Foodie News: Going to Japan? Consider a Ramen-Themed Outing for the Whole Family

Love Ramen? Probably not as much as these people. 

It’s no surprise ramen has grown into something of a craze (because it's unspeakably delicious), but the people of Hakone, Japan have taken their love of country’s most popular dish to a new level: bathing in it.

Yunessan Spa House offers noodle baths—tubs of pork broth that clients soak in to reap the benefits of the soup—a fun (and delicious!) treatment option.

Along the same lines as those who sip broth, people that plunge into noodle baths say it boosts collagen and increases metabolism (though we’re not sure the noodles are completely necessary).

Source: http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/ramen-bath-japan?xid=soc_socialflow_facebook_tl&adbid=10153495249249073&adbpl=fb&adbpr=25440929072 

The Angry Tofu- A Korean Adventure

On one not so lovely New England winter day, I was feeling rather glum. To cheer me up, my mother suggested we go to lunch at a place that I had been eyeing, and have ourselves a foodie adventure. And this is how we ended up at Angry Tofu, looking over the extensive menu with a combination of apprehension and excitement. Before stepping foot into the unassuming restaurant, with the clever logo, I hadn’t been overly curious about the cuisine because when I thought of Korean food, my mind clung to the phrase Korean BBQ and stopped there. Natural inclinations leaning towards a mainly vegetarian diet, this phrase alone was enough to kill my curiosity. But today was different. 

The lure of something with tofu had gotten my attention. Now there was one problem. Tofu was everywhere on the menu, but alongside some sort of meat. I decided on the Kimchi soup with soft tofu. If there is anything that Korean is known for outside of its isolationism, and Kim Jong-Un would be Kimchi! This delicious fermented vegetable mixture has been praised for fighting aging, improving cardiovascular and digestive health, boosting immune system and fighting cholesterol. It’s chock full of antioxidants, flavonoids and probiotics. Sounded like the perfect choice for my lunch. My mother went with a classic Bibimbap, which is mixed rice, lean meat, seaweed and vegetables, topped with an egg. 

Very shortly after we ordered, the waiter brought over a selection of fermented and pickled dishes. I could have very happily called this my meal. Each one was delicious!!! Especially liked the fish balls (or at least what I think they were), and the kimchi cucumbers. Next came out the entrees. I was a bit surprised when I started poking around the inside of my bowl. What I had thought would be a vegetarian dish, seemed to have some interesting strips of meat inside. I think they were pork, but I am no expert. 

After they had been fished out, and designated to one of the empty side dishes, I have to say, I fell in love with the flavor of my soup. It was warming, a little spicy, and all around comforting. The straw mushrooms and tofu were perfectly complimentary. My mother’s dish was also beautiful. 

All the ingredients were organic and it was a pleasure knowing that we could order something healthy with that assurance. We finished our meal with a chilled glass of cinnamon tea that had two pine nuts floating in it. It was definitely a foodie adventure! I will be planning a return trip, to do some more tasting, and looking for that perfect vegetarian friendly item on the menu! I know its hiding there somewhere! 

Location: The Angry Tofu, 1030 Silas Deane Highway, Wethersfield, CT 

Phone: 860-513-1004

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Angry-Tofu-Korean-Cuisine-710177472446403/info/?tab=overview (you can see the menu here ahead of time!!)

Foodie Event: Cacao Ceremony, Sound Journey & Live Music (January 2nd)

 
Join us for a sweet evening combining the heart-opening medicine of ceremonial grade cacao with an interactive musical experience & sound journey. Heartblood Cacao will share the wisdom of this sacred plant, serve cacao (similar to hot cocoa), share its uses, and lead a meditation to tune into the plant and its energy.

Explore the realms of sound and silence with the light-hearted practice of kirtan featuring Andrew Biagiarelli. Andrew will offer sacred songs to trance to, dance to and sing along with. Kelli Joy, Vibrational Visionary will take us deep into our heartspace with a sacred sound journey with Singing Bowls and Gongs.

Before the invention of chocolate as we know it, cacao had been used for centuries by Mayan, Aztec and other indigenous people as traditional plant medicine. It is served in community for the purpose of healing and connecting with each other and higher consciousness.
Eat lightly prior to attending to allow for fuller absorption of the cacao. Bring blankets, cushions, or pillows to make yourself comfortable. 


More info on Cacao @ HeartbloodCacao.com
Pre-registration requested
Cost: $30 pre-registered $35 day of (If there is space, this event tends to sell out) 
Pre-register at VibrationalVisionary.com
Time: 6-8:45pm
Location: Toivo, 399 Franklin Ave, Hartford, CT  

"Students revive extinct squash with 800-year-old seeds"

Gardens may be popping up in schools everywhere, but one school garden in Winnipeg, Canada is making news after growing a squash thought to be extinct for hundreds of years.

It all started with an archaeological dig on First Nations land that unearthed a small clay vessel estimated to be about 800 years old. Inside the vessel, the archaeologists found preserved seeds of an ancient squash.

Students at Canadian Mennonite University successfully grew one large squash from the seeds, but they aren't stopping there. The plan is to save the seeds from that first revived squash and then grow even more squash from those. The goal is to never let this squash go extinct again, according to APTN National News.

Brian Etkin, Coordinator of the Garden of Learning in Winnipeg, sees this revived squash as much more than a vegetable.

"This squash is representative of a tribe of a large community and everybody in that community having a place and food being a right on citizenship," said Etkin.

When the seeds were first put into that clay vessel all those years ago, they were likely meant to be used much sooner than now, but the discovery of them is a reminder that saving seeds is the best way to ensure plant varietals survive. The fruits and vegetables seen in the grocery store and even at the farmers markets are just a fraction of the varieties that exist.

Over the past 100 years or so, we've decreased the variety of produce grown and instead focused our efforts in cultivating species that produce a high yield or are able to travel long distances. But, we're discovering we're close to losing so many varieties, and seed savers are working to bring back varieties that most people have forgotten.

Thanks to the ancient indigenous person who put those seeds in a clay vessel hundreds of years ago, this squash varietal won't be lost to history. And thanks to more modern seed savers, we're reviving and preserving other fruits and vegetables — like this exquisite-looking Glass Gem corn:

SOURCE: http://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/blogs/students-revive-extinct-squash-800-year-old-seeds

Foodie News: "To Cut Food Waste, Spain's Solidarity Fridge Supplies Endless Leftovers"

"At a Basque restaurant nestled in the green hills just outside the Spanish city of Bilbao, head cook Itziar Eguileor gestures toward a dumpster out back. "This all used to go into the garbage," she says, lugging a huge pot of leftover boiled artichokes. "But now, these artichokes, we pack them in Tupperware, load them into our old Land Rover and drive them over to Solidarity Fridge.” Deliveries like Eguileor's arrive several times per day at the Solidarity Fridge, a pioneering project in the Basque town of Galdakao, population about 30,000. The goal is to avoid wasting perfectly good food and groceries. In April, the town established Spain's first communal refrigerator. It sits on a city sidewalk, with a tidy little fence around it, so that no one mistakes it for an abandoned appliance. Anyone can deposit food inside or help themselves. This crusade against throwing away leftovers is the brainchild of Alvaro Saiz, who used to run a food bank for the poor in Galdakao.

"The idea for a Solidarity Fridge started with the economic crisis — these images of people searching dumpsters for food— the indignity of it. That's what got me thinking about how much food we waste," Saiz told NPR over Skype from Mongolia, where he's moved onto his next project, living in a yurt and building a hospital for handicapped children. Saiz says he was intrigued by reading about a scheme in Germany in which people can go online and post notices about extra food and others can claim it. But Saiz wanted something more low-tech in his hometown of Galdakao — something accessible to his elderly neighbors who don't use the Internet. So he went to the mayor with his idea for a Solidarity Fridge. "When he came to city hall with this idea, I thought it was both crazy and brilliant! How could I say no?" says Mayor Ibon Uribe. "We approved a small budget of 5,000 euros [about $5,580] right away to pay for the fridge and an initial health safety study, as well as electricity and upkeep. And we granted this fridge a special independent legal status, so that the city can't be sued if someone gets sick.”

There are rules: no raw meat, fish or eggs. Homemade food must be labeled with a date and thrown out after four days. But Javier Goikoetxea, one of the volunteers who cleans out the fridge, says nothing lasts that long."Restaurants drop off their leftover tapas at night — and they're gone by next morning," he says. "We even have grannies who cook especially for this fridge. And after weekend barbecues, you'll find it stocked with ribs and sausage.” When NPR visited on Monday, the fridge was filled with fresh vegetables — tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini — from a local community garden, along with unopened cartons of milk and jars of lentils and baby food. There were also pintos— Basque tapas — wrapped in plastic and labeled with the date, from a local bar. The pintxos were especially appetizing to Issam Massaoudi, an unemployed Moroccan immigrant who stopped by to check out the Solidarity Fridge's offerings."Sincerely, it's wonderful," Massaoudi says, chuffed about the pintxos. "When money is tight, to be able to come here and open this fridge and find really good food — bread, tomatoes, vegetables, meat — it's amazing."

Galdakao Mayor Ibon Uribe (left) and volunteer Javier Goikoetxea pose in front of the Solidarity Fridge, Spain's first communal refrigerator, shared by citizens in Galdakao, a city outside Bilbao.

The Solidarity Fridge may be the legacy of Spain's economic crisis, during which frugality became a necessity. But in Galdakao, the unemployment rate is about 13 percent — nearly half that of the rest of Spain. The Basque region's welfare state is robust, and few residents go hungry. The Basque country has a special relationship with food, says Uribe. The region is famed for its gastronomy, especially in nearby cities like Bilbao and San Sebastian.

"Here, food is sacrosanct — it's something that's venerated. We have one of the highest concentrations of Michelin-starred restaurants per capita in the world," Uribe says. "So we value eating well, and conserving food. It's part of our culture, and the Solidarity Fridge is part of that."

The idea is catching on. Another Solidarity Fridge has opened in Murcia, a town on Spain's Mediterranean coast. And elementary schools have been organizing field trips to the original fridge in Galdakao to teach children how to cut down on food waste, and share.

SOURCE: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/08/13/431960054/to-cut-food-waste-spains-solidarity-fridge-supplies-endless-leftovers

Baked and beyond..

Today was one of those random mornings. The kind of beautiful morning where I would do just about anything to avoid being indoors. And it was this desire that led my direction. First stop was the Get Baked Bakery.

My friend who had suggested the location is working at the Windsor Arts Center, and the little intersection of buildings, quaintly situated at the Amtrack railroad stop, has an eclectic funky vibe about it, that suggests you have unwittingly stumbled into a space on the brink of a community charged comeback. Get Baked is chock full of charming, organic details, such as chalk signs, mismatched assortments of padded lawn furniture with faux leather armchairs left to age in the sun. Inside the aging structure is the coffee shop/ bakery to the left, contained within the curious, larger room. 

Apparently the owner is using the space to host a successful pop up market, and plans on eventually creating a more permanent indoor marketplace. The bakery is not short on options. The vintage display case is loaded with delicious pastries. A small menu on the right gives drink options. The counter offers another menu with $3.50 frittatas...wait, $3.50? Yep, that might be the best breakfast deal I have ever come across. And everywhere else, there is something to look at. Including the ceiling. 

One lemon ginger tea later, we headed to the other side of the tracks to accompany her as she opened up the Windsor Art Center for business, and to see her work in the current show, Collective Views. She has three pieces in the show. Her most recent pieces have dealt with issues surrounding hoarding. She takes items that have been left in her own house, or that are given to her, and transforms them into “quilts” or tapestries made from these materials, giving them new life, and us something quite uniquely beautiful, and something to consider about consumerism. It was an interesting stretch from edible consumption on one side of the tracks, to physical consumption, on the other side. 

  The afternoon ended in Hartford’s beautiful Riverside Park where the thoughts of consumerism made us long for the comforting green trails along the river. If you have never been there, and don’t know what I am referring to, I highly recommend it. For years, I remember people saying that Hartford either doesn’t have a riverfront, or hasn’t taken advantage of our riverfront. I think Riverside Park refutes that very well. There is a vibrant park with a boat house, trails, boat launch, and a fitness area. The vistas in the park afford for solitary musings along the banks, picnics, or games. No secret to the lovers of cricket, you will often find an active game taking place on the long stretch of field. If you follow the path along the river, you will find some peaceful, beautiful scenes that will make you almost forget you are on the edge of I-91. Ah, Hartford...

Oh, and postscript. I like finding graffiti. 

Get Baked: 25 Central St, Windsor, CT 06095. 860-688-0420 / Web: http://getbakedct.com

Introducing Hartford Flavor Company

Few things are as exciting to me as discovering something new. Especially in my city. This drive to discover new things in Hartford was the reason I started blogging in the first place. I wanted to dispel the preconceived notions, and reveal the truly great things about the city which are hidden in plain site. One of my most exciting recent discoveries, was the introduction to Hartford Flavor Company.  Located in the rear of the imposing industrial address of 30 Arbor Street, is a welcoming patio laced with plants, inviting you inside. 

After a walk through the forthcoming “Diana’s Lair” which is going to be an innovative apothecary style tasting room where visitors can also enjoy a cocktail, I was brought into a sparking white distilling room where I sat down with the company’s owner and creator, Lelaneia Dubay and longtime employee, Ashlie McGrath, to learn more. You know that moment when you realize you have met kindred spirits? Well, this was one of those times. Both women are very focused on local, sustainable, organic, and the power of the plant. Ashlie might actually be joining Hartford Foodie as a guest writer in the future, so keep an eye out for that! We had an interesting talk about Lelaneia’s transformative path from landscape artist to creating natural tinctures for her children, growing her own supply of Echinacea, and her eventual quest to create a liquour that is gluten free, low in sugar, free of chemicals, and as organic and natural as possible. To this end, she began experimenting in her own home and using her friends and their friends as test groups. The winning flavors ended up being; cucumber, rose, lavender (my personal favorite), chai tea, and birch. 

A seasonal cranberry flavor will be coming out for the winter, and there was mention of a pumpkin as well. The actual product is made from a sugar cane base from the Netherlands, and then is infused with the leaves, stems, and flowers of the actual plants. The plants are obtained from sources as local as possible. The lavender is grown by the company in their community garden plot! The recipe and process varies depending on the composition of the plant. Delicate rose petals, for example, can only withstand a few days soaking in the alcohol before burning up. 

As of this month, Wild Moon can officially sell to the public from its production facility. So if you can’t wait for the tasting room to open, head over between 12-3pm, Wed-Saturdays to see the space and purchase a bottle. Limit of 4 bottles per customer. They cost $20 each, and accept cash only. This is a place where magical things are happening. I don’t want to tell you all the details, so go check it out and see for yourself. Be part of the revolution and support a fantastic new Hartford business! 

Directions:
30 Arbor Street, Suites 107-108, Hartford, CT.  Keep the building to your left, follow the signs around to the back, and enter onto the wooden deck at the end. 

Websites: 
http://hartfordflavor.com (sign up for newsletter, check out blog, and stay up to date!)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hartford-Flavor-Company/660352110711238