West Georgia Locavore Challenge / Political Food Repost

Edit Jusy 1st, 2012:  Today is the launch of the West Georgia Locavore Challenge.  It's chance to challenge those in our community to eat as much local produce and goods as possible.  I had a Blog Post already to go talking about the bash thrown at my house last night in celebration of my niece's birthday.  I included Silver Queen Corn, two locally made hot sauces for the, literally, hundreds of wings, and a local Blue Stilton for homemade Blue Cheese Dressing.  


However, I remembered this post from a year or two ago and thought that it would be a good one to revisit simply because it explains very well what shopping and eating local is all about and it's not about buying everything from local folks, although that would be great.  It's about looking around once in a while and realizing that some of the produce you get from Mega Box Grocery Store can be purchase from someone that lives right around the corner from you.  Maybe make an extra stop to get really fresh squash, spinach, onions, and so on.


Read through this post and take to heart what you can.  In tough economic times, it makes a great deal of sense to keep as much money as close to home as possible and you can never beat the feeling of looking the person who grew your steak or sausage square in the eye.

**Writers Note**:  When I began this post, it was meant to take a different perspective about Local Grown Foods and the economic benefits thereof.  I do have a much larger and comprehensive post in mind in which I Electronically Interview some of the Organic Farmers that I know and get their reasons for doing what they do so that you might get a glimpse into the personal side of what is becoming an ever increasing cottage industry.  Please look for it in the future as it could, quite possibly, change the way you eat.

Let's talk about the food that most people eat from the top down.  I live in the South and our markets include Ingles, Winn Dixie, Piggly Wiggly, and so on.  You get out of work, you're beat, and you need something for dinner so thats where you go since its on the way home and you're in and out in no time.  However, if you read the post "Loss of a Carrollton Icon" you know that I believe in buying local and keeping things in the Community and I have a HUGE problem with Big Box Stores, whether they are groceries or or the All in One stores (Wal Mart, Target, etc.).  I understand the appeal and convenience but let's look at two realities that could drastically change your outlook on how you shop.  What You Buy and Following the Money.

A simple challenge for you:  Walk into your local Huge Outlet Grocery, grab the Produce Guy/Gal, and ask them where the squash came from.  If said employee can tell you without that look of a deer in the headlights, your answer will probably be Guatemala, Mexico, or somewhere other than the U.S and if it does come from the U.S. it is typically a Large Corporate Farm.  With over 350 million people in this Nation it would be hard to imagine feeding everyone without importing a great deal of food or growing in a production related setting.  I don't want to get into the habit of throwing around politically popular words like Locavore or anything but lets be realistic: There is a great benefit to knowing where your food comes from and the people that grow it.

There are the undeniable facts that 1) Other countries don't have food quality and fertilization laws that we do.  2) Most production vegetables are harvested while very young so that they may ripen in warehouses which stops the produce from reaching its full nutritional potential.  3) Most of what you find in the groceries these days is genetically modified.  Want a fun, little experiment?  Buy a tomato from the grocery and try to grow one of the seeds which, outside of a laboratory setting, is impossible.  All of these points have been made numerous times over the past few years and I really don't want to beat a dead horse so, if you're comfortable with eating produce knowing whats stated above, that's fine.  I do from time to time as well but when I can, I buy local.

Now, I know many Organic Farmers and do my best to buy from them for a two main reasons.  The above is the first.  There is no better feeling than to go to a Local Farm and look at the field where my last batch of Chicken and Rice came from ("Hey, Local Farm Guy!  Where did my peppers come from?"  Local Farmer points:  "From Over There."). 

The second is a matter of economics as it relates to my business and it is the second point from above as well.  As I have said before, lets follow the money.  It starts when I buy a few pounds of produce from the Local Farmer then the Local Farmer goes to town and gets a gallon of gasoline, some nails from the hardware, or some other product.  The owner of whatever place Local Farmer takes that money to goes to the Local Butcher and while at the Local Butcher he notices packets of Spice on the counter and decides to try something new.  A few of my dollars just came back to me.  This is Economic Simplicity, I realize, but its also Economic Fact.

I will admit that I am not some self-righteous food freak or Organic Activist and that I buy out of convenience more often than even I am comfortable with.  I buy from the stores that I am excoriating above and realize that some of that money does come back into the Community.  However, I also take the time to go to places like Heritage Farms and see where my other foods come from...and I take time to talk to Jake.  Jake (the young son of the owner of Heritage Farms) and I had a talk during the last Farm Tour and he informed me of his disappointment when his mother wouldn't let him buy a particular T-shirt.  Expecting it to be something offensive, as is the trend these days, I asked and then laughed openly when I heard what it said:  All of Gods Creatures Have a Place...Right Next to the Mashed Potatoes & Gravy.  Not only was it uproariously funny but it did my heart a world of good knowing that Jake was being raised with a minimum of video games and with a realistic knowledge of where his food comes from.  There is also the point that Jakes Family is surviving on what they grow, both nutritionally and economically.

Now, as promised, there is a political angle to this writing.  Mayor Bloomberg of New York wants to ban additional salt in all meals (which makes most of the Nation ask, WTF?).  San Fransisco has banned toys from Happy Meals.  All over the Nation we are watching Government dictate what and how we eat on an ever increasing scale.  To me, its none of Governments business what I eat or how I eat it.  However, instead of grabbing a placard and protesting outside some anonymous Federal or State office, I have devised a much more simple solution:  I buy local and take Government out of the equation as often as I possibly can.

I do want to point out, again, that I know a number of Organic Farmers and some of them do believe that Government has a place in telling us what to do and, if that is their position, that's fine.  However, I would like to point out that most of these people work very hard to grow Organic Produce and bring it to Market.  Knowing this, it gets hard to support a Government that defines "Organic" as loosely as possible in order for larger, corporate farms to be able to sell their product under the title of "Organic" while still using harmful chemicals and questionable growing methods.  This is the same Government that won't let one of the hundreds of USDA inspectors in the Carroll County, GA area go to Jakes Dad's farm and certify his chickens, forcing him to take them to South Carolina or Kentucky to get them processed, which turns a $5.00 bird into an $11.00 bird.  All of this makes Organic more expensive and sometimes too expensive for people to make it a realistic food option.  If this doesn't really bother people and they would like to stick to the idea that only the USDA can save us from farmers who take shortcuts I present to you this challange:  Go to the USDA (that's the United States Department of Agriculture) building in Washington D.C. and find out how many Farmers work there.  The Short Answer is that there aren't any.

I have said for a long time that we need to pay less attention to what happens in California and spend more time thinking about our Communities and Local Issues.  The best place to start with this mindset, in my eyes, is with our food.  Support your local farms as they are not only the place to find some of the highest quality produce but if you have a question or concern you can visit them.  Keep the money at home as I am sure Jake's Dad is sending some that Farm Money to school, local football, and maybe even to the Local Spice Company.  And for the Love of Pete, get Government out of the way of your food.  If you take even a few minutes and Google Organic Growing Regulations for your state, you will be very surprised at what chemicals the larger, corporate farms are allowed to use, by Law, and still be allowed to call them and label them "Organic".  Laws that were passed by our Trusted Elected Officials.

I have put away the Soap Box...For Now,
Rob

Zen and the Art of Ramen Noodles

If I were to estimate it, I would say that Ramen Noodles are, quite possibly, the one food that almost every person as tried at one point or another.  Broke and hungry, a package of Ramen Noodles still ranks as a cheaper and more popular meal than the $1.00 cheeseburger.  I openly admit that I have eaten Ramen in the past couple of weeks for the simple reason that its comfort food.  When I was on hard times, there were alot of cheap meals that I ate that weren't high in flavor, yet, I never complained about a pack of Ramen.....with half the water and extra pack of Shrimp flavor, of course.

Ramen noodles have origins over 4,000 years old.  Although they were known in many different shapes and sizes, the noodles we know today can be traced to a fella by the name of Momofuku Ando.  He was the founder fo Nissin Foods and who began packaging and selling the product that we are familiar with in 1958.  Even with its humble origins as a cheap, quick food to help solve the rather nasty food shortage in Japan after WWII, Ramen Noodles can be very tasty food and, as good food usually is, a surprising crutch when you're in a pinch.

A Recipe and a Story follow and before you think Ramen can't be Versitile Food, read below with the knowledge that Japanese Chefs still use cheap, ol' Ramen noodles in very high cuisine

Salmon Noodle Pockets / Individual Serving

1/2 brick Ramen Noodles
1 small Salmon fillet, about the size of the half brick (or talapia, bass, or any fish with a light flavor)
3-4 thin slices each of yellow squash and zucchini
12 or so small shreds/juliennes of carrot
3-4 Tbsp water
1 Tsp Soy Sauce (low sodium for this recipe)
1 Tbsp Thai Fish Sauce (most groceries carry it now)
1 10" X 10" square of aluminum foil

Medium hot grill, toaster oven (for one or two servings) or oven preheated to 350.  I prefer the grill but I will include all each method.
    
Place the half brick of noodles in the center of the foil square and bend the foil up around it to make a dish.  Remove half brick.

Add water, soy, and fish sauce to bottom of packet, place noodles on top, place vegetables on top of noodles, place fish on top of vegetables, season fish with a touch of salt and pepper.

Roll top over itself and do the same with the ends to completely seal the packet.  Make sure it is sealed tightly.

Place packet(s) on grill or in the oven for about ten minutes.  Adjust cooking time depending on the type of fish.  By the time the fish is done, the noodles will be cooked, the vegetables will be steamed just right, and each packet will be ripe with tasty goodness.  As always, play with spices, flavors, and seafood.

Now, as I can't let a good story go untold, I submit the following for your approval.  Oh, and the names have been changed to protect the not so innocent.

So, we plan to get together with another couple for a small trip to a steak house that they just raved about.  It would have been about an hour drive but it was a bit longer as three of us were interested in stopping for a cocktail every so often (the fourth was the more responsible of the crowd and was the D.D....Thank God).

Well, one thing lead to another (as it usually does in cases like this) and the husband in the other couple got a bit more Happy than anyone had planned.  After belting out every word of the Springsteen CD that was playing, he abrubtly annouced that it was time to turn around, go home, and take our culinary chances there.

Upon arrival, our drunken counterpart immediately went to bed without fanfare.  Nothing in the house was enough to feed all of us with the exception of four Ground Chuck Steaks that would be more than enough for The Living and still have leftovers for the Close to Dead.  Of course, I set in to whipping something up that will make the lost trip almost worth while.

I saute some onions and garlic, get the Ground Steaks cooking in those remnants, and set in looking for gravy ingredients.  Flour: Check.  A bit of Bacon Fat: Check.  Seasonings: Check.  Beef Boullion, Stock, Cubes......Nowhere to be found.  However, our Drunken Counterparts Better Half did manage to scrape up one pack of beef Ramen Noodles...with the flavor packet....yeah.  The recipe is as follows:

2 Tbsp bacon fat
2 Tbsp All Purpose flour
1 pack Ramen Beef Flavor
1 cup water
1 cup milk.

Cook the flour in the fat just long enough to lightly brown it.  With a seriously hot pan, whisk in the water and milk until the desired consistency is reached.  Pour over Ground Steaks and dive in head first.

To this day, that gravy goes down as one of the best I have ever made and, without a doubt, it beat having to run to the Waffle House to get something to eat to satisfy that Half Lit Hunger that alot of us have endured.

Enjoy,
Rob

Another Insanely Good Cut of Pig

Soooo, I was supposed to clean out the gutters this weekend.  In truth, it needs to be done and I really should get to it but cooking a couple of Boston Butts (huh huh..he said Butts) sounded like a better idea than climbing on a ladder, not that ladders bother me, I even have one in the kitchen.

Anyway, I take two 5 lb Boston Butts, I take out the Gigantic Syringe of Flavor and inject them with the following:

1 packet of the Grill Spice & Rub (this is not shamless self-promotion, its just what I used)
1/2 stick butter
About 5-6 good dashes Soy Sauce
1-2 Tbsp Local Honey
While you're at it, Preheat the oven to about 300 Deg.

Melt the butter and add the rest of the ingredients.  Whisk for a while, let it set for a bit, and maybe even microwave it for a moment so its less viscous.

I injected the Hell out of these things and used most of the blend.  I used the rest to rub the outside and then let it sit for a few.  I made another batch and this time I added about 1/2 cup of Homemade Apple Sauce from a friend.  Hold on to that for a bit.

I wrapped the roasts in a couple of layers of foil and set them to slow cooking in the oven.  After about 4 hours I unwrapped them and coated the top and sides with the spice and apple sauce mixture.  I ramped the oven up to 350 and immediately returned the roasts to the oven.  I gave it another hour or so and added a little more of the mixture to the top as the time went.

Then I whipped up a batch of Carolina Style BBQ Sauce.  Which is as follows:

1/2 cup prepared yellow mustard

1/2 cup spicy brown, dijon, or other course mustard

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons of my Homemade chili powder

2 teaspoons black pepper

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons butter

1/2-3/4 cup fat and juices from the roast

Mix the first nine ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium/low heat.  With the sugar and liquids, watch for boil overs.  After this has come together and thickened a bit (about 20 minutes or so) reduce the heat and whisk in the butter.  After this has come together, whisk in the drippings from the roasts.

Tonight was the launch of the Official Blog and Website.  As I put the finishing touches on things, I gladly made another, rather large plate of chopped roast with a ton of sauce.  We did a small taligate party for our Football Team the other day and I had the left overs of Cole Slaw from another friend. 

Yeah.......  Fat and Happy........

Rob

The Loss of a Carrollton Icon

Damn the Economy, Damn Franchise Restaurants, Damn BP for Driving Up the Price of Seafood.


Damn Them All..................


After 6 years as, what I consider to be, the Icon of Downtown Carrollton, GA Cuisine, Millers on the Square is closing.  Not only did Millers set The Gold Standard for food downtown but it was staffed and owned by some of the nicest people on the Planet.


First, you have to know that any Fine Dining Restaurant does not hire High Schools kids looking for summer work to be servers.  A place that has excellent food, great atmosphere, and an over all touch of class hires professionals.  If a place hires people who know, and I mean really know about service, the server could have a foot cut off and still approach you quickly, with a smile, with honest recommendations, and with a full knowledge of the menu.  The last time we were at Millers the waitress actually told us what she hated on the menu.  Now THAT is a server.


Then theres the Owner, Scottie Kaylor.  When we got there we informed his staff that most of the people at the table were from New Orleans (the theme by which the Menus were created and, oddly enough, the theme by which I remodeled my kitchen) and that we know NOLA food.  After ordering a sampling off the menu (in reality there were 8 of us and we each ordered different appetizers and different dishes then traded out plates) we were visited table side by Scottie himself.  After a few pleasantries and a few comments (raves, actually) we found out that Scottie was from Ponchatoula, on the North side of Lake Ponchatrain.  Just an all around good guy that was, by his own admission, serving the recipes of his Grandmother.  If you know nothing about food, you have to know that when someone thinks highly enough of the Old Family Recipes to base a business around them, there has to be a great love and respect.  That gets the highest marks in my book.


Now, no matter who you blame for it, the Economy has gone in the crapper.  At this point, it really doesn't matter whose fault it was, it just matters that Millers on the square is closing (read more about it in the Time-Georgian Article).  Scottie sites the failing economy and the presence of Chains Restaurants offering the same, worn out franchised crap (my words, not his) that mindless herds flock to.  From the Times Georgian Article: 

“It’s not been a great time for the white table cloth business ... It’s been very tough. We buy top notch products, and people just aren’t as willing to spend $25 on a meal like they once were,” Kaylor said. “I don’t have any complaints. I just wish more people would come to the square. Get out of the line at Longhorn, and come down here, and have one meal. The prices are very competitive, and you’d have a more unique dining experience.”

I can hear the Death Knell of the Fine Dining Restaurant Industry: "Mommy, Mommy!!!  Lets go to the Taco Temple for my Birthday!  When we went there for every other event in our lives they sang and gave us rubber trinkets imported from China!!!"  This is the generation that grows up on Chicken Nuggets.  But that's OK because they have 5 different sauces!!!  My God, Man.

At one point, and even now I see it, the generation of eaters that are being raised thinks that if you don't see the ads on TV then theres no sense in eating there.  I have a good friend, who shall remain nameless but will surely give me crap over this post, that thinks the Australian Based Steak Chain is the Cats Pajamas.  On his way home he will order take out, drag it home, maybe reheat it, and that's dinner.  So his meal is, in short, cooked from stores that came out of a warehouse somewhere, packed in a Petroleum based package, reheated or eaten cold, and he still paid the same price as if he went to sit down.  More over, he could have sat down at a fine local Joint (and there are some GOOD ones in his town), paid the same price, and had excellent service with his meal.

We are going to have to realize that Local Economics are tied closely to our food.  Not only do we need to start buying more local produce (there is a post coming on that soon) but remember that the smaller, local restaurants keep the money in the Community.  When you eat at Franchise Meals, Inc. the only money that finds its way back into the Community are the wages and tips.  Although you probably know this, I'm going to line out how this works:

1)  In order to maintain continuity throughout there restaurants, each franchise must buy from their parent company.  The money for the food is going out of town and helping some other Community and the warehouse that stores said product.

2)  Franchise Fees go to the parent company, again, outside the Community.

3)  Think about this one:  When a Franchise Food Place (these places do not deserve to be called Joints) they leave being a building that was built to a specific style based on the parent companies specs.  So, when that business shuts down, not only is there a loss of local jobs because I Don't Give A Rats Ass Foods decided their stockholders weren't happy, but your Community is now stuck with a building that everyone relates to that business.  Ask yourself this:  Would you hire a lawyer that was set up in an old Pizza Hut Building or McDonald's?  I know I wouldn't.

To see a place of quality close kills me.  To see an icon of food disappear is truly a crime.  But to see it lost and replaced by chain joints because people just don't eat like they used to and will not try it because there was no coupon for it in the local rag make me weep for my Community and for the White Tablecloth Industry as a whole. 

People, there are places stuck back in corners where you wouldn't even think to look for a Joint.  There are places that absolutely look like Hell that serve the best food around.  You need to take off the Bag Burger Blinders and get with keeping your Community Food Chain alive without sending the money to stockholders before your, and our, local food culture is lost.  Carrollton, GA has lost Miller's and unless people get moving to the local places that actually donate to our schools and help our community out, we'll lose more and that's not a threat, its a reality.

One last story about Scottie:  We were there for Sunday Brunch on a beautiful Sunday morning that was slightly cool and breezy.  What a fine day for Mimosa's and NOLA food.  During a light dessert a young lady of about 5 or 6 came through the door selling candy bars for charity.  Her Mother had obviously sent her in and Scottie was a bit miffed by it but he informed the young lady that it wasn't proper to come to place that sold food and try to sell dessert.  She walked out, was told by her mother to go back in, and was again met by Scottie.  He informed her again, as she clearly did not understand why she was doing something wrong, that it wasn't proper.  To end the debate and save the little girls feelings, Scottie bought a handful of candy bars and sent her on her way.  That Friends, takes class.

Sorry Millers and Sorry Scottie.  Give Carrollton another shot when times get better.  I, for one, will be waiting.

Rob

Read more: Times-Georgian - Downtown restaurant to close its doors

Living for Food

Welp, the first edition of The Food Blog has come.  It was fun setting up the page and learning a bit more about how to add to my website...then the hard, cold reality of knowing that I have to actually add content to the Blog was kind of important...ya know, since I want people to read it and all.  I reckon its at this point that I give the basic philosophy of why I am doing this.  Boring or not, here goes.

Humble Starting Points

I grew up between two households and between two parents that couldn't really stand each other (which make one wonder how they ever ended up married) but they never let on.  My Mom would do the best she could with what she had and we/I always ate pretty well.  Then, every so often, Mom would scrape together a few bucks and the next thing you know, theres a huge pot of King Crab legs in the middle of the living room and most of the family and a few friends were there.  Whether Mom knew it or not, it was one of the highlights of growing up.

Then there was Dad.  Not only was this the guy that set my culinary path in motion but he was also the guy that made me realize that good food didn't have to come from a 5 star restaurant, 5 star can happen at home.  One night we can home from school not thinking too much and my Dad had returned from a long day on the Sales Trail (a pain I know well these days).  When it came dinner time, there were dimmed lights and candles.  In the 80's we didn't really think WTF out loud, but we were damn sure thinking it.  On the table there was an electric frying pan filled with hot oil, cubed cuts of beef, skewers, and small dishes of spices and sauces for dipping.  We didn't really know what the Hell was going on but here I am 25 years later and still remembering it as if it was yesterday.  The Old Man had a way of taking something cheap and simple and making it a Huge Food Memory.

Grandma lent a hand as well.  The woman was a culinary explorer who was married to a Meat and Taters kind of guy.  Besides that baking of everything, and I mean EVERYTHING (cookies, cakes, pies, oh Dear God the pies).  After I began to realize what Living for Food was all about, it was her that got me into Lamb, Endive, Riddicio, Turnips...The Pasties, Oh God those little meat pies filled with head exploding flavor.  This woman would never use shortening to make her Pastie Crusts.  She insisted on using good, old fashioned Suet.  Not easy to get these days but Damn!  The difference in paying attention to the small details was instantly branded on my Culinary Soul.

Been There, Done That....and Just Now Remembering it......

I had the good fortune to spend a good bit of time overseas with the Military.  Being in Europe was a huge culinary influence but only after 20 years.  The time I spent in Europe was a drunken, laughing, exploring, partying good time.  I ate in restaurants that served extraordinary food as every day meals.  Of course, being somewhat liquefied and not paying much attention to where or what I was eating, it didn't sink in until years later what I was doing:  Soaking up culture and flavors that I remember a clear as a bell but haven't cared to apply until now.  Italy, France, Israel, Spain, even Egypt had its offerings.  If you eat in a culture, you are a small part of that culture.  Although I didn't realize it at the time, falafel was to become one of my favorites.  Do yourself a favor and go vegetarian for a few weeks and see what the Middle East has to offer.  I promise, you will never think bad of vegetarian again.

Having Said All That........

It has come to that point in my life where I want to find out if the old saying is true.  "If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life".  Well, I'm about to find out.

This blog, the website, the menus, the endless days of being tired as hell after working a long day and still hammering away at thoughts and ideas are all an effort to live by food.  Cooking, blending spices, helping people out are all things I love to do.  Now, lets just see if I can make a living at it.  Wish me luck...I'm gonna need it!

Rob