Devour September 2015

Issue 6 • September/October 2015 • DIY

It’s time to

ourself Y It’s time to do it

Do It Yourself

Hands-on restaurant design

p. 14 Meet SLC’s artisan butcher

p. 38 39 The Jewish deli from NYC to SLC

p. 46

Good seeds p. 28

refreshing...

For information call 801-908-6091 www.coppercanyonfarms.com 2 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

Devour Utah • September/October 2015 3

for All

Eating inexpensively in Park City

BY KATIE ELDRIDGE

DIY Restaurant

Design

SLC restaurateurs get down and dirty with décor & design

Contents

BY DARBY DOYLE

The

Spread

Billy Blanco’s

BY TED SCHEFFLER

Homemade

Ricotta

Making ricotta from scratch

BY AMANDA ROCK

Good

Seeds

Getting to know Mountain Valley Seed Co.

BY REBECCA ORY HERNANDEZ

The

Deconstruct

Alamexo Mexican Kitchen

BY TED SCHEFFLER

Profile Artisan butcher Frody Volgger

BY DARBY DOYLE

Q&A Homebrewing with Mark Alston

BY MIKE RIEDEL

Can I Get With That?

Mayo

Jewish deli origins

BY MICHAEL FELDMAN

Dinner Party for

Dummies

Entertaining the Marguerite Henderson way

BY HEATHER MAY

Spirit Guide

Kicked-up cocktails 4 Devour Utah • September/October 2015 with Utah bitters

JOSH SCHEUERMAN

10 14 24 26 28 36 38 44 46 52 58

Gourmet

Devour Utah • September/October 2015 5

Devour CONTRIBUTORS Staff Publisher JOHN SALTAS General Manager

ANDY SUTCLIFFE

Editorial Editor Copy Editor Contributors

Photographers

TED SCHEFFLER TIFFANY FRANDSEN DARBY DOYLE, KATIE ELDRIDGE, MICHAEL FELDMAN, REBECCA ORY HERNANDEZ, HEATHER MAY, CHELSEA NELSON, MIKE RIEDEL, AMANDA ROCK, NIKI CHAN, DEREK CARLISLE, JOSH SCHEUERMAN, JOHN TAYLOR

Michael Feldman and his wife, Janet—both from New Jersey—are owners of Feldman’s Deli. Michael spent most of his career in Utah’s biotech industry.

Both he and Janet enjoy good food, miss the food they grew up with and are fans of the many new restaurants Salt Lake City now has to offer.

Production Art Director Assistant Production Manager Graphic Artists

DEREK CARLISLE MASON RODRICKC SUMMER MONTGOMERY, JOSH SCHEUERMAN, CAIT LEE

Business/Office Accounting Manager Associate Business Manager Office Administrator Technical Director

CODY WINGET PAULA SALTAS CELESTE NELSON BRYAN MANNOS

Katie Eldridge has called Park City home for more than 15 years. A reporter by trade, her day job (as owner of Panic Button Media) takes her to the “other side” of the industry where she is often promoting restaurants to local and national media outlets.

When not rubbing shoulders with reporters, you may find her globetrotting or at concerts.

Marketing Marketing Manager Marketing Coordinator

JACKIE BRIGGS NICOLE ENRIGHT

Circulation Circulation Manager

LARRY CARTER

Sales Magazine Advertising Director Newsprint Advertising Director Digital Operations Manager Senior Account Executives Retail Account Executives Devour Store Assistant Manager

JENNIFER VAN GREVENHOF PETE SALTAS ANNA PAPADAKIS DOUG KRUITHOF, KATHY MUELLER JEFF CHIPIAN, JEREMIAH SMITH MOLLI STITZEL ALISSA DIMICK

Chelsea Nelson is a Salt Lake City native who is passionate about living local. She writes a food & cocktail blog, Heartbeat Nosh.

By day, she is a digital-marketing guru for a local nonprofit and busy freelance writer, but loves adventuring with her family most of all.

Distribution is complimentary throughout the Wasatch Front. Additional copies of Devour are available for $4.95 at the Devour offices located at 248 S. Main, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 • 801-575-7003 • DevourUtah.com Advertising contact: sales@DevourUtah.com

Copperfield Publishing Copyright 2015. All rights reserved Cover photo by Niki Chan: Chef Marguerite Henderson’s herb garden in Salt Lake City

6 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Mike Riedel spent the past 25 years as videographer with Fox13 News. Also, for the past decade, Mike has written extensively about beer in Utah—as well as judging and being a general ambassador for Utah’s craft-beer scene. In 2007, he received the Beer Journalism Award from the Brewers Association.

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AUTHENTIC THAI CUISINE AT 3 GREAT LOCATIONS

Devour Utah • September/October 2015 7

Do It

Yourself W

hen I was asked to become editor of Devour Utah, I gave the notion about two seconds’ thought and said, “Hell, yes!” Edit a publication devoted to food and drink? Hell, yes.

This is the DIY—Do It Yourself—issue of Devour and that theme seems especially apt when it comes to cooking, creating cocktails, building restaurants and such. What could be any more DIY than that?

I’ve been gardening for a few years, strictly as an amateur, but Rebecca Ory Hernandez’ article here about locally sourced seeds has opened up an entirely new world to me. There’s so much about seeds I didn’t know. With what I learned from Rebecca and Mountain Valley Seed Co., I feel I’m about ready to go pro.

I’d never even thought about making my own cheese before, until I read Amanda Rock’s DIY ricotta piece. Turns out making homemade ricotta is easier than making a trip to the grocery store, and the end product tastes more fresh and wholesome. Who knew?

Restaurant design and décor has always been a bit of a mystery to me.

How do they do it? Where do they begin? Those are questions I entertain when I hear someone is going to create a new restaurant. It’s an amazing thing, really—to take an empty space and turn it into a place where people will want to break bread together. Darby Doyle’s article about DIY restaurant design is enlightening and captures the creative juices that power some of our favorite local restaurants.

I thought I knew a thing or two about Jewish delis, but Michael Feldman’s article about the origins of the Jewish deli in Utah and elsewhere really opened my eyes. Am I excited for you to read these and the other terrific articles in Devour DIY? Hell, yes. Y --Ted Scheffler

JOHN TAYLOR

Snapshots of a visit to Mountain Valley Seed Co.

8 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

Hand Made Artisan Sausages The Ultimate Women’s Clothing Boutique, Local Food Artisan Market & Espresso Bar

Local Heritage Breed Berkshire Pigs

Sugar Free Bacon Charcuterie · Hams

3210 Highland Drive | Salt Lake City, UT Mon-Fri 10-6 | Saturday 10-5 801.483.3200 PalettiSLC.com

Retail Hours: Friday 12-5, Saturday 10-2 155 West Malvern Ave. | 801.680.8529 SaltandSmokeMeats.Com Devour Utah • September/October 2015 9

High

Altitude

VALUES

Inexpensive eats in Utah’s top-drawer town STORY & PHOTOS BY KATIE ELDRIDGE

I

f you are dining on a budget, chances are you’re not heading to Park City for a meal. The town’s restaurants (many award-winning) are more known for breaking the bank than for economical eats. Here’s the great news: this generalization does always not hold true. We’ve found big flavors along with big values up the hill in our neighboring mountain community.

RIVERHORSE 540 Main, Park City 435-649-3536 RiverhorseParkCity.com The mastermind behind the Riverhorse burger (chef Seth Adams) was serious about appropriating powerhouse flavors from truffle mustard, crispy bacon and Brie to properly showcase a grass-fed beef patty. This stacked, decadent meal also includes fresh arugula, market tomatoes and a side of polenta fries. Oh, and the award-winning Riverhorse décor, ambience, service and views are free.

10 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

Vinto Italiana Chopped Salad $11

Riverhorse Burger $18

VINTO 900 Main, Park City 435-615-9990 Vinto.com Vinto in Park City has become synonymous with value. Tucked back off of lower Main Street, Vinto offers its Italiana chopped salad day and night— for good reason. Served with crunchy Italian breadsticks, the meticulously chopped romaine and arugula are mixed with chicken, pancetta, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and Fontina cheese.

A housemade red-wine vinaigrette ties the flavors together for a meal that won’t leave you hungry or broke.

Devour Utah • September/October 2015 11

Good Karma Breakfast Sandwich $9.95

GOOD KARMA 1782 Prospector Ave. Park City 435-658-0958 GoodKarmaRestaurants.com Start your day off the beaten path in Park City at Houman Gohary’s Indo/ American Good Karma restaurant in the Prospector neighborhood. The breakfast sandwich blends a hearty American breakfast concept with a hint of Indian flavors.

Griddled sourdough bread is paired with cage-free eggs, melted Heber Valley cheddar cheese and organic pork sausage to create a flavorful morning meal. Local grilled potatoes come alongside.

SUSHI BLUE 1571 Redstone Center Drive No.140, Park City 435-575-4272 SushiBlueParkCity.com At Sushi Blue in Kimball Junction, an array of $10 lunches are offered every day. Whether you are in the mood for a burger or Pad Thai—the Blue Plate Special has you covered. Additional choices include vegetable fried rice or a wonton chicken salad with roasted macadamia nuts and a sesame-honey dressing. Each meal comes with iced tea or soda, and a choice of either miso soup or edamame. Need more? Add chicken, shrimp, tofu or kalbi beef to the Pad Thai (Rad Thai) and veggie fried rice for a few extra bucks.

12 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

Sushi Blue Blue Plate Special $10

Devour Utah • September/October 2015 13

Design Chops

Distinctive DIY decor distinguishes five Utah dining destinations

By Darby Doyle

I

n the competitive world of modern dining, providing great food with stellar service is a baseline requirement.

But restaurants that make it, and ultimately thrive, provide more than just a place to order and eat a meal.

Arbitrary, personal and the highly subjective intangibles of atmosphere, design and mood can elevate a basic repast into a must-repeat experience for patrons, whether it’s at the neighborhood bar or a five-star fine dining extravaganza.

Utah design guru and real-estate agent Cody Derrick, owner of cityhomeCOLLECTIVE, thinks that those personal touches and gracious elements are what keep people coming back. “It’s the small moments that create big impacts,” he says. Consider the luxurious, haunting and distinctively moody vibe created in spaces he’s designed, such as Pallet Bistro and Finca. Derrick also believes that those memorable details are what big corporate design teams often overlook.

Scott Hale—owner of local favorites Martine, Desert Edge Pub, Red Butte Café and Stella Grill—integrates a similar philosophy in all of the spaces he’s owned and designed. When owners and chefs take a hands-on approach to the design and construction of a restaurant, “Things come out a little more idiosyncratic,” he says. “It makes the space more comfortable and approachable.”

Fortunately for the denizens of the Beehive State, we’ve got handfuls of restaurants brimming with delicious design. Some of our favorite spots are highlighted on the following pages. Not only have chefs and owners invested more than just their cash into their projects, they have brought personal elements, innovation, creativity and even some sweat equity to their spaces. “Doin’ it yourself” never looked so delectable.

14 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

JOSH SCHEUERMAN

Handle HANDLE

Devour Utah • September/October 2015 15

JOSH SCHEUERMAN

JOSH SCHEUERMAN

136 Heber Ave. Park City 435-602-1155 HandleParkCity.com When Handle co-owner Melissa Gray couldn’t find the perfect wallpaper for the restaurant, she made it herself. She found vintage books and painstakingly fit their pages onto the restaurant’s walls, like a massive decoupage project. That’s just one example of how hands-on Gray and her husband, chef Briar Handley, were when they tackled the renovation of their space in Park City. Handley took on the task of demolition with zeal: moving walls, removing four layers of flooring to expose the original cement surface and completely reconfiguring the kitchen to his exacting specifications.

From the glossy penny bar (made by one of the restaurant’s food runners) at the kitchen service station to the tables hand-made by a friend, Gray’s vision of “Great Expectations meets Southern clubhouse” manifests as a cozy and captivating place. Handley’s mother shipped her collection of antique jars—now in service as vases at the handmade tables—from Connecticut, and Gray found old miners’ lockers for the bar’s wine storage.

They’ve incorporated architectural and accessory elements that specifically call to a sense of history and place in this old-mining-town-gone-glitzy ski mecca.

KERRI FUKUI

Cody Derrick oil paintings commissioned by artist Courtney Derrick (Rocky’s wife) include Utah landscapes and historical figures like Porter Rockwell and Courtney’s grandparents.

From the clerestory windows above the dining room to the original rolldown doors accessing the kitchen, the space resonates with history. In the early 1900s when the building housed the city’s first dairy and creamery, this was a blue-collar part of town.

Pallet has a proletarian vibe that carries through this decidedly urban upscale space, where gals in business suits sit elbow-to-elbow with guys in ripped denim. Derrick’s concept integrates fabrics, color, art and architectural elements of reclaimed wood and metal, making this hot spot simultaneously hoi polloi and haute.

EATPALLET.COM

237 S. 400 West, SLC 801-935-4431 EatPallet.com Even a trip to the restroom is an adventure in good design at Pallet Bistro. It’s part of restaurant designer Cody Derrick’s philosophy that “nothing should jar you out of the experience” of place, which integrates seamlessly from the dining room to the restrooms. “The music, the lighting, the mood. It should all carry through,” says Derrick, who envisioned the restaurant as a place where people would feel as comfortable dining alone as they would when celebrating in a big group. Co-owners Rocky Derrick (Cody’s brother) and Drew Eastman helped with last-minute construction details before opening, and the moody

EATPALLET.COM

16 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

EATPALLET.COM

EATPALLET.COM

PALLET BISTRO

Curious Concoctions of

Professor Julian Raintree

Open Mon, Wed-Sat 11am to 6pm TheSteampunkSpectacle • Lower Level Center Court Trolley Square TheS Devour Utah • September/October 2015 17

DEREK CARLISLE

DEREK CARLISLE

DEREK CARLISLE

18 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

22 E. 100 South, SLC 801-363-9328 MartineCafe.com If you haven’t been to Martine since its recent renovation, you are in for a visual and culinary treat.

Owner Scott Hale and chef/owner Tom Grant closed the restaurant for seven weeks to complete a massive renovation of the historic space, with most of the construction done by their own hands. They removed drywall from the entire east wall of the dining room, exposing pale red bricks soaring two stories up to meet the original pressed metal ceiling. Hexagonal tile flooring next to the re-organized kitchen space completes the vintage feel. Hale and Grant rebuilt the banquets and seating, and only outsourced the re-upholstery and the custom cabinetry.

Hale has a long history of hands-on design of the spaces he owns, saying, “You can do the work yourself for a fraction of the cost” of hiring out the design concepts and construction. He recommends the tremendous business advantage of financing projects out-of-pocket rather than obtaining construction loans. Hale says design is one of his favorite parts of owning restaurants, and he’s very proud of what they have pulled off at Martine. They should be proud. It’s pretty delightful.

Chef and co-owner Tom Grant

DEREK CARLISLE

Martine Cafe

DEREK CARLISLE

MARTINE CAFE

> ^¥Á®O® >j^ >¥ ^°®O®- z¥z°¨ PIZZA PANINIS SALADS

Proprietors of fine tobacco, cigars, pipe tobacco, and accessories since 1948

Coffee Juice Bar Fresh Pastries Grocery Local Meats & Cheeses Outdoor Supplies Liquor Outlet Creekside Dining Next Door to Ruth’s Diner www.ruthscreekside.com 4170 EMIGRATION CANYON

801 582-0457

J156eanie ’s Smokeshop South State Street | 801-322-2817 Why come to Draper? Because it’s closer than

FRANCE.

Bake 360

European E e Bakery B e & Cafe C fe 725 E. 12300 S. | olsensbake360.com

4160 EMIGRATION CANYON ROAD

801 582-5807

WWW.RUTHSDINER.COM Devour Utah • September/October 2015 19

DEREK CARLISLE

DEREK CARLISLE

48 W. Market St., SLC 801-322-4668 MarketstreetGrill.com In 1992, Market Street’s co-owner, John Williams, visited La Coupole restaurant in Paris. Inspired by murals on the dining room’s columns painted by art deco masters—who had legendarily painted in trade for food and drink at La Coupole—he envisioned a similar aesthetic exchange at the Market Street Oyster Bar. Williams, along with co-owner of Gastronomy Inc. restaurant group Tom Guinney, had established a legacy of preservation and adaptive re-use of historic buildings since they renovated the landmark New York Hotel (1906) for The New Yorker restaurant in 1978.

By incorporating murals by Utah artists in the Market Street Oyster Bar’s design, Williams anticipated a winwin, supporting and promoting local artists while at the same time giving the historic space a modern and unique pop.

Gastronomy Inc. public-relations consultant John Becker remembers the time fondly, when famous Utah artists such as Lee Deffebach, Randy Royter, and Don Weller were working at the space. “They could paint whatever they wanted on the columns,” and in return received Gastronomy Inc. gift certificates.

The 13 original works are all visible at the Oyster Bar, along with additions such as a mural painted to commemorate the 2002 Winter Olympics. It’s a legacy of art, community and historic preservation, all in one dynamic space.

DEREK CARLISLE

20 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

DEREK CARLISLE

Market Street Oyster Bar

DEREK CARLISLE

MARKET STREET OYSTER BAR

Now Serving at

3977 S. Wasatch Blvd.

Salt Lake City | 801.466.1202

Breakfast 7 days a week • Catering Available • Large Parties Welcome

• Awesome Patio • Lots of Parking

CITRIS GRILL

Tuesday 8am - 9pm • Wednesday - Saturday 8am-10pm

Devour Utah • September/October 2015 21

DEREK CARLISLE

DEREK CARLISLE

Current Fish & Oyster

CURRENT FISH & OYSTER

22 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

DEREK CARLISLE

279 E. 300 South, SLC 801-326-3474 CurrentFishAndOyster.com One of Salt Lake City’s most stunning restaurant debuts this year was the muchanticipated opening of Current Fish & Oyster. The “elegant grunge” feel created by Luna Design Studio has a decidedly hip and modern vibe. But the exposed steel girders, original high barrel ceiling and huge wood beams of the historic 1906 Ford auto dealership are visible, revealing the gorgeous bones of this beauty of a building. Luna Design Studio architect Louis Ulrich says of their concept, “We love to create a memory and find a way within our design to create that for diners.”

While the million-dollar project stretches the limits of what most restaurateurs could realistically handle as a DIY project, this meticulously restored space has quickly become a community favorite for design that is as tasty as the food coming out of the bustling open kitchen. Y

Flowers, Gifts & Gallery

You’ve just got to come in!

1344 S. 2100 E. | 801.521.4773 everybloomingthing.com Devour Utah • September/October 2015 23

The

pread S

24 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

Billy Blanco’s

W

ith Billy Blanco’s Motor City Mexican Burger and Taco Garage, Park City restaurateur Bill White (Grappa, Chimayo, Wahso, Windy Ridge, Ghidotti’s and Sushi Blue) turned his focus away from “fine” dining to what he calls “Motor City Mexican.” Only a gearhead like White would purchase a brand-new Shelby GT, Ducati racing bikes, tricked-out Harley-Davidsons and vintage cars like a mint Dodge Charger for “decor.” The bar “stools” are fashioned from sports-car seats, and the entire base and coolers of the centerpiece bar at Billy Blanco’s are constructed from heavy-duty, high-end, chrome-plated toolboxes, the type you see at NASCAR races. He even bought an old mill in Kamas just so he could “harvest” the chain pulleys, tractor gears and other heavy metals, which he incorporates into the design of Billy Blanco’s, a blend of Motor City (Bill’s from Detroit) and Mexican.

The Billy Blanco’s menu is composed primarily of Mexican-inspired fare such as burritos, tacos, fajitas, carnitas and such, along with South of the Border-flavored soups and salads, and an array of sandwiches, ribs, wings and burgers. The dry-rubbed ribs are terrific: hardwood-smoked and served with South Carolina-style BBQ sauce or smoky-sweet sauce.

A crowd-pleaser at Billy Blanco’s is the gargantuan Benji Burger. It stands about half a foot high: one-third pound of Angus beef chuck, bacon, shaved BBQ short rib, a choice of cheddar or blue cheese, lettuce, mayo, tomato and onion on a high-quality grilled bun from Windy Ridge Bakery. You may need to eat it with a knife and fork ... or a chainsaw. Chances are Bill White has one nearby. Y

Roadhouse Burger

Mango, Chile De Arbol Guacamole

8208 Gorgoza Pines Road Park City 435-575-0846 BillyBlancos.com —Ted Scheffler Photos courtesy of Billy Blanco’s

Devour Utah • September/October 2015 25

Strained cheese curds

Copper Onion executive chef Jamison Frank

DIY

Ricotta With a firm focus on flavor, Ryan Lowder has created much menu appeal at his popular Copper Onion restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City. An example of his dedication to straight-forward but delicious dishes is the fact that the ricotta is made in-house rather than purchased premade. This creamy, tart cheese adds a decadent dimension to pasta dishes and serves as the main ingredient to one of Copper Onion’s most popular offerings: Ricotta Dumplings.

House-made ricotta is a simple way to elevate dishes, and something easily done at home. Recently, executive chef Jamison Frank took time out of his busy schedule to show how ricotta is made the Copper Onion way. Use this ricotta with pasta, as a filling for manicotti, shells or in lasagna, as a spread for crostini, or perhaps formed into a fancy 26 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

Creamy, tart homemade ricotta

Make your own ricotta the Copper Onion way

by Amanda Rock • Photos by John Taylor

cheese ball to serve at a party—the options are endless. More dense and flavorful than store-bought, homemade ricotta can be made for virtually the same price, so there’s no excuse not to try. “It is delicious. And it is very easy,” says Frank. “You can do it in five minutes and have it for dinner.”

To make a half-gallon batch of Copper Onion’s ricotta, combine ½ gallon of whole milk, one cup of heavy cream and two tablespoons of buttermilk in a large pot. The whole-fat dairy and buttermilk give the cheese body and a rich taste.

Bring this mixture to a boil over medium heat. Once it’s boiling, add ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice and a tablespoon of salt. Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit for five minutes, then say hello to your curds and whey.

With a slotted spoon, carefully scoop the curds into a cheesecloth. Place the cheese over a container to catch the draining liquid.

“You can drain it as long as you want. The longer you drain it, the more dense it becomes,” says Frank.

Depending on how the ricotta is used, you can then stir in chopped fresh herbs or spinach. Or perhaps with something sweet, to pair with grilled fruit. The possibilities are endless with this versatile cheese.

Bringing Copper Onion’s DIY approach into your home kitchen is easier than you think. This simple recipe for ricotta is a cinch and sure to become one of your favorites. Y

Family Ranch Raised Natural Beef No Antibiotics | No Hormones | 100% Grass Fed

ZZZ FPUEHHI FRP ZZZ FPUEHHI FRP )LQG XV DW ORFDO UHVWDXUDQWV JURFHU\ VWRUHV DQG IDUPHU¶V PDUNHWV

Devour Utah • September/October 2015 27

Growing your own with locally sourced Mountain Valley Seeds

by Rebecca Ory Hernandez Photos courtesy of Mountain Valley Seed Co.

28 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

I

f, like me, you enjoy eating fresh, local, organic produce, you probably know that most of what you are eating is grown from seed. One tiny seed can grow into a plump, delicious, garden tomato that tastes like the essence of summer. Remember the first time, as a kid, that you planted a seed and harvested a tomato or green bean that you plucked right off the vine in the heat of summer? There’s nothing like the sense of accomplishment of growing your own food—even if it’s just in a little patio container filled with small lettuces. Well, did you know there is a local seed grower and distributor right here in Salt Lake City?

One morning, as I was rushing into my local Harmons to “make groceries,” as I grew up saying, my little boy was checking out the seed-packet display. He asked me if we could buy some. I replied, “Certainly! Let’s find something yummy to grow and eat. Your choice.” He’s a big fan of green beans, so he selected a packet labeled, “Heirloom Bean: Jade Stringless Bush.” Glancing at the bottom of the packet to check out the source, I read, “Mountain Valley Seed Co., SLC, UT.” I thought, “Seriously … these seeds are from Utah?” There’s nothing I like better than checking out local food sources, so I took a field trip to investigate Mountain Valley Seed Co. for myself.

Wedged in an industrial/warehouse section of West Temple, in an unassuming beige brick building, is Mountain Valley Seed Co. Inside, it looks like a typical warehouse with an atypical “green” reception area. Filling the entrance are displays of seed packets, growing supplies, soil mixes, a small growroom and an office space crafted out of old train cars. MVS sells to local growers, so this space is a showroom for clients.

Upon entering the room, a large black-and-white photo greets visitors. It’s an image of a man driving a tractor through a field with the Wasatch Range behind him. The plate below it reads, “Demetrios Agathangelides,” aka “Dimo,” referring to the founder who studied agriculture and botany at Utah State University in the ’60s. Dimo sold seeds out of a little garden store named Greek Gardens in Logan. He started his business because he began getting questions from growers and customers such as: “What seeds grow well here?” “What plants will hold up in the heat?” and “What’s the best time to sow tomato, cucumber and melon seeds?” The crops he grew withstood the Utah climate—surviving cold winters and thriving in hot summers. Before they knew it, Dimo and his

Devour Devo De Devou vo r U Utah tah ah h • September/October Sep ep ptem tem ember ber/Oc er Oc cto t er 2015 tob 201 20 2 01 15 29 2

wife Diane were packing seeds at their kitchen table. This was 1974. The business continued to grow, and they created Mountain Valley Seed Co. Fast forward to the new millennium. In 2010, Robb Baumann and his partner, Lance Heaton, convinced Demetrios to sell Mountain Valley Seed Co. to the pair.

Baumann and Heaton met studying economics at the University of Utah as undergrads, worked in the corporate world (one in aerospace engineering, the other in economics) and took a year off to ski after grad school. They call themselves “closet gardeners” and “adrenaline ski junkies.”

They knew they wanted to combine forces and get out of the “rat race” but still be able to take care of their families and live a more balanced lifestyle. Since 2010, the seed business has become more than a passion, and the company has grown and merged with a sprouting company, Living Whole Foods. Specializing in heirloom and non-GMO seed, Mountain Valley Seed Co. works to keep the seed business sustainable, focusing on integrity and time-honored principles

30 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

of respecting the land. Baumann and Heaton are energetic, delightful conversationalists, passionate about their business and teaching anyone who will listen about growing seeds (though I found it humorous to learn that most of their ski pals don’t know they garden like crazy every summer). In fact, Heaton was just coming back from tending his home garden when I arrived to interview him.

“Nothing tastes like food you grow yourself,” they simultaneously proclaim. “You don’t have to be a homesteader or master gardener to grow your own food. But what you do need is good quality seed,” says Baumann. “When you get a fall-harvested carrot, it’s unbelievably sweet, delicious … the essence of carrot. And it’s incredible to watch our partner growers walking the fields, seeing what goes into production … meeting the growers personally, learning about

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Devour Utah • September/October 2015 31

their land and tasting the crops.”

When I asked him to recommend a few seeds that grow best in northern Utah, he suggested melons— ”Athena” watermelon, especially. Hillbilly tomatoes and the exclusive-to-MVS Hamson tomato—developed here

by Dimo at Utah State University—fare very well in Utah.

“The Super-100s also always do well. Lincoln peas and our mesclun mix can’t be beat. Those are no-brainers.

And any of our turnips and radishes. For sprouting, herbs like basil, dill, cilantro and radish, mustard and amaranth are great,” said Baumann.

When asked why grow your own—aside from superior flavor—Heaton states, “In reality, you’re taking back control of what you’re putting in your body.”

They both caution that, like most businesses, the seed business is not easy. “The big guys are always close on our tails.” But Baumann and Heaton work hard to nurture great relationships and contacts with growers around the world.

And, the good news is that Utahns are getting on board with growing their own food. Victory gardens are sprouting in yards, and community produce gardens are popping up in empty lots here. Tofu, soy and almond milk-making kits, distributed by MVS, are becoming increasingly popular. Growing your own food is empowering and nutrient-dense.

MVS gives back to the community by working with educational garden programs, such as the school garden at Bonneville Elementary, where kids come back in late summer/early fall and harvest what they sowed in the spring. They learn early that growing their own food is fun and not terribly complicated. And, they get to eat what they grow.

Mountain Valley Seeds can be found at IFA Country Stores, Harmons, Wasatch Community Gardens and many local garden stores.

Mountain Valley Seed Co. 32 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

Tradition...Tradition

2014

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Devour Utah • September/October 2015 33

SEED SCIENCE Don’t know heirloom from GMO? According to the seed pros at Mountain Valley Seed Co., here’s how to understand the lingo on your seed packets.

O.P.: Open Pollination. MVS is known for O.P. seeds. Open pollination means that the plant will produce seed that will breed mostly “true.” Breeding true means that the seed from the original plant can be re-planted the next year and you will get the same plant year after year. MVS carries nearly 400 varieties of O.P. seed.

Heirloom: In the seed industry, the word “heirloom” is much-hyped. In order for a seed to be labeled heirloom, it must have been around at least 40 to 60 years (although there is no dateof-origin standardization at this time).

Heirloom seeds are always O.P. Growers know that some heirlooms can be 100 years old, or older. You can collect heirloom seeds and plant them over and over, virtually never having to purchase another plant as long as you collect and save the seeds. Many, but not all, heirloom seeds are organic.

GMO: This is a hybrid seed that is a genetically modified organism, altered at the gene level to be resistant to pests, diseases, environmental conditions and herbicides. Cross-breeding between a plant and something other than a plant (such as a fish, animal, tissue from a mammal or something else), created

34 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

in a lab, is GMO. GMO is not O.P. and GMO is something MVS wants no part of. “We have a right to know what’s in our food, which doesn’t mean that we are anti-science,” Baumann says.

Organic: Certified Organic means that the seed, crop and fields are absent of pesticides and herbicides. It takes a minimum of three years to attain official recognition by USDA as organic.

Many organic seeds are heirloom seeds.

Hybrid: A cross, but not GMO. A seed that will not grow year-after-year, but is from two pure “parents”, pollinated in an isolation zone. Disease-resistance can occur naturally this way, which is a good thing. Many modern tomatoes are hybrids because they have been created over generations to produce a sturdy, hearty fruit or plant that will withstand its environment. In fact, many hybrids are sturdier than heirlooms for their ability to withstand pests and diseases in harsh climates and provide increased yields. Think about your Packman Hybrid Broccoli and Sweet 100s Cherry Tomato seeds.

The seeds are inexpensive, and you grow them annually. “Hybrids can outproduce heirlooms 10-to-1,” according to Baumann. Y

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36 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

Alamexo Mexican Kitchen

Tamales de Elote 268 S. State, SLC 801-779-4747 Alamexo.com

A

t Alamexo Mexican Kitchen, executive chef Matthew Lake makes tamales that are anything but routine. His tamales de elote, for example, translates simply into “corn tamales.” Elote is the Nahuatl term for corn on the cob. But although fresh, sweet corn kernels serve as the basis of Lake’s tamales—along with a little masa corn flour, minced white onion (“never yellow!”, he admonishes), jalapeño and dried, soaked corn husks for presentation—these tamales are extraordinary.

Fresh ingredients and classic Mexican cooking techniques are key. For the salsa chipotle con crema that accompanies the tamales, Lake roasts ripe plum tomatoes and garlic cloves on a comal, then purees them with heavy cream and chipotle adobo.

Large shrimp are flash-seared and then finished in the simmering salsa. Lake tops the tamales with the shrimp and salsa and then garnishes with grated queso freso, minced white onion and fresh cilantro.

Combining tradition and innovation, Matthew Lake and Alamexo have created one of the best Mexican restaurants north of the border. Just try the tamales, and you’ll agree.

—Ted Scheffler Photos by Niki Chan Devour Utah • September/October 2015 37

Meat your

Maker

38 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

Frody volggEr Artisan butcher/chef

BY DARBY DOYLE PHOTOS BY JOHN TAYLOR

F

Frody Volgger

rody Volgger’s speck is pork, perfected. I’m at the counter in his small butcher shop, Salt & Smoke Artisan Meats in South Salt Lake, on a sunny Saturday morning when this revelation occurs. My two sons are eagerly perusing the cold case, debating whether we should get plump weisswurst or some herbed rabbit sausage to grill for dinner (we end up buying both). Chef Volgger hands us each a translucent sliver of speck—pork belly cold-smoked over fruitwood in the German tradition—that he’s just pulled off the slicer. It has the texture and buttery mouthfeel of prosciutto, but with the mellow smokiness of American bacon, and it practically melts on the tongue. Volgger snags a slice, too, as if he just can’t help himself. We all hum appreciatively as we savor it, and he says with a grin, “It’s good stuff, hmm?”

This will be one of the many understatements I’ll hear Frodebert “Frody” Volgger utter about his products as we chat about his delicious legacy of work over the years. While he takes his craft seriously, he approaches life with humor and charming humility. Awardwinning Chef Viet Pham, of Forage fame, once told me that Volgger knows so much about sausage-making and charcuterie that pork “runs through his veins.” Not the sexiest analogy, perhaps (unless you’re a cardiologist with boat payments), but we get the point: The man is a magician with all things meat.

Coming from a family of dairy farmers and butchers in Vorarlberg, Austria, Volgger learned about raising, processing and curing pork at his uncle’s side on their family farm in the Alps near the Swiss border. Long before “nose-to-tail” charcuterie became the foodie buzz term of this century, folks around the world used every part of the animal for frugality’s sake, for damned sure, but also because generations of trial-anderror figured out how to transform every part of the pig into something delicious.

Devour Utah • September/October 2015 39

Coppa meat seasoned to perfection

In this tradition, Volgger not only provides the highest quality European-style charcuterie and meat cuts at his shop, but he’s been instrumental in fulfilling consumer demand for humanely raised pork, farmed game meats, and poultry—all of which, in turn, supports local small farmers. Through a partnership with Christiansen Family Farm near Vernon, Utah, the meats used in Salt & Smoke products come from heritage Berkshire pigs and free-range chickens responsibly raised and tended by the Christiansen family.

Like many transplants to Utah, Volgger came to Salt Lake City to ski. It was 1984, and he never found reason to leave.

In Austria, Volgger grew up competitively racing in alpine ski events and, as an adult, raced mountain bikes. Athleticism at that level takes concentration, determination and the ability to multi-task at lightning speed. That same precision skill set proved valuable when he trained as a chef and then worked in some of the finest food cities in the world. When he moved to Utah, Volgger headed the Metro Café kitchen and, then, his own Vienna Bistro, the Main Street eatery that closed in 2011.

He quickly became known as the go-to guy for quality meat prepared with exacting detail.

Volgger also worked with Tony Caputo to develop and expand Caputo’s Market’s line of house-made charcuterie and select meats sourced from local farmers. He’s mentored countless chefs and home cooks, and he taught sausage-making and butchering classes at Caputo’s, which I was lucky enough to attend since they usually were filled to capacity as soon as they were announced.

After a lifetime of hitting the mountains hard by day, and cranking out fantastic food every night, Volgger has struck a worklife balance point of a slightly more laid-back level of passion.

Say, if one’s intensity level started out at Batman as interpreted by Christian Bale and dialed back to Michael Keaton circa 1989—still focused, but with a little bit more patience and levity.

Frody’s Salt & Smoke Artisan Meats is the culmination of his lifetime of skill and care preparing hundreds of types of sausage, fermented salami and prime cuts of meat. In addition to gorgeous cured products like the aforementioned superlative speck, Volgger stocks dozens of sausage varieties, all handtied in natural casings, plus sugar-free cherrywood smoked bacon, veal brats, Basque-style chorizo made with smoked local Mirasol peppers, several types of ham, house-smoked salmon, phenomenal duck confit and pâté, and Italian classics like coppa, guanciale, and pancetta.

Elk, bison, wild boar, rabbit and venison sausages have made their way into Volgger’s repertoire, most for sale at Salt & Smoke and on menu rotation at Beer Bar downtown.

In fact, much of Volgger’s weekly volume of meat preparation goes via pre-order to off-site restaurants: He stuffs and parboils hundreds of sausages weekly for Beer Bar alone, along with pulled pork for places like Pat’s BBQ, breakfast sausage for Pig and a Jelly Jar, and charcuterie and bacon for hot spots like Eva. Whether pulled right off the slicer as-is, or incorporated into a recipe, Volgger’s meats are, indeed, “the good stuff.” Y

Salt & Smoke Artisan Meats 155 W. Malvern Ave., South Salt Lake, 801-671-0896 SaltAndSmokeMeats.com 40 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

Prepared family-style meals made om scratch for you

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Frody’s Rahm Schnitzel

Rahm Schnitzel

Serves 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes KITCHEN EQUIPMENT/UTENSILS: Medium sized, heavy bottom skillet 3 small bowls, for flour, sliced mushrooms and diced onions Medium size plate for resting meat Wooden spoon and a pair of tongs

DIRECTIONS: • Heat heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat with the oil.

• Heavily season all-purpose flour with salt & pepper.

• Dredge pork cutlets in flour mixture, brushing off excess.

• When the skillet is really hot, but not smoking, place all four cutlets in the pan.

Brown the first side and flip, reducing heat to medium.

• Remove the meat from the pan when second side has started to brown—the pork should be about 90 percent cooked. Set aside on a plate.

• Add the onions to the skillet with the browned meat drippings. Sauté until translucent, lower the heat slightly so as not to brown the onions. Cook for about 10 minutes total.

• Increase heat to medium-high, deglaze the pan with white wine.

• Gently scrape the pan with wooden spoon or spatula as wine starts to bubble • Add the mushrooms, cook for about 5 minutes.

• Lower the heat to medium and add the cream. Allow cream to come to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer.

• Give it a stir every couple of minutes until the sauce begins to thicken, season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Return the pork cutlets and all the drippings back into the pan, heating the pork all the way through.

Serve with spätzle, your favorite pasta or rice.

42 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

TED SCHEFFLER

INGREDIENTS: 2T. organic high-heat oil. We like avocado oil but canola works just fine 4 ea. 6 ounce boneless Christiansen Family Farms Pork Loin medallions ¼ c. Central Milling organic all-purpose flour Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper ½ medium organic white onion, finely diced 2 ounces (a big splash) of dry white wine.

(We like Grüner Veltliner) 8 ounces porcini mushroom (or any favorite) sliced to slightly larger than bite-size pieces ½ c. organic heavy cream

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JOSH SCHEUERMAN

Beer Nuts

Brew

at home

A chat with local homebrew pioneer Mark Alston

BY MIKE RIEDEL

H

umans have been brewing beer for thousands of years.

Some say brewing may even predate breadmaking. During the Middle Ages, beer became an important staple, as people began to live in cities where close quarters and poor sanitation made clean water difficult to find. The alcohol in beer made beer safer to drink than water. Thus, beer became a necessity rather than the luxury it is today.

To get to know beer, you need to understand the processes of how it’s made. Mark Alston, owner of the Beer Nut homebrewing and winemaking supply shop, has spent the better part of two decades getting people to know their beer.

Devour: How did you come across homebrewing?

uninteresting, fizzy yellow stuff that really didn’t offer up much in the way of excitement. Homebrewing gave me the chance to explore beer styles I’d heard of, but never had the chance to try.

D: How did the transition happen from homebrewer to homebrew-shop owner?

MA: Back then, there were only a few homebrew shops around and they provided the basics—which was adequate for a time. I started reading about all of these cool beer styles that I wanted to make, but nobody in town had the stuff I needed, so I said to myself, “I can do better than this.” I found a space, got the inventory and have been in business in the same place for the past 21 years.

D: What’s changed in homebrewing over the past 21 years?

MA: The ingredients are so much better. We have at least three dozen different types of grain, not to mention 50-plus different varieties of hops. Plus the wine kits and incredible brewing gadgets that are out now.

D: How is the technology different?

MA: The equipment we sell now can easily duplicate the technology that exists in professional breweries— everything from kettles, fermenters, pumps and lab equipment. Everything you need to make a perfect professional-tasting beer is available.

I’d have killed to have some of this stuff when I first started brewing.

D: How were things in the early days?

Mark Alston: I started homebrewing back in 1989. My girlfriend at the time bought me a basic kit. She knew I was a “sciency” guy and it combined all the things I loved, like chemistry, cooking, gadgets—all that cool stuff.

D: Did homebrewing change your perceptions of the beer you were drinking at the time?

MA: Immensely. For the most part, beer available at that time was 44 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

MA: It was tough and business was slow. I had all my money tied up in inventory and had no employees. I think I worked 246 days in a row that first year before I took my first day off.

My wife covered for me while I spent that day-off homebrewing at our home.

Don’t laugh—I never had time to brew!

D: Now that you can make perfecttasting beer at home, what’s next in homebrewing?

MA: That is really up to the homebrewer’s imagination. There are so many talented and creative people who are constantly changing centuries-old perceptions of what beer can be. It’s a really inspiring time to be homebrewing. “Give a man a beer, he’ll waste an afternoon. Teach a man to brew, he’ll waste a lifetime.” Y

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Pastrami Reuben

Mayo

Can I Get

COURTESY PHOTO

with that

Origins of the Jewish deli, from New York to Utah

BY MICHAEL FELDMAN, OWNER OF FELDMAN’S DELI

T

COURTESY PHOTO

Pulled Pork Sandwich

Lox Platter

46 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

COURTESY PHOTO

Feldman’s

he delicatessen has long been part of Jewish life in America. Katz’s, which opened on New York’s Lower East Side in 1888, was the first big Jewish deli. It soon became the “prime gathering place for the Jewish community, on par with the synagogue,” according to Ted Merwin, author of Pastrami on Rye. Orthodox Jewish immigrants settled in New York City in the 1800s and discovered wonderful Italian and German delicatessens there but could not enjoy the pork offerings. Because the immigrants couldn’t afford expensive cuts of meat, Jews soon established their own kosher “appetizer stores.”

Creativity was used to develop tasty kosher meats from cheap cuts like brisket, navel or tongue, employing old European preserving techniques. The kosher salt used to infuse meat with flavor, for example, looked like kernels of corn, which lead to the term “corned” beef.

Back in those mostly impoverished days, Jewish immigrants would buy a platter of corned beef, pastrami or tongue and celebrate being American with the promise of better opportunities to come.

Immigrants felt important eating huge, but inexpensive, sandwiches and the deli became a place for Jews to gather, converse and relax. Ingenious Irish immigrants borrowed these and similar methods, creating two great cultures with a common love for corned beef!

In 1899, there were 10 Jewish delicatessens in the Lower East Side of New York City. However, they exploded the 1920s and ’30s, topping out at 1,550 kosher delicatessens in the five boroughs. Leibman’s in the Bronx, Gottlieb’s and Junior’s in Brooklyn, Ben’s and 2nd Avenue Delis in Manhattan are still kosher.

Mid-town delis near Broadway, like Lindy’s, Carnegie, Zabar’s, Ratner’s and Reuben’s, where the non-kosher (cheese with meat) Reuben sandwich was introduced, became hangouts for entertainers like Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor and George Jessel. The mobster Arnold Rothstein had his own table at Lindy’s.

The deli represented more than just food—it was part of Jewish culture. The deli was the place to be—such a big deal. It’s as much a product of New York as it is of Yiddish European culture. Who would have guessed?

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Devour Utah • September/October 2015 47

The Great Escape from NYC While Jewish delis were well entrenched in New York City, interest in them started growing around the country. After World War I, delis began spreading to other cities. I can’t name them all, but here are some of the best known—all very good: • Chicago (Manny’s, Kaplan’s, Max & Benny’s) • Boston (Rubin’s, Zaftig’s, Michael’s) • Baltimore (Attmans, Weiss) • Philly (4th Street Delicatessen) • Detroit (Zingerman’s, Star, Hygrade) • Cleveland (Corky & Lenny’s, Jack’s) • Atlanta (Goldberg’s) • Miami (Wolfies, Ben’s, 3 G’s, 2 J’s, Poppies, Flakowitz) • Los Angeles (Canter’s, Langer’s, Brent’s, Junior’s, Art’s, Nate & Al’s, Jerry’s) • Palm Springs (Sherman’s) • Denver (Zaidy’s, The Bagel) • Phoenix (Chompies, Goldman’s) • Las Vegas (Harrie’s, Weiss’s)

And they shopped happily ever after...

I grew up in New Jersey with Harold’s, Tabatchnick’s, Jack Cooper’s and Deli King. With the addition of the popular Reuben sandwich, people of all backgrounds craved the Jewish deli and the delis flourished nationally through World War II.

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The deli craze even found its way to Utah.

Though Auerbach’s Department Store had the first Jewish-run restaurant in the early 1900s, there wasn’t a true Jewish deli until a concentration-camp survivor, Lu Dornbush, a pharmacist, found his way to Salt Lake City and opened one in 1955, on Broadway and 200 West.

He made his own authentic corned beef and pastrami, pickles and sauerkraut, cheesecake and babka. He was reputed to be a real character with a great sense of humor—a solid member of the community. He quickly grew his customer base, mostly from Utah’s Jewish population, but it came to include even Mormons once they discovered how wonderful deli food was. After years of successful operation, it closed in 1978.

There have been other attempts to open Jewish delis in Utah. The Eisen family opened Max’s downtown in the 1960s but it could not compete successfully with the Dornbush Deli.

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Delis in a Pickle

The Revival

In 1952, Ray Kroc joined McDonalds and turned it into the world’s most successful franchise-food business, forever changing the way Americans eat. That began the end of an era.

American families once dined together, and delis flourished through the 40s and 50s. But with the rise of fast and franchise foods, and later, with the search for healthier diets, it became difficult to justify the huge, expensive (and let’s face it: not exactly low fat) sandwiches of the Jewish deli. The younger generation of deli entrepreneurs didn’t have the same passion as their parents and could not evolve with the trends. Many ran into hard times and hundreds of delis closed.

Today there are fewer than 150 Jewish delis across the country.

In the face of decline, however, over the last 10-20 years, there has been a revival, of sorts, for the Jewish deli. A handful of Boomers, Gen-Xers and Millennials feel a strong obligation to maintain the culinary traditions, cuisines, recipes and techniques handed down through generations. This is particularly evident in the Western United States, where you’ll find the new breed of deli entrepreneurs: Wise Sons and Shorty Goldstein’s in San Francisco, Saul’s in Berkeley, Calif., Kenny & Zuke’s in Portland, Ore., Stopsky’s in Seattle; Kenny & Ziggy’s in Houston; and both 9th South and Feldman’s (if I do say so myself) in Salt Lake City. With these, you get both traditional and new interpretations of Jewish cuisine. Deli culture is in good hands, so come in for a nosh!

Or, as Bubbe (grandmother) would say, “Zitz … Es … Gesunte hayt!” (Sit. Eat. Be healthy!)

50 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

Pickled beets

COURTESY PHOTO

Rugelach

Y

COURTESY PHOTO

Nowadays, in Salt Lake City, Kosher on the Go (1575 S. 100 East) is operated by the Chabad Lubavich and caters to the orthodox/kosher community.

In the early ’90s, a Delta airline pilot opened the Chicago Deli in Cottonwood Heights with authentic selections and great reviews, but it only lasted about four years.

In 2009, Randy Harmsen, a retired LDS engineer—who grew up here with the Dornbush Deli and was so inspired by Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor that he wanted to re-establish the tradition in Salt Lake City—opened the 9th South Delicatessen (931 E. 900 South) to rave reviews.

More recently, in 2012, Feldman’s Deli (2005 E. 2700 South) owned by New Jersey transplants Janet and Michael Feldman (my wife and I), opened in upper Sugar House, bringing the food we grew up with to Utah.

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DIY

Dinner Party

Cooking & entertaining with chef and author Marguerite Henderson

BY HEATHER MAY PHOTOS BY NIKI CHAN

S

he doesn’t know it, but local chef and cookbook author Marguerite Henderson has been a part of my home dinner club nearly since its inception.

It was her “Vegetarian for Gourmets” menu that I served to impress my friends—and the vegetarian I was dating—about 15 years ago in one of my first dinnerparty attempts. (The wheel of baked brie wrapped in puffed pastry and stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and rosemary found a home on many a subsequent party platter.)

Later, I bought Henderson’s first cookbook, Savor the Memories, for a friend who was living in San Francisco at the time. I wanted to remind her of home, in hopes

52 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

that she’d soon return to Salt Lake City. When she did, she came up with the plan of starting a dinner club.

That was in 2006, and four to five couples have been meeting for our in-home dinners just about every month since.

Through the years, we’ve tried various themes: Farmers market finds; an Iron Chef-inspired meal (for beginners) in which every dish required the use of lemon; aphrodisiacs for Valentine’s Day. Dishes from Henderson’s cookbooks also showed up on our menus: For a meal of soups, we devoured her curried butternut squash, tomato-artichoke and pumpkin-leek varieties. So when we decided to hire a chef for a cooking class, Henderson—who trained as

an elementary teacher and switched careers after going to cooking schools in Italy and France while she lived in Germany—was the natural choice.

On a pleasant summer evening, the former owner of Cucina Deli greeted us outside her Tudor home in the Yalecrest neighborhood of Salt Lake City. As we walked through a gate into her backyard oasis, it was clear why she has taught over 700 students, and hosts wonderful parties. Her home is an invitation to break bread. A large, white pergola laden with grapevines and clusters of fruit hanging close enough to pick stood over a Europeanstyle table setting cast in hues of robin-egg blue, leafy green and butter yellow. In between checking the grill that dominates one end of the tiled patio and doling out advice (Go to the farmers markets before they open, like the chefs do. Presentation is everything. “Show love for the food! Show love for your guests!”), Marguerite would grab her scissors to cut sprigs of basil, mint or fennel from her garden to top a platter of heirloom tomatoes and burrata (don’t use balsamic vinegar for caprese salad— it ruins the mozzarella, she advises), cheese-stuffed portobello, or pork tenderloin.

By the end of the three-hour class, the string of lights hanging from the pergola cast a warm glow over a satiated group. We felt like travelers who had lucked upon a secret spot shared only among locals.

But we were there to learn, not just stuff ourselves. So, we peppered her with questions. Here is some of her sage advice for the occasional dinner host.

Marguerite Henderson

Devour Utah • September/October 2015 53

White bean dip with fresh basil

Heirloom tomatoes with burrata cheese When in doubt, don’t fuss.

The recipe for one of the dinner appetizers—sliced, fresh figs and cambozola cheese wrapped in proscuitto—called for a sprinkle of toasted, crushed walnuts. But Henderson used pistachios instead because that’s what she had in her pantry. (Tip: Place them in a bag and pound with a mallet in lieu of chopping).

But shouldn’t we faithfully follow recipes? “You can’t go crazy,” she says. “I hate to say it, but it’s only food.” However, she’s adamant on these points: Never use iodized salt (“It’s just chemicals.”). Replace it with kosher salt, but use sea salt to finish dishes. Use powdered garlic for rubs, but never any other time. And retire the garlic press, which wastes half the clove. She makes chopping garlic easy by sprinkling (kosher) salt on the clove and smashing it with the side of her chef’s knife. “The abrasiveness of the salt is creating a platform for the garlic so it’s not running all over your chopping block.”

Proscuitto-wrapped fresh figs with cambozola cheese 54 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

Keep it simple; cook with love.

Making a meal is my way of showing love. My boys would prefer sickly sweet store-bought cakes, but I make cakes from scratch for their birthdays, because that’s love.

When I host parties, I want to make everything I serve for the same reason.

I nod in agreement when Henderson explains why she became a chef: Cooking is “what you can do for your friends and get instant gratification.

You create something and they go, ‘It’s the best … I’ve ever had.’ ” So it was relief I felt when she confessed to shopping at Costco and Trader Joe’s (true fact: many restaurant chefs do) and occasionally buying pre-made dishes. If she’s serving three appetizers at a large party, she’ll make one and buy the rest. For a fundraiser, she bought frozen lemon and cheesecake bars from Trader Joe’s and served them after she sprinkled powdered sugar and mint leaves on top. When you employ store-bought food, “You’ve got to make it better,” says Henderson.

“Kick it up a notch.” “[Hosts] feel like they have to make everything from scratch, but the best

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Devour Utah â&#x20AC;˘ September/October 2015 55

Grilled pork tenderloins over grilled fennel, red onions, zucchini and squash

Limoncello panna cotta with grilled peaches

meals are simple meals,” she says, showing her adamancy by slapping her hand on her palm. If your best dish is a killer beef stew, serve a beef stew and green salad. Don’t try to impress with beef bourguignon. If you are a dessert dilettante, buy gelato and biscotti, the half-Italian cook advises. “I’d rather have that than a crappy piece of cake,” she says with a laugh.

The fresh pasta she served us (topped with tomatoes blistered on the grill and warm goat cheese) came from the farmers market. She supports buying local, and will teach a class this fall on how to shop the farm stands and return with a meal-in-the-making. But her surprising go-to spot for dried pasta? TJ Maxx.

Get out of the kitchen.

That morning, long before we arrived, Henderson had already made dessert: limoncello panna cotta. The pork tenderloins had been marinating in olive oil, fennel seeds and rosemary for hours. She’s been to dinner parties where the host forgot key steps and guests munched on appetizers for far longer than was polite. “I am a do-ahead kind of gal as much as I can be,” Henderson says while she puts out a bowl of chicken liver pate.

“I don’t want to be in the kitchen while my guests are here.”

By the end of the night, she had joined us at the dinner table, sharing a convivial glass of wine and her stories. In that moment, we decided on a new dinner club tradition: To find ourselves in this backyard again in a year, under the grape leafs, our bellies full, within reach of our dearest friends. Y

Left56 to right (back): May • Erik2015 Nielsen • Marguerite Henderson • Annette Nielsen • Betsy Yeates • Naina Phadnis • Adam Strachan Devour Utah •Heather September/October Left to right (front): Nitin Phadnis • Chad Derum • Helen Strachan

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2014

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The Bitters’ Truth

By Chelsea Nelson • Photos by Derek Carlisle

I

f you haven’t noticed, cocktails made with craft bitters and exotic mixers are gaining popularity at high speed. Bitters have long been a mystery to some cocktail consumers, but as Salt Lake City’s DIY culture grows, so do the number of folks who love craft cocktails and artisan ingredients.

Bitters are commonly made with botanicals, traditionally prepared with high-volume alcohol and originally sold as medicines. Today, however, bitters are used as apéritifs and cocktail flavorings. Most notably, the artful use of bitters can bring out certain

flavor profiles in a cocktail, as well as create an overall balance. I like to think of bitters as the ingredient that ties a perfect cocktail together in a nice, spirited bow.

Locally, two craft bitters companies are making waves among not only local home-bar mixologists, but also in some of the city’s best restaurants and bars.

Beehive Bitters and Bitters Lab are both enhancing the cocktail scene along the Wasatch Front. Want to know more? The best way to learn is through tasting, and here are a few beautiful cocktails that you can currently enjoy that showcase these local bitters.

The Drink THE TIN ANGEL Old Fashioned

THE BITTERS

BEEHIVE BITTERS

THE MAKER

TIN ANGEL CAFE 365 W. 400 South, SLC 801-328-4155 TheTinAngel.com

I

n this classy cocktail, Beehive Bitters Spiced Orange brings out the full-flavored roundness of the drink. The whiskey hits your pallet and is then immediately cut by the bitters, finishing with a savory note of basil simple syrup delivering a sweet profile. And don’t forget the bourbon cherry— these house-made beauties pop with flavor.

58 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

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T

his gorgeous cocktail could possibly be mistaken for a coupe full of golden honey, but it’s a twist on a classic that won’t disappoint. The Martinez, available at Copper Common upon request, uses Bitters Lab Aromatic Bitters to bring a bright and spicy element to this cocktail. The bitters provide a citrus backbone that plays very well with the oak-centric flavor of Beehive’s Barrel Reserve Gin.

The Drink THE MARTINEZ

THE BITTERS BITTERS LAB

THE MAKER

COPPER COMMON 111 E. Broadway, SLC 801-355-0543 CopperCommon.com

60 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

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Z

est’s Ginger Spice is the kind of cocktail that bitters are made for—more specifically Bitters Lab Burn Cedar Currant bitters.

This oaky, Makers Mark-based beverage is full of house-made ingredients, including housepressed apple juice and ginger simple syrup—components just begging for the perfect flavor to bring it all together. Bitters Lab Burnt Cedar Currant bitters kicks this cocktail into high gear with a spicy finish you won’t soon forget. Top it off with a bite of the cinnamonsprinkled apple that garnishes the rim, and you’re in heaven.

The Drink GINGER SPICE

THE BITTERS BITTERS LAB

THE MAKER

ZEST KITCHEN & BAR 275 S. 200 West, SLC 801-433-0589 ZestSLC.com

62 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

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The Drink THE Sage Brush

THE BITTERS

Beehive Bitters

THE MAKER

The Annex 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC 801-742-5490 TheAnnexByEpicBrewing.com

T

his cocktail is set apart by the use of fresh sage, which is allowed to shine in Beehive Bitters Spiced Orange. Bourbon anchors the cocktail, and a top-off with soda delivers a refreshing finish. However, a full and heaping dropper of Beehive Bitters is truly what pulls The Sage Brush together as a finished, wellbalanced drink.

64 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

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What I Learned

Along the Way

By Ted Scheffler

I

can think of few careers that define DIY more than being a chef or restaurateur. A talented chef can take raw ingredients and turn them into a blissful meal. A creative restaurateur can take a space that probably should have been condemned and turn it into a darling dining destination. (Think Bodega.

Log Haven. Eva Bakery. Grappa.)

In writing about food and reviewing restaurants for more than two decades, I’ve learned a lot along the way. I’ve learned from chefs. I’ve learned from restaurant owners. I’ve learned from servers and managers and line cooks and bartenders.

What’s the thing I learned the best? That I will never own or operate a restaurant.

It isn’t that I’m not a DIY sort of guy. It’s that it’s just too damned much work. You think you want to be a chef? Unless your name is Batali or Flay you’d better get used to working on your feet in a hot kitchen for impossibly long hours, typically earning a mediocre wage. You really have to love your work and most of the people in the restaurant biz. I know do.

Which is why I take the privilege and responsibility of reviewing restaurants very seriously. Restaurant folks are extremely dedicated, hard workers and they deserve a fair shake. I never enter a restaurant looking for trouble. But I do call a spade a spade. Credibility is about all a reviewer of any type can aspire to and I’d always rather write a positive review than a negative one. But I’m also accountable to those who read my opinions and spend money based on them. In that sense, I see myself more as a consumer advocate than a critic.

One of the most important lessons I learned about restaurants came from Park City restaurateur Bill White. He once said to me that a successful restaurant is built like a three-legged stool, with service, ambience and food representing the three legs. Knock one of those legs out, and the stool tips over. Naturally, there are other factors—a good wine list, for example—that can matter, but food, service and ambience are critical. And those are the things I always pay most attention to when reviewing restaurants.

The way creative chefs think always amazes me. How does Forage’s Bowman Brown come to create a dish like Last Year’s Chestnuts and Salted Lamb? (I’m assuming the nuts are last year’s, not the lamb.) Or, how does Provisions’ Tyler Stokes give the New England lobster roll an imaginative Asian reboot with rice paper, green apple, fresh greens, sesame, tamarind, ginger and wasabi tobiko?

I’m good at following recipes. Chefs are good at creating recipes.

Although I have no interest in running a restaurant, I’ve gleaned enough practical knowledge over the years to probably do so. My favorite bit of nutsand-bolts advice came from one-time Salt Lake City restaurant manager Andrew Stone, who told me: “I learned the best way to get your cooks to show up sober to the 5 a.m. shift was to make the hung-over ones clean the grease trap.”

And that’s what I learned along the way. Y

COURTESY PHOTO

66 Devour Utah • September/October 2015

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Billy Blanco’s colorful interior

Devour Utah â&#x20AC;˘ September/October 2015 67

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