edible Columbus | Winter 2015 | Issue No. 24 by Edible Columbus

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edible Columbus

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Issue No. 24

Celebrating Local Foods, Season by Season

Winter 2015

STRUDEL • SNOWBOUND COCKTAILS • BAKING WITH SARAH BLACK FLOWERS AND BREAD • SOUP FOR SYRIA • NEW HARVEST CAFÉ SOUTH SIDE ROOTS • MY KITCHEN YEAR

Departments 4 6 8 10 18 20 24 27 30 34 37 41 44 62 64

Letter from the Publisher Letter from the Editor Local and In Season Notable Edibles Edible Reads From the Kitchen Behind the Bottle Edible Outdoors In the Garden From the Good Earth Edible Nation Local Foodshed Edible Traditions Advertiser Directory Last Seed

Features 46

Food is a Family Aﬀairé How an heirloom collection of French cooking tools connects one woman to the spirit of family and her past By Tara Pettit

The Bread Whisperer A master baker returns to her Ohio roots to partner in a new concept bakery, Flowers and Bread By Nancy McKibben

Contents 2015

Reimagining fresh food access and food insecurity at the Mid-Ohio Foodbank By Nicole Rasul, Photography by Maria Khoroshilova

RECIPES 8 23 25 25 38 39 54

Parsnip Soup Apple Cranberry Strudel Garden of the Poison Oak Fortiﬁed Fig Manhattan Gondi Spicy Clam Soup Organic Whole Wheat Bread with Kamut, Amaranth, and Millet Flour

Cover: Apple Cranberry Strudel (page 20) by The Seasoned Farmhouse Chef Joshua Wickham, photographed and styled by © Ryan Benyi, ryanbenyi.com

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PhOTO By © LAuReN VOLO, COuRTeSy OF SARAh BLACK

Winter

Hungry Neighbors

letter from the Publisher

one in her town to get the New York Times (NYT), which they would read and donate to the local library (which welcomed the copies each week). Bill would read Gourmet magazine and the NYT dining section and would order beautiful French Le Creuset pots, candy thermometers, fish poachers, needles for trussing chickens, and the most beautiful wooden cutting board I have ever seen. When Claire started helping me I would say, “I think we are going to make pâté this week,” and she would say, “I will bring in my Dad’s terrine.” This would happen often. Beef Bourguignon for an event would be cooked in Bill’s Chocolate Brown Le Creuset pot. This legacy that Bill left to his children is present every time they pull out one of his treasured items. What a wonderful way to be remembered.

olidays are occasions for us to treasure and hold close the good things in our lives, and to give thanks for our many blessings. I have a lot to be thankful for. There is one special person in my life that I want to acknowledge—Claire Loeffelman. Claire came into my life two and a half years ago as I was preparing to open our cooking school, The Seasoned Farmhouse. I had been seeking advice from Betty Rosbottom about her experiences owning La Belle Pomme and she said to me, “There will be people who offer to help you because they love to cook and will want the school to succeed, and when those people approach you, you will say ‘yes.’”

The week before we opened Claire contacted me and asked if she could help and I said, “Yes.” She has been helping me out of the goodness of her heart ever since. When I think of all the things big and small that she does for me it brings tears to my eyes—I would not be the same without her support and the school would not be the same without her presence. Claire had a lot of success in her career and after retiring she decided to put her energy into helping small businesses succeed. What a nice way to share your gifts of experience and perspective. Claire’s love of cooking and entertaining started early—the roots were planted by her father William “Bill” Maratta. Bill was a New Yorker at heart who lived in West Virginia with an enormous passion for cooking and acquiring the best tools of the day. Claire’s family was the only 4

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edible

Columbus Publisher & Editor in Chief

Tricia Wheeler Managing Editor & Editor

Colleen Leonardi Recipe Editor

Sarah Lagrotteria Copy Editors

Doug Adrianson • Susanna Cantor Editorial Intern

Jake Fernberg Design

We have shared the story of Claire’s father on page 46 of this issue of Edible Columbus—a story about how we want to be remembered by our children. How do we share our passions and leave them a rich legacy? I think food, family, and fun are a big part of what is remembered. The cherished family recipes, the traditions, and the excitement of seeing your parents enjoy the hobbies they love. When we looked up the description of the fish poacher owned by Bill it said the most elegant of cooks would have it in their collection. I love that. I have started my own collection of special cooking tools that I hope one day grace the table of my daughter and her children. Thank you, Bill and Claire, for the inspiration. This issue is rich with inspiration for the winter season, a time to reflect and a time to nourish the ones you love. Thank you to all of our talented writers, photographers, and our team who work hard to deliver stories with heart and passion each season. A special thanks to our advertisers that support our publication. Please support them this season; they are a special group of local businesses. Happy Holidays.

Tricia Wheeler

Melissa Petersen Business Director

Sarah Maggied Contributors

Barbara Adbeni Massaad • Ryan Benyi Sarah Black • Cheyenne Buckingham Jake Fernberg • Julie France Kurt Michael Friese • Lynn R. Glickman Claire Hoppens • Emily Kaelin Maria Khoroshilova • Sarah Lagrotteria Nancy McKibben • Tara Pettit Brian Plasters • Nicole Rasul • Derek Reno Sharon Teuscher • Carole Topalian Joshua Wickham Contact Us

P.O. Box 21-8376, Columbus, Ohio 43221 info@ediblecolumbus.com ediblecolumbus.com Edible Columbus

@ediblecbus

@ediblecolumbus Advertising Inquiries

tricia@ediblecolumbus.com maggie@ediblecolumbus.com Edible Columbus is published quarterly and distributed throughout Central Ohio. Subscription rate is $25 annually. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us. Thank you.

letter from the editor

—Pablo Neruda

lanetary bakeries and a plate the size of the moon. Yes, thank you, Pablo. When I thought about this letter and all I wanted to say, I had to turn to poetry. Our winter issue marries bread with hunger, cooking with poverty, loss with living, all to shed some light during a season of brightness on “the justice of eating.”

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Tricia and I talk often about what stories we’re missing out there and how to capture them for you. When we thought about this winter issue, we turned to the subject of those in need. We were inspired to feature an update about the Mid-Ohio Foodbank and how a new café on the Southside is bringing the homeless and the hipsters together to one table (page 58). Matt Habash and his team are working to get fresh food to the hungry and find equitable, sustainable solutions to food waste and food insecurity. Our story about Kwodwo Ababio and the New Harvest Café (page 41) in Linden mirrors this mission on a microcosmic level. An artist at heart, Kwodwo has created a beacon around beauty for a whole community to grow, eat, and, ultimately, heal together. Beyond the lack and strife in our communities, there are people abroad trying to survive this winter season. We’re honored to share the cookbook, Soup for Syria by Barbara Abdeni Massaad, with you (page 36). Barbara brought expert and celebrity chefs together from around the world to contribute soup and stew recipes to this wonderful volume, donating all of the proceeds to relief efforts in Syria.

in Clintonville. Whether you’re an aspiring student of baking, or a lover of all things baked, Sarah will win your heart very soon with her new cookbook and program offerings at Flowers and Bread. We complement what’s plain with luminous winter recipes prepared specially this winter at our cooking school The Seasoned Farmhouse for a special anniversary dinner on February 19 (page 7). The dinner includes Balsamic-Glazed Short Ribs and Caramelized Onions, Shaved Fennel and Blood Orange Salad, Snowbound Cocktails (page 24), and Cranberry Spiced Cheesecake because we love food and we love you. Yes, we do. The New Year marks the beginning of our seventh year of publishing Edible Columbus. Please join us so we can cook for you as a thank you for welcoming us into your hearts and kitchens over the past six years. I like to dream of what Pablo suggests—a plate big enough for us all to eat from. This link between literature and food—what is real and what is imagined—runs throughout this issue, too, with old and new reads for winter, like the famed food writer Elizabeth David’s Italian Food (page 18) or Gourmet magazine’s Ruth Reichl and her new cookbook, My Kitchen Year (page 64). Ruth compiled her cookbook as a journal originally after the devastation of Gourmet’s closing. It wasn’t until her editors saw the manuscript and convinced her to fill it with photographs that she discovered what she calls, “one of the most beautiful books” she has seen. Through loss she found a way through and back to beauty by being in the kitchen. I know this path to be a true one. It has been more than a year since I lost my dear, loving brother, Devin. When the winter in my heart rises and I am hungry for a hug or a phone call from him, I turn to the kitchen and cook. I find food again and those “strawberries in snow” bring me back to life. May you have a winter filled with fire and magic. Blessings and joy to you and all those you hold dear. With gratitude,

Our celebration of bread is personal. We’re welcoming master baker Sarah Black to Columbus with the arrival of Flowers and Bread (page 50) Colleen Leonardi

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PhOTO By © SARAh WARdA, SARAhWARdA.COM

“Let us sit down soon to eat with all those who haven’t eaten; let us spread great tablecloths, put salt in lakes of the world, set up planetary bakeries, tables with strawberries in snow, and a plate like the moon itself from which we can all eat. For now I ask no more than the justice of eating.”

local and in season

What to Eat Onions • Parsnips • Potatoes Winter Squash • Turnips Cabbage • Microgreens • Sprouts Carrots • Maple syrup • Cheese Milk • Meats • honey • Local staple crops, such as Shagbark’s Black Turtle Beans and Stone Ground Whole Flours

Parsnip Soup Recipe by Chef Tricia Wheeler, Edible Columbus & The Seasoned Farmhouse Cooking School In my opinion, the parsnip is the most underrated, delicious root vegetable that beckons to be made into soup. The flavor of a parsnip is so distinct that I keep this recipe very simple so the parsnip flavor shines through. It always gets compliment after compliment and is a perfect soup on a winter day. It is garnished with a reduction of apple cider that when reduced long enough turns into a syrup. 6 servings 5–6 large parsnips, cleaned, cored and chopped into 1-inch chunks 2 pears, peeled and chopped 4–5 cups vegetable or chicken stock 1 cup heavy cream, Snowville is best Salt and white pepper ¾ cups apple cider

Cook parsnips and pears in stock until soft. When soft, blend until puréed then add cream. Stir and then season with salt and white pepper. Taste. If it

At the same time you are cooking the soup, reduce cider in a saucepan over medium heat until it is a thick syrup consistency. drizzle over soup at time of service.

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PhOTO By © CAROLe TOPALIAN

is too thick, add a little more stock or cream until you reach desired soup consistency.

notable edibles

Inside the Cooking Caravan

hat’s your favorite part of cooking? Is it the process of taking disparate ingredients and, through some creativity and trial and error, combining them into something great? What about the collaborative aspect of cooking: enlisting a friend or loved one into being your sous-chef for an hour or so? Or is it the simple act of enjoying what you’ve cooked? No matter your answer, the Cooking Caravan—a performing company made up of John Croke, Chuck Jonhson, John Skaggs, and Mark Stursa— have created a series of cooking-focused programs that strive to embody all these aspects of cooking and more. They work to “start the culinary conversation” at a young age by giving kids a hands-on way to figure out what they love about cooking. The Cooking Caravan was founded in 2010, and the four members wear many hats, including musicians, performers, and chefs. That versatility shines through in their programming, a compelling mixture that’s “part literacy, part music, part cooking,” with a heavy hands-on component for the kids.

healthful and easy recipes that can be a great entry point into the kitchen. Every video ends with one of the Caravan’s mantras: “What’s in the fridge is what’s for dinner,” emphasizing that all that’s necessary for a great meal is right at your fingertips. It’s obvious that mixing education, entertainment, and cooking in the way the Cooking Caravan does is incredibly fulfilling. But Chuck Johnson, when asked about the absolute best part of his job, said that he loves “to see the kids make connections. When they come up with a recipe that you’re not even sure how to make, and incorporating ingredients and pairings that you think are going to be terrible and then you try it and it’s just like ‘Wow.’” What’s unique and special about the programming the Cooking Caravan emphasizes is that the kids take ownership of the program, and time and time again, John, Chuck, John, and Mark are surprised by the places their little sous-chefs take the ingredients.

It wasn’t always that way, though: John Croke tells me that when they got started the approach was “larger than life, not to scale” and more of “dinner theatre style” programming. “We dressed up as pirates,” Chuck commiserates from across the table. They’ve evolved and dropped the nautical accents, preferring a more natural approach to “instill the passion that we have [for cooking], and involve the audience.” If the mission of the Cooking Caravan is to instill that passion, then I wanted to know how that mission came about. John Croke—who admits to being “raised on chicken nuggets”—tells me that their company was born out of concern that “kids don’t have any connection with the food they’re eating.” Cooking Caravan’s bread and butter program is the “Chef Battle” where John Croke gathers whatever ingredients he can find, brings them to where they’re performing that day, and pits two of the chefs in the Caravan against each other in an Iron Chef style competition. There is no set performance space for a Chef Battle: they take place wherever the Caravan can fit two tables, access electricity, and place a trashcan. The programs aim to be hands-on, and thus, kids in the audience are enlisted as sous-chefs. Chef Battles don’t teach kids a specific recipe. Their more liquid structure aims to expose kids to the fact that various dishes can be made from basic ingredients, encouraging kids to think on their feet, and most importantly, have them physically touching and handling raw ingredients—all to foster a real relationship with their food. The Cooking Caravan was approached by the Children’s Hunger Alliance to create a series of videos, all of which are available on YouTube. Unlike the loosely structured Chef Battle programming that emphasizes the creativity and improvisation of cooking, each video in the series focuses on one recipe so simple that measuring ingredients aren’t even necessary. While it has a different feel than their normal programming, these videos are—in your correspondent’s opinion—fun, wonderful, and important: they demonstrate

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The future is bright for the Cooking Caravan. In addition to their normal slate of programs, this January the Cooking Caravan will be branching out in a new and exciting way: conducting a hands-on demonstration for an entire public school (a feat they had long thought nearly impossible). John Croke recognizes that keeping the engagement of a whole school will be a challenge, but the Caravan is well equipped to inspire their audience.

—Jake Fernberg

Everything you need to know about the Cooking Caravan, including a schedule and contact information, is available at wearethecaravan.com.

notable edibles

Harmony for Hunger

n the evening of August 29, 2015, The Delaware County Farm Bureau and City Barbeque collaborated to create the Benefit in the Barn, a one-night event that raised awareness of the food insecurity that resides in the Delaware community. The Central Ohio Symphony and Orchestra set the Americana mood by performing in the heart of a barn, allowing the audience to enjoy harmonious tunes in an authentic, local agricultural setting. The turnout was astonishing—the inaugural event welcomed in more than 500 guests and accumulated a wealth of donations for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. The agriculture-inspired event took place at the Skinner family’s farm, more commonly known as Hardscrabble Farm, which has been feeding members of the Delaware community through the production of agricultural products for more than 100 years. The Farm Bureau selected the Skinners to host the event because they are a well-respected, local favorite. Bernadette Siekman, a member of the board of trustees for the Delaware County Farm Bureau, believes this venue truly enhanced the authenticity of the event. Bernadette was one of the many Farm Bureau members who played an integral role in the planning and organizing aspects of the event. She emphasizes that the purpose of hosting it was not only to address the hunger initiative, but also to provide members of the community with the opportunity to become aware of this issue and encourage them to get involved. With the help of sponsorship dollars, money acquired from ticket sales, and contributions made throughout the evening, the Farm Bureau and its various partners successfully made this vision come to life.

“We raised $20,000 for Mid-Ohio Foodbank—that translates into 80,000 meals,” says Bernadette. “From a county farm bureau perspective, it spoke to us that we produce an abundance of food, yet there are people in our county who are hungry. We felt this type of community event could help raise awareness and also [provide] funding to help support those food insecurity needs.” Yolanda Owens, communications and digital media manager at Mid-Ohio Foodbank, knows firsthand that there are individuals in Delaware County in need of assistance. She commends the Farm Bureau for holding an event that brought light to this local dilemma. “Thirteen percent of people are eligible for food assistance in that county, so being able to have an event like this right there in their own community helps,” says Yolanda. The Mid-Ohio Foodbank has the ability to divide that $20,000 to pay for four times its amount for meals simply because it purchases fresh foods over

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canned (see article on page 58). It is actually cheaper for the Foodbank to gather and offer fresh produce from local farmers, rather than collect assorted canned goods. Yolanda explains that food waste is integral to this equation. Local farmers who have a surplus of crops in a particular season donate whatever they cannot sell to grocery stores or other food distributors, to the Foodbank. This kind negotiation not only feeds those who are in need of nourishment, but also provides farmers with a market so that none of their crops go to waste. “With us being able to pay for the picking, packing, and transporting of that food, we are able to get produce for around 17 cents a pound,” says Yolanda. The majority of the proceeds that the Mid-Ohio Foodbank received at this event, however, would not have been possible without the food and entertainment duo. City Barbeque felt compelled to participate in this event, especially with its involvement in the Food Rescue initiative. Brian Hipsher, vice president of marketing at City Barbeque, described the company’s partnership with Benefit in the Barn as a natural fit. “City Barbeque has been a longtime supporter of the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, and many other local food banks through our partnership with Food Rescue. Through Food Rescue we are able to freeze and send perfectly good food from the end of the day to food pantries across Central Ohio,” says Brian. With the Central Ohio Symphony and Orchestra playing songs that complemented the agriculture theme and enough food to feed all of those in attendance, the inception of this event was nothing short of a success. As far as plans for the future go, the Bureau will discuss the potential for another event, but until then, they will continue to act as a catalyst to making the community aware of the food insecurity that surrounds them. “All feedback has been very positive. We started with a strong foundation and one that we would like to build upon,” says Bernadette. “As farmers, we grow food. We grow safe, affordable food, and it’s disappointing to watch people go hungry or watch food be thrown away. The Farm Bureau is committed to engaging our community and collaborating with partners to solve problems. That’s our mission, and we look forward to doing more of it down the road.”

—Cheyenne Buckingham

notable edibles

Our Favorite

Dan the Baker 1028 Ridge St., Columbus, Ohio 43215 Artisan breads made by Dan the Baker

can be found at farmers markets around Central Ohio (including the Worthington Farmers Market), coffee shops like Café Brioso and One Line Coffee, and cooperative markets like the Clintonville Community Market and the Bexley Natural Market. It’s good to know there are so many places that keep Dan the Baker’s loaves on hand because the bread is both 100% organic and heartily delicious. Dan the Baker also has opened a Toast Bar: a place to try the artisan bread paired with equally gourmet toppings. dan-the-baker.com

Laughlin’s Bakery

inter means the holidays—gathering with family and friends, sharing a meal, and my personal favorite, the pre-and-post-meal noshes. I’m talking about the hearty slice of bread with pesto to whet the appetite, or a piece of pastry to go along with your coffee as you catch up with old faces late into the night. Those two scenarios require two things: loved ones to share stories with, and really good baked goods. Here’s our guide to our favorite bakeries in and around Columbus.

15 East 2nd Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43201 Located in the Short North, Laughlin’s is in many ways the best of both worlds when it comes to a bakery: they bake their own loaves of bread and also a plethora of pastry and cakes. Using traditional methods, Laughlin’s creates a variety of bread, from a classic country white bread, to whimsically flavored focaccia and French baguettes, along with muffins, pies, and pastries. That list doesn’t even mention Laughlin’s cakes: nearly all of the standard great cakes—think vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, and carrot—that are available both as full cakes or by the slice. laughlinsbakery.com

Cherbourg Lucky Cat Bakery Lucky Cat Bakery operates out of Lucky Cat Farm in Pataskala, Ohio, but you can find their goods at Columbus farmers markets, including Clintonville Market and the Easton Farmers Market. When the weather is too cold for outdoor markets, scouring small grocers around Columbus can lead to scoring some Lucky Cat. Lucky Cat specializes in breads (although they make pastry too); the folks at Lucky Cat make several different kinds of breads and they pride themselves on only using the highest quality ingredients.

ILLuSTRATIONS By © ShARON TeuSCheR, ShARONTeuSCheR.COM

541 S. Drexel Ave., Bexley, Ohio 43209 While most every bakery covered in this piece has a few gluten-free options, there is one Columbus bakery devoted to producing high-quality baked goods that are also completely gluten- and nut-free that we love. Cherbourg specializes in artfully made pastry and confections that also satisfy dietary restrictions. Visit Cherbourg and try gluten-free versions of traditional baked goods like lemon bars, madeleines, cream puffs, and ginger snaps; or sample some of the bakery’s more unique goods, like a rosemary polenta cake or a zucchini bread “Twinkie” with cream cheese frosting filling. cherbourgbakery.com

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Omega Artisan Bakery 59 Spruce St., Columbus, Ohio 43215 (in North Market) Omega Artisan Bakery brings hand-made breads, croissants, pastries, cakes, pies, and savory goods like ham and cheese croissants and pepperoni rolls to Columbus’s own North Market. Beyond those regular offerings, Omega also loves to create special limited-run baked goods: like an ever-changing quiche based on the season’s offerings, hot cross buns for Easter, and challah for Rosh Hashanah. Omega also offers one-off baking classes; past classes have included basic bread making, holiday brunch, a sourdough class, and one that focuses on pizza-making. northmarket.com

Pistacia Vera 541 S. 3rd St., Columbus, Ohio 43215 A German Village pastry kitchen that also has a presence in the North Market, Pistacia Vera specializes in handmade, lighter fare. Perhaps best known for its dozen varieties of delicate Parisian macarons, Pistacia Vera also bakes a smattering of cookies, croissants, and teacakes. Pistacia Vera offers classic desserts like éclairs and tarts, while also experimenting with more adventurous confections like a Raspberry Passion Fruit Truffle Torte, which is a decadent flourless chocolate cake with passion fruit curd and a chocolate-passion fruit mousse. pistaciavera.com

Sassafras Bakery 657 High St., Worthington, Ohio 43085 A bakery that promises baked goods handcrafted from the finest, often locally sourced, ingredients. Sassafras Bakery crafts classic baked goods year round, like cinnamon rolls, scones, and muffins, but also has a tremendous seasonal selection. The fresh pies offered at the bakery vary by season, with rhubarb and strawberry pies opening the pie season in May and June, and pecan and pumpkin pies for the holiday season. They also make quiche and savory scones daily, if you’re searching for heartier pastry. sassafrasbakery.com

—Jake Fernberg

edible COLUMBUS.com

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notable edibles

Eating Words I decided to attend the Edible Institute’s first eatingWORDS Food Writing Conference on a whim. I had a couple of vacation days left. My husband had frequent flyer points he was willing to part with. Why not? I read food blogs religiously. I watch Food Network. I’d been gobbling up food-based memoirs for years. I cook. I bake. And, as my friends will attest, I’m a strongly opinionated food critic of others’ creations as well as my own. The conference did not disappoint.

ptly named the City of Literature, the conference was held in Iowa City on the edge of the University of Iowa’s campus (legendary for its Creative Writing MFA program). In the shuttle from the small airport to the hotel where the seminars took place, the driver regaled my fellow passengers and me with stories about corn’s many virtues. And so my weekend food odyssey began… After checking into my hotel, I soon discovered I was surrounded by editors, publishers, and writers from edible publications across the country from Palm Springs to Philadelphia. There were James Beard award-winners and a MacArthur Fellow. Recipe writers mingled with social networking gurus. Brand strategists hobnobbed with recipe writers. The hotel was practically swarming with farmers, authors, brewers, and chefs—even a culinary ethno botanist. This was good company. During the course of the weekend I made a few fast friends and discovered that we shared some common values: love of food, the desire to express ourselves creatively, and a sincere interest in sustainability. Most of us want to make, serve, and write about food that speaks to our souls and nurtures our bodies. Lofty goals, but, as I would learn, completely attainable with these tips in mind:

Be Carnal Write with all your senses. Elissa Altman, author of Poor Man’s Feast, paraphrased Mary Karr (The Art of Memoir) when she said that good writing is about seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and, of course, tasting. What memories resurface? Does the scent remind you of childhood? Where were you when you first tried the dish you’re writing about? Let it pour out and edit later.

Write from the heart about things that are meaningful to you and the passion with which you write will be contagious. 16

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Have a Positive Viewpoint People who read your writing may be at various points in their lives. They could be trying to lose weight and eat healthier. They might be vegetarian or omnivore. They could be pro-organic, anti-GMO or none of the above. It’s easy to be preachy and tell people what they should do; harder to persuade and provide actionable items.

We all want to eat better and feel healthier. Woo with your words.

Write Honestly What your high school creative writing teacher told you still holds true—write what you know. Be real. Write from the heart about things that are meaningful to you and the passion with which you write will be contagious. One way it was described during the conference was to “write from the inside out.” Warning: it can hurt and be emotionally draining, but completely worth it.

Be Consistent I don’t think you can generalize and say all writers are introverts. No one has ever called me that, I assure you. But it must be acknowledged that writing is a solitary sport. Nothing replaces what Elissa Altman lovingly referred to as “ass-in-thechair-time.” Whether you promise to write between the hours of 6am and 8am or give yourself a goal of two pages before your head hits the pillow at night, regularity and persistence are key. Of course, it goes without saying that you should know the rules. Get your punctuation in order. Double-check your grammar. Don’t rely on spell check. Resist the urge to accept your first draft. Submit according to style guidelines. The best writers are prolific readers. Read good stuff and you’ll set the bar. Here are a few suggestions from the conference and from me: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lammott, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King, and Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction by Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd. For food blogs that offer beautiful writing as well as gorgeous photography, visit sweetamandine.com, orangette.blogspot.com, and smittenkitchen.com. I also use visualthesaurus.com to watch synonyms virtually come to life and Grammar Girl’s quickanddirtytips.com for those embarrassing an-English-major-shouldknow-this questions. Lastly, Joy Manning, from Edible Philly recommends listening to Jeff Goins’ podcast, The Portfolio Life for inspiration about, well, everything. — Lynn R. Glickman

edible reads

Between I the Pages

n the winter, a book can be your best friend. Stirring up the imagination, one can be transported from the cold to a comforting memory or exotic experience with a good, solid read. The heart opens, then, and one breathes a little deeper, sees a little more clearly, and smiles from the inside out.

Our favorite classics to cozy up to this winter By Sarah Lagrotteria

Recipe editor, Sarah Lagrotteria, shares her favorite winter food reads with you for the season of snowflakes. These are classic reads meant to take you in different directions—back to your childhood, into the kitchen, or to another country. Find more edible winter reads online at ediblecolumbus.com and share your favorites with us. —Colleen Leonardi

A Kitchen in France by Mimi Thorisson Visually speaking, Thorisson wins the aspirational lifestyle race. She is gorgeous, her seven (!) children are gorgeous, and her gorgeous photographer husband admires her through his lens. Did I mention she lives in a chateau in Médoc? But Thorisson disarms the ugly green emotion—envy—by filling this enormous and beautiful book with thoughtful essays, recipes, and menus. The lady cooks and writes with passion, clarity, and insight. So gag once or twice to acknowledge the perfection that is her life and then get on with enjoying the fact that she brings some of that beauty to yours.

Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt This memoir howls with hunger, shame, and yearning. McCourt’s voice is singular. It’s dark, yes, but he manages to retain a child’s hope even as he describes hunger in such a way to make you physically ill. McCourt’s description of licking the grease from a discarded fish and chips wrapper will bring you closer to hunger than you want to be. As awful as that sounds, you won’t want to give up on young Francis by putting down the book until you’ve read the final (wonderful) word.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White Elwyn Brooks White gave Charlotte’s Web what I consider the most memorable opening and closing lines of any novel. “Where’s Papa going with that axe?’’ said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.” And (grab a tissue) “It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.” So why am I surprised that White makes pig slops and a rat’s carnival ground spoils sound downright delicious? Despite the threat of Wilbur’s death, there is comfort in the barnyard and a sense that life is good.

“The thing about homebodies is that they usually can be found at home. I usually am, and I like to feed people.” This, in a nutshell, was Laurie Colwin, proprietor of a small Manhattan apartment kitchen and the source of endless “confidential” asides. A former columnist for Gourmet magazine, Colwin died in 1992 at the age of 48, having pioneered the type of confessional food writing that the best food bloggers, (e.g., Elissa Altman and Molly Wizenberg), practice today. Colwin keeps to her kitchen (or, in a pinch, the bathroom, which has more room for draining pasta and washing dishes) and shares recipes and anecdotes in a warm, conversational tone. As Ruth Reichl once said, “You want to be in the kitchen with her. She is the best friend we all want.” She was also an acclaimed novelist and short story writer. But for me, the conversation begins with Home Cooking.

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PhOTO By © CAROLe TOPALIAN

Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin

Italian Food by Elizabeth David This was her personal favorite among her books because David, an upper-class Brit, “towards Italy felt more critical, [her] emotions were less engaged. It was possibly for this reason that the sense of discovery...was so potent…[and] the fever to communicate...grew every day more urgent.” That fever is contagious. David writes crisp prose that conveys deep-seated joy at what might be her greatest contribution to “cookery:” she was the first to “discover” the regions of Italy for an English audience. This little book dismantled Italy the monolith into a regional geography of varied people and place. Distinguishing between Ragù Bolognese and Salsa Genovese, David lovingly compiled an encyclopedia of rich subcultures seen through the “lavishness of [their] raw materials” (i.e., ingredients, and traditional kitchen practices).

The Little House series, particularly Farmer Boy and The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder Disclaimer: I would find a way to include these books on any best reads list. All of them profess a certain sensitivity to food, borne, certainly, of pioneer necessity as well as taste. But Farmer Boy is where Ingalls lets loose an unadulterated ode to the pleasures of eating. Unlike Laura’s itinerant and occasionally hungry childhood, her future husband, Almanzo Wilder, spent his early years reveling in the beauty of a stable farm life in northern New York State. He raised calves, trained horses, grew a prize-winning milk-fed pumpkin and filled his stomach with workmen lunches and sweet treats of popcorn, black molasses candy, and doughnuts from the doughnut jar. The Long Winter tells a very different story: That of near starvation in the Dakota Territory during the blizzards of 1880–1881. When snowstorms cut off the region from supply trains, a now-grown Almanzo risks his life to fetch wheat for the starving homesteaders, many of whom burn furniture and hay to keep warm. The novel ends in relief. Laura wakes one night in late April to the sound of rain falling and the Chinook, or spring wind, blowing. Not far behind is the first train carrying goods from the East, including the Ingalls’s Christmas barrel, five months late but with a still-frozen turkey. Christmas in May never sounded so good.

The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers Thirteen years after its publication, this remains my favorite cookbook for reading. Rodgers hooks us with the story of how she, a high school exchange student from Northern California, finds herself living in the French family home of Jean Troisgros, whose three-star restaurant was once described as the best in the world. While her first love is art, the young Rodgers finds much to study chez Troisgros and fills notebooks with the family’s devotion to ingredients, classical technique and joy in everyday eating. The recipes here, perfected after years at Zuni, are necessarily long. They teach you to see, hear, and smell in the kitchen. Rodgers was an extraordinary observer and a patient culinary practitioner. This book reflects her deep devotion to both practices.

Sarah Lagrotteria is a FCI-trained chef who has worked for Mario Batali, taught writing classes on food culture at Stanford and contributed to numerous cookbooks. In 2003, Sarah co-founded Apples & Onions, a private chef company in Malibu, CA. She now lives in Worthington with her husband, daughter Marlowe, and son Ronan.

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from the kitchen

Chef Joshua Wickham of The Seasoned Farmhouse

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Strudel for When It Snows By Joshua Wickham Photography by Ryan Benyi

1 Strudel, an Austrian dessert, is how weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be celebrating and sweetening the winter months. We picked an Apple Cranberry Strudel for its bright colors and slightly tart flavor. The Seasoned Farmhouse Chef Joshua Wickham shows you how to make this delicate yet fulfilling pastry step-by-step. Get ready to play with powdered sugar and large swaths of dough. A fun recipe for the whole family, to be sure. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Colleen Leonardi

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Apple Cranberry Strudel Serves 8–10 Filling 4 to 6 apples, large diced (about 2 pounds)

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries ¾ cup sugar 1 cup finely chopped walnuts 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 2 teaspoons lemon juice

For the Filling: Gently toss all filling ingredients and set aside. For the Dough: Combine flour, salt, water, and oil in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until just combined.

Dough 2½ cups flour 1½ teaspoons salt 5 to 6 ounces water 3 teaspoons vegetable oil 2 to 3 ounces melted butter 1 cup toasted bread crumbs

Remove the shaggy dough from the bowl and knead by hand on a lightly floured surface until smooth and supple, about 5 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil the dough and set in a bowl, cover and allow to rest for 1 hour. Once rested, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 10-inch by 12-

Topping

inch rectangle.

2 ounces melted butter ¼ cup sugar ½ cup powdered sugar

Cover the end of a table with a CLeAN patterned table cloth and lightly flour to prevent sticking. Move the dough to the cloth and begin stretching with the back of your hands from the center working outward. Continue stretching until the dough sheet is roughly 20 inches by 30 inches. you should be able to see the pattern on the cloth through the dough. Trim the rough edges of the dough with a scissors or a very sharp knife.

At Home Strudel Not many people stretch their own strudel dough at home anymore. The Seasoned Farmhouse is an exception. We want to share the secrets of this wonderful dessert with you while you experience the subtle art of making paper-thin dough sheets and filling them fresh and flavorful ingredients. December 17, 11:30am-1:00pm and 6:30-8:30pm

For the Topping: Lightly spread the melted butter over the dough and sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the surface. Gently pour the filling across the bottom third of the dough sheet (on the short side) leaving about 3 inches of dough uncovered on the bottom and about 2 inches on each side. use the cloth to lift the dough and roll it unto itself, continue to roll until all of the dough is surrounding the filling. Gently transfer the strudel to the lined baking sheet. Lightly brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar.

Chef Joshua Wickham, a lifelong Clintonville resident, is a new member of The Seasoned Farmhouse team. Joshua is also a current culinary instructor at Columbus State Community College in the chef apprenticeship program. When not in the

Bake for 30 minutes until pastry is golden brown and the apples are tender. Allow to cool, slice and serve with lightly whipped cream. Sprinkle powdered sugar on at the very end for more sweetness and beauty.

kitchen he enjoys bike riding, rock climbing, hiking, and spending time with his wife, Jenelle, and their 5-year-old daughter, Guinevere.

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behind the bottle

Cold Weather

Spirits Cocktails for those long, winter nights By derek Reno • Photography by emily Kaelin

A Fortified Fig Manhattan

bsolute access all of the time is overrated. Awaiting what’s fresh and relishing that moment is one of our Midwest treasures. There’s nothing quite like the taste of delayed gratification. It’s in this spirit, with the help of two amazing and largely Ohio-sourced spirits (that we thankfully can buy all year round), that we use some winter offerings to compose two original cold weather cocktails that will warm the coldest of days. The release of cranberries that don’t come in a frozen package is always a bit special to mixologists in Columbus. Sure, cranberry juice is always on the shelf but the fresh berries and the stuff you drank with your vodka in college are worlds apart. It’s always a seasonal notation the first time you see those red packages lining your market’s produce shelves. “Garden Of The Poison Oak” makes use of this by perfectly pairing cranberries with Watershed Distillery Bourbon Barrel Aged Gin with its citrus peel and spice balance. Rhubarb is certainly a flexible taste when it comes to the seasons, but “Art In The Age’s Rhubarb” (tea), a full-proof spirit that’s shaped up to be one of the most thrilling new releases in the spirits world, works masterfully here. The addition of a few more winter touches, including rosemary, turns this cocktail into a crisp, snowbound chiller. Figs often remind one of a European winter holiday. Utilizing an at-home infusion technique and a locally made bitter brand, we can bring the Old World to Columbus, especially when we add the triumphantly complex OYO Michelone Reserve Bourbon Whiskey to the mix. To make this Manhattan-inspired, spirituous sipper, we dip into the aforementioned lands across the sea to add a few spirit choices that enhance the flavor profile, and the time of year. The “Fortified Fig Manhattan” satisfies. We don’t have to look far for two of the best spirit brands in the country. We don’t even have to wait long for the influx of winter’s edible contributions. Enjoy them now. It’ll be spring before we know it.

Derek Reno is the Founder/Creative director of The Reno Reserve, a cocktail consultancy specializing in flourish-driven yet classic beverage programs for events, brand design, menu development, and elevated batching. Learn more at therenoreserve.com.

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Fortified Fig Manhattan 2 ounces Fig Infused OyO Michelone Reserve Bourbon Whiskey* ¾ ounce Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth ½ ounce St. elizabeth Allspice dram 3–4 drops Bitter Wife Cocoa Berry Fig Bitters 1 dropper full house Made Cigar Tincture** Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass and stir thoroughly with ice. using a julep strainer pour stirred ingredients into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with fig slices and/or your choice of spices and herbs. *Fig Infused OYO Michelone Reserve Bourbon In a jar or sealable glass container add 6 to 8 dried figs, sliced. Fill container with bourbon. Allow infusing for 48–72 hours, though longer is fine. Strain out figs and particles from bourbon using a double strain (tea strainer) or towel. If time is of the essence, 4–5 slices of fig can be muddled per cocktail. **House Made Cigar Tincture In a jar or sealable glass container, add a high-proof neutral spirit (100 proof, if available). A mason jar is perfectly fine as a tincture is used more like a bitter and a little goes a long way. Add a heavy ratio of a tobacco of your choice. A sweeter cigar tobacco works well here. hint: Adding a bit of heat at the onset helps fuse these flavors, even if just on the stovetop for 5 minutes before adding to the jar. utilizing a sous vide machine makes this a onehour process and truly mates the flavors. Allow to marinate in the jar for 48–72 hours otherwise.

Garden Of The Poison Oak 2 ounces Watershed distillery Bourbon Barrel Aged Gin ¾ ounce “Art In The Age’s Rhubarb” (tea) Liquor 10 to 12 fresh muddled cranberries ½ ounce house Made Rosemary Simple Syrup*** ½ ounce egg white ½ ounce fresh lemon 3 to 4 dashes rhubarb bitters In a mixing tin add the fresh cranberries and the lemon juice. Muddle this thoroughly. Add all the rest of the ingredients. In a cocktail mixing set, “dry shake” (no ice) these ingredients vigorously. Add ice and shake vigorously once more. Strain ingredients into a highball glass filled with fresh ice and floating cranberries. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and an optional edible flower. If desired, also decorate foam with drops of bitters. ***Rosemary Simple Syrup A simple syrup is just a 50-50 ratio of water to sugar brought to a boil then immediately allowed to steep for 30 to 60 minutes. For the Rosemary Simple Syrup, just add in 8–10 sprigs of rosemary to boil/steep for a typical yield (8 ounces of water to 8 ounces sugar). Separate the sprigs thereafter and bottle syrup. Syrup can be refrigerated and used for 2–3 weeks.

Editor’s Note: All of the spirits listed here can be found at Weiland’s Market, or Giant eagle Market district. As always, call ahead to make sure they have it in stock.

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PhOTO COuRTeSy OF OhIO dePARTMeNT OF NATuRAL ReSOuRCeS

edible outdoors

A Wilderness Winter Reasons to get out of your house and explore the great outdoors this season By Brian Plasters

he thrill of the season’s first snowfall stirs memories of campfires, hot cocoa, sledding on powdery runs, and many other fun moments. Most times, though, winters in Ohio are harsh.

Cooped up for too long and staring at a yard full of snow last year, we bundled everybody up and went outside to build a snowman. The entire episode lasted maybe 45 minutes, but by the time we were done, a large snowman was standing crooked in the yard while everybody admired it over a cup of hot cocoa, only slightly bothered as we watched the dog systematically deconstruct the snowman.

In times like these, I wonder what people did 100 years ago. Did they sit in their houses all winter and wait for spring? Did they turn up the thermostat to ward off the chill? No! They bundled up, went outside, and got on with their lives. Maybe they enjoyed hunting and ice fishing. Maybe they milked cows or fed hogs. Maybe they chopped wood to replenish the fireplace. Maybe they explored new parks and public greenspaces created in a golden era of conservation’s history. It can be the same for us now, with just a little extra effort.

A winter trip to a wild area has many advantages not available in the summertime, such as fewer crowds, no itchy mosquitoes or poison ivy, and some lower-priced adventures. Here are a few outside adventure options for Central Ohio during the winter. Columbus Metro Parks offer hikes throughout the winter months. Hikes are scheduled at different days and times, depending on the time of year and trail conditions. Parks are peaceful, and mostly empty of people during the day. And what’s more fun than hiking in the sunshine? Hiking at night. Experiencing natural places during nighttime in the winter can bring an absolute calm to those willing to try it. Go to metroparks.net for more information. Old Man’s Cave in Hocking County offers a winter hike that is enjoyed by many people every year. The hike begins at Hocking Hills State Park Campground and winds through the park. Annually, thousands of people enjoy this hike. Hocking Hills also has Ash Cave, the largest recess cave in Ohio. The site is open year-round, and provides spectacular views. Here’s a hint: frozen waterfalls become giant icicles (think hundreds of feet high) as water flows down

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Tips for Your Winter Adventure Pack something warm to drink, and plenty of food. eating a healthy snack helps ward off the cold. Wear a couple layers of socks, and sturdy, warm shoes. Actually, layers for all clothes are important. Remove layers and put them back on as needed. don’t leave the little ones out TOO long. enjoy the day, then get back inside to warm up. Little fingers and toes freeze fast. Be on the lookout for ice as you walk. Falling on your bottom is going to sting. Bring binoculars. Views are incredible during the winter, and you can see farther with no leaves on the trees.

the Hocking Hills State Park cliff faces to create a winter wonderland. Find more information at hockinghillsstatepark.com. Birds migrating to Ohio only in winter are plentiful, if you know when and

where to look. Birds come through Ohio at most times of the year. Those flying to Ohio during the winter months are sometimes traveling from areas high in the Arctic. Winter in Ohio doesn’t affect these hardy birds. Snowy owls, snow buntings, waterfowl, gulls, and more visit Ohio when home waters freeze. Visit Alum Creek State Park or Hoover Reservoir before ice freezes the waterways. These large reservoirs hold birds as long as the water is open. Find more information about birds, and other wildlife species, at wildohio.gov. The annual Christmas Bird Count is another great way to experience the outdoors, and participate in citizen science. The 2015 bird count begins on December 14 and runs through January 5. Anyone can participate. Birds are counted on prescribed routes nationwide, including many in Central Ohio. The Christmas Bird Count began in 1900, and thousands of people participate each year. More information is available at audubon.org. Remember, Ohio can’t have its warm summer without a cold winter. Enjoy the season while it lasts, and you might have a new experience that will bring only warm memories.

don’t underestimate the cold. If your body starts feeling numb, get somewhere warm right away.

Brian Plasters is the managing editor of Wild Ohio Magazine, a bimonthly publication of the OdNR division of Wildlife. he is a lifelong hunter, fisherman, shooter,

Slow down when driving in icy or wintry conditions.

and outdoorsman. Many of his favorite childhood memories involve rocketing down hillsides on a rickety sled following snowstorms in his native Cincinnati.

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in the garden

STUMP O

n either side of the reclaimed wood bar, a thick, center-cut length of ash, Brian Kellett and Emily Brown retrace their path to STUMP. The bar top has a handsome grain, its striations finished smooth. Brian runs his fingers along the grooves of the wood’s live edge, which reveals intricate tunnels dug by ash borer, a burrowing insect.

Re-inventing the indoor, city garden with house plants By Claire hoppens Photography by Maria Khoroshilova

“I’ll start with where we met,” Emily says, her gaze meeting Brian’s. Late afternoon sunlight coats a menagerie of plants perched on windowsills and tiered shelves. Wispy air plants and a towering fiddlehead fern soak it in amongst the others, including a few glossy zeezee and “snake plants,”‘ with their dappled, spear-like leaves. STUMP offers a nontraditional retail environment for house plants tailored to urban dwellers. The selection is refined and hand-selected, each plant prepotted and priced according to size and vessel. And the educational component is fundamental. Visitors are guided toward plants that best suit their lifestyles, then equipped with information that will keep the plant flourishing. “I found out that Brian made furniture and, at the time, I was really into furniture design. I had never actually built anything but I was considering going down that path. And eventually, I told him, I wanted to open my own business,” she says.

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But last Thanksgiving, Brian had a dream that sealed their fate. “he woke up in the morning and said, ‘I have an idea,’” emily recalls. “So,” Brian says, “we started creating the brand.”

Brian Kellett and Emily Brown, co-owners of STUMP

Soon after they started dating, Emily began an intensive design research project with AmericanHort, a nonprofit trade organization for the horticulture industry, based in Columbus. Emily traveled to garden centers across the country, learning from owners, employees, and customers about why the industry struggled to attract younger generations. “After all these trips I would come back and talk to Brian about all the findings, all the insights we found,” she says. “It was so obvious and I think we both had a picture in our minds of what needed to happen for an urban garden center to get millennials excited about plants.” Brian didn’t need convincing. “I always had plants in my house,” he says. “There’s something nice about seeing a space change, evolve, and grow.” Brian began working for Rockmill Brewery in 2010, designing their website and generating social media. In 2011, Rockmill founder Matthew Barbee asked Brian if he and his father, also a skilled woodworker, could build a custom bar for their taproom. So they did. That bar led to a table. A table to stools. Brian designed almost every label Rockmill has used on its beers. And, along the way, he taught photography in increasing capacities. But last Thanksgiving, Brian had a dream that sealed their fate. “He woke up in the morning and said, ‘I have an idea,’” Emily recalls.

“So,” Brian says, “we started creating the brand.” STUMP is anchored centrally by the bar, a single piece of wood Brian salvaged from a friend’s garage, mounted atop a 10-foot-by-three-foot foot light table, which casts a soft glow through custom art work. “We’ll swap the image out over the seasons,” Brian says. Over the holidays, they’ll launch a campaign to decorate house plants—a greener alterative to short-lived Christmas trees. Once a month STUMP will collaborate with rotating artists-in-residence, featuring work from a visiting artist who will create unique materials for the shop, like hand-thrown ceramics or blown glass. For this reason Emily and Brian opted to rent the second floor of the shop, a finished apartment. “Some of our artists will have the option of staying upstairs, fortunately,” Brian says. So far, roughly a dozen artists have reached out, expressing interest in working together. In a room just off STUMP’s entry is Flatfoot Vintage, a collection of vintage clothes, art, accessories, and housewares curated by Larry Robertson, who previously operated Brigade and Co-op in the Short North. “We met Larry and his frequency and ours were perfect,” Brian says. “We knew we could fill the space but we’re open to collaboration and totally believe in that.” Emily gestures to the arrangement of plants against the wall behind the bar. Plants are arranged in a four-square grid. Each square reveals the ideal plant for low- or full-light settings, and frequent or more occasional watering.

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“I think part of it is that my great-grandfather was a woodworker. And I think that was in me without ever knowing.”

Pick a plant based on your lifestyle and desired attention level, or Emily and Brian will help find a match. Then there are custom care cards, filled out with instructions for long-term maintenance at home. “On the tags you get on your plant at a garden center it will tell you keep the soil moist. But what does that even mean?” Emily asks. After their day comes to a close at STUMP, Emily and Brian head to the woodshop. Together, they’re building the first wave of furniture that will populate their space through winter and spring.

During months when warmth and growth are fleeting outside, Brian and Emily will invite visitors in, sharing their space with the winter-weary through workshops and classes. Come spring, they’ll plant herb and container gardens as the cycle starts anew. “The thing about house plants and the importance of having plants in the city,” Emily says, “is bringing plants indoors kind of helps keep a connection to nature.” STUMP, 305 E. 5th Ave. in Italian Village; 614-681-4769; info@stumpplants.com, stumpplants.com. Hours are Wed-Fri Noon–7pm,

“Everything is made out of reclaimed wood and metal, pretty much,” Brian says. “From lighting to shelves to bar stuff to a couple of couches I’ve got in my head, which is cool because I’ve always wanted to do that,” he adds. For their current projects, “I’ll be doing welding and she’ll be doing the woodworking, and we put it together,” Brian says.

Saturday 11–7pm, and Sunday Noon–5pm.

Raised in a nomadic and adventurous family, Claire Hoppens called five states home and attended three colleges before earning her degree in magazine jour-

While the trade has appealed to both their senses in time, for Brian, there’s an element of legacy instilled in woodworking. “I think part of it is that my great-grandfather was a woodworker. And I think that was in me without ever knowing,” Brian says. “There is a story behind his design,” says Matthew, of Brian’s work. “He layers in context, which might not be immediately recognized, but is appealing to the subconscious.”

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nalism from the Scripps School at Ohio university in 2011. Claire is currently a Managing Partner for Northstar Café, one of the many Columbus mainstays to solidify her love of people, food, and our vibrant city.

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from the good earth

Brian Schlatter’s journey from Ohio to Ireland to become a better cheesemaker By Nancy McKibben Illustrations by Sharon Teuscher

rocessed cheese is an abomination. But the process of making cheese—that’s a different story, one that takes a lifetime to tell.

Just ask 29-year-old Brian Schlatter, cheesemaker in training. Born and raised in Defiance, Ohio, he was the sixth generation on his parents’ dairy farm, involved in 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) from the third grade. He became intrigued by cheesemaking as a teenager and sought out a beginner’s book on the subject.

“It was a mix of enjoying cooking and science and watching things change,” Brian says. He produced a chunk of “cheddar-ish” cheese, then kept “playing around with it, seeing what happens, getting a feel.” But familiar only with large cheesemaking enterprises, Brian did not consider it a possible career.

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Expanding Horizons While pursuing an associate’s degree in marketing at the local community college, Brian took an internship with a small-scale cheesemaker on a farm in Indiana. “I realized that this was something that we could actually do on our farm. But I wanted to finish my degree and learn more.” Then he discovered the University of Vermont, with its series of intensive, one-week cheesemaking courses created by two professors who wanted to pass on the knowledge of the state’s active artisanal cheese community. From 2007 to 2012, Brian took 12 courses, learning basics like essential principles and practices, milk chemistry, evaluation, and sanitation, then more advanced classes in the making and aging properties of particular cheeses taught by international experts.

Cheese at Home Between classes, Brian started a cheese production facility at his parents’ farm that is still in production today: Canal Junction Farmstead Cheese. “It was a continuing education,” Brian says. “Class for a week in Vermont, then back to the farm for hands-on experience making the cheese. Doing it that way helped me really understand what they were talking about in the class.” Brian points out that cheesemaking is not an instant-gratification career. “Unlike bread that you can make today and eat tomorrow, you don’t know the end result with the cheese for six to 12 months. This compounds the amount of time it takes to learn and hone skills, especially with longer-aged products.”

Cheese Abroad Given Brian’s keen interest in the world’s cheeses, it was only a matter of time (2014) before he decided to go international with a year-long internship at the Ferguson family’s Gubbeen Farm in Schul, Ireland, to learn to make Irish West Washed Rind cheeses. (Washed rinds are soft and smelly cheeses whose rinds are washed with brine or alcohol to encourage the growth of certain bacteria.) “I thought it would be fun to go and see how someone else does it and experience another country and culture at the same time,” Brian says. “And I wanted to be there long enough to see how they did it both day-to-day and seasonally.” He was also pursuing an online bachelor’s degree in finance. “I didn’t have any business management responsibility—I could just make cheese and focus on my schoolwork, which was perfect for me at the time.” Gubbeen Farm was a big operation. “We processed 3,200 liters of milk into cheese Monday through Thursday and another 2,000 liters on Friday,” Brian says. His job included sanitizing, washing, taking cheeses out of their molds, pasteurizing milk, adding cultures, packing for shipment, cleaning, and selling at farmers markets on the weekends. “One of the big things I learned was when you’re looking at developing your cheese business, instead of trying to produce a whole range to satisfy every customer’s needs, wants, and desires, you pick a core of two, three, or four cheeses and learn them very, very well.” The Gubbeen Farm, for example, produced three different sizes and ages of cheeses, with additional smoked versions.

PhOTO COuRTeSy OF BRIAN SChLATTeR

On a personal level, Brian experienced the openness and generosity of the Ferguson family, whom he saw as examples of “good humans, always paying it forward.”

Always Another Cheese on the Horizon Today Brian makes sheep’s milk cheese on a farm near New York City. “We do soft, lactic-ripened cheeses, semi-soft, semi-firm, and blue cheeses. It’s a style I’ve always wanted to make and learn more about.” “Most of our cheeses go to New York City. Having that nearby population of affluent people who know about cheese and have the disposable income to purchase them is very new to me.”

Cheesemaker Brian Schlatter holding washed rind cheeses from Gubbeen Farm where he worked in Ireland

Although, he adds, “Ohio cheeses are running with the rest of the country in the sense of quality, taste, uniqueness. With the Ohio Cheese Guild getting started, now there should be more of a presence within the food community as a whole for Ohio cheeses. While we may not have the large populations of New York City, Chicago, or the West Coast, we have loyalty and that is what counts when operating any business.” Brian likes Columbus. “It’s a good mix of city and culture and a good business opportunity area.” He ponders future possibilities: setting up a cheese business with friends who have a creamery? Opening a retail shop to complement the manufacturing portion? Working by himself or under his own brand? But a cheesemaker’s education is never done. Even as Brian considers a future in Columbus, he has his eye on an internship in Switzerland. “Three months in Switzerland learning to make alpine cheeses,” he says, his enthusiasm contagious. “How great would that be?”

Nancy McKibben is happy to combine her loves of eating and writing with the opportunity to advocate for sustainable agriculture in the pages of Edible Columbus. her latest project is Kitschy Cat Alphabet, a rhyming alphabet book in postcards. She is also a novelist, poet, and lyricist, the mother of six, and the wife of one. View her work at nancymckibben.com; contact her at nmckibben@leader.com.

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edible nation

Soup for Syria By Mary Reilly • photographs by Barbara Abdeni Massaad, courtesy Interlink Publishing

We’re grateful to be able to share the new cookbook Soup for Syria with you. Read on as publisher of Edible Pioneer Valley, Mary Reilly, talks about the book and we share two recipes—Gondi by Yotam Ottolenghi and Spicy Clam Soup with Basturma by Garrett Melkonian—for your kitchen menu this winter. — Colleen Leonardi

There are more than four million Syrian refugees in five countries: Turkey 1,622,839 Lebanon 1,174,313 Jordan 623,241 Iraq 242,468 egypt 136,661 Nearly eight million Syrians are internally displaced.

oup. Uttering that word can make you feel warm, loved, safe. When we want to comfort and nourish those around us, soup is what we turn to. When Lebanon resident and author Barbara Abdeni Massaad wanted to do something to aid the Syrian families in the refugee camp near her home, she began with soup. Every weekend, she and her husband began cooking gallon upon gallon of soup to bring to the camp. Her friends saw what she was doing and joined them. Feeling like she should do more, Massaad turned to her friend and publisher Michel Moushabeck.

Michel suggested that they combine efforts to have a greater impact. With Barbara’s background as a food writer and TV host and Michel’s experience as publisher and editor, the logical choice was a cookbook. The two of them began making phone calls, requesting recipes from friends and acquaintances. The result is Soup for Syria, a collection of over 80 lavishly photographed soup and stew recipes. The international family of contributors includes celebrity chefs and authors such as Paula Wolfert, Alice Waters, Mark Bittman, Yotam Ottolenghi, and Anthony Bourdain. All the proceeds from the book’s sale go the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Learn more at soupforsyria.com

Thousands of Syrians continue to flee their country every day. half of all Syrian refugees are under the age of 18. Most have been out of school for many months. More than half of Syria’s prewar population of 23 million is in desperate need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Source: UNHCR, February 23, 2015.

Soup for Syria, edited and photographed by Barbara Abdeni Massaad; Interlink Books, 2015; 208 pages

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Gondi By Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil 4 chicken thighs (1¼ pounds/600 grams), bone in and skin on 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch (3centimeter) chunks ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

heat the oil in a medium stockpot on medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and sauté lightly for 8 minutes, turning once. Add the onions, carrot, turmeric, dried limes, parsley, peppercorns, and salt. Add water; bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 40 minutes. use a slotted spoon to remove all the chicken and vegetables from the pan (keep the chicken to make a salad or a sandwich filling). Return the limes to the liquid and set aside. Place all the dumpling ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well and, with wet hands, shape the mixture into 16 round dumplings weighing between 1 and 1½ ounces (30 and 35 grams) each.

2 whole Iranian dried limes, pierced with a knife a couple of times Small handful (30 grams) parsley, tied into a bunch 20 whole black peppercorns 1 teaspoon salt

Bring the broth to a gentle boil and add the cannellini beans. Carefully lower the dumplings into the broth, cover with a lid, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. The dumplings will expand in the liquid. Remove the lid and simmer for another 20 minutes, until a concentrated soup consistency and flavor are reached. Add more water, or reduce the liquid for longer, if necessary. Serve the soup with a drizzle of lime juice and the picked cilantro.

6 cups (1½ liters) water 9 ounces (250 grams) cooked cannellini beans (canned are fine) About 1 tablespoon lime juice, to serve About ½ cup (10 grams) picked cilantro leaves, to serve

Dumplings 9 ounces (250 grams) ground chicken (or ground turkey, if unavailable) 1½ tablespoons (25 grams) melted unsalted butter 1 cup (100 grams) chickpea (gram) flour 1 medium onion, finely chopped in a food processor (6 ounces/180 grams net) ½ cup (10 grams) parsley, finely chopped ½ teaspoon ground cardamom ½ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric 1 tablespoon rosewater ¼ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns 1 teaspoon salt

“Soup is the ultimate comfort food: nurturing, sustaining, and all good things. One recipe is a drop in the ocean but, if awareness of the plight of the Syrian refugees is raised with each batch made and shared, then that is a force for good. As well as being a delicious meal in and of itself.” —Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

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Spicy Clam Soup with Basturma By Garrett Melkonian Serves 4–6

3–4 tomatoes, peeled and diced 2 garlic cloves, minced

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, pepper paste, cilantro, cayenne, cumin, lemon juice, and olive oil. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula (do not use a whisk).

2–4 tablespoons red pepper paste Small bunch cilantro, finely chopped, plus more to garnish ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons cumin 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) lemon juice

heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat, add the tomato mixture, and cook until the mixture becomes fragrant and tomatoes begin to break down, about 1 minute. Add the clams, stock, and basturma and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover, and cook, shaking the pot occasionally, just until all of the clams have opened. using a slotted spoon, transfer the clams to serving bowls, leaving the broth in the pot.

¼ cup (60 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil 2 pounds (1 kilograms) manila clams, rinsed and drained

Add the butter to the broth and check for seasoning. The basturma and the clams carry a good deal of salinity, and the soup will probably not need salt.

3 cups (700 milliliters) chicken stock 3½ ounces (100 grams) basturma (Turkish airdried cured beef, or substitute pastrami), diced

Ladle the broth over the clams, garnish each bowl with a handful of cilantro leaves, and serve with thick slices of grilled bread.

3 tablespoons (45 grams) unsalted butter Grilled or toasted bread, to serve

“everyday images of war-torn communities, once beautiful and thriving, flood our hearts and fill our souls with grief and the ever-growing need to help those affected by conflict. The Soup for Syria project is a message of hope and a giant step towards the light.” —Garrett Melkonian

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local foodshed

New Harvest Café How Kwodwo Ababio has transformed a food desert in Linden into a beacon of hope By Julie France • Photography by Maria Khoroshilova

“I’m a different artist,” says Kwodwo. “You know, the community’s my canvas. So what I try to do is create beautiful things in the community by building beautiful spaces.”

wodwo Ababio refers to New Harvest Café as a beacon. “There’s not a lot of traffic. It’s not a Short North, let’s put it that way,” says Kwodwo.

The café and community arts center in the heart of Linden stands in the center of a food desert, where the issue for Linden’s residents isn’t getting local, organic food—it’s getting any food that’s not fast food.

“We want to go from the field to the table. So, our vision is to grow enough food so that we don’t have to go to the grocery store to purchase produce. At the same time, we also have a farmers market every Saturday. So our thing is: teach folks how to eat healthy, because we live in a very poor, unhealthy community. Food security is terrible,” says Kwodwo. Yet the café secures meals whether people have a moment or not. The café offers a $10 plate for a buffet lunch Tuesdays through Saturdays and on-thego buffet lunches for $7.50 per pound. The menu day in and day out remains the same: turkey lasagna, macaroni, meatloaf, rice pilaf, collard greens and cabbage, potatoes, green beans, and a vegetable medley consisting of broccoli, carrots, and yellow squash.

Then there’s the daily chicken fix: smothered chicken in gravy, chicken on the grill, and fried chicken. Kwodwo cooks it all himself. Much of the produce, such as cabbage, yellow squash, zucchini, green peppers, and New Harvest’s staple, collard greens, is planted right on New Harvest’s property. Collard greens are frozen so they last year round, and when New Harvest runs out of the produce supply in its own backyard it counts on other community gardens, like Four Seasons City Farm, to supply fruits and vegetables. Other supplies are bought from wholesale food stores. For Kwodwo, changing how those in the Linden are eating isn’t all about physical health. “Agriculture and the arts are some of the tools we use to get people more engaged in some of the other things we do,” says Kwodwo. “But at the same time, using agriculture to change people’s mindsets and do something for themselves.”

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In Memory Of For all the giving Kwodwo has initiated since 2005 when New Harvest Café first opened as a gallery only, he is no stranger to loss. Born and raised in Chicago, Kwodwo was preparing to go to college when one of his closest brothers unexpectedly died while playing basketball. “At that time, I just felt like I really didn’t want to be in Chicago. So, I went to the Navy. I took off to the military,” says Kwodwo. In 1988, Kwodwo lost another brother. This time, the death was more preventable. Kwodwo’s brother relied on drugs and was shot by the police. It was by no means a fair death, according to Kwodwo. After the deaths, came new life. Kwodwo had a son, but his son was soon taken away from him, as his Ohio-native mother brought him to Columbus to live. Kwodwo took charge of a loss he could undo and moved to Columbus to take back what was given—his son. He also worked hard to bring his brothers back to life in some shape or form. “My thing is, as an artist—and I have a background in psychology, which is an art—is to paint my set of people in communities that were filled with crime and drugs and despair.” So, in 2005, the city of Columbus gave Kwodwo, along with several other artists, $50,000 to collectively buy property on Cleveland Avenue for gallery space. Under the condition that the space would be an empowerment zone, the gallery was expected to bring in jobs for those in the Linden community.

Stefanie Moss can attest to Kwodwo’s artistry and compassion. An artist herself, Stefanie is a playwright and actress who has volunteered at New Harvest. “What he does is for the community and very low cost because the people that live around the area… they’re on fixed income or can’t afford it,” says Stefanie. “Even his dinners that he cooks—I’ve seen Kwodwo just give food away because they can’t afford it, or he’ll just ask for a donation, so he’s very giving.” Most of all, Stefanie is struck with how Kwodwo has changed the lives of younger people in the area—being a superhero—”the beacon.” “There’s this young person who went to Linden (High School), I remember, and he would come after school [to New Harvest] and put this comic book together about this superhero in the inner city and he was just using his imagination,” says Stefanie. “I just thought that was so cool that you have this young man that could be doing other stuff, but he was coming here after school putting the comic book together and wanted it to get published, and Kwodwo would help him do that.” “I’m a different artist,” says Kwodwo. “You know, the community’s my canvas. So what I try to do is create beautiful things in the community by building beautiful spaces.” New Harvest Café; 1675 Arlington Ave., Columbus, Ohio; 614-447-8810

The Future “Our vision now is to open up the front building so we won’t have to depend on grants,” says Kwodwo.

Julie France is a recent graduate of Kenyon College, where she studied phi-

The front building on New Harvest’s property has been abandoned since the gallery opened, but it is, in fact, the larger of the two buildings, with the capacity to hold 300 people. Larger space means more people to feed collard greens—one of New Harvest’s most popular dishes—and more giving to others as well as bringing back the lives that Kwodwo’s brothers should have had.

juliefrance25@gmail.com and her portfolio can be found at

losophy and mathematics. She believes reflection gives the greatest joy, thus thoughtful food is a very good thing. She can be reached at

The garden at New Harvest Café where collard greens are grown as a staple menu item for the café

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juliefrance25.wix.com/portfolio.

Kwodwo Ababio of New Harvest Café working with local students

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edible traditions

Cooking with Marlowe By Sarah Lagrotteria

To love is to pay attention. And it is never more obvious than with our children. A friend is expecting her first baby and fighting last-hour jitters: “How will I know when she is hungry? When she is tired?” You’ll learn, I say. Most of it is unconscious, but you have never studied something so intensely as you will study her. I study mine. At 16 months Marlowe doesn’t like to be hot and she hates it when I cook. Brown bananas are splitting their skins on the counter and I’m just setting out measuring spoons and bowls when the whining starts. I tug off her cardigan and tiny socks and she rewards me with a howl of protest that weakens when I sit her on the cool kitchen tiles. She quiets when I place a baking sheet before her and dump out a baby-sized mountain of flour. With spoons and cups she gets to work. I crack and stir and sweeten, get the banana bread in the oven, clean the counter and make coffee as she scoops and sifts and instructs (“More this please and more this and this. Yes, and this. Thank you!”). For 35 minutes she “bakes,” a lifetime for a toddler and a triumph for the mom still learning to meet her needs.

Because, of course, Marlowe has been watching me with an intensity that outstrips my own. She has the infant will to survive and that means mapping everything her mom does. To be the focus of that locked gaze— “tracking” the doctors call it, appropriately—feels more sacred than anything I’ve known. But it takes getting used to. My pre-baby instinct, when caught in the crosshairs, was to go still until the hunter lost interest. With a child hungry to learn, that’s not an option. She is relentless in her pursuit of knowing me. She knew where to find me before she could speak. “Mom?” she asked recently, “Were you lost? You weren’t with me or in the kitchen!” She’s still not ready to expand my range. Suddenly she is 2 and whipping cream in my favorite blue bowl, white clouds cupped in an upside-down sky. She mimics what she has seen, moving the mixer through and around, pausing to “test” with the spoon she Marlowe in the kitchen

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PhOTO COuRTeSy OF SARAh LAGROTTeRIA

Watching her, the absorption with which she swirls her flour, I finally understand that her cries of “nocook!” aren’t about cooking, but the attention I give to the process. Attention that would otherwise be hers. In all the cities I’ve lived, through all the jobs and friends I’ve called my own, the kitchen has been my holy ground. It took Marlowe, with all of a few months’ life experience, to sense what has taken me a decade to learn: My daily acts of love are opening the fridge, turning on the tap, and holding an egg in my hand.

keeps in her lap for such purposes. When the time comes, I hand her the bowl and watch, heart full, as she carries it to the table. “Would you like whipped cream with your cake? Would you like whipped cream with your cake? Would you like to share some whipped cream and cake?” It is Thanksgiving and we are having pie, but what matters is the sense of pride I hear, her realization that she can contribute. Now it is Christmas and she is 2 years and 2 months. In plaid pajamas she sits on the kitchen island, pounding candy canes with a mortar and pestle. I melt chocolate at the stove and try not to caution her against pounding her own fingers. She finishes, sets the pestle down and turns to me, spoon in hand. “Not yet,” I say. “It needs to cool.” She takes a Clementine from the fruit bowl and tears through the rind and some of the fruit, juice spraying her thumbs and still-dimpled paws. This is the first citrus season that she is able to peel and she has risen to the occasion. I find small, fragrant gifts drying in the linen closet and in my boot. But for now she is content to stay put, orange scraps stacking up beside her. She separates the fruit, first in half and then into individual segments, eating them one by one. When she reaches the last, she does something unexpected; dunking one end into the warm pool of melted chocolate. She dips with precision, leaving exactly one half of the orange exposed. She’s not done. Reaching across the counter with one hand, she protects her dipped orange with the other. Her head-heavy body wobbles and I squeeze my spatula to keep myself from “helping.” Her goal is the box of Maldon sea salt. She takes a pinch and, steadying herself for one scary moment on her elbow, sprinkles. Salt flakes settle like gems in the still-wet chocolate. In her mouth this delicately dipped and salted treat goes and when she grins it is with chocolate juice dribbling down her chin. I am silenced. When she is done I wipe her mouth and lift her down, holding her to me for one extra moment before she squirms. So it begins, I think. There are two of us here now, in this kitchen and beyond. She’s ready to do things I’ve never dreamed of doing. If it happens that I’m not there to see, she’ll know where to find me.

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Food is a Family

Affairé

How an heirloom collection of French cooking tools connects one woman to the spirit of family and her past By Tara Pettit

or Claire Loeffelman there’s nothing so intricately intertwined as family and food. So synonymous are the two in her life, in fact, she has rarely ever spent time cooking in the kitchen or eating at the dinner table without her family at her side, both in body and spirit. Whether her children are home and helping her prepare the meal for their regular weekend family dinners or she is pulling an all-day cooking marathon in her kitchen for special occasions, Claire is always surrounded by the joy and memory of her family members, even if she is simply alone with her pots, pans, and knives.

That’s because so much of Claire’s passion for cooking as well as her skills in the kitchen have been passed down to her by her parents, her dad in particular, who made home cooking a way of life for their family. While the time spent in the kitchen with her parents has come and gone, Claire’s memory of the experience lives on through stories, shared recipes, and through the unique collection of fine cookware that was passed to her.

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Ever since she can remember as a young child growing up in Princeton, West Virginia, Claire has been immersed in home cooking and gardening. Both her mother and father led by example in their dedication to growing a family garden and experimenting with new recipes for dinners. Although her hometown in the West Virginia foothills was small and somewhat poor, she only remembers a childhood rich in quality family time and lovingly prepared meals every night. “I can vividly remember early on that my dad was very much interested in gardening,” Claire says. “And he had a beautiful garden. You name it, we grew it—apple trees, pear trees, currants. So, we always had fresh foods available and I think that’s how he got interested in cooking.” Bill Maratta, Claire’s father, was an average West Virginian man. By day, he lived a simple but fulfilling life as a husband and father. He was a mining engineer by trade. On weekends, however, he transformed into a master chef driven by passion.

PhOTOS COuRTeSy OF CLAIRe LOeFFeLMAN

Claire’s father and mother on the evening of their engagement

He had done all he could do in his profession by the time Claire was in school and he needed a new outlet to channel his energy and express his passion and creativity. Several Gourmet magazine subscriptions and kitchen experiments later, he turned to cooking for that outlet and within all facets of his life it undeniably became part of just “who he was.” Claire was most fond of weekend evenings, which were filled with quality family time and quality dinners that were always hand-prepared by her parents. Her father would typically be in charge of preparing the main dish, usually something new and inventive he had snagged a recipe for out of his magazines, while her mother took care of side dishes and desserts. Dinner was always a new adventure, Claire remembers, and a chance for her dad to put his cooking skills and new recipe ideas to the test. He was always reading cookbooks and writing down recipes that he could try out for the coming week.

“He was always really funny about saying, ‘I have this chicken, but I don’t have the right pot—I need a new pot.’ That’s how we ended up with so many pieces. Between me, my sister, and sister-in-law, we now have it all. Those pots are really nice and fun to cook with.” The Le Creuset especially reminds her of her dad as a Parisian chef de cuisine who once, in an inspired decision to learn the classic art of French cooking, used all his saved vacation time to attend a six-week cooking course in Paris. The course focused on the classic French recipes he loved and it was taught all in French, despite the fact he couldn’t speak it. “He came home with a beret and copper bowl,” Claire says. “He couldn’t get over how much fun he had. It’s also where he learned to make French onion soup, which became one of his favorite recipes to make.”

Meat Mattered Most

“One night it was spoon lamb, another night French onion soup,” Claire says. “My dad was unafraid to try any food or technique and was always looking for the next great taste.”

Claire’s knife collection is one of the sharpest there is, mainly because her dad kept it so in his pursuit of becoming an expert carver. She attests that her dad was one of the only people she knew who carved so thinly and perfectly.

Le Creuset Adventures

“I inherited this ham carving knife with a blade that is probably 14 inches long,” she says. “I could go into combat with this knife—it’s huge!”

Claire now holds in her possession more than 15 pieces in a highly valued collection of French cookware. Each Le Creuset pot or pan she owns is a piece that was added by her dad over the years as he traveled abroad, bringing a treasure home each time he returned.

PhOTO © By eMILy KAeLIN

Below: Bill Maratta’s knife collection and wooden cutting board

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Meat was a primary focus in her dad’s cooking endeavors and he took pride in the quality cuts he used. He would always walk straight to the butcher’s area, proceed to walk behind the counter and ask, “Can you get me some flank steaks?” or, “I need a leg of lamb,” Claire recalls. She remembers how thrilled the butcher would be at her dad’s fervor, genuine interest in the quality of meat he was buying, and with the fact that he was asking for those more rare types of meats. “No one else was asking for that,” Claire says. “My dad was a guy who really wanted to get to know his butcher and his meat and was willing to have conversation about it. No one else did that. But there’s my dad, hanging out in the back of the butcher area. It was fun to watch and it was just the way my dad was.”

Wooden Spoons The tools Claire uses most is her collection of wooden spoons. She inherited a large collection of them that she also remembers her father using all the time. Several of the spoons were even passed to her father by her grandmother. They’re the tools she always keeps close by because she is constantly grabbing one to keep this or that consistent, reinforcing the memory of seeing her dad doing the same thing. “To me its just a constant connection to my dad and grandmother because I am grabbing them all the time,” Claire says.

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The Spirit of Objects Although Claire’s father is no longer alive, he lives on in her and her family’s memory—in conversation and fond stories—and especially in the love for cooking he instilled as a tradition of family ties and shared experiences. They say objects of the past somehow mystically hold the spirit and energy of the previous owner who regularly and lovingly used them. Regardless of whether that is true, what Claire knows for sure is that the instilled family tradition of home cooking, along with her father’s collection of tools, has helped strengthen the ties between her family memories and current family relationships, all the while keeping at the heart of her life the most treasured recipe of all: family time spent over food. “Food is just a real connection for all of us,” Claire says. “Everything just was and still is so special. And while I enjoy and appreciate having and sharing my father’s cooking tools and treasures, it’s the culmination of foods, recipes, and the memories of my parents who wanted to share the world with us in every way—their approach to food, and, in a larger sense, the world.”

Tara Pettit is a dayton-based journalist and public relations specialist with a focus on community-centered cultural, social and environmental issues. She works full-time as a public relations specialist at a dayton-based non-profit. When she is not writing, she likes to paint and explore cities for the perfect cup of coffee. you can reach her at taramariepettit@gmail.com.

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The Bread Whisperer A master baker returns to her Ohio roots to partner in a new concept bakery By Nancy McKibben

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he aroma of fresh-baked bread is so delectable, so satisfying, so life-affirming, that it’s almost magic, and Sarah Black, head baker and bread program director of soon-to-open Flowers and Bread in Clintonville is the alchemist who makes the magic happen.

Except that Sarah—a petite, quiet dynamo—doesn’t see it quite that way. She is definitely an expert, with 30 years’ experience in New York City’s competitive food arena (see sidebar), and her breads have appeared in the city’s finest restaurants and shops (think Dean & Deluca or Delmonico’s), but bread making is not a secret she wants to keep to herself. Sarah has a unique and specific way of learning to make bread that she teaches in her new cookbook, described below, and in her classes. But, she says: “People can make bread baking too science-y. I think you should use your instincts and get your hands in the dough. Baking is a fun and pleasant thing to do.”

Savoring the Simple Sarah, who is originally from Marion, was pondering a return to her Midwest roots when she serendipitously met Tricia Wheeler and Sarah Lagrotteria, who were pondering a dream of their own. Tricia, the publisher of Edible Columbus magazine and owner of The Seasoned Farmhouse cooking school and event space, and Sarah Lagrotteria, a chef and writer who works with both companies, wanted to create the kind of “great space” in Clintonville that they themselves would enjoy. They envisioned a bakery/café/floral studio that championed fresh-baked bread, fresh flowers, and freshly brewed coffee—simple pleasures often neglected in these overbooked times. Then the three women met—a spark of recognition! great minds thinking alike!—and a few months later, Sarah B moved to Columbus to assume her role as head baker/teacher. Flowers and Bread, the fruit of their shared dream, will open soon on the corner of North High Street and Acton, across from the Whetstone Library.

Passing It On

PhOTO By © MARIA KhOROShILOVA

“I’ve opened at least five different bakeries,” Sarah B says. “Truthfully, if you ask any baker, they’ve all worked 20 hours a day when their bakeries first open. It’s not something I want to do at Flowers and Bread. That kind of schedule throws off the balance of life.” “But it’s difficult to get a consistent product. It’s the nature of bread. Since it’s alive, so many things can go wrong. You need someone there who knows it and can guide it.” Aspiring home bakers can take advantage of Sarah B’s expertise in her new cookbook, One Dough, Ten Breads: Making Great Bread by Hand, to be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in February. The book is a natural outgrowth of her baking classes. “It’s a specific and organized way to teach

Baker and author Sarah Black

baking,” Sarah B says, describing it as “not a splashy coffee table book, but user friendly.” Booklist has already given it a starred review, calling it “probably the closest a book can get to a hands-on course in the art of bread.” Her recipe for Ancient Grains Bread (see sidebar), is a delicious example of Sarah B’s art. The cookbook took about eight years to conceptualize and two years to write. Sarah B describes the creative process of developing her recipes in her home kitchen. “I start with a bread that I can envision in my imagination as to how I want it to look and taste. Then I make it 20 or 30 times until I can understand each nuanced component and feel confident that I can build it out to scale, so that 50 loaves taste as good as one. It takes practice, practice, practice.” Her New York (and now Ohio) neighbors benefit from her process, since they are the lucky recipients of the one hundred or so experimental loaves that Sarah B bakes to develop each new recipe.

Baking Bread, Raising Community Opposite: Sarah teaching photographer, Maria Khoroshilova, how to make bread and her result, evidence of Sarah B’s expert teaching!

While Flowers and Bread is a commercial enterprise, all three women also see the shop as a gift to the community.

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“We’re across from the Park of Roses,” Sarah Lagrotteria points out, “and we want to be here for moms to pick up drinks and home-baked granola bars on their way to the playground.” “Or milk and cookies after school,” Tricia adds. “Sandwiches for the Fourth of July celebration. Hot Cross Buns for Easter weekend. We want to really integrate into Whetstone events and beautify our corner of Clintonville. Flowers and Bread fits right into the community values of green space and walkability.” Part of Sarah B’s mission in Ohio is to train other bakers to a high standard. “I’m very serious about Flowers and Bread becoming an educational part of bread making for the Midwest.” And she hopes to eventually partner with local farmers to grow heritage strains of wheat to use in her bakery. “Better soil makes better wheat,” she says, which results in better bread.

Learn, Celebrate, Build In addition to the workaday business of bakery, coffee shop, and floral studio, Flowers and Bread will provide three different private event spaces, including an upstairs meeting room, for dinner parties, rehearsal dinners, showers, or business meetings. All can be catered: think roast chicken from the wood-fired oven. The floral studio will sell locally grown flowers and bouquets and offer howto classes for floral and wreath design and flower drying. In the bakery, “Imagine a corporate team-building bread class,” says Sarah B, who will teach this and other more traditional baking classes. And there are gifts to purchase. “A nosegay of fresh flowers, a candle, some good local honey,” says Tricia, promising that “we’ll always have something here that feels special.”

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Flowers and Bread will serve the public from 7am until 5pm, when the house will take on its second life as an event space and classroom. The owners promise ample parking and a beautiful place to meet friends, buy fresh bread and flowers, and feel a part of Clintonville’s neighborly vibe.

The Happy Baker “I’m so happy to be back in Ohio,” says Sarah B. “Tricia and Sarah are very lovely women with a whole way of being that’s different from New York City. The Seasoned Farmhouse, where I taught some classes, is a happy place to be, positive and friendly and unlike any other work scenario I’ve known.” Today Sarah B is happily planning the curriculum and classes for her bread courses and testing recipes for Flowers and Bread, confident that she is in the right place at the right time. “I don’t necessarily believe in destiny—or I didn’t—but all these components of being back in Ohio, near family and friends, making bread, working with women I respect and like seem to be the kind of happy ending I’ve always imagined.”

Contact Sarah Black: sarahsbreads.com; isarah@earthlink.net. Also see theseasonedfarmhouse.com for a listing of classes that Sarah teaches. Flowers and Bread is located in Clintonville at 3870 North High St., in a former residence. Street and lot parking are available. Visit flowersandbreadco.com for an opening date, possibly in February.

On Becoming a Baker in The Big Apple Before Sarah Black became the head baker and bread program director of

takes a lifetime to be a baker,’” says Sarah. “And it’s true, because bread is

the new Flowers and Bread in Clintonville, she spent 30 successful years as

a living thing, and you have to learn to understand it and respect it and

a New york City baker. Born in Marion and educated at Ohio university,

manage it.”

Sarah made the leap to NyC armed with a degree in painting—and realized almost immediately that she didn’t have “the right stuff” to succeed.

To do that, bakers sacrifice sleep and normal business hours.

undaunted, she cast around for an alternative, trying and failing at pantry

“Because so many bakeries or retail businesses open at 7 or 8am, bakers

and pastry positions in a friend’s restaurant. In the meantime, Sarah was ex-

tend to start work by 3am. Just about every bakery I’ve worked with has op-

perimenting at home, guided by Carol Field’s now-classic book, The Italian

erated 24/7.”

Baker, and in its pages she discovered her career. “Bread and I were a great time,” she recalls, so when another friend opened Tom Cat Bakery in 1987,

Sarah says that it is “pretty well known” among bakers that the overnight shift

Sarah was ready.

is the most challenging, since the people who choose to work nights are largely

So was New york. In the early 90s, New York Magazine trumpeted the news

and retrain.” On the other hand, “there is a real freedom to being up all night.

of a “bread-baking renaissance” in the city, and Sarah was one of its pio-

you have the quiet, focused ability to really learn about bread.”

rebels who cherish their independence, but are “hard sometimes to redirect

neers, credited by the New York Times’s Florence Fabricant for “bringing ciabatta to New york.”

In 1999, Sarah sold her baking business and began a career as a baking con-

“That was my shining moment,” Sarah laughs. Ciabatta was one of the

eagle Marketplace. Sarah also consulted with Amy’s Breads, helping to train,

breads she found in The Italian Baker and for which she perfected the

develop, and teach baking classes at the bakery’s Chelsea Market location.

sultant for corporations including Pepperidge Farm, Whole Foods, and Giant

recipe that she sold in her stores and taught in her classes. In the past five years, Sarah says, “I recognized how much I love working In 1990, under the wing of Tom Cat Bakery, she opened her own line of

with people. I’ve always gotten a great response to my classes. It’s fun to

breads that soon turned up “in sandwiches and bread baskets all over Man-

open up the world of bread to people.”

hattan,” according to New York Magazine. “Bakeries are not cutthroat like other parts of the culinary world,” Sarah says. “Women bakers know about

And now, back home in the Midwest, Sarah plans to do just that at Flowers

each other and help each other.”

and Bread.

Sarah’s prominence as a NyC baker led to her “most fun job” as a coach for

Contact Sarah Black: sarahsbreads.com; isarah@earthlink.net. Also see the-

Judd hirsch when he played a baker on Broadway. “One of his lines was: ‘It

seasonedfarmhouse.com for a listing of classes that Sarah teaches.

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Organic Whole Wheat Bread with Kamut, Amaranth, and Millet Flour By Sarah Black, excerpt from One Dough, Ten Breads: Making Great Bread by Hand yIeLd Approximately 38 ounces dough; 2 spiral-shaped loaves More and more bakers and those who love to eat are exploring a new frontier of ancient grains because they’re delicious, healthy, and wholesome. Many of these grains are defined as “ancient” because they have been farmed for thousands and thousands of years—civilizations were built around them. In this recipe, we start with whole wheat flour (choose organic for an even more wholesome option) and a whole wheat and kamut poolish, add a soaker of whole amaranth grains, and then incorporate millet flour into the dough. however, since amaranth and millet do not contain gluten, they are used only in small proportions with other gluten-containing flours. Remember, a poolish needs time to ferment before you can proceed with the dough, anywhere from 2½ to 3 hours at room temperature.

Poolish (makes 8 ounces) ½ teaspoon active dry yeast 4 ounces warm water 2 ounces whole wheat flour 2 ounces kamut flour

Soaker (makes 3½ ounces) 1 ounce amaranth 2½ cold water

Whole Wheat Bread 1 teaspoon active dry yeast 2 teaspoons table salt 1¾ ounces warm water 8 ounces whole wheat flour, preferably organic 6 ounces unbleached bread flour 2 ounces millet flour 8 ounces cool water 8 ounces poolish (above) 3½ ounces soaker (above) Vegetable oil

Poolish Measure and weigh Measure the yeast and set it aside. Weigh the warm water into a small bowl. The warm water should feel hot to the touch, between 105° and 115°. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water, stir to

Weigh the whole wheat and the kamut flours and combine in a bowl, stir to mix together, then make a well in the center. Mix Add the yeast mixture to the flour, and stir 3 or 4 turns, until all of the ingredients are incorporated. If your poolish seems dry, add ½ to 1 more ounce of water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to ferment at room temperature for 2½ to 3 hours. This particular poolish should be used immediately after it has doubled in volume, after 2½ to 3 hours, and not be held in the refrigerator overnight, due to the vulnerable nature of the flours and their lack of protein and gluten strength.

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dissolve, and set aside.

Sarah Blackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Organic Whole Wheat Bread with Kamut, Amaranth, and Millet Flour

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Soaker Make the soaker Weigh the amaranth and the cold water into a small saucepan

Pre-shape each dough piece into a log. Shape each log into a baguette, then

with a lid. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes,

shape each baguette into a tight coil, with all sides touching, and place the

until all water has been absorbed. Put the mixture in a small bowl and let it cool

coils on an oiled baking sheet at least 3 or 4 inches apart.

completely before adding it to the dough. Proof Cover the dough with oiled plastic wrap and let proof for 30 to 45

Whole Wheat Bread Measure and weigh Measure the yeast and the salt separately and set them aside.

minutes, or just until it is almost doubled in volume. While the dough is proofing, preheat the oven to 480°, with an empty pan for creating steam on the bottom of the oven. have ready a spritzer filled with

Weigh the warm water into a small bowl. The warm water should feel hot to the

water near the oven and approximately 8 ounces of hot water to pour into the

touch, between 105° and 115°. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water, stir to

empty pan.

dissolve, and set aside. Bake Open the oven door, and, working quickly, slide the pan with the coils Weigh the wheat flour, bread flour, and millet flour, combine them in a large

onto the middle rack, then pour the hot water into the empty pan below to

bowl, and mix together. Then sprinkle the salt on top of the flours, stir to incor-

create steam before quickly closing the oven door. After 1 minute, open the

porate, and make a well in the center.

oven door and spritz around the dough with water, then close the door again.

Weigh the cool water into a bowl.

The bread should bake to a rich brown color in 35 to 45 minutes.

Mix First, combine the poolish and the soaker with the cool water, using your

Cool When the bread has finished baking, let it cool completely on a wire rack.

fingers to help break up the poolish to dissolve. Add the yeast mixture to the flour, stir 3 or 4 turns, and then, little by little, add the cool water with the poolish and the soaker. Mix with your hands for 2 to 3 minutes, until all of the ingredients are incorporated, the grit of the salt is dissolved, and the dough forms a rough and shaggy mass, and then stop. Let the dough rest Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough stand still for about 30 minutes.

Related shaping instructions Adapted and abridged for the purposes of this excerpt

Pre-Shaping a Log To pre-shape the dough into logs, take the dough, flatten it into a rec-

Fold Sprinkle your work surface with flour and then use a plastic bowl scraper

tangle, and position the rectangle so that the short end faces you. using

to scrape the dough out onto it. Tap your hands in a little flour, then gently

both hands, pick up the top edge and pull it past the center of the

flatten the dough into a rectangle, with the short side facing you.

dough, press it so it adheres to itself, then do the same with the bottom

use your fingers or the plastic scraper to flip the top edge of the dough down to

gether firmly to make a tight log.

edge. Repeat this action with the top piece only and press the dough tojust below the center, then flip the bottom edge up to just above the center. Repeat this process for the right and left sides, then turn the dough over and dust off the flour.

Shaping a Baguette Sprinkle just a bit more flour on the counter, then take one log and po-

Ferment Oil a second large bowl, then place the dough in it, seam side up, to oil

sition it lengthwise in front of you with the bottom seam facing up.

the top. Then turn it seam side down, and cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap. Mark the time with a felt-tipped pen on the plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest and rise in a moderately cool place until it has doubled in volume, 1 to 2 hours, depending on the heat of your environment.

Begin by folding the dough in half, using the heel of your hand to make an imprint of the crease before folding. Starting from the upper right tip of the dough, pull and stretch the dough over and down between the thumb and fingers of your left hand, then seal it with the bottom of the palm of your

After the first 30 minutes of fermentation, turn the dough out of the bowl onto

right hand. Continue this process all the way down the length of the

your work surface, and fold a second time as described above. Return the

baguette. your right palm should be held upright, like waving, so it does

dough to the bowl, cover, and complete the fermentation.

not flatten and compress the dough. Repeat this process once or even twice more, until the baguette is approximately 1½ inches wide.

Folding a second time will help strengthen the dough, necessary because this dough contains one flour that has no gluten.

Set the baguette aside, covered with oiled plastic wrap, and repeat the

Pre-shape and shape Once the dough has doubled in volume, sprinkle a little

for another 8 to 10 minutes.

process with the remaining piece of dough. Let the dough rest, covered, more flour onto your work surface, then scrape the dough out onto it, letting the dough assume its natural shape. Tap your hands in flour, and gently flatten the

After the dough has rested, elongate the baguettes on a very lightly floured

dough, then divide into 2 equal pieces.

counter: Place 1 baguette in front of you, lengthwise. use both hands, with your fingers together, to roll the baguette back and forth, starting in the center and then moving your hands apart and tapering the edges until the baguette is 12 to 14 inches long. Repeat with the second baguette.

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Hungry Neighbors Reimagining fresh food access at the Mid-Ohio Foodbank By Nicole Rasul Photography by Maria Khoroshilova

Thinking Beyond the Food Pantry Imagine a restaurant open to community members from all walks of life—those who can pay for a meal as well as those who can’t. Downtown office workers power-lunching over quinoa next to hipsters brunching on hazelnut pancakes, and at the table by the window, the homeless man you recently saw on the corner gracefully enjoying ciderglazed pork chops for free. This is the South Side Roots Cafe & Market, a vision of the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, recently opened at Columbus’ Reeb Avenue Center. South Side Roots is food access at its finest: People from all walks of life enjoying nutritious food in a community setting regardless of their ability to pay. “This is a restaurant for everyone. This is not a food pantry or a place only for people who are low-income. This is a restaurant where everyone

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Yolanda Owens and Matt Habash of the Mid-Ohio Foodbank

The Mid-Ohio Foodbank’s South Side Roots Cafe & Market

can get a good meal,” notes Yolanda Owens, the Mid-Ohio Foodbank communications manager. In our community, one in six adults and one in four children face food security issues on a daily basis. South Side Roots is an innovative mixedincome model that ensures that the most vulnerable among us are able to secure fresh, healthy food in a dignified setting. The Cafe, which operates under a “pay what you can” structure, offers diners three ways to purchase a meal: Pay the full price or less, pay the full price or more to “pay it forward” for someone less fortunate, or volunteer in the Cafe kitchen or dining room to earn your meal. All diners enjoy a healthy meal, not knowing what or how the person next to them paid, in a space that is airy, open, and inviting. Across the hall from the Cafe is the Market, which sells fresh produce, groceries, and a variety

of ready-to-go meals at extremely discounted prices. Like the Cafe, anyone can shop at the Market regardless of income. The Market acquires food from the one of the Foodbank’s two urban farms, or it is purchased by the Foodbank at a discounted rate. “Eighty percent of the people that come to our pantries only visit five times or less. It’s very incidental: ‘My car broke down and I have to fix it so I can go to work, which means I now can’t afford to buy groceries.’ These are people who are trying to make ends meet; they want to be able to pay. The Market is a very dignified setting where they can pay for what they need,” says Yolanda. The Reeb Avenue Center is a collaboration of 13 nonprofits committed to making a change on the Southside of the city. The 111-year-old former school opened in late September after a $12.5 million renovation.

The neighborhood hopes that the Center will spur revitalization in this part of town. Planners believe that the Center can serve as a model for similar projects in disenfranchised neighborhoods around the city, state, and nation. In addition to the Cafe and Market, the space also houses social service organizations devoted to adult education and job training, as well as a new branch of the Columbus Boys & Girls Club and the Southside Learning and Development Center. “We believe it is important to serve the whole person and co-locating with these amazing partners here at the Reeb Center allows us to share our work,” says Matt Habash, president and CEO of the Foodbank. Programs offered by the partners interweave organically with the Cafe and Market: The Godman Guild’s job training program places participants in the Cafe; the Cafe’s kitchen pro-

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At the South Side Roots Cafe & Market there is a space at the table for all of Central Ohio’s citizens, in particular those who are hungry and those who are hungry to make a change. The Cafe & Market is open to everyone, regardless of income, and the space aims to bridge communities through the art of

vides nearly 400 fully subsidized meals daily to attendees of the Columbus Boys & Girls Club program and the Southside Learning and Development Center; additionally, nutrition and wellness programs are offered in the Cafe space by Community Development for All People, another partner in the building.

eating well. Located in the garden level of the Reeb Avenue Center at 280 Reeb Ave. in Columbus, the ventures operate during the following times: Cafe: Weekday Lunch: 11am–3pm Saturday Brunch: 9am–2pm Tuesday Community Meal: 5:30pm–7:30pm

On a recent afternoon, David Cofer, managing director of Community Development for All People, lunched with several colleagues in the Cafe. “There are a lot of places that we could have chosen to have lunch at today but part of our being here is to support this vision that we helped to craft—this vision of people from many different backgrounds eating together,” he says. “What an incredible meal, at an amazing price, for a great cause.”

Lunch and brunch offerings change seasonally and some current selections include: house-made chicken salad sandwich, Cubano panini, roasted vegetable flatbread, farmer’s salad, butternut squash bisque, pumpkin waffles, poached egg and grilled ham with a buttermilk biscuit. On Tuesdays a free community meal is served and features dishes from local restaurants. The meal aims to bring together people from a variety of backgrounds to connect over food. Market: Monday–Friday: 8am–7pm Saturday: 9am–2pm The Market sells fresh produce, dairy, eggs, meat, and bread, as well as some dry goods, household products, and ready-to-assemble meal kits—all at discounted prices. To learn more about the Cafe & Market, visit southsideroots.org.

Get Involved Anyone can volunteer at the Cafe & Market and the Foodbank seeks volunteers every day to assist in the Market or greet and serve in the Cafe. Volunteers can sign up online at southsideroots.mofb.volunteerhub.com. Sponsor a produce market as an individual, create a team or join an existing team by mobilizing family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues to raise $2,500 for the operation of one produce market. Learn more and sign up to participate at midohiofoodbank.org/getfresh.

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A Model in Fresh Food Access The Mid-Ohio Foodbank is strategically investing in programs to get fresh food into the hands of those who need it and, today, nearly 53% of the food distributed by the organization is fresh. In 2014, through the help of its more than 650 partners, the Foodbank distributed nearly 24 million pounds of fresh food to its clients. Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, ranks the Mid-Ohio Foodbank as sixth best in the country, among a group of 200 peers, in making fresh food a reality for those that the organization serves. In a recent survey, 84% of a sample of Foodbank clients reported that their biggest barrier to accessing fresh food is not location, but cost. They noted that there may be a grocery store in their neighborhood, however, they often don’t have the funds to pay for fresh food at the store. “Even if there is a grocery store in a community, if people cannot afford it, then they still do not have access. True access also includes affordability,” notes Yolanda. To tackle the issue of cost, which affects hundreds of thousands of clients in the 20 counties in Central and Eastern Ohio that the Foodbank serves, one fresh-food model that the organization offers is a produce market program. This initiative aims to get fruits and vegetables, bread, eggs, and dairy products into the hands of those who need them.

In the produce market model the Foodbank collaborates with its distribution partners, including churches, food pantries, and nonprofits working in communities of need, to organize produce markets at their facilities. The program has proven to be especially beneficial to Foodbank partners who do not have access to refrigeration and can generally only offer shelf-stable foods to their clients. The Foodbank brings 10,000 pounds of fresh produce to the partner’s location. Then, like a farmers market, families shop for apples, lettuce, and milk displayed on makeshift tables. However, in this scenario there is no exchange of cash, as all of the food is free. In 2014, the Foodbank and its partners organized more than 1,000 of these markets, reaching approximately 200,000 food-insecure families in our region. The produce markets have reported health returns: Participants note that, on average, their fruit and vegetable consumption increases by 2½ cups per day while participating in the program. Meanwhile, participants report that they are consuming 94% of the food given to them through this program. “Because we so strongly believe that food is health, we work hard every day to connect our hungry neighbors to fresh, nourishing foods,” Matt notes. “It is all about co-creating thriving communities, assessing the unique needs of each of our hungry neighbors to connect them to the best food delivery channel—whether a pantry, produce market, urban farm, mid-level grocery market, café, or community meal.”

Nicole Rasul loves all things food. Food history, food culture and profiles of our region’s brave producers especially strike her fancy. She lives in Clintonville with her husband and daughter where they enjoy the farmers market and their backyard garden.

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last seed

My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes that Saved My Life by Ruth Reichl Reviewed by Kurt Michael Friese

ometimes just when we feel our lives are going along swimmingly, when our careers are on track and the future looks bright, the Fates snip a thread and everything spins out of control.

personal journal, though, she was really telling that to herself. Cooking is the most tangible way we have of expressing our love to our family and friends, and Ruth relearns this important lesson through ice storms and days-long power outages that test her knowledge of technique as much as her patience and sanity. But as winter finally gives way to spring, another of her tweets reads, “Sun coming up. Hawks hovering outside. Dancing in the kitchen with gnocchi and the blues. Good way to start a Sunday.”

Six years ago Ruth Reichl had been the editorin-chief of Gourmet magazine for 10 years. Food magazines everywhere were succumbing to the onset of the Internet, but her title, a flagship of the mighty Condé Nast empire, had been the granddaddy of food and cooking periodicals for nearly 70 years. It never crossed her mind that Gourmet might shutter. Until it did. In her new book, Ruth discusses the demise of Gourmet, how retreating to the kitchen was her salvation, and her surprising success on a thennew medium called Twitter. My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life is part journal, part recipe collection, part compendium of tweets that read like Haiku. Random House’s great book designer Susan Turner used Ruth’s recipes and journal entries, along with the inviting photography of Mikkel Vang, to craft an alluring hybrid of Ruth’s award-winning memoir style and a seasonal cookbook. Organized as perhaps all cookbooks should be— by season—Ruth carries us along on her yearlong journey from shock and mourning to a rediscovery of the power and joy of cooking. The bombshell had struck as if it were scripted for a movie—Ruth on the other side of the country when she gets a call from her boss with merely the vague admonition that they needed her back in the office right away. The following morning, she learned right along with her staff that Gourmet was done, and that they should all clear out their desks. No explanations. Word rocketed around the Internet, and those of us in the food-writing world joined Ruth in collective shock, the deluge of support manifesting on Twitter, where Ruth replied, “Thank you all 64

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SO much for this outpouring of support. It means a lot. Sorry not to be posting now, but I’m packing. We’re all stunned, sad.” Then, despite the closure, she still felt obligated to complete the promotional tour she’d been in the middle of when the axe fell. It was 10 more days before she finally woke at home, cooked a simple breakfast, and went off to the farmers market. She did not know it at the time, but the eggs, the coffee, the bacon, the aromas and bustle of the market had started her on a journey into nesting and comfort that would reboot her life. With recipes like Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder and “easy Bolognese,” she invites us along on that journey, encouraging the reader all the while to see the procedures she spells out as mere suggestions. We should make each recipe our own, just as she had, adopting each from years of stored memories until, sculpted and reshaped they were truly hers. The reader should, in turn, add a little of this, substitute that for the other thing, and see cooking not as a chore but as an expression. Since this all began as her

Easter brings saffron-laced deviled eggs while “Sturdy spears of asparagus march through the market, soldiers of spring. They round me up, call my name. Yes please.” Spring welcomes summer with simple hummus, then with PB&J, then with purslane tacos. Each has a story. Each brings comfort in subtle and surprising ways. Summer gives way as it must, and simple staples like chicken stock begin the season of “puttin’ up.” Back at her Twitter, Ruth writes, “Clouds coming in. Chilly outside. In here the generous scent of chicken stock swirls through the air. A solace and a promise.” Thus Ruth’s life is saved, in four seasons, by way of work and reflection, cooking and the joys of the kitchen. Would that all such recoveries were so delicious.

Kurt Michael Friese is a chef and restaurant owner, and publisher of Edible Iowa. he lives with his wife Kim, and his dog Archie, in the rolling hills outside Iowa City.

My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life ©2015 by Ruth Reichl, published by Random House, New York. To hear an interview with Ruth Reichl, and hundreds of other food luminaries, tune into our series of podcasts at EdibleRadio.com