Food Not Bombs ---> this Sunday

Go and get involved at The Buttonwood Tree in Middletown this Sunday, October 24th where the local chapter of "Food Not Bombs" will show up to cook a community meal in the name of peace and for social justice. The event is taking place at the First Church of Christ at 190 Court Street in Middletown, CT. The cooking starts at 11:30 and you are welcome to join in and help prepare the (FREE) healthy vegetarian meal.

A little background on the movement....

"Food Not Bombs is one of the fastest growing revolutionary movements and is gaining momentum throughout the world. Food Not Bombs is not a charity. This energetic grassroots movement is active throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Food Not Bombs is organizing for peace and an end to the occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. For nearly 30 years the movement has worked to end hunger and has supported actions to stop the globalization of the economy, restrictions to the movements of people, end exploitation and the destruction of the earth. The first group was formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1980 by anti-nuclear activists. Food Not Bombs is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to nonviolent social change. Food Not Bombs has no formal leaders and strives to include everyone in its decision making process. Each group recovers food that would otherwise be thrown out and makes fresh hot vegan and vegetarian meals that are served in outside in public spaces to anyone without restriction. Food Not Bombs activists are currently making plans to celebrate our 30th year of cooking for peace. Food is a right, not a privilege." (incomplete article)

And for my readers that are not in CT, you can get involved with local chapters around the country, and around the world. Check out their website for info on the latest events and news of this powerful and unique community movement. Get involved!

Food Not Bombs website: http://www.foodnotbombs.net/

New Haven's Restaurant Week is Back!

     Yep, you read right, one of my favorite events in New Haven is back in full swing for November. I have an interesting factoid that you might want to pull out and impress your dining companions with...New Haven and Hartford both used to be the capital cities of Connecticut, but then as we all know, Hartford won out in the end. Hmmm.
     Anyway, Restaurant Week kicks off November 7th and ends on November 12th. There are going to be 24 restaurants participating this go around, and they are going to offer three course prix fixe meals for lunch and dinner.  The menus are not listed yet, but you can check their facebook page or this website for updates: http://www.specialsinnewhaven.com/new-haven-restaurant-week-fall-2010/. The pricing is going to be $16.38 for lunch, and $29.00 for dinner. Considering the standard prices at some of the participating restaurants, this is a really spectacular deal.
     Some of the restaurants that stand out on the list that I would recommend going to check out are:

BASTA: http://bastatrattoria.com/ (the menu is already up)
ZINC: http://www.zincfood.com/
HEIRLOOM: http://www.studyhotels.com/

Anywhere that you pick on the list of 24 restaurants should be a great experience though. I know that these three are definately on my list. And of course, I'd love to hear all about your experiences at any of the restaurants as well.

Hello to Spaghetti Sponges!!!

I am all over this new product called Spaghetti Sponges! They were created in Japan and you can purchase them for around $8 which I know is a steep price for a sponge, but here's why they are worth the investment.

1) They last for MONTHS!
2) They do not require you to use any liquid soap!
3) They don't rust or have any gross odors because they dry really quickly after use.
4) No bacteria & mold on them, unlike regular sponges.
5) Save money and the environment.
6) They are super cool- made of peach pits and corn!
7) You can use them to peel skin of vegetables! (The Coarse sponge- made of corn)

To save you the time, I have scouted out a few places to purchase these cool spaghetti sponges. They seem to come 2 in a pak, which mades them about $4.50 a sponge. You can go with the original spaghetti sponge made of corn, or go with the gentler spaghetti sponge which is made of peach pits. Personally, I am really excited to try peeling my vegetables with one of them, cause that peeler is a kitchen hazard and I always end up with scraped fingers.

Original Spaghetti Scrub - Coarse Made with Corn Cobs
Use for - General cleaning, removing stains from metal cookware, kettles, sinks, grills, and peeling the skin off of vegetables
Materials -Corn core powder, cotton, polyester

Original Spaghetti Scrub - Gentle Made with Peach Pits
Use for - General cleaning, removing stains from glass, wood, plastic, high quality nonstick pans, & any other surface prone to dull or scratch
Materials - Peach pit powder, cotton, polyester

$8.95 for a pack of two sponges, either type: VAT19
http://www.vat19.com/dvds/the-original-spaghetti-scrubs.cfm

$8.50 for a pack of two sponges, either type:
Uncommon Goods:
http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/spaghetti-scrubbers

And on top of being environmentally responsible, they are just so cool looking! Sorry old sponge, but your replacement is here!

My love affair with "Made in Spain"

     This post was inspired by two people. The first is one of my favorite chef's, Jose Andres who has a show on CPTV called "Made in Spain". The second is my friend Josh who recently mentioned his love of parsley to me, and his inspiration of ripping up his front lawn and replacing it with field of parsley! I love it, of course.
      This made me decide to share with you a simple recipe by Chef Jose utilizing parsley for it's sauce. Also, I highly recommend visiting the website and checking out some of the videos that has been posted of the show. You can also find more of his recipes there, as I am sure after this one, you will be craving more.
"Clams often get a bad rap, because it is so easy to overcook them. The key is to pull the clams out of the pot just as they open in order to keep them juicy and tender."

Yield: Serves 4

1 bunch fresh parsley, stems trimmed
1 teaspoon minced garlic
12-18 little neck clams
2 tablespoons Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces dry white wine

Put the parsley and garlic in a blender. Add ¼ cup of water and puree. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pushing on the puree with the back of a wooden spoon to release all the liquid.
Heat the olive oil in a shallow pot over medium heat. Add the clams and cover the pot. Once the pot begins to steam, carefully remove the lid and pour in the white wine. Cover the pot again and let the wine reduce, about 30 seconds. Uncover the pot often and remove the clams as they open. Set them aside in a serving bowl. Discard any clams that do not open. Once the clams are removed, add the parsley puree to the clam juices in the pot. Stir until well combined, then pour the sauce over the clams and serve immediately.

Chef Jose's passion for simple and fresh food is intoxicating, and he is obviously in love with the ingredients and it shows in his meals. I only wish that I had a chance to get down to DC to visit one of his restaurants. Foodie roadtrip perhaps???

What the heck is a foodie anyway??

      "A foodie is someone who has a deep interest in food. In addition to being interested in food itself, foodies are also interested in the back story: the history, production, science, and industry of food. As a general rule, foodies are amateurs, rather than professionals working in some aspect of the food industry, and many of them are self-taught. You may also hear the terms “epicure” and “gourmet” used to describe a foodie. Many people have a personal preference for which term to use, with some people reserving “epicure” for people who are very fastidious, and “gourmet” for food professionals. Others find “foodie” derogatory, believing that it is too flip to describe their interest in food. Foodies love food, obviously, and they are usually interested in exploring a wide range of tastes, flavors, and textures. Many of them try to be as knowledgeable as possible about the foods they eat, sometimes even traveling to an area of food production to see how their food is produced. Many foodies study specific aspects of flavor and eating, like wine and food pairings, or the impact that environment has on flavor, with a focus on eating the best-tasting food possible.

     Many foodies are also interested in the personalities in the food industry, such as food writers and notable chefs. They may also be intrigued by food science, learning more about how food performs in the kitchen and why certain flavors and textures appear when they do. Scientific approaches to food and cooking have led to a slew of cookbooks which explain the science behind various steps in a recipe, rather than just giving cooks a set of directions.

     Foodies are often said to be in search of the best flavor, regardless of origin, and many seek out food experiences which they perceive as “authentic,” refusing to look down their noses at particular ingredients. While “foodie” often means “foodsnob” in the ears of some people, foodies may enjoy familiar foods like pizza and chow mein just as readily as they enjoy multi-course meals at expensive restaurants. A foodie can also be very single-minded in the pursuit of an elusive flavor, recipe, or experience. For people who are not quite as obsessed with food as the foodie  community, foodies can seem a bit peculiar, and tensions in relationships and friendships sometimes arise as a result of conflict over food choices. Foodies, for example, can argue vociferously about a choice of restaurant for an hour or more, while non-foodies may be inclined to order delivery and call it a night."

As defined by www.wisegeek.com

Good friends, good wine, good times...

There are certain opportunities that only come around once a year. One of these happens to be my favorite thing about the rapidly approaching fall, and that is to go and help our friends at Jerram Vineyard in New Hartford with the harvesting of the grapes. And so it was that my two friends and I made the trek from the city to the country. When we got there the harvesting was in full swing. We had to make concessions for brunch before heading out. Can't harvest on an empty stomach! Dan Jerram cheerfully greeted us (he is the First Selectman of New Hartford and one of the sons of Jim Jerram who owns the vineyard), we grabbed our clippers and headed out to the rows of vines. 

Honestly, I have so much fun harvesting grapes that I have a very hard time calling it work. The smell of the grapes is incredible, the sun was warm and picking the grapes is satisfying. All you have to do is find a bunch of grapes and clip them from the top and then make sure that they drop down into the waiting bins. Oh wait there is a hard part! Two potential work hazards....bees and other eager harvesters nicking you with their clippers if you are both reaching for the same grapes. Other than that, most enjoyable. 

The grape that we were picking was the Marechal Foch grape. It is a red wine grape that wasn't all that tasty to eat off the vine (yes we tried them!) but makes a fantastic wine. Luckily for us, we were able to literally taste the fruits of our labor at the end of the harvesting. 

After all the grapes were picked for the day and our hands had been dyed purple, the grapes were all collected and taken to be crushed. I forgot how many grapes were picked that day, but I believe it was something quite incredible...like a ton. Literally. And each year the assistance of the volunteers is extremely appreciated by the Jerram Family, so if you want to get involved next year just check their website in September to find out what weekends they will be picking. 

And finally it was time to pour the wine! We sampled the Marechal Foch, Nor'easter, Aurora and a few others and enjoyed the remainder of a beautiful day noshing on a delicious wheel of cheese, getting to know our fellow harvesters and learning more about the process of winemaking. I know the Jerrams are happy that this year's harvest has come to an end, but I had such a good time amongst the vines that it can't come around again fast enough for me! 


Website: http://www.jerramwinery.com/