Cookin' in the 'Cuse

Foodie Town? This is part of what it takes...

 

Take a look at any city where there is a high appreciation of food and wine and you'll find some common elements:  access to great ingredients, diners with curious palates, risk-taking chefs, and places to learn and experiment.  Believe it or not but Syracuse has all of those things.  The Syracuse Community Test Kitchen is the special place where all of these come together.

Since its opening in March 2008 the Test Kitchen, located in the South Side Innovation Center, has been an incubator for entrepreneurial cooks looking to take their favorite home recipe to the big time of retail sales.  More recently, it seems, its mission has expanded to get as many people in the doors to learn, experiment, and get access to the great food resources of Central New York.

First, there are the cooking classes.  Abigail Henson, a sous chef at the Restaurant at Elderberry Pond in Auburn (and writer for Edible Finger Lakes magazine's Syracuse section) is on tap to teach a class Thursday night featuring healthy recipes made with whole grains and seasonal vegetables. 
Her menu includes Quinoa Swiss Chard Casserole, Cilantro Pesto Potato Salad, Zippy Greens with Horseradish Dressing and the "Not so Deviled Egg".  How great is that?  Well, what's great is that she'll be teaching to a capacity crowd and that there are 32 more classes featuring 11 chefs slated for late summer/fall.

Second, the Test Kitchen is the latest pick up spot for CNY Bounty.  In fact, it is the only pick up spot in the city of Syracuse at this time.  CNY Bounty brings some of the best dairy, baked goods, meats, and prepared foods straight to you.  Several years ago I remember having to drive all around the region to get some of these products.  Now all you have to do is place your order and pick up your haul.  Place your order by Monday the 21st and you can pick it up at the Test Kitchen on Thursday the 24th.

This is all such great progress.  I began this blog over 5 years ago and am constantly amazed at how much growth there has been in that time.  The Test Kitchen is just one more critical piece of the puzzle of what it will take to transform and strengthen our food scene.  Sign up for a class, pick up your Bounty, download a recipe from previous classes, and check out the cool things that are going on there.  And Believe.

Syracuse Test Kitchen, 2610 S. Salina Street Syracuse, NY 13205 (Salina at Brighton--next door to the Dunk and Bright showroom)

Delicious Karma

I like good karma as much as anyone but what I'm all about these days is the delicious karma!  Behold my latest obsession:  Karma Bakery's chocolate chunk walnut cookie.  You can meditate on it or you can get yourself one of their cookies and experience true bliss.

Karma Bakery, out of Auburn, is a small operation run by Karmen Canestaro.  With a mission that is all about good health, local and organic ingredients, and putting out real, delicious food, Karma Bakery is quickly becoming the darling of the CNY Regional Market.

I've not had one of the beautiful multi-grain loaves they sell but I'm all over the cookies.  I love the banana nut and peanut butter versions but the chocolate chunk walnut cookie is so good, it has me at the market before 7:00 am to pick up or reserve my stash before they sell out.  There is something about the slightly nutty taste of spelt flour, ground oats, walnuts and slabs of dark chocolate chunks that takes me to a happy place.  There are other healthy ingredients in there like flax meal and maple syrup (no refined sugar or agave--check out their website to read why). I can serve them to my vegan friends without worry and to my non-vegan friends without apology.

All I know is that after a busy day of work, a long run or other training session, and the other things life throws my way, sitting down to a cup of tea and a bite of one of these cookies is the best karma there is.

You can buy Karma Bakery's cookies and breads at the Regional Market on Saturdays from 7am-1pm and beginning this week you should also be able to find them at the Syracuse Real Food Co-op.

10 Things I'm Loving about Syracuse

Lately I've been walking and biking around Syracuse exclaiming--"What a great place to live!"  While it can be too easy to be the jaded and cynical Central New Yorker who complains laments that there is nothing new under the sun here there is a lot that is quite exciting.  So here's a little 'Cuse love (and no, I'm not collecting a paycheck from the Convention and Visitor's Bureau).

1.    In the last few months 12 restaurants have opened up in downtown Syracuse.  Not across the city--just in downtown alone!  I ducked into a couple of them today and can't wait to get back for a proper meal.  I'll post first impressions as I do.  These tiny, and not so tiny, eateries span the gamut from diner to Lebanese to real Brooklyn-style Pizza (with 1970s era pinball machine to match).  

Darwin on Clinton is an off-shoot of Riley's (the neighborhood restaurant every neighborhood wants to have).  David and Daryl have put together an extensive sandwich menu that will change often.  They're open from 9am -2:30 pm Mon-Fri--and later on Fridays when do their Fish Fry Frydays).  I'm looking at those cafe tables on a nice day like today and thinking "this is THE spot!"

It is easy to forget how large an area the Mediterranean really is.  For Byblos, it is centered on Lebanon so their menu not includes baklava and spanakopita but Labneh, a delicious Lebanese cheese dip made from yogurt.  They also brew up Turkish coffee.

2.  The Downtown Farmer's Market is now at Clinton Square.  On a day like today, with bright sun and a nice breeze, Clinton Square seems like the best place to be for Tuesday market shopping.  Actually, the market was a Clinton Square a couple of decades ago so this is a bit of a homecoming.  Today I picked up some early season, local, strawberries and was delighted to discover that Second Story Cafe will be at the market this year.  They are serving up delicious iced Gimme! coffee (and selling bags of Gimme's latest roasts), cookies, fresh, cool, salads, and Ciao Bella gelato sandwiches (ice cream sandwiches for grown-ups).  

3.  Cycling.  I went out with a friend yesterday and biked from downtown, to the Westcott Nation to the Jamesville quarry and then back home to downtown and it was glorious!  That I could be out in what at times felt like the middle of nowhere with incredible views of hills and valleys and then down in the Monday morning rush hour of commuting traffic downtown in the space of 30 minutes just stuns me.  

4.  There are places where people know your name.  I walked into Sakana-Ya (downtown) for lunch yesterday and was greeted like a long-lost friend by Yurah--it was like coming home.  She said it had been a long time since I'd been in and she was right--a month is WAY too long to go without their delicious sushi--never again!  And the new Korean fusion place next door, Namu, is owned by the same family.

5.  As a rule, I'm picky about my sausages and hot dogs.  But there was one at the Taste of Syracuse that I absolutely had to try--it was Lieh's and Steigerwald's chicken wing sausage.  Because you know, one has to wonder how they get the wing in there.  But OMG--what this is is the best of a buffalo wing with the blue cheese dipping sauce folded right in.  It sounds crazy and it totally works.  You all have probably been eating these for years so I'm a little late.  I must get a pack of them right away!

6.  The Saturday CNY Regional Market.  I know--I haven't always shown the love for this market but though it can still be tricky to navigate, there is a lot of wonderful stuff there.  Like Keeley's farmstead cheese.  I let a slice of this Brida melt on top of a burger that rested on a toasted English muffin slathered with caramelized onion fig jam--incredible!

7.  This is a community that rallies when help is needed.  I recently received a Facebook message that the grant program that puts fresh food into one of our local public schools was being threatened because the school didn't meet the new criteria for poverty.  What?  Farmer and school teacher Megan Luton is trying to do something about it.  Become a friend of Stones Throw Farm on Facebook and find out how you can help.

8.  Stretch Bread.  There's nothing like it.  And it's ours. 

9.  Onondaga Lake.  Yes it still has a long way to go to get cleaned up but how lucky are we to have such a beautiful body of water in the midst of our city?  I've been spending Saturday mornings cycling around the lake and have even gotten out there on a Sunday at 7am to "Listen to the Lake" as a form of meditation and healing for this precious resource.  As I watch what is going on with the gulf oil spill, I'm especially thankful to those who have been working tirelessly to correct the environmental wrongs we have done to Lake Onondaga.  And if you watch and listen carefully you'll see there is reason to be hopeful.

10.  The Syracuse Real Food Co-op is really moving!  Have you seen the preliminary store drawings?  I know they'll change but my it is exciting.  Go Co-op!

This is what's blowing my mind these days...

First up:  Jennifer Ward's by lines on the Atlantic Monthly Food Channel website.  You know Jen--Fresh Cracked Pepper Jen.  Well, her piece on Coffee in Haiti after the earthquake is getting tweeted all over the blogosphere.  That's our girl! 

I'm finally pulling some decent looking--and great tasting--espresso shots.  But when I'm getting my latte's on the run--the shots pulled at Funk 'N Waffles is blowing my mind.  I checked them out after a commenter sent me there (you see, your comments really do help me out)  Their shots of Gimme!'s Leftist were so spot on, I could taste the nuance of the flavor profile through the steamed milk--genius! 

Local cooking oil!  Have you had some of this butternut squash seed oil--it is fantastic!  It has a smooth and nutty taste that is just perfect for roasting up all of those root vegetables that are still left in the larder.  And there's something about roasting butternut squash in its own oil seems just so right.

I picked up this bottle at Max Market in Pittsford but check out the Syracuse Real Food Co-op to get some closer to home.  Update:  I guess I posted too soon.  The Co-op doesn't carry it but I put a note in the suggestion box so perhaps they will soon.

Based in Geneva, NY and Boston, Stony Brook is all about the deliciousness--you may have also come across their cookies.  Trust me, if you see them, don't pass them up. 

 A cafe destination for your country drive.  Red and White Cafe is in DeRuyter and I plan a more extended post on them because there's lot's to tell.  But for now, let me just say--this place rocks!  This is the real deal--authentic to its community, delicious house-baked breads, doughnuts, and other treats, good coffee, fantastic people--you have got to get there.  More on them soon....  Thanks to Neil Miller for introducing them to me.  Speaking of Neil--have you checked out his blog lately?  Check out his post on our lunch at Circa and dessert at Red and White.

So how about you?  What's blowing YOUR mind these days?

I'll never get tired...

of seeing delicious Central New York-made foods in gourmet stores in New York City.

Located in Park Slope, BKLYN Larder is a beautiful, Slow Food-approved market filled with cheeses, charcuterie, meats (can you say, heritage Berkshire pork belly!) spices, chocolates, dairy products, and prepared foods.  Amidst all of this deliciousness I found yogurt and milled flours bearing the 315 or 607 area codes.  Love that.

This small shop is definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in Brooklyn.  Until then, let's rejoice that we can get some of these great foodstuffs in our own backyard--with perhaps more options on the way.

Last Minute Foodie Gift Guide

Tick tock.  That's the sound of the holiday clock doing its thing and it is getting louder.  Hanakkuh has already begun and Christmas is next week and perhaps you still haven't done anything about getting that foodie loved one or friend a gift.  Well, the great thing about foodie gifts is that they can never be too late.  We know some of the best gifts come out of the oven or off the shelf just in the nick of time.  After years of baking holiday cookies, brownies and biscotti and sending them down the street and across the country, I'm letting some of the incredible food artisans in our area do the work. 

So in no particular order of preference here are the hot foodie gifts I'd love to give or receive this holiday season:

Chocolates (photo courtesy of Hedonist Artisan Chocolates blog)

Did you know that some of the finest filled chocolates and truffles in this country are being produced right here in Central NY?  Yeah, I didn't either--not until I was sent on assignment by Edible Finger Lakes to write about some amazing female chocolatiers.  You can read about them in the next issue of the magazine.  But for gift giving (or Valentines Day or just to treat yourself) you can order a beautiful box of chocolates and have them shipped to the lucky recipient.  And if they don't love you already, one bite of any of these mouthwatering confections will seal the deal.  Check out:

Hedonist Artisan Chocolates

CaryMo Chocolate Candies and Confections

Renee Suzette's Chocolates

Sarah's Patiserrie

Wine, Beer, and Spirits

A sampling of Finger Lakes Cab Franc 2007 Vintage

Really, this is a no brainer, right?  Dropping off a bottle of a Finger Lakes Cab Franc or Riesling, a Long Island Merlot, a growler of Middle Ages or Empire Brewing Company beer or anything from the new Finger Lakes Distilling will always be well received.  Some wineries, like Billsboro, are even offering free shipping within New York State (you don't even have to order a case to get this deal). 

If you want to go further afield then New York, check out one of the area wine shops like Vinomania in Syracuse, Savvy Wine Cellar in Camillus, or run down to Red Feet in Ithaca and ask the staff to put together 3, 6, or full case packages of wine based on you or the recipient's tastes--they won't steer you wrong.

Cooking Inspiration

Books, calendars, and magazine subscriptions are just the thing to spark cooking inspiration during the winter months. 

The brand new Edible Finger Lakes Calendar brings the beautiful photography from the magazine to every month of the year.  Recipes and a guide to what's growing season by season shows how easy eating locally can be.  You can purchase the calendar for $12.95 but why not just give the gift of a subscription to the magazine for $28 and get the calendar for free?

Cooking with Les Dames D'Escoffier With no women making it to the finals of Top Chef this round, it is easy to forget how many amazing women are rocking kitchens across the country.  I've been loving this cookbook ever since I received it as a review copy earlier this year and would share it with female and male friends who appreciate the legacy and continuing contributions women make to the culinary scene.

Julia's Kitchen Wisdom.  I don't care what anyone says, one simply can't get enough of Julia Child.  This book is perfect for those who need a handy resource for learning/remembering the basics of cooking and building confidence in the kitchen.  It isn't just about the "how" but also the "why" of preparing dishes simple and complex.  

Give a Gift--Make a Difference

Menu for Hope.  I can hardly believe how many thousands of dollars this six year-old food blogger event has raised for worthy causes.  You make donations in ten dollar increments and gain a chance to win some incredible prizes (stay in a Tuscan villa, have a wine dinner with NY Times wine columnist Eric Asimov--get the picture?)  The best part?   All the prizes have been generously donated so that 100% of your donation goes to support the World Food Programme's Purchase for Progress.  Check out Chez Pim's blog for updated details on the prizes and to enter. 

Food Bank of Central New York.  You can also make a difference right here at home by making a gift donation to the Food Bank.  I can tell you much this helps--I worked with several folks from Grace Church to unload a pallet of food from the Food Bank into our Food Pantry storage area.  It won't be there for long--it will be given out Thursday to folks who can't make the ends meet at their dinner table. 

Just Feed 'Em

This is DIY easy:  get a cute basket (those Bolga baskets would be awesome here) and fill it with a pound of locally roasted coffee, a bag of granola or muesli, organic pancake mix, maybe a bottle of maple syrup, and you're good to go.  Want bonus points?  Whip up a batch of scones and hand deliver your baskets of delicousness throughout the holiday season--which means from now till January 6.  (For the nighttime version of this gift, take said basket and fill it with a bottle of wine, an assortment of local cheeses, and a loaf of stretch bread or baguette). 

Have fun and happy gifting!

Taking it long and slow

There is so much I need to post about here but time seems to constantly elude me.  Last week--or maybe it was before that--I was inspired by the current issue of Edible Finger Lakes to make something of the cipollini onions that came in my CSA share from Stones Throw Farm.  I super-slow roasted these little orbs until they were crispy-caramelized on the outside and tender but still slightly crunchy inside.  At 200 degrees I could have the oven on without heating the whole house.  And with a three hour slowwww cooking time my hands were free to do other things.  (Michael Welch from EFL says they shouldn't take that long but I may like my cipollinis extra tender.)

As it turns out olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey is a great combination for lots of other veggies too--I see lots of experimentation in my future.

A few simple ingredients:  olive oil, really good aged balsamic vinegar and local honey.

Layer cleaned and trimmed cipolini onions on a bed of rosemary stems--about 4-5 inches in length.

Drizzle onions with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and honey.  Roast at 200 degrees for 2-3 hours or desired doneness.  Consume as quickly or as slowly as you like--leave time for adequate finger licking.

Harvest Dinners on the Farm--Start Tomorrow

Harvest Dinner prep at Stick and Stone Farm, October 2008

Attending one of the Harvest Dinners (the one hosted at Stick and Stone farm) was a highlight of the year.  These events are a winning recipe of gorgeous location, amazing local chefs, exquisite local food products, and tables filled with people who grow the food and love the food of our region.  The icing on the cake is that the meals are actually fundraisers for Healthy Food for All--making it possible for the economically challenged to participate in CSA programs. 

This year's list of dates, farms, and chefs has been released and the first dinner is tomorrow night at Remembrance Farm.  I think there are still tickets available but if you're looking at the other dates--get your tix soon--one of them has already sold out. 

Liz Karabinakis from the Healthy Food For All program describes the events this way:

Imagine fine dining in the fields with a menu featuring ingredients harvested from just steps away and neighboring farms. Come taste ordinary foods made extraordinary by well renowned chefs cooking right in front of you. Bring out the delicate flavors of the region with wine paired with each course by one of our finest Finger Lakes wineries. Hear the stories from the farmers, winemakers and chefs themselves throughout the evening and peruse the fields that are growing your food.

These truly are unique and memorable culinary experiences not to be missed. All proceeds go to the Healthy Food for All Program, a collaborative effort of local farms and Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County to provide subsidized CSA shares to low-income families in our community.

Tickets are $75.  To purchase tickets and for more information go to www.healthyfoodforall.org. Reservations are required and seating is limited so don't delay.

Remembrance Farm, Trumansburg
Chef Samantha Izzo from Simply Red Bistro
Damiani Wine Cellars
August 23 Click here for menu

Sweet Land Farm, Trumansburg ---SOLD OUT---
Chefs Christina & Jonah from Hazelnut Kitchen
Atwater Vineyards & Billsboro Winery
September 13th  Click here for Menu

Early Morning Farm, Genoa
Chef Sean O'Brien of Serendipity Catering (formerly Chef-Owner of Willow Restaurant)
Bet the Farm Wine
September 20th

Stick & Stone Farm, Ithaca
Chef Hans Butler of Watercress Restaurant
Hosmer Winery
October 11th - Click here for menu

West Haven Farm, Ithaca
Chefs Jen & Stan from Just a Taste
Specialty brews from Ithaca Beer (wine is BYOB)
November 8th

Madison County Buy Local Week--Eat it Up!

 I know you didn't really need a reason to want to eat local but the folks in Madison County are sure making it easy to do.  There is an amazing range of activities and opportunities for discovering local edible treasures all this week.  If you haven't yet had a chance to discover the good food and agriculture of Madison County, or if, (ahem) it's been a while--now's your chance to check out what they have to offer.  See below for a listing of events and check here for more information. 

Event Details:

Buy Local Week kicks off with the Local Food Showcase – five restaurants were invited to prepare either a prix fix menu or an entrée item with all the ingredients
sourced locally. Each day a different Madison County restaurant will take the spotlight and restaurant patrons can expect an epicurean delight.

Participating in the 2009 Local Food Showcase are:

Today--Tuesday, August 18th:  The Copper Turret - 17 W Main St, Morrisville |

Wednesday, August 19th:  Zabroso - 170 Kenwood, Oneida | Chef:  Ruben Lopez
Friday, August 21st:  Circa - 76 Albany St, Cazenovia | Chef:  Alicyn Hart

Saturday, August 22nd:  the Colgate Inn - 1 Payne St, Hamilton | Chef: Kris Angle

Sunday, August 23rd:  The Poolville Country Store - 1245 Earlville Road, Earlville | Chefs:  Roger J. Foster & Charles E. Wilburn

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Thursday August 20th is FRESH! The 2009 Buy Local Gala featuring a full tasting menu, a variety of local microbrews, music by the Julie Falatico Trio, and a silent auction.  Commissioner Pat Hooker, Senator Dave Valesky, and Assemblyman Bill Magee will be on hand to show their support for Madison County Agriculture.

FRESH! promises to be a good time and will be held at Brick Farms in Cazenovia (5753 Rathbun Rd) on August 20th from 6.30 – 10.30. Tickets are $35 per person ($60 per couple) and $20 per person ($35 per couple) if you are a farmer.  Price includes all food and drink.  Tickets can be purchased at the Price Chopper in Madison/Hamilton or Oneida as well as online at this website.
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Buy Local Week culminates in Open Farm Day on Saturday August 22nd and this year 24 farms and 3 farmers’ markets are throwing open their doors offering a behind the scenes glimpse at what goes into the food you eat.  There will be farm activities and demonstrations, farm animal petting, barn tours, farm-raised products for sale, samples to taste, and much more.  Pick up your passport at any Madison County Price Chopper (Madison/Hamilton and Oneida), outside the Madison County DMV in Wampsville, or look for them as inserts in the Mid-York Weekly and Hi-Nieghbor and visit farms throughout Madison County.

Day Long Ribs That Let You Keep Your Weekend

If you are in the Syracuse area this weekend then you'll know two things to be true:
1.  There are too many fun things going on this weekend.
2.  You have to eat.

To wit:  there's the downtown Arts and Crafs Fair, the new Northeast Jazz and Wine Festival, the Ecofest, the Oswego Harborfest... plus there are chores to do, errands to run, the regular weekend gamut.

With the bounty of produce available, this is also prime time for cooking up delicious food at home.  But who wants to be a slave to the stove on a weekend like this?  Not I.  So here's my game plan:

• Go for a long run--first thing--before the heat and humidity get too high
• Start dinner*
• Check out the markets--CNY Regional Market to stock up on basics and the Greener Bean market in Skaneateles--Home Harvest Organics will have fava beans!  Make a long-overdue visit to the Borodino Schoohouse
• Take care of regular Saturday errands and chores
• Bake and freeze zucchini bread (this will take care of the squash taking over the fridge)
• Check out the events downtown before they wrap up
• Throw together a salad and grill some veggies to go with dinner
• Eat, lick my fingers, collapse, finish reading Three Cups of Tea and off to bed

Okay, its ambitious.  But I guarantee at least four of the items will be checked off by day's end and what will make it possible is dinner.

I am absolutely loving this recipe for sticky balsamic spareribs published in Gourmet magazine last month (and for the record, I do read and cook from other magazines--it's just that Gourmet has been on fire as of late.)  Check out the play by play after the jump.