Healthy Cravings beefs up its offerings
Folks looking for locally raised Angus beef have a new option
Over the past eleven years, Healthy Cravings owners Amy and Matt Gilson have made a name for themselves with a delicious selection of protein-rich, heart-smart snacks and cookies.
Now they’ve got beef.
Beef with each other? Well, sorta. Matt Gilson told me on Friday he and Amy are officially on the road to cattle barony via AMG Farms in Ames.
The Gilsons are raising cattle on the open range on family property in Major County. Cattle choose from 16 native grasses for seasonal dining and spent grain from local breweries when nothing’s growing. The Gilsons inject no antibiotics into their herd, which produces USDA-inspected, pure Angus beef.
But beef isn’t the only concern Healthy Cravings has. Matt shared a couple fresh-baked cookies larger than previous iterations.
The new three-ounce versions have a larger center, which Matt said gives you “three solid bites at the nut of the cookie.”
Healthy Cravings launched 11 years ago last month, producing protein snacks made with natural sweeteners, non-GMO and organic ingredients. Despite a global pandemic that kept them from their kitchen longer than necessary, they continue to offer more than a dozen snack blends plus another half dozen or so for private labels.
Amy was the sole proprietor when the business launched, with Matt still off installing fire-suppression systems in restaurants. Matt eventually joined the team full-time, first serving as chief kitchen plow horse until his recent graduation to de facto cattle-rancher.
He said they will start by offering packaged ground beef before they grow into offering steaks and chops. For information, check out the Healthy Cravings website or follow them on social media where you will soon see the hashtag: #whatthebeef.
Plaza property hoedown nigh
As you may recall, Mexican Radio moved out of the district at the end of February with plans to reopen in Midtown this summer. Ran into Aurora co-owner Jamie Winteroth who told me she and her husband Jordan were about to move Aurora and combine it with another of their holdings, Social Deck and Dining, in the new space.
Aurora’s new home was the space Mexican Radio vacated. So, Aurora will move a couple doors down and the Social space will become a private kitchen and venue. Jamie said Social Deck & Dining will continue to operate to the public through Memorial Day weekend. She said Aurora will continue to operate in its current space right up to the move, though there might be a day or two when it’s not in operation. Either way, look for all of this to be settled by the beginning of July.
Alma is official
As I mentioned in the story about his victorious appearance on Chopped last week, the restaurant chef Zach Hutton installs in the former Ludivine will be called Alma. Just as I wrote previously, the name is in honor of Hutton’s grandmother. The grandmother that helped raise him and his twin brother in Apache, feeding him off the fat of the land.
The same grandmother who was on hand to celebrate his victory at Ponyboy.
Hutton first put that inspiration into expression at Scratch Paseo, leading to a 2021 James Beard Foundation semifinalist nod. In the fall, he took over the kitchen of GHST Bar and Kitchen for Trent Ward, which led to this new partnership.
Zach’s wife Kayla will jump behind the bar to perform the cocktail sorcery that made Scratch such a premium destination for drinks. He promises to stick to the hyperlocal principles that first gained him notice, and he’s determined to inspire the 405 diningscape to follow his lead. If he has his way, Zach will be growing vegetables on the rooftop to bring his point home.
Salvadorean salvation
We’re a little more than halfway through the month of April, and I still have trips to four James Beard-nominated restaurants and the Big Bite 2024 food festival to go, but the meal currently clinging to the No. 1 spot for April dining comes from Sabor Guanaco in Norman.
Tried three varieties of pupusa, bistek with eggs, house-made corn tortillas and curtido to die for. This place opened just a few months ago and also includes a small bakery. Plans for a move to a larger location just down the street from its Lindsey location are already under way.
This place is truly a revelation. If you like your South American cuisine legit, this is a place to start. …
Tabouli school was in session
Norman also played host to the Lebanese Heritage and Food Festival at Our Lady of Lebanon Church last week. The congregation threw a party that included belly-dancing, a bake sale and Lebanese food hot off the grill.
The food was delicious, but my personal takeaway had to do with tabouli. Among my Lebanese friends, division lines are drawn from the kitchen. Tomato sauce applied to cabbage rolls is akin to fightin’ words to some. Even more fraught with peril is the amount of parsley the tabouli gets.
“I hate when I see grain,” Nicole Thomas, whose full-blooded Lebanese pride fiercely contests parsley levels in tabouli. “But there are places that do too much. You shouldn’t have a shrub growing out of your teeth after one bite.”
An ignorant gringo, I’ve heard tabouli-talk like Nicole’s for years but never let it stop me from leaning right into tabouli at places like Zorba’s. However, the tabouli at this event was more tabbouleh than any tabouli I’ve ever eaten. Was blind but now I see, er taste, the difference. Also learned you can combine tabouli with tahini for a condiment. Who knew? …
Make plans now!
Made lunch for the Big Kahuna on Thursday to prepare for our Okie-style Cinco de Mayo collaboration next month. Chef Kevin Lee joined us for pozole, cochinita pibil, smoked chicken tacos, refritos rojos, chorizo rice, guacamole and salsa in rojo and verde. Just a sneak peek, but you should know by now that tickets are now live. …
Finally, a reminder about Big Bite 2024 in Tulsa on Saturday. Flywheel is producing the event, which includes chefs and restaurants from around the state in downtown Tulsa. I’m hosting a discussion with three-time James Beard Award nominee and current Best Chef Southwest finalist Jeff Chanchaleune. If you’re at Big Bite, don’t miss Culinary Crossroads: A Conversation about Oklahoma’s culinary identity from 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. …