I’ve been contemplating becoming a vegetarian. Not for any political-social reason, just to help ensure I make more healthy dietary choices? Most likely I’m lying to myself here.
What is healthy to drink these days? Water I guess, but even Gatorade is being diluted due to our over indulgence. I think of that situation like this: For every full strength Gatorade I buy I get a G2 free if I fill it up with water once I’ve drunk half of it. Brilliant!
I haven’t had a coffee drink on over a month, it’s just too hot! I don’t feel tired, lazy, or lagging. Caffeine, it’s all in your head.
Jobs are like pebbles on the beach. You just walk over most of them. A few catch your eye, and if you’re really lucky one looks good enough to put in your pocket to take home…..upon which you forget about it for 6 months till you step on it in your bare feet in the middle of the night and curse it out. Once morning it is gone.
Cabbage, bacon, and sweet corn are a nice combo! Good job sis. If you’re reading this try some vinegar!
Working on a farm would be nice. I mean it would be a nice little break from the norm. If all I had was working on a farm I don’t think I’d be so excited about it. Do you think it works the other way?
I watched ‘Life Aquatic’ the other night, it’s very similar in style to the Royal Tenenbaums…What do you think a movie like that centered in a kitchen would look like. I’m laughing already.
Would it be funny if a vegetarian got trampled by stampeding cows or chased by a wild boar or attacked by a goose?
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Market Safety Poll Has Closed
It’s a real breath of fresh air how this poll has turned out. It seems that a little common sense goes a long way with these pollsters. While the government might have strict guidelines to enforce, the average market going customer has the most powerful input in that they will choose to purchase perishables at the market or they will not. While a few people are skeptical of the market, this seems the saver option in my opinion compared to those with blind faith in farmer’s implementation of food safety.
I do not have a long history of buying meat, dairy, or prepared food at the farmers market. I have bought eggs, ground chicken, and ground beef far and few between. The meat I bought was taken from a cooler and handed to me in a rock hard frozen state. Eggs on the other hand come right off the table, but I’ve had no problems with them. The table top farmers eggs are of higher quality than the ice cold ones at the grocery store any day. Surely if I was handed a warm mushy pack of ground beef I would think twice, but that isn’t what’s happening at the farmers market I frequent so I’m not worried. As long as I can see a cooler, and continue to be presented with frozen meat I’ll continue to purchase these types of products from the market, and I suggest it’s in everyone’s best interest to use common sense over government enforcement in how our local farmers market is run.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
A Good Idea
Using Veggie Trader is free and easy. It works like classified advertising. You post a listing describing the excess produce you have and what you'd like in return, and then you wait for a response...
Or, if you're looking for local produce, you simply enter your zipcode and see what your neighbors have available.
Sounds great right!!!
I stumbled upon this very cool website in the early spring when not much produce would be available in my area. Unfortunatly it hasn't caught on as there is not a sinlge listing within 60 miles of Lakewood, Ohio. Maybe there is some activity in your area, or you might want to use the Veggie Trader in the Lakewood area.
Beer Cheese Soup
I'm not a big soup eater. Kari almost always chooses soup, especially a French Onion, or Beer Cheese. I usually taste it after watching here add an unthinkable amount of salt, and I'm almost never impressed. The beer cheese soup is usually overly thick and bland. For this reason I've never taken on the task of making a quality beer cheese soup figuring such a thing was left for those who consider 'making' soup nothing more than pouring it out of a bag. Here is my recipie, and like always, starting with quality ingredients is key.
Porter and Chedder Soup
1 onion
1 tblsp flour
2 quarts each chicken stock, heavy cream, Great Lakes Edmond Fitgerald Porter
1 1/2 pound Cabot extra sharp chedder
1 tblsp Frank's hot sauce
Dice the onion and carmalize in butter. Make a quick roux with the flour right before adding all the liquids. Bring the liquid to a boil, then simmer for half an hour. Add the cheese, hot sauce, and salt to taste. Ideally using an immersion blender the cheese needs only to be large diced. If you want to shread it then a wisk is fine.
Porter and Chedder Soup
1 onion
1 tblsp flour
2 quarts each chicken stock, heavy cream, Great Lakes Edmond Fitgerald Porter
1 1/2 pound Cabot extra sharp chedder
1 tblsp Frank's hot sauce
Dice the onion and carmalize in butter. Make a quick roux with the flour right before adding all the liquids. Bring the liquid to a boil, then simmer for half an hour. Add the cheese, hot sauce, and salt to taste. Ideally using an immersion blender the cheese needs only to be large diced. If you want to shread it then a wisk is fine.
Friday, July 17, 2009
New Poll About Food Safety
The question of food safety at my local farmers market isn't exactly a new one. The vegetables are usually dirty and need a good wash for starters. The idea that all this food is sitting out in the hottest part of the day lays down a second layer of inquiry. Moving from just fresh vegetables more and more we find prepared food, dairy, and meat at the market. Fortunatly fresh picked fruits and vegetables are hardy, so is the human body, and unfortuantly for us in this situation so are bacteria.
Last week the Plain Dealer let us know about a few instances where the Department of Health sent vendors away for inappropriate refrigeration. The article can be found here. Insisting on mechanical refigeration might be a step too far? How concerned are you?
Last week the Plain Dealer let us know about a few instances where the Department of Health sent vendors away for inappropriate refrigeration. The article can be found here. Insisting on mechanical refigeration might be a step too far? How concerned are you?
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Farmers Market In Full Swing
Yesterday the Lakewood Farmers Market, and I'd assume all of them across the area are currently running at full capacity. I really enjoy the Lakewood market because of it's size and available parking. I don't want to park a mile away only to walk through 12 vendors all with pretty much the exact same vegetables.
Finally the market has just about everything you could want such as, beef, lamb, chicken, eggs, bread, beets, beans, squash, cukes, broccoli, berries, onions, apples, and even fresh corn!
Finally the market has just about everything you could want such as, beef, lamb, chicken, eggs, bread, beets, beans, squash, cukes, broccoli, berries, onions, apples, and even fresh corn!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Event Food Poll Final Results
The ‘event’ food poll closed with a flurry of voting near the end that put ball game dogs ahead of gyros by a single vote. The two together compromised slightly over seventy five percent of total votes. When I posted this poll I was thinking about which food is made better by the event part of the equation, and I think those voting understood that by how they voting. Ribs at the cook-off aren’t really all that much better than you can get at a variety of restaurants around town. Meatballs at The Feast are good and all, but a letdown after walking 3 miles to get there and forking out 8 bucks for them. Popcorn at the movies is such a classic combination I would have guessed it to have garnered more votes, but in reality fresh popcorn at home is so much better tasting. Even the stuff out of the microwave, don’t even get started with the idea of fresh butter or parmesan cheese.
The gyro has a relatively short history. The earliest interpretation arrived with a cook from Constantinople who landed in Greece during the 1950’s, with the first gyro shops showing up some 20 years later. The gyro’s origin can be traced back to the Turkish doner kebab, which originated in Bursa in the 19th century. The international gyro can be described as meat, tomato, onion, and tzatziki sauce served on a pita. In the United States gyros are almost always served using a processed meat combining beef and lamb. The introduction of the gyro to the US occurred through Chicago in 1968. Since then the iconic spinning cone of gyro meat has spread coast to coast. Recently, pre-cut loafs of gyro meat have started to become popular as no special equipment is needed to cook them. All the while the classic tzatziki sauce of cucumber and yogurt has stayed the same.
In my opinion freshness is what makes a good gyro. The tomato and onion need to be crisp. The meat should have a sear, but not dried out. The tzatziki should be thick, and well seasoned. I’ve become a big fan of the gyro at The Mars Bar in Lakewood. From what I can see they slice warmed meat off the cone then sear it on a flat top to get really nice carmalization, and cut to order tomato and onion. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Unfortunately this kind of care can’t be given to the hundreds of gyros made at any Greek festival, which is why it perplexed me the adoration for the Greek festival gyro.
The idea of putting a sausage between bread and eating it must have came only seconds after the first sausage and loaf of bread where in the same room. Let’s just assume that happened a long long time ago. Fast forward to 1870, on Coney Island where a German immigrant began selling small sausages served on a sliced roll from his small shop, not long after that in 1893 a businessman named Chris von der Ahe, owned the St. Louis Browns, a brewery, and sausage shop introducing the trinity of sport concessions for years to come.
There are only two instances where I, and most people think to themselves, “Wow, lets get a hot dog.” They are while at a cook out, and at a baseball game. While freshness was important for the gyro, a hot dog can take a beating and keep delivering. If you are into the ball game, the dog comes to you. I remember when the vendors carried around small boxes filled with water and hot dogs and put them on the bread just before handing it to you. These days hot dogs come pre-wrapped, but seem to hold up rather well considering. A regional difference in the topping of hot dogs varies enormously. Luckily, in Cleveland we keep it rather simple, start with a hot dog, top it with stadium mustard, and raw onions, that’s it.
The connection between the hot dog and a baseball game has a 115 year history. A hot dog is a weird bland sausage on soft bland bread, unless you are at a ball game, then it’s something special, something you can’t do without. People take pride in their dogs, from their stadiums, just like their teams. Besides, shopping for hot dogs is a crap shoot; you have to match the number of dogs to the number of buns, not to mention you have to buy 8 of them at one time. Now that’s a commitment.
All the little facts and dates came from Wikipedia.
The gyro has a relatively short history. The earliest interpretation arrived with a cook from Constantinople who landed in Greece during the 1950’s, with the first gyro shops showing up some 20 years later. The gyro’s origin can be traced back to the Turkish doner kebab, which originated in Bursa in the 19th century. The international gyro can be described as meat, tomato, onion, and tzatziki sauce served on a pita. In the United States gyros are almost always served using a processed meat combining beef and lamb. The introduction of the gyro to the US occurred through Chicago in 1968. Since then the iconic spinning cone of gyro meat has spread coast to coast. Recently, pre-cut loafs of gyro meat have started to become popular as no special equipment is needed to cook them. All the while the classic tzatziki sauce of cucumber and yogurt has stayed the same.
In my opinion freshness is what makes a good gyro. The tomato and onion need to be crisp. The meat should have a sear, but not dried out. The tzatziki should be thick, and well seasoned. I’ve become a big fan of the gyro at The Mars Bar in Lakewood. From what I can see they slice warmed meat off the cone then sear it on a flat top to get really nice carmalization, and cut to order tomato and onion. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Unfortunately this kind of care can’t be given to the hundreds of gyros made at any Greek festival, which is why it perplexed me the adoration for the Greek festival gyro.
The idea of putting a sausage between bread and eating it must have came only seconds after the first sausage and loaf of bread where in the same room. Let’s just assume that happened a long long time ago. Fast forward to 1870, on Coney Island where a German immigrant began selling small sausages served on a sliced roll from his small shop, not long after that in 1893 a businessman named Chris von der Ahe, owned the St. Louis Browns, a brewery, and sausage shop introducing the trinity of sport concessions for years to come.
There are only two instances where I, and most people think to themselves, “Wow, lets get a hot dog.” They are while at a cook out, and at a baseball game. While freshness was important for the gyro, a hot dog can take a beating and keep delivering. If you are into the ball game, the dog comes to you. I remember when the vendors carried around small boxes filled with water and hot dogs and put them on the bread just before handing it to you. These days hot dogs come pre-wrapped, but seem to hold up rather well considering. A regional difference in the topping of hot dogs varies enormously. Luckily, in Cleveland we keep it rather simple, start with a hot dog, top it with stadium mustard, and raw onions, that’s it.
The connection between the hot dog and a baseball game has a 115 year history. A hot dog is a weird bland sausage on soft bland bread, unless you are at a ball game, then it’s something special, something you can’t do without. People take pride in their dogs, from their stadiums, just like their teams. Besides, shopping for hot dogs is a crap shoot; you have to match the number of dogs to the number of buns, not to mention you have to buy 8 of them at one time. Now that’s a commitment.
All the little facts and dates came from Wikipedia.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Cleveland Ethnic Eats.....by the Book
I’ve seen the book Cleveland Ethnic Eats on the rack before. I’ve even picked it up, flipped through a few pages only to put it back on the shelf declaring, “I’m from Cleveland, what do I need a ‘guide’ for.” Well, as it turns out in its 8th edition, there is plenty to learn from Cleveland EE, even for a home grown foodie like myself. With over 350 entries, almost 60 of them new since the last edition, I have a whole new perspective on the vast landscape of ethnic eats in my own backyard.
You don’t have to go far into the book to find a great explanation of why this guide is so good. On page XI of the Introduction a section labeled, “How the restaurants and market were chosen” explains things clearly, and includes all the points that make this book a great reference. First, all the restaurants are chosen because they exemplify a discernable ethnic character that is authentic and appreciated by its local following. Just because it’s popular or new in town, you are not going to find it in this guide. Ethnicities are not twisted or manipulated to find space for the newest, hottest burger joint by calling it German either. Sticking to this strict idea keeps the guide focused on why we picked it up in the first place.
In a similar statement, the book lacks acknowledgment of national chains, and ‘fusion cuisine.’ This guide is about Cleveland, by Cleveland, for Cleveland and leaving out the big chains encourages all of us to support our local restaurant scene. Without saying anything bad concerning major chain restaurants the guide stays focused and what we want to know about the local scene. We already have the chain restaurant national catch phrase hammered into our head all day long through commercials. Turn off the TV, and pick up this book!
With the exemption of one specific paragraph in the Introduction the word “I” is almost never used in this guide. It’s much appreciated. The summary of every restaurant is written in a very honest way, but lacks any form of judgment or rating. There are clear descriptions of the food, service, and décor of every restaurant. Examples of menu items are given, some items seem to be suggested as what the restaurant has best to offer, but never is anything negative said. Certainly every restaurant has its ups and downs, and a lot of times these are a matter of perspective. What the guide lacks in comparing and contrasting restaurants is an objective statement about the restaurants atmosphere, pricing, and neighborhood. If you read this into the full description you can get a good feel for the type of place you’re headed into.
The first time I took a good look at Cleveland EE I missed a lot, the second time around this is what I found most interesting….. The Introduction is worth reading. I usually skip over this part as it’s a sappy story about the author’s family or experiences writing the book, but not in this case. Very important issues like described above, as well as a section called “Using this book” will help clear up any confusion about how many money signs means what or why pilo is spelled phyllo. Also, a nice little map puts all the neighborhoods and major streets into perspective. Ideas of ‘near east’ or ‘farther south’ are kind of arbitrary. From a guy living on Lake Road in Lakewood, Lorain road in Cleveland is South, Parma is far, and Akron is almost a day trip…fortunately a map is provided in the guide so we are all on the same page, and not my page as it goes.
So you have a short attention span, don’t want to read a bunch of reviews, or maybe you know exactly what you want? The Index of Cleveland EE is great. Restaurants are segregated by name first, then a list by area, then by ethnicity, then into themes, such as romantic or al fresco, lastly by street, yes street since a lot of ethnic restaurants are grouped together entrenched in a few block radius of specific ethnic area. This Index far exceeds my expectations, and is quite useful in and of itself.
One unique quirk in all the descriptions of the restaurants is a quick synopsis of the storefront and parking situation. Not that this would sway my decision to go to any specific place, but to know there is plenty of parking around the corner, or the storefront is set off the street behind a sign, down a dark alley just helps me get there.
I suggest before you go searching for parking at your local ethnic restaurant you park yourself on the couch and take a long hard look at the ethnic Cleveland you’ve seen, but have yet to really look into via Cleveland Ethnic Eats.
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Cleveland Ethnic Eats is authored by Laura Taxel who has her finger on the pulse of Cleveland’s dining scene. Her book is published by Gray & Company which is one place you might find it available for purchase as well as Amazon.com and many local retail bookstores, at quite a reasonable price I might add.
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Thursday, July 02, 2009
New poll of summer events
With summer in full swing we are knee deep in outdoor activities. Like every good foodie I associate some type of food with every event. I mean what's it worth if there isn't any food involved? So I tried to pick some of the areas popular summer events, pair them with the food most connected with it, and I'm asking you; which summer food activity combo do you most enjoy?
You can select more than one answer.
You can select more than one answer.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Poll Results, quick hits
Bees, yeah right, some kid is going to get stung and you’ve got a lawsuit on your hands.
Bees give you honey and wax, two things that take quite a bit of refining.
Chickens….well, simply put, chickens shit.
If I could get a few chickens to lay an egg every two days off table scraps, I’d do it. But I’m sure it’s not that easy.
Rooftop gardens are all the rage, but we are in Cleveland, Ohio where there is still plenty of room on the ground!?
Potted gardens are nice. Herbs and lettuce grow well in them. My sister has a nice collection of those upside down things. They are all over Lakewood doubles. We will see how they produce, and if they are back next year?
Home brewing seems like a very straightforward idea, but like baking, recipes and techniques need to be followed with great precision. Some people aren’t so good at precision.
Having a 5 gallon still in your house would be so cool. I understand a lot has to do with what happens after the booze is distilled, but still the idea is very interesting to me.
Not a single vote for goats, lamb, or rabbits. I think a goat on every lawn would lower the use of lawnmowers, thus carbon emissions, and noise pollution. I’d rather have to step over a goat patty than listen to 2 hours of ‘vrooom, vrooom’ every Sunday morning.
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Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
June Dinner Club
Last night I had the honor of being invited to cook for a group of foodies as this month’s pick for their traveling dinner club. It’s quite a challenge, and equally rewarding just putting an interesting menu together. Executing it to anything near perfection is almost impossible. We did a good job this time around. This is the second year I’ve done this and last year was a great learning experience. This year I did as much prep work, and cooking as possible in the restaurant kitchen. While the host kitchen is mind boggling well equipped, it was nice to need only a few pans, and a few dishes off their shelves. Oh, and a cherry pitter. I said to myself, “If there is anyone who has a cherry pitter in their cupboard I can find it here,” and sure enough the first drawer I opened. That saved me 20 minutes of finger staining work alone.
The menu went like this:
Hor’s derves of;
Foie gras mousse
Ceasar salad satay
Classic shrimp cocktail
Chilled Gazpacho, celery aquavit
Sautéed soft shell crabs with lemon and sea salt
Grilled cherries salad, Lake Erie Creamery chevre, baby greens, smoked salt, pickled kumquats
Scallops sliders, apple-vanilla slaw, espresso-balsamic syrup
Grilled hanger steak, roasted marrow butter, lobster tater tots, spinach-gorgonzola fondue
The satay went over very well praised as such a simple idea that came out quite well, not to mention the exquisite Italian white anchovies. The gazpacho had celery flavored vodka with it. The idea was to sip the vodka then pour the rest into the soup adding a little zip to it. I had a gut feeling we filled the cups too much with vodka, and that’s the only thing I would have changed, less vodka, who would have guessed….LESS vodka?
Simple soft shell dish was all about the crab. There are times where you just have to show some restraint. The cherry salad went over well, but the chevre was the star. Once again finding good product is key and Lake Erie Creamery does a great job. I got some of the best scallops in on Friday; they were firm, dry and cooked up with nice carmalization. I like the apple-vanilla-coffee-balsamic flavor combinations, especially with scallops. The marrow butter was tasty, but I wish I could have melted it a bit more before sending it out. Lobster tater tots went over as a nice starch, but they weren’t perfect. I used a recipe that included pate choux, and the ratio of dough to potato resulted in a very moist, mushy, almost undercooked consistency. They cooked for an hour and a half, but at least they weren’t dried out.
Grilled Hanger steak was great; it really is a nice cut of beef. I went to the West Side Market Friday looking for hangers and didn’t see any. There are about 15 beef vendors, and on my second time around I started asking people if they had hangers. Everyone kind of looked at me weird and offered up Flank instead, but they are completely different in my opinion. Finally I come across a very talkative butcher who goes on to tell me, “these damn chefs come up with fancy cuts and go on TV, now everyone comes looking for things you never heard of.” I just smiled at him, nodded, and walked away shaking my head. Kari on the other hand thought it was great fun.
On that note, thanks Rachel at Three Birds for getting some hanger steaks for me. She must be one of those damn chefs going on TV and stuff. Also thanks to Kari for helping me shop. Thanks to Sharon the server on this night who did an excellent job helping both me and the guests. Lastly, thanks to the hosts for the opportunity to come to their house and cook for them in a way that makes everyone happy.
The menu went like this:
Hor’s derves of;
Foie gras mousse
Ceasar salad satay
Classic shrimp cocktail
Chilled Gazpacho, celery aquavit
Sautéed soft shell crabs with lemon and sea salt
Grilled cherries salad, Lake Erie Creamery chevre, baby greens, smoked salt, pickled kumquats
Scallops sliders, apple-vanilla slaw, espresso-balsamic syrup
Grilled hanger steak, roasted marrow butter, lobster tater tots, spinach-gorgonzola fondue
The satay went over very well praised as such a simple idea that came out quite well, not to mention the exquisite Italian white anchovies. The gazpacho had celery flavored vodka with it. The idea was to sip the vodka then pour the rest into the soup adding a little zip to it. I had a gut feeling we filled the cups too much with vodka, and that’s the only thing I would have changed, less vodka, who would have guessed….LESS vodka?
Simple soft shell dish was all about the crab. There are times where you just have to show some restraint. The cherry salad went over well, but the chevre was the star. Once again finding good product is key and Lake Erie Creamery does a great job. I got some of the best scallops in on Friday; they were firm, dry and cooked up with nice carmalization. I like the apple-vanilla-coffee-balsamic flavor combinations, especially with scallops. The marrow butter was tasty, but I wish I could have melted it a bit more before sending it out. Lobster tater tots went over as a nice starch, but they weren’t perfect. I used a recipe that included pate choux, and the ratio of dough to potato resulted in a very moist, mushy, almost undercooked consistency. They cooked for an hour and a half, but at least they weren’t dried out.
Grilled Hanger steak was great; it really is a nice cut of beef. I went to the West Side Market Friday looking for hangers and didn’t see any. There are about 15 beef vendors, and on my second time around I started asking people if they had hangers. Everyone kind of looked at me weird and offered up Flank instead, but they are completely different in my opinion. Finally I come across a very talkative butcher who goes on to tell me, “these damn chefs come up with fancy cuts and go on TV, now everyone comes looking for things you never heard of.” I just smiled at him, nodded, and walked away shaking my head. Kari on the other hand thought it was great fun.
On that note, thanks Rachel at Three Birds for getting some hanger steaks for me. She must be one of those damn chefs going on TV and stuff. Also thanks to Kari for helping me shop. Thanks to Sharon the server on this night who did an excellent job helping both me and the guests. Lastly, thanks to the hosts for the opportunity to come to their house and cook for them in a way that makes everyone happy.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
New Poll Background
I am a regular reader of the New York Times food section. There has been a string of articles with a common theme which describes city dwellers partaking in what are traditionally country activities. While Cleveland is a far cry from the crowded urban landscape of New York City, perhaps even your upstanding suburbanite would shy away from a few of these fringe foodstuffs.
This story is about illegal bee keepers in big cities.
Another story about raising chickens in the city, a sometimes, someplaces illegal activity.
Yet a third piece about rooftop gardening setting a sci-fi scene in which every available rooftop is considered prime farmable soil.
Home brewing of beer is somewhat more common. I've never done it. Moonshine? Never done that either, but sounds interesting.
Why not push the envelope? If 12 chickens take up such an amount of space, why not a goat that takes up the same area?
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This story is about illegal bee keepers in big cities.
Another story about raising chickens in the city, a sometimes, someplaces illegal activity.
Yet a third piece about rooftop gardening setting a sci-fi scene in which every available rooftop is considered prime farmable soil.
Home brewing of beer is somewhat more common. I've never done it. Moonshine? Never done that either, but sounds interesting.
Why not push the envelope? If 12 chickens take up such an amount of space, why not a goat that takes up the same area?
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Events this week-end
I'm a big fan of Fresh Fork Market, I like what they do. I cheer for the small guys with big dreams. I can appreciate what they have grown from, and when I saw this I just wanted to re-post it from the cleveland.com food and wine forum so it reaches as many people as possible. I hope to be there with an as yet to be determined dish.
21262. Open Invitation, Fresh Fork Pot Luck by FreshForkMrk, 6/23/09 22:21 ET
PLEASE REMEMBER TO RSVP tomailto:toBRITTANY@FRESHFORKMARKET.COM.
Hi all,
Fresh Fork is having our first Pot Luck of the summer. It is to celebrate the successful launch of our CSA...which is quickly approaching 100 subscribers...and to introduce our wonderful customers to our wonderful producers.
The date is Sunday, June 28th from 2 PM to 5 PM at 755 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland OH 44113 in the Tremont community. It will be in the empty lot beside our office. Free parking is available and we will have a large tent (30' by 20') in case of rain!
The event will include tasty local foods (of course) and family games. Producers will showcase their products. Famalies will have the opportunity to learn about the products, register for Fresh Fork events (farm tour), and earn Fresh Fork Ripe Rewards (points to earn savings off future purchases).
There will also be games and announcements. Games will incldue apple bobbing, water balloon toss, and cornhole.
Again, the event is from 2 PM to 5 PM on Sunday, June 28th. Please RSVP to Brittany Gatto atbrittany@freshforkmarket.com. Please bring food to share!
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21262. Open Invitation, Fresh Fork Pot Luck by FreshForkMrk, 6/23/09 22:21 ET
PLEASE REMEMBER TO RSVP tomailto:toBRITTANY@FRESHFORKMARKET.COM.
Hi all,
Fresh Fork is having our first Pot Luck of the summer. It is to celebrate the successful launch of our CSA...which is quickly approaching 100 subscribers...and to introduce our wonderful customers to our wonderful producers.
The date is Sunday, June 28th from 2 PM to 5 PM at 755 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland OH 44113 in the Tremont community. It will be in the empty lot beside our office. Free parking is available and we will have a large tent (30' by 20') in case of rain!
The event will include tasty local foods (of course) and family games. Producers will showcase their products. Famalies will have the opportunity to learn about the products, register for Fresh Fork events (farm tour), and earn Fresh Fork Ripe Rewards (points to earn savings off future purchases).
There will also be games and announcements. Games will incldue apple bobbing, water balloon toss, and cornhole.
Again, the event is from 2 PM to 5 PM on Sunday, June 28th. Please RSVP to Brittany Gatto atbrittany@freshforkmarket.com. Please bring food to share!
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Monday, June 22, 2009
Summer beverages don’t seem to convey the same emotion that a winter beverage can. Think about how soothing a cup of hot coco is after spending some time in the snow, or coffee on a January morning, or how a shot of whiskey will get you through the fourth quarter of a Browns game in December. Summer beverages are those of desperation “give me something to drink before my mouth seals itself shut and I pass out from dehydration.” On the other hand there is a relaxing feeling associated with a well crafted handmade Ice Tea or Lemonade that is infinitely more than just thirst quenching.
Ice Tea is by far the most popular of the poll. I agree, except for the lemonade I make that I’ll share the recipe for. Sangria reminds me of a suburban hairy buffalo…just through a whole bunch of fruity stuff together and taste, if it’s not good enough add more stuff till you either like it or run out of stuff to add. Beer is neither hydrating nor thirst quenching in my opinion. The addition of salt and lime does seem to freshen up a beer and reduce some of the carbonation. Start with a can of Tecate, rub a lime slice around the rim, dip one side in salt, open the can and insert the lime slice, now that is refreshment.
Water is great, if fact it should be our favorite as it’s free (mostly), the most healthy, and easiest beverage on the list. I drink more water than any other beverage. In the hot kitchen nothing tastes better. I do have a grip about bottled water though; bottles of water should not come any smaller than a liter. I take down a 12-16 oz bottle in two gulps and throw the bottle in the recycling bin. Who drinks 12 oz of water and says, “oh no, that’s it, I can’t drink anymore,” who?
Next time you want to put a twist on you ice tea or lemonade try either of these two ideas. I’ve tested them, and they work great.
Ice Tea
For every two quarts of brewed Ice Tea add: half an orange with the following spices stuck into it;
One cinnamon stick, 3 inches
One star anise
2 cloves
2 green cardamom pods
Since everything is stuck in the orange it’s easy to get out. I like to let mine sit overnight, but if the flavors get too strong for your liking just grab the orange out earlier. Of course there is nothing wrong with leaving it in.
Lemonade
In a pot combine
2 quarts of water
1.5 quarts of sugar
3 lemons, zested, then juiced
3 limes, zested, then juiced
6 stalks of lemongrass, rough chop
4 oz of ginger, sliced thin
4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 oz mint
1 oz basil
Bring this mixture to a boil and simmer for 15 min. Let sit at room temperature until cooled. This is a base flavor mix that can be kept, covered, and refrigerated for a fair amount of time. If it becomes thick towards the end, microwave it in the container for 30 seconds to get things flowing.
Using this base mixture of any amount I like to use a 1:1:1 ratio of lemon juice, base, and a mixture of tonic water and club soda for bubbles. I know it’s easy in the restaurant to walk over to the soda gun and get whatever I want so unless you like tonic water already stick with the club soda. There is nothing wrong with using purchased lemon juice, just stick with the fresh squeezed thing. If the word concentrate is anywhere on the label, skip it.
Enjoy you summer with a great beverage!
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Ice Tea is by far the most popular of the poll. I agree, except for the lemonade I make that I’ll share the recipe for. Sangria reminds me of a suburban hairy buffalo…just through a whole bunch of fruity stuff together and taste, if it’s not good enough add more stuff till you either like it or run out of stuff to add. Beer is neither hydrating nor thirst quenching in my opinion. The addition of salt and lime does seem to freshen up a beer and reduce some of the carbonation. Start with a can of Tecate, rub a lime slice around the rim, dip one side in salt, open the can and insert the lime slice, now that is refreshment.
Water is great, if fact it should be our favorite as it’s free (mostly), the most healthy, and easiest beverage on the list. I drink more water than any other beverage. In the hot kitchen nothing tastes better. I do have a grip about bottled water though; bottles of water should not come any smaller than a liter. I take down a 12-16 oz bottle in two gulps and throw the bottle in the recycling bin. Who drinks 12 oz of water and says, “oh no, that’s it, I can’t drink anymore,” who?
Next time you want to put a twist on you ice tea or lemonade try either of these two ideas. I’ve tested them, and they work great.
Ice Tea
For every two quarts of brewed Ice Tea add: half an orange with the following spices stuck into it;
One cinnamon stick, 3 inches
One star anise
2 cloves
2 green cardamom pods
Since everything is stuck in the orange it’s easy to get out. I like to let mine sit overnight, but if the flavors get too strong for your liking just grab the orange out earlier. Of course there is nothing wrong with leaving it in.
Lemonade
In a pot combine
2 quarts of water
1.5 quarts of sugar
3 lemons, zested, then juiced
3 limes, zested, then juiced
6 stalks of lemongrass, rough chop
4 oz of ginger, sliced thin
4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 oz mint
1 oz basil
Bring this mixture to a boil and simmer for 15 min. Let sit at room temperature until cooled. This is a base flavor mix that can be kept, covered, and refrigerated for a fair amount of time. If it becomes thick towards the end, microwave it in the container for 30 seconds to get things flowing.
Using this base mixture of any amount I like to use a 1:1:1 ratio of lemon juice, base, and a mixture of tonic water and club soda for bubbles. I know it’s easy in the restaurant to walk over to the soda gun and get whatever I want so unless you like tonic water already stick with the club soda. There is nothing wrong with using purchased lemon juice, just stick with the fresh squeezed thing. If the word concentrate is anywhere on the label, skip it.
Enjoy you summer with a great beverage!
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Friday, June 19, 2009
Episode 2, links, and other musings
Frequent reader Scott had been anticipating the demise of Wylie Dufresne on Top Chef Masters, and all I can say is, “sometimes dreams do come true.” Wylie wowed use with a load of foul language filled grilled cheese amuse. Proceeding to top this effort by not completing the judges dishes with all it’s components. Ok, one dish, but it was the protein. And if to insult a broken man the judges seemed to convey an overwhelming lack of enthusiasm for his molecular knowledge, while bandaging that wound with what has become a common judgment on the Masters of, “but it taste good at least.” Cheers Scott as the mighty have fallen. Poor Wylie as the producers took to him hard handing out a drubbing in one episode most Top Chef contestants would streach out over a few weeks.
Graham Elliot Bowles was in my opinion the big winner of this episode, even if he isn’t moving on. He brought a charisma, energy, and style combined with hands on cooking skill that will win over a ton of viewers. If we don’t see more of this guy on TV, it’s because he doesn’t want to do it.
I came across this blog of antique recipes, with photos of hand written classics. Check it out here at Recipecurio.
The new blog, and then we eat, caught my eye due to a unique mix of home cooking, restaurant styling, and increasingly good photos.
It occurred to me after reading the most recant Food Arts magazine that if every single new restaurant is touting local products then why aren’t the big boy mass distributers posting losses, losing customers and/or crying for help?
Even the local strawberries this year seem to be very uniform in size, flavor and texture adding up to something not nearly as appetizing as years past. Time to pass the torch on to ‘heirloom strawberries’ sounds like a reason to raise the price!
The Black River Café just got two Curly Tail Organic pigs delivered. These where some massive hogs. The loin itself has to be a solid 4 feet long. Great tasting too!
Of all the recent menu changes the pesto gnocchi and the lamb salad are hits, while the daily risotto and rabbit ragout sales have fallen off as of late.
This week-end I’ll be working on duck confit perogies, seared scallops over marinated carrots, rainbow trout on bacon and horseradish fingerlings in a herb coulis, and pork tenderloin with snap peas, sweet potatoes, soy roasted pineapple.
Graham Elliot Bowles was in my opinion the big winner of this episode, even if he isn’t moving on. He brought a charisma, energy, and style combined with hands on cooking skill that will win over a ton of viewers. If we don’t see more of this guy on TV, it’s because he doesn’t want to do it.
I came across this blog of antique recipes, with photos of hand written classics. Check it out here at Recipecurio.
The new blog, and then we eat, caught my eye due to a unique mix of home cooking, restaurant styling, and increasingly good photos.
It occurred to me after reading the most recant Food Arts magazine that if every single new restaurant is touting local products then why aren’t the big boy mass distributers posting losses, losing customers and/or crying for help?
Even the local strawberries this year seem to be very uniform in size, flavor and texture adding up to something not nearly as appetizing as years past. Time to pass the torch on to ‘heirloom strawberries’ sounds like a reason to raise the price!
The Black River Café just got two Curly Tail Organic pigs delivered. These where some massive hogs. The loin itself has to be a solid 4 feet long. Great tasting too!
Of all the recent menu changes the pesto gnocchi and the lamb salad are hits, while the daily risotto and rabbit ragout sales have fallen off as of late.
This week-end I’ll be working on duck confit perogies, seared scallops over marinated carrots, rainbow trout on bacon and horseradish fingerlings in a herb coulis, and pork tenderloin with snap peas, sweet potatoes, soy roasted pineapple.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Pesto
Pesto is a sauce originating in Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy, and consists of basil, parsley, cheese (usually Parmigianino), pine nuts, and olive oil. There is a French equivalent called pistou, with the major difference being the lack of pine nuts. That being said there are many, countless variations and ratios used the world over in which a combination of cheese, nuts, and major flavor ingredient come together with some oil to form a paste we as chef’s liberally call ‘pesto’.
Basil pesto is the mother of all pesto. There is no denying that a well made basil pesto is very tasty. But it isn’t just that easy. Store bought bottles, jars, and tubes are almost always inferior to what can be made from scratch. A well tested recipe is only the beginning, every leaf of basil is different, garlic can be very pungent, or flat, and while not one of the more traditional ingredients, acid be it lemon juice or red wine vinegar can give a flat pesto the exact punch it needs. Texture is another variable that stretches from a grinding or chopping the ingredients by hand to using a food processor, or the fine puree you’ll get from a blender. At the end of summer, when the basil plants have taken over the garden, remember this!
So there is a never-ending list of pesto recopies, but let me share mine.
Pesto
1# basil picked from stems
Salted water to blanch
Ice water to chill
1 cup Parmigianino cheese
1 cup toasted pine nuts
One small clove of garlic
Juice of one lemon
¾ cup high quality EVOO
Salt and pepper
So, we’ve all seen the brown pesto with an oil slick over top. Not this way. Blanching the basil will keep the pesto green for as long as it’s ever taken me to use it up. It is essential that the pine nuts get roasted to a nice even brown, your nose will tell you when. A pesto with raw nuts will be completely different. On garlic, I hate the flavor of raw garlic, but the bite a small bit in this case brings something sassy to the pesto. The number one mistake in most pesto is too much garlic. Everything can go in a food processor together. I like a fine pesto, but the blender goes too far in my opinion, so I let the food processor go for about 5 minutes. The acid helps emulsify the relatively small amount of oil eliminating that unappetizing glop that usually covers a chilled pesto. Keep this paste in the refrigerator and use it on pasta, meat, bread, or anything else you like.
I’ve taken the liberty as a chef to remove basil and/or pine nuts from the basic pesto ratio and replace it while still calling my end product a pesto. I’ve done it will bell peppers, in which brunoise bell peppers replaced basil. Most recently I’ve been making Ramp pesto. I use the green ramp tops in place of basil with great success. The ramps don’t need to be blanched either. I do leave out the garlic in the ramp pesto as the ramps bring enough pungent flavors to the party. Arugula-walnut pesto is another modern interpretation of the classic pesto that has seen success in a variety of markets.
The process of making pesto is very easy. While the cheese and pine nuts might be pricey to begin with, pesto is a great way to stretch them out. Lastly, with the blanching method, beautiful pesto will last forever.
Basil pesto is the mother of all pesto. There is no denying that a well made basil pesto is very tasty. But it isn’t just that easy. Store bought bottles, jars, and tubes are almost always inferior to what can be made from scratch. A well tested recipe is only the beginning, every leaf of basil is different, garlic can be very pungent, or flat, and while not one of the more traditional ingredients, acid be it lemon juice or red wine vinegar can give a flat pesto the exact punch it needs. Texture is another variable that stretches from a grinding or chopping the ingredients by hand to using a food processor, or the fine puree you’ll get from a blender. At the end of summer, when the basil plants have taken over the garden, remember this!
So there is a never-ending list of pesto recopies, but let me share mine.
Pesto
1# basil picked from stems
Salted water to blanch
Ice water to chill
1 cup Parmigianino cheese
1 cup toasted pine nuts
One small clove of garlic
Juice of one lemon
¾ cup high quality EVOO
Salt and pepper
So, we’ve all seen the brown pesto with an oil slick over top. Not this way. Blanching the basil will keep the pesto green for as long as it’s ever taken me to use it up. It is essential that the pine nuts get roasted to a nice even brown, your nose will tell you when. A pesto with raw nuts will be completely different. On garlic, I hate the flavor of raw garlic, but the bite a small bit in this case brings something sassy to the pesto. The number one mistake in most pesto is too much garlic. Everything can go in a food processor together. I like a fine pesto, but the blender goes too far in my opinion, so I let the food processor go for about 5 minutes. The acid helps emulsify the relatively small amount of oil eliminating that unappetizing glop that usually covers a chilled pesto. Keep this paste in the refrigerator and use it on pasta, meat, bread, or anything else you like.
I’ve taken the liberty as a chef to remove basil and/or pine nuts from the basic pesto ratio and replace it while still calling my end product a pesto. I’ve done it will bell peppers, in which brunoise bell peppers replaced basil. Most recently I’ve been making Ramp pesto. I use the green ramp tops in place of basil with great success. The ramps don’t need to be blanched either. I do leave out the garlic in the ramp pesto as the ramps bring enough pungent flavors to the party. Arugula-walnut pesto is another modern interpretation of the classic pesto that has seen success in a variety of markets.
The process of making pesto is very easy. While the cheese and pine nuts might be pricey to begin with, pesto is a great way to stretch them out. Lastly, with the blanching method, beautiful pesto will last forever.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Top Chef Masters Season Permier
It’s been a few days now, so anyone who wanted to see it has by now, speaking of Top Chef Masters. Different and interesting are the two words that come to mind to describe the premier episode. I wrote about the prospects of this seasons Top Chef two months ago here. So how do I think things played out……?
Triumph –vs- Failures: We will not see many failures this season. This falls in line with the wishy-washy judging that we will see as well. For example, over cooked risotto, at least it’s cheesy. Salty steak and kale dish, “salty, but we loved it.” Or the collapsed chocolate cake and liquid ice cream debacle….just aren’t gonna talk about that one!
Taking restaurant chefs out of the kitchen, Check. Overt product placement, Check. Which backfired since every chef complained the hot plate couldn't supply enough heat to sear a pork chop.
On the good side the chefs where portrayed as very humble, approachable, and emotional. This was more a part of the show than I expected. It worked well in my opinion.
Lastly, will we see something amazing from the chefs? This remains to be seen, but if the likes of Girl Scout judges and dorm room kitchens are the indicators, we will have to settle for untapped potential.
For another opinion of the Top Chef Masters I found this interesting from Christine Fu, of the National Examiner.
Triumph –vs- Failures: We will not see many failures this season. This falls in line with the wishy-washy judging that we will see as well. For example, over cooked risotto, at least it’s cheesy. Salty steak and kale dish, “salty, but we loved it.” Or the collapsed chocolate cake and liquid ice cream debacle….just aren’t gonna talk about that one!
Taking restaurant chefs out of the kitchen, Check. Overt product placement, Check. Which backfired since every chef complained the hot plate couldn't supply enough heat to sear a pork chop.
On the good side the chefs where portrayed as very humble, approachable, and emotional. This was more a part of the show than I expected. It worked well in my opinion.
Lastly, will we see something amazing from the chefs? This remains to be seen, but if the likes of Girl Scout judges and dorm room kitchens are the indicators, we will have to settle for untapped potential.
For another opinion of the Top Chef Masters I found this interesting from Christine Fu, of the National Examiner.
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Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Poll results
While the grass may not in fact be greener on the other side of the fence, it sure does look that way from here.
Why are you gazing over toward the other side and not tending to your work anyway.
If the sun falls on both sides of the fence and no one is there to see it, is the grass still green?
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Why are you gazing over toward the other side and not tending to your work anyway.
If the sun falls on both sides of the fence and no one is there to see it, is the grass still green?
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Monday, June 08, 2009
June Photos
This is our new lamb dish for the summer menu. I marinate the chunks of lamb with lemon oil, juice and zest, dried oregano, and black pepper. I like my greek salad to be naked. All the vegetables are cut to order, seasoned, then I like to beat them up in a bowl a little bit so they all give up a little juice and that becomes a dressing in and of itself. The syrup is a tangy red wine vinagar reduction with honey added to level it out.
Scallop special: Seared scallops, English pea risotto, roasted tomato coulis, ramp pesto. Sometimes the bite of ramp tops hits me over the head too strong, but when tempured with parmasean and pine nuts it's pungent, but enjoyable.
I just love fresh peas, what can I say. I was in the middle of shucking these when I looked up, saw my camera, and said, "what the hell," snapping of a few photos.
Another Scallop Special: Seared scallops, lemon-parmasean risotto, sauteed spring vegetables including fresh artichokes, ramps, and asparagus. Fresh artichokes are alot of work, but I'm very disappointed with them as a selling point at the Black River Cafe. They so obviously aren't the canned ones, or even the really expensive oil marinated ones. It's nice that I get a chance to snack of them, but I'd rather sell them. Even local asparagus has produced a resounding "thud" as a selling point. I've worked places, and eaten places where local asparagus and fresh artichokes where reasons to celebrate.
This is something like our summer salmon dish on the menu. This is Copper River Sockeye Salmon which is really nice. There are shoestring vegetables under there, which have become our default summer vegetable replacing the wintery swiss chard. I use the mandoline to cut carrots, zucchini and squash, julienne red onion and chopped garlic round the mix out. The dish as pictured started out with salt and vinagar chips, but on pay day my name is in the middle of the check, not the lower right corner, thus our summer salmon dish has orzo now. We make our own version of tartar sauce which I whipped up for a special last week and everyone liked it so we stuck with it. Basicly it's equal parts cornichones, capers, parsley, shallots, egg yolks, a little lemon juice, salt, Frank's red hot, and prepared mayo.
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