Last Crop of Greens?

This may be last batch of Kiwimagi arugula, frisee, oak leaf, baby romaine and mizuna this season.  How we have enjoyed them!  We will plant the same version of mesclun again next year as this is the best we've found. The seeds are manufactured by Lake Valley Seed Co. (Boulder, CO)   Our favorite way to have them is picked fresh out of the garden and tossed with 3 T. good olive oil mixed with 1 T. fresh lemon juice.  We season the leaves with sea salt after they are coated with dressing, which allows the bite of the salt to really bring out the characteristics of each separate leaf.  Wow are they good!

Juicy Pinot

Pennywise Pinot Noir (2008) is a ruby colored pinot blend with aromas of cherry and plum and a dry, oakey finish.  A nicely balanced wine for $12.

Avery's Rumpkin Pleases

If you are Avery's Rumpkin Ale, you defy any category. This Imperial Pumpkin Ale is brewed with pumpkin puree and a blend of five spices, and is aged in fresh Gosling's Rum barrels for six months. Rumpkin is currently on tap at The Avery Tap Room in Boulder and truly is God's gift to Fall.  Trouble is, the only places you can find it are The Kitchen  in Boulder or at the brewery itself as it is a draft only release available for a limited time.  Visit the Tap Room at Avery any night of the week to savor the stuff while it lasts. 

Those outside of Colorado can track down Rumpkin at the Cambridge Brewing Company Great Pumpkin Festival (Cambridge, MA) and at the Elysian Brewing Great Pumpkin Beer Festival (Elysian Capitol Hill, Seattle WA).  Avery says that kegs of Rumpkin will also be made available at a select few beer bars nationwide.

You better just have one ten ounce glass as the alcohol content is 13.2%.  Pure gold.

Eat Local Honey

The benefits of eating local honey are well documented.  Honey is used to combat seasonal allergies, to moisturize your skin, as a hair conditioner, and for its anti-inflamatory and antiseptic properties.  The quality of the honey depends on the flowers visited by the bees, since it retains their fragrance and other properties, whether beneficial or (very rarely) toxic.  For futher reading on the uses and benefits of and lore surrounding the golden stuff, consult chapter 1 in The History of Food (Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat, translated from the French in 1992 by Anthea Bell), entitled "Collecting Honey".

With an artisan philosophy and emphasis on sustainability, Kentner Farms was established in 2007 to produce pure raw Colorado honey as well as provide pollination, honey extraction, honeybee removal and personal beekeeping services. They use chemical-free methods to raise their honeybees, and hold an artisal philosophy with an emphasis on sustainability.

Kentner Farms' honey is highly viscous and extremely sweet!  A little goes a long way!  We stumbled upon their charming little roadside stand in Lakewood, CO where we left our five dollars in a cracked wooden box and walked away with a one pound bottle of local goodness.  A delightful find on a fall day!

Good Food is Crucial

Ever since I was able to hold my maternal grandmother's carbon steel Sabatier, I have been charmed by good food.  The smell of a bowl of ripe lemons in Gaga's kitchen galley, the texture of her fantastic creme caramel, and even the simple enjoyment to be found in the plate of Lemon Coolers she offered us slippery granddaughters following a summer swim.  Some of my fondest memories are tied to the smells, flavors and visual beauty of simple and exquisite foods.

As far back as I can remember, cooking and eating have been at the center of my universe.  My father's roasted duck, Yorkshire pudding, jams and jellies, and winter soups enchanted and comforted us.  My mother's nightly suppers including Spaghetti a la Carbonara, Sole a la Pea Street, breaded pork chops with stewed tomatoes, and flank steak with twice baked potatoes and creamed celery nourished and soothed. In my high school years, forays with a Fairfield County (CT) caterer introduced me to the realm of mass production.  In college, I stayed up late with my roommate reading The Silver Palate cookbooks and making vats of pesto.  I experimented with local ingredients and cooked for my parents' Bed & Breakfast in rural Connecticut in my twenties, started my own catering company with a host of tried and true recipes in that same decade, and worked on and off in restaurants of all shapes and sizes in the ensuing years.  Even today, I work part time in a restaurant to feed my gastronomic fascinations.  And, I'm married to a chef.

[Then there's my career, from which I hope this blog will provide a healthy escape!]

So here I am compiling the beginnings of a food diary, surprised that it has taken me this long.

My primary aim is to chronicle my research of edible (and drinkable) ingredients ranging from basic to special, and to share them with those who share my obsession. Stay tuned...