EDIBLE NOTABLES

EDIBLE NOTABLES RUTH REICHL

e power of storytelling in a post-truth society

BY ROSIE PARKER

Author and chef Ruth Reichl—former editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine and restaurant critic for e New York Times and the Los Angeles Times—is coming to the Monterey Peninsula. She will speak at a fundraiser for the Carmel Public Library Foundation on May 17 at the Sunset Center along with two pals: award-winning Los Angeles chef Nancy Silverton, and cookbook author Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW’s Good Food radio show. Reichl, who is currently working on her second novel, recently spoke with EMB reporter Rosie Parker about the upcoming event and why she writes.

EMB: I’ve always thought of you first and foremost as a storyteller. Do you feel like that’s been your approach to the different positions you’ve held in your life?

RR: Yes, absolutely. I think the two most important things in life are food and stories. I really believe that. In fact, I’m about to go to Spain in a couple of months for a conference called Diálogos de Cocina, put on by the Basque Culinary Center, where I’ll be lecturing on how you deal with food issues in a post-truth society. One of the things I want to say is that for some food justice issues we really need to get beyond just facts and need to become better storytellers.

I think it’s wonderful that we have people like Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan and Mark Bittman and that we have movies like Food, Inc., but I think if we’re really going to move it forward, we need to see fiction as a tool.

When Upton Sinclair wrote e Jungle, he said, “I aimed at the public’s heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach.” And that was the direct cause of the first Pure Food and Drug Act in the United States because people read about the conditions of these packing plants and it horrified them, and they demanded that laws be enacted to make sure that our meat was safer. It speaks to the power of storytelling! We have to go beyond people’s minds and really try and make readers experience, for example, what it’s like to be an undocumented worker who is picking produce for slave wages.

EMB:at’s so interesting that you believe fiction to be the right outlet for these issues.

RR: I think fiction—books, TV, film—has an ability to really affect people emotionally. You can present something in a way that it’s never been presented before. And we need to be doing the same thing with food stories. We need to be looking at the evildoers and the victims in ways that we haven’t before. And fiction is one of the best ways to get inside someone else’s head, which in turn allows us to tap into our common humanity.

Photo courtesy of Ruth Reichl

EMB: e hyper-local food movement has become so important to our food culture, and the Edible Publications are an extension of that. Do you think that this is the future of food journalism?

RR: I love the Edible Publications. I tried to get Si Newhouse (owner of Condé Nast) to buy them when they were still really young because I saw a strong future for them and I really admired the concept. When I was growing up we didn’t even have that notion that food is part

“e real changes that have come in food have not come through government regulation but through people saying, ‘We don’t want to buy tortured animals anymore. We don’t want antibiotics in our meat.’ If everyone in America decided tomorrow that they didn’t want to eat pigs that had been raised in confinement facilities, they would go away!”

of what shapes a community. And what we’re looking at now is the fact that a lot of American public policy in the ’70s and ’80s was specifically to destroy family farms. Earl Butz (secretary of agriculture under Nixon and Ford) said to farmers, “Get big or get out.” at’s why we are now seeing rural rage, that’s how we got Donald Trump—we destroyed thousands and thousands of rural communities. Our food system was a big part of what held those food communities together, so, yes, I think that local food is really important.

But on the other hand, when it comes to journalism, we have so many systemic problems in our food systems. ere is so much wrong on a bigger level, and we really need journalists who have the time and money to investigate the real problems like justice for farmworkers and food safety.

EMB:e trend of recent years, especially in food writing, seems to favor small, niche publications.

RR: One of the things that makes me sad about the current state of journalism altogether is that I really think that we now spend way too much time preaching to the converted. People only buy the publications that they know think like they do, and there’s something remarkable about a general interest publication that has people of all political persuasions reading it. I think that part of the joy of great journalism is to read something that you didn’t know you wanted to read.

I remember my father, who is from Berlin, would talk about his father who used to read eight newspapers a day, all across the political spectrum because he wanted to know everything that was going on. I wish we still did that. People watch and read things that will tell them things that they want to hear. But we all need to hear things that we don’t want to hear.

EMB: Yeah, I’d like to think so.

RR: ere’s a real balance between the pleasure of food and the seriousness of it. Food is something that we need to sustain life, and we’re increasingly learning the enormous impact it has on the environment. And within a small community, I think a thoughtful, critical voice is important because it helps communities raise the bar of what’s being produced and hopefully helps them see the bigger picture.

EMB:What do you think your role/responsibility, if any, is at this point?

RR: I don’t know what my role is, to be honest. I feel like to the extent that I can make my voice heard, I need to do it for the things that I think are important. I honestly believe that there’s a lot to fix in food and that if I can help that in any way, I should be doing that. One of the ways I’m trying to reach potential game changers is through speaking at some fascinating conferences, like the upcoming one in Spain or at Mesa Redonda—a conference for young journalists that took place in Mexico last year.

I’m obviously really worried about what’s going to happen with this incoming administration. I think that we all need to be concerned about our environment and climate change, and agriculture has a huge impact on that. To the extent that I can move the dial at all, it’s my responsibility to do that.

EMB:Given the importance, especially in recent years, of strong journalism on food justice, where do you think the voice of the critic fits in?

RR: You essentially have a platform as a critic to inform people about what’s going on in that world. One of the things that’s so exciting to me about food is that it’s an area where consumers have enormous power. e real changes that have come in food have not come through government regulation but through people saying, “We don’t want to buy tortured animals anymore. We don’t want antibiotics in our meat.” If everyone in America decided tomorrow that they didn’t want to eat pigs that had been raised in confinement facilities, they would go away! So I really think that one of the things that good critics can do is bring up these issues.

EMB:Something I think a lot about for myself—living in a community-driven place and working for a local food publication—is if and where there is room for a critical voice in these smaller communities. At Edible Monterey Bay we are here to tell the food stories of our community, but I also believe in holding my community accountable for the mission statements they are putting out there. I wonder how you think that balance can be achieved.

RR: When I took over Gourmet in 1999 my publisher said, “Just give us recipes and happy stories.” But we started doing serious stories—we did the first major piece in the country on the problems with salmon farming, we did tomato slaves, we did all kinds of stuff— and it was clear that readers liked it and wanted it. I think that we consistently underestimate our readers, and I think there’s a much bigger hunger for knowledge out there than we give people credit for.

MORE: is interview has been edited and condensed for space limitations. Read the transcript of the full interview on our website: www.ediblemontereybay.com.

TICKETS: Find information and tickets for e Foodie Edition with Reichl, Silverton and Kleiman on May 17 at: www.carmelpubliclibraryfoundation.org/events/featured.

EDIBLE NOTABLES GREEN THROUGH AND THROUGH

Rosie McCann’s proudly wears the color 365 days a year

BY ROSIE PARKER PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEN PAYTON

ere’s an Irish proverb that says, “Is túisce deoch ná scéal”: A drink precedes a story. At Rosie McCann’s, the Irish pub and restaurant that’s been a staple in Santa Cruz for more than 20 years, this is the experience for any patron who climbs the steep steps off of Pacific Avenue for a pint or a bite.

Not to say that you go in for a beer and leave knowing the life story of the guy sitting next to you (although that could happen). Rather, Rosie’s leads with simple hospitality—great service, a varied menu including all the traditional Irish favorites, an endless beer and whiskey list—and a dedication to the community that is a story in itself.

“We want to provide food and an environment that we would bring our own family to,” says Amy Bassi, assistant to Mina Shamsaei, owner of the family business, which also includes a second restaurant on Santana Row in San Jose. “We’re really trying to meet the needs of the community.”

Rosie McCann’s is one of just nine restaurants awarded Green Certification by the City of Santa Cruz for its efforts to reduce waste and conserve water and electricity.

In Santa Cruz, meeting the needs of the community also means using quality ingredients. Everything on the menu, from fish ’n’ chips to

Locavore pub: Organic, local ingredients go into the family-friendly food prepared by chef Cervando Maya as well as the drinks served in Rosie McCann’s remodeled lounge.

a grass-fed burger, is sourced with health and sustainability in mind— local organic produce and natural meat and seafood that are free of hormones, antibiotics and pesticides. Since buying the restaurant in 1996, Shamsaei and executive chef Cervando Maya have shopped at the downtown Santa Cruz Farmers’ Market, staying on top of seasonality and drawing inspiration from the city’s vibrant food culture.

Shamsaei and Maya also tap into their own cultural backgrounds (Persian and Mexican, respectively) and beyond to create an internationally diverse menu that includes Thai curry, quesadillas and seared ahi salad in addition to Irish classics like corned beef and cabbage or shepherd’s pie. “Our kitchen is the core of the restaurant,” Bassi says, beaming.

Maya trained his staff from the beginning to not trim any corners. All fries are hand cut, all burger buns and bread made freshly and all desserts made in house (so you can feel good about indulging in the Guinness-Ghirardelli chocolate cake). “e kitchen takes pride in making the food, and the staff takes pride in serving it,” says general manager Kim Shankland. e space itself is a delightful surprise—a large, open and sunny dining room with cozy booths and tables that overlook Pacific Avenue; a bar with ample seating featuring more than 25 beers on tap and an impressive cocktail list; and a newly remodeled lounge where you can enjoy a rotating list of events like live music and comedy nights. “We get to be a lot of different things,” Shankland says, “a pub where you can drink and have fun, but also a family-friendly restaurant where you can get great service and a healthy meal.”

“Céad míle fáilte: 100,000 welcomes” is the slogan Rosie McCann’s uses proudly—a statement that is most in effect on the day of days, St. Patrick’s Day. “It’s like our Christmas!” Shankland says. “We’re preparing for it all year.” Live music in the lounge, green beer and all the traditional Irish favorites are just a few of the offerings that make it the place to be on March 17. Rosie McCann’s also kicks off the celebration early with a St. Patty’s Day Eve celebration on March16 for families or those who want to avoid the crowds.

St. Patrick’s Day is a festive day of fun and, often, excess. Why not support a Green Certified business while drinking whiskey with your Black and Tans and feasting on corned beef? Shankland promises all hands on deck to ensure a safe yet proper celebration. ey’ll pour the drinks, you share the stories.

Rosie Parker, a native New Englander, likes to complain of missing home while living the Santa Cruz high life—surfing, hiking, writing and working for a delicious craft brewery.

Rosie McCann’s

1220 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz • 831.426.930 www.rosiemccanns.com

Herbert opened the café as an outgrowth of her community sponsored agriculture (CSA) program, Farmhouse Foods –Eat with the Seasons, which offers customizable weekly boxes of locally grown organic fruits and vegetables and a plethora of sustainably made items ranging from meats to freshly baked breads to herbs and spices.

At Farmhouse Café, Herbert uses the same produce and artisanal ingredients to elevate the menu above ordinary diner fare. “Farmhouse Favorites” include cilantro pesto steak made with grass-fed beef and roasted salmon in locally pressed olive oil, and even the humble peanut butter and jam sandwich boasts handmade preserves. Custom-made sandwiches and creative salads round out the offerings.

Light, bright and airy, the café features white subway tile and celery-green accented walls, highlighted by a rustic logo created by Schipper Design of San Juan Bautista. Cases full of grab-and-go items make it easy to get quick and healthy takeout, or for people who want to linger a while, tables and a lunch counter are available. e café also sells products from other local food artisans, such as Vertigo coffee, Coke Farm organic flour and Bella Vista Ranch olive oil, among others.

Eventually, the farm partnered with others in the area to offer more choice of produce, and now its CSA delivers to 1,200 subscribers throughout the San Francisco and Monterey Bay areas. Herbert added the prepared foods, inspired by the produce she was handling and customers’ requests for quick healthy meals: “It was really an evolution of what I’d been doing.”

Opening Farmhouse Café might seem like a natural outgrowth of the family business, but running a restaurant is something altogether new for Herbert. It’s been made easier though by her capable employees, especially restaurant manager Renee Rocha, and it’s hard to argue with success.

“The café has really taken off,” says Herbert.

Initially, Herbert envisioned the café as a place for her to make the prepared salads, soups and dips that she offers to CSA customers each week—turning it into a breakfast and lunch establishment was an afterthought. But customers quickly discovered and loved the menu, and now the café bustles on weekdays.

Herbert notes that it’s been wonderful— but a little bit hectic. “I really wasn’t banking on the walk-in traffic,” she says, but the strong response has convinced her to work on expanding menu offerings and to consider adding weekend hours and a dinner menu. Currently the café is open Monday through Friday from 8am–3pm; orders can also be placed via phone or through the website.

Herbert has long been part of her family’s business. “When I was nine, I begged my father to let me help sort onions and peppers,” she says, adding that she decided on a career in publishing instead. She returned 14 years ago for what she thought would be a short stint to help market her parents’ CSA. at “temporary” job turned into Herbert taking the reins as her farmer father Pat Herbert has scaled back his involvement, although he continues to grow onions, bell peppers and corn on his 70-acre Herbert Family Organic Farm in rural Hollister.

Kathryn McKenzie, who grew up in Santa Cruz and now lives on a Christmas tree farm in north Monterey County, writes about sustainable living, health and horticulture for numerous publications and websites.

Farmhouse Café

615 San Benito St., Ste. D, Hollister 831.265.7247 www.eatwiththeseasons.com/farmhouse-cafe