Rick Lewis, Southern
Lewis grows his own produce from spring through fall, babies two fig trees through winter, fishes and hunts, and tends two beehives. He’s considering raising chickens. His wife, Elisa, finds cooking at home with him something of an adventure. “We do simple roasted vegetables, with a little olive oil, sometimes tossed with our honey,” says Lewis. “We mostly cook in hand-me-down cast iron.” On weekends, the couple keeps it simple, often grilling flavorful chickens from Buttonwood Farms, available at Local Harvest, Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions, and Fields Foods. Lewis grills Red Wattle pork and ribs purchased from Mac’s Local Buys. “I’m not a very extravagant guy,” he says. “I just have fun with all this stuff.”
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
Jesse Mendica, Annie Gunn’s
Mendica’s favorite holiday? Groundhog Day. “Growing up, we ate meatloaf only on that day, which my mom sculpted as a groundhog. Now, my mom, sister, and I each make a groundhog every year. Some are as big as a small cat, others more like a hamster. Spaghetti makes whiskers, olives with red pimentos make great eyes. Slivered almonds work for claws on the small ones; giant cashews, really curved over, look great on the big ones.”
Christian Ethridge, Taco Circus
For Christmas, Ethridge organizes a tamalada, in which friends prep, wrap, and cook tamales, a traditional holiday treat. He buys masa and corn husks from La Bodega or El Torito. He favors pork from Root + Holler, a Cape Girardeau company whose bacon, sausage, and brats are now available at The Wine & Cheese Place, on Forsyth. Next December, Ethridge’s mother and his business partner Mikey Carrasco’s mother, both experienced tamale makers from El Paso, Texas, will visit St. Louis to head up a super-tamalada. “We’ll set up Taco Circus after hours to produce two to three thousand tamales—like the ones we make at the house.”
