Weird Foodie News: James Ostrer’s Food Art

Call it wonderful. Call it weird. But to this foodie, English artist, James Ostrer’s series of junk food portraits called “Wotsit All About” makes some deeply profound and darkly humorous observations about our consumption patterns and health. The anthropological candy colored photographs are a fashion spread of the junk food that is killing us. And instead of ranting at us, instead of shaming us, Ostrer revels in it. His cathartic experience in kicking a life long battle against junk food meant eight hours at a time for models, breathing out of a single nostril, and an $8,000 investment in candy, cold cuts, fast foods. Sugar coated bare breasted models are slathered in a sugary appearing cream cheese plaster and fatty adornments. We are reminded of tribal images of the past, where proud warriors and leaders presenting dramatic headdresses, or elaborate ceremonial masks to a unflinching camera. While these models display a different pride, one of everted consumption. The messages here are hugely relevant in our consumerist culture. Sugar highs and fast food lows are an epidemic, obesity runs rampant and children can’t recognize vegetables, but easily recite the jingles of favorite food commercials, and much like the popular adage, “you are what you eat” has literally come to life. 

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  

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

Old World Italian Bakery found "Behind the Rocks"

Finding myself desperate a cup of real coffee and something sweet one morning I stumbled upon Roma Bakery the other day on my way to work. I entered the charming bakery that was bathed in sunlight and made my way to the pastries.  

I was so happy with the light and flaky cherry turnover that I followed it up with a raspberry one. In addition to pastries, the owner, Tanya (who has been in business at the same location for nearly 40 years) told me that they sell pizza, grinders, and arancini. They have a nice, spotless counter where I plan to spend my lunch hours sampling a Broccoli and Potato pie this week. So why should you check out Roma? 1. Price are terrific, dare I say "old-world prices". 2) They open at 7 am, so if you need to be at work early...this is the place to go. 3) Turnovers are beautifully light and I think the crust might be made of the same stuff as angel wings! Mmmmm. 


Address: 416 New Britain Ave, Hartford, CT 
Phone: (860) 527-3809

Welcome addition to the neighborhood

It was last fall when I first encountered The Hartford Baking Company when I purchased a loaf of bread from them at the local farmer's market. While I wasn't impressed with the bread (that was when they had just opened) at the time, I recall thinking that they had great promise and that I should give them a bit of time to work out the kinks and then check back on them. Well, I am glad that I did. Actually, sidetracking a bit, in case any of you are wondering why you never see me post "bad" or "negative" reviews on a place, it's not because I don't experience bad service, dingy atmosphere, or food that makes you physically ill. I do! But after years in the food service industry I have learned that a bad review can literally shut down a business, when perhaps they just haven't gotten into the swing of things yet. Thus, all you will see me review are places that are a consistant enjoyable experience. Plus you don't have to get bogged down in reading about places that aren't worth your time.

Anyway, I am feeling very confident about The Hartford Baking Company's survival in the neighborhood. While they are located in the industrial, and newly dubbed "home design" district on the Hartford/ West Hartford line, don't let that factor deter you, there are many reasons to travel over and check them out. Firstly, they are open at 7:30 am during the week, a total blessing for those of us who have to be at work by 8am, but need a jolt of coffee first. This is an outstanding feature if you ask me. Secondly, the coffee is roasted by Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Brooklyn every week, and it definately is evident in the taste. If you are like me, and hate bitter, dried out beans that then have to be masked by syrup and chocolates like the coffee served at Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, then you are going to love this place. There is no need to cover anything up. You might even want your coffee black!

The baked goods are lovely, and the scone that I ordered with my cafe au lait was moist, not overly sweet, and chock full of crystalized pieces of ginger. Since I am very particular about my scones (this of course began on a trip to England with my grandparents) and usually end up being disappointed, I was thrilled with my choice this morning and can't wait to go back this weekend to try another flavor.

In addition, they have recently started to offer lunch, and the menu looks very appealing, and affordable. Also, there is a very cute outdoor seating area for you to enjoy that should have wide appeal due to the overall lack of places to sit outside in the Hartford area. Check out the menu and more on their website: http://hartfordbaking.com/ and by all means, report back, I'd love to hear from you!

Just say no to chocolate slavery this holiday season!

Some food for thought, literally, as we approach the holiday season. Whether you give a box of nicely wrapped truffles to coworkers, use it as an ingredient in your favorite cookie recipes, or use it as a stocking stuffer, chocolate is everywhere during the holidays. So, since it is something that we have such a love affair with, why not double check this year that you are buying chocolate that is organic and fair trade to ensure that you are not contributing to the mounting problem of chocolate that comes from farms that use child slavery to harvest the cocoa?

72% of the world's cacao is grown in West Africa, in the country of Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Part of the problem, understandably is the extreme poverty faced by the farmers, and the price of cacao dropping because buyers keep demanding cheaper beans. To be able to support their families, afford fertilizer and make a small profit, the growers cannot afford to pay their workers, and thus come to rely on child labor as a cheap, reliable way to keep their farms running and survive.

The largest offenders in purchasing chocolate from farms that use child slave labor are: Nestle, M&M, Hershey. Companies that have started to take steps in the right direction and to protect the rights of chocolate farmers, but still have a long way to go are: Godiva, Starbucks, Ghiradelli/ Lindt, Dagoba and Endangered Species Chocolate. The best bet are these companies who are committed to sustainability, and improving the lives of chocolate farmers globally. They are: Sweet Earth Chocolates, Divine Chocolate, and Equal Exchange. This list was provided by the International Labor Rights Forum in Washington, DC.

 While there are always some people who are more dedicated to bringing about positive change in the world than others, I would like to suggest the personal activism of Teun van de Keuken, a chocolate lover in Amsterdam. Upon discovery of this issue, he decided to eat 19 chocolate bars and then turned himself over to the police for knowingly purchasing a product made with slave labor, which he says under the Dutch legal system is a criminal act. "At first, I just called the police and said I did a terrible thing. They said, 'Don't worry, we all eat chocolate, good-bye.' Then I hired a lawyer." And that didn't stop him. He has produced a film, called Tony and the Slave Free Chocolate Factory (which you can check out on youtube) and is on a mission to bring about awareness of this problem. This issue is extremely complex to be sure, with poverty being a huge contributing factor. 


However instead of boycotting chocolate, the first steps in doing something to bring about positive change would be to 1) buy fair trade chocolate, 2) buy organic chocolate- since they have higher standards than regular products, many experts say that those farms are unlikely to be using forced labor, 3) write to many of the large chocolatiers and complain about their lack of compliance with international policy. 4) read up more on the issue.

Resources:

http://dosmallthings.com/tag/chocolate-slavery/

http://vision.ucsd.edu/~kbranson/stopchocolateslavery/takeaction.html

http://www.laborrights.org/sites/default/files/publications-and-resources/ChocolateScorecard09.pdf

The Sweet Spot, part I

Recently, I was asked by a classmate about a good bakery that was near Trinity College, so I decided that I should start reviewing bakeries in Hartford. Since Hartford is a truly multicultural city, there are many, many delicious pastry shops to chose from. The South End is still considered "Little Italy" despite the influx of new cultures such as Puerto Rican, Albanian, Mexican, Peruvian, and Bosnians. One of the very well known Italian bakeries is Mozzicato, which opened in 1978 at 329 Franklin Ave. The bakery is chock full of decadent desserts, wedding cakes, cookies and Italian bread. But if you head to the door on the left side of the building (unmarked from the outside) you will enter the charming caffe.

The caffe is one of those places that is just perfect to spend a lazy Sunday with your book and a cappuccino, or to bring a date in the evening. Besides having delicious pastries, including fresh cannollis, you can also having gelatos, and granitas. If your tastes are not for desserts, then you can try some of their housemade pizza, arancini, or calzones. The calzones, by the way, are ENORMOUS, and it's a good idea to split one with somebody. Just remember to ask the server to bring you a side of sauce to accompany it.

They also have a full bar including many appertifs, which makes it quite appealing a destination in the evening. In addition, the staff encourage unofficial Italian and French language nights, where patrons can gather and practice their conversation skills with one another.

Website:  http://www.mozzicatobakery.com/cafe.asp