Vermont's Brattleboro Farmers Market

As a traveler, I fear the days of pulling off the freeway and having your pick of mom & pop joints are long gone. Today, travel in America has lost a certain amount of luster. Strip mall sameness from Tulsa to Tacoma...close your eyes and there are few markers to identify...you're not at home anymore.

Across the land, farmers markets have swelled in number and for me, reclaim that sense of travel wonder. While in Vermont, visiting author Crescent Dragonwagon, we made a point to stop at the farmers market. Nearby Brattleboro, Vermont boasts a destination-worthy gem. In contrast to Seattle's parking lot or blocked off street format, Brattleboro's farmers market take place in a grassy lot, complete with semi-permanent structures, picnic tables and a large sandbox for the kids. Short on hustle and bustle, it's the kind of place where you spend a few hours, bump into your neighbor, and share a homemade ginger ale.

Coincidentally, a book called "The Great Good Place" was my reading choice for this trip. "The Great Good Place" explores the sociological influences of a notion called the "third place" -- those spaces in our lives where we gather for community, including cafes, coffee shops, bookstores, bars, and hair salons. (Starbuck's CEO, Howard Schultz, was greatly influenced by this premise, and factored the "third place" concept in the design of their stores.) In Brattleboro, the farmers market is their "third place." Ripped straight out of a modern Norman Rockwell piece, it was heartwarming watching friends and neighbors reacquaint themselves after a snow-packed winter, followed by what the locals call "mud season". No question. Brattleboro's farmers market...is the heart of the community.

A large sandbox keeps the kids amused while parents shop or hang out near the perimeter and chat.

A hot cup of chai and Green Mountain Bluegrass makes for a perfect morning.

It took me a while to figure out...no, he wasn't with the band. Fiercely independent, this kid brought his guitar...looking to play pick up with the various musicians! He stole the show every time.

Massage? Why not!
Sign says "Dispositions Adjusted"

Back-of-the-truck lamb. Grass-finished, whole or halves. Pelts for sale too.

Got any idea what "Ham on Hay" is?

People here are serious about social justice and activism. Shirt says, "Dignity has no borders."

Drinks: Hot ginger milk tea, homemade ginger beer and a fabulous organic honeycomb sour. Eats: Pan fried dough, ho-made fish cakes, and Mexican grilled cheese.

Mile High club, Vermont-style. Beef, Lamb and Pork.

(notice the shaft of wheat tattooed on her arm?)

Vermont Maple Syrup blind tastings. He refused to tell me what grade we were trying, insisting I identify my favorite first, by taste. Fancy is the lightest grade in color and has the most delicate flavor while Grade A Dark is darker in color and has a more pronounced maple flavor. Because of the intensity in flavor, Grad A or B is best for baking.)

Bit of Trivia: Why is pure maple syrup so expensive? It takes 30 - 40 gallons of Maple tree sap to make 1 gallon of syrup (66.9% sucrose)

Related post:
I Remember...Springtime in Vermont

I Remember...Springtime in Vermont

There are times, when a profound moment touches me deeply. I have no words. Well-intended drafts pile up and and eventually, my feeble attempts concede defeat.

"Nothing," as Crescent's father used to say, "is wasted on the writer."

And so it is.

Given enough time, the words ferment, and eventually ripen in my subconscious.

---
May 2008
Putney, VT


Vermont conjures up images of Bing Crosby's White Christmas, fall foliage in a blaze of orange and yellow, and of course, maple syrup. It is also the home of many noteworthy writers, including my good friend Crescent Dragonwagon.

Crescent lives in a rambling 1795 farmhouse, nestled among the rolling hills of Southeastern Vermont. For years, this was her family's treasured summer home. Today, pine wood floors creak underfoot and collections along the walls conjure a sense of history.

The hand-drawn characterization of Bill and Hillary Clinton pays tribute to her inaugural contribution.

Black and white images smile back at me and I do a double take. "Wait! Is that John Wayne?"

Rummaging through a nearby bookshelf, she says casually, "My father was his biographer." Crescent points to an old hardback collection of his books, some in English, others she's managed to cull from international print runs. Next to these, sit an abridged collection of her mother's work (Charlotte Zolotow, editor and author of 70 children's books.)

Crescent is a writer too. As the author of 48 books, her work straddles two distinct genres: cooking and children's books. A James Beard Award-winner in one camp (Passionate Vegetarian, Workman Publishing) and a Coretta Scott-King Award in another camp (Half a Moon and One Whole Star, Macmillan Publishing).

She's also the author of two novels (one, The Year It Rained, published in five foreign editions and a New York Times Notable), a book of poetry, and many magazine articles. (You may recall...last year I took a trip to San Diego and attended her 3-day Fearless Writing workshop.)

I have grown to love Crescent for much more than career accolades. Energetic and sharp-witted, she breaks out in a fanciful story--complete with a cockney accent--at the drop of a hat!

Crescent's extremely well-read and knowledgeable in an astonishing number of areas. Her former students--from Julia Child to Alice Medrich will tell you, at the heart of Crescent's Fearless Writing classes, the true essence is....Fearless Living. With an easy, infections laugh, she embraces a life-well lived.

The view from my room.

On the corner slope, a swimming hole...or ice skating pond, depending on the season. Too cold for swimming, we cruise by slowly, keeping a close eye on a newly-hatched clutch of ducklings.

This, my friends, is wild ginger.

Crescent is an avid gardener. We harvested spring rhubarb, which made its way into a crisp recipe, featured in her book "The Passionate Vegetarian." Hand-cranked buttermilk ice cream was the perfect compliment. (A side note: Cooking preparation began by...grabbing a copy of her own book off the shelf. This struck me as odd, and I asked about it. Hefting the 1,120 page "Passionate Vegetarian" she said, "Why not?" Simple as that. Any other filing system would be... redundant.)

In the garden with Crescent and her love, documentary filmmaker David Koff.

Evenings were still quite chilly. You'd find me...cozying up to the potbelly stove, curled up in that red chair, book in hand, with a cat nearby.

Ahhh...lilacs in the spring. The variety here is much more fragrant that the blooms I've encountered in the Pacific Northwest.

For years, Crescent ran a highly-acclaimed B&B called Dairy Hollow House. The thoughtful touch of an innkeeper has never subsided.

Breakfast on the screen porch with the scent of lilac wafting in the room. Herb omlette, cut fruit, and a basket full of whole-grain muffins, served with raspberry butter.

Sightseeing in nearby Northampton, MA. This area has a number of old train dining cars, now permanent restaurants. We took a pass on Kathy's Diner and headed 'round the corner.

Tiny Amanouz Cafe in Northampton is a gem of a restaurant. Specializing in Moroccan food, my meal was hauntingly delicious. Since this trip, I've been on a mission for Moroccan food and nothing I've found comes close. (From my doorstep, Mapquest tells me it is exactly 2,950.56 miles to Amanouz Cafe. Did I mention it was hauntingly delicious???)

Wall-side menu at Amanouz Cafe.

Moroccan tagine with kefta, lamb meatballs seasoned with onion, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, fresh parsley and mint.

Walpole, N.H. - Northeastern U.S. architecture. By Pacific Northwest standards, this house was massive. Notice it's been added on over the years.

This house is next door to the one above.

Exploring the uber charming Walpole, NH, L.A. Burdick Chocolate is a required stop. For me, pastries in the adjoining cafe beconned. A happy respite, I sampled several items and took the rest back to Crescent's. The chocolate coconut cake with lime butter cream frosting and toasted coconut does justice to Burdick's legendary reputation. And their hands-on Chocolate Cooking School has me conspiring to go back soon! (Note: Burdick's has outposts in Cambridge, MA and New York City)

Cute-as-can-be, the Corner Grocery store is packed with gourmet delights.

'Tis the season...for fiddlehead ferns.

In this area, folks are serious about food matters. Homeland security goes hand-in-hand with food security.

Bulletin board outside the local co-op grocery store. Add your energy-saving solutions to the quilt. Entries include: need, consume & use less energy; carpool, reuse & recycle; shop second hand stores; and organize errands for efficiency.

The famed Chelsea Royal Diner in Brattleboro, Vermont. Their website says it best "The Chelsea Royal, a vintage 1938 Worcester Diner. Decor and food speak of times gone by with Daily Blue Plate Specials, generous portions and extremely friendly pricing. The Royal Diners' cuisine is probably best described as 'high-end home style'."

Delighting the kid in us all, next door is the Royal Soft Serve Stand. Notice the cherry on top?

Inside the Royal Diner car. Behind me is an old school soda-jerk style counter.

Next up? A visit to the Brattleboro Farmers Market.

Officials Destroy Artisan Food & Small Farm Fruit, CDH Responds

Chicago's Flora Lazar operates her artisan craft food business out of a shared kitchen on the city's West Side. After obtaining permits, the Department of Health paid her a visit--standard operating procedure for a new business. What followed, is anything but standard.

During their inspection, Chicago Department of Health determined Lazar had obtained the wrong permits. In a maneuver that sparked outrage throughout the online community, the Department of Health proceeded to throw bleach on thousands of dollars worth of artisan food and local fruit.

"This puts me out of business for six months," Lazar said after losing the irreplaceable fruit. "I have done everything by the rules. Instead of making the food at home, which I could easily do, I sought out and rented space in a licensed kitchen.....I paid my $600 and invited the inspectors here today."

Covering a story for the Chicago Tribune, reporter Monica Eng was on the scene when the inspectors arrived, "Inspectors cited no health problems with any of the food. They even encouraged Lazar's son to eat the confiscated granola bars from Sunday Dinner Club. They only said the food was prepared by chefs who didn't have the proper business licenses to prepare and sell it."

The food itself was deemed safe for consumption, but due to a snag in the permitting, it was not available for sale. Fair enough.

The city's next step--destroying thousands of dollars in froze fruit purees and artisan food--is baffling.

Read the Chicago Tribune's story here.

Got feedback for the Chicago Department of Health? Weigh in here.

****

FOLLOW UP

I contacted the Chicago Department of Health, hoping to get their take on the situation. Today, I received the following response:

The City of Chicago licensing requirements for a shared kitchen require every business to be licensed separately. This is because individual businesses are required to be registered and licensed by their separate legal entities and separate business activities.

In terms of health and safety, it also ensures that each individual business meets the sanitation certification required to operate a food business. And that’s important when you are preparing and serving food to the public. (As you may know, every year in the U.S. food borne illness causes about 300,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths.) We take food safety seriously, and we require restaurants, caterers and others to do the same.

On Thursday, Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) inspectors visited Kitchen Chicago because two of the food establishments renting space there (Flora Confections and Sunday Dinner Chicago) had requested the inspection required to obtain a City business license.

When they arrived, Health inspectors found that both Flora Confections and Sunday Dinner Chicago were already operating---without the required City license, without having passed a Health inspection, and in violation of a “cease and desist” order that had been issued on January 21 by the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.

Health inspectors discovered several unsafe practices at the facility, including:

** Food from an unknown source
** Food that had already been prepared somewhere else under unknown conditions and which was stored in unmarked plastic bags

Because the food in question did not meet health and safety standards---the same standards that all food establishments in the city must meet---Health Department inspectors ordered and supervised the discarding of about 120 pounds of food from the two businesses; and they ordered an embargo on the walk-in cooler (no food in, no food out), pending further inspection.

The food in question was not discarded simply because of a licensure issue---it was discarded because Health inspectors viewed it as suspect, and potentially unsafe for consumption.

The food in question was also not allowed to be removed off the premises and served elsewhere in a private or public setting, as it had already been viewed as suspect, and potentially unsafe for either private or public consumption. Allowing potentially unsafe food to simply be served elsewhere, public or private, would be a breach of our duty to protect Chicagoans from food borne illness.

The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection had an open line of communication with the business owner of Kitchen Chicago prior to this incident and continues to have an open line of communication with Kitchen Chicago to assist them and associated businesses operate in accordance with the law. They are working to see that Kitchen Chicago and those businesses that lease space from Kitchen Chicago get licensed as quickly as possible; we will continue to assist them until all of their licensing matters have been resolved.

We at the Chicago Department of Public Health do all we can to make Chicago a place where restaurants, caterers and other food-related businesses can thrive and prosper. But at the same time, we absolutely insist that they operate legally and adhere to all food safety and health laws and regulations, which are designed to prevent food borne illness and protect the public health.

Thank you again for contacting us to share your concerns.

--Tim Hadac
Director of Public Information
Chicago Department of Public Health

Interview with Sur La Table's Renee Behnke

I was raised in a small Midwestern town – an unfortunate spot smack in the middle of America, bordered by the murky Illinois River and corn fields as far as you can see. Like the Sears catalog for turn-of-the-century farmers, the Sur La Table catalog was our lifeline to the rest of the world.

Delivered with the mid-afternoon mail, the arrival of our Sur La Table catalog was steeped in ritual. Everything came to a halt. Mom would brew a fresh pot of coffee, grab a pack of Marlbrow Lights, and while away for hours, dog-earring nearly every page. While she never actually made a purchase, in a way, it didn’t matter.

“Dreaming,” she would say, “Is more fun than owing.”

Situated on a steep slope in Seattle’s bustling Pike Place Market, is the original Sur La Table. When I first visited Seattle, the Sur La Table catalog had such a hold me, I couldn’t imagine an actual store! It was like visiting Never Neverland. Merchandise towered to the ceiling, and gleamed with stainless steel racks. I stopped in a momentary blindness, as the sun glinted amongst a crock of wire wisks. Tagines from Morocco, pasta machines from Italy, Le Cruset and dainty financier molds from France! I was in heaven…

*****

Renee Behnke (right) and her neighbor


Armed with a savvy retail background and a passion for cooking, Renee Behnke purchased Sur La Table in 1995. Seventy-four stores –and counting—she is transitioning into her new role as president emeritus. Cooking, entertaining, and her massive garden are at the heart of who she is. Travel, as always, figures prominently.

Renee is engaging and extremely generous, and what follows is a discussion about her life in food. While shorter pieces prevail in online media, I hope you will indulge me. This is our conversation, in its entirety.

Traca: Your book “Memorable Recipes” was named by NPR as one of the 10 Best New Cookbooks for summer. And it’s up for another award this week. Congratuations!

Renee: It’s exciting. Attention for the book is coming from a lot of different directions. When you think about writing a cookbook, you never know. There’s so many that come out.

I tried to appeal to a broad cross-section of people. I also talk a lot about my garden and how it plays such a big role in the food that I cook and eat. In the back of the book, there’s a section with party notes. I outline how to plan parties, and tie it together with recipes in the book. I think it gives the book a different twist.

Traca: Gardening is a big element in your life. Tell me a more about your garden.

Renee: It’s over the top! We have three full city lots. The front of the house is an herb garden. And one lot is my working garden with vegetables. It’s all raised beds. We planted 37 tomato plants and last year, I canned over 50 quarts of tomato sauce--half roasted and the other half we made on the stove-top.

When I travel, I bring back seeds. I have seeds from Europe and I planted Spanish beans, brought fig trees in from Italy. We’ve got corn, peas, lovage, lots of lettuce, and a large variety of garlic. It’s an amazing garden for someone who lives in the city.

Traca: What motivates you to grow such a large garden? Do you manage to consume all the food?

Renee: We give a lot of it away. We have neighbors who are East Indian (pictured above), so I grew a variety of peppers for her. She pickled the peppers for different Indian dishes. We use a lot of the produce, and give the surplus to friends.

We entertain a lot and a good deal of that food is from my garden. I host four to five major dinner parties a month, with more than 10 people attending each party.

Traca: Tell me about your dinner parties. I can’t imagine hosting five dinner parties a month!

Renee: The number of parties vary, but I have two fabulous women who help clean up.

I have a lot of famous chefs that come to town and they’ll cook with me. When Marcella Hazaan or Alice Waters visit, we’ll cook a meal together. And then I have a lot of friends. We enjoy cooking dinners together.

For years I did Sunday night dinners with family and friends. When I was working, I didn’t have much time to do big dinners, except on Sundays. So we would invite different couples with their kids. I think one of the things that happens is that you know your friends, but you often don’t know their children. I’d make a big dinner and there’d always be something the kids would never eat. Some kids only ate hot dogs and Cheerios, but everyone had to sit at the table together. After dinner, sometimes we’d have a talent show. It was great because we got to know everyone’s kids better, and their kids got to know everybody else.

Traca: You’ve been hosting Sunday dinners for over 30 years. Where did the inspiration for that come from? Are you part of a big family?

Renee: I am part of a big family, but only my sister lives here. The rest of my family lives in Oregon.

When I was married before and went through a divorce, we had a lot of kids. Then when I married my current husband Karl, he had two young kids. Sunday dinner was a way to get families together. At the time, I was also on the road a lot and Sunday was a great time to bring everybody together.

When I was on the road, I’d travel to different countries and cook with people in their homes. And then, when I came back, I’d want to practice cooking what I’d learned. So I was able to test recipes and try new techniques. I’d let everyone know, “I was just in Vietnam for a week…and we’re going to make a new dish.” They’d come over. I’d make the dish and we’d try it together.

I also rent houses and invite friends to travel with me. We’ll split the cost and rent a house for a week. We hire a chef… and cook together. It really raises your awareness about sharing food with friends.

Traca: Your passport gets a workout! What is it about travel that fuels your passion?

Renee: I’ve always been fascinated with world cultures.

Traca: Ethnic food in America is another thing entirely.

Renee: If you’re in Italy, you eat Italian. If you’re in Vietnam, you eat Vietnamese food.

We live in a multi-cultural country. All these people have come to the U.S. and just because they’ve moved here—for whatever reason—they didn’t quit eating the foods they grew up with.

In the United States, you and I could have great Vietnamese food for lunch. For dinner, we could go to a great Mexican restaurant. Tomorrow morning, we may have French pancakes. You can go anywhere in the U.S. and eat cuisine from around the world. That doesn’t happen in other countries. That is only in the United States.

Immigrants in the U.S. immerse themselves in foods their homeland.

Traca: And that’s reflected at Sur La Table?

Renee: When we bought Sur La Table, it was a French cooking store and it was modeled after stores in France. I traveled extensively, and was fascinated by the food of each country. So we changed the original concept to reflect a broader, multi-cultural appeal.

Traca: You took a hands-on approach, exploring foods from other cultures. But cooking those foods in America has its own set of challenges. What was your experience?

Renee: I researched and cooked in all these different countries.

The more I traveled, the more I was overwhelmed by their love of their cuisine. People that live in Greece or Morocco – unless they’ve traveled a lot – have never experience cuisines outside their country. Their passion for local food is unmistakable. And when the food travels back to America? It’s not the same.

Very seldom do you find authentic ethnic food in America. For example, when you go to Mexico, our thought of Mexican food is tacos and quesadillas. But when you go to Mexico, like Oxaca, those people spend days making their family’s recipe for mole. Nobody here is going to make mole! And half the people don’t know what it is.

There are very few restaurants in America that make truly authentic Mexican food. That’s true of every country, actually.

When I cook in another country, and you attempt to translate it back to the American table, it becomes a very different thing.

Traca: For example?

Renee: Cooking in Morocco…it’s important to understand the concept of the tagine, which is the basis of most of their cooking. But when you come back and you want to enjoy a lamb tagine in America, finding an authentic recipe is difficult. You either buy a book by an author based in that country, or you go online and try to find a recipe. But most of the recipes online are not tested. Even in cookbooks, there’s an element of risk. Only about 20 percent of the recipes in cookbooks have been tested by somebody else. So they’re not proven recipes.

If someone wants to make a chicken and apricot tagine, the first thing they do is go to Costco and buy a big bag of apricots. Those apricots have all been pumped up with sugar! And then the recipe says to add 1/3 of a cup of honey. The finished dish ends up being syrupy…and it’s not the real deal.

The way a recipe translates…is not always correct. So my mission was to help people understand the difference, and make it the best it can be.

Traca: Creating that authentic experience can be a challenge, especially since cookbooks have changed so much over the years.

Renee: The old recipes from Julia Chilld, Paul Bocuse, and Marcella Hazaan…those recipes were all tested by experts. Now, you’ve got people who just pump out cookbooks. The recipes are not necessarily good. It’s frustrating because people spend time and money to create a recipe, and it’s not always the best.

In a modern sense, Ina Garten has proven recipes that are easy to prepare. Your results are always good. But you can’t say that about a lot of the new cookbooks.

Traca: Food in America is quite different now. What changes have you seen over the years?

Renee: A lot has changed. The Food Network came into play, and along with that, the rise in celebrity chefs. Some of the celebrity chefs cook amazing food and others…just don’t. It also became very expensive to eat in a restaurant that has quality ingredients.

I was reading an article in the LA Times about chickens. Have you seen it?

When we were growing up, we got chicken from a guy that raised them. And then the grocery store phenomena exploded. Today there are so many rules about raising chickens and selling them in a grocery store, that chickens are soaked in a chlorine solution. If you buy chicken at the grocery store and it has that thing that looks like a diaper under it to collect water? That’s horrible! 20% of a chicken’s weight is water that’s been pumped into it.

Today, people are focusing much more on what they are eating.

When we were young, nobody ever talked about cholesterol, or roughage. We just ate really good food! There was no fast food. McDonalds came into the west coast around 1963. And if you went out to lunch and ordered a “diet plate”, you had a hamburger patty, a scoop of cottage cheese, a slice of tomato and a piece of lettuce. You’d get two rye crisps and then they’d put a big basket of bread in the middle of the table. That was your diet plate!

For the next forty years, people went sideways because what they were eating was terrible.

Now, if you order fettucini alfredo, everybody at the table looks at you like you’ve lost your mind! It’s important to eat everything in moderation.

Traca: What about the plethora of cooking shows on TV? It’s helped promote cooking again, yes?

Renee: People are cooking more at home. But too many young people today rely on mixes. They don’t know how to bake a cake from scratch. Baking is a science.

Traca: True. When I moved to Seattle, I started taking classes at Sur La Table. That’s how I learned how to cook. When did you start cooking in earnest?

Renee: I started cooking in New York, in Little Italy when I was in my mid-twenties.

I worked with a man in the garment industry and we went to dinner in Little Italy. I started talking with this old guy, asking how they made the various dishes. He said, “If you want to come when you get off work, you can cook in the back with me. “ This guy was in his 80’s. So I started doing that when I was in New York. I was there about 10 days a month and I’d cook with him in Little Italy. I never wanted to work in a restaurant, but I was so fascinated, learning from this old guy.

Traca: And from there, you expanded into other cultures?

Renee: I was a buyer for Nordstrom and left because I was hired away by Bon Marche (department stores). I went on buying trips to Europe, going four times a year.

Then when I went to Israel and I met this woman who worked with our Asian buyers. She gave cooking classes in her home. This woman was born and raised in China, and left. I took classes from her for three years. We cooked food from every province in China.

I was fascinated by authentic Chinese food; it was so different from the food we had in Chinatown. For three weeks a month we’d go to her house for cooking classes and one week a month we’d visit one of her friend’s restaurants and eat whatever she ordered for us. Then we’d learn how to cook those dishes the following week. I got so fascinated by it!

So then, whenever I would travel and meet different people on business, I’d say “How did you make this?” They’d invite me to their house…and I’d get to cook with them.

In my 30’s, there were cooking stores near my home and I started giving classes. It was a growth progression. I was totally fascinated by what you could do with food.

###

How to Throw a Party...without Breaking the Bank

It's no secret that I love a good party. My personal philosophy:

Forget diamonds and fancy shoes.

If I've got to choose?

I'd rather have a party, thank you.


I lob invitations, easy as breathing, "We should get together! I've got some friends I want you to meet."

But you see, here's the catch.

I am not independently wealthy.

Last time I checked, there's no trust fund.

And you know as well as I do, parties aren't cheap.

While I'd love to host multi-course dinners and imbibe my friends with fine wine, let's be realistic. (Yeah, in the early days I flipped the bill for sumptuous parties. I'm still paying for them!) Long ago I realized, if I want to have parties...something's GOT to change.

So what's a girl to do?

How do you throw a party without breaking the bank?


Five years and a stream of parties later, I've finally got a system that works. For me, it's potluck or the kitty.





POTLUCK

Share the labor. Share the cost. Discover new foods.

First thing you need to know: A potluck requires a theme. The word "theme" conjures up visions of luaus and leis and frankly, makes my skin crawl. But over time I've learned, people like to center themselves around an idea. So get over it, and pick something!

Ideas run the gamut. Broad stroke ideas like Appetizers or BBQ work well. Swine divine pork party? Dumpling feast? Or how 'bout a cookbook-themed potluck? (I need 12 lifetimes to cook through my books, how 'bout you? Grab your friends and get cooking!)

Often I'll pick a theme that begs for a story, and serves as a conversation point for guests. Last year I hosted an Americana-themed potluck and encouraged guests to explore regional or nostalgic dishes from their childhood. It was a blockbuster event with over 90 attendees! (See photo above.) The table heaved with pulled pork, baked beans, carrot and raisin salad, rootbeer floats, home made bagels, and brownies. Half the fun was discovering new dishes ...and figuring out who made them! (Who brought the jello mold?!)

Experience has taught me a few things:

1. Pick a theme.

2. Some folks don't cook. Fine. Give them an assignment: bring a cooler & ice, extra wine, a case of beer, or come early and help move furniture.

3. Goodwill/Salvation Army/Thrift Stores are like gold! Pick up wine glasses, plates, sliverware, serving platters and utensils here. Who cares if they match? These are your friends, get over the Crate & Barrel-I-can't-have-a-party-until-it's-perfect mentality. Life is short. People will remember the good times, not the your mismatched plates. (Even better? Throw caution to the wind and grab the funky ones. Iowa State Fair, anyone?)


Party time!

I provide:

- The venue
- Music
- Plates
- Silverware
- Glasses
- Serving utensils (always in short supply)
- Napkins
- My potluck contribution
- A couple bottles of cheap wine


The rest? It's up to my guests.

Trust me, I'm a control freak by nature and this takes a leap of faith. Fortunately, my friends are good cooks and potlucks give them a chance to strut their stuff. Relax, and enjoy what comes....






THE KITTY

The premise here is simple. You shop, you cook, you host the event. Instead of bringing a dish (a la potluck), your guests bring cash.

Gasp!

You expect friends to pay for dinner?

Yes, happily.

In a restaurant, you split the check. Why not do the same at home?

For me, the kitty is not an actual kitty but a vessel for cash. Use a champagne bucket, vase or cookie jar...whatever. I stick the kitty by the door and guests deposit funds when they arrive. If folks need to leave early? No worries. All I need is a hug and a kiss goodbye.

It's a fabulous system that makes a festive win-win situation for everyone.

Pssst. On a budget and you want to host a seated dinner? See Potluck point #3. Thanks to Goodwill, I've got service for 40.





A WORD ABOUT WINE

A typical invitation spells it out:

What to Bring: a potluck dish or $, and a bottle of wine

Experience has taught me...people have no idea how much they really drink. Over the span of a 3 hour party, I can drink a bottle of wine myself. (1 bottle = 750 milliliters or 25.4 ounces, which gives you about four, 6-ounce glasses of wine.)

I'm still baffled by couples who only bring one bottle of wine. Over time, I've learned. The more couples at your party...the more likely you'll run out of wine early, hence the secret stash.

I always keep a secret stash of wine, just in case we run out. It's not the good stuff...but by that time of the night, it usually doesn't matter. (Yes, I'm talking about Two Buck Chuck.)

A bottle of wine per person is about right. True, some people drink more, others drink less but for a typical party, plan on a bottle for each person. If you have a high couple-to-single ratio? Invest in a secret stash. You're going to need it!


A FINAL NOTE

It's true, I love nothing more than bringing folks around the table. Life changes so quickly...and after loosing the people you love? I regret holding back, worrying about trivial stuff like matching silverware.

Grab your friends and celebrate!

Ready to party? Which will you choose...potluck or kitty?

Book Review: Recipes from Heceta Head, Oregon's Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast

Wind sweeps across the Pacific Ocean, battering the rugged coastline with foam-flecked waves and sheets of rain. Defying the elements, gnarled Evergreens clutch weather-beaten cliffs, and refuse to fall into the sea. Rich with timber and easy access to salmon, this land has been home to traders and trappers for centuries.

Against this stormy backdrop, Heceta Head Lighthouse warns of the impending coastline. The adjacent Queen Anne-style homes with cranberry-colored shingles, housed the lighthouse lamplighters. Throughout the night, they worked in four hour shifts, manually keeping the flame alive.

Technology advanced and automation eventually eliminated the need for lamplighters. As the buildings deteriorated, local citizens fought to preserve these historic structures.

Enter: an innovative idea + the husband and wife team of Mike and Carol Korgan.

Today, an interpretive center sits on land owned by the U.S. Forest Service, and the lightkeeper residences have been converted into Heceta Head Bed & Breakfast. Mike and Carol played a crucial role in preserving these landmark buildings and served as the B&B’s first proprietors. Now retired, the torch has been passed to their daughter Michelle and her husband, Steven.

Oregon coast’s Heceta Head Lighthouse is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world and the corresponding B&B is renowned for their seven-course breakfast. The Lighthouse Breakfast Cookbook (Westwiinds Press, 2009) documents the history of Heceta Head Lighthouse B&B, and reveals their most coveted recipes.

This book has become my secret weapon! Making regular appearances at brunch or as a light dessert, the Almond Butter Cake is my go-to recipe. Dense yet incredibly moist, its light kiss of sweetness makes this cake surprisingly versatile.

Included in the book is James Beard’s cheater version of Liver Pate. Beard, a former Oregon resident, once slipped Mike the recipe…and I made it immediately! The secret? A hearty mixture of liverwurst and cream cheese. Embellished with a dash of this and that, you’d never guess the origins, but trust me, it’s a welcome addition. Over the holidays, this Liver Pate was the first to go, every time. (Warning: double the recipe. You’ll want more!)

Chapters in the Light House Breakfast Cookbook follow Heceta Head B&B’s famed seven course breakfast menu: Fruit; Sweet Bread; Seafood; Frappes; Eggs; Meat; Dessert; Fruit & Cheese.

Composed Fruit salads make a welcome addition to entertaining menus as well as weekday breakfasts. In the Moroccan Fruit Salad, for example, the usual suspects of pear, apple and banana get a guild-the-lily flourish with orange flower water, mint & pomegranate seeds.

My one quibble lies solely in the Sweet Bread section. Each recipe makes three loaves. This is not a problem with tried & true recipes, but for the untested, it can be a risky maneuver. “Serve one loaf, freeze the other two” works great if you’ve got a winner. The Lemon Poppy Seed Bread was not a favorite. I had middle of the road results—not bad, but certainly not great--and I had three loves on my hands! Going forward, I’ll tread carefully in this section, and divide the recipes accordingly. (Portion sizes in other areas of the book are less risky, serving 6, on average.)

If you’re a seafood lover, you’ll want to keep this book close at hand. Wild Chinook Salmon Sweet Corn Cakes and the Oregon Dungeness Crab, Fennel, Orange and Avocado salad with Mango Curry Dressing were quick additions to my permanent files. Other recipes like Bay Shrimp Mousse and the Scallop and Bay Shrimp Seviche scream: easy entertaining with big flavor payoff.

In the seven-course lineup, frappes are served as palate cleansers. This section includes intriguing flavor combinations, such as: Strawberry, Candied Ginger and Fresh Mint; Hibiscus, Melon, and Wildflower Honey; and Pear with Orange Blossom Honey and Cardamom.

The Eggs chapter offers more than a few unexpected surprises. Imagine serving your houseguests Shirred Eggs with Oregon White Truffles or a Sweet Potato, Sage, and Juniper Grove Smoked Chevre Strata. Houseguests may never leave!

By Meats, they mean sausage, mostly. My first sausage-making foray was a revelation and I was thrilled to discover several new recipes in this book: Greek Lamb Sausage (with pine nuts, kalamata olives, and mint); Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage; or the more exotic Thai Coconut Green Curry Chicken Sausage.

Desserts run the gamut from strudels (apple, poppy seed, or Marionberry), cakes (pound, almond butter, or cranberry upside down) to tarts (pear or lemon). While this is the longest chapter, some dishes do double duty as dessert or breakfast (crumbcake, crepes, or apple pancake).

The Fruit and Cheese chapter profiles local cheeses and serving suggestions. Whether you’ll be able to find these cheeses is debatable, but even if you substitute other varieties, the serving suggestions are worth exploring. “Siletz River Stones River’s Edge Chevre – This hand-ladled Crottin is full flavored and spiked with green peppercorns. The spicy surprise joins nicely with a pomegranate syrup and the clean, crispy textures of Asian pears.”

Ingredients for the majority of these recipes should be readily available nationwide. Worth noting are the few recipes that require special ingredients. Coconut Powder was new to me. Fortunately, the Special Ingredients Glossary explained “Just as the name describes, it is powdered coconut. Read the label before buying because some have added sugar or are just coconut-flavored powder. Coconut powder is fantastic for any application that calls for coconut milk when fresh coconut is not available. Just reconstitute the desired consistency.” A source or DYI alternative would have been nice. So far, the only place I’ve found coconut powder, sells it in a 10 pound box. (My guess: I’ll be able to replicate coconut powder with unsweetened dried coconut and a handy mini Cuisinart.)

The Resources section threw a spotlight on several new-to-me Oregon-based vendors (most with mail order capabilities). I’m looking forward to exploring GloryBee Foods (honey), Schondecken Coffee Roasters and the Oregon Lox Co.

Photos in the book are by San Diego-based Tim Mantoani. Plating at the B&B is individual, as opposed to buffet or family-style and the presentations come across well. A large majority of the images leap off the page and are mostly food-centric. A limited number of images are of the B&B’s interior, which is a little disappointing, and none of the dining room itself. Archival images and family photos lend themselves well to the historical context in the introduction.

I love local books that give a sense of place. The Lighthouse Breakfast Cookbook - Recipes from Heceta Head Lighthouse B&B offers well-crafted storytelling and recipes with an emphasis on local ingredients. Within these pages, there’s plenty to enjoy--even if you don’t have easy access to Dungeness Crab or Umpqua Oysters.

And if you’re yearning for a seaside respite with jaw-dropping views? Mosey along the Oregon stretch of Highway 101 and find your way to the Heceta Head Lighthouse B&B. Lull to sleep with the sound of sea and surf. But most important…save room for breakfast! Seven courses await you.

Votes: Submitted, Tallied, Awarded - Favorites from the Tasty Awards

It's a tough job, I know. My assignment? Watch hours of T.V. and online videos...and select a handful of winners.


While judging this year's Tasty Awards, I came across several shows worth watching. Looking for a little inspiration? Here's my short list:



Three Sheets
http://www.hulu.com/three-sheets


Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie
http://www.hulu.com/gourmets-diary-of-a-foodie


CHOW.com Obsessives
http://www.chow.com/videos/86/category


Without Borders
http://www.youtube.com/user/lyndonwiebe

Cake Boss
http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/cake-boss/cake-boss.html
Check out the bridezilla episode....oooh! I wanted to knock her out!


No Reservations
http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Anthony_Bourdain


***
View the full list of Tasty Awards nominees and winners here. (Click on "Finalists")

Cookbook Review: Asian Dumplings by Andrea Nguyen

Andrea Nguyen’s latest book, Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More (Ten Speed Press, 2009) is a stunner, demystifying delectable dishes from Malaysia to Mongolia.

Recipes in Asian Dumplings span three distinct subregions of Asia—East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. The book’s chapters are divided according to technique: filled pastas; thin skins; stuffed buns; rich pastries, etc.

Nguyen’s introduction is exceptionally informative and provides a perfect primer for what lies ahead. Cornstarch, for example, is found in both doughs and fillings. She explains, “In Asian dumpling making, cornstarch is used to bind fillings and to make dough. The silky fine starch contributes resiliency to superthin wonton and eggroll skins and prevents them from sticking. Cornstarch and tapioca starch have similar thickening powers, but when used in rice-flour batters, they show subtle differences. Cornstarch adds a firm-but-chewy quality, and tapioca provides elasticity.” Nguyen’s recipes are equally well thought-out and will have you mastering homemade wonton wrappers in no time.

Images in the book are a smart combination of diagrams and photos. The illustrations include thorough steps for a variety of folding and wrapping techniques. Do you know the difference between a pea pod, nun’s cap, or crescent? Nguyen shows you, step-by-step.

The drool-worthy photography is by Penny De Los Santos, whose images frequent the pages of Saveur. Careful thought has been given to images that are not only beautiful, but informative. Styling and camera angles reveal seams (as in the samosa folding technique) and well-thought out vantage points illustrate dumpling pleating techniques. When you’re stuck midway through a recipe and panic is just beginning to set in, sure enough, there’s a diagram or a photo, revealing the end goal. (This is especially helpful since many of the dishes were completely new to me.)

Arm chair cooks and travelers…there’s plenty here for you, too! Recipe header notes provide wonderful insights, and often expand into the dish’s ethnic, regional or historical context. I was thrilled to discover a recipe for one of my favorite street-side snacks, Sesame Seed Balls (page 201). In the accompanying header notes, I learned that Sesame Seed Balls are a Chinese New Year Specialty and likely originated in the Tang Dynasty as palace food. Nguyen explains that the dish varies by country. In Canton, they are filled with sweetened red mung bean paste, but in Vietnam, they are typically filled with buttery mung beans, resulting in a flavor and texture similar to marzipan. Ground peanuts are another option. Recipes are included for all three fillings, along with a discussion on mung bean varieties.

Whether you’re a seasoned aficionado, or merely dumpling-curious, Nguyen’s Asian Dumplings is a fabulous resource. Approachable, yet informed, this book has a prominent spot in my collection. The Pork and Napa Cabbage Water Dumplings deliver big on flavor and I was surprised how easily the water and flour-based wrappers came together (So pleased with my results, I kept thinking, “Look, mom, I made it!”). Next on my list? I’m torn between the Chinese Char Siu Pork Buns or the Singapore Curry Puffs. Even better, why choose? Share the adventure…and host a dumpling-making party! With a wealth of textures and tastes, this book is a perfect excuse for social gatherings. Chill the Singha & invite your friends for a DYI dumpling feast!

Hungry for more? Check out:

Andrea Nguyen
Book: Into the Vietnamese Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, 2006)
Blog: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/


Penny De Los Santos
Blog: http://pennydelossantos.wordpress.com/
Website: http://www.pennydelossantos.com/

Reflections on 2009

Late 2008, I was working as an analyst in real estate finance. The real estate bubble burst and what followed in 2009 was the worst recession since the Great Depression. My employer was a privately held company and while they hung on as long as they could, it was evident drastic changes were on the horizon. Eventually, they shed 30% of their staff, including me. (A second round of layoffs followed a few months later.)

I kicked off 2009 in a funk. Job prospects in my field were dismal. Within a matter of months, my condo dropped 30% in value. Without a job, I panicked and put my house up for sale. It languished in the declining market.

Well-intended friends asked about plans for my ‘round-the-world trip.

I laughed at the thought. “ ‘Round-the-world? I’m fighting for survival here!”

In just a few short months, I went from being secure and making bold plans for my future to mid-morning pep talks and consciously making an effort to get out of bed.

I attended mandatory training at the unemployment office. With a stack of “Worker Retraining” and “How to File for Unemployment” papers in hand, the counselor looked me in the eye and directed me to the nearest shelter providing free food. I navigated past screaming children and a waiting room full of false optimism, and threw up in the parking lot.

For the next two months, I hid under the covers and slept. Channel surfing through cartoons, I took my rage out on Curious George, “What the hell are you so happy about???” and secretly yearned for The Man with a Big Yellow Hat to help restore the pieces of my life.

My lifeline came in the form of Twitter.

Everything from the fascinating to the profoundly mundane mingled within my Twitter stream. It was comforting to see people going about the normal business of life...and eventually, I joined them.

I was still inching my way back when my friend Catherine suffered a debilitating brain aneurysm. Just two days after a fabulous dinner party, she was in intensive care with a ghastly post-surgery suture and swollen black eye the size of my fist. Her long blonde hair was in a lopsided do--half-shaved, and the other half in a gnarled, matted mess against the pillow. We spoke in hushed voices while a battery of equipment beeped softly in the background, and prayed the predicted seizures would never come. Six weeks in ICU plus two weeks in the hospital, were followed by months of recovery at home. (Related post is here.)

Suddenly, my worries seemed so very trite.

Still in my cartoon phase, I took a cue from Frosty the Snowman and put one foot in front of the other….


Looking back on 2009, I can honestly say it was the best year of my life--the good, bad and seriously depressing…I wouldn’t change a thing.

When I finally jumped off the pity party train, it was astonishing to see what happened. Beginning in the spring, I dove head first into a number of projects and continued that frantic pace well into the winter. (In hindsight, it’s clear I was trying to reclaim my wounded ego.)

I had a powerful yearning for community…and that became a central theme in 2009. In a town known for the legendary “Seattle freeze,” could I really make a difference? The idea began to build momentum. What began as dinner here and there, eventually mushroomed into the first International Food Blogger Conference, a documentary screening & panel discussion, speaker events, and a 90-person communal potluck!

While my plans are uncertain for the new year, if 2009 is any indication…brace yourself! It’s going to be a wild ride!



Life’s a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it
you can. - Danny Kaye




Traca’s 2009 highlights:


– Dinner for New Orleans Chef John Besh, organizer

- Americana Community Potluck, organizer

– Artisan Beef Institute’s Seattle Tasting Series, organizer

– International Food Blogger Conference, co-founder

– Fearless Writing Workshop (San Diego, CA), attendee

– End of the Line exclusive Seattle screening & panel discussion, organizer

– Lunch with Michael Escoffier (August’s grandson), hosted by Sur La Table owner Renee Behnke

- Outstanding in the Field Dinner prepared by chefs of SPUR, attendee

- Artisan Butcher field trip for chefs, organizer

- Umami field trips (rhubarb & strawberry) with Jon Rowley & Kate McDermott

- Herbfarm Restaurant farm visit & dinner

– Ventana Restaurant, consultant and opening PR

– Canning Across America Project, founding member

– 3-day Northwest Sustainability Discovery Tour (Portland, OR), attendee

- Named a “Foodie to Follow on Twitter” - Seattle Magazine

– FoodSnap: Food Photography workshop with Lou Manna, attendee

– Coffee Fest, attendee

– Photographer Scott Bourne’s lecture on Previsualization, organizer

– American Lamb Board’s Lamb Jam, judge

- Interview with Momofuku’s David Chang

- Dubbed “Food Guru” - Edible Seattle

- Interview with Will Write for Food author Dianne Jacob

– Culinary Institute of America’s World of Flavor Conference – Street Food & Comfort Food (Napa, CA), attendee

- Lunch with Saveur co-founder Dorothy Kailins

– Taste TV’s Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon, judge (2008, 2009)

- Cooking demo, Queen Anne Farmer’s Market (my first!)

– Theo Chocolate’s 3-part Chocolate University, attendee

- Coffee from the Grounds Up, 9-part lecture on coffee, attendee

- Chef’s Collaborative Summit, attendee

– Lunch with author & New York Times columnist Mark Bittman

- New blog series: Books that Paved the Way

- Serious Eats, photo credit

- Travel & Leisure, photo credit

– Tasty Awards, judge

- Food News Journal, Best of the Blogs [December 18, 2009]

A Moment with John T Edge

On my list of lifetime goals, an invitation to the prestigious Worlds of Flavor Conference figured prominently…and at long last, I was on my way.

Weeks before the conference, I studied the speaker lineup. The list read like a proverbial who’s who of chefs, writers, and anthropologists. Among the culinary luminaries, I was particularly interested in one person: John T Edge.

John T ranks high among my favorite writers and I’ve been collecting his work for years. His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Saveur, Southern Living, The Oxford American and he currently writes a monthly column for the New York Times called “United Tastes.” In 2009, he was inducted in the James Beard Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America.

John T is also director of the Southern Foodway Alliance where the demand for their annual Southern Foodways Symposium is so high, spots have been awarded by lottery. (I have it on good authority that begging for admission will get you nowhere….)

My admiration for John T goes beyond anything I can properly express. His writing is like a well-seasoned cast iron pan, richly layered in both past and present, reverent with a sense of place.

At the Worlds of Flavor Conference, I worked up the nerve to say hello…and stifled a hint of Beatle mania-style giddiness whenever he walked by. While there were several near misses, eventually I gave up…and succumbed to a rare bout of shyness.

On the final day, I was standing in the back of the room, listening to a particularly moving speech by Jessica Harris. As her speech concluded, I wiped sentimental tears from my eyes. John T suddenly appeared next to me and said, “Did I miss it?”

A moment later…he was gone.
---

John T Edge at Watershed Best [Photo credit: Yvonne Boyd]

For this fourth installment of Books that Paved the Way, I reached out to John T by e-mail, holding my breath while I hit “send.” His gracious response left no doubt that my respect and admiration was well-founded.

John T's Most Influential Books:

White Trash Cooking by Ernest Matthew Mickler --

At first glance it's a campy sendup of working class white folk cookery. But look closer and you'll see the influence of Agee and Evans and their masterwork Let Us Now Praise Famous Men.

Smokestack Lightning by Lolis Eric Elie --

A history of barbecue in America, masquerading as a road trip. Smart and well-observed, this catalog of essays and photographs shines a bright light on unheralded pitmasters across the South and beyond.

Gumbo Tales by Sara Roahen --

We all love the city of New Orleans. We all want to be situational New Orleanians, with easy access to fat oysters and fatter po-boys. Roahen is the outlander with whom you can identify, the nose beneath the gumbo curtain.

Southern Food: At Home, On the Road, and in History by John Egerton --

The reigning tome in the category. Elegantly written, generous and inclusive, and cognizant of how race and class define what we eat and with whom we eat, Egerton's book remains relevant as it closes in on the quarter-century mark.

American Fried by Calvin Trillin --

He started out exploring race and various American dilemmas. Trillin has continued that tack, while writing some of the best prose on any damn subject. Along the way, he's made brief detours into the world of food. American Fried, from the 1970s, was his first collection of food writing. It's a brilliant hymn to local eats and local people, with prose that still leaps off the page today. (In his most recent piece for the New Yorker, Trillin wrote of poutine, and managed to craft a paragraph that referenced both cheese curds and teenage circumcision.) In other words, the man is a gimlet-eyed genius.