Cookin' in the 'Cuse

On Saying "Good bye": A little love note to the 'Cuse

I have struggled long and hard with this post.  As you may know, I have accepted a new position in Chicago and my family and I are in the process of moving and grieving this incredible city and region we love so much.  I have seen many blogs come and go over the six and a half years I've been writing Cookin' in the 'Cuse.  Many of them simply faded away with a last recipe and no "goodbye".  But after the past few months when our food community has said sudden goodbyes to Deb Whiting, Linda "Sparky" Mortimer, and now chef Brian Shore, I've decided that I must find the words to express my love and gratitude to my adopted home because tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us.  As a priest, this is a fact of life I know all too well.  As a human being, it is a fact I'd rather deny.

This may not be my last post.  There continues to be much I'd like to write about in this space.  However the impact of Faceback on my "online" time has been enough to alter my blogging energy.  I also cannot discount becoming a mother--the most desired and wonderful thing that has ever happened to me.  My blogging has become very infrequent and I wish that were different.  But I thank each and every one of you for reading, keeping up with my food passion, and for inspiring me to seek out the most incredible food, food producers, and cooks/chefs Syracuse has to offer.

Even more, I am incredibly grateful that I have come to know and cherish so many of you.  Each time someone who reads this blog introduces themselves to me it totally makes my day.  And truly, one of the shifts for me has been about going from being a solitary writer and newcomer to the area to one who feels so engaged and connected to this community that it is painful to leave it.

I can't tell you what it means to be chosen to speak at the Slow Food CNY Food Speaker and Film series--I'll be at the Red House next Wednesday at 7pm to speak and the film, Food Stamped will be shown.  I am thankful for this last opportunity to gather with my food family.

Yes, there is great food in Chicago.  Nearly every neighborhood has a "celebrity chef" cooking in it.  And none of that matters to me.  I find myself asking the question I pondered exactly 8 years ago when I was preparing to move to Syracuse:  How will we eat?

Behind that question isn't just the mechanics of where we will buy our food.  This question is really about what community of farmers, producers, advocates, cooks, and friends will nourish us.  Syracuse, Central New York, the Finger Lakes--for all the ways you have nourished me and my family, thank you. 

I'm not sure what will become of this blog--we'll see.  I'm also not sure if I'll blog about food in Chicago.  But I do know this:  this is a great food destination and I will be back to visit, eat, and rejoice in this delicious community.

All my love to you,

Jennifer

Oh this is going to be fun!

Life has been crazy busy lately and I seem to be writing everywhere but here.  But.  I'm getting so excited about Sunday's benefit for the Baltimore Woods Nature Center!  Now, I'm no Alton Brown (Iron Chef America) or Ted Allen (Chopped) but what an honor to be invited to emcee this night of foodie heaven.  We're talking all the great stars of the local food scene--the chefs, the cheeses, produce and meats, the beer and wine, the coffee, desserts and on and on.  There will be some of our favorite locavores to judge the food and if you come--you get to vote too.  This

I believe there are still tickets available so call the Center to reserve your spot and check out the Baltimore Woods website to learn more about this local gem if you don't already.

Montage: Cafe and Bar--An Oasis of Cool Downtown

Not just as in a place to escape the heat--but "cool" as in, you want to hang out here all day.  Montage offers not just a clean aesthetic (with stools covered in beautiful Japanese imported textiles) but delicious coffee by West Roast. Located in the Red House Arts Center complex, just across the street from the SU Warehouse on Fayette and West Street, I suddenly have a place to get my coffee on as I walk to campus.  Need more reasons to check it out?  Can you say--baked goods by The Sweet Praxis and a commitment to sourcing local ingredients?  All brought to you by Christian VanLuven and Tomomi Yoshida--the couple behind Roji Tea Lounge. 

Get there.

Montage:  Cafe and Bar, 219 West Street (at Fayette)

Two for the Newt: Support Red Newt Cellars and Buy Their Wine

Join me, Edible Finger Lakes, and other Finger Lakes wine lovers and show some love and support for Red Newt Cellars in the days following the death of co-owner Deb Whiting and the ongoing recovery of her husband and winery co-owner David.  The idea is simple--let's buy their wine.  Stock your cellar, share some with friends, enjoy some with dinner.  My friend Michael Warren Thomas, who covers the food scene in Rochester wrote me this afternoon and asked me to spread the word about this effort--I hope you'll help me pass the word as well:

The Finger Lakes lost an incredible ambassador and culinary leader on Thursday when Deb Whiting, Executive Chef of Red Newt Bistro & Winery died in a car accident.  Her husband Dave, the Winemaker for Red Newt, survived the accident and has been released from the hospital.  The winery & bistro both remain open, although they will close for one day, Tuesday, July 5th.   www.RedNewt.com

In situations like this people search for ways to help.  Red Newt will get lots of cards and prayers, but what if the stores couldn't keep the wine on their shelves this week?  I see it as a big Thank You to Deb for her countless hundreds of hours working to promote local foods and the Finger Lakes in general, and an especially crucial message of support for Dave.  If the email reaches 1,200 people and they each buy 2 bottles at their nearest store - that would be 200 cases of wine.  I'll bet they would notice that jump in sales, and perhaps some of those people will buy a 6-12 bottles.  You might want to call your favorite wine store to make sure they still have some!

I bought a case of different Red Newt wines, and will enjoy them this summer.  How many bottles could the wine stores sell in the next week as word gets out?  Buy a couple of bottles and perhaps give someone a bottle - you don't have to tell them why, perhaps just as a thank you to them for being a good neighbor.  Deb and Dave have touched so many lives in the region and the entire state.   Thank you for considering this as a way to send the winery and restaurant the message that we value what they have done and will support them in the future. 

Michael Warren Thomas

Debra Whiting: The world will be a lot less delightful & delicious without you.

Deb and Dave Whiting of Red Newt Cellars and Bistro helped change the view of the Finger Lakes as a place for wine only.  Thanks to their pioneering efforts our wine region became a place where you might go just for the food.  The death of Deb Whiting in yesterday's car accident is a great loss.  And I don't just mean locally--Deb was known, loved, and admired far and wide. 

I didn't know her well--but whenever I saw her at the Bistro or at dinners like last fall's harvest dinner at Creekside Meadows Farm in Tully--I found her to be as engaging, genuine, and fun as could be.  She worked hard and she leaves behind, all too soon, an incredible legacy.

Of course, Deb was also many other things and in these days I bid your prayers, good vibes and wishes for her beloved husband and partner Dave.  Recent reports say he is in stable condition and I hope his recovery is speedy.  But my heart aches for him in his personal loss.

Meanwhile, back in babyland...

Every now and again the enormity of it all hits me...I've been entrusted with the life of another human being.  It isn't just about raising a compassionate, smart, and well-adjusted black man in this world--I'm shaping his palate too.

I know these early days matter--my brother still hates for the food on his plate to touch and I remember that being an issue when he was 3 years old.  I know palates and habits can evolve, I can testify to that, but I want to lay the best, most delicious foundation as I can for Timothy. 

You want to talk about real simple cooking?  Then let's talk baby food.  Alongside more "lavish" meals like grilled vegetables, corn and radish salad, and marinated and grilled chicken, I've been all about the purees.  No real seasoning, no complicated recipes.  But lots of love is stirred in just the same.  So let me admit how incredibly humbling it is, to have my child spit out the food I prepared for him. 

Granted, it was a pea puree that truthfully, could have used some salt to perk it up.  Maybe Timothy's palate is just fine afer all.

To read about more of my baby food adventures as I attempt to raise a locavore, check out my piece in the June issue of Family Times magazine here.

Photo Credit:  Michael Davis

Not much to look at but boy is he tasty! How I fell in love with barracuda

When we travel to the Bahamas to visit my husband's family don't think we are lounging poolside at the Atlantis resort knocking back Goombay Smashes all day and night.  Oh no--we stay in the small fishing villages of the Abacos where you are more likely to hear my husband and relatives say things like--"Let's go out tonight and get that big barracuda!".  And they do.

Next thing you know there's my sister-in-law hustling in the kitchen to pan fry it and serve it up with some peas and rice.  And it's delicous.  I wasn't around to see the catch deskinned and such, but what was brought to the kitchen were some beautiful, white-fleshed steaks that tasted much milder than the barracuda's menancing grin would suggest.  I'm going to see if it is available locally and if it is-- I suggest that you check it out.  Atlantic wild-caught barracuda doesn't really appear on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch list--perhaps a good thing. 

Besides--won't your friends love you if you tell them that you're serving grilled barracuda instead of another slab of salmon?

As we were leaving folks were going on about wild boar--can you say sausages?!?  Oh I can't wait to return.

Emilee's Tour of the Tech Farm part 2

Editor's Note:  I'd like to offer a massive apology both to Emilee Lawson Hatch and those of you waiting for part 2 of her Tech Farm adventure.  This post was supposed to go up 2 weeks ago.  I thought I posted it and then left the country and had no real internet access--so I'm very sorry for the delay.  Read on to discover Emilee's other interesting foodie finds.  Thanks again Emilee!

Other vendors at the Tech Farm were too tempting not to check out.   Cherrypharm, Inc. - While the cherries aren't local, they are domestic and the juice is produced right there at the Farm.  Carol Langdon, VP of Operations and Finance, indicated that unexpectedly, but due to the natural nutritional benefits of their cherry juice, their products have found a niche with professional athletes and collegiate athletic departments.  It is pretty impressive to be able to say that after starting at the Farm in 2005, they have gone from being a small juice provider, to being on the shelves at Wegmans.   

   

Zugibe Vineyards offers a variety of wines sold by the Zugibe family.  If you have time, I suggest you check out their website and google the story of their family's vineyard.  It is very touching.  One of the three handsome brothers, Brendan Zugibe, informed me that they are most well-known for their Riesling.  In fact, their 2009 Late Harvest Riesling won the John Rose Award for Best Riesling at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. Congratulations guys.  

Seneca BioEnergy has developed a grape seed oil, which they expect to have on market this fall.  Their researchers came across this product almost accidentally, as they were developing the oil as a pilot product to potentially use as an alternative biodiesel.  Then they realized that it tasted good!  While you can find other grapeseed oils on the shelves, it is nice to know that this one is manufactured locally from a business that is on the lookout for ways to develop environmentally-conscious energy products.

Top Quality Hay Processors was one of the most surprising vendors at the Farm.  Along with research assistance from Cornell, they produce a hay that has high levels of protein and consistent low moisture levels.  Although their product is primarily sold for animal feed (think rabbits, horses, cattle), they wanted in on the human food action too!  They were offering alfalfa tea, and I was told that smoked potatoes with hay and hay-cured ham are recipes that they've tried and enjoyed.  

Open House at the (very delicious) Technology Farm Part 1

I love the fact that there are so many great food things going on around Central New York that I can hardly keep up--I've had to stop trying.  But lucky for me--and all of us--there are great foodies willing to share their experiences and help us all keep up.  Emilee Lawson Hatch is one such person.  She took time out of her busy life of being a lawyer and an amazing home cook and baker to give us an inside look at the Technology Farm.

On May 5, 2011, I had the opportunity to be a guest at an Open House for the Technology Farm.  What is the Technology Farm, you ask?  A venue for electronics aficionados?  A science museum for kids?  Nope.  The Technology Farm (also known as the "Farm") is funded by Cornell University, with the mission to assist business owners with research and development in the areas of food and agriculture.

Up to this point, my interaction with agricultural business owners has been on a mostly professional and legal basis, as I assist them with their business succession planning, contracts, or general estate planning.  However, I was grateful to attend the Open House, and literally taste some of the amazing ways these savvy folks have put our local agriculture to good use.

I have to start with one of my favorite products developed by some of my favorite people:

Stony Brook Wholeheartedfoods

 

Meet Greg and Kelly from Stony Brook Wholeheartedfoods.  In their immaculate kitchen at the Farm, Greg Woodworth and Kelly Coughlin work with Alaric Strauss (a/k/a "The Roaster") to produce a creative and relatively new culinary delight - squash seed oil!  As a team, they roast various squash seeds and expel the oil to give us a variety of cooking oils.  Currently, their oils include Butternut Squash, Delicata Squash, Pumpkin, Kabocha Squash, and my personal favorite, Acorn Squash.  They are able to produce and store the oil at the Farm and manage their business from their office just down the hall.

Alaric Strauss "The Roaster"

Squash seed oil is considered a finishing oil but can also be used in cooking, which lends itself to many dishes.  Stony Brook even has recipes listed on their website and a very helpful note attached to each bottle that gives ideas on how to use the oil.  At the Open House, some of the culinary offerings included goat cheese crostini with acorn squash seed oil, southwestern winter squash hummus, and rosemary & chive focaccia with butternut squash seed oil.  In addition…drum roll please….chocolate ice cream drizzled with butternut squash seed oil.  Kelly commented that the ice cream with the oil tasted similar to a peanut butter milkshake.  Yes, like the best one I've ever had!  The oil with the ice cream was surprisingly delicate and so flavorful that I could see serving this to a crowd anytime, anywhere.

Stony Brook has taken a CNY product that was previously wasted (squash seeds) and they have transformed it into a wonderfully tasteful product (culinary oil!).  Plus, the remnants of the expelling process are 100% recyclable.  A fun fact for you - the seed waste is pressed into pieces which are sold to local farmers who use it as pig feed.

Stony Brook is devoted to using a batch processing method, to ensure purity and quality, however, I have a feeling that Stony Brook is going to grow quickly.  I found their products back in 2009 when perusing the shelves at Max Market in Rochester.  In a short amount of time, they've made their way to a variety of retail stores, tasting rooms and restaurants.  You can also purchase their products online.

More fun at the Tech Farm in Part 2.

Editor's Note:  Stony Brook's seed oils can also be found at the Mumber's Pantry in "A" Shed at the Saturday CNY Regional Market.

Honk if You Love Cheeses

I don't put bumperstickers on my car but if I did--this is the one I'd create.  I love cheese.  I don't know what I'd do if I had to give it up--perish the thought!  The fact that there is so much great cheese being made in our area just feeds my obsession.  In the midst of today's thunderstorms, I took solace in room temperature Trillium cheese from Wake Robin Farm spread on crusty bread fresh from the oven--glorious!

If you shop the Central New York Regional Market, you may have noticed that there is an abundance of great cheeses being sold.  Often the cheesemakers are off at other markets so if you miss them one week--check for them the next.  These newcomers join some of the market mainstays like Wake Robin, Keeley's, and the Muranda cheeses that you can get at the Finger Lakes Family Farms booth in C-shed. 

Painted Goat Farm Cheese

Illyssa Berg (along with partner Javier Flores) is the hardworking woman behind these beautiful cheeses.  I've tasted the incredibly fresh and creamy traditional herb coated goat cheese but I've been spreading the goat cheese with fig jam on pecan raisin bread and calling it dessert.  Oh so good.  Illyssa will be at the Regional Market this Saturday and she tries to get there a couple of time a month.  Check out their Facebook page to stay up to date.

American Farmstand Cheese

Gordon Walts is a man on a mission to get others to love New York State cheese.  He's at the Regional Market (and on the internet) selling small producer, hard to find artisinal cheeses.  He's passionate and knowledgeable and is willing to share the love. 

Three Village Cheese

I keep wanting to take a photo of their cheeses but I keep eating them first.  Their cheeses are made from the same cows and milk that make Maple Hill Creamery yogurt so delicious. 

Blue Danube Cheesecakes

This is the classic way to have cheese for dessert when you don't feel like assembling a cheese plate.  These are rich and creamy New York style cheese cakes that come in perfect mini-cake sizes for one (or two if you are more generous with your cheesecake than I tend to be).  Hazelnut and oreo cookie are my favorites.  You can find Erica Derrick giving out samples at the Regional Market on Saturdays or Green Hills Market on Fridays.