Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Well, Yowza! I’ve Joined the Online Coupon World


There’s a deal  going on for small business owners. And it’s aimed at getting your brand well-known in virtual couponing circles. Yowza!!, a location-based mobile coupon app, joined in on the second annual Small Business Saturday® on November 26, 2011. Yowza!! is supporting the Small Business Saturday Coalition by offering two free monthsof service followed by a 50 percent discounted monthly rate to the first 15,000 merchants who join by Nov. 26, 2011



The American Express Small Business Saturday promotion gives participating merchants two months of free Yowza service and discounts its normal $89 monthly fee by 50% off for 2012, so the monthly fee would be $44.50. As David Teichner, CEO, Yowza!!  noted that  a full year with Yowza is about what a retailer would pay for a traditional print coupon promotion with one of the coupon services.

“Coupons have always been a sales driver for small businesses, and mobile coupons have proven to be 10 times more effective than traditional coupons. With Yowza!!, merchants can post offers in seconds and reach consumers when they are on the go and looking to spend money,” said David. “We really designed the app for small independent businesses to bring couponing to them in an affordable manner. We focus on total simplicity. Our target is someone who is really busy, has the phone with them, they use it to shop and they want to save money. They can take the radius up to 50 miles they swipe it and up to 3 offers come up. It’s easy for the retailer. It was built with the small business owner in mind.”

Some other advantages to the platform is that users can save their favorite stores and opt-in if they are willing to receive more offers from their favorites. So each time I go in to change my offers those fans will be notified of my new deals. 

“So it’s a nice tap on the shoulder saying they have a special offer coming up,” David remarked. “It’s really, really specific to the business. What we try to encourage people to do is get them to offer anything that someone can use at any point in time.  This way  consumers use the app as an every day coupon and merchants don’t have  that pressure that to give something huge away to make the time limited offer worthwhile.”

David told me it was so simple even technically challenged merchants can use it. I was going to really challenge them and have my chef-husband sign us up. But instead, I gave him a break and took the challenge myself.

Now, I am not a novice to the online world, but I do have my shortcomings when it comes to learning new technologies. But the platform David described to me sounded like a good fit for our loyal customer base so I decided to give it a whirl.

Okay, signing up was easy. We’ll keep you posted on the process and the response once the deals start posting!

Get Your Small Business Saturday BUZZZZ

First there was Black Friday, then Cyber Monday. Now, there's the 2nd annual Small Business Saturday, the day people support small businesses. Pledge to Shop SmallSM on Nov 26th. If millions of Americans shop small, it will be huge. 
 
If you are a shopper...support your local businesses by getting involved. https://sync.americanexpress.com/sbs2011
 
American Express wants to help you make a difference. Get a one-time $25 statement credit when you register an eligible American Express® Card and use that Card for a purchase of $25 or more at a small business on November 26th. Registration is limited. Terms and Conditions apply. 
 
If you are a merchant, be sure to check out all the tools American Express offers and get the word out!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Farm to Fork

We're focused on Farm to Fork here in North Georgia. We'll be out this afternoon harvesting greens for restaurant service tonight. There is definitely a chill in the air and with all the winds of late, our blankets were blown off the bok choy last night just in time for a cold frosty morning.

Our own work in the gardens reminds us of how much effort goes into building a sustainable, safe and fresh food source in this country. Every community and individual should be focusing on how to better supply for its citizens, neighbors and family.

Today I came across a fun site that let's consumers talk to local farmers and see what's going on, learn more about how to grow their own food, or simply check out some fun recipes. FarmFlavor.com is a fun, easy-to-navigate site packed with information. And this month they've released Let's Talk Turkey, a Digital Guide to Thanksgiving.

The e-book features recipes for baked and roasted turkey, as well as recipes for dishes made with leftover turkey. Readers will also find preparation tips and techniques; the e-book even includes a comprehensive guide to frying turkey including instructions and safety information.

Let’s Talk Turkey is stuffed with turkey trivia, such as the answer to why commercial turkeys’ feathers are white. The e-book also takes a look at the business side of Thanksgiving with a profile of Kauffman Turkey Farms, one of the last independent family-owned farms in the nation.

Check it out and give thanks this Thanksgiving for the folks who work hard to put food on our tables.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Virgina Willis' Brilliant New Cookbook

Basic to Brilliant, Y’all
150 Refined Southern Recipes and Ways to Dress Them Up for Company

It was a delight to pick up the newest cookbook from Virginia Willis. A newly appointed Southern Girl myself, Willis’ mix of great messaging about sustainable, realistic eating and cooking is fabulous. She debunks marketing messages about what to shop for, fresh farm eggs, free-range chickens and more. Willis provides interesting anecdotes, such as composting stories from her days as kitchen director for Martha Stewart Living Television.

She writes, “I was responsible for ensuring we composted for the garden, recycled and saved any bits appropriate for chicken feed, resulting in very little trash. (Martha taking a cure from simple country living, has been defining green for decades.) Once a rubber band was found in the feed, and I held my breath for a few days, hoping none of the flock fell to foul, not fowl play.”

Willis’ no nonsense conversational writing makes the cookbook a great bedside read, with the added bonus of having a creative style of approaching recipes. Featuring150 recipes that combine Southern flavors with time-honored French technique, Willis includes a sophisticated variation that kicks each dish up a notch to make it ‘brilliant.’ So the reader ends up with an additional 150 dual recipes: a soul-satisfying basic recipe accompanied by a technique, garnish, additional step, or short recipe that transforms a wonderful dish into a show stopper.

My favorite recipes I tossed up from my own chicken’s supply and arugula from our Georgia gardens is her rendition of Arugula with Country Ham and Pecans. I stepped it up a notch to Brilliant by making my own version of lardon with guanciale I brought home from a quick visit to Eataly in New York City this month.

And I am looking forward to testing out her Warm Summer Shrimp Salad next summer with our garden’s heirloom tomato varieties. And speaking of heirloom, I love that Willis just provides simple explanations to readers being bombarded with today’s marketers trying to sway them to make purchases with works like artisan, heirloom, heritage and hormone-free.

You'll love this book. And it will make a great gift this holiday season. Or better yet, see if you can get to one of Virginia's cooking school classes. For Atlanta natives, are several classes this fall at several Cook's Warehouse locations. Check it out.

If you're local to the mountains, we're sure gonna give it a try to get here cooking here at The Farm next year when we've got the cooking school built out!

For more information, please visit www.virginiawillis.com

Here's a recipe for you....made with beautiful fresh Georgia trout that we also serve up at Harvest on Main fresh from our local waters.

Pan-Seared Georgia Trout
Serves 4
1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for the baking sheet
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 cup plain or whole-wheat fresh or panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (6- to 8-ounce) skin-on trout fillets
Lemon wedges, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with canola oil and place in the oven to warm. Combine the pecans, breadcrumbs, and parsley in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Season with salt and pepper. Press the flesh side of each fillet into the pecan mixture. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place 2 trout in the pan, crust side down, and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and cook until fish is opaque in the center and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the trout to the prepared baking sheet, crust side up. Place the baking sheet in the oven. Repeat the process with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the remaining 
2 trout fillets. Transfer to warmed serving plates and serve immediately, garnished with the lemon.

Brilliant: Short Recipe
Pecan Brown Butter
Basic panfried trout is elevated to Brilliant when dressed with Pecan Brown Butter.
Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels. Add 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter and melt over medium heat. Allow the butter to foam and turn medium brown, swirling the pan occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat, add the finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 cup chopped pecans, and 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley; season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the trout, crust side up, on warmed serving plates. Drizzle with the pecan butter. Serve immediately.






Photo credit: Helene Dujardin © 2011


To purchase, visit  Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Powells.com, or IndieBound.org.
“Reprinted with permission from Basic to Brilliant, Y’all: 150 Refined Southern Recipes and Ways to Dress Them Up for Company by Virginia Willis, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.”




Friday, August 12, 2011

A Bird's-Eye, Retailer View


Here's a note I received a few weeks ago from my Left-Coast Pal Laura Havlek from Sign of the Bear in Sonoma. We caught up in Atlanta in mid-August both checking out what was new at AmericasMart. Now, the Havlek's are traveling Europe with their boys while my husband is finally headed to Napa with plans to check out their store...while of course cooking at Cakebread's 25th American Harvest .....Oh Sugar.....


Oh, Sugar...
There is no better education for anyone in retail than a trip to AmericasMart. Besides, it's such fun. I get up every morning with that sense of joy and anticipation that marked Christmases of my youth, eager and wondering what amazing things I will discover that day. Consistently, I come away with a renewed delight in and depth of knowledge about cookware, books, interiors, and tabletop; with all the fun and excitement of what's new, from great new companies and longstanding friends' companies, and able to filter and buy well for fall...

Fresh, lively colors and a sense of fun continue to drive the season, from Dr. Seuss' aprons to. And from the Zoku QuickPop to Le Creuset's fresh fennel. We continue to see color, texture, and authenticity as driving forces in successful visual merchandising...and Atlanta's exhibitors consistently set the standard for visual inspiration. From silverware candelabra to giant laser etched spatulas to fall's lovely crop of linens, ceramics, and cooks' tools, it's a time to celebrate innovation and a sense of fun.  Every show, we return from AmericasMart fired up with great new display ideas, cell phones full of pictures for visual inspiration, bags full of catalogs, having ordered dozens of new products, and all jazzed up just from the joy of working with so many friends.
Life has few finer moments than the joy of watching friends succeed and evolve, and there's something remarkable about the sheer grit that goes into every new company... watching that wingspan unfurl is just magical.

And as is so often the case, some of the lessons I get are not the ones I thought but they are so the ones I needed. Walking with a longstanding friend, on the escalators, the hem of my slacks caught, and I fought for propriety "Oh, Shhhhhhhhh.... " ; and she so nicely finished for me, "here in the South, we sometimes say, 'Oh, Shhugar...' "
And the market AmericasMart has that quality of delightful, soft-pedaled humor, and education..

Thank you Atlanta 

Sunday, July 31, 2011

We are growing a Culinary Culture in the Mountains!

Literally! http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Farm-An-Appalachian-Sustainable-Life?a=212933&i=addr

Betty & Boop...and the rest of my Clutch

Man oh man oh man…I believe that should have a hyphen. Whatever. The past four hours I have been speaking about the diction of the south. Speaking with a good friend, which I might add, I had no idea had the collegiate background she went on to explain.

I mean, aside from veterinarian school, she actually studied southern diction. She would laugh at me now when I say she has certainly mastered the North Georgia dialect. In fact, there are too many times I have to ask her to repeat the response or the question because…well because I am (dare I say it) …a Yankee.

But I feel like such a Southern girl.

And it is all Betty’s fault.

Betty taught me to say “darlin’ early in the morning as a greeting…or actually even late in the afternoon. Betty learned me in the skills of the south – to ask one how the other is – no matter the time of day – and to patiently wait for a response.

Betty taught me to wait patiently to have my tail-feathers rubbed.

And to always pay attention to what might be coming in the next bucket while still certainly enjoying what you are being treated to at the moment.

Betty taught me how to run with wild abandon – disregarding how silly or chubby I might look.

Betty taught me how to love every moment in a day…and to celebrate a slightly old tomato and a nearly overripe cucumber. And to cheer with reckless abandon when I receive the gift of an egg (or three) from my clutch of girls.

All of these things are worth celebrating.

And I learned all these lessons from my adoring chicken Betty – one of 32 chickens – but the only one with the heart and soul of her (newly) Southern Momma.


Betty and pal Boop checking out the compost pile at The Farm...

Sunday, July 10, 2011

The Food Ark

Our friend Stephen arrived from Bonita Springs this week - armed with a National Geographic for me with a feature called the Food Ark on heritage seeds and breeds. His inspiration for toting the article came to him after I had asked him to pick up a couple of geese for me on his drive up from Florida. Frankly I was surprised when he said yes, then I learned why when I contacted him with the pickup information.

I texted him the address, adding that I could meet him in Atlanta to pick up the geese since he planned to stop at his sisters for the night.

His text came back..."Wait a second...are these processed geese or livestock?"

My response was simply, "Livestock, of course, some heritage Cotton Patch goslings I have been searching out."

He quickly replied, "You must be crazy. Not in my car. I thought it was foie gras."

And there you have it. I was treated only to the arrival of the National Geographic article and a bewildered friend who simply laughed when he met me at our little one-acre downtown "farm" and culinary center where I was playing with my chickens.

His only reaction was, "What happened to you?"

Anyway, back to the article. It's not about heritage geese or chickens, but it all relates. And oddly enough it truly supports the mission I have found myself focused on, which is preserving the Appalachian and southern Agri-CULTURAL aspects of the area where we live, work and plan to retire.

The National Geographic article is about the impending food crisis we face if the world does not start to take note and focus on local production and harvesting. One of the blessings I have had in my life is moving to the mountains and becoming so focused on the production of food - it was a strange and fast evolution. While I have always adored food - and the gourmet, specialty world is my journalistic training - not many of my friends or family would have imagined me digging in the dirt for potatoes or experiencing giddy pride of hatching 10 of 11 orphaned chicken eggs found on our property.

But what happened was a strange life-altering shift in priorities for me when we moved to the Blue Ridge mountains. First of all, I figured everyone up here grew their own produce and kept chickens and livestock and there would be a wealth of farms for us to gather product from for our restaurant. I imagined a staff of - perhaps not culinary world focused folks - but people who knew real ingredients that Danny could pass on his culinary genius to and simply drift off into a world of fabulous ingredients and simple living.

Alas, one of the first young women we had in the kitchen with a few years of culinary experience who "ran" a kitchen for another local restaurant, well she could not find an eggplant when sent to the walk-in to retrieve it...because she did not know what an eggplant looked like. And that is where the journey began....more to come!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Pressure Cooker Madness

It would seem that the rest of the country is catching up with what we've always known in the South. In fact, our pressure cooker at the restaurant is always front and center - whether to prepare some short ribs or prepare for canning....http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/trends/trends-features/the-pressure-cooker-makes-a-comeback/article2087679/

It's about time the rest of the country caught up with this old world innovation!

Friday, June 17, 2011

The Farm

This is our project in Blue Ridge, Georgia. There are projects similar to these across the country that can be supported by us all. More to come!
http://andecookvideo.blogspot.com/2011/06/farm.html

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Small Strategies

Recent news reports spotlight what specialty independents have known for years – smallscale formats, great service and thoughtful selection of retail products are a winning combination.

The Wall Street Journal penned an article just as the International Home + Housewares Show was opening in March 2011, discussing the shrinking big-box store. From Sears Holdings Corp. to Home Depot to Best Buy, the big guys are looking to smaller footprints for new locations and even going as far as leasing out space in their stores to other retailers. Case in point: Sears’ deal with Whole Foods Market, Inc. for a 34,000-square-foot grocery store in Greensboro, N.C. Sears will operate the remainder of space in the store. So, as the retail landscape continues to change, specialty independents will continue to grow and mature with new technologies, new forms of communication and tried-and-true service.

The palpable energy of these retailers at the IH+HS was contagious. We were honored to be part of Housewares Training & Information Group’s first annual One Voice educational program prior to the show. The dedication and focus of these retailers to continually strive for improvement and share ideas with one another is what makes this segment of the marketplace so strong. Closing out the show, I was lucky to gather with a select group of Gourmet Catalog members and listen to their summary of the show – sharing product finds, show specials and helping each other sort through vendor-retailer communication issues.

Our next issue of Gourmet Business is coming next week...so stay tuned or sign up to receive our publication every month and stay tuned to the wildly delicious world of the hottest trends in specialty food and housewares.

Cheers!
Michelle Moran
Executive Editor, Gourmet Business
mmoran@gourmetbusiness.com

Great new site tells a sweet story

Just out, a hands-on exploratory site TheStoryofChocolate.com <http://www.thestoryofchocolate.com/>  imparts the unique and delicious story of chocolate; created and released by the National Confectioners Association's (NCA) Chocolate Council. The all-new site unwraps the sweet story of chocolate, including a look at its natural origins and history, its connection to cocoa communities and its healthful properties.

The Story of Chocolate is a first-of-its-kind site, including interactive videos, picture galleries and fun-fact libraries compiled from chocolate and cocoa experts, cacao farmers, boutique chocolatiers and even large manufacturers from around the world.

"The site celebrates chocolate and allows visitors to explore the full life cycle of chocolate's journey, beginning with its humble, natural origins from pods grown onfruit trees in the tropics, in order to build a better understanding of this unique food," said Larry Graham, President of NCA.

To tell the complex story of chocolate, the site offers videos direct from cacao farmers in the field, updates on sustainable methods practiced around the world and even an informative video-short on the ingredients that make up chocolate hosted by Jacques Torres of Jacques Torres Chocolates, NY.

Visitors can also take a taste of the site to friends and family by using the step-by-step tips for hosting a chocolate tasting and experiencing the nuances of white, milk and dark chocolate. 

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

A Day in the Garden

What a beautiful day outside - we're working hard on the new gardens and culinary center downtown in Blue Ridge, Georgia. And what a delight to come in for a break and discover our friend Mary Moore from Cook's Warehouse in Atlanta is featured on CNN!

Congratulations Mary!

Southern Flavors, The Quest for Great-Grandmother's Pimento Cheese



I grew up in Connecticut, but apparently have been a Southern girl at heart since birth. I love everything about the South – from the southern belle charm to the redneck in a pickup truck – all the stereotypical images we Yankees have of this foreign land are a lullaby to me. And living here in the North Georgia Mountains is a dream.

There are very few Southern belles here – most of the women I’ve met who have lived out their lives here still live off the land in one form or another – hunting, fishing and growing their sustenance. It is this heritage of self-sufficiency that thrills me most. It is my aspiration. The simple – back to basics – southern Appalachian life tickles me, allowing me to wake each day to new adventures.

The simplicity of the region can be summed up in its food as well. From the preserved and pickled produce packed in mason jars that weave a colorful history in kitchen cupboards throughout the south to family recipes passed down from generation to generation...recipes for chow chow, deer meat [don’t be calling it venison ‘round here], squirrel stew, or home-brewed fruit wines - there are offerings here that no one up north or out west have ever heard of.

But one southern staple has found its way to high-end restaurant menus across the country – and that’s Pimento Cheese. We serve it at our own restaurant – Danny’s interpretation of the delightfully pedestrian spread served up with pickles and crackers.

And now, it would appear that I am on a mission to find out other home-born recipes for the common southern cheese spread. Personally, I never heard of pimento cheese with in my Yankee, Protestant upbringing. Port wine cheese spread yes, but never anything the likes of this.

I’ve come to understand that the basic recipe has few ingredients: sharp cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos, salt and pepper, blended to either a smooth or chunky paste. But that’s where the basics end. Everyone has their own little secret add-in from cream cheese, Velveeta cheese, Louisiana-style hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, paprika, jalapeños, onions, garlic, and dill pickles

Friends tell me they grew up eating pimento cheese sandwiches served up on squishy-soft white bread. Now it’s served up in restaurants topped on burgers, mixed into grilled cheese sandwiches or as a condiment on appetizer plates.

I’ve been sampling restaurant variations every chance I get on roadtrips through Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia. It’s one of those quests – along with great barbecue – that has captured my soul these days.

But I would love to get some classic southern pimento cheese recipes passed down from generation to generation to get a better understanding of its roots and its regional variations. Anyone have their own recipe to share?

Monday, February 7, 2011

Travelogue: Israel

Let’s start with a few words of importance … about me! As the son of a hippy/show artist mom and veterinarian dad, sibling of a fashion designer sister and musician/producer brother, I know something about art; or if that is a stretch, let’s say “collage.” As a Jewish hunter/fisherman; classically trained chef in England, Italy and France, in kitchens the likes of La Coupole, Paris, and Moulin de Mougins, Cannes; and chef of my own restaurants – from New Hope, Pa., to Captiva Island, Fla. to the mountains of Blue Ridge, Ga., – for the past 29 years, I also know about flavors. Maybe it’s taste combinations I understand; all I know from my “melting pot” culinary experience is that I have nothing on Israel!

This tiny piece of sand, rock, grass and sun is landlocked by Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Egypt on three sides and the Mediterranean Sea on the fourth. This country, encompassing 8100 square miles, is roughly the size of Massachusetts. It just celebrated its 60th birthday this year (the United States is almost four times that old) and yet it is totally self-sufficient. Its cuisine is as striking and bold as the Israelis themselves (we all know about the army and Mossad, obviously).

My first trip to Israel was this past spring, and surely it won’t be my last! It is like a culinary wonderland. It’s true that everything had to be planted, it is not an ancient Garden of Eden to be sure, not a lot of wild fruits growing on the roadside or the wonderful pearl-size wild strawberries you may find in Provence or Sicily, but what an agricultural monument this state is. Everything you eat comes from here: oranges, figs, pineapples, mangoes, loquats, coconuts, every nut, herb, seed pepper, if you know it, you can find it here. The Mediterranean is also awash with tasty crustaceans, bivalves and a myriad of fish, such as John Dory, dorade, sea bass and sardines. The clear, clean waters of the Sea of Galilee, actually a giant freshwater lake, are as abundant with non-salt-loving species. The Galilee is also home to some of the first and most successful commercial aquaculture ventures started in the ’40s, producing trout, salmon, tilapia, herring and others.

Now that my introduction has become my story, we might as well jump into the whole “pot.” To my surprise, not being a historian, geographer or culinary genealogist, such as Mario Batali (who by the way used to eat in my restaurants and is a human culinary Bible), I literally knew nothing of this amazing land. Like many friends who question my travel to the “homeland,” fears of bombings and terrorists in their heads, I had visualized a vast sandscape, torrid winds, scorpions, a place that begs the question: Why would anyone fight over this speck of earth? Obviously, I found different. It is true the general architecture doesn’t add much to the cityscape of Tel Aviv: crumbling not-so-old buildings, lots of barbed wire and very nondescript high-rises and beachside hotels, looking like so many concrete boxes. There is an odd smell in the air … of the sea, roasting vegetables and the tinge of fresh tar, it seems this land is constantly under construction.

But for a land so new, it is very old. Every step you take, fresh laundry blowing in the wind, cobbled streets, market stalls, street vendors and the Muslim calls for prayer remind you of your location. Everything here is a mix, a medley of foods, dress, cultures, colors of skin, a true melting pot of humanity. To my surprise, Tel Aviv, our home base for the trip, is a very homogenous society, at least on the outside. A quick jaunt around town, stroll on the beachside promenade, taxi ride or amble through the numerous day markets, selling and trading everything from new “LV” handbags to preserved lemon and fresh couscous, one would not discern the everyday strife surrounding this place. Expectations were of yarmulke and rabbis, hijabs and veiled eyes, and machine guns; what I found was shawarma and borscht; kibbeh and falafel and  Monet’s palette – a speckled, sparkling array of colors, fruits and vegetables of every shape and size. Drab green and purple artichoke to emerald green lithe pea tendrils. Citrus glows of every hue from brilliant yellow to ruby orange. Dried beans, spices, herbs and rice varieties from around the world fill hand-woven cane baskets. Israel’s borders are all closed but that of the sea, where warships intermittently block the glow of the sunset on the horizon. And yet it is all here. People from every walk of life, mostly Israeli (Jews and Arabs), but don’t forget the daily immigration of Jews from France, Spain and Russia. Unlike my current home of Florida, which is an expanding culinary center due to my own and other chefs’ interests, Israel has an influence that comes from constant struggle and immigration. Those coming and those already here will not relinquish any of their heritages, which just continue to bolster the ever-growing cuisine. I did not notice a strong sense of trends here, nouvelle, gastro-pub, pan-Asian, organic, “deconstructionism” – just a strong sense of flavor and multitude of available product.

Nurtured by the mission of Ben-Gurion, the Israeli self-sufficiency manifesto developed a green, growing, sustainable country. The fruit and fields are constantly rotated to help with regrowth and lack of water; the chicken produce the most delicious, almost golden umber egg yolks; the cows, goats and sheep produce incredibly rich milk from pastured, naturally ranging and feeding animals that certainly rival that of Europe and King Island, Tasmania (we’ll get to that exploration later). Yogurts, very thick, white and rich, not that thin, blue-tinged, skimmed stuff of the States. And beef also of top quality, marbling and flavor.


I won’t dispute the fact that produce eaten at or near its place of origin doesn’t somehow taste better, it does! Fresh olives, an assortment of goat cheese ranging in age from three days to eight months, rolled in ash, almost liquid inside, and fresh-baked bread, eaten in the same pasture as the goats that provide the milk (and the amusement) is incredible. But what I have come to know of as pita, halva, couscous, shawarma (gyro) and any other “Israeli” food or product have been poor imposters to say the least. We expect matzo balls and chopped liver, neither of which did I see or eat in a two-week stay. You see lahukh, a large, fluffy Yemenite grilled bread, or laffa, a large soft flat bread, like a giant tortilla, lightly browned pita, very soft, filled with anything from chocolate or ice cream for kids, to lobster falafel in “high-heeled” restaurants. Shawarma – sliced, marinated leg of lamb, chicken thighs or turkey legs, heavily seasoned, skewered and slowly vertically grilled on a gas flame, then shaved on fresh pita with an array of fresh condiments, that may include French fries, cucumbers, red cabbage, hummus, various pickles, zhug (like harissa, hot pepper sauce) preserved mango puree, a Syrian favorite – and the list goes on. Can you really compare that to the gray, scrapple-like mass we see in the States for shawarma or gyro? Don’t get me wrong; growing up in Philly, scrapple is a personal favorite, and one of the four food groups, along with cheese steaks, Tastee Cakes and Wise potato chips.

In the most casual of restaurants, a diner is inundated with a display of “salads” ranging from pickled beets, chickpeas salad, hummus, grated radish with lemon, tabbouleh, olives, like the sidebar for shawarma or falafel, the salads, which are generally gratis with a meal, run the gamut. I think if you ate at markets, stalls, from casual family restaurants to the nicest hotel establishments, you’d find everything in these “sides,” including langoustine ceviches, fresh grape leaf rolled truffles, seared foie gras, brandied currants and silan (date honey). Along with other things, Israel is one of the world’s top producers of foie gras, “Goose Gold.”

The clean flavors and tastes of the dishes of the “everyday” make a smooth transition to restaurant fare: figs and dates stuffed with goat cheese and sprinkled with silan and fresh toasted cinnamon bark; a slaw of shaved fennel, lime-green pistachios and extra virgin olive oil; tabbouleh with its green parsley contrasted by the translucent ruby hues of fresh pomegranate seeds; or fresh bourekas (a favorite local pastry, made of fresh phyllo sheets or multilayered, 98 percent butter puff pastry), filled with everything from golden thistle honey-soaked poppy seeds to fresh goat cheese, lamb and hyssop – all these and more fill the air and eyes with visions of Paris or the Riviera, and you haven’t left the Carmel Street Market yet!



 We headed for the Golan on Tuesday – yes, all of this has only been two days, my senses are already overloaded. As we drive away from the sea, out of the L.A.-like traffic and cement surroundings, the sidewalks become fields, orchards and groves. Giant date and coconut trees line the roads; as we pass olive trees, donkeys and more block box houses, we see the mountains ahead. We pass hillside towns, sparsely populated, with many homes in disrepair or semi-built, it becomes hard to tell, though when you see the city center, a mosque, you know it is an Arab village. There are all religions here, but the major break is Jews and Muslims, not Arab and Israeli. We visited many kfars (villages) and towns where people seem to coexist easily; I tried not to read anything into my trip that wasn’t clearly evident. In Nazareth (remember Mary and Joseph?), we made our way through narrow streets, constant honking of horns, to a little open storefront: the home of Mahroum, the phyllo, halva, candy king. A family business, kosher, that is well-known across the Middle East, with produce shipped around the world as private-label “Religious Sweets.”

Aside from being offered the sweetest of sweet baklava and the blackest of night, “strong like ox” coffee, we witness the making of fresh phyllo – you know that multilayered paper stuff we buy in the freezer section next to “Hungry Man” dinners. This seemingly impossible production is done by hand, in a matter of minutes, with a flour-water mixture. In a land where they honk before the light turns green and I got pushed into my plane seat by a four-foot-tall white-haired Bubbie-type woman rushing to get off, the food process is never rushed. Rolled by hand on a 3-feet-by-8-feet stainless steel table, with excessive cornstarch. My guess was a 10-pound ball of fresh snow-white dough is rolled out then folded, then rolled again, then folded, repeating the process until the dough consists of 16 see-through layers covering the table. Many candies, jellies (Turkish delight) and nut confections are also produced here.

The rich, earthy smell of toasted nuts – pistachios, almonds, sesame, Brazil nut – all held together with the help of molten lava-like caramelized sugar. And that crazy, angel-hair mass known as katafi (kadaif), shredded phyllo, is made on a one-of-a-kind rotating griddle that dispenses multiple rows of pancake-like batter and scrapes it off the same hot surface at the end of its round. A short, dark man collects the fine bunches of cooked pastry, like so many strands of a horse’s mane in a bareback rider’s grasp. All operations seemed to be carried out with ease. The operations were open to the air, but clean, and the ever-vigilant eye of the Mashgiach (rabbinical/kosher supervisor on premises) ensures quality and adherance to Kashrut law.

After our sweet stop, we continued out travels to the Golan, a central area for agriculture, dairy production, honey and wine. This industry was carried out by the kibbutzim, communities living truly communally, with shared living, dining, work and child-rearing. Many kibbutz have gone the way of the dollar. Manufacturing and the technological world have drawn the young to the cities, and the original inhabitants are now elderly, so much of the life of these mainly “farmers” has been taken over by large corporations, like the dairies of Tenuva, which produce everything from yogurt to goat cheese to great heavy cream. The flavor requirements and general attitudes of production have not changed, though; the products of these megaplex producers still rely on the top-quality resources of the region, and the front office, “big boys upstairs,” seems to keep their environment and customer health in focus. Maybe we could take some lessons from them. Somehow, they have managed to make products healthy and profitable on a grand scale.


The goat cheese snack in the pasture, which I mentioned earlier, took place on a small family-run farm named Barkinet, near the Tenuva Dairy. A husband-wife-son trio operates this small dairy/home farm, 90 percent of which is under open sky. The goats roam the pastures, birth and graze. They are protected by two large dogs that sleep and stay with them constantly, plus a couple of other family dogs, your typical farm inhabitants, one with three legs, one with a cut-off tail, another squinting through a half-closed eye, all of whom stop by for a quick sniff or squat, but return home for a warm snack and shade from the blazing afternoon sun.

On a second trip to the Golan, we drove along the Sea of Galilee, opulent and glistening in the morning sun. Sea gulls and a variety of sea eagles, herons and shore birds call this area home, for its endless supply of easy-to-trap, -pierce and -catch fish. Making our way between and up mountains, we visited Yarden and Golan Heights wineries. Many other top Israeli wineries operate here, not the least of which are Tishbi,  Barkan, and Binyamina. As with the cuisine, the wines produced here are world-class, all in their respective value classes. Creative winemaker flavors and time-tested world varietals that are purely grape-driven. Most of the winemakers and oenologists are either European-trained, UC Davis graduates or both. From citrusy whites to chewy, rich California-style reds and everything in between. Late harvests, late field straw-hued, prism shades of gold and bronze, intensely rich, cloying sweetness with the slightest crack of a bubble to clear the palate, cryogenic ice wines – something for everyone and every food.

 At Golan Heights Winery, younger, less extravagant sibling of well-known Yarden Vineyards, as we look east from the reception balcony, we ask about the big hole and broken trellis in the vineyard below. Victor Schoenfeld, the winemaker, with a big smile and chuckle, quips, “Hezbollah, not great shots.” With some bewilderment, we continue our tour of the winery, taste a very clean fruity Pinot Blanc, a merlot, a Syrah, a blockbuster, fruity, fat, round cherry (the kind us fruit-forward types like, no Bordeaux finesse for me!), a Golan Late Harvest Gewurztraminer successfully masquerading as a Sauternes. As we left the tasting to walk the vineyards northwest, I saw two flags on a hill about 500 yards from us among the vines. I could make out the blue and white of what I figured was the Israeli flag and the other, not 75 yards away, amongst the birds, bees and wild flowers of this gorgeous hillside, was the Lebanese flag.

At this point I realized my location and its proximity to everything bad, as viewed and marketed by the TV and news. I came here as a cook, not a diplomat. All the seeming turmoil gave way to beauty and incredible foods and divergent styles, which somehow, in cuisine, come together. On our return to Tel Aviv, around 10 p.m., we stopped in a semi-upscale, yuppie neighborhood. Getting out of the car, we were blinded by neon, reminiscent of the Wildwood Boardwalk; in fact, the bustling line of kids, businessmen, yuppies and cabbies we stepped into were all clamoring, in the typical Israeli friendly screaming and gesturing style, for one local favorite – sabich. This typical Israeli fusion street food of paper-thin fried eggplant, hummus, tahini, zhug (ground hot peppers), hard-boiled eggs, cabbage, preserved mango and the full complement of salads and sauces, all wrapped in a giant soft bread, probably weighing in at 2 pounds. The craziest thing is David “Dudi” Sasson, a second-generation Sabich maker with a kiosk at 129 Ha’Roeh Street in Ramat Gan. Sasson makes every single sandwich that goes through the window; all his helpers refill, take money and bag up call-in orders. This little stand epitomizes the energy, independence and boldness of Israelis and the melting pot style of their cuisine; this two-handed, paper-wrapped, Middle Eastern burrito brings together the food of at least five countries, most notably Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel.

To many people’s surprise, certainly mine, this is a growing cuisine. And like the Israeli’s constant rush, hyperbolic ego and initiative (according to some of the producers we met, large and small, they invented everything from pita to couscous and katafi, and even ice cream), though I may not believe all these claims, it is this “stick-to-it-iveness” that gets them through and will forever set their culinary mark, with me anyway.

As with all things Jewish, kosher, Middle Eastern and Israeli, these terms are sometimes interchangeable, incorrectly used or thrown into a statement as a show of liberality, but they are all as different as the peoples and cultures that bring together and also divide them. It is an incredible land and a strange dichotomy that has helped develop this little-touted yet infinite cuisine.

Writer's Note: One of our favorite restaurants in Tel Aviv..Manta Ray. Chef is here in Atlanta at Cook's Warehouse! Chef Skinezes will teach two classes at The Cook’s Warehouse Wed., February 9, 7 to 9 p.m. “Israeli Food and Wine Pairing” The Cook’s Warehouse, Decataur, 180 West Ponce de Leon Avenue, Thurs., February 10, 7 to 9 p.m.; “Authentic Israeli Cuisine” The Cook’s Warehouse,, Ansley Mall (404) 815-4993, store phone.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Half-Back

Okay...so if you don't know where Blue Ridge, GA is...we're near the point where Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina connect. It's a charming, Norman Rockwell town for tourists. For long-time residents, it's home. For people who have never been here - it's where they filmed Deliverance. It is a hunter's paradise, a fisherman's dream, a hiker's goal...and more.

There are plenty of us new transplants now in town, and together with long-time residents we're working on developing an economic base that will support and grow the community in a sustainable manner that will benefit all. They call us Florida-folk, Floridiots. I consider myself more fitting of the loosely defined nickname Half-Back, which means I was born a Yankee, moved to Florida and then finally became smart enough to move halfway back to paradise in North Georgia.

It is the true South - filled with soft-spoken southern belles and drawling rednecks - all proud of their ancestral roots. People smile here. God, Country, Family and Guns are all part of every day life. It is a place of Southern literary genius and hard-time country lyrics. Where meat-and-three is a term for a restaurant; pickup trucks come equipped with gun racks; and a sip of the perfect glass of sweet tea requires a side of insulin.

During a recent manicure, my manicurist and I began speaking about the area and how much we love it. We talked about the sustainable community garden project we are developing and the goal of illustrating to visitors and locals alike the bounty of the region, which makes being self-sustainable nearly attainable.

And that's when it happened. Another discussion that simply makes me adore and amaze at this place.

My sweet, petite manicurist told me about her four deer she killed this season. And the fact that she and her family eat mainly chicken and deer. She loved my project concept, talked about Putting Up hundreds of cans from her garden harvest, including Blackberry jam. She talked about the peace and solitude she finds with hunting (she prefers not to hunt with her husband); she shined talking about her 11-year old son who is quite the skilled hunter, getting 4 four deer himself this season, two by bow. She said she was waiting on him to get a couple more squirrel so she could make a mess, fixin' them up with the four already waiting in the freezer.

And while I am not a hunter (but The Chef is) I have such respect for people who truly take hold of the available product around them. In fact, Danny's quipped about squirrel hunting often, saying he's going to whip up a stew one of these days...and while I know he can make miracles out of most everything - I really hope he doesn't tell me until after we're done eating.

Either way I realized, I am not a half-back. I am simply back - where I belong.

So if you're in these parts, look us up. We'll be waiting, ya hear?

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

One of our new favorite things

We discovered this new item at the International Home + Housewares Show preview event in NYC last month. These napkins and placemats come on a roll - similar to the shelf liner rolls. But like magic you snap off biodegradable napkins and placemats and more...so cool! Perfect for picnics, catering events...ahhhh....


Rolldrap
by MyDrap
732-359-7555
www.mydrap.com
An inspirational product, this Barcelona, Spainmade
textile is innovative and smart.After the
decline of the European textile industry in the
early 90’s, industrial textile pioneers at Hostel
Drap created Rolldrap, cotton cloths on a roll
for the hospitality market. Now, its consumer
version is launching in the U.S. MYdrap napkins
and placemats are perforated on a roll for easy
tear-off convenience. Made of 100% cotton fibers,
MYdrap napkins are biodegradable, compostable
and re-usable. Available in 20 different colors,
four patterns and five sizes, MYdrap is designed
to be mixed and matched.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Who are we?

Well, to answer this question. The one typing right now is the Writer. My name is Michelle Moran and I have been a police reporter, political writer, and for the past decade have covered the specialty food and kitchenware market as a business reporter.

More than a decade ago, I dined at a restaurant called The Greenhouse on Captiva Island, Florida. The food amazed me; the chef was inspiring and was gaining national recognition from both food writers and culinary icons (the likes of Julia Child) alike.

Who would have known that years later I'd be partnering with that same chef in both my personal and professional life.

And yet, that is where I find myself today. Partnered with Chef Danny Mellman - celebrating food every day on the plate and with the pen. A year ago we opened Harvest on Main in Blue Ridge, Georgia  - a beautiful little town we happened upon by fate seven years ago. We moved here from Southwest Florida to start the restaurant and now find ourselves deeply involved in a town we adore.

This year's project is the Blue Ridge Agri-Cultural Center. A sustainable farm project in the heart of town with the goal of teaching culinary arts, gardening, beekeeping, landscaping, and more to people of all socio-economic levels. You can see the plans here.

I've also take on the role of Executive Editor at Gourmet Business magazine - an online magazine focused on specialty food and kitchenware. It's an industry that captured my heart over a decade ago and I can't seem to shake it.

So that's who we are...why the blog?

I will work each day to post something about sustainable practices, kitchenware, specialty food, Blue Ridge, living in a small town or simple recipes  - perhaps even travel...who knows? The discussion and focus will evolved over time. Part of it will definitely be about great products that I discover in my role as editor. Great food trends Danny discovers eating and cooking his way through life. And finally discoveries we make building and designing our new community project.

Cheers!