wordstoliveby

Here with the family in southern California. Just returned from one of those dining experiences so enjoyable you feel the obligation to share with anyone you can bribe to listen to you.

Whisknladle is an unpretentious bistro in La Jolla that respects the local bounty of southern California. Chef Ryan Johnston cures his own meats, pickles vegetables, hand cuts homemade pasta, bakes the bread, churns imaginative ice cream flavors, and even creates flavored tonics and purees for their artisan cocktails. Sounds like a lot of work? Not really. Chef Ryan and partner Arturo Kassel are "letting the ingredients do the talking." Each dish we had was simply prepared and respected the flavors and nuance of each ingredient. No need to over roast, over blanch, or over sauce here.

The service was that almost impossible to find balance of friendly and attentive (not gushy). And guess what - the prices were moderate, even in over-the-top southern California. I'm including the well-edited wine list. No triple mark up here. All wines are priced at retail. Truth be told, I've spent a lot more for a less-than-mediocre meal at a chain restaurant, where the kitchen probably did one-tenth the amount of actual cooking.

If this sounds like it's too good to be true, I must admit I kept pinching myself. Needless to say, I think you can guess where you'll find me on Friday.

What Matters?

I surprised a friend the other day when filling her in that I will not be cooking at all for Thanksgiving this year. I won't be hosting. I won't be bringing a car load of food to a friend's. This year, my family decided to take advantage of the kids' school breaks and take a vacation. Just the "four family." No one to visit. No commitments. Just 6 days of free time do what we please.

Once we made the decision, I often wondered if we'd miss "it" - the homemade meal, the company, the traditions we're trying to create for our kids. Thanksgiving will probably feel like any other vacation day - having a break from our routine, actually enjoying our meals - all 3 of them, and, cliche as it sounds, having time to smell the roses, if we choose. No, we won't have the added bonus to catch up with family. We've made arrangements to see them over the next couple of months, if not already. What we will have is 6 days of undivided time together - no phones, no competing commitments, no chores. At the end of the day, isn't this what holiday is all about - making the time for each other?

Turkey or tofu, I wish you and your family a memorable Thanksgiving.

A Cranberry Grows in New Jersey.

Great news! I just confirmed we'll have local (IPM), heirloom cranberries to put up for our Tipsy Cranberry Conserve holiday gifts on Sunday, December 7th. Grown in New Jersey from a family farm dating back to the 1880's, we'll support our family and friends with homemade gifts with locally grown produce.

Everyone will go home with wrapped canned cranberry conserve and cookies for at least 12 lucky recipients. Reserve your spot NOW and get a huge head start on your gift giving.

Dear Abby

This entry is long overdue. That said, there's never the perfect time to remember someone who's no longer with us.

Abby Mandel was a respected and well-known "foodie" - chef, teacher, writer, entrepreneur - she really did seem to do it all. Based in my hometown of Chicago, Abby revolutionized home cooking as we know it today with her "Machine Cuisine" classes, magazine and newspaper articles and books. Imagine the Food Network and your own dinner parties without the unbelievable convenience afforded by food processors. The machines themselves might still be hobbling along on store shelves; without Abby, we wouldn't fully understand the depth and breadth of their application.

I never met Abby and yet feel like we're old friends. My mom was a regular in those home-based "machine" classes and I, a slightly (!) younger version of my current incarnation, was always excited to come home from school and see one of the stapled handouts splayed across the kitchen counter. Within minutes, I would know which recipes I needed to reproduce at home, having a solid command of the food processor by 10 years old.

Fast forward 33 years to this past summer. Cooking Light featured Abby in an article about the growth of farmers' markets, especially in urban locations. Chicago's Green City Market was heralded as the best of the best, primarily due to Abby - her vision, her foresight and her unending patience and tenacity. Here I am in Lancaster, cooking in a style very influenced by this woman who for the last 10 years was educating Chicagoans on the virtues and how-to's behind locavorism. This could not be a coincidence.

I was to be in Chicago to visit family for a week and was going to ask my mom to set up an opportunity for me to meet her. Before I could set down my suitcase, mom hands me a newspaper clipping announcing Abby's death from cancer. Even I, oh, sensitive one, was shocked at how quickly the tears streamed down my face. It's not like I knew her personally. I hadn't lived in Chicago as an adult, so I hadn't followed her 20 year weekly newspaper column. I just always felt a connection to this woman. And now, after finally taking the plunge and following the path I was meant to be on, I feel great sadness at her passing. Abby, from the young girl who couldn't wait to check out what was new, thank you. You have no idea how many lives you touched.

Talk About a Feel Good.

Last night was Essen's 2nd annual Thanksgiving Class. As in the past, all proceeds from the class were donated to Crispus Attucks Recreation Center in Lancaster city. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who participated. We had a full house (double from last year!) and were honored that Cheryl Holland-Jones, Executive Director of Crispus Attucks, participated in the Class.

For all who couldn't attend, just a little teaser for next year. We cooked and feasted on:

o Chestnut Mushroom Soup
o Two-hour Fennel Roasted Turkey with Sherry Gravy
o Cornbread Panzanella with Brussel Sprouts and Pancetta
o Cauliflower Souffle
o Tipsy Cranberry Fig Conserve
o Ginger and Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches with Grown Up Chocolate Sauce.

Thoughts on a Thanksgiving theme for next year? It's never too soon to plan. Email your ideas to me as they hit you at cook@breathelivegrow.

How 'bout that cheese?

I just returned from a road trip with my book group to the northern Berkshires, Ashfield, Massachusetts to be exact. Last spring we read Barbara Kingsolver's non-fictional account of her family's one-year trial as locavores, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Not only were my friends inspired by what they learned, they wanted more.

While devouring a rhubarb banana galette at my house, one of the members proudly announced we need to hit the road and learn to make cheese. Of course, as Kingsolver had done one summer, only Ricki Carroll, self-proclaimed "cheese queen" would do for our new-found aspirations.

We measured, we waited, we stirred, we waited, we strained, we waited, we tasted, we drained, we waited, we molded, we waited, we pulled, we tasted.

Well, what's not to love? Beautiful setting, interesting people, great food - a little get away may be in your future, too.

It's Still About The Food.

This past Sunday's New York Times Magazine was devoted to the politics of food. The entire issue is a good solid month of informative, thought provoking bathroom reading.

I began with Michael Pollan's article, "Farmer In Chief." Pollan has become one of the authorities on this topic as he's authored a number of best-selling books on the current, mixed-up state of the US food policy. The article is structured as Pollan's letter to our future President-elect and outlines how the key campaign platforms of the economy, the environment, the health of our citizens and our national security cannot be solved if we don't pay attention to our current food system. You'll get the history of how we got here and a recommended proposal of how Mr. Future President could put us on a smarter and more viable path. Give it a try - it's a long read and incredibly relevant to all our lives.

Here's the bottom line (or Pollan's "One Big Idea"): "most of the problems our food system faces today are because of our reliance on fossil fuels, and to the extent that our policies wring the oil out of the system and replace it with the energy of the sun, those policies will simultaneously improve the state of our health, our environment and our security."

Now, I am one who gets a bit antsy when I hear about the horrible state of things, anywhere, without recommendations of how I can fix it. And that's the beauty of this article. Pollan spells out in concrete terms how we can make a difference. For example, if all Americans observed one meatless day each week, this "...would be equivalent, in carbon saved, of taking 20 million midsize sedans off the road for one year." WOW!

Okay, not such a big deal, you may be thinking. I can do veggies and ... Problem is, all you can think to make is tofu or beans. And, to make matters worse, you think tofu is bland (which it is) and beans give you gas (debatable - depends on the technique!). That's where Essen comes into the picture. As of January 2009, at least one Essen Class each month will be 100% vegetarian. We'll call them Fossil-Fuel Busters, or FFBs.

We're already ahead of the game as Essen's cooking philosophy is rooted in sun-based foods, not petroleum. And vegetarian classes are nothing new at Essen. Last year's "Holiday" class featured side dishes and desserts and was totally meat-free. By request, many of you have cooked meatless menus at Create Your Essen experiences. Yet we can all do our part to do even more. So look out for FFBs. They'll show up in all of the Essen Classes designed to meet your needs - Menu-based, Puttin' Up or Create Your Own.