Listen, I know it is no longer January. In fact, Valentine's Day is looming, but I want you to know that I started this post on New Year's Day. So, I still think this should count as a January post, no?
It has been a minute since I have posted anything to my trusty blog, (I should tell you that I have gone from blonde to red to blonde since we last spoke, I need to update my photo), and I thought that here at the beginning of another new year in food, I would share with you the running list of things in my head that are making me hungry or excited about food, right now.
These are quick bites . . . an amuse bouche, if you will . . . to the things I am reading, watching, experiencing, eating, cooking or even overall developments in food that I think are worth mentioning.
But first, I want to start my 12th year of this blog, with a bit of a #humblebrag to tell you how proud I am of the changing and growing food scene we are all creating here in Kansas City. I am also proud of the work I have done to date promoting, participating and hopefully advancing the food scene over the last 12 years. As a quick update, here are places you can now find me, and my work.
- As the Contributing Editor for Feast Magazine in Kansas City, I have taken my blog content once saved for these pages and placed it on their blog and in their magazine each and every month. I love writing for an all food magazine.
- I am also thrilled to serve as the Events Manager for Johnson County Community College's Friends with Taste program. This is a donor program that helps raise money for hospitality and culinary students for culinary trips, competitions and equipment. The fundraising foodie events I plan for this group is what helps raise money for the future chefs coming out of this program. P.S. We would love to have you as a member of Friends with Taste, if you aren't already, please consider it.
- You can also find me occasionally on KCUR's Friday Food Show on Central Standard giving recommendations on restaurants to try in Kansas City.
- Finally, I am honored to be hosting my underground supperclub, The Test Kitchen, in both Kansas City and Tulsa. This year I will be celebrating my 12th year hosting Test Kitchen in Kansas City, and my 10th year hosting Test Kitchen in Tulsa. I had no idea if I would be able to make a living doing this, but by hustling and wearing many hats, all related to chefs, food, restaurants and cooking, I am thrilled to say, I am indeed doing what I love for a living.
- I have also joined the local Kansas City chapter for Les Dames d'Escoffier, and am serving on their board as the Communications Chairperson. I will be working this year with these ladies to host the third year of our annual event Les Dames' SupperClub which will be hosted on Friday, Oct. 11 this year. There will be more to come on that . . .
I had actually planned for this to be my first podcast of 2019, but I am finding myself stuck as to what to call the podcast, as I would likely want to rebrand all of my current content with this new name. Although The Making of a Foodie has served me well, it is time for something that is more representative of what I can now offer in terms of my experience and expertise. I need something a bit more forward looking . . .although, you should know that I did purchase the URL, "Finally, A Foodie" when I bought "Making of a Foodie" in 2007, for good luck, and, you know, just in case my dream came true. (Psst, it did. ;-)
So, for my thoughts on food that don't seem to have a home anywhere else, I will turn to my trusty blog to put them for safe keeping. Who knows maybe this will become a monthly thing for me in 2019!
Okay, so please, dig in! Here's what's making me hungry for MORE this month in food.
The Instagram Account @overheardatgramanddun
Although the last post for this hilarious Instagram account looks to have been done in September of 2018, I just ran across this Instagram page this month. The genius behind this feed needs to get back to work to continue to bring us more installments (real or imaginary) of "all things overheard at Gram & Dun in Kansas City." Favorite quotes include: "Up until three days ago, I had no idea that fish tacos were actually a real food item," and "Can I get a mimosa? But instead of OJ use grapefruit, and instead of champagne, make it vodka," and, "We can't sit on the patio, we're with two gingers!"
There are some more colorful ones like, "I shouldn't have three glasses of wine, but my husband will be happy later," and "This is the best place to bring your side piece and your wife," and "I'd just really appreciate it if you don't touch my mom's ass at all. Ever."
Emily Farris, please tell me you were behind this bit of genius marketing. Want to get in on all of the fun? DM your overheard comments at Gram & Dun to the account for submissions to be included on the page.
This brand new Kansas City-based food podcast launched on your favorite podcast platform on Feb. 5, 2019, so subscribe now and listen to get a feel for what Open Belly is all about. Although, I suspect the creative direction for this podcast started out simply as a look at the groovy international food scene in Kansas City, it is clear listening to it that this show but has quickly morphed into so much more. It delves into the personal stories of the trials and tribulations of coming to America, owning your own restaurant, and trying to teach people about your culture and your food in the middle of the Midwest. It is about knowing yourself, and believing in yourself.
Created and hosted by Danielle Lehman who is also the Founder and CEO of Boxer & Mutt, a digital design agency based in Kansas City. She gets photography help from Alyssa Broadus and Chris Dolt and branding and design help from Frank Norton. Together this team has created a unique new podcast with a local lens that I am ready to gobble up.
Chef Marcus Samuelson's PBS TV Series "No Passport Required"
If you haven't see Season 1 of this new show from Eater and PBS called No Passport Required starring chef Marcus Samuelsson, I cannot recommend it strongly enough. (They just announced that it has been picked up for a second season that they are filming now!) This is the food show this country needs right now. Instead of taking us to different countries and showing us the people and foods from far away places, a la Bourdain, Marcus takes us into our own backyard, to visit pockets of immigrant communities located in cities across the USA, and shows the people in these communities cooking in their own homes and restaurants. It shows how the first generations still cook the traditional dishes from the places they came from, and how they remember their home countries. It shows the food sources, markets, farms and gardens they use to get or grow the ingredients they need to make their dishes. They also show how second and third generations are taking traditional dishes and have evolved them over time to become more Americanized or a blend of both countries. Marcus leads us through all of these interactions in different cities and with different cultures with all of the heart, soul, love and deep understanding that only he, as an immigrant, two-times over, can have. Love. This. ❤️ A must-watch! Set your DVR to KCPT – Kansas City PBS.
Chef Dominique Crenn Wins Third Michelin Star, a First for a Woman in America
Let me be clear, Dominique Crenn is not just great female chef, she is a great chef. Period. End of story. After a year of women standing up for themselves in kitchens all over the country, with ongoing effects of the #metoo movement still reverberating across the restaurant industry, (for a local take on how this issue is getting addressed this please read this recent article from Caitlin Corcoran, owner of Kansas City's ÇaVa) comes news that in 2018 chef Dominique Crenn broke through the glass ceiling, becoming the first woman in the United States to receive three stars from the Michelin Guide, its highest rating, for her restaurant Atelier Crenn. This French-born chef has been executing her unique style of modernist cuisine for years, and she has become outspoken about awards that judge women and men's culinary skills separately. This quote from the New York Times gets to the heart of it for her. "When you give someone an award and you tell them that they are the best female chef in the world, you alienate them from their peers," she says. "It's unbelievable. Since when do we have to do a category for women?" That being said, as stodgy and perhaps out-of-touch as a Michelin may be, they continue to judge restaurants on a level of food and service that is becoming more and more extinct in today's preference for more casual eateries. Receiving stars from Michelin is still considered a mark of achievement in this industry and will bring customers to the door of any restaurants receiving them. One small step for Dominique, one giant step for chefs everywhere.
Bon Appetit is my new favorite national food magazine
Obviously, Feast magazine, is my favorite local food magazine. Duh. But I have subscribed to almost all of the national food magazine for over the last 10 years. I mean all of them. Food and Wine, CHOW, Saveur, Cherry Bomb, Lucky Peach, Gastronomica, Cook's Illustrated, Eating Well, Bon Appetit and Fine Cooking. Finally, last year, I realized that with as much knowledge as I now have about food, restaurants and cooking the only magazine I am truly enjoying right now is Bon Appetit. That has not always been the case, I used to much prefer Food & Wine to Bon Appetit, but something changed in the content and tone, and I noticed and liked the changes. I also think from a business and branding perspective they are doing the best job of pulling together all of the content in a cohesive and meaningful way. The magazine feels fresh and is fun to read, as does the website, but it also has an opinion (sometimes a popular one, and sometimes not so popular, like eschewing the use of black pepper in seasoning our dishes -- WE WERE NOT READY TO HEAR THAT!) Personally, I Iike its cheeky tone, which has everything to do with Editor-in-Chief, Adam Rapoport. Right now, I am consuming their magazine, website, podcast, e-newsletter and I love them all, because they all offer slightly different content, that does not appear to overlap. I also like the way they have woven their "Healthyish" and "Basically" content into all of the other gourmet food stuff. It feels on point, and how many of us choose to cook and eat today. Their e-newsletters and what is in them are directly tied to their podcast content and gives you links to go back after you have listened to look up their recipes online. What a gorgeous use of a newsletter! I no longer have to pull over in my car to make a note to look up a recipe I just heard them talk about on the podcast, they EMAIL it to me. Genius! I have also grown to love the Bon Appetit cast of characters on the podcast, yes, even the bossy, controlling and sometimes exhausting Adam, who hosts the show. When I am looking for a "healthyish" recipe, I can find it. Something to impress dinner guests? There is a recipe for it. What to bring to my neighborhood potluck? They got me. But, they also have their hand on the pulse of what is new and now, with restaurant guides to the major cities that helps me keep my eyes open about what is happening in food scenes across the country and beyond. I am crushing on Bon Appetit hard, right now.
Thelma's Kitchen in Kansas City - A Pay As You Can Cafe on Troost
Looking for a delicious way to karmically kick-off your new year? Consider having lunch at Thelma’s Kitchen and help pay a meal forward or volunteer your time in the kitchen or in the dining room. Thelma’s Kitchen is the non-profit, donate-what-you-can cafe located on the corner of 31stand Troost in a warm and inviting space that is on a future-facing mission to feed the people of Kansas City, while breaking down the racial and economic dividing line that has defined Troost in the past. Thelma’s Kitchen is a non-profit, funded by Reconciliation Services in partnership with the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City and Village Presbyterian Church and run by volunteers. Open since August of last year, Thelma’s has been serving more than 100 plates a day, with the help of Pamela Infranca, the chef of Thelma’s Kitchen and Food Programs Manager at Reconciliation Services, in addition to many local chefs and community volunteers who donate a few hours each week or every other week. There are no set prices for lunch. You can order a small portion for a suggested donation of $7 or a large for $10, but most choose to pay more than the suggested price to pay-it-forward to the next person. Guests just need to say the amount they would like to pay. Cash and credit cards are both accepted. The minimum donation is $2, and for those who can’t afford that, anyone can volunteer 30 minutes of work in the restaurant in exchange for a free lunch. As for the food itself, it is simple, comforting and plentiful, with your choice of soup, salad, entrée (either a sandwich or a hot lunch) and dessert. Guests order their food cafeteria-style and pay at the end. Drinks, which also come with the meal, include tea and fruit flavored water. Donate, dine and discover this new cafe in Kansas City.
Bluestem's New 4-Course Pastry Bar Tasting
The remodeling of Colby and Megan Garrelts' original fine dining restaurant Bluestem a few years ago, brought the addition of a glowing, white-tiled pastry counter to their lively bar area.
Now, they are ready to put those seats to good use with the addition of a brand new dessert experience that you can book at their pastry chef counter. Pastry Chef Lyndsi DeMicco is now accepting reservations for a 4-course pastry tasting at her communal counter where you will enjoy a delicious selection of petit fours.
She was recently featured as one of Kansas City's rising stars in Feast magazine, and she enjoys working with seasonal ingredients and juxtaposing sweet and savory flavors. The price for this unique experience is $40 per person with optional wine pairing. Reservations can be made for parties of 1-4. So, go on and book up their pastry bar and let Lyndsi hook you up, just save a seat for me! Click the link above to make your reservations today.
Talking Food at 1900 - 3-Part Lecture and Dining Experience
TALKING FOOD at 1900 (which refers to the Karbank building where Restaurant 1900 lives) is a new 3-part series held at 1900 aimed to engage, challenge, and educate on a variety of topics in the food world. The first event in the series was held the last weekend in January and was about "aquaculture" or the rearing of aquatic animals or the cultivation of aquatic plants for food. Christopher Haatuft, Executive Chef of Lysverket in Bergen, Norway, and Magdalena Wallhoff, a veteran of the aquaculture industry, were joined on stage by travel/food photographer and writer, Bonjwing Lee, who moderated the event.
They held the lecture on Saturday night, and then on Sunday night they hosted a dinner where Christopher was welcomed into the kitchen at The Restaurant at 1900, where along with Executive Chef Linda Duerr and her team as they prepared a 5-course meal designed to highlight the aquaculture industry and bring attention to its culinary possibilities. The lecture was FREE and open to the public, although you had to reserve a spot, and tickets for the dinner, which were $150 per person and included wine pairings. For notification of the last two events in the TALKING FOOD at 1900 series, follow the Facebook page for Restaurant at 1900.
I like this model of hosting a 2-night event with the education part being FREE and open the public and the dinner a special added experience for additional dollars. I love the idea of bringing in chefs from around the world to discuss topics that impact the decisions we make around our food every day. More of THIS, Kansas City!
Café Sebastienne Dinner Series: Fermentation
Ask and ye shall receive! Café Sebastienne has rolled out their own educational food series with matching dinner, and the next one will be on Saturday, March 2, from 7-9 pm. Come listen to food writer, activist, and author Sandor Katz along with artist and food fermentation experimentalist S.E. Nash who will be joined by Café Sebastienne Executive Chef Rick Mullins, one of the original founders of the Soil Collective in Kansas City, as they host an event that explores the art of fermentation. The evening will begin at 6:00 pm with a FREE panel discussion and Q&A that is open to the public in the atrium of Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. Complimentary kombucha sampling will be available. Doors will open at 5:30 pm. Then after the discussion a multi-course dinner will immediately follow, held in the Café Sebastienne Courtyard at 7:00 pm with natural wines, beers, and ciders available for purchase. Tickets must be purchased in advance for the dinner and they are $65 per person. *price includes dinner and gratuity; online fees apply (approximately $5.50 per ticket). Having hosted both Executive Chef Rick Mullins and Cafe Sebastienne's General Manager, Mickey Priolo, several times at Test Kitchen when they were hosting their own dinners around food waste and fermentation under Soil Collective, I can tell you that the knowledge and experimentation that they have done on this topic runs deep. Fermentation takes time, and the right conditions but what comes out of it can be so beautiful . . .like sourdough bread, kombucha, kimchi and so much, much more. Come, let's learn more together!
Things I have been reading lately:
There's a Poke Problem from TASTE
McSweeney's satire piece on Four White Guys Bringing Authentic Brazilian Street Cuisine To Your Neighborhood . . .especially funny to me as a white woman who was married to a Brazilian and owned a Brazilian store at one point. If you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?
Just a few words from Tony . . .I still can't believe he is really gone.
Here's an article that recently ran in AFAR about Kansas City, that I think is also a must read. Real talk about the real stuff Kansas City is dealing with right now from an outsiders point of view. Informed. Educated. Funny. A great read. I am thrilled to see pastry chef An Beard Zebley's adorable YUM, a boutique bakery get a shout out! Sweet Potato Donut! Yassssss, yes, yes!
Happy New Cheer, Everybody!
xoxo
Jenny Vergara
AKA: Foodie
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