Caws and Affect

cheesy propoganda

2010-02-19T05:08:04Z

Check out this wonderful video from Christine Hyatt, aka the Cheese Chick. Shot on location at The Wedge Festival in Portland, featuring Artisan and Farmstead cheesemakers of the Pacific Northwest.

This message embodies what I try to support as a cheesemonger and promoter of sustainable agriculture. I think the average price per pound of cheese in my cases is probably somewhere around $21/lb, ranging anywhere from $12.99 to $39.99. It can cause sticker shock to the uninitiated, and it's hard sometimes to break people's price-based perception of the value of taste... but as you can see in this video, there's a tremendous amount of care, labor, and time that goes into bringing these beautiful cheeses to you... and likewise, a tremendous amount of care and labor on my part (and on the part of my staff) to ensure that you pick up a piece of cheese that these cheesemakers would be proud to see on your table.

At $21/lb, you're not filling our coffers, you're supporting the time and labor intensive craft of artisan cheesemaking. If we were in it for the money, we wouldn't be in cheese!

A Matriarch Passes

2009-11-22T23:00:27Z

This isn't an entry about food per se, but when it comes to my passion and the way that I live my life day to day, the things I do... this post is about a piece of who I am. Literally, like chromosomes and all that.

And I suppose it really does have to do with food on some levels... and it starts today at work, which is of course all about food.

This is perhaps the busiest week for those of us in the retail grocery and specialty food business. Today was my 14th day in a row at work with hours anywhere from 4 to 14 in a day, and I still have 6 more days until a scheduled day off. And yes, on some levels it's exhausting and my feet and back hate me, but it is very much equally if not more exhilarating and exciting and fulfilling. The customers, the interactions, the bonds formed as strangers entrust me with their menus and food choices that could make or break their dinners, dates, and more.

Honestly, it's like a game. A puzzle. A riddle. A mathematical equation. A painting. A contest... a fine balance when it comes to all the orders I've placed leading up to this holiday season over the past couple months. Time to see if my planning pays off, if I made the right educated guesses, and also if my staff can keep up with me and help send every guest who walks into the store home with some beautiful new flavor they never knew they'd love.

I went in to work early today, a couple hours before we opened, in order to make sure all my cases were stocked, that everything was in order and ready to go. I didn't want my staff to need to leave the cutting or sales floor for anything. Noon came around and Camden and Tomi were both on the cheese counter, so I decided to take a minute to eat lunch before cracking into a new wheel of Parm.

I checked the time on my phone and saw I had a voicemail and missed a call. It was my dad. Now... my grandma has been ill or sick on and off for the last few years, and as time's passed I keep imagining my dad calling to tell me the bad news. I thought that again for a moment, then brushed it aside remembering when he called on my birthday a few weeks ago and said he'd try calling more often on my days off. Since today was technically my day off, I figured he was just touching base.

I dialed my voicemail and there was my dad's cheery voice... alas, masking the bad news I've been fearing he'd call with. I stepped into the front door of the offices next door, and Alex and Josh were sitting at the table eating lunch... as soon as my dad's voice said "Harrison called to tell me..." I began to cuss under my breath and walked swiftly into the kitchen as words I never wanted to hear passed through the air... I leaned against the counter and took a deep breath, but instead of a calming exhale, I began to sob... and I cried, and Josh came in and put his arms around me and held me while I cried. Alex followed and I told them the news, and we hugged and I cried some more and then talked a little bit about her.

Those are awkward moments, but I'm glad they were both there. I'm blessed to work with people like them and everyone else at the shop. We're pretty much family more than coworkers. One of the benefits of working for a small shop full of passionate, creative, and caring individuals.

I didn't eat lunch, but stayed in the house a while longer to try and center myself enough so that I could leave on my own and drive home. I told Kathy the news when she came back inside and we talked for a spell as well... then I went back into the shop and got some more hugs, doled out some last instructions for the crew for the day, bought myself a marzipan stollen, and made my way home with Metallica's "Fade to Black" blasting fittingly over the speakers as I drove.

I got home, walked in the door, opened my mouth to speak but only a muffled sob escaped... so I fell onto the bed and into Lia's arms and I cried harder than I have in several years... so hard I couldn't breathe, every muscle in my body conducting the sadness and loss I felt inside.

Once expelled, I lay prone... and eventually came to... enough to listen to the message on my voicemail again and call my dad back (left a voicemail for him), then call my mom. Talking to my mom always helps, even when it's just the two of us sitting quietly on either end of the phone. Eventually, my dad called me back, and my mom was going to call my brother and hopefully be able to let him know by way of other than a voicemail. My father apologized for that one, and we talked for a while. He also apologized for not telling my that she'd been diagnosed with acute leukemia about a month ago and given from 6 weeks to 6 months to live... before she caught pneumonia... He thought he had, but he'd forgotten. Regardless, as I said, it was a phone call I'd been expecting, but you never really can prepare...

My grandmother, Lulu Lee, was a beautiful woman. She had a light about her that shined and touched everyone she'd ever come in contact with. It emanated from her big glowing smile to the laughter that seemed to be wrapped about every word she spoke. There was simply a great joy in everything she did. That was the woman we all knew and loved and called grandma, ma, Mrs Hon, Lulu.

I always loved visiting her when I was a child. Being around her made me happy... and the candy dish she kept in the living room helped a bit I'm sure. The butterscotch drops were my favorites... those and the White Rabbit candy she broke out for us now and then. She knew also how much I enjoyed good food and always loved to cook for us and feed us.

We would play out back in the garden and pick fruit from the myriad trees... big juicy black plums, oranges, tangerines, persimmon, pomegranate... there was always a bounty growing in her backyard at her house in Stockton. And while we played in the back, oh the divine scents that would come wafting from the kitchen window!

When people comment on my Chinese cooking (and cooking in general), it's my grandma they have to thank for that! I loved sitting in the kitchen and watching her prepare and cook food... all the meticulous steps, and never a one skipped... from washing every leaf of spinach in the sink to the painstaking way she folded her foil wrapped chicken... even the way she wrapped our sandwiches in wax paper when we'd go out fishing. Anyone who's seen me on the cheese counter wrapping pieces of cheese or folding slices of charcuterie in butcher paper can see my grandmother's touch emulated by my hands.

And the flavors! There is absolutely nothing better in the world than my grandma's Chinese American home cooking. I can only wish to be able to do even the simple things as good as she could. You've never seen a more perfect pot of stove cooked rice. Tender and fluffy and able to carry every nuance of flavor from your bowl (we didn't use plates much except for breakfasts) to your mouth... and the best part? The crunchy "bottom rice" that was always a perfectly pale golden hue. Never a burn mark or uneven browned spot. Seriously... if that was her rice... I will always strive to be as good of a cook as she was. I only hope I can pass on the joys I found in her food with my own.

My grandma, Julia Child, and my dad... those were my Holy Trinity when I was growing up (with several other key notables... i guess one could infer them to be saints or apostles, then. heh).

So many memories. So much food!

The last time I visited my grandma was too long ago, just over two years gone by now. I rented a car and drove my brother and my mom out to see her, and we visited then went out for our favorite Chinese: Emerald Restaurant. If any of you live in or find yourselves in Stockton, this is a must eat at place. We've been going there for decades, and they serve some of the best tasting authentic Chinese food I've ever eaten... and I've eaten a lot!

When my grandma walked in the door, everyone recognized her and shouted smiling greetings our way. The owner came out and took her hand and began chatting away with her in Cantonese. This was a normal occurrence anytime my grandma would take us out on the town. She and my grandpa used to own a couple grocery stores decades and a lifetime ago, and there are many people in Stockton who will never forget the service they received there. They were always more than happy to help people out and go further than that extra mile. There was nothing but good karma stashed in their spiritual bank.

We were seated at tables that I'm pretty sure are the very same as when I first remember eating there as a young child. The building is an old Union building with a second floor that has windows looking inside where the old bosses would sit or open the windows to speak to those gathered below. It's right by the freeway in a pretty sketchy neighborhood. We always parked right in front. It was the food that always brought us back.

My grandmother ordered all of our old favorites and even some of hers that we hadn't really had before. Everything came perfectly cooked and in heaping amounts. The giant family sized bowls of wor wonton soup are always a treat for the senses... light yet rich golden broth swimming with fat meaty wonton, prawns, squid, lap xiang, bok choy, char siu, baby corn, and black mushrooms. And as always, we left with enough food for another meal.

That was the last time I saw my grandma in person. Before the broken hips, the convalescent home, the painkillers, the alzheimers... before any of that. And while I unavoidably sit here and wish I would've called her more, gone to see her more often, etc... I'm glad in some ways to have that visit as my last physical memory of her.

I'm going to miss my grandma... but I've missed her for some time. Alas, that seems to be the case with growing up and getting older.

I know that she was proud of me, and I hope that I can honor her life and the efforts she made to give us ours by striving to be even a fraction as beautiful, honest, caring, compassionate, reliable, and loving a person as she was.

A Long Time Ago, In a Galaxy Far Far Away...

2009-10-14T03:57:12Z

Wowza! Has it really been almost seven months since my last post? Crazy...

The date of my last entry here just about coincides with when I officially took over as Manager for the Cheese & Charcuterie department at Liberty Heights. Understandably, I have been busy, but that's an awful long time to go without talking about cheese, food, or drink... especially considering just how incredibly saturated my life has been with all of the above.

My apologies... if there's anyone reading, but mostly to myself for not keeping the dust from gathering in this corner of the ether.

There are far too many happenings for me not to be posting here regularly, and hopefully I shall remedy that.

It's always exciting this time of year in the world of food... well, in my world anyway! Workwise, I'm bringing in a lot of fun stinkers and rich mountain cheeses. In fact, I'm co-teaching a class in just a couple weeks at work featuring some Fall wine & cheese pairings. I'll be sure to post about that. We'll be doing a fondue class/party in early to mid-November that should be a blast as well. Can't decide if I want to feature two or three recipes... thinking my take on a traditional Swiss for one... an all American Farmstead/Artisanal for two... and perhaps a Utahan fondue for the third (with a beer & whisky base... or an alternative "Mormon" recipe featuring local cider hmm...).

Regardless, I just thought I'd spew a few words out into the wilderness to remind myself of this existence. With any luck (and gumption!), the next won't be another 7 months away.

Tulie Bakery

2009-03-25T18:18:14Z

For a while now, I've been hearing all about Tulie Bakery here in SLC. My boss has even brought in some of their goodies on occasion, and every time I've been rather impressed. This last week though, he brought in a selection of pastries for breakfast for the morning crew, and what he gave me was a real taste of home. It looked like a scone, but wasn't quite. It was softer, more silky, melted in your mouth... but it was the flavors that got me.

Back in San Francisco, my mom used to bring home scones (don't even get me started on what the locals call "scones" in these parts!) now and again... and my favorite was a savory scone flavored with cheese and fresh herbs. For years, I've been keeping my eyes out for something similar, but have been sorely disappointed and had decided the only way to capture that taste memory was to make them myself.

Today, I learned that what Steven gave me last week was Tulie's "Gougeres"... as soon as I tore off my first bite, I could feel a shallow well of tears form behind my eyes. That was the taste. Spot on. That was what I had been hunting for all these years... and the texture was pure pleasure. The choux pastry was still warm and once the delicate flaky crust broke upon my teeth, the velvety dough simply melted into my mouth, filling my senses with a taste of home like no other.

I'm hooked.

What I came to find out was there is another San Francisco connection. That is the owner spent a bit of time learning her craft at Tartine, one of my favorite hometown bakeries. Right on.

Monday, I had the day off, but to my dismay I pulled up to Tulie only to find they are closed on Mondays.

So, today Lia and I drove over after the dropped the kids at their schools, and I picked up a selection of various treats to try out. Of course, I had to have my Gougere! Lia loved it as much as I. In addition, we brought home (clockwise following the Gougere at the top pictured below) a Morning Bun, a Frangipane (almond with fresh berries) Tart, Scone with Currants, and Bran Muffins.

The Morning Bun (an old Tartine fave) is like a cinnamon/sticky bun only it's made with croissant dough... this particular one from Tulie is rich, the caramelized bits almost like candy, not overly spiced, and has a bright almost lemony freshness to it in the background.

The Tart had a wonderfully buttery crust. The edges were a little thick though, and I was afraid at first it might snap and fly everywhere, but it held up to the strength of my bite just fine. The contrasting soft custardy filling with almonds and sweet berries were quite fun. They also had a lemon creme tart and one with a variety of fresh berries. I kinda wish I'd gotten one of each! Though at just over $6 a piece, I just got one so that I could diversify elsewhere this trip.

The scone was rich and moist, but not to the point of being gummy like some can be. Just a light sweetness from coarse sugar baked on top. Just right for a nice cup of Earl Grey. Though my coffee (still on the Blue Krishna from JMCC) did just fine.

Last but not least, the Bran Muffins. I for one love bran muffins, so I always have to try them. Some judge bakeries on their croissants, some on their tarts, etc. I judge a bakery on its bran muffins. If they don't make any, I'm always disappointed... but they are an oft neglected item. The bran muffins at Tulie, like everything else so far, were just right. Nice crisp outer crust that broke crisp upon a gentle bite giving way to a soft yet substantial core that was moist and just barely sweet. A couple bites and a swish of my coffee to break it down, and I could feel the bran granular and yet silky. Definite thumbs up.

Huzzah!

Panaderia Memories

2009-03-22T16:14:54Z

I live not half a block from Panaderia Flores. I don't go there often enough. When I do though, I am overwhelmed by the smells and sights of memory. All those familiar cookies, rolls, buns, pastries, and cakes. Dusted with sugar, shining with egg wash, or frosted in that semi-sweet crumbly almost-dough goodness colored white, yellow, or pink.

I always bring home armloads of these babies. Every bite takes me back to my childhood. That sometimes dry but never choking dough that crumbles into your mouth with each bite. Perfect for following with a sip of dark rich coffee (currently drinking Blue Krishna from Jack Mormon Coffee Company up in the Avenues).

I am reminded of my visits to my grandmother. Mi abuela. My mother's mother. She lived in San Francisco's Mission District, and she would take me on walks and treat me to the culinary delights the Mission had to offer. Before Tartine. Before Ti Couz. Before any gourmet hipster coffee shops. Back when it was all Mexican working class, and on every block what would today be considered hidden treasures.

Our favorite panaderia (and back then, they had a restaurant attached out back behind the bakery that had the best!!! chile rellenos ever... a taste memory that has yet to be equalled by that dish anywhere else in my adult life) was La Victoria down on 24th St. My grandmother and I would walk there and she would talk to me and tell me stories and describe everything I was seeing as we walked through her barrio. This was my culture she was teaching me, though I didn't really know it at the time. What I did know was that I loved taking those walks. They would culminate at La Victoria where she would proceed to pick through the cases filled with pastries to find just the right ones. Then she would let me pick one or two, and being a child I was always drawn to the most colorful. I would usually grab a big round bun decorated with swirls or tiles of bright pink and a cookie covered in (not sprinkles) pellets of brightly colored sugar that would crunch and pop in your mouth as you chewed.

On the way back to her apartment, we would stop at this little hole in the wall restaurant. I wish I knew the name of the place, as I've never been able to find it again in all my visits to the Mission. It was dimly lit, practically a corridor... the cooks and food and menu board on one side, and a single row of tall tables on the other. Mexican blankets and calendars scattered across the walls... pictures of Aztec warriors with scantily clad maidens draped across their arms. It was here that I would get my ultimate treat: a steaming hot cup of vanilla or chocolate atole... thick and hot and just the right sweetness.

Then we would go back to her apartment. Up that rickety old elevator. The dusty smell of old carpets in those cramped corridors and warm shadows in every nook. We would open her door and the sunlight would bathe us as we walked inside. Where was all this light coming from when everywhere else we seemed to go was so dark? We would sit at her little breakfast table in the kitchen and she would unload our wares and go to town. After eating our pastries, we would finish with grapefruit or mango from one of the grocers down the street.

These memories flood my mind whenever I go to the panaderia, and I can feel my grandmother's smiling face upon me as I sit here typing, eating my pastries, drinking my coffee, and reflecting upon this gift she has given me. It is times like these that I really and truly miss her and appreciate all the experiences she openned me up to.

I can only hope I am giving something similar to those two girls sitting in the living room playing on our Wii with a plate full of my memories sitting in front of them. The first time I ever brought them home, they expressed dissappointment. Where was the sugar and custard and filling and frosting? But as they began to realize, they didn't need any of that. All that sweetness would be lost upon the delicate flavors to be found in this world: almond, sesame, anise, even the wheaty dough itself.

A heaven on earth for me in every bite where my grandmother resides and I am happy.

Breakfast at Work

2009-03-15T15:44:31Z

"This is the best french toast I have *ever* had..." - actual quote from one of my coworkers! That and many other rave reviews spouted forth after Steven requested I cook up some breakfast for the crew. He and Tyler had come in early to reset the wall of pasta, and I was more than happy to comply.

My first thought was to do a fritatta. Because I love fritattas, and they're easy, and you can throw just about any hodgepodge of ingredients in there and make it work. But just about every breakfast we've had at work has been some sort of egg dish, and I got the urge to do something different.

I looked at the day old bread and a lightbulb went on. I looked at the baskets of apples in the walk-in and it got brighter. On my way out, I saw a tub of mascarpone, and thought to myself, "Oh, yeah"... imagine Ferris Beuller's Day Off or the Kool Aid man ;)

chicka chicka chick ahhh

I cut up two loaves of day old Crumb Bros bread into nice fat slices (one country sourdough, one raisin walnut), put them in a hotel pan and drenched them with a mixture of milk, eggs, cinnamon, and sugar... meanwhile, I sliced up a couple granny smiths nice and thin, pulverised a thumb of fresh ginger, and tossed all that with some more sugar and cinnamon... I buttered up a baking sheet and put the sopping slices on it in the oven to bake while I caramelized the apples in a frying pan... zested some lemon into there as well, then finished the apples off with some of the juice. Before serving, I whipped up the mascarpone with some sugar and lemon juice... et voila!

Hot, Flat, and Crowded

2009-03-11T22:32:04Z

Last night, author and NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman was in town on a book tour for Hot, Flat, and Crowded. I was on the LHF catering team plating up pre-show appetizers that we'd donated.

I've read Friedman's columns in the Times, but haven't read his books. I definitely want to pick up a copy of HF&C now. Listening to him talk really began to redefine what I think of as "Green" and what we really need to be doing to help bring about revolution and change that is truly necessary for our the survival of our human race and its various cultures... and to redefine as well what we and the world think of as "American."

But for now, the food...

Ria designed three appetizers to follow the theme of the lecture, each upon crostini made fresh that morning from Vosen's bagettes.

Hot: crostini topped with fresh Creminelli Piccante Sausage and sweet & spicy tomato chutney...

Flat: a light puree of English Peas spread on crostini and topped with a dusting of Beehive Aggiano cheese (we were originally going to shave it, but the cheese wasn't cooperating)...

Crowded: crostini topped with hard boiled Clifford Farms eggs, hummus, and organic Arugula...

As for the ingredients, we did what we could to ensure as small a carbon footprint as we could, using primarily locally produced ingredients (or as close to home as possible) from organic and sustainable farms.

Also in attendance and working the crowd were Cristiano Creminelli and his partner as well as Tim from Beehive Cheese... although once it got a bit crowded for comfort in the reception room, they came back and hung out in the kitchen as we plated and we talked shop a bit and shot the breeze.

The evening began slow, and we were worried at first as people didn't seem to be touching the sausage... but once it picked up, everything was a hit, and the food was heading out as fast as we were plating it up.

...

After the event, we packed up and headed over to Setebello for a couple drinks and really killer Napoli style pizza prepared perfectly in their wood fired oven. I'd been meaning to go there pretty much since I moved here to Utah, so it was a real treat to end the night there. I had the namesake Setebello pizza topped with crushed tomatoes, pancetta, fennel sausage, roasted mushrooms, pine nuts, mozzarella, basil and extra virgin olive oil. It was hot and flat, but certainly not crowded despite the melange of ingredients. Just the right amount of everything bite after delectable bite. I'll definitely be heading back for more!

Beehive Cheese in SF Chronicle!

2009-02-13T07:08:21Z

So Pat from Beehive Cheese called me at work earlier this week to get a reference check on an old fellow cheese monger who may end up working part time with them making cheese. At one point in our conversation, he informs me that they'd recently had a chat with the San Francisco Chronicle's Janet Fletcher and were the feature of her most recent cheese column. Excellent!

You can read the article here.

I love Janet's articles, and if you don't have her section of the Chron bookmarked please do.

In this article, she features Beehive's award winning Barely Buzzed Cheddar (it's taken the blue ribbon for flavored cheddars at the American Cheese Society Conference two years running)... a cheddar that's been rubbed with a turkish ground espresso roasted for the boys at Beehive by Tim's brother in Colorado. The Beehive Blend I believe it's called. In addition to the coffee, there is dried lavender in the rub as well.

I'm not one for flavored cheeses. Usually, if I'm buying one, it's for use as an ingredient or spread (garlic fromage d'affinois steak sandwiches anyone?). When I first saw Barely Buzzed, I was working as a cheese monger for Harmons here in Salt Lake shortly after moving up from Tucson. My first thoughts were something along the lines of "Ugh... trendy gimmick cheese? No thanks." But those thoughts were soon erased.

I think also that this cheese has evolved over these last couple years with little tweaks here and there I'm sure, but I'll let Pat and Tim hang onto those secrets. The first wheel I sold through wasn't bad. Not like the skeptic in me wanted it to be. But the flavors didn't come together like they do in the wheels coming out these days. The coffee was very prominent, sometimes overpowering the cheese itself, in my opinion.

Nowadays though, the flavors are balanced nicely. The coffee lends a chocolatey smokiness to the cheese, and the cheese itself is rich and tangy... assertive enough to dance lively with the beans. The lavendar? Sometimes I can taste it, sometimes I can't... but if you really want to bring it out, have a nibble on some Barely Buzzed with your morning coffee. Coffee and cheese? In this case, most certainly yes.

A couple times since I've been working at Liberty Heights now, I've had the luck to receive in a wheel of Barely Buzzed where the curds must have been just loose enough and moist enough that the coffee managed to seep its way inside. Those wheels have had a lovely light carmel colored hint of marbling throughout, and a rich creamy cappuccino flavor to the body of the cheese... a true coffee lover's delight. Those wheels always fly out the door.

Fun cheese. Great guys. I'm glad to see them so successful and growing! And I'm glad to have had at least a small hand in helping them get there.

baby ate a bad bad cheese...

2009-02-05T06:00:34Z

I'm prone to try a lot of interesting, perhaps strange foods at times... on purpose... but what tends to shake me is when I end up eating something that is just totally unexpectedly bad...

Today for instance. What made it worse was that it was something I know to be actually quite good... just not this particular time. Perhaps you are familiar with Grafton's 2 year old Reserve Cheddar? A rather pleasant example of a sharp Vermont style cheddar... creamy, tangy, delicious...

Well, I went to crack open a new delivery and the bag my brick of cheese was in was bloated a pillowy. While this was not a new phenomenon (a lot of cryovaced cheeses will emit some gasses in storage and produce bloating like that... usually CO2, nothing weird)... the smell to come was.

As soon as I sliced open the plastic, the kitchen was filled with a strong sour rotten egg scent, gassy and extremely sulphuric... Our faces mirrored one another in a moment of "WTF"

I removed the cheese and set it on the counter to air out, and while it did I hopped on the computer to google up some information. I was unable to find anything about whether this phenomenon was actually bad or not. I did however find some rather interesting scientific studies as to the effects of various starter cultures, enzymes, and aging processes upon the emissions that cheeses may have.

What I found out about sulphuric gasses was that they are natural... sometimes caused by certain enzymes... sometimes by what was called accelerated aging... which however was unclear as to whether that meant an artificial induction of aging or an acceleration caused by reactions to said enzymes or what.

Without a concrete "Don't eat that!" I simply waited while the cheese aired out. The smell mellowed, and there was but a faint hint of egg, so I decided to cut into it and find what I might find... as I laid it down, a chunk fell off and I picked it up.

Maybe a normal person would have stopped there... or maybe just thrown the sucker out before even opening it! But not me.

I picked up the little chunk and rolled it in my fingers... it felt as it should... firm and slightly moist/oily... I smelled it and could detect again just a hint of something off... so I popped it into my mouth.

The second it hit my tongue, my senses were assaulted by the most horrendous and overwhelming flavor of... rot. nasty. sulphuric. rot. I felt as if I had slipped a hard boiled egg into my mouth that had been eaten and excreted whole. I ran for the trash, and then for the front of the store where I purchased a Blenheim's Hot Ginger Ale and proceeded to gargle and chug to erase the foulness that had smeared itself upon my palette.

So... for future referece: rotten egg smell? BAD!

I know now... and knowing is half the battle.

web celebrity lol

2009-02-05T05:39:24Z

Oh hai! I r on teh web!

Ria pointed out to me today that there were some new changes to the Liberty Heights website including new pictures of us!

http://libertyheightsfresh.com/portal/taste_makers/whos_more_food_obsessed_than_us/

I was talking to this customer about the differences in Gorgonzola that we carry. Wish the angle better captured my case more and my lopsided smile less. Har! But there I am at work. Woo!

Reading the text on that particular page, I'm honored.

Cheese Tasting/Pairing 2/2/09

2009-02-03T04:31:25Z

Steven wanted me to go along with him tonight to teach a course on cheese and pairings at the U, but there was no one able to cover my closing shift. Instead, I sent along my cheese and accompaniment choices for the class. (And since this is Utah and we didn't want to chance it, cider was served as refreshment in lieu of wine... unpasteurized and local of course!) The class was to introduce people to not only basic types of cheeses, but what they might not think of to eat them with. A pairing 101.

Here is what I chose for the class:

Gorgonzola Dolce (a very soft young Italian blue) paired with honey (a basic no brainer... safe, but classic and delicious)

MouCo Colorouge (a lightly washed then soft-ripened cheese from Colorado) paired with Matiz Fig Syrup

Gravenstein Gold (cider-washed rind goats milk cheese from Redwood Hill Farm in California) paired with Mostarda di Uva (one of my faves... made with grapes, figs, pears, quince, pumpkin, and nuts)

Zwister Gouda (aged raw milk cheese from Rock Hill Creamery here in Utah. nice and zippy!) paired with Corazon Membrillo paste

Extra Aged Mimolette (delicious and eye-catching (looks like a canteloupe) French cheese made with the help of myriad cheese mites. yummy!) paired with fried and salted Marcona Almonds.

Thus, we had pastes, spreads, syrups, and nuts paired with 5 of 7 cheese families... soft-ripened, semi-hard, hard, blue, and washed-rind.

Steven introduced and talked about each of the cheeses and pairings, and also invited the class to experiment as each person's taste varies. After the class though, he called me at work to let me know that everyone was raving over my choices and liked them best in the end. Always nice to hear things like that. Makes me think I might actually know what I'm doing!

I think we might convert the class into an employee tasting next, then try to incorporate these things into our daily samplings in the store as well.

Good times, good food. Yum!

Gung Hay Fat Choy

2009-01-27T03:45:04Z

Happy Year of the Ox! May it bring you peace, joy, and prosperity (of whichever kind you like)!

Today, despite being miserably sick, I celebrated by making fried wontons and wonton soup for my family.

making the wontons (filling of ground pork, shrimp, lap xiang, garlic, ginger, scallions, sesame oil, soy sauce, and chinese rice wine):

chopping ingredients for soup:

wontons waiting to be boiled in the soup:

finished: fried wontons

finished: wonton soup (wontons, fresh shitakes, lap xiang, lotus root, and baby bok choy)

Bush's War on Cheese

2009-01-25T07:48:26Z

Not sure if you heard the news, but if it doesn't get repealed there will be a prohibitive tariff going into effect on Roquefort.

"Oh?" you say? Yes. One of ex-President (gods it's nice to be able to finally say that!) Bush's last actions in office was among other things to impose a tremendously restrictive tariff upon the king of French cheeses. How restrictive? 300%

o_0

but but but but why?

As a ridiculous exercise in protest... a childish reaction to the inability to convince the French and the European Union to allow for the importation of beef from the good ol' USofA that contains growth hormones and whatnot. Why they don't want our chemical laden meat, I just do not know.

So... chances are good that Obama will reverse this action set to be imposed come March... but just in case, maybe you better go out and buy your Roquefort before it hits $100/lb... ok, maybe not that bad, but oy vey...

"the time has come to set aside childish things..." indeed.

google up the stories, or start with a few here:

TIME magazine article

Telegraph article

Huffington Post blog

of course if the tariff sticks, there are other blues... for instance, while not quite the same, an arguably equally divine sheep's milk blue from Minnesota called Big Woods Blue is available at Liberty Heights Fresh... not quite as wet as some Roquefort, it is just as creamy with a rich buttermilky tang and an ever subtle caramel/vanilla sweetness that has quickly become one of our favorites at the shop.

LHF: Persimmon Custard

2008-12-08T04:05:06Z

Today at Liberty Heights Fresh, I made my first item for the cold case up front. I'd been sitting on some persimmons that the produce manager, Ria, brought back to us and had been tossing some ideas around in my head and with our baker, Amber. My first thoughts were to do one of the following: a bread, muffins, a bread pudding, or a pudding... thought about mixing the meat of the fruit into a rice or tapioca pudding, but nothing really grabbed me as what I wanted to do. I had something specific in mind that I needed to put my finger on and figure out.

So a couple days ago, I went through the fruit and picked what I could use... peeled and squished the meat out into a bowl, then with a splash of lemon juice I put it into a container and stuck it in the walk-in to wait for me to figure out my idea. The fruit was in motion, so I had to get thinking.

I had a couple days off so I did some research online, perusing myriad recipes trying to find that spark and get me going... but nothing really grabbed me. There was a persimmon creme brulee and a persimmon fool that looked fun, but still I wavered...

So, today I finally realize maybe I'm not googling the right words... "Hey, what about persimmon *custard*?" BINGO. One recipe in particular jumped out and grabbed me... I jotted down some notes and ran with it.

Thus my first LHF non-soup item was born. Persimmon Custard atop a puree of the fruit:

Unfortunately, as I was stirring the custard waiting it to hit just the right consistency, I zoned out for all of maybe ten seconds and it started to curdle! Onoz! I took it off the heat and put it straight into an ice bath to stop the cooking, but alas... I did what I could to save it, ran it through a few strainers (if only we had a chinois), and in the end it was decent. A little closer to a fine curd than a nice smooth custard, but delicious regardless. Creamy and juicy and sweet with a nice bit of vanilla rounding out the flavor. The bright orange puree (nothing but the fruit and a dash of lemon juice) is smooth and sweet and silky and makes a lovely presentation. Looks kinda like a creamsicle, eh? So for my mistake I priced this first batch around a dollar less per pound than it should be. I put it out in the case around 5 on this slow sunday night and before closing at 7 we'd already had our first taker along with rave reviews from staff.

Yay :)

lj crosspost test

2008-11-08T04:19:15Z

test test 1 2 1 2 test 1 2

hehe... seeing if my installation of a crossposter for my blog at nahmo.com works or not... if it does, i'll be using this for all my food and work related posting from now on, but you LJ folks should still be able to read. i apologize in advance though if there are any image intensive posts lacking an lj cut ;) i'll probably have to just go in and add that after the fact.