Our rum cake maker debuts at Food Network's SoBe Food & Wine Festival

Kansas City Chef Craig Adcock creates the most delicious rum cakes, which happen to be available at The Rum Barrel. And we just got a note from him saying that he'll be at the South Beach Food & Wine Festie. Check it out!

 Kansas City Chef Craig Adcock Grillin' and Chillin' at Food Network's South Beach Food & Wine Festival:
Thursday, February 23, 2012

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (February 14, 2012) -- Chef Craig Adcock is the first Kansas City to appear at the SoBeWFF. And he'll be bringing the heat and some sweet in a big way.

Image via ongo.com

One of a few chefs in the nation that grills the 3.5" steak over an open flame, Adcock will present his signature dish of the "Tomahawk Chop," a massive 4.5-lb. bone in rib eye cut--inspired by collaboration with the beloved and late Kansas City chef John McClure--and two 35-inch pans of paella to be prepared over a  peach wood fire on the beach.

After the SOBE event, Adcock, owner of Belly Up Bar-B-Que, will have served well over 200 of the Tomahawk Chop from coast to coast over the past year.

His main SOBE entrees will be followed up with Adcock's famous dessert, Jude's Rum Cake. A mainstay of Adcock's catering business, thousands of the cakes are shipped annually nationwide. They're also sold at a dozen Kansas City restaurants, upscale grocery stores Dean & Deluca, and at Pat Croce's Rum Barrel restaurant in Key West. Adcock hopes to launch the Key West Rum Cake line later this year for cruise lines.

No stranger to celebrity catering, he recently cooked at the Playboy Golf tournament, backstage for Elton John concerts, and fired up the grills and 600 lbs. of meat at the SXSW Music Festival.

With his characteristic gleam in his eyes, Adcock jokingly refers to himself as the "only non-catering caterer" he knows.

When he's not "non-catering" for Playboy bunnies or baking rum cakes, Adcock takes an active role in community service, teaching at Culinary Cornerstones, a Kansas City based non-profit helping guide adults to stable employment.

"I need to stay true to that inner voice and be nice," Adcock says. "Hopefully, the success will follow."

Just four years ago, Adcock worked in a corporate cubicle, moonlighting on nights and weekends to feed his cooking passion. He made the life-changing decision to take his side business and passion, Belly Up Bar-B-Que, into a full time career.

"The leap was one of the best and hardest things I've ever done. Kansas City has an amazing food scene," Adcock said. "I get to share my fare locally and travel quite a bit. It's not just about the money, the journey and the experience matter. Being nice matters."

Adcock's spirit of doing things his own way is reflected by his catering style -- a blend of chef, charismatic host and sommelier.

"I get to cater my way, flying solo - sort of a modern day tapas experience of "small bites throughout the nite" from 6 p.m. until midnight," Adcock said. "A new dish comes out every 45 minutes or so."

Adcock's menus are eclectic, everything from grilled lobster tail paired with popcorn and a cool Central Coast Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier blend, to small plates of  bagna cauda, tuna tartare, seafood, or "old skool bbq" of ribs, brisket, pork, salmon.

Given his accomplishments in such a short time, Adcock seems to be taking the fast track to celebrity chef status.

Craig Adcock can be contacted online through Belly Up Bar-B-Que and Jude's Rum Cake, via phone at 913.526.6708 or email at craig @ bellyupbbq.com

Get That Blender Away From My Daiquiri

Today's guest blog is from Mark Woods a.k.a. Tikitender. Mark is Florida's 4-time Favorite Bartender, a social media maven, and principal bartender at The Golden Lion Cafe in Flagler Beach, Fla. Also, he rocks.

While squeezing fresh lime
juice for a Daquiri Old Style,
Woods squirts himself in
in eye. Ow!

I once read about a bar owner who had a simple interview process for potential employees. He'd simply say, "Go behind the bar and make me a martini." If the applicant reached for a bottle of vodka, the interview was over.

Simply put, a martini is gin and vermouth; nothing more, nothing less. I'm not saying that a vodka martini isn't a legitimate cocktail. Let's just call it what it is. The daiquiri can cause similar confusion.  

A daiquiri is a daiquiri. A frozen strawberry daiquiri is a frozen strawberry daiquiri. A strawberry daiquiri prepared with fresh strawberries is a Delicious Treat. It's also a rare find. Most bars, including my home bar, use strawberry syrup. Frozen daiquiris made with this super sweet mixture are actually quite popular. (It must be the American sweet tooth at work.)

Unfortunately, such shortcuts take all creativity away from the process. If you want the real deal, try your hand (or challenge your bartender) at these two takes on the classic (see original post here):

Much easier to make than it is to spell, the Classic Daiquiri can be a challenge to those who haven't taken the time to learn the history of cocktails. "Created" in the early 1900s, this classic cocktail is actually very similar to the grog that British sailors drank.

*Spoiler Alert!* A Daiquiri is NOT a frozen drink unless it is ordered as such.

The Classic Daiquiri, a favorite of John F. Kennedy and Ernest Hemingway, is believed to have been created near Santiago, Cuba.

Classic Daiquiri

8 parts white rum
2 parts lime juice
1 part simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a shaker half-filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Dream of the days when Cuba will be open for tourism.


Daiquiri Old Style

Fill a tall glass with cracked ice. Pour a teaspoon of sugar over the ice. Add the juice of one or two limes to taste. (Yes, I mean freshly squeezed limes.) Pour two or three ounces of rum over the ice. Stir with a long-handled spoon until the drink is thoroughly chilled. Enjoy.

Don't even look at the blender.

As you can read, the Classic Daiquiri is a far cry from today's processed  sugary mess. Much like the the Classic Margarita, which has given way to artificial sour mix rather than a squeeze of fresh lemon, the Daiquiri has become over-sized, over-sugared, and over-priced. I can't imagine Papa Hemingway waxing poetic about a noisy blender.

Remember to always spread Aloha and enjoy yourself a little bit every day. Mahalo nui loa!


For more information about Mark Woods, drink recipes, and general good times visit www.tikitender.com. Follow Mark on Twitter @Tikitender.