm-4:00pm; $10 admission for adults, $8 for military, stu-dents, and teachers, and $5 for children 6-11; Huntsville Museumof Art; 300 Church St.; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org

Now Through October 31Scarecrow Trail and Enchanted ForestMon-Sat 9:00am-5:00pm; Sun noon-5:00pm; Admission charged;Huntsville Botanical Garden; 4747 Bob Wallace Ave.; (256) 582-5259; hsvbg.org

Now-JanuaryMuseum Academy Instructors ExhibitTues-Sat 11:00am-4:00pm and until 8:00pm on Thurs, andSun1:00pm-4:00pm; Free; Huntsville Museum of Art; 300 ChurchSt.; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org

Sunday, September 1 - Monday, September 2Northeast Alabama State FairSun 2:00pm-11:00pm; Mon 2:00pm-9:00pm; Admission charged; John HuntPark; (256) 883-5252; huntsville.org

Wednesday, September 4Jimmie Vaughan and the Tilt-a-Whirl Band7:30pm; From $33; Merrimack Hall; 3320 Triana Blvd., Huntsville; (256) 534-6455; merrimackhall.com

Thursday, September 5

Meet the Artist Luncheon with AndyWinnNoon-2:00pm; Free; Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

Cocktails and Dogtails5:00pm-8:00pm; Admission charged;Huntsville Botanical Garden; 4747 Bob Wal-lace Ave.; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org

Greene Street Market4:00pm-8:00pm; Free; 208 Eustis Ave. at Greene St.; greenestreetmarket.com

Friday, September 6

Friday Night Artist Market5:00pm-8:00pm; Free; Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

Microwave Dave and the Nukes6:00pm; Admission charged; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill;(256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

End of Summer Celebration: Four-Star Jazz Orchestra andRocket City Jazz Orchestra6:00pm; Free; Atrium of main Huntsville-Madison County PublicLibrary; 915 Monroe St.; (256) 532-5975; hmcpl.org

Madison County Medical Society Presents: On-Call! New Physician Welcome6:00pm-midnight; Free for new physician and guest and $50 fornon-members; the Ledges; 35 Castle Downs Dr.; (256) 881-7321;madisoncountydoctors.org

Black Jacket Symphony Performs The Rolling Stones’ Some Girls8:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Concert Hall; 700Monroe St.; (256) 533-1953; hso.org

Monkey Speak Open Mic Night8:00pm; $5; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; flyingmonkeyarts.org

Saturday, September 7

Madison City Farmers Market8:00am-noon; Free; 1282 Hughes Rd.; (256) 656-7841; madisoncityfarmersmarket.com

Tennessee Valley Arabian Horse Show8:00am; Free; Agribition Center; 4592 Moores Mill Rd.; (256) 859-5896

Artist MarketNoon-4:00pm; Free; Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

Huntsville Ghost Walk6:00pm; From $5 for children and $10for adults; 124 South Side Sq.; (256) 509-3940;huntsvilleghostwalk.com

Sci-Quest Parents’ Night Out: EarthMoves6:00-9:00pm; $20 for first child; $15 foradditional children ages 4-12; 102 DWynn Dr.; (256) 837-0606; sci-quest.org

Planetarium Program: Ice Giants-Uranus and Neptune7:30pm; Admission charged; MonteSano State Park and Lodge Planetarium,beside the Country Grocery Store &Campground; (256) 539-0316

Sunday, September 8North Alabama Spay Neuter ClinicOpen House2:00pm-4:00pm; Free; 3303 N. MemorialPkwy; (256) 489-0418

Monday, September 9Black Jacket Symphony Performs The Rolling Stones’ Some Girls8:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Concert Hall; 700 Monroe St.; (256) 533-1953; hso.org

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HSO Presents 2CellosOctober 25

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | NOALAPRESS.COM | 9



Cocktails and Dogtails5:00pm-8:00pm; Admission charged; Huntsville Botanical Garden;4747 Bob Wallace Ave.; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org

Dine and Dash Trolley Tour6:00pm; $30; Various locations in downtown Huntsville; (256) 683-0966; homegrownhuntsville.com

Vive le Livre: Rick Bragg6:00pm; From $75; Thurber Auditorium at Randolph School; 4915 Garth Rd.; (256) 532-5954; huntsvillelibraryfoundation.org

Beloved Book Club6:30pm-7:30pm; Free; Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards Celebration Dinner5:00pm cocktails and 6:00pm dinner; $85; Von Braun Center NorthHall; 700 Monroe St.; (256) 535-2000; hsvchamber.org

Friday, September 13


Camp Out in the Garden5:30pm-8:00am; Admission charged; Huntsville Botanical Garden;

4747 Bob Wallace Ave.; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org

Concerts on the Docks: Vagabond Swing6:00pm-9:00pm; Free; Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

Homegrown Comedy Show8:00pm-10:00pm; $7; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399;lowemill.net

Friday, September 13 – Sunday, September 15Theatre Huntsville Presents Southern HospitalityFri-Sat 7:30pm; Sun 2:00pm; $18 adults and $15 for students; military and seniors; Von Braun Center Playhouse; 700 Monroe St.;(256) 536-0807; yourseatiswaiting.org




Huntsville Ghost Walk6:00pm; From $5 for children and $10 for adults; 124 South SideSq.; (256) 509-3940; huntsvilleghostwalk.com

Planetarium Program: Ice Giants-Uranus and Neptune7:30pm; Admission charged; Monte Sano State Park and LodgePlanetarium, beside the Country Grocery Store & Campground;(256) 539-0316

Sunday, September 15Drop in and Create 1:30pm-2:30pm; $10 admission for adults, $8 for military, teachers,and students, and $5 for children 6-11; Huntsville Museum of Art;300 Church St.; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org

Tuesday, September 17Art with a Twist5:30-8:00pm; $35-$45; 32 Castle Down Dr.; (256) 535-4350;hsvmuseum.org

Tuesday, September 17 – Wednesday, September 18Sesame Street Live! Tues at 6:30pm and Wed at 10:30am; From $17; Von Braun Center; 700 Monroe St.; ticketmaster.com




Beloved Story Slam7:00pm-9:00pm; Free; Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net



Third Friday Decatur5:00pm-8:00pm; Free; Bank St. and Second Ave. in Decatur; (256) 350-2028

Concerts on the Docks: The Bear and the Pyles6:00pm-9:00pm; Free; Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

Sci-Quest Parents’ Night Out: Earth Moves6:00-9:00pm; $20 for first child; $15 for additional children ages 4-12; 102 D Wynn Dr.; (256) 837-0606; sci-quest.org

Fine Arts Quartet7:30pm; Admission charged; Trinity United Methodist Church; 607 Airport Rd; (256) 489-7415; hcmg.us

Thursday, September 19 – Saturday, September 21Theatre Huntsville Presents Southern HospitalityThurs-Fri 7:30pm; Sat 2:00pm; $18 adults and $15 for students; military and seniors; Von Braun Center Playhouse; 700 Monroe St.;(256) 536-0807; yourseatiswaiting.org

Friday, September 20 – Sunday, September 22NEACA Fall Craft ShowFri and Sat 9:00am-7:00pm and Sun noon-5:00pm; Free; Von BraunCenter South Hall; 700 Monroe St.; (256) 533-1953



10 » calendar Monte Sano Art Show9:00am-5:00pm; Admission charged; Monte Sano State Park; (205) 657-0876

Train Excursion North Alabamian10:00am and 1:00pm; Admission charged; North Alabama RailroadMuseum; 694 Chase Rd.; (256) 683-7953

National Children’s Advocacy Center Presents Blush and Brunch10:00am; $25 for children and $10 for adults; pancake brunch followed by makeover and meet and greet with Miss America;Huntsville High School; (256) 327-3783



The Dean Martinis7:00pm-11:00pm; $7 students and $10 general public; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

Planetarium Program: Fall Skies7:30pm; Admission charged; Monte Sano State Park and LodgePlanetarium, beside the Country Grocery Store & Campground;(256) 539-0316

Moon over Three Caves Dance7:00pm-11:00pm; $65; Three Caves, Huntsville with shuttle fromHuntsville Hospital; (256) 534-5263; landtrustnal.org

Monday, September 23 – Thursday, October 31Tate Farms Pumpkin PatchMon-Fri 2:00pm-6:00pm; Sat 9:00am-6:00pm; Admission charged;8414 Moores Mill Rd.; Meridianville; (256) 828-8288;tatefarmsal.com

Tuesday, September 24Concert: Black Crowes7:30pm; From $45; Von Braun Center; 700 Monroe St.; (256) 533-1953

Wednesday, September 25

Art Critique6:00pm-7:00pm; Free; Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

Wayne Flynt and Kate Campbell “Live at the Library”6:30pm; Free; Auditorium of main Huntsville-Madison County Public Library; 915 Monroe St.; (256) 532-5975; hmcpl.org





9th Annual EarlyWorks Family of Museums Golf Invitational 8:00am; From $150; the Links Golf Course at Redstone Arsenal;(256) 564-8100; earlyworks.com

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | NOAL APRESS.COM | 11

12 » calendarFriday Night Artist Market5:00pm-8:00pm; Free; Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

Author Event: Jefferson Bass 6:30pm; Admission charged; Atrium of main Huntsville-MadisonCounty Public Library; 915 Monroe St.; (256) 532-5954; hmcpl.org

Epic Comedy Hour8:00pm-10:00pm; $7; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399;lowemill.net

Friday, September 27 – Sunday, September 29Play: ChicagoFri 8:00pm; Sat 2:00pm and 8:00pm; Sun 2:00pm and 7:30pm; Von Braun Center Concert Hall; 700 Monroe St.; (256) 518-6155;broadwaytheatreleague.org


Madison City Farmers Market8:00am-noon; Free; 1282 Hughes Rd.; (256) 656-7841; madisoncity-farmersmarket.com


Huntsville Ghost Walk 6:00pm; From $5 for children and $10 for adults; 124 South SideSq.; (256) 509-3940; huntsvilleghostwalk.com

Planetarium Program: Ice Giants-Uranus and Neptune7:30pm; Admission charged; Monte Sano State Park and LodgePlanetarium, beside the Country Grocery Store & Campground;(256) 539-0316

Tuesday, October 1 – Saturday, November 9Carnegie Visual Arts Center Presents Earth Vessels: Works of ClayTues-Fri 10:00am-5:00pm and Sat 10:00am-2:00pm; Free admission; Carnegie Visual Arts Center; 207 Church St.,Decatur; (256) 341-0562; carnegiearts.org

Thursday, October 3Greene Street Market4:00pm-8:00pm; Free; 208 Eustis Ave. at Greene St.; greenestreetmarket.com

Friday, October 4


Camp Out in the Garden5:30pm-8:00am; Admission charged; Huntsville Botanical Garden;4747 Bob Wallace Ave.; (256) 830-4447

Paul Barrère and Fred Tackett7:30pm; From $33; Merrimack Hall; 3320 Triana Blvd.; Huntsville;(256) 534-6455; merrimackhall.com

Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Presents McDuffie Plays Bernstein7:30pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Concert Hall, (256) 539-4818; hso.org


Friday, October 4 – Saturday, October 5


Friday, October 4 – Sunday, October 6Independent Musical Productions presents Les MiserablesFri and Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2:30pm; $15-$25; Lee High School; (256) 415-7469; imphuntsville.org

Saturday, October 5


Madison Street Festival8:30am-4:00pm; Free; Main St., Madison; (888) 228-5845

North Alabama Scottish Festival9:00am-4:30pm; $10 adults and $5 children 6-12; Sharon JohnstonPark; (256) 483-6589; tennesseevalleyscottishsociety.org

Five Points Historic District Walking Tour10:00am; Free; 500 Church St; (256) 551-2230; huntsville.org


Sci-Quest Parents’ Night Out: Can You Hear Me Now?6:00-9:00pm; $20 for first child; $15 for additional children ages 4-12; 102 D Wynn Dr.; (256) 837-0606; sci-quest.org

Planetarium Program: Ice Comets7:30pm; Admission charged; Monte Sano State Park and LodgePlanetarium, beside the Country Grocery Store & Campground;(256) 539-0316

Thursday, October 10


Beloved Book Club6:30pm-7:30pm; Free; Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

Author Event: An Evening with Robert Inman7:00pm; Free; Auditorium of main Huntsville-Madison County Public Library; 915 Monroe St.; (256) 532-5975; hmcpl.org

Concert: Don Williams7:30pm; From $39.50; Von Braun Center; 700 Monroe St.; (256) 533-1953; ticketmaster.com

Friday, October 11


Concert: Rascal Flatts and The Band Perry7:00pm; From $39.50; Von Braun Center; 700 Monroe St.; (256) 533-1953; ticketmaster.com

Friday, October 11 – Saturday, October 12Huntsville Ghost Walk6:00pm; From $5 for children and $10 for adults; 124 South Side Sq.; (256) 509-3940; huntsvilleghostwalk.com

Friday, October 11 – Sunday, October 13

Fanfare 2013 Quilt ShowAdmission charged; Fri and Sat10:00am-6:00pm; Sun noon-4:00pm;Von Braun Center; 700 Monroe St.; (256)683-8832

Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theaterpresents Peter PanFri 7:30pm, Sat and Sun 1:30 and 5:00;From $14; Von Braun Center Playhouse;400 Monroe St.; (256) 539-6829; let-themagicbegin.org

Independent Musical Productionspresents Les MiserablessFri and Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2:30pm; $15-$25; Lee High School; (256) 415-7469; imphuntsville.org

Saturday, October 12


Punkin’ Pickin’ Run9:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm and 3:00pm; Admission charged; NorthAlabama Railroad Museum, 694 Chase Rd.; (256) 683-7953


Planetarium Program: Ice Comets7:30pm; Admission charged; Monte Sano State Park and LodgePlanetarium, beside the Country Grocery Store & Campground;(256) 539-0316

The Rick Taylor Band with Special Guest Claire Lynch7:30pm; $20; Merrimack Hall; 3320 Triana Blvd., Huntsville; (256) 534-6455; merrimackhall.com

Brian Regan Live Comedy Tour 8:00pm; From $39.50; Von Braun Center; 700 Monroe St.; (256) 533-1953; ticketmaster.com

Thursday, October 17


Thursday Evenings Concerts at the Library: Celtic Folk Band SlipJig6:00pm; Free; Atrium of main Huntsville-Madison County PublicLibrary; 915 Monroe St.; (256) 532-5975; hmcpl.org

Beloved Story Slam7:00pm-9:00pm; Free; Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

Thursday, October 17 – Saturday, October 19

Independent Musical Productions presents Les Miserables7:30pm; $15-$25; Lee High School; (256) 415-7469;imphuntsville.org

Friday, October 18


Third Friday Decatur5:00pm-8:00pm; Free; Bank St. and SecondAve. in Decatur; (256) 350-2028

Sci-Quest Parents’ Night Out: Can YouHear Me Now?6:00-9:00pm; $20 for first child; $15 foradditional children ages 4-12; 102 D Wynn Dr.; (256) 837-0606;sci-quest.org

Friday, October 18 – Saturday, October 19International Heritage Festival at Burritton the Mountain9:00am to 4:00pm; Admission charged;3101 Burritt Dr.; (256) 536-2882; burrittonthemountain.com

Huntsville Ghost Walk6:00pm; From $5 for children and $10 for adults; 124 South Side Sq.; (256) 509-3940; huntsvilleghostwalk.com

Friday, October 18 – Sunday, October 20Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater presents Peter PanFri 7:30pm, Sat and Sun 1:30 and 5:00; From $14; Von Braun CenterPlayhouse; 400 Monroe St.; (256) 539-6829; letthemagicbegin.org


Huntsville Hospital Foundation’s Annual Liz Hurley Ribbon Run7:30am men 5K, 9:00am women 5K and 10am survivors; 817 Adams St.; Huntsville; (256) 265-8077


Mill Village Woolery Hook-In Workshop9:00am-5:00pm; $40; Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net


Huntsville Chamber Music Guild: Van Cliburn 2013 Medalists2:00pm and 7:30pm; $25 adults, $20 seniors and $15 students;Trinity United Methodist Church; 607 Airport Rd.; (256) 489-7415;hcmg.us

Rocket City Short Film Festival7:00pm-11:00pm; $7; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399;lowemill.net

Planetarium Program: Exploring the Solar System7:30pm; Admission charged; Monte Sano State Park and LodgePlanetarium, beside the Country Grocery Store & Campground;(256) 539-0316

Sunday, October 20Johnny Stallings Arts Program Fall Fashion Show4:00pm; $20; Merrimack Hall; 3320 Triana Blvd.; Huntsville; (256) 534-6455; merrimackhall.com

Monte Sano Art Show

September 21

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Wednesday, October 23

Art Critique6:00pm; Free; Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

Concert: John Fogerty7:30pm; From $58; Von Braun Center; 700 Monroe St.; (256) 533-1953; johnfogerty.com


Friday, October 25


Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Presents 2Cellos7:30pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Concert Hall; 700 Monroe St.; (256) 539-4818; hso.org

Huntsville Chamber Music Guild: Van Cliburn 2013 Medalists7:30pm; $25 adults, $20 seniors and $15 students; Trinity UnitedMethodist Church; 607 Airport Rd.; (256) 489-7415; hcmg.us

Friday, October 25 – Saturday, October 26Huntsville Ghost Walk6:00pm; From $5 for children and $10 for adults; 124 South Side Sq.; (256) 509-3940; huntsvilleghostwalk.com

Friday, October 25 – Sunday, October 27Huntsville Ballet UnpluggedFri and Sat 7:30pm, Sat and Sun 2:30pm; from $20; Von Braun Center Playhouse, 700 Monroe St., (256) 539-0961,huntsvilleballetcompany.org



Fall Color Special Train Ride10:00am and 1:00pm; North Alabama Railroad Museum; 694 Chase Rd.; (256) 683-7953


Planetarium Program: Exploring the Solar System7:30pm; Admission charged; Monte Sano State Park and LodgePlanetarium, beside the Country Grocery Store & Campground;(256) 539-0316

Brotha Ric sponsored by the Huntsville Swing Society7:00pm-11:00pm; $7 students and $10 general public; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net


Thursday, November 21Nativity’s Annual Bazaar10:30am bake sale and craft show and 11:15am and 12:30pmluncheon seatings; Admission charged; Church of the Nativity; 208 Eustis Ave. SE; (256) 509-9962

2CELLOSFriday, October 25, 2013 • 7:30 p.m.

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From Vegas with Elton John . . . 2CELLOS!

• Friday, October 25, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. • Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, VBC • Tickets only $25 - $50

These classically-trained musicians really rock, performing the greatest hits of U2, Coldplay, The Police, Muse, Michael Jackson, Sting,Nirvana, Guns N’ Roses, Rihanna, AC/DC, Kings of Leon and more! Get a sample of their energetic talent at www.2cellos.com.

On sale Monday, July 22, 9:00 a.m.Tickets: 256-539-4818 or www.hso.org Performed without orchestraAn HSO Special Presentation

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Above: Therapy Partners’‘Dog Days of Summer’ FundraiserJULY 26, 2013 DOWNTOWN HUNTSVILLE

Below: Save the Date–Eight Eight!AUGUST 8, 2013 THE RAILROAD BUILDING

Bill Propst and Julie Kastanakis

Silent Auction Silent Auction

Mike Reiney, Mousse andDeanna Bayless, and Emily Reiney

Anne Sentell

Team Bella and LyndsayCoats; Mark and Cindy Russell

Eula Battle and Nicole Jones

Suzanne Conway and Foster ShroutJosie Wachi and

Nicole Kanyanduga

Army Materiel Command Band

Silent Auction

Emily and Jack Moody

Kenny Andersonand Troy Trulock

LaKetta Montague Tamara Watts,and Ken Smith

Nicole Jones and Tommy Battle

* Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

Krista Campbell and Barbara Zietler


Your BizHub Watchdog

(256) 464-0010

If you’re interested in controlling costs withoffice equipment solutions for almost anybusiness challenge, call me. We’re the specialists, because we’re the watchdogs.—J.T. Ray

450 Production Avenue, Madison, AL 35758

20 | NOAL APRESS.COM | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

PHOTOS BY WHITE RABBIT STUDIOS » TEXT BY JACQUELYN PROCTER REEVES » PRODUCED BY CLAIRE STEWARTHAIR AND MAKEUP BY NANCY FINNEGAN


Huntsville Depot

The Historic Huntsville Depot wasbuilt in 1860—just in time for thebeginning of the Civil War, in whichthe Depot played a key role as thepoint of departure for many northAlabama soldiers who boarded trainsthere on their way to battle. But theDepot played another role: as aprison for 159 or so Confederate soldiers who were held as POWsafter the April 1862 takeover ofHuntsville. Some of the spirits stillresiding in the depot are soldiers who show guests where they wereheld hostage.

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Walker Street

A century ago, young families withactive, healthy children resided in thehomes of Walker Street. The houses,among the prettiest in town, date asfar back as the 1820s. By the summerof 1918, the war was ending butSpanish Flu was running rampantthrough cities across the country.Children and the elderly were said tobe hit the worst by the illness. Thechild victims of the flu seemed tohave never left their homes in down-town Huntsville. Many visitors toWalker Street report the sound ofchildren’s laughter, and some havefelt a phantom dog brush up againsttheir leg. Some have heard the namesof the children as they are called outby their playmates.

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Big Spring Park

In 1805, John Hunt arrived inHuntsville and decided to settle inthe Twickenham neighborhoods around Big Spring. During this time,the native Muscogee people werebeing slowly and forcefully pushedoff the land. It is said that those firstinhabitants still haunt the spring andhold feelings of betrayal towardsHuntsville’s founders.

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Old Bank Building

The old bank building on the downtown square was built in 1835.During the Civil War, the vault wasransacked for gold, valuables, andpapers to find out who the importanttownspeople were. The buildingwould have been burned down by the soldiers if it were not made ofsolid stone. Many of the ghosts in thebank building are bank employeeswho do not realize the building hasnot been used as a bank in years.The most noted spirit is a book-keeper named Lilly. She has beenknown for scolding visitors for both-ering her and the staff at the bank.

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About JacquelynProcter Reeves

Jacquelyn Procter Reeves is a nativeNew Mexican although her mater-nal ancestors were earliest settlersof Madison and Limestone County.She has written 12 books on localhistory and true crime, includingher latest, Murder Untenured: AmyBishop’s Rampage. She is president

of the Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society,curator of the Donnell House in Athens, Associate Editorof Old Tennessee Valley Magazine, and past editor of Tennessee Valley Leaves and the Historical Review.Jacquelyn is the founder of Avalon Tours and co-founderof the Huntsville Ghost Walk, the new Madison GhostWalk, and Mischief and Mayhem Tours. She is evenrelated to some of the ghosts on her ghost walks!

Pope’s Mansion

LeRoy Pope is known locally as theFather of Huntsville. Pope boastedthat from the front porch of hishome, on today’s Echols Hill, he hadthe finest view of all of downtownHuntsville. Many of Pope’s slaves aresaid to haunt the grounds today.Visitors on the ghost walk have seenthe ghost of a black man with glovesand a tuxedo step out from behind a tree, then disappear back into thedarkness.

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PORSCHE OF HUNTSVILLE AND GROGAN JEWELERS PRESENT

red rhythm runwaySHOALS FASHION & MUSIC: TOGETHER AT LAST

PORSCHE OF HUNTSVILLE

SEPTEMBER 28, 2013 · 6:30PMMARRIOTT SHOALS CONFERENCE CENTER

$65 RESERVED SEATS$50 GENERAL ADMISSION

aidsactioncoalition.org

The AAC is a nonprofit organization that depends

largely on monetary donationsfrom individuals and businessesin the community. All proceeds

will help our neighborshere in the Shoals.

Music funded by a grant from


IT’S A LITTLE BIT COUTURE.IT’S A LITTLE BIT ROCK AND ROLL.

F E AT U R I N G A N A L L - S TA R B A N D :

Jimmy Hall Lead VocalsShawna P Lead Vocals

David Hood BassWill McFarlane Guitar

Kelvin Holly GuitarGary Nichols GuitarMike Dillon Drums

N.C. Thurman KeyboardsBrad Guin SaxophoneKen Watters Trumpet

Chad Fisher Trombone

W I T H FA S H I O N S B Y :

Alabama ChaninBilly Reid

Marianna Barksdale

A F T E R PA R T YP O P - U P S H O P S

A N D M O R E !

· · · T I C K E T S · · ·VISIT RRRUNWAY.COM, OR CALL 256-536-4700, X125

PHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD » TEXT BY ALLEN TOMLINSON AND WILL WHALEY

(or just eat like one)Fall in Alabama is a social time. We tailgate, we grill, we picnic; we invite friends over to share.

No’Ala gathered recipes for easy-to-prepare items that can be easily grilled and can feed acrowd. No claims are made about health benefits (for example, just about everything here

requires a healthy dose of bacon), but we can personally attest to the taste. These are delicious!


(or just eat like one)

CHEW ON THISThe world’s most expensivedrink is the HenriIV Dudognon Heritage CognacGrande Cham-pagne, costingabout $1.9 milliona bottle.


Ingredients

• 15-20 jalapeño peppers• 1 lb sausage• 1 block cream cheese• 1 package of thick cut bacon• Honey BBQ sauce (optional)• Toothpicks

Instructions

Brown sausage & drain. While sausage isstill warm, mix with cream cheese. Place mixture in 1 gallon Ziploc bag.

Wash jalapeño peppers & cut in half (top to bottom), remove membrane and seed.

Cut a bottom corner out of Ziploc bag andsqueeze sausage/cream cheese mixture into pepper halves.

Wrap each pepper with half a slice ofbacon secured with toothpick.

Cook on grill at 350 degrees, indirect heat(Shane prefers apple or cherry wood forsmoke). Poppers are done when bacon iscrisp. You can finish these with a sweet orhoney BBQ sauce the last 5-10 minutes ofcooking.

STUFFED JALAPEÑOPEPPERSBY SHANE TERRY


GRILLED FLANK STEAKAND BLACK BEAN TACOS

WITH QUESO FRESCO, PICKLEDONIONS, AND JALAPEÑOS

BY CHEF JEFF EUBANKS


Cuban-Style Black Beans• 3 cans black beans, strained• 1/2 yellow onion, quartered• 2 cloves garlic• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped• 1 tomato, quartered• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

Spice Mix (for Black Beans)• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar• 3 tbsp chili powder• 2 tbsp ground cumin• 1 tbsp black pepper• 1tsp white pepper• 2 tsp onion powder• 2 tsp granulated garlic• 1 tbsp oregano• 2 tbsp paprika• 4 cups chicken stock

In a food processor or blender, puree yellow onion, garlic cloves,cilantro, tomato, chipotle pepper, and red wine vinegar.

Add puree, black beans and spice mix to a 2 quart sauce pan overmedium high heat. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmerand reduce liquid by 1/3.

Pickled Onions and Jalapeños• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced• 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced• 1/2 cup orange juice• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar• Juice of 1 lime• Juice of 1 lemon• 2 tbsp sugar• 1 tbsp kosher salt

Put the sliced jalapeño and a red onion in a 1 pt jar with thejalapeños on the bottom.

In a sauce pan, bring the remaining ingredients to a rolling boilthen remove from heat. Pour boiling pickling liquid over onionsand jalapeños to fill the jar. Let it cool to room temperature, thenput the lid on and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferablyovernight.

Flank Steak Marinade• 1.5-2 lbs flank steak• 1 cup lime juice• 1/2 cup olive oil• 1/2 cup chopped fresh garlic

Add all ingredients to a Ziploc bag and refrigerate/marinate for 3hours. After 3 hours, remove from Ziploc bag and pat dry.

Flank Steak Seasoning• 2 tbsp kosher salt• 1 tbsp granulated garlic• 2 tbsp chili powder

Season flank steaks with seasoning and grill on each side 2 minutes on a hot grill for medium rare.

Let rest 5 minutes, then slice thinly on an angle, against the grain.

While steak is grilling, heat up corn tortillas on top rack of grill until warm and pliable.

To assemble tacos:Spoon on black beans, lay strips of flank steak over beans, crumble queso fresco, pickled onions, and jalapeños and top with fresh cilantro and sour cream.


40 | NOAL APRESS.COM | SEPTEM


CHEW ON THISAt this year’sannual 4th of Julyhotdog eatingcontest in SanJose, California,Joey Chestnutbeat his ownrecord by eating69 hotdogs, con-suming more than20,000 calories injust 10 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs sausage• 2 lbs thick cut bacon• 1 lb cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese• 1 bottle BBQ sauce • 1 jar BBQ rub

Instructions

Make a 5x5 or 6x6 bacon weave, season with BBQ rub.

Fry remainder of bacon and crumble.

Pat out two pounds of sausage over bacon weave, cover with cheese and crumbled bacon. Top with BBQ sauce.

Roll the piece into a log and secure roll with toothpicks.

Smoke on indirect grill or smoker at 225 degrees until internal temp reaches 165 degrees.

Baste log with BBQ sauce the last 10-15 minutes of cooking.

Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.

BACON EXPLOSIONOR “THE FATTY”BY SHANE TERRY



TEXAS TACO DIPBY JT AND ALYSON RAY

Assemble, Bottom to TopLayer 1: 2 cans of refried beans.Layer 2: 1 cup of mayo, one cup of sour cream, and one package of taco soup mixLayer 3: 1 jar of guacamole dip (or fresh avocados, mashed)Layer 4: 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheeseLayer 5: 1 can of chopped tomatoesLayer 6: A layer of green onionsLayer 7: A layer of black olives, sliced

Serve with dipping chips or tortilla chips. Garnish with cilantro(optional).


CHEW ON THISDenny McNurlenholds the recordfor eating theworld’s biggeststeak—or at least most it. He finished 155ounces out of the205-ounce “BigKahuna,” served atAJ’s Steakhouse inGrinnell, Iowa.


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The Huntsville Chamber Music Guild

Concert Sponsorships and by grants from

and the Alabama State Council on the Arts

Fine Arts QuartetSep 20, 7:30 pm

2013 Van Cliburn

Oct 19, 2:00 & 7:30 pmOct 25, 7:30 pm

Ying QuartetNov 08, 7:30 pm

Dec 14, 5:00 pm

Jan 24, 7:30 pm

Mar 07, 7:30 pm

Brass QuintetApr 11, 7:30 pm

2013 2014

HuntsvilleChamber Music Guild2013-2014

GOUDA AND BACONSTUFFED PORK TENDERLOINBY SHANE TERRY

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin (1 to 1-1/4 lbs)• 5-6 pieces thick cut bacon

(cooked and chopped)• 3 oz. of smoked Gouda (grated)• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley• 1/8 tsp cracked black pepper• 1 tsp olive oil• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Set up grill for direct/indirect heat, 350 degrees (you can do this by puttingcharcoal on only one side or using one side of gas grill).

Butterfly the pork tenderloin and pound itslightly to thin it out. Top with the gouda,bacon, parsley, and 1/8 tsp black pepper.

Roll the pork tenderloin up and tie withtwine or toothpicks.

Rub tenderloin with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Place over direct heat 2-3 minutes eachside until brown, move tenderloin to indirect side of grill and cook until internaltemp reaches 145-150 degrees (about 35-45 minutes). Remove tenderloin and letit rest 10 minutes covered loosely with foil.


46 » market » Claire Stewart » Photos by Ian McCalister

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48 » market » Claire Stewart » Photos by Ian McCalister

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EVOLUTION OFTHE MAN CAVE

Guys used to sneak away to a basement or garage with a comfy recliner andremote control for voluntary solitary confinement. But today’s man cave hasevolved into a multi-purpose room for a guy to share with his friends and fam-ily and express what he loves in life. Whether it’s hunting, rolling the dice, relivinga vacation, or just watching some good old-fashioned football, today’s man caveis the ultimate way to escape. We peeked inside some of the area’s coolest spacesto share a few ideas with you—just in time for kick off. (Continued)

PHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD AND DANNY MITCHELLTEXT BY LAURA ANDERS LEE AND WILL WHALEY

PHARMACY OWNER KEVIN ARNOLD’S MAN CAVE IN SPRING VALLEY is old-fashioned,Southern, and classic—”it never goes out of style,” he says. When Kevin and his wife Leahwere building their Southern Living Idea House in 2007, they wanted a home for enter-taining their family and friends. Set in the countryside among rolling hills and pastures,the grand home features a man cave that reflects the Arnold’s lifestyle of entertaining,hunting, and watching Alabama football.

Kevin and his wife Leah, who are originally from Cullman, have a love for history and fam-ily heritage. Honoring his late grandmother Bernice Bailey, Kevin displays an antique pianoand pew from Evergreen Methodist Church in Danville, where his grandmother attendedas a child. Kevin brings more historic flair with a pressed tin ceiling and an antique bar fromReclaimed Wood in Hartselle, which they had to lower into the basement with a cranebefore the rest of the house was built. “You could say the house was literally built aroundthe bar,” Kevin laughs. He also proudly showcases Nick Saban-signed Sports Illustrated cov-ers and old pharmaceutical bottles, which his customers have shared with him from VillageDiscount Drugs and West Point Pharmacy. The Arnold’s man cave includes a pool table,guest bedroom, and bathroom, which come in handy during storms, and there’s even aseparate shower for their two-year-old lab Moses. But perhaps the best of all are the tro-phies from each of the Arnold’s hunting trips, which include an African deer, Yukon elk, anda Canadian caribou. But don’t give Kevin all the credit. His wife Leah is a sharp-shooter, too.


A HUNTER’S DENKEVIN ARNOLD, SPRING VALLEY


CHANGES IN LATITUDEDENNY WINTERS, FLORENCE


IT’S ALWAYS SUMMER INSIDE DENNY WINTERS’ MAN CAVE. Denny and his wife Mercylove entertaining, whether it’s hosting a carefully-planned fund-raiser or an impromptuneighborhood gathering. When the couple isn’t at their Indian River home, they lovevacationing at the beach. So that’s why they’ve recreated a little tropical vacation inDenny’s man cave, and they’ve extended an open invitation to friends and family who areknown to drop by almost every night of the week. “You know, they come over, rehash theday, have a drink, and try to solve the world’s problems,” Mercy says. Their guests also liketo participate in Triathlons, which consist of pool, foosball, and darts.

Do-It-Yourselfers, Denny and Mercy transformed the basement themselves. Walls are asbright and warm as the couple’s personality. Mercy painted most of the art, and Dennyis responsible for all the handiwork, and for discovering some unique pieces like an oldRC Cola sign. While Denny tiled the floors himself and installed the ceiling, his mostimpressive work is perhaps the bar, which he made himself with wood and old tin andthen topped with 2,800 bottle caps, collected from various parties and brought back fromfriends during their world travels. Of course every good host also provides cold beer andgreat food, so there is always beer on tap in the kegerator and oftentimes a friendly com-petition like a rib cook-off. Denny’s next project is building a kitchen. “He makes gumboand makes the biggest mess so I want him out of the upstairs,” Mercy laughs.


FOR RUSTY ALEXANDER’S MAN CAVE, IT IS VIVA LAS VEGAS! As a builder and owner ofAlexander Modern Homes, Rusty loves thinking outside of the box and says his “lake-modern” house on Wilson Lake in Muscle Shoals was his most challenging project to date.The property is special to Rusty because it’s where he grew up. “I’ve lived here my wholelife, literally on this spot,” he says. Rusty and his wife Lisa bulldozed two older homes tobuild their dream home—built with three containers of stone—which has since won aBALA award, a national recognition from the homebuilders association.

With five grown kids, Rusty and Lisa love taking semi-annual trips to Vegas, but whenthey’re home, they still want plenty of quality family time. That’s why the couple is re-creating a casino, complete with gaming tables, contemporary furniture, and modern artlike a Murano glass sculpture that seems to drip from the ceiling. To further set the mood,the couple has installed chic lighting like George Nelson saucer lamps and a sophisti-cated sound system that plays the Wynn Las Vegas’s soundtrack. The Alexander house isdivided when it comes to college football (Lisa is an Auburn fan, and Rusty pulls for Ala-bama), but that doesn’t stop them from enjoying the Iron Bowl on their 144-inchprojector screen TV. Perfect for watching multiple games, three more televisions aremounted above their bar.


HIGH ROLLIN’ ON THE RIVERRUSTY ALEXANDER, MUSCLE SHOALS


KEN AND LORAINE NOLAND LOVE MOVIES. In fact, their first date more than 30 years ago was to see Indiana Jones and the Temple ofDoom. So when Ken designed his man cave in their new house at the Preserve at Clayton Pond, he wanted a state-of-the-art theaterroom. “We enjoy it so much more than going to the movies,” Ken says. Ken, who does marketing for Yulista, and Loraine, who is a salesexecutive for Mary Kay, talk to people all day long. “By the time we get home, we just need to veg,” Loraine says. “Having that space tounwind is just wonderful.”

Ken has an 82-inch 3D DLP Mitsubishi home cinema along with four leather chairs, each with its own 5.1 Dolby Digital sound system.“It works out well because I can turn the sound up, while my wife likes it down.”

On the walls are posters of the couple’s favorite movies, including Temple of Doom, Tombstone, and Pirates of the Caribbean, which is anew favorite of their grandchildren. Ken installed onyx sconces with dimmers to set the mood, and a nearby bar with kegerator allowshim to pour a cold one before settling in for a movie, a fight, or an Alabama game with his friends and family.

But the highlight of the theater room is the star-studded ceiling, which Ken created himself by installing fiber optic cables through 256ceiling tiles. “I’m a technical person, so I didn’t just want twinkle lights, I wanted the Northern hemisphere,” he says. Ken used 256 chartsof the night’s sky, one for each ceiling tile, to create the Milky Way, complete with Orion, the big dipper, and all. While the Nolands loveentertaining their friends and family, there’s nothing quite like a romantic evening under the stars.

THE BIG PICTUREKEN NOLAND, HUNTSVILLE

Photos on these pages by Danny Mitchell

TEXT BY CLAIRE STEWART » PHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELL AND BRIGETTE CHRISTOPHER

60 » everybody’s business

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | NOAL AMAG.COM | 61

Most bakers dream of opening a business all of their life, but not Ashley and Taylor Ramirez. Instead, this couplefounded the Mason Dixon Bakery out of necessity.

Taylor and Ashley met when they were living in North Carolina. Ashley was gettingher Ph.D. in chemistry at Duke, and Taylor was getting his MBA at the University ofNorth Carolina. Soon after their meeting, Ashley discovered she had a severe sensi-tivity to gluten. Gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, and rye, is a major staple inAmerican diets, and trying to adhere to a strict gluten-free diet is very challenging.

For a while, Ashley and Taylor would eat separate dinners, hers gluten-free and his“gluten-full,” as Ashley says. “It worked for a while, but washing double the amountof pans and making two kinds of dishes each night began to be tiring and costly,” shesays. Limiting the amount of cross-contamination of the gluten was difficult also.Even the sponges you use to clean dishes or the silverware used in cooking couldshare trace amounts of gluten that could upset the stomach of someone with agluten intolerance. Just 10 milligrams (essentially one crumb) of gluten can upsettheir stomach. “Taylor finally told me he would eat gluten-free with me, but it wouldhave to be good food. So I started baking,” she says.

“The first few batches of gluten-free foods were awful,” Ashley admits. But soon, shedecided to put her chemistry background to use and began perfecting the art ofgluten-free baking. The couple had refined their recipes by the time they moved toHuntsville this past year. To their dismay, they found there were hardly any restau-rants or markets that specifically catered to gluten-free clients. Ashley thoughtsomething needed to be done.

“I know when I started eating gluten-free, I always felt like a burden,” Ashley says.“My friends had to choose where we went to eat depending on my needs, and Ialways felt that it annoyed people. I felt like the difficult one of the group. That is whyI wanted to open Mason Dixon—so people can walk in our doors and know they canchoose from everything we have.”

With Ashley’s chemistry experience put toward the baking and Taylor’s businessexperience put toward the commercial aspects, the two decided to make the firstexclusively gluten-free bakery in the Huntsville area. Ashley and Taylor began sell-ing their products first out of the local farmer’s markets. You may have seen themat Greene Street Market on Thursdays, Madison City Farmers Market on Saturdays,or Decatur Farmers Market on Tuesdays, but as of this month, they will be servingbaked goodness out of their storefront on Memorial Drive South in Huntsville. “Wehad huge success when we started out at the local markets. I think word trav-eled in the community that we had substantial, locally made gluten-freeproducts, and people came in droves.”

You may have heard the words“gluten-free,” “paleolithic,” and“vegan” tossed around in dietarytalk. They are all different and canbe hard to distinguish between foroutsiders.

GLUTENFREE DIETExcludes all food that contain thegluten protein, which is usuallymost breads, cookies, cereals, andbeers. Some of those who use thisdiet for medical needs are thosediagnosed with Celiac disease orwheat allergies.

PALEOLITHIC DIETAlso called “paleo” or “the cave-man diet,” this diet consists offoods that can be hunted andfished, such as meat, offal, andseafood, and foods that can begathered, such as eggs, fruit, nuts,seeds, vegetables, mushrooms,herbs, and spices—nothingprocessed or additionally refinedby humans can be eaten.

VEGAN DIETRejects all animal products. This ranges from meat, eggs, anddairy, to fur, leather, and wool.Consumption of honey is debat-able in the world of vegan diets.From surveys done by Taylor andAshley in the area, Huntsville veg-ans seem to be okay eating honeyin their diet.

We have made some children their first birthdaycake! And the bread that we make has been someof the bread on a child’s first sandwich. Being ableto make a difference to someone like that is whatmotivates us to keep going.” —Taylor Ramirez

A soy-free,dairy-free, and gluten-freechocolate chipdonut

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This also got the attention of professionals in the area. Ashleyhas begun talking to local doctors who work with those whohave gluten sensitivities to discuss dietary needs and options.The Ramirez’s have also been providing their goods andknowledge to restaurants in the area who are interested in pro-viding options for their customers. You can find some of theirfoods in Commerce Kitchen, Below the Radar, Sady’s Bistro inMadison, Happy Heart Market in Hartselle, and Earth andStone Wood Fired Pizzas.

Along with making foods that cater to gluten-free diets, paleodiets, and vegan diets (see sidebar), Taylor and Ashley alsomake some foods without soy, dairy, or eggs to accommodateother food allergies. There really is something for everyone inthis bakery. Even those that have no dietary restrictions sam-ple their products and are amazed by the taste and depth offlavor these items have, without any gluten.

And if you think these foods are too light and won’t give yousome of the dietary benefits you need, you are mistaken. Theirmuffins have eight grams of protein, their breakfast bars havesix grams of protein, and their paleo sandwich bread has sevengrams of protein!

When you walk in the door of the Mason Dixon bakery, thesmell is mouthwatering. If that doesn’t make you hungry, walk-ing around and seeing their food products will. In the fridgeyou will see flourless chocolate tortes, chocolate walnut bread,triple-layer carrot cakes, and mascarpone cheesecakes. In thedisplay case in the front, you will see strawberry cupcakes,peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes, and carrot cake cup-cakes with goat cheese icing and well as muffins and brownies.Stacked on tall racks along the walls, you will find savory treatslike cheddar biscuits, focaccia bread, hamburger buns, and fla-vored breads—and you will have to remind yourself it is allgluten-free. Right now, you can special order any of their prod-ucts from their space on Memorial Parkway—includingbirthday cakes. In the upcoming year, the couple hopes to havea full menu in their space. They also want to have a sort of mini-market for people to buy baking items. “We want people to beable to buy a pound of coconut flour or a large case of almondbutter to bake their own foods and not have to buy it online. Wewant them to buy it all locally,” she says.

No matter how many people come through the door or howmany late hours are spent making the perfect gluten-free treat,Ashley and Taylor Ramirez work for the people who needthem, not for their own gain. “We work for the people who feellike they have no options. We are here to satisfy the missinglink between children who can’t eat gluten and the good foodthey sometimes miss,” Taylor says. “We have made some chil-dren their first birthday cake! And the bread that we make hasbeen some of the bread on a child’s first sandwich. Being ableto make a difference to someone like that is what motivates usto keep going.”

Mason Dixon creates a variety of gluten-free treats. Clockwise, from top: Paleo German chocolate cake, sandwich bread, blackberrytarts, cheddar biscuits, a slice of the German chocolate cake, cupcakes,and cake pops.


I know when I started eating gluten-free, I always felt like a burden. My friends had to choose wherewe went to eat depending on my needs.” —Ashley Ramirez

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TEXT BY LAURA ANDERS LEE » PHOTOS BY IAN MCCALISTER


“This is how I was raised. There’s a sense of freedom. Every day you get up with a purpose. I want [my children] to develop a

work ethic that will carry them through life.” —Stewart McGill

A New Kind of Family Farm


IN 1948, HOMER TATE WAS A LOTLIKE EVERYONE ELSE. He ran his family’sfarm, plowing his land with a mule andpicking cotton by hand. But today the Tatefamily is part of just two percent ofAlabamians still engaged in farming,according to a study by Auburn University.With technological and economicalchanges, many traditional farmers likeHomer have had to think outside the box toremain competitive so they’re not forced tosell the farm.

Nearly 20 years ago, Homer, who was grow-ing cotton, corn, wheat, and soybeans on his5,000-acre property, was faced with a busi-ness decision that threatened the family’slong-standing farming heritage, dating backto 1810.

“Back in the late 90s with the housing boom,real estate developers were calling wantingto buy up farm land,” says Stewart McGill,husband of Homer’s granddaughter Kaseywho also works on the family farm. “We gotoffered millions of dollars. We had to decideto farm or sell out. We wanted to stay infarming but we had to have supplementalincome. We thought we could teach peopleabout agriculture.”

So the family, including Homer’s three sonsand nephew, along with their wives andchildren, decided to devote five acres ofTate Farms to growing pumpkins, and thenthey invited school children to come visit.The first year, they had 20 schools.

“Today we have 28 schools a day,” says Stew-art, whose primary responsibility is runningthe pumpkin patch and the farm’s agri-

Stewart andKasey McGill withtheir daughterAllie


tourism business. “My goal this year is to grow 22 tons of pumpkins per acre on 60 acres, and we’ll offer90 different varieties of pumpkins.”

The pumpkins have proven to be a cash crop. The pumpkin patch, open from September 23-October 31,has become a popular fall attraction for families who want an authentic farm experience. Over the years,Stewart and his family have added a barnyard playground, hayrides, a petting zoo, and a country store forfall items and goodies like pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread. Stewart converted an old John Deere cottonpicker into a kids slide and made two 40-foot tube slides out of water pipes. A tire tower and 2,100 squarefoot jumping pillow are also a big hit with the kids, along with finding the perfect pumpkin, of course.

Tate Farms has also become a retreat location for area companies and a wedding site for couples whowant something beyond the typical boardroom and reception hall.

“We have the capability to feed 6,000 people a day,” says Stewart. “We can put picnic tables out in the grassand serve pulled pork, potato salad, slaw—the whole nine yards. And because of Pinterest, everyone wantsan outdoor wedding on a farm.”

Stewart says they host about two dozen weddings a year, and they just completed the construction of a newparty barn to host large crowds inside in case of rain.

Above, top right:Cristall Brown,Michele Tate,Stewart McGill,and Sherri Tate

Right: The haybale maze is agreat place forsmall kids toexplore.


70 | NOALAPRESS.COM | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013



As a result of the Tate family’s hard work and creativity, their destination is getting noticed. In July, Gov.Robert Bentley visited Tate Farms to learn more about agriculture as part of the Madison County Farm-ers Federation.

“Anytime you can have the governor come, it’s really an honor to be in that class,” Stewart says. “He’s notgoing to the Space and Rocket Center or the civic center, he’s coming to us. It’s a huge compliment.”

While Stewart and Kasey love sharing her grandfather’s farm with others, they are especially proud toshare it with their own family as they raise another generation of farmers to continue the 200-year Tatetradition. They have a two-year-old daughter Allie and another girl on the way, a “pumpkin baby” Stew-art calls her since she’s due in October during the peak season.

“This is how I was raised,” Stewart says, gesturing out to the fields beyond. “There’s a sense of freedom.Every day you get up with a purpose. I want them to develop a work ethic that will carry them through life.”

For a few weeks this fall, all North Alabama families can get a little taste of what life is like on the farm.

In addition tobeing a workingfarm (growingcorn, wheat, soybeans, pump-kins, and cotton)Tate Farms is alsoavailable forevents of all typesand sizes.

Above: The barn-yard playgroundoffers lots ofactivities for kids,including farmanimals to pet;Facing page: Thecorn crib providesa great spot tounwind after anafternoon of play.

TEXT BY LAURA ANDERS LEE » PHOTOS COURTESY OF ESPN



Rece Davis is the envy of every sports fan. He gets paidto watch football and basketball and then talk about it for hours on end. And what’s more enviable aboutRece is that he’s just a good ol’ regular guy. He’s a loyal son and husband, and he’s a dedicated father of two,attending his daughter’s dance recitals and his son’s baseball games. (In fact, he took a break from his son’stournament in Peachtree City, Georgia to give No’Ala a call for this interview.)

While Rece has climbed the ranks at ESPN to become one of America’s favorite sports commentators, heremains grounded by his Southern roots. He grew up with what many might consider to be Alabama’s holytrinity: church, family, and college football.

“I was the kid who not only played every season, I was the kid who loved watching everything,” Recerecalls. “When I was a kid in elementary school, a college athlete would be on TV maybe five times overthe course of two years. Fans now would think that was unthinkable. I would hit the radio dial just rightso I could listen to the Braves each summer. It created a romanticized version of sports. You have to lis-ten to the broadcast and paint the picture. You have to imagine what the field looks like. I had such apassion for it. It clicked something within me.”

Rece played basketball and football for Muscle Shoals High School, where he graduated in 1984, and heeven tried walking on to the University of Alabama’s basketball team, but when that didn’t pan out, hedecided to go into sports broadcasting.

Above: Davis on set at ESPN’s head-quarters in Bristol,Connecticut

“I loved college football and college bas-ketball and wanted to be part of it,” saysRece. “While I might not have beengood enough to be on the field, it’s greatI found another avenue where I could bethere.”

In college, when Rece spoke of being abroadcaster on ESPN or another bignetwork to peers and professors, manyreacted with skepticism, and as Recesays, “they were trying to save me fromwhat they thought was an unrealisticdream.” But his parents were different.

“He (my father) and my mother alwayssupported me and told me to dream big,to not let people tell me I can’t dothings,” he says. “That was instrumentalin my career.”

Rece’s mother Janice passed away 11years ago, but his father, Jerry, still livesin Tuscumbia and is retired from TVA.

After college, Rece landed a job as asportscaster for WRBL in Columbus,Georgia, where his soon-to-be wifeLeigh was working in sales. A Georgianative, she had attended Auburn andthen Troy, so the two bet on the IronBowl game in 1990. Alabama beatAuburn 16-7 in Gene Stallings’ debutseason for the Crimson Tide.

“The loser had to buy or provide the other with a steak dinner,”Rece recalls. “I was very grateful to Gene Stallings that the hotshot ad exec picked up the tab for the poor broadcaster.”

The pair later married and moved to Connecticut, by way ofDetroit, to ESPN’s headquarters, where Rece is a college bas-ketball and football studio host and SportsCenter anchor. Butfame hasn’t gotten to Rece. The couple has instilled theirSouthern values, their faith, and their sense of family in theirchildren.

“My kids have Connecticut on their birth certificate but they’reSouthern by blood,” Rece says. “Our kids were sort of greetedwith raised eyebrows because of the ‘yes sir, no sir’ thing.”

Besides their Southern manners, Rece’s children have inher-ited a love for sweet tea, Dreamland Bar-B-Que, andChick-fil-A, which Rece says they hit as soon as they land inAtlanta. And like their parents, the Davis children have grown

© ESP

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ages

As a senior at MuscleShoals High Schoolin 1984, Rece Daviswas a schoolreporter and varsitybasketball player.



up loving sports. Rece’s son has fol-lowed his mother’s allegiance toAuburn, while his daughter remains aloyal Alabama fan. “My wife and sonwent with me to the Auburn/Oregonnational championship; my daughter isan Alabama fan and wanted no part ofthe trip. I’ve taken my daughter to watchAlabama play in the NIT in basketball.”

But these days, Rece is rarely allowed tobe a fan. You probably won’t find him ina No. 15 cap cheering “Roll Tide.” As asports broadcaster for ESPN, he mustput his job above his allegiance to hisalma mater, something that many die-hard fans—whether Alabama orAuburn—cannot fathom.

“A fan never has to look at it through aprism of objectivity, but we are asked tolook through a prism of fairness,” saysRece. “I don’t think it’s as hard as peoplethink because you do it for a living. Youdevelop relationships and friendshipswith people from other schools. Ilearned this when I worked in Colum-bus. It’s not a bunch of guys in orangeand blue…they are good people. StanWhite is a good guy. You develop rela-tionships with them. You humanizethem.”

“Will Friend, the offensive line coach atGeorgia, played at Alabama, but his jobat the SEC championship last year wasto beat them. You have a great affinityfor Alabama, but you have a job to do.There is no person alive who does thisjob and doesn’t care about their team,but you want to do the job first.”

Of course being married to an Auburn fan has probably helped prepare Rece to befair on game days (if he wants a place to sleep at night), and Rece also credits hisfather for always being a level-headed, practical fan.

“Dad enjoys the games for what they are—he keeps it in really good perspective,”says Rece. “If all of the sports fans were like my dad, there would not be any messageboards, and there would just be games. But of course, having a deep-rooted passionkeeps it fun, as long as fans don’t go overboard. That’s why we can put 100,000 peo-ple in stadiums across the country.”

As Rece was growing up in the 70s and 80s, watching a game on television was arare treat, while today’s sports fans have 24/7 access through dozens of sports chan-nels and social media outlets. Rece, who has almost 150,000 followers on Twitter,finds this challenging.

© ESP

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ages

Above: Davis covering the 2010 Rose Bowl, BCS ChampionshipGame—The Univer-sity of Texas vs Alabama.


“It’s always nice when people tweet, especially when it’s com-plimentary,” he says. “But anonymity comes with thatkeyboard, and it’s not always nice. When those momentscome, it’s challenging not to fire back. I pause before I hit send,good or bad.”

“One tweet I found wildly amusing was after the Olympicswhen Bolt won the gold medal for the 100 meter,” he adds. “Itweeted, ‘but could he really get behind an SEC defensive back?’You would not believe the avalanche of people who thought Iwas serious. My son and I really got a kick out of that.”

Rece and his son may joke around together, but they are seri-ous when it comes to his future.

“My son’s an aspiring baseball player—he’s a high school player,and he’s really good,” Rece says. “I’ve told him ‘I don’t know ifyou can play in college or in the major leagues, but if you don’tbelieve you can do it, then you definitely can’t do it.’”

It is this drive, this confidence that has set Rece Davis apartfrom other regular guys…well, that and his pocket squares.

“I will say this about pocket squares,” Rece laughs. “My friend’sgrandfather had a quote that I like to say. ‘Nine out of 10 mendon’t wear pocket squares, and you don’t want to dress likenine out of 10.’”

I loved college football and college basketball and wanted to be part of it.While I might not have been good enough to be on the field,

it’s great I found another avenue where I could be there. —Rece Davis

© ESP

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ages


We’re having a cake contest. Send usyour very best cake recipe - for a layer cake,pound cake or Bundt cake - and the best threewill be printed in the 2013 Holiday issue ofNo’Ala Huntsville. The overall winner will getdinner on us, and the fame that comes from

being acknowledged as the best cake makeranywhere! Share your favorite cake recipe

with our readers, and give other familiessomething delicious to bake for the holidays.

It will be fun! DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION IS

October 1.

We’re looking for “Bless Your Heart”writers. The “Bless Your Heart” column appears in every issue, and can be a gentle rant,a humorous story, or an essay about somethingyou are passionate about. We can’t promisewe’ll print them all, but if you have a

topic you feel strongly about and would like tosubmit, you have an open invitation. Essays

should be between 800 and 1,000 words, and in-clusion is subject to review. (There’s also no for-tune it in - only fame.) If you want a forum for a

great story, this might just be a piece of cake!

Submit recipes and essays to [email protected]

Amanda Chapman(left) transformsBrandi McGuyer intothe Queen of Hearts.



TEXT BY ALLEN TOMLINSON » PHOTOS BY EVAN TIDWELL AND AMANDA CHAPMAN

Photo by Evan Tidwell

OR HOW A NORTH ALABAMA PHOTOGRAPHER CAPTIVATEDA COMMUNITY WITH HER MAKEUP MAGIC

Amanda Chapman is modest.“I’m not a professional makeup artist,” shesays. “I’m just a girl who loves Halloween. Alot.” A photographer and stylist, Amanda hasa keen eye for detail, so when she designs herHalloween costume, it becomes a labor oflove—and it is exquisite.

Sometimes, it’s hard to decide what to be.Last year, Amanda decided to create a differ-ent look every day in October, and shephotographed herself after each makeup ses-sion and posted the results on Facebook. Theresults varied between fantasy—charactersfrom Alice in Wonderland or other works offiction—and macabre. The most amazingpart was her total transformation; sheseemed to melt away and become her subject.

Amanda’s 1,600+ Facebook followers weredelighted. Every day, Amanda disappearedand what took her place was delightful, cre-ative—and sometimes scary. “I had morethan one person tell me they decided on theirHalloween costume based on somethingthey saw me do,” she says.

Because of her skill, No’Ala Huntsville askedAmanda to take a family of three and trans-form them for the holiday. The McGuyerfamily, Carter, Brandi, and daughter Zoie,were willing volunteers. Amanda decided totransform them into characters from Alice inWonderland, using costumes and foundobjects from her own closet and from thewardrobe rooms of several local theatergroups. It took a lot of basic white pancakefoundation to provide the backdrop for thepainted faces, but “all three McGuyers werepatient and willing subjects,” says Amanda.The McGuyer family disappeared, and whatreappeared was a cast of characters directlyfrom a Tim Burton movie, complete in everydetail from Brandi’s heart-shaped lips,Carter’s tall top hat, to Zoie’s mouse. If thisfamily appears at your door this Halloween,you might be too fascinated to offer themtreats; instead, you might decide to invitethem inside for a tea party.

Amanda owns Amanda Chapman Photogra-phy and has a growing wedding photobusiness. It’s obvious that she has an artist’seye for detail, and it’s very clear that she’s agirl that just loves Halloween. A lot.

AMANDA CHAPMAN’S“31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN”In October of 2012 Amanda created one makeup look eachday and photographed the results. She posted these por-traits on her Facebook page. Here are a few of her favorites.Above, clockwise from top left: An interpretation of a “SugarSkull” (Calaveras de Azúcar) from the Mexican celebration,“Day of the Dead,” or All Souls Day; a classic zombie; theMad Hatter from Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland; a Na'vicharacter from the film Avatar. The real Amanda Chapman ispictured at left.



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Right: The McGuyer family, after theirtransformation into the characters fromTim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Above:The McGuyers: Carter, Zoie, and Brandi.

THE MCGUYERFAMILY GETSTHE CHAPMANTOUCH



“I'M NOT A PROFESSIONAL MAKEUPARTIST. I'M JUST A GIRL WHO LOVESHALLOWEEN. A LOT.” —AMANDA CHAPMAN

86 » scene

* Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

Above: The Big Easy Speakeasy—Dining With Friends Dessert Reception

JUNE 15, 2013 BARON BLUFF AT BURRITT ON THE MOUNTAIN

Priscilla Underwoodand Donna Haynes

Chris Klaus, Keri Klaus, Bob Haynes, DonnaHaynes, Sylvia Haynes, Steven Haynes, andSarah Haynes

Erin Johnsonand Jake Barrow

Rebekah Bynumand Laura Tovar Kelly Smith, Rebecca Haynes,

and Lea Downey

Yvette Sparks, Martha Howard,and Melody Battle

Al and Rene ElliottDavid Sims, Chuck Vaughn, Allen Tomlinson, Jeff Johnson,and Donna Joffrion

Walton Harless and Ignacio Carrera Russell Mann, Austin

White, Miles Johnson,and LeCedrious Brown

Zabriya Caudle

Janella Griggs, London Crutcher,and De Ashton Johnson

© Jeff White Photography

Below: Give It Back Track 5KAUGUST 10, 2013 BUTLER TERRACE COMMUNITY

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT LIVING ABROAD IN A WINE-PRODUCING COUNTRYis the opportunity to taste great bottles at a fraction of the imported cost. When I firstmoved to Buenos Aires, where most of the wines sold are made in Argentina (imports arefew and very expensive), shopping the supermarket aisles provided a sound education. I rec-ognized many labels from the Manhattan stores I had left behind, though I’d never tried anyof them. For three or four dollars you could get a bottle of Malbec that easily cost 14 or 15stateside. It didn’t take long to find a few bottles I loved (though I desperately missed thehigh acid, earthy, rustic French wines that course through my veins).

The next great thing about living abroad in a wine-producing country is pairing the nativewines with the nation’s celebrated foods. In Argentina, this combination means Malbecand asados. Asado basically translates as “grilled meat,” primarily Argentine grass-fed beef,though lamb and pork are also common. Sundays are family days, the streets of BuenosAires eerily quiet while citizens travel to the countryside for an estancia asado—a back-yard grill fest at a ranch estate, often with horses and a pool. The less affluent gather on theirhigh-rise apartment terraces or rooftops or backyards to grill an array of cuts, often start-ing with chori-pan—sandwiches of grilled pork sausage on a hoagie-style roll. One doesn’thave to wait until Sunday, or an invitation from a local, to experience the essence of theasado. Restaurants called parillas occupy every corner of the city, serving up lomo (ten-derloin), entraña (skirt steak), bife de chorizo (sirloin, or New York strip steak), anddelicacies like morcilla. Morcilla is Spanish for blood sausage, which is exactly as it sounds:cooked until coagulated porcine blood stuffed into a sausage casing, with a rich, feral taste,and not for the faint of heart. My favorite parillas always had terrible atmospheres, withhigh ceilings, bright, unflattering overhead lights, and sparse artwork on the walls. Theservers were always men, dressed in black pants and white button-down shirts. Raw meathung above the open grill while a cloud of cigarette smoke hovered over the heads ofpatrons. It was not the ideal setting for a hangover, but the Malbec always helped, and thelomo was always superb.

Malbec is a red wine grape traditionally cultivated in Bordeaux, France, where it is blendedwith Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It has fallen out of favor there, though still plays theprimary role in Cahors, and smaller roles in some red wines from the Loire Valley (Anjou,Coteaux de Loire) where it’s known as Cot. Malbec produces a wine deep in color, almostblack, and is capable of producing high alcohol, fruity wines in Mendoza, Argentina, which

88 » the vine » Amy Collins

Asados and Argentina

A vineyard at the foot of the Andes, in Mendoza, Argentina

Beginner’s Sipper (under $15)Parados Cabernet Sauvignon 2012—a beautiful, easydrinking Cabernet indicative of Mendoza.

Knows Just Enough to Make Trouble ($15-$35)

Lamadrid Bonarda 2008—From famed winemaker Hec-tor Durigutti, the Bonarda is neither fined nor filtered,showing rich aromatics and soft tannins.

High Roller’s Cuveé ($50+)Don Manuel Villafane Gran Reserva 2007—A Malbecand Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Mendoza, withincredible structure and quality. This is your pasture-raised, hormone-free ribeye wine.

Follow Amy at www.pigandvine.com for more stories andwine suggestions.

has become the premier region for quality Malbec. Some Mal-becs have enough structure for aging, especially when blendedwith the Bordeaux varieties. The wines are a perfect accom-paniment to grilled red meat.

Argentina has several wine producing regions. Mendoza is byfar the most recognizable and the largest. The land here lies atthe base of the Andes Mountains and provides optimum grow-ing conditions for vines. Malbec is king, though plantings ofBonarda, a red wine grape originating in Italy, Cabernet Sauvi-gnon and Merlot are also common. Torrontés, the country’spredominate white wine grape, makes some delicious and verydistinctly aromatic wines.

La Rioja and San Juan are less famous regions abutting Men-doza to the north. Both are considerably hotter than Mendoza,and winemaking is a marginal pursuit, though a few qualityproducers are worth checking out. Patagonia, in the south,where ski enthusiasts flock in winter, produces elegant Malbecsand Pinot Noir wines (look for producers Nemesio and Fin delMundo). Salta, in the north, might be the most interestingregion. Almost desert like, the land is wide and dusty and thewineries remote. The best Torrontés comes from here, withcooler nights allowing for brighter acidity and more refreshingwines. Salta boasts the highest elevation vineyards in the world(the Hess Family’s Bodega Colomé vineyards sit at 10,200 feetabove sea level). Some visitors suffer from altitude sickness, forwhich locals recommend chewing a coca leaf.

Of course, the ideal is to visit a country in order to fullyenvelop oneself in the culture and the wines. But, fortunately,there are several Argentine wines available in Alabama, andthough the asado experience is unmatched, we Americans arequite adept at grilling up our own. A few recommendationsfor grilling out below.


YEARS AGO, MY BROTHER AND I WERE WITH MY DAD AT THE GROCERY STOREwhere we, not surprisingly, ran into somebody we knew. Much to my dad’s horror,my wise-cracking brother began humming “It’s a Small World After All.” It’s not anuncommon scene around the South, whether you’ve grown up there or not—every-body seems to know everybody. They speak to you in the grocery store and atrestaurants; they wave when they pass in the car.

The plan was to get away as fast aspossible, to make it to a big city—anybig city, really—miles up the EastCoast. I wanted to walk around withgeneral anonymity. I wanted to formmy own identity, separate from my“momma and them.”

And I did. For almost five years now,I have lived in Washington, D.C. Thiscity is a fascinating place—a meltingpot that pales only in comparison toNew York City. It’s a young city,home to some of the most ambitiousand interesting people you’ll evermeet, and full of endless things to do,see, and learn.

In a lot of ways, D.C. lives up to its stereotype. It has more than its fair share of peo-ple looking to advance their own agenda, on the Hill and off it. You learn how tonetwork quickly, and you actually use the business cards your first job gives you. Thecity is also more transient than I think anybody realizes. People come and go throughhere pretty quickly.

But like any city where you make a home, you find a niche that suits you and therest falls by the wayside. I have loved my time here.

I’ve gone home plenty of times since I moved and been to plenty of other Southerncities, but a trip last year to North Carolina put a dream in my head that would make

“Like D.C., the South also lives up to a lot of its stereotypes. Everything moves a

little bit slower there, lasts a bit longer—syllables and humid summers included.”

You Can Go Home Again

Ph

oto

by R

on

Kelly

90 » bless their hearts » Molly Tomlinson


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my high school self cringe, and laugh: I want to move back tothe South.

In a stationery store in Durham that I wandered into withfriends, we were promptly greeted by the owner. We beganchatting, and she answered every silly question we had abouther business and the bright and airy building she had reno-vated to house it. She reciprocated; she was equally curiousabout us. It sounds insignificant, but it was the longest, andmost genuine, conversation I’d had with a stranger in a longtime. And it wasn’t the only one; the entire weekend lived upto that experience.

It dawned on me as we left the store that I would’ve found herquestions suspicious or annoying—the whole conversationtaxing or unpleasant—back in D.C. That’s a tough realization—that the city might have hardened you in a way, or that youmay have unconsciously fallen in line with a pace that oftenkeeps people from extending much beyond basic commoncourtesy. I felt simultaneously guilty and nostalgic.

I’ve been shown in the most obvious and painful ways in thelast few years that life is short. I struggle, as we all do, toremember the day you are blessed to wake up to is not justsomething to get through. These are precious hours of yourlife, not to be hurried. It’s hard to remember that when you arecrammed in a metro car for 30 minutes to go a mere two milesto work, or when you lower your head and hasten your step toavoid the homeless person on the corner or the young manwith a clipboard who wants your money for the cause de jour.

Like D.C., the South also lives up to a lot of its stereotypes. Every-thing moves a little bit slower there, lasts a bit longer—syllablesand humid summers included. I never feel hurried there—some-thing I took for granted when I was growing up, and somethingI’m willing to bet a lot of you take for granted now.

The South still lives up to a lot of bad stereotypes, too, but Ihave never felt more optimistic about its future. When I readthis magazine, when I talk to friends who are starting busi-nesses, or politickin’ there, I realize there are just as manyambitious people there as there are in D.C. My grandfatherused to talk about what a great and vast network the Southwas, and my, was he right. We’re not even close to six degreesof separation from a stranger, and I don’t have to give away mybusiness cards to find that out.

Maybe it was the bowl of grits resting comfortably in my stom-ach, or maybe it was that the nice shop owner was a fluke. Ormaybe it was that I felt at home in Durham. Whatever it was,I want more of it. I’ll be back real soon now, ya hear?


92 » food for thought » Sarah Gaede

MY CHILDHOOD WAS A QUINTESSENTIALLY BABY BOOMER ONE. When I wasfive, in 1956, my family moved to a brand-new house that cost $14,900, and wasmaybe 1,200 square feet with the finished basement. It was located in a subdivisionwhere all the houses were exactly alike, except some were turned a different way onthe lot. Kids of every age were everywhere, so there was always someone to playwith. Our mothers would not have even entertained the thought of driving us some-where for a “play date.” They shooed us out of the house after breakfast. We wereallowed in for a quick lunch before being sent out again until suppertime. We rodebikes and skated and played hopscotch on the sidewalk. We rambled along the creekthat ran behind my house. In the winter, we sledded in the icy streets—even at night,when we were older. We walked to school, or rode the bus, without any parentalsupervision. With all that freedom, you can imagine what Halloween was like.

Trick or Treat was one of the highlights of our year. We began the celebration atschool in our decorated classroom with songs, stories, and cupcakes supplied by ourroom mother. This was back in the days before the evil expansion of daylight savingtime, so it was always dark when we ventured out with our brown paper bags, with-out our parents. That’s what older siblings were for, although they were not alwaysenthusiastic about their supervisory roles. The parents’ job was to sit on the porch,hand out candy, and admire costumes. Sometimes we could wheedle our mothersinto buying a costume from Woolworths (probably not flameproof, and with a maskwith tiny eyeholes, which no one worried about), but most of them were homemade.I can’t remember any of my costumes, but I’ll never forget my sister Susan’s triumphwhen she was ten. “Little Old Lady from Pasadena” by Jan and Dean was big that year,and Susan and her friend decided to go as little old ladies, with gray hair, canes, lipsstretched over teeth to simulate toothlessness, and old lady voices. They had a wholeroutine put together and were invited into many homes to perform. It took them for-ever to make their rounds. The neighbors talked about their triumph for weeks after.

After covering the entire subdivision, which seemed to take hours, we would dumpall our candy out on the newspaper-covered floor to inspect our loot, not for nee-dles or poison, which no one worried about, but for quantity and quality. There werehomemade popcorn balls and cookies, Tootsie Rolls, lots of lollipops (my favoritewere cherry Saf-T Pops, with the looped handles), and rare and precious candy bars.

In honor of those simpler times, I’m offering a homemade treat for Halloween that’sinexpensive, easy to make, and wildly impressive. Hang your ghosts from a deadbranch as a centerpiece, line them up along the table, or pop them on top of cup-cakes. (I’d go with the chocolate ones from Mason Dixon Bakery.)

Trick or Treat—Old-School Style


Meringue Ghosts

• 4 large egg whites at room temperature(save the yolks for custard)

• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar• 1 cup superfine or granulated sugar whirred

in food processor• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

extract, if you don’t mind a slight tan-ish tinge)• Candy eyes (Hobby Lobby) or mini chocolate chips• String licorice or Twizzlers (optional)

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed in anelectric mixer, using the whisk attachment, until softpeaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at atime, until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves. Beat inthe almond extract.

Preheat oven to 200°. Line a heavy baking sheet withparchment, glued down on each corner with a dab ofmeringue. Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tipwith meringue. Proceed with desired ghost formation.

Flat ghosts—Pipe 4 to 5-inch long ghostly shapes. Flat-ten out any bubbles or unwanted curls with a fingerdipped in cold water. Carefully place candy eyes orchocolate chips on ghosts. If desired, cut licorice into2-inch pieces. Firmly pinch ends together, and insert intop of each ghost as a hanger.

Puffy ghosts—Hold the pastry bag perpendicular to thebaking sheet and pipe 2-inch-high mounds ofmeringue, leaving curls on top if desired. Carefullyplace candy eyes or chocolate chips on ghosts.

Bake for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or until ghosts are dry andcrisp to the touch. Turn oven off and leave in oven tofinish drying several hours or overnight. Store in an air-tight container. Will keep for 3 or 4 days.

Note: Unbaked meringue doesn’t hold up, so bake twosheets at once if needed, on racks close to the middle ofthe oven. Rotate top to bottom and bottom to top after1 hour. Once you master these, it will be a snap to makemeringue mushrooms to decorate your Bûche de Noëlat Christmas time. There are lots of recipes online.

88.7 FM Muscle Shoals • 100.7 FM Huntsvillewww.apr.org

News, classicalmusic and more

94 » lowedown » Claire Stewart

Claire

“My grandmotheralways threw salt over

her shoulder if she spilt some salt when

she was cooking.”—Claire Schultz

Regina

“My grandmother always said that if you

walk out one door of yourhouse, you will have

to return through thesame door.”

—Regina Garson

Do you have any superstitions?

Rob

“Red lightersare bad luck.”

—Rob Loblaw

Lori

“If you are trying toconceive, you can’t let anyone vacuum

under your feet.”—Lori King-Taylor

Kristy

“Don’t walk undera ladder.”

—Kristy McCann


Tim

“My mother-in-law alwaysputs a red piece of fabric

on my daughters foreheadto make her hiccups stop.”

—Tim Laurence

Linda

“You can’t makedivinity when it

is raining.”—Linda Worley

Adam

“I have to do thesame tasks in the sameorder every morning

or my whole dayis thrown off.”

—Adam Landingham

Colby

“For our Ultimate Frisbeeteam, we believe in play-off

beards. You can’t shaveyour face when your team

is on a winning streak.”—Colby Robinson

Eugene

“Never eat milkwith fish.”

—Eugene Worley


96 » lowedown » Do you have any superstitions?

All respondents were interviewed atLowe Mill Arts & Entertainment

Becky

“A stitch in timesaves nine.”—Becky Quinn

Terri

“My mom told me that if a pregnant woman’s

behind gets larger, she isgoing to have a girl.”

—Terri French

Jaime

“If a cat crosses my pathwhen I am driving, I have

to draw an ‘X’ with my finger on my windshield.”

—Jaime Adkins

Dottie

“Step on a crack, breakyour mothers back.”

—Dottie Distelheim

Diane

“Break a mirror and it is bad luck for

seven years.”—Diane Strickland

Want to share this great place with yourfriends? A subscription to No’AlaHuntsvillemakes a great gift. While supplies last, we’ll even throw in a

special No’Ala tote bag. Visit noalapress.com for all the details.

Bless your heart!


98 » parting shot » Ian McCalister

Pup music fan

No'Ala Huntsville, September/October 2013

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