Cookin' in the 'Cuse

Airport Survival Tactics

The job I held when we lived in Berkeley, CA had me logging over 20,000 air miles each year.  Over those two years I learned a thing or two about flying and eating--like, always pack your own unless you are willing to submit to airport food or simply not eat.  I'm about to get on a 12:30 pm flight for a quick overnight to Ohio.  Flying during the lunch hour is particularly cruel--but they're not going to get me.  I'm ready--well the food is ready, I've still got to pack my clothes.

This Chard and Onion Omelet, or Trouchia if you're French, is just the ticket.  I made it last night.  It can be eaten at room temperature and still taste fantastic.  And when you cut it into wedges it makes for finger food that will be easy to navigate if I get stuck in a middle seat.  All I have to do is add a toasted slice of French Peasant bread and a piece of fruit and I'm good to go.  Speaking of which...I've got packing to do.  I'll be back and posting on Sunday.

Chard and Onion Omelet adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small red onion--quartered and thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 scallions, both green and white parts--chopped
• 1 bunch chard, leaves only--chopped
• salt and freshly milled pepper
• 1 garlic clove
• 6 to 8 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
• 1 cup grated soft cheese--like Heamour Farms honey gouda or Gruyere
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Note:  With no fresh basil or thyme on hand I substituted a teaspoon of dried herbs au Provence (a mix that includes dried thyme, basil, tarragon, lavender).

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 10-inch oven proof skillet, add the onion, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until completely soft but not colored, about ten minutes.  Ad the chard and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all the moisture has cooked off and the chard is tender, about 15 minutes.  Season well with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, mash the garlic in a mortar with a few pinches of salt (or chop them finely together), then stir it into the eggs along with the herbs.  Combine the chard mixture with the eggs and stir in the Gruyere or honey Gouda and half the Parmigiano.

Preheat the broiler.  Heat the remaining oil in the skillet and, when it is hot, add the eggs.  Give a stir and keep the heat at medium high for about a minute, then turn it to low.  Cook until the eggs are set but still a little moist on top, 10 to 15 minutes.  Add the remaining Parmigiano and broil 4 to 6 inches from the heat until browned.

Serve the omelet in the pan or slide it onto a serving dish and cut into wedges.  The gratineed top and the golden bottom are equally presentable.  Serves 4 to 6.

Et tu Tom, et tu?

Okay, this doesn't start out as a post about food but stick with me.  Last week Tom's of Maine announced that it would be bought out by Colgate Palmolive.  Although they liken it more to a partnership, I have to admit that this saddened me and I'm trying to figure out why.  There are several questions that keep eating at my conscience as I ponder the business trends I see.  The first questions begin with word connotations. 

For instance, in my world "corporate" is a good word.  It simply means "together".  But "corporation" has an air of suspicion to it.  The word "independent" is also generally a good word, unless it is understood as being contrary to the building up of community. 

So every time I read that a favorite independent company has been gobbled up by a larger, multinational conglomerate I get a little nervous.  Promises are always made to assure the smaller company and its following that nothing will change about the well loved product line.  But I'm not so sure about that.  Mind you, I don't have any hard facts to support this belief but I can't help but believe that when the owner of a company changes, a bit of the identity changes too.  And while I often feel (justified or not) that I can trust Tom Chappell to make products that are true to his values and to be uncompromising about that, I'm not sure I can trust the CEO of Colgate-Palmolive to do the same.  Because if push came to shove, I believe that Colgate would compromise the values of a Tom's of Maine product if it served their bottom line.  Colgate may not do that--but they can.

Is it really a coincidence that as organic foods have proliferated, thanks to the gobbling up of companies of conscience by larger multinationals, organic standards have been watered down?  Organic is not just about pesticide-free food.  It is about a certain environmental ethic that respects the land that produces the food, respects the animals that provide our milk and meat, and respects the farmers who do the difficult work of growing our food. 

So when Horizon Dairy (owned by Dean Foods) doesn't put all its cows out to pasture but still bears the label "organic" or when it starts a new farm in eastern Oregon (2,400 cows and young stock) on land that will require intensive irrigation and thinks itself "sustainable" I wonder just whose values are being upheld.*  Horizon has several farms here in central New York and they may indeed be following the law and ethic of organics. 

On a bad day I am tempted to think that there is no way for the "little guy" to make it anymore.  I wonder if the natural progression of a successful and popular product leads to its inevitable buyout by a larger company.  And yet, I also believe that if we really supported a regional food economy there would be a way to provide clean food, employ farmers at a decent pay scale and protect the unique foods and products that allow the spirit of a particular place and its people to be expressed.  This uniqueness is what makes engaging other people, other cultures, and other cuisines not only fun but necessary to the important work of learning about the other--and in the process we learn about ourselves. 

I truly hope that Tom's of Maine bodycare products will remain true to the quality and integrity I've come to cherish.  It is the same hope that I hold for Scharffen Berger Chocolates (purchased by Hershey in 2005) and all the other independent companies who now have bigger parents and countless cousins thanks to buyout arrangements.  And if you're wondering if your favorite food producer is still independent check out the Beyond Organic site.  Michael Straus, a son of the Strauss Family Creamery family, has a great link to who owns who, here. 

In the end I think we need to take back the word "corporate".  It would be a powerful thing if we could understand the support of small and medium-sized farmers and producers as a corporate act designed to empower the whole community and not just a few at the top.  Shopping your farmers' market and co-ops can be a corporate act that allow us to support the "little guy" instead of capitulating to the giant corporations. 

For the record, I'll state that I'm a realist.  It is no longer possible for me to avoid purchasing some of the products that have gone from indepedent to multinational--I do like Stonyfield Farm yogurt and I buy it.  But frankly, it is no longer my first choice.  Not when delicious, artisinal, and local options abound.  Not one to trumpet hierarchy, I am now committing to an hierarchy of choice.  And I do this not because eating local is trendy but because it is healthy, sustainable, and allows me to sleep at night knowing that members of my regional community can keep a roof over their heads and feed their families while they feed mine.

• My first choice is to buy food grown or produced within 250 miles of Syracuse and to support local purveyors to the extent that availability and my pocketbook allows.
• My second choice is to support independent producers who subscribe to an environmentally sustainable ethic for healthy and clean food--organic certification not required.
• My third choice is to seek out certified organic foods but to do so with knowledge of where and how their products are grown.
• My last choice is purchase so-called "conventional" foods.
• There will always be room for special imports from, say, the Bay Area, Italy, or other places.  But these are treats, not the norm.

Not perfect, but a start.

*  These statements are based on remarks made by Mark Kastel of the Cornucopia Institute during his address to the NOFA-NY Conference in January 2006.

The Staff of Life

Bread figures prominently in my life.  At home it is a staple.  There is always bread of some kind in the house and the rare occasion when I run out of flour can precipitate a small crisis.  But bread is also at the center of my work.  When I gather with students for worship the aim is to always have homemade bread for communion.  Afterward, bread is always a part of the meal we share.  And as we gather we struggle with the notion that so many people do not have bread to eat or loved ones and friends with which to gather.  Bread as sustenance, breaking bread, staff of life--all those metaphors and images--we really get it.

But no matter the circumstances, the act of eating bread is elevated to the sacred when it has been prepared by hands you know.  Even better is that first taste of bread warm from the oven; the faint scent of yeast still hanging in the air.  Each and every time I bake bread I wonder why I don't do it more often--it is worth it just for those first bites.

Well Saturday, inspired by a recipe in April's Saveur Magazine, I set out to make pita bread.  I had already decided to make a huge Greek salad for our Sunday dinner on campus and when I saw how easy the recipe for pita bread was, I had to give it a try.  The editorial note with the recipe noted that this is a very forgiving dough to work with and I found that to be very true.  As bread baking goes it is also a relatively quick recipe--both to prep and to bake.  The bonus is watching these pillowy orbs expand in the oven and then deflate upon a few minutes rest on a tea towel.  And, as if by magic, that pita-defining pocket is formed.

The pita went great with the Greek salad and some hummus but this is really a bread for anytime.  For a snack I took a pita round and smeared it with some local Lively Run chevre.  So simple and so delicious.

If you've never baked bread before this is a great recipe to get you started.  And if you do have experience baking bread you might find yourself incorporating this recipe into your cooking repertoire.  I don't think I can ever go back to buying a package of pita rounds from the store--I'm spoiled for life.

Note:  The one piece of special equipment that is essential to this recipe is a pizza or baking stone.

Pita Bread (adapted from the April 2006 issue of Saveur Magazine)

• 1 7-gram package of active dry yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 6 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used organic canola)
• 2 teaspoon of salt

Put yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup warm water into a large bowl, stir to dissolve, and let mixture sit until frothy, 10-20 minutes.  Add 2 more cups warm water and 1 cup of the flour and stir to combine.  Add 2 more cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.  Set mixture aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Add 2 teaspoons of the oil and salt and stir well to combine.  Gradually add remaining flour, mixing well with your hands, until the dough holds together as a ball.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes.  Grease a large bowl with remaining oil.  Roll dough around in bowl to coat with oil then cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to let rise until doubled in bulk--about 2 hours.

Place pizza or baking stone on middle rack of oven.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Punch dough down, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes.  Divide dough evenly into 16 balls and cover with plastic.  Roll each ball out into a 7" disk, keeping remaining dough covered.  Transfer disk onto a clean, lightly floured kitchen towel and cover with another clean towel.  Repeat process with remaining balls, laying them 1" apart in a single layer.  Let rest for 20 minutes.

Bake breads 1-2 at a time on pizza or baking stone until lightly golden and puffed--3 minutes per batch.  Wrap hot pitas in a clean towel to keep them soft and pliable.  Serve immediately or transfer to a plastic bag to store after they have cooled.

News on the Organic and Local Fronts

Everytime I sit down to write a post about the issues related to "local versus organic" or my thoughts on why Whole Foods or Trader Joes might not be the best thing for those commited to eating local, another news item is brought to my attention.  So get yourself a cup of your favorite beverage, settle in, and read up.

Check out this piece just sent to me (thanks Jim!) about Walmart's new commitment to organics.  Having just read the article a few minutes ago I'm going to refrain from commenting.  But here are a couple of excerpts worth noting:

Organic products are one lure for the more affluent shoppers Wal-Mart is trying to woo away from rivals like Target Corp., said Alice Peterson, president of Chicago-based consultancy Syrus Global.

and...

Stephen Quinn, vice president of marketing, told an analysts' conference this month that Wal-Mart would have 400 organic food items in stores this summer "at the Wal-Mart price."

Read the whole article here.

Meanwhile, organic giant Whole Food Market, had a bit of its integrity questioned in this article posted on the online magazine Slate.  But this wasn't just about the organic issue--but about Whole Food's touting its use of local producers.  Check it out here.  Thanks to Heather and Tom for the heads up.

Why is any of this a big deal?  The Cornucopia Institute just released its rating system to judge the integrity of organic dairy farms.  As you might imagine, not everyone is happy about it.  Read the actual report from the source on the Cornucopia site.

I know this is a lot to sift through but the reality is that things are shifting very quickly on the literal landscape of organic food.  With big business, food industry lobbyists, and giant retailers all dictating what may or not be on your store shelves (or what may or may not find its way to your plate) it is necessary not only to be discerning eaters but savvy shoppers as well.  The hard truth of it is this:  not everyone is acting in your best interest.  When it comes to gaining access to truly healthy and sustainable food, knowledge is power.

Circa Restaurant, Cazenovia

The buzz has been building over the past few weeks about Circa, a new restaurant in Cazenovia.  In fact, after the Post-Standard ran the piece about this blog I began to receive emails from folks suggesting I check it out.  Why?  It isn't every day when a restaurant dedicated to New American cuisine (think Alice Waters and Chez Panisse-style cuisine) opens in Central New York.  That's all I needed to know.  We didn't need a reason, but with our third anniversary looming, Harrison and I made reservations and had the pleasure of dining there on Wednesday.

We arrived at about 7:40 in the evening and walked out of the night into a brightly lit yet warm space that was open and airy--and offered a view into the kitchen--love that!  When we sat down and eyed the menu we both breathed a sigh of "ah--now this is what we're talking about".  That is, a seasonal menu inspired by local ingredients. 

Now for those of you in other parts of the country--this may seem like old hat.  But for these parts, there aren't many restaurants commited to relying on local growers and producers and using their products at their peak of freshness.  So to look at a menu to see carrot bisque (with sage creme fraiche) and a local cheese plate with local apples, honey, walnuts and bread, and butternut gnocchi with roasted oyster mushrooms and rosemary riccotta made us giddy. Roasted free range chicken and lamb rib chops also have a spot.  Oh, and then there is the now infamous $10.00 hamburger. 

But the fact that the menu choices sounded mouth-wateringly delicious was only half of the excitement.  There was something about knowing each and every one of the purveyors and farmers where Chef Alicyn Hart sources her food that simultaneously put me at ease and heightened my sense of anticipation to see what she would do this great food.  Because honestly--to make great food you really do have to start out with great ingredients.  And here's where I fear that I slip into a bit of food snobbery so please pardon me-- but when I go out to eat, and when good money is spent in the process, I don't want to think that the food I'm getting is of lesser quality than I would serve in my own home.

This is where we Central  New Yorkers are lucky--we can actually meet the folks who produce the food that Alicyn serves up--her chickens and beef come from Wendy Gornick who sells at the Regional Market and from Cobblestone Valley.  Some of her cheeses come from Heamour Farms and veggies are grown and bread is baked by Suzanne Slomin of Green Rabbit Farm.  These are some of the finest foods to be found ANYWHERE and while some of our locally produced food finds it way to the big Greenmarket on Union Square in Manhattan--you and I can get it right here!  I found myself thinking that I don't have to dream about getting down to the Union Square Cafe or one of the many seasonal restaurants in the Berkshires or Portland, Oregon (or Maine for that matter).  I can eat at Circa.

 

All that being said, we ordered nothing from the menu.  The specials were too enticing.  We started with a Tuscan flatbread layered with tomato sauce, olives, shavings of Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and the most beautiful white anchovies.  I'd never had white anchovies before--I'd heard about them but never encountered them on a menu.  And there they were--I have to admit that before taking the final bite I simply stared at this beautiful assemblage of flavors with the bluish-white anchovy glistening on top--it was a piece of art--but I had to eat it because it tasted soooo good.

For a main course we both had the braised short ribs.  These were falling off the bone tender.  They were served atop a bed of Dinosaur Kale that had been sauteed with shallots.  These were so good even Harrison ate them up--and he doesn't really do vegetables.  He loved them!  And then there was the fried polenta.  Think buttery, cheesey triangles that are crispy on the outside and when the fork cuts into them, the creamiest polenta oozes out to great effect. 

For dessert Harrison had the chocolate tart--very, very chocolately he said--and I had the ginger bread pudding topped with chocolate ganache.  It was pretty good, though not uniformly warmed up--which I think really brings out the yummy factor in something like bread pudding.

To make room for dessert, I asked for half my dinner to be boxed up.  I was presented with a chinese take out box with my food inside--okay, pretty standard.  But here's the nice touch that Circa added--they actually wrote the restaurant name and the date on the carton so I'll remember when I got it.  (Like it's going to last in my fridge past day 3--not likely!) 

And forget all that stuff about the $10 hamburger, we felt that the food was a BARGAIN.  The level of execution and the quality of the food were top notch and frankly, we've spent more for much less in many other places.  Perhaps it is something about cutting out all the "middlemen" that makes the prices so reasonable.  Even on our tight budget, we can imagine fitting Circa in.

Overall, this is a place I can't wait to return to.  Chef Alicyn and her partner Eric, have done an incredible job bringing a dining experience to our area that is long overdue.  Alicyn brings her years of experience in the food world--working in kitchens from New England to Mexico to Alaska to Colorado--where she met the Bay Area trained Alice Water's disciple who inspired her.  Alicyn also brings experience teaching culinary classes in a local BOCES which makes me wonder whether that might not be a future piece of the Circa repertoire--one can dream.

Finally, for those in Syracuse and points west, a note about the location:

When we told people we were driving out to Cazenovia for dinner we were met with exclamations about how far it is.  Wow--I guess that time in the Bay Area has really skewed our perception of distance.  Cazenovia doesn't seem all that far from Syracuse to me (I mean, it took as much time to get there as it does to go from Berkeley to Haight Ashbury in San Francisco without traffic).  As we drove home I found myself making excuses to go back to Cazenovia just to eat at Circa.  Don't worry about the drive--just get there. 

Circa Restaurant, 76 Albany Street (at Mill), Cazenovia, New York, 315-655-8768

Sneaking in the Veggies

I've been craving Spaghetti and Meatballs something crazy for the past month.  I don't know what that's about.  Maybe I've been feeling nostalgic lately.  Maybe I just wanted some comfort food.  Maybe I wanted an excuse to open our bottle of 1997 Chianti.  But I didn't want just any spaghetti and meatballs.  I had in mind a recipe I hadn't  messed with in years and the time had come.

So I "threw" this together last night.  And yeah, I tossed the sauce and pasta in my bowl which is why the photo looks like I literally "threw" it together.  It ain't pretty but it's real life.  And indeed, this meal did the trick--after I was done, you'd never know there was ever anything in the bowl--soothing, delicious, home-made, and a whole lotta veggies.  Actually, this recipe is a perfect way to sneak veggies into your diet and to clean your fridge.  You simply use whatever you've got.  The meatballs--actually made with turkey--can be stuffed with whatever veggies you have.  Like peppers, throw 'em in.  Have too much zucchini--shred it up and toss it in there.   Listed below is what I used but feel free to experiment.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Marinara Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 diced red pepper
• 6 garlic cloves--crushed
• 3/4 cup dry red wine
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary--crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 6 ox can tomato paste

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add onion, mushrooms, peppers (or other veggies) and garlic.  Saute five minutes or until tender.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Turkey-Veggie Meatballs

• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (light and dark meat)
• 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/3 cup finely chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup coarsely shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon slat
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 large egg white
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• cooking spray or olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Combine all ingredients except cooking spray (or oil) in a bowl and stir well (hands are the best tools for this).  Shape mixture into 1 1/2" balls (you'll have 30 or so).  Place on a cookie sheet that has been coated with cooking spray or olive oil.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until done. 

Cook spaghetti and toss with marinara sauce and meatballs.  Grate extra Parmigiano-Reggianao on top if desired.  Serves about six.

Pascale's Bake House Cafe

Does the Salt City have a cafe scene?  I dare say it does.  In a series of posts over the next couple of weeks I'll describe my adventures into Cafe Society--Syracuse style.

I feel late to the party on this one, but I LOVE Pascale's Bakehouse Cafe.  Judging by how difficult it can be to get a table at lunch time, so does much of Syracuse.  The Pascale name looms large in the Syracuse area--with its winebar and restaurant down in Armory Square, Justin's Grill, and its huge wine and liquor shop on Erie Boulevard, they can cover a lot of your food and drink needs and, okay, desires.

Pascale's Bakehouse Cafe has continued to draw me back over the past two months since I've stumbled upon it.  Well you know the food is good otherwise I wouldn't have come back.  But there is also something about the atmosphere--it reminds me of the brownstone neighborhood I grew up in down in Brooklyn.  Art work hangs on the walls, goodies (gourmet pastas, teas, and condiments) tempt from shelves throughout the space, and the front counter is filled with cookie jars jammed with yummy treats--THIS is the place to go for that decadent chocoloate chip cookie, or a small pecan sandie if you want to show some restraint.  And finally, there are the breads.  You'll see them stacked behind the counter--nice, crusty loaves, perhaps still warm. 

The menu changes daily--but they always have a soup, a salad, a quiche and a pizza to offer pluse an array of sandwiches.  Hint--if you want their meatloaf sandwich get there early--I mean 11:30 a.m. or else they'll be out.  I've seen one--but have yet to taste one--and they look delicious!

On recent visits I've been more than happy with their veggie sandwich filled with baby spinach, eggplant, carmelized onions, roasted peppers, basil pesto and mozzarella cheese.  Their quiche, served with field greens is also a good bet.  And for something sweet, I'll have a pot of Kusmi's Caramel tea and a cookie.  By the way, this is truly awesome tea and I haven't seen it anywhere else in New York (last I checked Whole Foods down in NYC didn't even carry it.)

The service is good, folks of all stripes hang out here, and it is a real Hawley-Green neigborhood institution.  But more than that, Pascale's Bake House Cafe is part of what makes living in Syracuse so great.  Because after a satisfying lunch, a pot of tea sipped by a tall window, jazz playing in the background--heading out into the snow to go back to work is no big deal.  Heck after an hour at Pascale's Cafe I say, bring it on! 

Pascale Bakehouse Cafe is located at 304 Hawley Street near the corner of Catherine Street.  Hours are Monday-Friday: 7:00am-5:00pm  and Saturday: 8:00am-4:00pm

Who Knew?

Food innovation is not always what comes to mind when folks think about Central New York so let's give credit where credit is due.  Perhaps this is old news to natives and long time residents of the area but these two facts were made known to me today:

1.  Ina Garten, aka, the Barefood Contessa earned her bachelors degree in Economics from Syracuse University.  According to Chefography, a Food Network special, Garten solidified her desire to cook and entertain while discovering science and economics were not her calling right here in the Salt City. 

But more importantly...

2.  Robert C. Baker, an alum and long-time professor at Cornell University, died on Monday.  Never heard of him?  Have you heard of chicken nuggets?  Ground poultry?  Chicken hot dogs?  You can thank Baker for all these and more.  His obituary as printed in New York Newsday can be found here.

CL Evers Prepares to Open

While all of NYC seems to be in a tizzy of excitement over the opening of Trader Joe's on Friday, we in Syracuse await the Saturday debut of C.L. Evers & Company Market.  Everyone admits that having a grocery of some kind located downtown is a key to continued residential growth and C.L. Evers is a start.  Ironically, though its stock is different, it bears a closer resemblance to Trader Joe's than I would have thought.

From the looks of things yesterday, C.L. Evers won't be open a day before Saturday but folks were working furiously to fill shelves, coolers, and bins with food for the "young, too busy to cook, but want's to eat a good meal" set--the latter two attributes we can all identify with from time to time.  Like Trader Joe's, this is not the place to go to get all of your shopping done, but it will certainly provide a missing service for everyone--downtown dwellers or not. 

From what I could see through the windows, many of the "dry goods" are not ones that I would personally choose to buy--it just isn't the way I cook.  But I could see myself dropping into C.L. Evers in several scenarios:  I have a meeting on Montgomery Street and realize that I need some onions for dinner--a quick run over to C.L. will fill in the gap.  Or, as so often happens--the day gets away from me and I'm stuck without lunch and a four hour meeting downtown--C.L. Evers looks to have a pretty good prepared food and deli section for a quick grab and go.  I could also see myself down on Clinton Square for one of the dozens of festivals, post-road race parties, or concerts there and instead of being hungry or thirsty (because I forgot or couldn't bring my own) I can run over to the Amos building for a bite.

This is all great but C.L. Evers has a minor obstacle to overcome--location.

Now that I finally found the Amos Building, I realize it is in a pretty good location.  But would someone please tell the owners that not everyone in Syracuse--especially newcomers like me and others who might consider a downtown move--knows where the Amos building is.  I'm embarrassed to admit how much time I took on Saturday driving around trying to find it.  Simply adding the following line to ads, emails, and posters will help:  Located in the Amos Building on Erie Blvd. off Clinton Square. 

The thing is, the way one-ways streets work around Clinton Square and the fact that the Erie Blvd. facade is so non-descript being eclipsed by the Art Deco wonder that is the Niagra Mohawk building, I had no way to know that I was passing the Amos building over and over and over and over again.  (I missed the signage on Clinton Street.)  The beautifully ornate front facade of the Amos building fronts Water Street. 

Now I will admit that I would have found it more quickly had I been on foot--and that is the big lesson for me and for all of us trying to tread more lightly on the land.  Once on foot, the location made great sense and was much more accessible.  Wouldn't it be fantastic if instead of complaining about the lack of parking downtown, we simply walked more?  And wouldn't it be more fun to walk if there were interesting things to see and do?  After walking around on Saturday I discovered that this is actually the case--going from the Red House to Ambrosia to Eureka Crafts--and had I known where it was, the Amos building--is just a 15 minute jaunt.  How cool is that?  But I digress...

Well, until I can actually get inside the store I'm going to refrain from commenting on what's on the shelves.  I do sense a great opportunity here for C.L. Evers and for Syracuse as a whole.  I just hope this effort really energizes our budding downtown scene for the good of everyone.

Saucy Redux

By the time mid March arrives I'm more than ready for spring.  For Central New York, spring won't really appear until late May--that is, if it appears at all.  I'm ready for the plethora of greens that seem almost to overwhelm come July.  In the meantime, I've still got winter squash--butternut and kabocha--in my root cellar.

Jen, over at Life Begins at 30 has suggested putting up these winter gems now to enjoy come summer.  I think that is a fantastic idea.  But with snow on the way I'm still ready for some warming meals.  So here's another dinner that I cooked up while tending to other things after work.

Last week we tried a fantastic recipe from the March issue of Gourmet magazine--Chicken with Black Pepper Maple Sauce.  With lots of local maple syrup to enjoy we were ready to give this a try and it was truly delicious.  Even better was the sauce that was left over--a sinfully sweet and piquant sauce that after the chicken was screaming to be drizzled or poured onto the next hot dish.  Enter the squash.  I simply took a winter squash, cut it in half, scrapped out the seeds, and doled about a teaspoon of the sauce (now thickened after a few days in the fridge) into each half.  The squash was roasted until tender at 400 degrees--one rack below the oven-fried chicken.

For the Chicken and Black Pepper Maple Sauce recipe (and a pic) click here.  And for some lower-fat comfort food, this Honey-Pecan Crusted Chicken from a Cooking Light issue from 1997 does the trick:

Honey-Pecan Crusted Chicken

• 1/2 teaspoon  salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cups of crushed organic cornflakes (4 1/2 Cups uncrushed)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• cooking spray*

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over chicken and set aside.  Combine honey, mustard, paprika, and garlic powder in a small bowl and stir well.  Combine cornflakes and pecans in a shallow dish and mix well.  Brush both sides of chicken with honey mixture and dredge in cornflake mixture.

Place chicken  on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until done. 

*  I didn't have cooking spray this time (and don't really use it anymore anyway).  You can simply lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil and then after placing the chicken on the baking sheet, lightly oil your hands and pat each chicken piece with the oil.  This sounds like a lot but it isn't, and it is still way healthier than deep frying (though the crispy results are very similar).