Cookin' in the 'Cuse

Thank you Gary, Steve, Josephine and the Syracuse Community!

The Grace Church Spanish Soiree was an incredible success.  It is hard to find adequate words to express my gratitude to Gary Decker of Vinomania wine shop, Steve Kern of the Everson Museum, and his wife Josephine Nieuwenhuis for their above and beyond giving of time and resources to make sure we had some of the best wine and tapas to found anywhere.  It took nearly cast of hundreds to pull these off and so many other community members gave of their time, talent, and resources to help us including donors to the silent auction--Thank You.  Special thanks to the Fish Cove, Green Hills Market, the beautiful music of LuBossa, and all who attended or bought tickets.  Your generosity helps us to continue our work of feeding the hungry, helping the needy, and working for justice. 

Here are some photos--we'll do it again next year!

Gary Decker of Vinomania

Ah...the cheeses...

 

The amazing Josephine takes a break from the kitchen.

 

Luba Lesser of LuBossa goes through a sound check with Pete Clouser.

The tortillas are a Steve Kern specialty

It was a good place to bring your appetite--just delicious!

Spanish Wines and Tapas this Saturday--A picture is worth...

...not enough to tell you how amazing this spread is.  No really--you have to taste this food!  We did a trial run yesterday for a piece that will run in Wednesday's Post-Standard food section.  But you can taste all this deliciousness on Saturday from 6-8:30 pm.  Tickets are still available--$30 per person and a discounted rate for students 21 and over.

 

And if these photos aren't enough to entice you--consider the prizes at the silent auction:  There are the usual fun things like gift certificates to area spas, membership to the YMCA, etc.  But how about Steve Kern, director of the Everson museum, cooking tapas for you and five friends?  Or food pro Nancy Radke throwing you a barbeque?  And a basket of baked goods made by yours truly (did I someone say bacon cookies? Yes I did!)

This will be a fun night and the proceeds help Grace Church continue the work of feeding our community through our food pantry, Wednesday night community supper, and a simple cafe we expect to open later this year.  Join us!

Grace Church is located at the corner of Madison Street and University Avenue.  This event will be in the Parish House at 819 Madison Street just off University.

(All photos in this post by Nancy Radke)

Spanish Wines and Tapas--Si Si! March 26 at Grace Church

You trust me, right?  Then mark your calendars--you don't want to miss the 2nd annual wine and cheese event at Grace Episcopal Church in Syracuse--Saturday, March 26 from 6:00- 8:30 pm. 

Gary Decker of Vinomania Wines has once again generously offered to pour wines for your tasting pleasure at this fundraiser to support the ongoing restoration of our historic structures and the many food programs that serve our community. 

With Gary Decker's discerning palate you can be assured of some wonderful and interesting wines.  But the food!  Oh my--check this out:

• Jamon Serrano and Chorizo

• Manchego, Valdeon blue cheese, Mahon and Miti Cana de Oveja served with Marcona Almonds, Membrillo and olives

• Thin slices of chorizo in puff pastry

• Banderilla – skewers of Cornichon pickles, olives, pimento, cocktail onions and baby shrimp

• Chorizo and potato tortilla bites

• Vegetarian tortilla bites

• Pork empanadas with golden raisins and olives

• White bean spread on Belgian endive

• Thick Spanish hot chocolate with mountains of donut holes for dunking.

And that isn't the entire menu!  Some of Syracuse's most talented food professionals will be making the food happen--and I'll be cooking too!

Tickets are $30 per person and can be purchased at Vinomania, 313 East Willow Street, Syracuse, or by emailing Kerri Aitken ([email protected]) or Kate Auwaerter ([email protected]).  You can also email me here at the blog and I will get tickets to you. 

Wine, Cheese and Good Food for a Good Cause

Gary Decker is kissing this bottle good bye for a good cause.

Grace Church, Syracuse hosts a Wine and Food Benefit--Friday, March 26, 6-8 pm

Back in December, just days before Christmas, the copper downspouts were stolen from the exterior of our historic sanctuary.  In response, one of our friends in the community, Gary Decker of Vinomania wine shop, offered to host a fund raiser to help us replace them. 

So on Friday, March 26, from 6-8pm Grace Church is hosting a wine tasting and silent auction featuring some incredible wines, gourmet foods made by some of our local culinary stars, and a silent auction.  Tickets are $25.  Far from being just cheese and crackers, we will be serving some incredible food, tasting international artisanal cheeses, and generally having a great time. 

Some of the silent auction items include a magnum of Raymond Cellars 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley, gift certificates from area eateries including bc restaurant in Armory Square, and a gourmet dinner prepared by Steve Kern, director of the Everson Museum and his wife, Josephine.

Please join us for what is sure to be a fun evening. 

To buy a ticket contact Nancy Radke at 491-3211 or [email protected]
Grace Church is located at 819 Madison Street, Syracuse, NY
www.gracesyracuse.org

Seeds of Grace Garden on MSNBC.com

Okay, even though it's my voice doing the commentary this isn't about me.  This video story from MSNBC.com is about the congregation I serve in Syracuse--Grace Episcopal Church and their commitment to feeding people sustainably.  We've begun to convert part of our parking lot to an organic vegetable garden.  Click on the box above or check it out here. It's only about a minute and a half long.  This is yet another reason why I love being here.  My gratitude goes to Jen Maiser at Life Begins at 30 for getting us linked with the folks at MSNBC.com.

(And thanks to those of you who helped me in my attempt to get the video clip on the blog--Mark and Steve, you're awesome!)

What I've Been Up To

My how the time can fly.  I've been running around attending to work, events, and friends.  I've got so much to post about but here's a sampling of what's to come and what I've been up to:

• Today's opening of the Syracuse Community Test Kitchen.  Ray Cross, the president of Morrisville State College says, "We want to put a product on store shelves where a neighbor could say 'I know the person who made that' made with ingredients grown in their neighborhood"  He's my new hero.
• A review of some fabulous lunches I've had at Sparkytown in Hawley-Green.
• Freshly roasted beans at Cafe Kubal in Eastwood.
• Browsing the cookbook and food literature section at Books End in Eastwood.
• The launch of Edible Finger Lakes--the first issue debuts next month.

Archive Alert:  On this date in 2006 I was catching up on the organic news of the day.

Urban Delights Farmstand comes to Grace

What a beautiful day--what a beautiful sight!  For most of the day, youth sold fresh produce (from area farms) in front of Grace Episcopal Church (University at Madison) as part of the Urban Delights Farmstand program.  They'll be here every Thursday through August--a bonus if you're participating in the Eat Local challenge.  More details to come about where you can find an Urban Delights stand around Syracuse, but as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words...

Shameless Plug

It is partly because of the length of Central New York winters that there are so many outdoor food events in Syracuse.  Once the snow melts, you'll find that there is something happening outdoors nearly every weekend in this city and there is always food involved.  Spring and summer are also prime seasons for various church barbeques.  Church parking lots, gardens, and courtyards are transformed into huge outdoor restaurants where you can pick up food to go or enjoy your eats on site.  Plus, it can be a great way to support local food producers and local concerns.

So here's my shameless plug.  My own church, Grace Episcopal, where I serve as priest and pastor, is having its big BBQ this weekend.  Grace is a very cool place--so cool that I willingly left the San Francisco Bay Area to be here.  It is full of folks who really "get it" concerning issues of food safety, eating locally, organically, and sustainably, striving for peace and seeking justice for all people--particularly the poor and disenfranchised. 

A couple of months ago they decided to spend the next year focusing on issues of food and health.  Many folks at Grace have organic vegetable gardens, support CSAs and we'll even have an Urban Delights farmstand for eight weeks beginning in July to coincide with the time our food pantry is open.  Nutrition and cooking classes, hunger and povery reduction, and sustainable agriculture advocacy are all in the works. 

So if you find yourself near Syracuse University this weekend, come by and get a delicious chicken or rib dinner.  Your meal will help feed others in our community.  Grace Episcopal Church is located at the corner of University and Madison--just three blocks from Syracuse University.