I know it is completely unfair of me to whip out my list of Kansas City's 2009 Food Trends and spring them on you when the year is almost half over. It's cheating, in fact. I admit it. However, and I do have a witness that can confirm my story, I did write this up earlier this year and emailed it to a friend who was needing some content ideas for a video project about food trends in Kansas City.
There was a time in my life when I thought I wanted to be a trend-tracker (okay, secretly I still do). You know, one of those people that jet-sets into ever corner of the globe, traveling for inspiration, looking at the people, what they are wearing, what they are saying and what they are eating and drinking and where they are doing it and compiling it into a global "IT LIST" that would create a sensation and companies would pay big bucks to get their hands on. Yeah, you know what I mean.
Back in my real life, I stumbled across my own humble version of my Kansas City food trend "IT LIST" in my trusty, ever-faithful, always with me, notebook . . .mindlessly flipping through the pages and looking at the things I had written down and wondered why I had written them down. There it was, the list of food trends that if we weren't seeing yet, we would be in KC in 2009.
Looking at it now, I have to say . . .it's a pretty good little list. It's a blend of trends I have been watching and reading about on the coasts and it's having the inside track with the people who make great food in this town that allowed me to get this close right. My list is relevant, pointing to current trends with traction in this city so I thought I would go ahead and share it with you.
Hand-crafted cocktails (think Manifesto or Justus Drugstore) We aren't just talking about places that make a great cocktail. We have lots of those in town too. I am talking about places that know their liquor, infuse their liquor with other flavors, make their own bitters and syrups flavored with fresh herbs, fruit or veggies. These are places that construct a cocktail from the ground up in front of your eyes. Much like a Chef prepares a dish, it's about the combining of many parts to make a whole, drinkable cocktail. P.S. They also have to know their ice.
Communal Tables or Family style meals (like The Westside Local) Look, I know there is a time and a place to sit and enjoy a meal with a single important person, either for personal or business reasons. I get it. But there is also something wonderful about having the opportunity to sit with strangers, together, at one long communal table and break bread together. To pass dishes around the table like you used to do at home. I'm not talking about bringing enough friends with you to take up a whole table, either. That's a private party. Dining together with strangers is a wonderful ice breaker, it's not nearly as awkward as many believe it to be. We have all come to eat, right? We all need to eat, we just need to do it together in public, in restaurants. I think it might be the answer to world peace, tolerance and understanding. I love this idea. (Can you tell?)
Farm to Table Restaurants & Farm dinners – Farm to Table restaurants are where local Chefs work with local farmers, exclusively, to get much of the food they serve. This ensures their menus will switch with the seasons and that they are getting the locally grown food at the their peak. Local meats, cheeses and breads are also locally sourced. The Farmhouse Restaurantis the newest restaurant that is working with this kind of model, but many, many of our wonderful local restaurants have made it a point to get the food they are serving right from the source, the farmer. Such as Room 39, Jasper's, Justus Drugstoreand many others. Farm dinners are another way to call attention to locally raised products. This is the same idea but in reverse, where Farmers ask restaurant Chefs to come to the farm and cook dinners highlighting their bounty and products they produce for their guests. (like Outstanding in the Fieldand locally Green Dirt Farms.)
Pig, Pork, Bacon & Pig Roasts – This is the year of the pig. We are seeing pork in everything from cupcakes, cookies & breads to salads, sides and certainly, as an entree. Pulled, shredded, sauteed, fried, roasted, braised . . . we are eating pork. We are also eating parts of this animal we would have never dreamed of eating several years ago. Chicharrón, or fried pork skin, is made and sold at Bichelmeyer Meats in KCK, Cafe Europa in Brookside hosted a private dinner earlier this year where they cooked an entire pig and then served a different part of the pig with each course. I heard it was amazing. A group of my friends and I called the BBQ Shack in Paola, KS after seeing him on Diners, Drive-In's and Divesand asked if we brought 10 people in could he cook and entire pig for us to eat. He did manage to find one small enough to feed our tiny group and we feasted on every piece of that animal. Like a bunch of kids on Christmas Day, we gleefully attacked that pig like it was a present.
Secret dining & drinking (like The Test Kitchen, Manifesto) Secret speakeasies, dinner clubs, dinners held in restaurants after hours, drinking holes where you have to say a password to get in, secret menus or wine lists you have to specifically ask for . . .we are all about enjoying a "secret" of some sort right now. As the Founder of The Test Kitchen, you would be amazed the ideas that people get in their heads about what an underground supperclub is really like, and what we really do there. Once I get a live one on the hook, that's when I whip out my ball-gag and leather mask and ask them to try it on . . .you know, just for size. Seriously, it is fun to feel a part of something cool, fun and unusual . . .to be "in" on the secret.
Gourmet burgers(like Blanc Burgers + Bottles & Dean & Deluca's Burger Bar) Everyone has one on their menu now, they are popping up almost as much as the Slider. My definition of a gourmet burger, is a thick patty of some sort of quality protein (beef, pork, turkey, chicken, fish) that is sitting on a fantastic bun and topped with unusual gourmet sauces, condiments or ingredients. House-made french fries or sweet potato fries are a must for a side dish.
Sous Vide Cooking. A year or so ago, there was only one immersion circulator, a piece of equipment used in sous vide style cooking, making it's way around town. Sous vide is a very popular method of cooking, where food is vacuum-sealed in plastic bags and slow cooked at low temperatures in a water bath. The food once cooked can also be held at that same temperature for long periods of time without over cooking it. It suspends the cooking process until you are ready to plate and serve. It makes meat, melt in your mouth tender. I know I personally saw the same immersion circulator show up to my Test Kitchen at least three times by three different Chefs. It is a very expensive piece of equipment to buy, which is why Chefs are borrowing this particular piece of equipment from each other. There are three that I know about now in KC - Chef Nate Feldmiller, Executive Chef, Cafe Europa, Todd Schulte, Owner/Chef, of Happy Gillis and Kyle Baker, Chef de Cuisine, Steve Robson, interim Executive Chef and Justin Woo, Garde Manger Sous Chef for The Oak Room at The InterContinental Hotel. When you see something prepared sous vide style on a menu, order it. Let's not let that fancy equipment go to waste.
Housemade Charcuterie – restaurants are making their own sausage and cured meats in house. (The American & Jasper’s.) This is about learning the craft of salting, smoking and curing your own meats and sausages for your guests to enjoy. Every Chef, whether professional or home cook, is being inspired, right now, by butchers. Men and Women that know their cuts and how deep to make them. They are also the people that know how to cure meats in delightful and flavorful ways. Instead of purchasing your cured meats for your charcuterie plate, consider making your own flavorful take on it.
Knowing where your food comes from - Omnivores Dilemma, Food Inc. . . .as our interest in what we put in our bodies to nourish us increases, so has popular culture responded in the form of books and movies on the growing obesity rate in this country and the importance of eating fresh healthy foods. More shopping at farmers markets, and joining of CSA's to get the freshest locally ingredients delivered right to your door.
Cooking at home in 4 ingredients or less - because people now have access to and interest in better local fruits, veggies and meats they are realizing it takes less ingredients to put together healthy delicious meals at home. Fantastic tasting dishes can be made using 4 ingredients or less, when you use the freshest, best quality ingredients. When there are only 4 ingredient, the flavor and freshness of every single one counts. It's why we love going to Italy and eating, then coming home to tell all of our friends, "the food was the best we'd ever tasted . . .everything was prepared so fresh and simply, but tasted so divine." (I am sorry you know who you are.) My advice, "then cook like they do in Italy at home."
Urban Homesteading - This is a trend where we are having to relearn things our grandmother's taught us all, a long time ago. Waste not, want not. Classes in canning and pickling, how to make bread, curing your own meats at home in your basement, make and pull your own cheese, learn to cook on a wood stove or oven or even over an open flame outside. These are all things that foodies are experimenting with right here in KC. This is the Heartland of America, people, if we can't learn to keep the food arts alive in our own homes, then all is lost. Pick one you are most interested in and just try it. Consider it my personal challenge to you.
Making your own booze - Beer or wine are the most common ones that many foodies are now beginning to experiment with making at home. Just this year, I have met people who make their own pomegranate wine and rhubarb wine. Lemoncello and Orangecello are other wonderful things you can easily make at home. How about infused vodka's? Easy to make. Home-brewing is also a popular past-time . . .and I am looking forward to the day that someone brings me some moonshine that they made in their backyard. I insist though that it be delivered to me in a Pa Kettle jug that has 3 X's on it and a cork stopper in the top or I won't enjoy drinking it nearly as much.
Donuts – Bite sized fried dough is the dessert du jour right now. Everyone is buzzing about donuts. Room 39 had a fantastic dessert on their menu earlier this Spring with donuts, Skillet Licker'slittle donut machine has put them on the map, let's not forgetLouisburg Cider Mill famous, cider donuts. Heck, there is even a terrific local blog dedicated to donuts, that my friend Johnna writes called 52 Donuts. We heart fried bread.
Mobile Food Carts - I am going to will this one into existence just by continuing to talk about this idea. Someone needs to take this and run with it. We need street food culture in KC, and with people like Lindsay Laricks and her Fresher than Fresh Snowcone stand and Lupe's Taco Stand on Southwest Boulevard we could easily see this happen. I think it should start with First Fridays in the Crossroads. A deserted parking lot, have all the trucks down there, and create a spontaneous food cart "happening". Hmmm, maybe I could . . .maybe I should figure out how to make that happen.
Crêpes - We need more crêperies in this town. Crêpes are coming . . .Aixois in Brookside has savory crepes at lunch, Cafe de Amis in Parkville made me Crêpes Suzette for dessert, there is a new coffee and crêperie that is supposed to be opening across the street from Fervere bread on Summit. Be looking to fall in love with a crêpe before the year is over.
That's the list. What have I missed or left off, friends? What food trends do you see in KC right now? Tell me, that's how we all learn . . .to eat better. Enjoy
TASTEBUD Magazine Table Hopping – July 2009 “Cute, Craveable Cafes”
Bleu Tomato 33080 W 83rd St De Soto, KS 66018 (913) 585-1232 www.bleutomato.com
Chef Karen Mitchell was looking for a commercial kitchen to cook out of when she stumbled across an old pizza joint in downtown Desoto. With sister, Marcy Bray, as her partner, they took over the space and transformed it into a charming little cafe called Bleu Tomato. Lunches are light and breezy, but dinners take on a cozy, laid back vibe with warm candles and guests popping open their own bottles of wine to share as they have no liquor license. Try the special of the day marked on the chalkboard. I enjoyed housemade pasta with shrimp, kale and fresh pesto with a cup of red pepper soup for $17. Entrees come with soup or salad. CALL: weekends to make dinner reservations, and don’t forget to BYOB, no corkage fee.
Songbird Café 1315 Fairfax Trafficway Kansas City, KS 66115 (913) 281-9101 www.songbirdcafe.blogspot.com NOTE: Songbird Cafe is currently closed for the summer, as the restaurant has no air-conditioning, which is why we chose not to run this review in Tastebud Magazine. I ate here and wrote this recommendation in March when the weather was still manageable. I am not sure if Courtney plans to reopen her cafe this fall, but if I hear something, I'll let you know. Wishing her continued success. Courtney Wasson drove by the building that was destined to be her Songbird Cafe and wonder why someone had not found a use for it. Located across from the grain silos on Fairfax Avenue it is not exactly a retail hub, but it is down the street from her hubby’s machine shop and she knew she could get a steady stream of workers, friends and foodies stopping by to enjoy her own funky Austin-like, blue grass style. Get the Turkey Panini with turkey, pesto and swiss on hearty wheat bread perfectly toasted with housemade kettle chips for about $7. ASK: when you visit if they are serving ice cream. Creamy homemade vanilla base transforms into flavors like Coconut Chili and Blackberry Cilantro.
Le Monde Bakery 308 Armour Road North Kansas City, MO 64116 (816) 474-0055 Jef Dover’s place first became famous for the French baguettes made by a Vietnamese family, who worked with Jef, the owner, from the beginning. This bakery has flaky croissants, a mean cheese danish and, of course, terrific baguettes. But the regulars know, Le Monde also sells fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Wed.-Fri. only. An order comes with three large rolls bursting with shrimp, sliced pork, rice noodles, carrots and fresh mint. Do get their Chicken Curry soup. Sweet and sour broth has coconut milk and huge chunks of chicken, potato and carrots. It’s another Vietnamese dish this quirky little bakery offers. An order of 3 Spring Rolls and Chicken Curry soup cost around $10, with plenty left-over. TAKE: it to-go if the little four-table dining area is full.
Café Augusta 12122 West 87th Street Parkway Lenexa, KS 66215 (913) 859-9556 www.cafeaugusta.com This café is owned by Micheline Burger a local attorney, and her daughter, Mijanou Cackler who both have had culinary training from JCCC before coming together to open what they are calling a “new world bistro” in Lenexa. Menu is full of family recipes from a grandmother who hails from the German/French border in Europe. They have spent much time and effort transforming this former Chinese restaurant into pretty and restful spot for a cup of coffee or a quick bite to eat with friends and family. For lunch, try the Combo and get half a sandwich and a cup of soup for $8.50. I enjoyed the Curried Squash soup with just a hint of sweet spice. SIT: outside on one of the lovely tiled table in the shade.
Jay WaLe’s Bakery-Bistro 503 North 6th Street Kansas City, KS 66101 (913)220-2286 www.letseat.at/jaywalebistro Ellen Hume is the owner of Jay WaLe Bistro which she named the place after her daughter, Jacy “Jay”, son Wagner “Wa” and grandson Leonardo “Le”. This little place feels more like a quaint little dessert shop on Strawberry Hill and although the desserts are stunningly good, the pretty dining room is packed for lunch with local folks looking for a tasty bite on a short lunch hour. Get the Vit-A-Man Sandwich and enjoy pesto cream cheese with thinly sliced layers of carrots, lettuce, avocado, cucumber, red onions, tomato, lettuce and fresh mozzarella on a toasted French bread for $7. SAVE: room for dessert, it’s what they are known for, and the spinning pastry case shows off their work with pride.
You Say Tomato 2801 Holmes Street Kansas City, MO 64109 (816) 756-5097 www.YSTKC.com
I say, “Delicious!” Seek out this red brick grocery store/restaurant that is a popular lunch spot for corporate Hallmark employees. Try the Panini of the Week with your choice of side for $8. Featuring thick slices of perfectly toasted cornmeal-flavored yeast bread with rotating gourmet fillings such as goat cheese and roasted vegetables. The Quiche is heavenly, and if you like Egg Salad sandwiches, try one from here. The quality of their ingredients is really what makes the food shine. PICK: Up and purchase staples such as local butter, fresh eggs or milk or choose from a selection of organic salads from their refrigerated cases.
The audio on this video for Jowler Creek Winery in Platte City, MO is a little wobbly, but you can hear the Colleen Gerkes, owner and winemaker clearly telling the story of how her little winery is practicing sustainable farming practices using babydoll sheep as lawn mowers. Oh, come on, say it with me folks: "Awwwwwww, they are so cute." Adorable, in fact.
I am currently on the hunt this summer, for some really great and unusual local wines to get behind. As a Foodie, I love local food . . .I want to love local wine as well. The vineyards I am enjoying learning more about right now are Jowler Creek, Inland Seas and Stone Pillar.
Jason and Colleen Gerkes, of Jowler Creek Winery & Vineyard are beginners compared to some in Missouri in the wine production business. They've been growing the grapes, but in 2005 began bottling their first wines. She is from wine country in California and he is from a farm family in Missouri, and together they have entered the brave new world of wine-making sustainably. I have to stand-up an applaud this young couple for looking into, getting funding for and testing sustainable growing practices. This is on the cutting edge of what Napa and Sonoma, CA are just now really starting to get into . . .it's about making your business green, saving the environment and as Colleen mentions in the video above . . .their house sits in the vineyard. They don't want to raise their family around all the chemicals that have traditionally been used to treat the pests that come with having a vineyard.
I have not made it to the tasting room at Jowler Creek, which is open on Saturday & Sundays from 11:00am - 5:00 pm to see the babydoll sheep in action, but I was lucky enough to locate most of their wines at GreenAcres Market located in the Shops at Briarcliff. This is the only place in town I was able to find them. In fact, I found a wonderful selection of many different local wines at GreenAcres, one-stop shopping.
The tops of the Jowler Creek wine bottles are dipped in wax that is heated up in a deep fat fryer. They look very pretty. I will be honest, anyone following my little Jowler Creek kitchen tasting on Twitter last week, knows I had a devil of a time getting the wax off to get to the cork . . .it chipped all over my kitchen and I managed to take a nice bloody hunk out of my thumb in the process.
That night, in preparation for my interview with Colleen on LIVE from Jasper's Kitchen radio show, I tasted their Critter Curvee, Vignoles, Butterfly Blush & Norton Red. I did not find, or sadly, get a chance to taste their Traminette, Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin or small batch dessert wines.
Critter Cuvee, Vignoles & Butterfly Blush are all considered semi-sweet. I thought the sweet, silky mouth-feel of the Critter Cuvee was like drinking honey. Rich and sweet. The Butterfly Blush with it's lovely pink hue was like liquid strawberries in a glass. The traditional red grape of Missouri, the Norton, is still not a favorite of mine. It smells promising, but perhaps because I have trained my palate for big, bold California reds . . .it's hard to get excited by Norton which is watery and bland to my tastebuds.
But, my favorite by far was their Vignoles (pronounced vee-knoll). This is a grape traditionally grown here in Missouri and on the east coast because it can stand up to our cold winters. It tasted complex had a distinctive golden color, and the taste . . .it reminded me of a Sauternes, a classic French dessert wine. Very unusual, perfect local wine to surprise your friends with as an after-dinner drink, or perhaps with a cheese and fruit try to start your meal.
Colleen of Jowler Creek followed my tastings of her wines on Twitter, noting my difficulty with the wax and was nice enough to email me and let me know they will soon be moving to capsules, or regular foil/plastic covers instead of the wax. Now that's being immediate and receptive to your customers needs! She also sent me this video of her hubby showing all of us how to properly open on their bottles with the wax. (Needless to say, I did not do it this way. I can't pare an apple much less a wine bottle using his simple technique. Hopefully, you are more skilled than I am, in that regard.)
To understand why most people think there are no local wines of any value to drink in Kansas or Missouri you have to understand one thing . . .based on where we live in the country, our weather, our soil etc. there are only certain kinds of grapes that will actually grow successfully in this part of the country. At least this has been the traditional thinking . . .
Doug Frost, our local and much respected national wine expert, wrote an informative article about the local wines of the Midwest. It sheds much light on common attitudes and the situations that have created them around our local Kansas & Missouri wines. Read this before you dismiss our local wines, it will change your opinion or a least educate you on why things are they way they are for our local wines.
Missouri and Kansas has not traditionally grown grapes that you have ever heard of before. They are not the grapes that are usually grown in California or France. To illustrate the difference . . .they grow Chadonnay, we grow Chardonel. Kinda, but not really the same. By the way, a great site that tells you about traditional Missouri grapes and the winemakers that produce wines from them is Missouri Wine Country. Check it out.
Missouri has a long wine-making tradition. According to Wiki, before Prohibition, Missouri was the second-largest wine-producing state. Germans settled along the river in Hermann, MO because it was the perfect area for growing grapes. Italians grew vines in Rolla, MO and closer to the Ozarks. Missouri in the 1800's was rich, fertile farm land that many used to make a living making wine.
The new Prohibition amendment forced the shutdown or abandonment of all wineries in Missouri except that at St. Stanislaus Seminary, in Florissant, who were still permitted to make sacramental wines for religious reasons.
The revival of Missouri's wine industry started back up again in 1965 with the reopening of Stone Hill Winery in Hermann, followed soon by the opening of Mount Pleasant Winery in Augusta. Soon winemakers began to reestablish Missouri vineyards and wineries throughout the state.
(Curious. Check out the quote on the home page of Mount Pleasant Winery website. It mentions Tipper Gore likes their Chardonnay and says she is the wife of the inventor of the internet? Former Vice President, Al Gore, invented the internet? Hmm, I am not sure if they are joking or serious, but if serious, I would think being the Former Vice President of the United States might be a bigger title to claim. Besides, I would credit Tipper for her own merits . . .the woman that invented profanity stickers that went on all heavy metal and rap music CD's ensuring they would sell 1 million copies even faster than projected. Rock on, Tipper.)
Another local winery that I was interested in learning more about bills itself as: Inland Sea: Kansas City's only urban winery. Owner and winemakers, Michael and Kerry Amigoni purchased their vineyard in Centerview, MO in 2000 and they had the first planting 2001. But, this video of Michael Amigoni shows him explaining that they actually started by growing grapes in their backyard in Leawood.
Michael is considered part dreamer, part rebel but all passionate about the types of grapes that can be grown and wine that can be made in Missouri. He wants to grow the famously traditional grapes of the vinifera. He doesn't want to grow the traditional Missouri state grape, Norton, to make his red wine.
Michael believes that to be taken seriously in the wine-making world that we should be attempting to grow the more readily recognizable grapes of Europe. He started by planting Cabernet Franc, which is the hardiest red wine grape that can withstand the colder temps. He was successful. From that experiment, Inland Sea has planted more grapes and is now producing Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay and Viognier. A rebel with a wine-making cause . . .Oooo, I can certainly get all about that and you will too once you taste his delicious results.
When I first heard about Inland Sea: Kansas City's first urban winery, I wasn't sure what to make of it. Does that mean they grow the grapes in the city they use to make the wines with? Do they buy grapes from somewhere else and just make the wine downtown? What it actually means is they grow their grapes out in the country in Missouri, but instead making you come out to the country to their tasting room to sample and buy their wines, they want to bring the tasting room to you. They want to provide you with a convenient place for you to take your friends for a tasting and still be able to catch dinner or a show.
Inland Sea has a lovely urban tasting room down in the West Bottoms. In fact, that was where I met Michael and Kerry Amigoni for the first time. It was a tasting event hosted by AIWF in Kansas City. I had come late to the tasting and they were beginning to wrap things up, but I remember vividly Michael's passion as he spoke about his wine and reached into one of the barrels in his tasting room with a wine thief and poured me a quick sample of his Mourvedre, I believe. I remember thinking, this guy is serious, he wants to make the best wine in the Midwest.
Recently, Michael and I have been chatting over Facebook and I told him that when I started my research on local wines back in the Spring, that I had discovered that JP Wine Bar downtown was featuring their first full flight of local wines and they were all of Michael's Inland Sea wines. I happily ordered it, excited to be tasting his Chardonnay and Viognier for the first time. The waiter came over and asked me how I liked the local flight . . .I really, enjoyed it. Certainly on par with many of the other more traditional wine flights I had at JP's in the past. My favorites were the Viognier and his Cabernet Franc. The point was . . .Inland Sea wines do measure up. The manager came over later and told me I was the first person to order the local Inland Sea wine flight at JP's. What??!!! People please, get thee to JP's and order this local Inland Sea wine flight. Or better yet, go down to the Inland Sea urban tasting room, meet Michael and Kerry and sample some for yourself. Their tasting room is open on Fridays from 4:00 pm-7:00 pm.
Finally, the Stone Pillar Vineyard is a curiosity of mine at the moment because it is just down the street from me in Lenexa at the corner of Woodland Road and College Blvd. It is only considered a vineyard and not a winery at the moment because they are in the process of growing the grapes to make the wine.
It takes a long time to grow enough grapes successfully to make wine. You have to have a long-term plan and a vision for where you are going to go from being a grape farmer to a winemaker. Patience is more than key. It takes years of commitment and trial and error to get it right.
I don't know much about these brothers (I assume?) that own Stone Pillar, other than what is on their MySpace page, and the fact that they seem to be a very focused group of late twenty-early thirty somethings set on making a go of wine-making with land that has been in their family for years.
From their My Space page: "Stone Pillar Vineyard was started in 2007 by George, Frank & Tommy Hoff. It sits atop property that has been in our family for five generations predating the civil war. On a vacation to Niagra Falls, George was awestruck by the beauty of the vines and fell in love with the idea of a vineyard after tasting the delectible wines of Niagra On the lake. (Sorry, I must point out here that Niagra would have similar climates to ours, and therefore would be great wine-making inspiration for our young bucks.) After lots of research and planning we started our first planting in 2007 and are continuing the development of our operation. We hope to open our doors to the public by 2011. Recently George has been putting his winemaking skills to the test. At the KGGWA 22nd wine judging he won 1 gold medal for dry red (Cynthiana/Norton). 5 silver medals for Cabernet Sauvignon(dry red), Niagra (dry & sweet white), LaCrosse(dry white), and blackberry. Bronze for Vignoles (dry white), as well as 5 Silver medals at the 10th annual KC Cellarmasters Classic."
So, it looks like we have another one to watch. I love a good mystery . . .and you can bet that I will be standing in line in 2011 when my neighbors at Stone Pillar open the doors to their tasting room.
Finally, if traditional Missouri wines are, at the end of the day, still too sweet for your personal tastes. I say, don't fight it. Embrace it and use our sweet wines of Missouri to make delicious and refreshing sangria to enjoy by the pool or in your backyard. Everyone loves sangria and most of our local wines are surprisingly inexpensive as well. Another local winery Holy-field Vineyard & Winery in Basehor, KS posted this recipe for their version of sangria on their Facebook fan page. I think it sounds good to me, see what you think.
Holy-Field's Sangria Recipe
1 Bottle Tailgate Red
1 liter Club Soda or Sprite
2 Limes squeezed and sliced
2 Lemons squeezed and sliced
2 Oranges squeezed and sliced
(I am adding 2 green apples, diced, for crunch!)
4oz Triple Sec
Mix, stir and enjoy!
Hint: Sangria can be made ahead; omit soda until ready to serve.
Now, if you will excuse me, it's time for a drink. Enjoy!
Hand-crafted cocktails (think Manifesto or Justus Drugstore) We aren't just talking about places that make a great cocktail. We have lots of those in town too. I am talking about places that know their liquor, infuse their liquor with other flavors, make their own bitters and syrups flavored with fresh herbs, fruit or veggies. These are places that construct a cocktail from the ground up in front of your eyes. Much like a Chef prepares a dish, it's about the combining of many parts to make a whole, drinkable cocktail. P.S. They also have to know their ice.
Farm to Table Restaurants & Farm dinners – Farm to Table restaurants are where local Chefs work with local farmers, exclusively, to get much of the food they serve. This ensures their menus will switch with the seasons and that they are getting the locally grown food at the their peak. Local meats, cheeses and breads are also locally sourced. The Farmhouse Restaurant is the newest restaurant that is working with this kind of model, but many, many of our wonderful local restaurants have made it a point to get the food they are serving right from the source, the farmer. Such as Room 39, Jasper's, Justus Drugstore and many others. Farm dinners are another way to call attention to locally raised products. This is the same idea but in reverse, where Farmers ask restaurant Chefs to come to the farm and cook dinners highlighting their bounty and products they produce for their guests. (like Outstanding in the Field and locally Green Dirt Farms.)
Pig, Pork, Bacon & Pig Roasts – This is the year of the pig. We are seeing pork in everything from cupcakes, cookies & breads to salads, sides and certainly, as an entree. Pulled, shredded, sauteed, fried, roasted, braised . . . we are eating pork. We are also eating parts of this animal we would have never dreamed of eating several years ago. Chicharrón, or fried pork skin, is made and sold at Bichelmeyer Meats in KCK, Cafe Europa in Brookside hosted a private dinner earlier this year where they cooked an entire pig and then served a different part of the pig with each course. I heard it was amazing. A group of my friends and I called the BBQ Shack in Paola, KS after seeing him on Diners, Drive-In's and Dives and asked if we brought 10 people in could he cook and entire pig for us to eat. He did manage to find one small enough to feed our tiny group and we feasted on every piece of that animal. Like a bunch of kids on Christmas Day, we gleefully attacked that pig like it was a present.
Secret dining & drinking (like The Test Kitchen, Manifesto) Secret speakeasies, dinner clubs, dinners held in restaurants after hours, drinking holes where you have to say a password to get in, secret menus or wine lists you have to specifically ask for . . .we are all about enjoying a "secret" of some sort right now. As the Founder of The Test Kitchen, you would be amazed the ideas that people get in their heads about what an underground supperclub is really like, and what we really do there. Once I get a live one on the hook, that's when I whip out my ball-gag and leather mask and ask them to try it on . . .you know, just for size. Seriously, it is fun to feel a part of something cool, fun and unusual . . .to be "in" on the secret.
Gourmet burgers (like Blanc Burgers + Bottles & Dean & Deluca's Burger Bar) Everyone has one on their menu now, they are popping up almost as much as the Slider. My definition of a gourmet burger, is a thick patty of some sort of quality protein (beef, pork, turkey, chicken, fish) that is sitting on a fantastic bun and topped with unusual gourmet sauces, condiments or ingredients. House-made french fries or sweet potato fries are a must for a side dish.
Housemade Charcuterie – restaurants are making their own sausage and cured meats in house. (The American & Jasper’s.) This is about learning the craft of salting, smoking and curing your own meats and sausages for your guests to enjoy. Every Chef, whether professional or home cook, is being inspired, right now, by butchers. Men and Women that know their cuts and how deep to make them. They are also the people that know how to cure meats in delightful and flavorful ways. Instead of purchasing your cured meats for your charcuterie plate, consider making your own flavorful take on it.
Urban Homesteading - This is a trend where we are having to relearn things our grandmother's taught us all, a long time ago. Waste not, want not. Classes in canning and pickling, how to make bread, curing your own meats at home in your basement, make and pull your own cheese, learn to cook on a wood stove or oven or even over an open flame outside. These are all things that foodies are experimenting with right here in KC. This is the Heartland of America, people, if we can't learn to keep the food arts alive in our own homes, then all is lost. Pick one you are most interested in and just try it. Consider it my personal challenge to you.
Donuts – Bite sized fried dough is the dessert du jour right now. Everyone is buzzing about donuts. Room 39 had a fantastic dessert on their menu earlier this Spring with donuts, Skillet Licker's little donut machine has put them on the map, let's not forget Louisburg Cider Mill famous, cider donuts. Heck, there is even a terrific local blog dedicated to donuts, that my friend Johnna writes called 52 Donuts. We heart fried bread.
