Cookin' in the 'Cuse

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.