food news – Food Woolf

Food Blogger Bake Sale for Share Our Strength

Something I would never expect happened to me today. I was browsing in the baking section at one of my favorite cooking supply stores and day dreaming about baking. I know. It’s a miracle. Or maybe it’s the Food Blogging Bake Sale for Share our Strength that’s got me thinking about something other than getting over my fear of baking.

Today is a day dedicated to all things baked because I’m helping with all sorts of preparations for tomorrow’s nation wide bake sale. The second annual Los Angeles Foodblogger Bakesale—organized by the fabulous and extraordinary Gaby of What’s Gaby Cooking—is the flagship city for the nation-wide event that gathers the nation’s top bloggers/food writers/and chefs to raise money for Share our Strength, an organization striving to eradicate childhood hunger in America by 2015. I’m excited to be part of this talented pool of food lovers who are gathering up all their best baked goods to bring awareness to this very real problem that’s happening in your city and, more than likely, in your neighborhood.

I couldn’t think of a better reason to spend all day in the kitchen.

Several months back I shared a deeply personal story about a difficult time in my life when I was a hungry kid. Luckily, childhood hunger wasn’t something I had to face for a very long time, but those early experiences of asking for help and being denied assistance changed me. Having a door slammed in your face when you’re a hungry kid has a way of affecting your relationship with food and the rest of the world. It’s taken me a long time to feel comfortable sharing my story, but I knew it was important to reveal the honest truth to bring light to a subject matter that many people believe only affects a marginal group of people in our country.

But the fact is, at least one kid in ten is hungry in America. Not just in the cities. Not just in the poor rural areas. In just about every school in America, there are kids struggling to find food to fill their empty bellies.

There’s more hunger in the classrooms than you’d care to believe. In rural and urban schools, a majority of kids (65%) aren’t getting fed well at home and must rely on school lunches for their main source of nutrition. Considering the fact that many children must rely on schools to feed them, SOS has a number of summer lunch programs in place to make sure summer vacation is something all kids can look forward to.

So whether or not you are in Los Angeles or are near another city that’s hosting a Food Blogger Bake Sale, you can donate a few dollars here to support the cause. And if you are in Los Angeles and have something of a sweet tooth or want something healthy and good, I highly recommend you swing by BLD (7450 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036) for a treat. You will not be disappointed. Continue reading “Food Blogger Bake Sale for Share Our Strength”

October 15March 14

Moving from Blogger to WordPress

flowers cu

Home feels so much better after a really good clean. That’s true for this blog, too. Maybe you noticed a few changes. What’s different? Thanks to lots and lots of help, I ripped out all the old Blogger wiring and installed shiny, hi-tech Word Press tools to streamline the whole darn thing.

Along the way to making this blog a bit more pro-style, some things were lost (please re-sign up for my RSS Feed!!!). And some were gained (Yay, SEO! Stats! Organization!)

Truth be told, the actual move from Blogger to WordPress didn’t take that long–maybe two or three full days in front of a computer with a couple of tech savvy friends–but a whole lot of life got in the way. There were four months of waiting for the work of a designer I hired that, it turns out, actually had no intention of doing anything. A month to rebuild my confidence. And then, thanks to the nudging of my good friends Todd and Diane, I was able to realize I was playing the classic game of avoidance.

What was I afraid of? Other than flipping some switch and everything going *poof*, I feared the technology. Or more specifically, my lack of knowledge. So in order to get over my fear, I decided gut the thing myself. With LOTS of hand holding and guidance from my friends.

October 6January 4

Food Woolf Nominated for Foodbuzz ‘Best Writing Voice’ Award

I got the news today that I was nominated for Food Buzz.com’s food blogging award for “Best Writing Voice.” Amy, my editor at the LA Weekly’s food blog, emailed me with the news.

First of all, it should be stated that I still can’t believe I’m getting paid to write about food. Add to that, the fact that I’m getting paid to write about food at a Pulitzer Prize winning weekly newspaper that won that award for the incredible food writing of Mr. Jonathan Gold. Then, sprinkle on top of that, the fact that the only reason my food editor agreed to interview me for a job was because of the writing found here on this blog–it’s officially mind blowing what this blog has done for me.

I’m jump-up-and-down happy. Just typing the sentence “my editor emailed me the good news that I was nominated for Best Writing Voice” has my heart racing. I can’t believe it. It’s such an honor to be considered.

Continue Food Buzz Blog Awards »

September 30November 14

Expect the Unexpected-Blogher Food ’09

Expect the unexpected is a great motto, but it’s a hard one to follow. Especially if you like knowing what’s going to happen next.

Blogher Food ’09 was—without a doubt—a thoroughly surprising experience. I enjoyed meeting my blogging heroes and a throng of fascinating blogging personalities. I learned technical lessons, had theoretical discussions, and listened in on inspirational ideas about blogging. But one thing I didn’t expect was bad frozen food, rubber gloves for a chocolate dessert tasting, processed frosting in a can, and the organizers’ overall misunderstanding of the culinary needs of conference attendees. Though the programmed conference programs were educational (I wish I could have gone to all of them), the most disappointing aspect of the conference was the food.

Bloggers snap on rubber gloves and wait to plunge their hands into a box of chocolate.

Why am I smiling if really–deep down–I’m horrified?

Continue Blogher Food Conference »

September 25November 14

Where to eat at the Blogher Food Conference

I’m not gonna lie. I’ve got butterflies in my stomach. I can’t focus on my work. Rather than concentrate on the story I have to write, I’m day dreaming about the food I want to eat and hoping I get to meet all of my favorite bloggers while I’m in San Francisco for the Blogher food blogging conference.

Though I’m clicking away at my computer keys, my fingers direct research rather than writing. What else can I do? My inquiring mind needs to know each and every restaurant surrounding the conference site. And then, for convenience sake, I’ve charted a lean sampling of culinary locales and placed them on a Google map for easy access.

San Francisco Restaurants »

September 2November 14

Ben and Jerry’s big gay ice cream

When you grow up as a teenager in a small colonial town in Massachusetts there aren’t a lot of things you can do. In the 80’s, I passed the time in my small town with a cassette tape Walk-Man, movies on the VCR, diary writing, walks in the woods, and Ben and Jerry’s. I was eating Cherry Garcia long before this small town girl had any clue who Jerry Garcia was.
courtesy of Ben and Jerry’s

As a lifetime fan of the multi-textured ice cream company (I credit them for giving me my first understanding of the need for multiple textures in food), I was pleased to see Ben and Jerry’s announcement yesterday that for the month of September their popular “Chubby Hubby” ice cream would be renamed “Hubby Hubby” as a way to celebrate Vermont’s recent decision to grant gay and lesbian couples the freedom to marry.

With so few mainstream companies today willing to stand up for anything that could possibly threaten their market share, it is refreshing to see Ben & Jerry’s team up with Freedom to Marry, a marriage equality group, to show support of the right of gay couples to marry.

“At the core of Ben & Jerry’s values, we believe that social justice can and should be something that every human being is entitled to,” said Walt Freese, Chief Executive Officer of Ben & Jerry’s.

According to a press release Ben and Jerry’s hopes the renaming of the flavor will “raise awareness of the importance of marriage equality and to encourage other states to follow the blazing trails of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, and Maine.” The name change of the ice cream is temporary and, for states like California, largely symbolic. The iconic ice cream flavor–a vanilla malted ice cream swirled with fudge and peanut butter and filled with fudge covered peanut butter pretzels–will only be available in Vermont for the month of September.

Let’s hope that soon, Ben and Jerry’s will announce that Chubby Hubby will forevermore be called Hubby Hubby, in celebration of a nationwide decision to allow marriage for all men and women, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Sign me up for a creamy scoop of social justice.

July 23March 14

Getting to know you at LA’s Blogger Prom

Last night I stepped back through time and found myself on the roof-top deck of the Riot Hyatt (now the Andaz Hotel), dressed as a 1980’s prom attendee. Luckily, I wasn’t alone in my time travels. Thanks to the incredible party planners of The Blogger Prom, I was surrounded by other garishly clad, time warping guests.

The Blogger Prom was masterminded by a handful of incredibly insightful LA bloggers that recognized the fact behind every .blogspot, .wordpress, .typepad and moveable press web address are men and women that are unabashed food geeks and culture dorks.

Picnik collage — @SamKimSamKim and DianaTakesaBite.com

Between the Michael Jackson and Duran Duran tracks, pink cocktails with lollipop garnishes, Aqua-netted hair and a brief cameo by Pauly Shore there were wonderful first time meetings and lovely connections to be made.

Out from behind our computers and in full 80’s attire, the night began as most proms do: awkward. But as the room filled and the sun set (and the alcohol started to kick in) attendees fearlessly introduce themselves. Bloggers that had only known each other through blog posts and Twitter avatars, embraced when they caught sight of each other’s blog name scrawled on their name tag.

Lindsay William-Ross aka @ SquashBlossom #Blogger Prom — Lindsay William-Ross aka @ SquashBlossom

It was a wonderful night that was filled with great stories, wonderful outfits and incredible connections. Thanks to the Blogger Prom, LA’s blogging scene just got a whole lot closer.

Food Woolf prior to #Blogger Prom — The 80’s Prom photo re-dux in ’09

July 16November 14

Third and Fairfax Farmer's Market Celebrates 75 Years

Ten years ago, in the greatest uprooting of my life, I moved to Los Angeles after a lifetime of small town living in Massachusetts. Like most new arrivals to this town, I was a small town girl with big dreams…and a very bad sense of direction. For me, the Original Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax became my north star: it was a culinary landmark that told me just how lost I was in the sprawling city of Los Angeles.

Though I knew very little about the history of the Third and Fairfax Market, the hand painted signs and elderly patrons that staked out tables were visual proofs that despite its size, LA could maintain some simple village ideals. The stalls of the Farmers’ Market reminded me of New England tourist stops with penny candies and plastic key chains and the produce vendors’ tables piled high with fruit, brought to mind road-side apple stands and pumpkin farms.

Looking back now, it is no wonder that I chose to live near the Original Farmers’ Market. The neighborhood is my own little village where I can walk to shops, enjoy the park and eat out at my favorite restaurants. I am a regular, a local, and now–after ten years of visiting–I am a fixture at the market.

After many years of feeling lost, I have finally found a home in this big city, thanks in part to the Original Farmers Market.

Happy 75th Anniversary, 3rd and Fairfax Farmers Market!

July 8November 14

A Dash for Bragging Rights at Hungry Cat

It took weeks of verbal sparring to get Matt Jeronimo and John Curtis—two bartenders at the Hungry Cat—to the point where they needed to step outside to settle their argument. But on Monday, dressed only in their lightest gym outfits, the pair met up on Selma Avenue—a quiet block just outside of Hungry Cat—to finish the argument for good.

It all started as a casual conversation that was inspired by a friendly regular at the bar. He had asked about their past glory days, but soon after, the two co-workers were soon disagreeing. This was not a political or philosophical dispute. It was a different kind of argument that could not be settled by words. What was needed was physical proof.

The issue was, quite simply, who was the faster runner.

Both men were sprinters for their high school track teams. After comparing past race times and current exercise programs, Curtis didn’t hesitate to tell Jeronimo who was the faster runner. But Jeronimo refused to accept Curtis’ claim that he was the faster runner. Jeronimo wanted proof. “I threw down the white glove,” he explained just minutes before the race. “I suggested we do something like a 100 meter sprint.”

Curtis—a man unafraid of physical trials (he competed on the reality show “Wipe Out“)–was slow to agree to the foot race. After weeks of Jeronimo’s unabashed call to action, however, Curtis finally consented.

But by Monday at 2:45, some 15 minutes after the proposed start time of the race, it appeared that Curtis wasn’t going to show. Was Jeronimo concerned? Jeronimo pushed back his hair with one hand. “We work together behind the bar tonight. What are you going to do?”

Jeronimo insisted he wasn’t interested in winning bragging rights from a forfeit. “I still want to know who’s faster,” the brown haired bartender said as he waited for his competitor at the Hungry Cat’s bar and nursed a glass of iced orange juice.

At three o’clock, Curtis arrived, dressed for a foot race. Jeronimo’s face lit up as he eyed his sneaker-clad foe. “I gotta tell you, I broke a couple of ribs on the Fourth,” Jeronimo admitted as he lifted his sleeveless running shirt to expose a dark purple bruise under his right nipple.

Curtis stopped mid-stride and asked with true concern, “Sure you still want to do this?” Jeronimo nodded, solemnly. “I’m just gonna have to run through it. Nothing you can do.”

A camera toting blogger (yours truly) and a restaurant regular (my husband) marked the beginning and end points of the race. With nothing more than a friendly “on your mark, get set, go!” the race began.

A black-vested parking attendant and several curious passersby watched from the sidewalk as the two men sprinted down the center of Selma Avenue. Curtis’ lean form and tight running gait quickly gave him a measurable lead. His pained competitor grimaced as he struggled to keep up.

Within seconds, the race was over.

Curtis wasn’t a boastful winner. He smiled and offered a friendly set of knuckles to his co-worker for a fist bump. For the first time in what may have been weeks, the two co-workers smiled at each other with relief. The argument was over. The fastest man won.

As the two runners caught their breath as they retraced their route down the short distance of Selma, Jeronimo sighed with frustration. “Man, I just couldn’t find that other gear.” Then, without a moment of hesitation, Jeronimo added “Best two out of three?”

Curtis laughed, but it was clear there wouldn’t be another race any time soon.

July 7November 14

Border Grill Taco Truck vs. Kogi

Since the beginning of the Mozza’s, Nancy Silverton has celebrated this nation’s independence day with her employees. Naturally gracious and generous, Nancy has opened her home to her dedicated kitchen staff (the chefs, prep cooks, dishwashers) and gregarious front of house employees (servers, bussers, bartenders) and invited them to eat, drink and be merry.

Every year a new challenge

The first annual Fourth of July Mozza party Nancy served trays of food from Marouch, the second year employees gobbled up burgers from an In-n-Out truck for hours and on the third annual Fourth of July party Nancy decided it was time for a culinary showdown.

I got a message from Nancy on my voicemail, late Friday night.

“Brooke. It’s Nancy. Nancy Silverton. Call me.”

Granted, Nancy doesn’t call me every day—or ever, to be honest—but the fact that my name and number lives in her phone at all makes me very, very happy. “I’ve got the Kogi truck and the Border Grill girls coming.” She told me early Saturday morning. “It’s going to be a taco truck showdown.”

The showdown

Kogi was the first to arrive. When the truck pulled into Nancy’s driveway, Mozza employees quickly began lining up for a chance to try Kogi. Kogi + a short line + free meal = happy employees. With plastic cups filled with beer and Italian wine, the party guests happily chit-chatted as they waited for their Korean tacos.

When asked if most people had tried Kogi before, many admitted they hadn’t. A few taco truck afficionados admitted they had and added, “It’s not waiting in one of those lines, though.”

Granted, the people that work at Mozza have very high standards when it comes to the food they eat, serve, and cook. But overall, the general consensus was that the Kogi truck offered good flavors but nothing that was worth waiting for in an hour line.

We all sampled the dishes before passing judgment*. The rich short rib slider was sweet and savory and offered the a perfect textural interplay between the chewy meat and the soft bun. But as we progressed though the spicy pork and chicken tacos we found the flavors to be too similar –everything is sugary sweet and red chili spicy–and the tacos didn’t offer any diversity in taste. Updating a classic street food can offer all sorts of great culinary discoveries, but unfortunately, the Kogi truck’s hand-held dishes all tasted the same. Hitting the same flavor note over and over again is monotonous.

It was about the time when most people were considering what to eat next when the Border Grill truck pulled up curbside. Within seconds of parking outside of Nancy’s beautiful ivy covered home, a line spontaneously formed.

With Kogi truck chef, Roy Choi, near the front of the line to sample the competition, we were all excited to see what the Border Grill girls had cooked up for us. Mozza guests ooohed and aaahed as co-workers at the front of the line offered views of their trio of tacos. The three Border Grill tacos were a bright rainbow of colors: Purple/red pickled onions, green guacamole, bright white sour cream excited hunger and signaled palates to be prepared for some taco diversity.

The sweet, crunchy acidity of the red onions gave a wonderful textural counterpoint to the soft and flavorful meat of the cochinita pibls pork taco. The squared cubes of potato in the potato rajas taco were cooling morsels between bites of the spicy meats. The guacamole had people licking their fingers and stealing mouthfuls from their distracted co-workers. The roasted poblano quesadilla with cheese was a mild choice good for a large party, but had big pieces of pickled jalepeno on the side for those that like to spice things up.

Two taco trucks rolled up. Only one wheeled-kitchen would win.

Based on the unabated line at the Border Grill truck, the tossed trays of half-eaten Kogi, and sophisticated discussion (and drunken banter) about the merits of the Korean tacos and the appreciation of classic Mexican cuisine– it very quickly became clear who the winner was.

Border Grill wheels away with bragging rights

As the trucks pulled away and inebriated–I mean satiated–party guests gathered their things, we gathered around our generous host to thank her for opening her home (and pool) to each and every one of us culinary misfits. We look forward to seeing what’s in store for next year’s party!

*I have had Kogi three times–once at the Alibi room (I waited 45 minutes for my trio of tacos), once at Nancy’s party (the tacos were free) and once at a food event (also free).

June 8November 14

Food Woolf on Edible Los Angeles’ Blog

The day I met Nathan Dadouk, the artisan baker of Tavern Restaurant, I was blown away. Beyond the immediate flavors of his rustic breads, I was moved by his passion for the ancient art of bread making. I found myself fighting back tears as he told the story of how, at the tender age of eleven, he came to learn the art of bread making from a monk and master baker while attending a boarding school in Venezuela.

Nathan’s passion for dough and his study of bread making made such a compelling story, I found myself gushing to LA friends about my new favorite food artisan. Had they ever heard of Nathan? Had they visited Tavern for dinner or gone to the Larder to order a loaf (or ten) of bread? Eventually, I realized, it was time for me to stop gushing, collect my thoughts and write a story about Nathan.

But first, research!

I took a loaf of Nathan’s multigrain bread home with me to experiment with. In just one week, his whole grain boule inspired thick pieces of toast with butter and jelly for breakfast, open-faced burgers for lunch, and marinated mussels in olive oil and vinegar for maximum bread dipp-age. Nathan’s passion for the look of the bread’s interior, the feel of the crust and the acidity level of the dough will most certainly inspire many more meals.

Several loaves of bread later, I had the incredible good fortune to meet the super-talented Lucy Lean, Edible Los Angeles‘ new editor (thanks T&D!). As a huge fan of the Edible publications, I was thrilled to meet Lucy.

Like Nathan, Lucy is a true artist and visionary. Since joining the magazine she has worked incredibly hard to update the look and feel of Edible LA. The spectacular results can be seen both on the quarterly’s pages and on the magazine’s website (which includes an amazing video of Chef Michael Cimarusti made by my friends White on Rice!)

Within minutes of meeting, I couldn’t help but gush about Nathan to Lucy. Luckily, Lucy loved the story and asked me to write about Nathan for Edible’s new blog which features posts from noted bloggers (like Spicy Salty Sweet, White on Rice and…me!)

Please swing by the website to read honest stories about our region’s culinary culture, chefs, local farmers and the food artisans that make eating in southern California so amazing. And if you have the chance, check out my profile of Nathan.

Want a copy of the summer issue of Edible LA? Pick up a copy at Whole Foods, your local farmers’ market or any of these locations!

June 5November 14

Food Blogging News Weekly Round Up: June 5

Good Milk
Some uplifting news from the dairy world. At Straus family farms, things are actually looking up and sales are slowly increasing. Ethicurean writes about the struggles facing dairy farmers and how one farm is fighting to maintain their market share.

So you think you wanna be a chef
Thanks to slick magazines and popular reality TV, it’s finally cool to be a chef. But what it takes to become one isn’t easy. Long hours, brutal conditions and low pay are ego crushing aspects of the job that most culinary students don’t fully appreciate until they’re facing the hot flames of a kitchen after seven eighteen hour days in a row.

Before you fork over the big bucks to go to culinary school, check out Shuna Fish Lydon’s delicious blog, Egg Beater. Lydon is a pastry chef that not only works in the business but she also writes about her life in the kitchen. In a recent post, she suggests that if you want to be a chef, start saving your pennies and turn off the reality TV cooking show. “This industry isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s for the passionate, the crazy, the driven, the competitive.”

Food-oirs
Thanks to Anthony Bourdain’s flawless food memoir, Kitchen Confidential, lots of people think they can write about their life in food. The New York Times reviews three new food memoirs on the stands.

Speaking of Bourdain…
Here is his GQ top ten list of places to eat before you die via Russ & Daughters website (my favorite smoked fish and bagel shop in the Lower East Side).

Back in the Good ‘Ol Days
Back in the depression the US Government gave out of work writers stipends to spread out across the country and write about the diversity of food in our fifty states. The collection of WPA writings were never published (thanks WW2), but are finally being released this month. Mark Kurlansky edited the collection: THE FOOD OF A YOUNGER LAND

The Service Problem…
Comments on service from two people that eat out a lot. Though the Zagats may be difficult people to wait on (true story), they offer this feedback on how restaurants can be better about giving great service.

Blog Shilling
Food Blogger, Chez Pim, endorses a yogurt brand and promises the NY Times that her ethics are intact. “It’s been important to me that I keep my ethics and I don’t shill.” She says that she would only agree to endorse a product (for what amount of money she will not disclose) that she believes in.

Bourdain’s List

June 2November 14

How to help your local dairy farmer

There’s a crisis happening in the food world and few have any idea that one of our country’s most beloved food industries is on the verge of collapse.

Your local dairy farmer is on the brink of disaster.

Milk does a body good, but not the dairy farmer

As things stand, current milk prices equal half of what it takes for dairy farmers to feed and milk their cows. If milk prices don’t stabilize soon, independent dairy farmers across our country will fold. Some warn that beyond the loss of local dairy farms, many of these farmers are losing the will to go on.

In just six months, two dairy farmers have committed suicide.

Thanks to the recent recession and pressure from large dairy corporations like Hood and Horizon, individual farmers are struggling to keep from losing everything. Every carton of milk sold at the grocery store represents a loss of funds at a local dairy farm.

According to Amanda St. Pierre of Dairy Farmers Working Together, many farmers are so depressed by their increasing debts they refuse to put time towards bringing public awareness to their cause–for fear of missing valuable hours of work.

A lose/lose situation

According to a recent Los Angeles Times story, California dairy farmers have been hit especially hard. As the number one dairy state, California farms produce one-fifth of the nation’s supply of milk—that’s $7 billion worth of milk annually. LA Times writer, Jerry Hirsch reports that farmers are staying afloat by getting loans on their property and selling off their cows for slaughter. If milk prices don’t go up soon, he wrote, farmers will spend the loaned funds in short time and quickly go out of business.

As an increasing number of dairy farms face bankruptcy, the future for our nation’s milk farmers looks increasingly dim. Even the organic dairy farmers—once the most profitable sector of the dairy business—have seen any profit disappear as health-conscientious customers skip the higher-priced organic milk for lower priced options from large conglomerations. Now, many farmers are wishing they hadn’t made the investment to go organic.

Respect the Cow

After seventeen years as a beans and rice vegetarian—I avoided meat and poultry for political and ethical reasons–I started eating red meat after becoming increasingly desperate for a change of diet and a source of real iron. I forsook food politics for the health benefits of–and pure enjoyment from–unabashed eating. A thorough read of Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma changed all that, however, as his words reminded me of the need for political and ethical eating–even as an omnivore.

I quickly adapted my post-Pollan diet to create ways for my buying dollars to show respect for the animals’ lives, the planet’s needs, the farmers’ work and the talents of dedicated artisans–while still enjoying my foodie cravings.

When I read this week’s shocking story in the LA Times about California dairy farmers, I began wondering what I could do as a consumer to help put a stop to this mounting crisis.

HOW CAN WE HELP?

Request local dairy farmers’ participation at your local farmers’ market: According to a recent New York Times article, some New England farmers are considering selling their milk directly to the public. Research dairy farms in your area and ask the farmers to participate in your local farmers’ market.

Local dairy farmers could take advantage of the recent popularity of local farmers’ and begin to offer their products directly to the consumer. With this sort of presence, consumers will have access to information about where their milk comes from, how the cows are raised, and will have a direct relationship with the farmer that will result in dedicated buying dollars. In addition, the Vermont House of Representatives recently passed a bill month to increase the amount of raw milk a farmer can at farmers’ markets.

When possible, pay extra to buy local.

Boycott bad brands
According to the Organic Consumers Association, brands like Horizon not only manipulate local farmers to lower their milk prices, but as a corporation they use loopholes in national organic standards to sell a milk produced from factory farm feedlots where the animals have been brought in from conventional farms and are kept in intensive confinement, with little or no access to pasture.

Get political

–Sign the Holstein Association’s petition for the USA Dairy Price Stabilization Program.
–Sign a letter from Farm Aid to Secretary Vilsack asking for his support in setting fair prices for milk for our nation’s Dairy Farmers.
–Donate to Dairy Farmers Working Together or email them here to join their newsletter to find out about the upcoming Dairy Farmers Working Together conference call, slated to happen on June 30th. On this call you will be able to hear about issues facing dairy farmers and what concerned consumers can do to support dairy farmers.
— Send a letter to HP Hood to stop requiring Organic farms to reduce production.

What ideas do you have for lending support to your local dairy farmer?

May 29November 14

Food Blogging News Weekly Round Up: May 29

When burning books might be a good idea
Librarians are quick to defend freedom of speech, but a handful of them aren’t afraid to talk about the need for current titles. Proof that librarians really know when it’s time to pull a book from the shelf. Here at Awful Library Books.

Keep your hands to yourself
A regular feature at Chronicle Books’ blog is this 7×7 column that offers a restaurant insider’s view of what it takes to wait tables. Her most recent post offers this advice: Hands off! *And since the general dining public doesn’t seem to understand this concept, here is a simple reminder:

Touching your waiter is a real no-no! If you don’t know what I mean, ponder this: when was the last time you reached out and tapped your bank teller on the shoulder for service?

Burgers for everyone
Clinton loved em. Obama likes ’em too. Our new president loves his burgers.

Follow this
Ad Age thinks there are 25 people you really should be following on Twitter. Here are twenty-five cutting edge social media people you should know about.

May 19January 4

Food Blog News Weekly Round Up: May 19

A weekly round up of some of the week’s top national and Los Angeles-based food blogging news…

–The Federal Trade Commission is planning to require bloggers’ full disclosure of receiving freebies. Douglas MacMillan staff writer for BusinessWeek writes,

“The world’s more ambitious bloggers like to call themselves ‘citizen journalists.’ The government is trying to make sure these heralds don’t turn into citizen advertisers.”

–The New York Times introduces a new large format photo/video blog called The Lens. A visual coffee break.

–Frank Bruni, long time restaurant food critic of the New York Times leaves his weekly dining column to become a “writer-at-large” on the staff of The New York Times Sunday Magazine. Bruni writes a heartfelt letter goodbye while the food-intelligentsia are betting who will replace him.

–After much anticipation (and peering into paper covered windows and months of construction), The Farmer’s Kitchen–run by the nonprofit group, Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles, that also runs the Hollywood Farmers’ Market–opened this weekend in Hollywood.

The Kitchen’s hours are still a work in progress, but are expected to be open on Sundays from 7:30 am until 2 pm and Tuesday through Thursday 11:30 am until 3 pm

–If you live in LA and are looking for something to do (before you die) LA Food blogger Caroline on Crack gives her bucket list of things to eat and do in LA.

April 30March 14

Food Blogger Code of Ethics

Say the words “I’m a food blogger” in some circles and you may find eyes twinkle in appreciation. Say those same words in other circles (in a restaurant for example) and you may find yourself being asked to kindly leave.

As a food writer, restaurant professional and blogger, I travel within many different circles of people. Unfortunately within the restaurant community, food blogger is a derogatory term used to describe everyone from the angry Yelper to the thoughtful on-line food memoirist. Lately, I’ve found it more and more difficult to discuss my blog without giving some kind of footnoted explanation of What-Kind-of-Food-Blogger I am.

There’s room for all of us in the food blogging world. Thre’s room for the food gossips, recipe developers, food photographers and stylists, cultural commentators, gourmet media sites, culinary storytellers, recipe memoirists, chef groupies, restaurant reviewers, food obsessives and everything in between. But for better or for worse, in the new world of food blogging, anything goes.

A lot has changed since the handful of groundbreaking blogs (Orangette, Amateur Gourmet, Waiter Rant) first hit the Internet. Now there are hundreds of websites dedicated to offering opinionated food lovers a place to share their judgments on food related topics. There are even more sites dedicated to food porn, recipe swapping, restaurant reviews and restaurant gossip. The blog world is expanding exponentially, and with all this exciting growth, has come a wave of differing styles, talent and professionalism.

I take my blog writing very seriously. Too seriously sometimes. Recently, as I approached the opening day of the new restaurant I’m working at I started to think about all the food bloggers that would be descending on the fledgling restaurant. How would these food bloggers write about the restaurant? Would they be fair? Would they offer a first impression or would they write a post and call it a full review after only one visit?

These questions got me thinking…Why shouldn’t bloggers hold themselves to the same kind of guidelines as restaurant reviewers? Why aren’t more bloggers concerned about full disclosure, accountability, good research and standing behind their words?

The Food Blog Code of Ethics

In order to define myself as a food blogger, my friend and writing partner Leah Greenstein of Spicy Salty Sweet decided to create a food blogger manifesto. We call it the The Food Blog Code of Ethics.

We felt it was important to us to define what our ethical standards are and hold ourselves to that higher code because there are many food bloggers that offer judgment without full disclosure and due diligence. The Code is not meant to be a mandatory thing for everyone in the blogosphere. This is our way to define what our standards are.

Please take a moment to swing by our website. Read through our pages. Tells us what you think. And if you feel like you hold yourself up to these kinds of standards in food blogging, join us!

April 24January 3

Behind the Scenes at the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival

Ok. Let me tell you what really happened at the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival.

I got a one day pass to the final day of the Food and Wine Festival from my friends at Foodbuzz. I was having a hard time justifying the cost of flying or driving up until I found out Nancy and the chefs of Mozza would be cooking at the Pebble Beach Festival and they were feeling short handed. Having the chance to spend time in the kitchen with my culinary hero Nancy Silverton was the deal breaker. I had to go.

If you’re lucky enough to have a conversation with Nancy Silverton at the end of a shift and she happens to mention that she’s going to be at the same food event as you and she casually suggests that maybe you should swing by and “help out in the kitchen”, then you sure as hell better take full advantage of the invitation and show up. Early.

Getting There

Which is how I ended up in my Volkswagon at 6 AM, happily speeding north for six hours until I reached Pebble Beach. Because, despite the fact that I have worked for Nancy for almost three years as a server, I have never had the opportunity to spend any significant time with her in the kitchen.

As far as I’m concerned—despite my years of service to great chefs—there has always been a certain line drawn between me and the men and women in chef’s whites. Because even if you’re in a great chef’s restaurant on a daily basis, the only way to truly know and understand a chef, you have to work with them in the kitchen.

Finding my way to the kitchen

After several wrong turns and an unnecessary tour of downtown Carmel, I arrived at Pebble Beach some time around noon. I parked my car at my friend’s hotel, rolled on an extra layer of anti-perspirant, threw on my Dansko clogs and grabbed my camera. Minutes later I was in a shuttle headed to the Inn at Spanish Bay where the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival was headquartered.

Past the grand brass doors of the Inn at Spanish Bay, I found Nancy’s boyfriend Michael (a talented crime writer) lounging on a couch with Robert Oaks of Boulevard Restaurant.

Michael greeted me with his sly, sideways smile and introduced me to Oaks. My oddly syncopated banter with the larger than life Mr. Oaks gave away my nervousness.

“Want me to show you where Nancy and the girls are down in the kitchen?” Michael said as he ushered me away from Mr. Oaks.

“Come on,” he said with an almost East coast accent. “Let me show you where they at.”

Underneath the Inn

Behind the Employee’s Only entrance and two floors below the Inn’s main floor, was a labyrinth of pastel linoleum tiles that led my eye past kitchen prep stations, storage rooms and employee dining halls. We took a hard left past the speed racks and the metal storage shelves and walked into the sweet, chocolaty air of the pastry kitchen.

Like a child amazed to see her favorite cartoon characters cavorting together on screen—I was startled to see the familiar faces of my friends in the foreign kitchen. Newlywed and hard working pastry chef of Mozza, Dahlia Navarez, oversaw chocolate dipping as Katie Brucker, Nancy’s tireless Publicist and PR person for La Brea Bakery, Katie shook excess chocolate off a pyramid of dipped candied almonds.

Their day in the kitchen started at 6 AM, the same time I was pouring coffee down my gullet and speeding north. Dressed in chef’s whites speckled with dark chocolate, Dahlia rolled her eyes. “We don’t serve dessert until 10:30 PM.” I checked my watch. It was 1:30 PM.

I spotted Nancy–elegant in her European blue apron and corkscrew curls pulled up into a flowing bunch at the top of her head—orchestrating chocolate production in a side prep room. Amongst the speed racks stacked with sheet trays of perfectly formed candies, was Nancy. She looked downright exuberant as she sprinkled pistachios onto chocolate covered honeycomb.

Watching her work was a revelation. Nancy’s way in the kitchen was so efficient and so gentle, it’s almost as if she wasn’t exerting any effort. Unlike many chefs of her caliber, her effortless grace feels like a soft breeze, rather than a turbulent storm in the kitchen.

Where most chefs are gruff, Nancy is soft spoken. Where most chefs would rather talk oven temperatures and seasonings, Nancy never fails to say a brief something to the people around her that lets them know she cares.

“Hello, Brooke,” Nancy said with an impish grin. “How was your drive?”

TO WORK

Like any mundane prep work, the actual task—peeling potatoes, removing pin bones from a fish, placing hash marks onto a chocolate cake–may not seem like an important effort in the greater drama that will unfold during service, but it is an absolute necessity for the success of the final dish. In tandem with all the other mundane jobs, prep work adds up to the final something that matters.

I say this because the tasks I was given weren’t difficult.

With the giddiness of a girl scout on her way to earn her first badge, I melted chocolate over a water bath. I dipped candied honeycomb into chocolate. And with a dizzy head from no food, drink or coffee for that matter, I scored sheets of chocolate cake with three-inch marks so that a much more talented person than me could cut perfect triangle slices for individual servings.

After several hours of slow and quiet work with sweets, a walkie-talkie crackled with the news that the Michelin Starred Chefs Dinner (LA vs SF) had begun. It was 7PM and it was time to wrap everything up and bring our ingredients to the staging area for plating.

My stomach flipped with excitement as Dahlia (or “Dolly” as Nancy calls her), protected her day’s bounty—three hundred and thirty desserts’ worth of chocolates—with a tight and continuous sheet of plastic wrap. Volunteer pastry chefs pushed Nancy’s chocolate laden speed racks onto elevators bound for the main floor, while Nancy, Dahlia, Katie and I stepped into the employee changing room to freshen up before plating began.

Nancy buffed her shoes and reapplied a cherry red lipstick. Dahlia put on a crisp white chef’s coat. Katie checked her makeup in the mirror. I snapped pictures, trying to cover the fact that my nerves had really started to notch their way up as I calculated the hours before our 10:30 dessert plating time. With more than three hours of work ahead of us and no coffee or food around for consumption, I knew I would have to pace myself.

Staging room

As Nancy and the pastry crew arrived at the staging room, Los Angeles chef Michael Cimarusti of Providence Restaurant was finishing the final plating of his appetizer course. Sous chef’s wiped plates and dropped cilantro flowers onto shot glasses filled with a cauliflower panna cotta and tongues of pink uni. White gloved servers in black polyester tuxedos zipped by carrying pristine white plates of decorated fish.

As the final plate was taken, Cimarusti looked up from his work and breathed an audible sigh of relief. We applauded the three hundred-plate effort as Cimarusti and Nancy greeted each other.

“Good luck, Chef”

The plating of the dessert was slow. One piece of dense, flourless chocolate cake has a way of smudging white plates that is just about as difficult to remove as blood from a white tee shirt. Slowly, with a curled up damp napkin, I wiped away every chocolate blemish from the white plates until each and every plate looked ready for a food magazine close up.

As the time edged closer to 10 PM my nervousness only increased. There were still more than a hundred plates to wipe and yet three more elements to be added to complete Nancy’s dessert. My shoulders tightened and my back ached as I looked up from wiping a plate. There, across the room, was an un-mussed Nancy, smiling at me. She was nonchalantly sipping a glass of red wine like she didn’t have a care in the world.

“Aren’t you nervous?” I said as my plate wiping got me closer to Nancy. “Nervous?” she smiled. “Of what? We have plenty of time!”

I looked around the room one last time. With less than ten minutes before the final course would be finished and still we needed to run down to the prep kitchen to retrieve the hot fudge from the warm water bath they were in.

Clearly, finishing more than three hundred desserts in ten minutes was nothing to this woman.

The service manager, a tall man in a razor sharp suit, entered the room with his walkie-talkie crackling. “Dinner is complete. We’re clearing for dessert.” The service manager called out the announcement I had been waiting to hear all day. “That’s a go for dessert!”

What happened next was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in a dining room.

Some people love going to the ballet. Others enjoy a great pass on the football field. But for me, one of my biggest enjoyments is to see great service in a restaurant. I watch with wide-eyed appreciation as a bartender mixes a perfect hand-made cocktail or a server floats through her busy section with grace or a chef creates a single plate masterpiece amid the chaos of service. Just like any great sport or physical feat, great service is an art form.

Within seconds, the dining room was a blur with white chefs coats. Squeeze bottles filled with warm hot fudge was dribbled onto plates and gold leafed almonds were placed on cakes. Cimarusti and his sous chefs appeared from god-knows-where and joined the pastry brigade to put together the final elements of Nancy’s dessert. My heart pounded with excitement and utter amazement. How was it that everyone knew what to do? How ever did Katie Brucker notice the missing nougat on that one odd plate amidst hundreds? Where did Nancy find the serenity to offer guidance to the unfamiliar chefs and volunteers around her without ever raising her voice?

As the swirl of activity ebbed, a sense of relief spread through the staging area. Chefs patted each other on the back, clinked wine glasses and beer bottles and smiled. They had done it. The dinner was complete.

The staging area quickly filled with exhausted Michelin starred chefs–David Myers of Sona Restaurant, Josia Citrin of Mélisse, Michael Cimarusti and others—joined together with their sous chefs to congratulate each other on a job well done.

And, for the first time in more than a decade of service, I could say that WE had done it. I was lucky enough to have been part of that amazing brigade.

April 21January 4

Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival

Rock concert vs. Food and Wine Festival

Spring marks the beginning of warmer weather and outdoor festivals. For music fans there are rock concerts. For foodies there are food festivals. Outdoor events have a way of amplifying excitement and making people giddy with anticipation. So whether you raise your iPhone to snap a picture of your favorite chef or hoist it above your head to show appreciation for a rock power ballad (lighters are passé), the excited feeling is surprisingly similar.

Thanks to my friends at Foodbuzz.com, I was given a ticket to enjoy a day at the Pebble Beach Food And Wine Festival. The lush green hills, azure blue ocean and crashing waves of Pebble Beach elevated my senses even before I stepped foot into the festival’s grand tasting tent.

With my free pass around my neck, I was able to witness twenty of the country’s top chefs preparing samples of their world famous dishes, sample their food and taste some of the 200 featured wine makers from around the world. There were familiar LA chefs in attendance, like the always elegant and supremely talented Nancy Silverton of La Brea Bakery and Mozza; the fish whisperer Michael Cimarusti of Providence Restaurant; Josiah Citrin of Mélisse Restaurant; and David Myers of Sona, Comme Ca and Pizzeria Ortica. Standing nearby were San Francisco and NY chefs I’ve read about and admired on TV but have never had the pleasure sample their food first hand.

Chef Nancy Oaks and her kobe beef on potato square

Josia Citrin and his juicy and sweet Liberty Duck, skewered with candied kumquat

Michael Cimarusti with his mind-blowing slow cooked salmon with fish skin chicharron. My vote for best savory bite of the day.

Pastry Chef Sherry Yard and her beignet, the tasting tent’s most sought after dessert. Light, fluffy and full of flavor.

There were plenty of chefs in attendance that I’ve read about and never had the good fortune to meet. But thanks to my pass at the Grand Tasting Tent I was able to meet Traci Des Jardins as she plated delicious food. Nearby I spotted Iron Chef contestant Jamie Lauren as she gushed about meeting Cat Cora for the first time. Chef and occasional butcher Chris Cosentino wowed guests with his charm and sample dishes.

Traci Des Jardins

Top Chef contestant Jamie Lauren

Chris Cosentino

Across the way I met down to earth wine makers like Guy Davis the Founder/Farmer/Winemaker of Davis Family Vineyards. Davis, and other winemakers like him, patiently described his wine making process and the commitment to growing grapes and crafting a handful of incredible wines.

Guy Davis, winemaker of Davis Family Vineyards

I had the pleasure of meeting pastry chef Gina DePalma, Mario Batali’s number one pastry chef, for dinner and sharing a passionate discussion about service and the new generation of foodies. It was an incredible event that left my stomach full and my mind buzzing with new ideas and flavors. I walked away from the festival feeling like I got a behind the scenes pass to a show I’ve seen more than a handful of times. Being at the Food and Wine Festival gave me a behind the curtains perspective that can only be earned by years of restaurant service.

I’m lucky. I’ve paid my dues at restaurants with great chefs. But even for a restaurant industry professional like me that has dedicated years of service for James Beard winners and Michelin starred chefs—I found myself getting serious goose bumps when I found myself standing next to a few favorite chefs at the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival.

I may have gotten butterflies in my stomach when I saw Bruce Springsteen in concert last week, but I was downright roller coaster giddy when I snapped a picture of Jacques Pépin at the Pebble Beach Food And Wine Festival.

There’s nothing more exhilarating for a music fan than the moment when the spotlight cuts through the dark to reveal a beloved rock-and-roll star on stage. But for food-obsessed peple like me, the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival offered that once in a lifetime moment where every day people are able to spend time with beloved chefs, artisan food makers and passionate wine makers.

For anyone that’s never worked in a restaurant or have never had the chance to be near a great chef at work, the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival is an amazing opportunity to see chefs doing what they do best–outside of their kitchens.

April 20November 14

Pebble Beach Food And Wine: notes from the road

Nancy Silverton’s mind blowing chocolate dessert at the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival

Wow. What an incredible 48 hours. Thanks to the generosity of Foodbuzz and my friends at Pizzeria Mozza, La Brea Bakery and the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival, I just experienced two full days of award winning dishes, hand crafted wines, restaurant industry gossip and culinary insights. Not to mention numerous chef-star spottings.

After 6 hours of driving south from Pebble Beach, my head is swimming with details to share with you. But unfortunately, I’m sticky (it’s 90 plus degrees here in Southern California), road weary and delirious and can’t quite muster a focused post.

Nancy Silverton plates dessert at the LA vs SF Michelin Starred restaurant dinner

Forgive the delay for a much needed shower, sleep and a home cooked meal…But I just had to share with you a just a handful of pictures. More details, stories and photos to come soon!

Jacques Pepin in the house!

The Beautiful Michelle Bernstein

April 10November 14

Food Bloging News: April 10

Another weekly round up, giving you all the news your electronic reader may have missed.

* Steven Colbert doesn’t like Banh mi OR worker’s comp? Watch this clip.

*A few weeks ago I waited on a power-chef table late at night at Mozza. Sitting together after a long day of “taping” were Top Chefs Graham Elliot Bowles, Wylie Dusfresne, Elizabeth Falkner and Suzanne Tracht. Now I know what they were filming.

*If you’re a writer and need some great inspiration, Michael Ruhlman has some excellent words of wisdom here.