Welcome back to Table Talk, where Daily Memphian food and dining editor Jennifer Biggs sends the latest food news (along with a dash of this and that) to your inbox every Wednesday.

Let’s roll into this week with this thought: 

Can you believe a whole spilled trailer of Alfredo sauce? Ha! What a mess that made on Interstate 55 at McLemore Avenue Tuesday. Even The New York Times had a few (lighthearted) words to say about it. And can you imagine someone driving in excess of 100 miles an hour hitting a patch of that creamy Italian cheese sauce? Not pretty, not pretty at all. 

Chris Herrington: $10 Deal: Trasimeno has one of the city’s best pizzas — and a special on it, too

But listen up! It turns out The Daily Memphian had someone on the scene. He didn’t mean to be there, but DM digital producer Andrew Smith was on his way home from work when, well, here it is in his own words. It happened like this:

“I discovered to my chagrin that traffic was badly backed up. An accident, I figured. And that was true enough, but this accident left a long run of the westbound lanes and a short run of the eastbound lanes covered in mysterious white goo. From the looks of the double-semi on the side of the road, the second trailer had made contact with the bridge support and somehow exploded.

“I didn’t know what the white goo was, and the weird smell gave me no clue. Also, you never want to use ‘white goo’ in a sentence, and I just did three times. I got out of there pronto.”

But that wasn’t the end of it.

“Despite the cleanup efforts, the goo was still substantial enough in the eastbound lanes that I had to splash through it. And I mean that quite literally, as I have white goo splashed all over my car. It turns out, as everyone knows, that the goo was Alfredo sauce. Now my garage smells like an Italian restaurant kitchen fire. And it’s driving the dogs crazy.”

It’s not funny — really, it’s not — so why am I laughing? It’s just such a random, wild thing. Who would ever expect to be in an Alfredo sauce traffic jam? For it to splat on your car? And that brings me to this: There is just no reason for jarred Alfredo sauce. All it takes is cream, butter, garlic and parmesan for a quick homemade sauce. So here’s one recipe if you want to make your own, and you can find plenty of others online. 

I love Rao’s brand tomato sauces, always have a few jars in my pantry, and why not? They’re made from tomatoes, olive oil, onion, garlic and spices. But even Rao’s Alfredo is full of preservatives. So here’s my food angle on a current event: If you’re not already making homemade Alfredo, you will be delighted by the difference a few minutes over the stove can make, and you can feel good knowing you’re doing your part to keep our highways (and cars!) clear of white goo.

(And in case you missed it earlier this month, maybe we’ll get some relief from the reckless driving. Aren’t we all tired of risking our lives just going to work?) 

Julia Baker: MPD, Highway Patrol to deploy additional officers to curb speeding

Labor Day is upon us and I know some of you are hopeful it’s the end of summer. But we know it’s not, right? We have at least another month with temperatures in excess of 90 degrees, and now that we’re below 100 degrees, I won’t be complaining. I went to a frozen drink party this past weekend and while we all enjoyed the drinks, I was completely smitten with a simple appetizer. Char Lawrence adapted a classic old Junior League recipe for hot bacon and Swiss dip and made it low-carb and vegetarian:

She mixed eight ounces of cream cheese, one cup grated Swiss cheese, ½ cup mayonnaise and two tablespoons finely chopped green onion. Then, bless her, she dabbed bits on spinach leaves and rolled them into tiny cigars. I’m sure it was tedious work, but the rolls were fabulous and gone in a flash. She gave me the full recipe, and I made her version at home, cheater style: Just fold the spinach leaves over if you’re not serving them to guests and save a bundle of time. It’s a great snack, maybe one you’ll make this weekend to go along with all the grilled meats and give the vegetarians something good to eat, too. 

Tickets are on sale for our Friday luncheon at 117 Prime on Sept. 16. We’ll start with loaded potato soup; have a choice of salmon or steak with chimichurri for our entrée, served with family-style sides of arugula salad, assorted grilled vegetables and Hannah Farms grits with tomato gravy; and dessert is a selection of small-bite sweets. A non-alcoholic beverage is included.

There’s complimentary valet parking (please remember to tip your driver) and a fun extra: Many of you have asked about getting to know each other, and that’s always been one of the purposes of the lunches. So if you want to visit, come at 11:30 a.m. The bar will be open, and we’ll mingle for 30 minutes before lunch starts at noon.

You’re on your own for alcohol at the mingle or at lunch, but your meal, tax and tip are included in the price, which is $25 for Daily Memphian subscribers and $30 for non-subscribers ($32.44 and $37.44 with tax and gratuity). Click here to reserve your spot and remember, our lunches sell out quickly. 

Sept. 1 is National Gyro Day, and believe me, every day is national some-kind-of-food day. But why not celebrate the gyro? If you buy one at Taziki’s Mediterranean Café on Thursday, they’ll give you a certificate to redeem for a free gyro when you dine in from Sept. 5-Sept. 30. It’s a two-fer.

This week Chris Herrington took us along for a visit to Comeback Coffee and the Kinfolk weekend popup breakfast. The main attraction are Cole Jeanes’ killer biscuits; when you read Chris’ story, you’ll want that biscuit, but I’m putting in my two cents, too.

A chicken, egg and cheese biscuit from the Kinfolk at Comeback Coffee Aug. 20, 2022. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)

When Jimmy Gentry had P.O. Press in Collierville, Jeanes baked biscuits (with way, way more butter than your average biscuit) for brunch, and I’d drive 42 round-trip miles to get a basket on my table. The recipe has changed a little, which Jeanes explains in Chris’ story, and you can also find out more about Jeanes’ Etowah dinner series launching Oct. 1.

Speaking of events, Boucherie & Blues is back this Labor Day weekend after a long COVID hiatus. The big picnic, with more than 15 participating restaurants at Homeplace Pastures in Como, Mississippi, is Saturday, Sept. 3. Tickets are $110 for the full event. But if you want to go for the music only, you can buy a ticket for $10; take your pick, and visit the website to reserve your spot now. 

I told you about the new web series “Jewish Foodie,” which filmed two episodes in Memphis last spring. It’s a nice look at the Beauty Shop, Ricki’s Cookie Corner and other Memphis places, and also features a great kosher potluck party and a visit to American Recording Studio. After it published, I received an email from former Memphian Judd Joffre, who let me know that he works for Tripping Kosher, which does similar projects. And guess who he is? The son of the former Carl’s Bakery owner. You better believe I asked him if he has the recipes, and if I get any, I’ll be sharing them. 

Jose Gutierrez’s recipe for chicken paillard went in our Recipe Exchange collection, and you’ll want to make it at home. It’s quick and easy, and it’s delicious. 

Chef Jose Gutierrez prepares chicken paillard at his East Memphis restaurant, River Oaks. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian file)

We added to our Never Have I Ever series with my visit to Chipotle on Summer Avenue. I’d never been to a Chipotle and only went to this one because it’s on Summer Avenue, amid a bevy of authentic Mexican restaurants; suffice to say I’m one and done. 

Tacos, bowl, burrito and cheese dip at Chipotle, 4726 Summer Ave. (Jennifer BIggs/The Daily Memphian)

And on this week’s Sound Bites, Chris and I had a friend in the studio with us as The Daily Memphian columnist Dan Conaway stopped by to talk about his Tasteful List 2022, which publishes Friday. Get a sneak peek by having a listen. 

Chris Herrington and Jennifer Biggs: Taste of Summer: The final Stage includes dim sum, pizzabirria and fresh tortillas

Enjoy your long weekend. And remember, summer is not over. There’s plenty of time left for frozen drinks, homemade ice cream and lounging in the hammock.

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