Farmer Jane Dinner: Celebrating Women in the Food Movement

It's amazing what can happen with two degrees of separation, and a willingness to provide introductions. Temra Costa, longtime friend of my buddy Shango, is a force in the sustainable food movement . She is also the author of a new book "Farmer Jane: Women Changing the Way We Eat." With Seattle as a prominent stop on her book tour and intro by Shango, "We should meet!" quickly evolved into a dinner at one of my favorite restaurants.

A thoughtful approach to food, teamed with a commitment to building community, there was no better place than the ever-so-charming Volunteer Park Cafe. Owners Ericka Burke and Heather Earnhardt jumped on board, and brought with them Full Circle Farm's Wendy Munroe. From there, like an old-fashioned barn raising, the list kept growing...

When you gather a dynamic group around the table, the conversation is rich with meaningful connections. As we wound our way around the table with introductions, it was startling to see who was there. Farmers, ranchers, restauranteurs, Les Dammes Escoffier members, a buyer from Whole Foods, a butcher, a Slow Food Board Member, and on it goes. Throughout the meal, seats shift, and conversation stretched long across table.

Temra's book rivals the ideal cocktail party. Chapters in "Farmer Jane" pay tribute to the women who have shaped the modern food movement. While some names may ring familiar like chef/author Deborah Madison and "Farm City" author Novella Carpenter, others...are women you want to know. Above all, their stories provide valuable insights to the journey that's been taken, and the road that lies ahead. With a thoughtful approach, Temra showcases inspiring women who are leading the way as advocates for social change, promoting local & seasonal food, and the next generation of sustainable farmers.

Now, come along with me....

Charming Volunteer Park Cafe on Seattle's Capitol Hill (corner of 17th and Galer)

The patio behind Volunteer Park Cafe.
(Then it was still under construction. It's finished now.)

Nothing like a hearty welcome & a glass of bubbly!

Note to self: pick up a case of this Prosecco.

Volunteer Park Cafe co-owner, Ericka Burke

How cute is this? Aprons at VPC are custom made.

Love these garden tags.

Served fresh from the garden.

Heather Earnhardt, co-owner of VPC. She's responsible for those beautiful pastries & cakes.

Tracey Baker, fifth generation cattle rancher at Gleason Ranch.

(100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef)

(L-R) Evergreen Escapes adventure guide Kieron Weidner and Full Circle Farm owner, Wendy Munroe

Guest of honor: "Farmer Jane" author Temra Costa

Meet Zoe Meats (charcuterie) co-founder, Charlie Hertz

VPC's Ericka Burke kicks off the dinner

Gathered around the communal table

During the course of the night, Full Circle Farm's Wendy Munroe described her own farm's evolution. Not only do they have a thriving farmer's market presence, Full Circle Farm also supplies Seattle-area restaurants and thousands of Community Supported Agriculture subscriptions (4,000 of those are shipped to Alaska!)

This photo album (pictured above) is a tribute to the unsung heroes at Full Circle Farm.

The caption says, "Our humble beginnings, North Bend 1996"

"Wendy [pregnant] with Claire, 2004"

(L-R) "Aviva - Our 1st field manager, 1998" and
"Erne, one of our first interns, 1998"

Asparagus with shaved radish

Bean salad

A break between courses

Organic greens with Green Goddess dressing and edible flowers.
(Don't you just love this enamel pot?)

Roasted fingerling potatoes

Roses and rosé

Salmon with shaved onion, cabbage and herbs.

Ropa vieja, served with a side of chimmichurri

Grand finale: autographed copies of the book!


P.S. If you're wondering where the dessert shot is...I was gabbing and completely missed that course. :)

Lunchbox Laboratory Love

I'm officially in love...with a burger joint.

True, I tend to be a bit giddy about these things, and I'll make no apologies here. From truck stop patty melts to the foie gras & truffle variety, I love a good burger. And yes, if you ever find yourself outside the bus station in Cancun, Mexico, I can attest, there's a street vendor with a burger so fine, he'll make your mama weep. But here in Seattle, we are blessed with Scott Simpson's brainchild, Lunchbox Laboratory. Bar none, THIS is the best burger I've ever had.

So I'm saying it loud and proud: I'm in love.

At present, Lunchbox Laboratory is in a spot so tiny, it makes a street food trailer seem spacious. But, oh, what comes out of that 400 square foot space!

Seating, as you can guess, is at a premium. On good weather days, the lines...and temporary picnic tables spill out to the street.

For well over a year, there's been talk of a larger space. Lacking any specific details, Scott would tell me, coyly, "One spot we're looking at is 2 miles away; the other is 5 miles from here." Like two negotiation-weary warriors, we'd exchange knowing looks and he'd drift off, "You know how that goes..."

The latest news? The investor...and dreams of an expanded space...fell through. Details captured on their website:

"Many of you have heard we had an investor and former friend who would carry us to the promised land. Unfortunately he dropped us via email on news year eve very unceremoniously at the last moment. It put us on the brink of death but the Lunchbox and its family will fight to the death to keep a dream alive. We are happy to say we have signed a NEW one year lease here so please stop in often so we can all work for the ultimate laboratory."

With no move in the foreseeable future, there's no holding back.

Lunchbox Laboratory: GO!

A new lease. Same great burgers. And an expanded menu that may--or may not--include housemade Twinkies, served alongside Scott's legendary shakes. What more do you want?



At Lunchbox Laboratory, Scott's creative musings are immediately apparent. The counter does double duty, showcasing his ever-expanding lunchbox collection. Nostalgic memorabilia line the walls, and the tables inside are draped in black velvet, topped with glass.





But your first and most important hurdle...is a mind-boggling number of choices. Yes, you can build your own burger, but why bother? The daily specials include a delectable line up.





Strategy is in order here:



1. Bring a friend, or two, or three.


2. Order the combo. $15 gets you a burger (your choice) and a side. (Tater tots and sweet potato fries are my favorites.)




3. Burger choices are kid-at-Christmas kind of tough. Strength in numbers is key -- order a couple burgers and plan on sharing. (Anything with the dork--a la Duck + Pork should factor heavily in your plans.)




4. Drinks? Roadblock! Real Mexican Coke or a handmade shake? This is where dining with friends is in order. I say, divide and conquer: get both!

5. Grab a massive stack of napkins, and try, if you can, to control your anticipation.

Dork (duck + pork) patty with bacon and truffle mayo on brioche.

Housemade tater tots (pick your seasoning salt, up to 10 available)

Thick and creamy hand spun strawberry milkshake, served in a beaker.

Details:

Lunchbox Laboratory
www.lunchboxlaboratory.com

7302 15th Avenue Northwest (Ballard)
Seattle, WA 98117
(206) 706-3092

Taste Washington Preview

On the eastern side of Washington State, the land gives way to arid rolling hills. Vineyards stretch over the landscape, making it a prime wine growing region. Here, the lure of the grape has turned into a modern day gold rush.

Over the past 30 years, Washington’s wine industry has grown exponentially. In 1981, there were 19 wineries. Today, there are over 650 wineries registered with the state. The economic impact of all that wine? Tops $4.7 billion, nationwide.

Showcasing Washington State wine is a three day extravaganza called Taste Washington. The last weekend in March, wine enthusiasts flock to Seattle. Festivities begin with an awards ceremony on Friday, followed by a full day of seminars on Saturday (see schedule here). Taste Washington culminates on Sunday with a Grand Tasting, featuring 200 wineries, paired with 75 Seattle-area restaurants.

Clearly, I have been missing out! I’m thinking Taste Washington is a great excuse for a weekend in the city. Book a room downtown and skip the designated driver detail. Drink, eat, then slip into a cab. Sounds perfect, no?


Last night’s Taste Washington preview was pure decadence. Nine wines and eight courses later…our party hit three restaurants and Tweeted throughout the night (see #TasteWA). We sampled several small run wines, and food was of the “last meal on earth” variety. Think: sweet Dungeness crab, tender octopus, smoked black cod, briny oysters…you get the idea.

I stuck close to Seattle Magazine’s wine writer, Shannon Borg. At one point, I buried my nose deep into a glass of red. Surfacing, I gasped for air and blurted “It smells like popcorn!” Convinced my glass may have a wee bit of funk, I took another cautious sniff. Second round... another blast.

Afraid my lack of sophistication was becoming obvious, mercifully, Shannon stepped in with a bit of reassurance. “It’s not the glass; it’s the wine.”

Others detected the scent, and offered “Buttered popcorn.”

Another added, “Microwaved.”

“That’s it!”


Experts debate the exact figure, but approximately 80% of taste is attributed to aroma. Under the watchful eye of a journalist noting our taste adventure, I attempted to hold my breath and sample the wine again. The difference was remarkable!

Shannon explained that the buttery flavor in wine is often an attribute—like a buttery chardonnay, for example. To evoke that flavor, the winemaker chooses to execute a secondary fermentation. All wines go through a primary fermentation, but it is the optional secondary – or malolactic fermentation where this butter profile is achieved. During this process, the malic acid converts to lactic acid (think: dairy)…hence, the notes of butter.

As we moved to our second stop, I noticed a change in wine glass shapes. I’d heard the shape of the glass has an effect on wine and asked Shannon her thoughts. Building on our scent conversation, she explained how the shape of the glass impacts the amount of air flow. The shape also effects how the wine travels through your mouth. With a narrow glass, like a champagne flute, the liquid travels straight across your tongue. A wide-mouth glass is a different experience. The broader opening allows the wine to travel throughout your mouth, including the sides of your tongue.

Shannon & Seattle Magazine’s editor Rachel Hart bowed out early and I turned my attention to other folks at the table…Q13 Fox News anchor Lily Jang, Foodista’s Melissa Peterman, Serious Eats' Leslie Kelly, and event maven Nicole Logan.

Finally, after months of watching Lily on TV, I got a chance to ask, “Why are the cooking demos always so rushed?" While the morning news program spanned four hours, inevitably, chefs raced to complete their dishes. "Can’t they allocate more time?”

Lily shrugged her shoulders and said, “They get five minutes.” Then added, “That’s an eternity in TV time!”


Okay people, on with the photos…



****

FIRST STOP: Matt's in the Market

Wine
Vin du Lac 2008 Columbia Valley "Les Amis" Riesling
Tamarack Cellars 2008 Columbia Valley Chardonnay
Isenhower Cellars 2007 Horse Heaven Hills "River Beauty" Syrah

First wine of the night is a Buty

Grilled octopus skewer with potatoes and chimichurri aioli

Housemade country pate with pistachios, pickled, salumi, and cheese.

****

SECOND STOP: Steelhead Diner

Wine
Kyra Wines, 2008 Columbia Valley Chenin Blanc
Cadaretta, 2007 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Barnard Griffin, 2007 Columbia Valley Reserve Malbec

Reserve, baby! Their website has fun tasting notes: Estery, spicy, black pepper nose with hints of dark chocolate. Approachable, agreeable attack boasts rich, plum flavors followed by coffee, toffee and vanilla notes. The smooth, mouth-coating texture gives way to a fresh, bright finish.

Humbolt oysters direct from the Squim acquaculture farmer. Granita is made with red wine vinegar, shallot, white peppercorn, and salt. Chef says, "Essentially, it's nothing more than a pickling brine."

Smoked Alaskan black cod with oil-cured black olives, roasted red pepper on base of roasted spring garlic mojo aioli.




House cured Washington beef bresaola (salumi) with crispy shiitake mushrooms, Pleasant Valley peppercorn gouda, and Tuscan extra virgin olive oil

****


THIRD STOP: Etta's

Wine
Chinook Wines 2008 Yakima Valley Chardonnay
Hedges Family Estate, 2008 Columbia Valley "CMS" Sauvignon Blanc
Côte Bonneville 2009 DuBrul Vineyard Yakima Valley Cabernet Franc Rosé



Local oysters on the half shell - Fanny Bay, Deer Creek, Pebble Beach, Deep Bay, Penn Cove Select, Evening Cove (all are here, though I can't vouch for the order.) Served with a pepper mignonette --tabasco, champagne vinegar, and a touch of honey.





Dungeness crab Louie roll

Parting libabtion: espresso cocktail

Disclaimer: Washington State Wine Commission and Taste Washington extended the invitation. Thankfully, I was dining on someone else's dime. Many thanks to the folks who made it happen. Fabulous evening!

Interview with Momofuku Chef David Chang

David Chang, pictured with Serious Eats writer, Leslie Kelly

The brainchild behind New York’s hottest restaurant group, Momofuku, was in town. On tour with his first book, David Chang fielded questions from a group of reporters at Mark Fuller’s restaurant, Spring Hill. (Props to Kim Rickett’s Cooks & Books for organizing the event.)

While David spoke, we were treated to dishes from the book. As the first course arrived, he noted “It’s surreal having someone else make your food.”

Prior to his visit, research on David ran the gamut from “One Who Drops F* Bombs” (as a cook, is that really surprising?) to a deep sense of humility. Among the reviews, the common thread was an uncanny reverence.

I posed the question on Twitter, “What’s the big deal about David Chang?” The response confirmed: chef worship.

Call me suspicious, but I didn’t see the point in worshiping a guy whose restaurant is 2,000 miles away. After our chat....call me a convert! I heart David Chang….here’s why:

Writing fast & furious, my notes from our group chat....



Why did you write the cookbook?

My first thought was, “We have to document this because I don’t think we’ll be around in a year!”

Tell me about how your develop recipes. I understand you have a group of cooks who e-mail each other recipe ideas.

"We hit our sweet spot with that about a year ago.”

“Our cooks are constantly talking about food and ripping ideas apart. It’s not just criticism for the sake of criticism--you have to have logical approach to why a dish will or won’t work.”

As we’ve grown, the group [who weighs in on new recipes] has gotten larger. Everyone is contributing to the group and eventually, it splintered off into smaller groups.

“The creative process is a big struggle. It’s not just about new ideas, but improving existing ideas. It’s frustrating when people stop critiquing ideas that have already been accepted.”

As we’ve gotten bigger, it’s been difficult. We now have 300 employees and will be opening our 5th restaurant soon.

“We need to be our own harshest critic. There’s always a way to make it better.”

“If we just meet expectations, we’ve failed.”

When [New York Times Food Critic Frank] Bruni came in…I said, “Who cares?” We have a level of accountability on the team. I want our standards higher than a Michelin three-star restaurant. When Bruni leaves our restaurant, I want him to think, “Good Lord, what the fuck just happened?”

“Having high standards has always been synonymous with fine dining. Why? Why not us? Why not now?”

Ko is a 12-seat restaurant. We have a duck dish on the menu that’s dried for 24 days. We make forcemeat out of the legs and stuff it under the skin. The duck is then roasted and basted on a spit. As a diner, you see the meat roasting…and by the time the meat course is ready, the duck is done.

That dish is a good example of our collaboration process. I presented it as a challenge [to the cooks]. The staff came up with that technique and I thought, “Why didn’t I think of it?” It’s incredible!


Any foods you don’t like?

“I’ll try anything once, but I really don’t like farmed salmon.”



[In the book, he profiles meat/bacon purveyor Allan Benton.] How did you find him?

I was at an event and I tried his bacon. “Good Lord, what is that?! Who is this? Where did you get it? Oh my God!”

“I don’t even think I asked. I went into the walk-in and stole myself a slab of bacon!”

For all of our purveyors, if I can’t visit the farm, I want as much information as possible. When I asked Allan to send me some information, I got a ripped piece of butcher paper. It was an incredibly long letter—in pencil. I thought, “You’re the man!”

Allan became instrumental in our food. His bacon is deep and smoky…“Allan’s bacon is a real slap in the face. We use it as a flavoring agent—like a flavoring vehicle. It allowed us to open new doors in terms of what we were serving.”

His story should be told. He also makes country smoked ham. It’s a unique product and I’ve grown to appreciate it. It’s like jazz or baseball. It’s American & we need to support it. There’s nothing like country smoked ham.


Momofuku's signature dish: pork buns. What is it about them that resonates with people?

It was an 11th hour dish added to our first menu. I don’t know what the appeal is, but I do know…I’ve seen more vegetarians converted off that dish! It’s a riff on Peking duck. At the time, I had no idea that steamed red was so prevalent in China.

[That dish is] about creativity and working within the limitations of what you have. We had 600 square feet. The menu was limited to ramen, pork belly and pork shoulder. We had to outsource the buns. But in that limited space, we came up with different variations on the pork bun---deep fried, buns with eggs. We had all these mushrooms, so we created a mushroom bun. We had all these chicharrones…

At the restaurant, we have a bun station and they do nothing but make buns all night. I don’t care who it is—everyone starts out there. If they don’t work there, we weed them out. It’s one of the most important stations.


Cooks on TV. What’s your take on it?

“I didn’t start cooking to be on TV.”

I know why certain chefs do it—they do it to put asses in seats. Those shows (like Iron Chef) are so important to keep restaurants busy.

“Alex Lee is probably one of the greatest chefs in America, and he’s one of the most intimidating people. Alex lost to Cat Cora! That’s TV.”

“They should have a show on why [Alex Lee] is so important. But it’s TV and there’s not a vehicle for that right now. I understand it, but I also have the flexibility to say ‘no.’ If the right opportunity presented itself, sure, I’m interested.”

“I already feel like I’m becoming a caricature of myself. I want people to learn. I’m struggling [with TV] – I know it will open doorways for people. I’m just saying, if I do it, I hope it’s the right call.”

When Heston Blumenthal agreed to do TV, he said the only way he’d do it is if it would help finance research and development. [His show] helped pay the bills.



Thoughts on up and coming cooks?

I would question cooking as a career…it’s a very different thing these days. I tell my cooks, “Dude, if you go on Top Chef, I’m going to be so pissed off!”

The standard of cooking is softer these days. It’s become more of a white collar profession. As a chef, it’s become more difficult. You can’t yell at a cook anymore. Cooking is more civil now.

“Jeremy Fox (Executive Chef/Partner in Ubuntu restaurant, Napa, CA) told me that one of his cooks has a journal of every hour she worked at the restaurant. Can you believe it?”

“If you’re in this business to make money, you’re the dumbest person alive!”

I never asked how much I got paid. I just thought, “Thank God I got a job working for the chef I wanted to.”

Young cooks say, “I want to learn how to butcher.”

I tell them, “Sure, come in on your day off.”

They say, “What? Then I have to work 7 days in a row!”

My thought is…“Yeah, and ?”

When I was a young cook, that’s just what you did. I’d work for weeks without a day off. I didn’t care if I got paid. I was there to learn.



What’s your hiring criteria?

Ko is like the Special Forces. New cooks make 3 dishes and family meal. Family meal is the most important meal in a restaurant.

I’ll ask about their knife skills. “If you tell me your knife skills are great and your knives aren’t even sharp? Their knives are so dull…I can scratch my back with them...Fuck you!”

“Knife skills in America can’t begin to compare to those in Japan.”

“The most dangerous person in the room is the one with nothing to lose. I want my staff to know everything is against us. I’m looking for drive and tenacity. Push, push, push.”

I can tell who is going to be a great cook but never a great chef. Great cooks don’t have to struggle. They’re just better at it. I ask them, “How the hell are you doing this?” There cooks who are so talented, they fall apart when they have to teach it. It’s frustrating when the person standing next to them doesn’t get it.

“I’ll take a team of scrappy cooks any day. They’re the ones who screw up and can’t sleep because they’re trying to figure out how to do it better.”

The best food comes from a team effort.

It used to be that cooks would stay 5 years at a restaurant. Now you’re lucky if they stay 1 ½ years. 2 ½ years is great.


Are you cooking on the line much?

I don’t cook in my restaurants anymore.

I have to learn how to dial it back. “I don’t know how to keep service from affecting my health and my mental space.”

“In the early years, I could work in a ‘focused rage’. I can’t do it now.”

“We built this open kitchen and I thought, ‘What am I doing? I hate talking with customers!’ I used to be rude.”

People would ask, “What’s this?”

“And I’d say, ‘Look buddy, I’ve got a full board [of orders]….’ I don’t want to talk to customers when I’m working.”

It’s difficult because “as a line cook—that’s how you measure a good day at work. You feel like you accomplish things: you do your mise en place, have a good service, go out for a couple beers, sleep, and go back and do it again. As a line cook, you know what a good day is.”

Now that my role has changed….”I don’t know how to quantify what a ‘good day’ is.”

***

Momofuku
By David Chang and Peter Mehan
Clarkson Potter, October 2009