100 days to Essen Kinder!

A sixty-degree plus day like today makes me feel confident we're inching our way towards summer.  Good thing because today begins our 100 day countdown until the first of the 2009 Essen Kinder Kids Cooking Camps - June 15.  Our planning's been in full swing for some time and have we got great things to share with you:

• A little of this, a little of that.  We've listened to your valuable feedback and are thrilled to announce our "Potpourri" theme for this summer.  Special Event meal one day; Food-on-the-Go on another (we all need new ideas for packing lunches and picnics!); we'll focus on baking savory and sweet breads and crackers (with homemade butter, of course); if you bake, you'll need jams, preserves, spreads and dips to put on top; and, finally, we announce the return of "Top Chef" team cooking day.
• Our kitchen.  We've moved downstairs at the newly renovated, beautiful JCC into the spacious commercial kitchen.  Air-conditioned, large enough for ginormous parties, easy outdoor access for al fresco dining.
• We've grown up.  Teens have the opportunity to cook with Essen Kinder this summer, June 15 - June 19.  Same small groups and hand-on environment.  More grown-up recipes and flavors.
• Afternoon option.  If it's June in Lancaster, it's all about swim teams.  This summer teens have a great option - work your muscles in the morning, use your brain and satisfy your senses in the afternoon with Essen.
• Tell your friends.  If you do our work for us, we want to thank you.  Don't forget you'll receive 1 Essen Gelt with every referral.  Combine that with the 1 you receive with your Camp reservation and you've practically earned a FREE Class.
  

Hurry, hurry.  Reserve your child's spot now.  Before you know it, we'll be counting down to autumn.

Vegetarian Classes Make Huge Impression, Leave Little Footprint

Essen's FFB (Fossil Fuel Buster) Classes debuted this week and the timing couldn't have been better.

The first class we picked over greens and through mushrooms to feast on:

• Bitter Greens Soup with Smoked Paprika
• Sauteed Mushrooms with Croutons and Baked Egg
• Celery Root, Cauliflower and Golden Beet Salad (raw)
• Mixed Citrus and Avocado Salad

It was amazing to see the reactions of the group when taking everyday ingredients and doing unexpected things with them. A bit of stretch for some and definitely new ways of thinking for all.

A couple days later we cooked up 2 HUGE batches of soups, Winter Minestrone and Carrot Red Lentil. Not only did everyone go home with 6 quarts of freezer-ready soup, but we all refined our soup-making techniques. Hopefully, we'll feel freed up a bit from recipes and gain the confidence to do what soup does best - the whole will be completely different than the sum of its parts.

An Overdue Introduction

Hello, friends. I'd like you to meet the newest member of the Essen product line, Essen Edibles.

Whatsa Essen Edible? Essen Edible fills the gap between best-of-intentions and no-time-to-fart. Essen Edibles provides you with seasonal (local is noted with excitement!), homemade food gifts, wrapped and ready-to-Essen. Essen Edibles are made with 100% natural ingredients; nary a trans fat, drop of high fructose corn syrup (exception noted with drool for the homemade marshmallows), sulfites or fake food in sight! Packaging is as "earth friendly" as possible. Essen does not use styrofoam and really tries to avoid plastic.

Whatsa Essen Edible today? We're thinking Super Bowl and putting a kick in the snacking for your and your game party hosts. Fennel-spiced Potato Chips and Indian-spiced Mixed Nuts will keep the energy up and the attention focused with the aromas of far away locales. For a grilled cheese sandwich that will take you to another planet, while staying rooted in your armchair, slather the Organic Blood Orange & Pummelo Marmalade on your best bread, add a soft cheese like Brie and throw it on the griddle. You and your friends will be speechless, or at least moaning for more.

For your convenience, Essen Edibles are available in downtown Lancaster at Apron Strings (Hagar Arcade) and Green Circle Organics (Central Market). You can also count on stocking up on Edibles at Essen Classes or just give us a holler at cook@breathelivegrow.com or 717.391.8270.

Check back often as you never know what’s waiting for you in our gift closet, excited to find a home in yours. For you or your friends, Essen’s here for you.

This Omnivore's Dilemma

To those who've cooked with Essen, spoken with me or read the periodic emails, this will come as no surprise - I love my veggies. I love their interesting forms and array of colors. I love the way the sum of their parts make for a more robust whole. I love that they're not only gentler to the planet, but that growing a variety of veggies, everywhere, is key to our survival. Okay, I love that they're good for me, even with relatively modest additions of yummy lipids and carbs of choice. And I want you to love them too.

I've also been listening to all of you. Vegetarian classes are no stranger to Essen. I've been teaching them all along, just never labeled as such. Last year's "Holiday" class featured side dishes and desserts and were totally meat-free. By request, many of you have cooked meatless menus at Create Your Essen experiences. Like it or not, we still live in the land of "meat and three." Essen's goal is to appeal to a wide audience, getting the community in the broadest sense of the word excited to cook, excited to pass along the tradition, skill and community of cooking. I was concerned that the label "vegetarian" would scare away 95% of you, afraid you'd feel you spent your hard-earned dollars and may walk away hungry, unsatisfied and still not know what you were making for dinner.

A couple of things happened. First of all, you surprised me, Susquehanna Valley. Client cooks were ecstatic with the (surprise!) vegetarian menus. They couldn't wait to tell their friends. And I read one more compelling piece by Michael Pollan, "Farmer in Chief," convincing me I could no longer hide behind my thin veil of fear (October 17, 2008 post).

As promised in October, Fossil Fuel Buster classes, designated as (FFB), are "What's New" at Essen for 2009. At least one Essen Class each month will be 100% vegetarian. Okay, not such a big deal, you may be thinking. I can do veggies, I should do veggies ... 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.

We're already ahead of the game as Essen's cooking philosophy is rooted in sun-based foods, not petroleum. Yet we can all do our part to do even more. Join us at our debut FFB, "Routine and Lovin' It" on Wednesday, January 21, 6pm - 9pm. We'll prepare and dine on a meatless menu that you'll make again and again. Who knows, pretty soon you may forget to ask, "Where's the beef?"

All About Technique

I feel incredibly fortunate in that each and every Essen experience has been fabulous - appreciative, considerate and fun clients, great food and wonderful support. Pinch me - I must be dreaming.

Well, last week was no different. A client was open to something new and different; she just wanted the menu to feel "holiday, yet everyday." I recommended duck. Poultry, yet not chicken. Cooks quickly, yet requires some technique to make it just right. A bit more expensive than boneless chicken thighs, yet not over-the-top. Easy to access in our local market.

I had reservations as I know people either love it or hate it, just like cilantro. Well, let's just say that if the guests were in the privacy of their homes, the plates would have been licked clean. Here's what we ate:

• Roast Duck Breast with Red Wine Fig Sauce
• Puree of Cauliflower, Celery Root and Fennel
• Hashed Brussel Sprouts with Poppy Seeds
• Belgian Endive with Pomegranate
• Persimmon Pudding with Cognac Whipped Cream
  

What was the magic? If you are one of the duck lovers, the recipe was quick and easy, and yielded the hallmark crispy skin and juicy meat. If you're not, the technique can be applied to most any protein and the seasoning combination was an unexpected use of things in your cupboard. And let's not forget the other four menu items. The recipes yielded ten-fold ideas on novel, exciting and accessible ways with winter's root veggies and exotic fruits. A home run on all fronts.

Word's gotten out and we'll repeat the menu one last time and retire it for the season. Join us on Tuesday, January 6 and see for yourself what the talk's all about. You will not be sorry.

Holiday Gift Class - Save the Date for 2009!

The Holiday Gift Class was a resounding success. In less than three hours, we cooked, canned, processed and gift wrapped 54 jars of Essen' famous Tipsy Cranberry Fig Conserve. We also learned the fundamentals behind refrigerator cookies and developed a new combination for the basic Ginger Cookies. Who'd think five spice powder and cardamom would add the extra something special to a holiday cookie? We then wrapped all 42 dozen cookies into our bio-compostable cellophane sleeves, twisted, tied and labeled them ready-to-give and ready-to-Essen.

Annie, of Lancaster, exclaimed, "Why can't we do this once a month?!" Well, Annie, you can. Our next Puttin' Up Party will be held on Saturday, January 24 from 1pm - 4pm. Soup's on the menu. While it's cooking, we'll assemble Brandied Winter Fruit. Invest a few hours with Essen. Talk about a unbounded payoff.

Pucker up!

A heartfelt thank you to "Mary Ann Cranberry" as she's affectionately called in coastal New Jersey. Her friend Bob hand delivered 30 pounds of Mary Ann's just picked heirloom gems yesterday. By mid-afternoon, one-third of these firm, tart, yet incredibly aromatic berries were starring in jars of Tipsy Cranberry Fig Conserve.

The Holiday Gift Class will also have fun with the special cranberries this Sunday, December 7 with the same Conserve. I have a very limited supply available for sale, packed in one and one-half pound portions. Let me know at betsey@breathelivegrow.com or ring me at 717.391.8270.

I plan to put together a road trip next fall to tour Mary Ann's farm and see the bog live, which has been in her family for over 100 years. I'll keep you in the loop.