Posts Tagged ‘eat local’
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
Courtesy of “cupcakes take the cake,” a shot of Baked & Wired’s amazing goods.
I had a good friend visit me in Charlottesville from Washington, D.C. this past weekend. Her arrival reminded me of all of the great local food going-ons of our capital city metropolis. For starters, she brought me a box of the best cupcakes I have ever had—yes, ever—from her neighborhood coffee shop and bakery called Baked & Wired. Beyond having a fabulously clever and delicious name, this city establishment puts out goods that have been handmade in small batches. I happen to also find Baked & Wired’s “Big enough to share, but who are you kidding?” own description of its cupcakes as particularly true and facetious. I mean, really. These cupcakes are as big as large muffins, dense as half-cooked cookie dough, and with frosting like flavored butter but, will-power swept aside, one can’t help but eat a whole one by oneself. In a matter of hours, I had tried the Smurfette, Just Peachy (a seasonal one with peaches in the cake and almond puree in the frosting), Texas Sheet Cake, and Vanilla Latte (which happened to be better-tasting than any actual sweet coffee drink around). I can’t wait to visit the location in person someday soon to try Baked & Wired’s “hippie crack.” Don’t worry: it’s just granola. Really, really good granola.
On a healthier and more serious note, Washington, D.C. is also doing good by feeding its children fresh, local foods. In fact, Fresh Start Catering, an offshoot of the city’s Central Kitchen, is successfully serving up lunches to two notable schools in the area— one public and one private. Read more about the initiative here. Apparently, America knows the meaning of “Yes, we can!” Yes, we can bake; yes, we can serve local school lunches; and yes, we most certainly can eat.
-Serena
Tags: bakery, buy local, cupcakes, eat local, local foods, locavore, washington dc
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Friday, September 3rd, 2010
I’m finding it increasingly difficult to come across food-related articles that present new information these days. Though I love the added support for the local food movement through notice of the latest farmer’s market success or restaurant that grows ingredients upon its very own property, I’ve become slightly nonplussed by it all. Local-food-movement information saturation, perhaps? Yes, but not always.
An article by The New York Times in August presented the populace—if I may say so myself—with some entirely newfound facts. For instance, did you know that there is a group named the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative that has been working for the past three years to lead big corporations away from targeting their not-so-healthy products to kids under the age of 12? The Initiative argues that the likes of cocoa puffs and fruit loops, not to even begin mentioning Happy Meals, lead children into the world of smiley cartoon characters on packages before they know better than to say no to edible objects so diminished in nutrition that you could hardly even call them food anymore. And, guess what? So far, some of the big hitters have signed onto this idea. Mars, Hershey’s, Coca-Cola, and Cadbury are among those that are now advertising to teenagers but no longer to those in their pre-adolescence. To me, that makes sense. And I’d love to hear more about it.
-Serena
The New York Times reports on how these fruity loopies are not as fun as they’re made out to be.
Tags: buy local, child nutrition, eat local, Nutrition and Health
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Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
Meet Yer Eats will be a great way to reconnect with what grounds you.
There’s so much to do in Central Virginia (and online) this September! Looking at just the first half of the month, here are some options for you, your family and friends to endeavor in before fall is officially here:
Monday, September 6th (10:00am-4:00pm): MEET YER EATS!
This 2010 Farm Tour, hosted by Market Central and largely sponsored by Whole Foods Market, will take those who want to be introduced to the farmers (and farms, of course) behind their food to a series of self-selected locations in the state. Tickets are available here. Or, save a bit and gain some experience by volunteering for the event instead. More information is available through Market Central online.
Thursday, September 9th (2:00pm): Building a Business in Specialty Foods Webinar Series
This day marks the beginning of a webinar series (three-months in all) that focuses upon businesses that centered on the production and sales of specialty foods. Participation is gratis; you can simply follow this link immediately before each session to sign in. Join in as a guest, type in your name, and “walk” into the “room.” That’s it! Listen, learn, speak, and enjoy!
Friday, September 10th (7:00pm): “Climate Change, Peak Oil, and the Economic Crisis: Why You Should Think About Them (Though We’d All Rather Not)”
Bring your children, if you have one or some, to this talk at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church. Childcare will be available, so way not take advantage of the opportunity to hear more about the issue from Sharon Astyk, author of three published works? Read more about her here.
Saturday, September 11th (10:00am-4:00pm): HERITAGE HARVEST FESTIVAL
The website welcoming interested individuals to this year’s Heritage Harvest Festival starts off strong. “Experience the genius of Thomas Jefferson while celebrating one of his great passions – the garden. Join us for the annual Heritage Harvest Festival, a celebration of gardening, sustainable agriculture and local food, held at Monticello, the mountaintop home of our third president,” it says. And, with an enticing description like that, which Virginian wouldn’t want to attend?? Don’t forget to stop by the Blue Ridge Network Permaculture table while you’re there. The team is truly dedicated (and very, very knowledgeable) on the subject of sustainable gardening! This event is pre-fall must, if I may say so myself.
-Serena
Tags: agriculture, buy local, eat local, Economy, Environment, food, gardening, local foods, sustainability, virginia
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Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
Chefs. I’ve heard they have a lot of ego. And if you watch the ones on tv, it seems many even think they are God (sorry Gordon Ramsay but you DO NOT rule the world). Maybe that’s why they’ve decided to play God and take up the task of growing ingredients. A hot trend right now in the restaurant world is rooftop gardening with chefs taking command of the hoe. The Baltimore Sun recently reported on area chefs and restaurant owners who are taking advantage of outdoor square footage to cut costs and expedite the procurement of the very freshest ingredients by raising the roof – the roof’s potential that is. Some chefs have even invested in starting their own farms to provide for their restaurants. They say the venture is time consuming but worthwhile, even giving them a new sense of purpose and energy. “Being out there in the daytime and pulling a beet from the ground, knowing that you’re going to cook it that night, you feel kind of energized,” Jamie Forsythe, chef of b restaurant, said to the paper. “I come back so ready to cook, really just charged up to do it.”
And of course, these chefs want ” locavore bragging rights. In an era when the provenance of nearly every ingredient is promoted on menus, when house-made charcuterie, house-cured bacon and the like have become de rigueur, why not house-grown produce”? I gotta say, who can blame them. Putting insanely fresh, local foods on the table at low costs is something which is worth bragging about. If it makes their ego bigger, fine by me. More power to you, just keep up the good work.
-Jess
Al Morstein, owner of Regi's American Bistro in Baltimore shows off his 55 rooftop tomato plants for the Baltimore Sun.
Tags: baltimore, buy local, eat local, local foods, local ingredients, locavore, maryland, restaurants
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Monday, August 30th, 2010
A menagerie of chocolates lies within.
The only reason to ever rejoice at finding a mouse in your chocolates is if that box of goodies happens to hail from L.A. Burdick. No, this is not the blog version of “If You Give a Moose a Muffin.” (Though I very much enjoyed reading that series of books as a burgeoning foodie child.) Rather, this is a quick account of how mentally and viscerally delectable L.A. Burdick’s Handmade Chocolates really are. In short, the experience is comparable to being led into a bank vault and then handed one twenty-dollar bill. “But,” you would proclaim, “I know there’s more!” And indeed, with L.A. Burdick, the boxes are set-up so that the truffles are so tiny that eating one is just simply not satisfying enough. You must taste at least two. But then, two, when put together, are actually quite small as well; so then, why not try four? As you can intuit, the story of eating these handmade delectables is never ending. That is, until you finish the box. Just one hint of advice: leave the company’s trademark mouse for last; and don’t ever attempt to give one a cookie.
-Serena
Tags: artisan food, chocolate, eat local
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Sunday, August 29th, 2010
On Sunday, August 22, the Slow Food chapter for the Albemarle and Piedmont regions of Virginia was launched with late-summer success. From mid-afternoon until well into the sunset, a gathering of growers, promoters, and enjoyers celebrated with local eats and very good brew. The mission of this new sect to, “Provide a gathering space and platform to inspire and grow knowledge and awareness of community and food initiatives,” was clearly well taken by all in attendance. A group whose purpose is to converse while conjunctively consuming? Yes, please. No wonder the kick-off was met with such fervor. And perhaps, the potluck attracted even more young families, old pairs, and general friends by having been held on the grounds of Tufton Farm in Charlottesville, where Thomas Jefferson’s Center for Historic Plants is based. The greenhouse was a wonder and the property well worth the drive over to take in. With hope, the chapter’s organizing committee will plan a series of follow-up meetings for interested folks to dive into; after all, there’s never a better moment to live better and to give back to our regional societies than now.
-Serena
An official banner and sign-in area greeted attendees to the new Slow Food chapter.
Dozens of interested folks gathered for the potluck-style event.
Tags: buy local, charlottesville, eat local, slow foods, virginia
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Monday, August 16th, 2010
‘Tis the season to devour colorful, fresh fruits! Every once in awhile, what you want is the same as what you need; at this time of year, the healthful sweets are exactly that. And, lucky you: here in Virginia (and elsewhere, of course), there are many ways to go about slicing that (extremely local) banana.
This past Saturday, many headed to Monticello in Charlottesville for a Summer Fruit Tasting upon Mr. Jefferson’s hallowed garden grounds. Attendees received a short history, updated education, and mouthfuls of several of the species grown atop this famous hill.
Or, take the casual way out by making your way over to Chiles Peach Orchard in Crozet. The location is beautiful AND unusually flat for this region, making picking your own in the heat of the day much more bearable for both you and your family. Then, head on into the shop for some relief and local food fun. I ended up taking home two-dozen peach cider donuts and a block of peanut butter walnut fudge. (Silly me, I forgot the peaches!)
If somehow you dislike fruit altogether, then you can still acquire a taste of the summer goodness with a glass of Chateau Morrisette Winery’s Sweet Mountain Laurel. Believe it or not, this wine from the Floyd location tastes almost exactly like Concord grape juice— with a kick.
-Serena
Fruit! Eat, Drink, and Experience it This Summer
Tags: buy local, charlottesville, eat local, fruit, local foods, locavore, summer, virginia, wine
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Thursday, August 12th, 2010
On a recent last-minute trip up to northern Virginia, I found myself stressed, sweltering, and rambunctious by early evening. I had been late making it to Dulles airport to pick-up some very valuable individuals on a day where the heat well surpassed the 100-degree mark. Then, it was fairly early for a Saturday night when everyone present just felt like going to bed. My bright idea? A drive into the city for some relaxation and culinary relief. That’s right. When everyone else is in bed and it’s still a sauna way past dark, why not head to Clarendon, Washington, D.C. for spoonfuls of Italian ice-cream? At Boccato Gelato & Espresso, the house is alive and full until late and the creamy, creative flavors offered are enough to put a smile on anyone’s face. After my dosage of dark chocolate gelato, I was able to fall asleep—completely satisfied—with the rest of them until daybreak.
-Serena
Boccato’s gelato is amazing in more ways than one.
Tags: buy local, dining, eat local, local foods, locavore, restaurants, slow foods, washington dc
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Thursday, August 12th, 2010
If you follow Locallectual’s postings and have yet to read about the Community Food Security Coalition, then now is the time to be made aware of this non-profitable light. CFSC is a Portland-based organization with staff all over the country; it works to bring food security to the United States and Canada through action-oriented education.
In May of this year, the coalition partnered with the National Farm to School Network as well as the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute to host the 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Detroit. This three-day extraordinaire consisted of workshops, short courses, and field trips interspersed with receptions, speeches, and other social networking events. As my first CFSC conference, Taking Root was a success. I tasted platefuls of Michigan grown goods at the Local Foods opening night event, met farm to cafeteria activists from across the two countries, and learned more than I could take in about the growing, farm to fork movement.
If the Community Food Security Coalition and its activities sound enticing enough to you to get involved, now is the time to look into its 14th annual conference, to be held this October in New Orleans. With a title like “Food, Culture, & Justice: The Gumbo That Unites Us All,” you’re sure to eat and absorb your mouth- and heart-ful of solid, local food-based information. Or, just sign-up to be a member of CFSC today. In this movement, every body counts.
-Serena
At the Local Foods Reception, attendees were served Michigan-centric dishes.
Whoever said Detroit was depressed needs to visit it once more.
Tags: buy local, detroit, eat local, Economy, Environment, food security, michigan, Nutrition and Health, politics
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Friday, August 6th, 2010
Yea, you read that right. McDonald’s has gone local. Supposedly. In Washington State, the worldwide provider of burgers and fries has launched a campaign called “from here“, which showcases their “local’ purveyors in the state. Locavores, of course, are just a tad bit cynical of this claim, and the corporation’s dedication to the “buy local/eat local” movement”, and it seems they have some pretty good reasons to be so. The “from here” site states that 95 percent of McDonald’s fries and Filet-O-Fish fillets and 85 percent of the apples served in Washington State come from Washington. This isn’t very hard to due when McDonald’s is running its campaign in one of the US’s largest producers of apples and potatoes.
McDonald’s big billboards across the state touting things like “Served in Seattle, Grown in Pasco” (an eastern Washington farm-belt town) hold a bit of fine print. At the bottom a small disclaimer appears that says “Participation and duration may vary.” This is another reason both industry experts and locavores are skeptical of the McDonald’s Monster and their new campaign, claiming this is a case of “localwashing.” Eric Giandelone, director of food-service research at Mintel, said the inclusion of the disclaimer on the billboards leaves McDonald’s open to criticism because “[the chain] isn’t spelling out percents or numbers that we can verify.” Hmmmm.
And McDonald’s isn’t the only big-food brand that’s getting on the local food bandwagon, and putting lots of ad dollars behind these campaigns. Frito-Lay has a new “Chip Tracker” while Hellmann has a “Real Food Movement,” that tells of their local-mindedness.
So what to think of all of this? Well these locally-minded campaigns are good signs of the momentum and power of the local food movement. If food giants are trying to tweak their models then obviously people are really starting to think more about the origins of their food. However, we have to wonder if the companies are motivated by money or their consumers’ well-being, and how long they’ll keep this up. I have my fingers crossed that this isn’t just a fad, however only time will tell. But if we keep using our consumer spending power to buy local, I think this is a campaign McDonalds will be lovin’ for a long time.
-Jess
Tags: buy local, eat local, fast food, health, locavore, mcdonalds
Posted in Buy Local, Eat Local, Environment, Nutrition and Health | 1 Comment »
