Green Beans & Cake

Foodie Paradise at an Arkansas Gas Station

Displaced foodies living in random towns across the United States – from Oklahoma to Arkansas to every fly over state in between - it’s time to rejoice.  Pinnacle Station Local Market in Rogers, Arkansas is here to ease your gourmet needs.

What’s a “displaced foodie?” you might ask. Well, my “displaced foodie” journey began five years ago when I gave up living in a large, “foodie friendly” city for love. I fell in love at work (I know, so cliche, right?), and before I knew it I lived in Stillwater, Oklahoma. One of the things I miss most about living in a metropolitan area, besides my friends, is the wide availability of gourmet food. I often find myself fantasizing about a shopping trip not to Neiman Marcus or Saks Fifth Avenue, but to Whole Foods. Sometimes I can’t help but sigh in foodie frustration when I find myself situated in a small town with not one – but two– Super Wal-marts.

Imagine my surprise this weekend, as I was visiting my parents in Rogers, Arkansas, when I found a gourmet food market that could very well be a pint-sized version of Whole Foods. Here’s the catch – the gourmet food market is half market and half gas station.  Can you picture it? Fill up your car with some gas and then go shop for some Mahi Mahi.  Now that’s my idea of a true one stop shop.

 
Me just livin' the dream. The actual gas station was called "White Oak Station." But the market is called Pinnacle Station Local Market. 

I have to admit that I’m skeptical by nature, so I didn’t really believe that I could buy real gourmet food at this place. I decided to put Pinnacle Station Local Market to the ultimate test. Make a gourmet dinner with recipes from Ruth Reichl’s Gourmet cookbook. I chose to serve Chilean Sea Bass with Chile Lime Butter for the main entrée. I also wanted to prepare some Saffron Rouille as a side dish. (I planned to serve it on a toasted baguette.) And, of course, a meal wouldn’t be complete at my house without a chocolate dessert. I opted for the deliciously simple Truffle Fudge recipe.

The results?

I found fresh, succulent Chilean Sea Bass for the main entrée. I was stunned to find saffron threads in the spice aisle for my Saffron Rouille. I was delighted to discover a broad selection of gourmet chocolate. I chose Askinosie Chocolate, 62% cacao and Michel Cluizel chocolate, 72% cacao. The only ingredient I couldn’t find at the market was a fresh Serrano pepper. Not too shabby for gas station food.

  

The gluten-free section. What?! At a gas station!

 
 Saffron threads, black sesame seed...

 
  Chilean Sea Bass

Making the Saffron Rouille

The finished product

Ingredients for the Truffle Fudge

 

Choco-art

Maybe I have too much spare time on my hands. haha The wrappers of the eco-conscious chocolate bars I buy are so pretty. I decided to make a collage of my current favs.

The chocolate brands include: Dagoba, Divine, 3400 Phinney, and Green & Black's

My latest fabulous chocolate finds...

In the most recent edition of Conde Nast magazine, there was an article about a chocolatier named John Scharffenberger. He currently has a line of chocolates available at Whole Foods - but his chocolates have a unique story. Scharffenberger not only finds the best cacao beans, but his company also treats local farmers fairly. The chocolate making process at Scharffen Berger is meticulous, thoughtful, and quality-minded.

I bought a limited edition Venezuelan dark chocolate called Cuyagua. I haven't tried it yet, but it smells fantastic.

 

In addition to buying Scharffen Berger chocolate, I also bought two chocolate bars from a company called Shaman Chocolates. This company is fair trade certified. As an added ethical bonus, Shaman Chocolates uses all profits from their chocolate to support the Huichol Indians.

Absolutely delicious

I've never been a big fan of orange flavored food. However, I made the best tasting gluten-free orange cake yesterday. The company is called "The Really Great Food Company" - and the company certainly lives up to its name.

Chocoholics Anonymous

I admit it. I am a chocoholic. When I started Green Beans & Cake, I got a bit carried away and launched three new blogs. Perhaps it's the influence of my financial adviser husband (a.k.a. Em, get your money's worth out of the typepad blog service. You do get up to 3 blogs after all ), perhaps it was due to my "underemployment" (uh, unemployment, post grad school, but I like to be optimistic) - but I did have 3 blogs. I soon realized that it was too much.

My third blog was devoted to one of my loves - chocolate. I think that it will compliment my Green Beans & Cake blog quite nicely. I am a fan of all things caffeinated, sweet, and chocolate. I've updated my blog with 12 posts from my former chocolate blog. If you get a chance, please check out my choco-posts. They are labeled under "chocolate."

 

Alma = Soul

I found a chocolate store online that caught my eye. It's called Alma Chocolate. I hope to check it out in Portland!

What a diet!

Forget fruits and veges. I want THIS guy's diet...

A Newbury man who has lived off a diet of sandwiches, chocolate and crisps has celebrated his 100th birthday

A NEWBURY man who lived on a diet of sandwiches, crisps and chocolate for most of his life celebrated his 100th birthday on April 10. Leslie Brown, from Newbury, had barely eaten a cooked meal before moving into an independent care home in August last year. The former copywriter, who is still a bachelor and has no surviving relatives, lists Cadbury Milk chocolate and chicken sandwiches among his favourite. He said: �I like anything chocolate. I don�t have a favourite type of crisps, I�ll eat any that comes my way really.� Mr Brown only recently moved into Audrey Needham House in Newbury after living on his own in Hungerford until last summer. He spent his birthday celebrating with his oldest friend, Jean Brown, and other people from the care home. Ms Brown, aged 78, who is not a relative, made the special trip from her home in Newbury to have tea and chocolate cake with Mr Brown and presented him with a silver beer tankard. Julie Maidment, scheme manager at the home, said the trip to the social room was Mr Brown�s first since he arrived. She also said that staff made sure he got one cooked meal a day after years of eating sandwhiches and crisps. She said: �He�s never had a cooked meal since before he moved in here. He�s just very set in his ways and incredibly independent. �Now that he�s moved here we�ll make sure he gets one cooked meal a day. It�s also his first trip downstairs and we�ll get him out more often from now on.� Source: Newbury Today; Tony Chocolonely

Pass the chocolate, please

Green and Black's Organic has fantastic products. One of the best parts of their company website, in my opinion, is their Chocolate Tasting Party Guide. Doesn't it sound like fun?

Shocking

The serious side of chocolate...

Fair Trade Chocolate in Ghana