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The Foodie Report
Ruminations on food, cooking in and eating out in our area.


It's entirely possible to be a vegetarian in Porkopolis. Pop culture reporter Lauren Bishop blogs about products, recipes and restaurants she's tried for others who eat meat-free. E-mail her at lbishop@enquirer.com.


Nicci King is an unabashed foodie and the Lifestyle/Food editor in The Enquirer's features department. She loves to discover new food faves, and she's on a daily quest to answer one burning question: What's for dinner? E-mail her at nking@enquirer.com.


Enquirer Weekend editor Julie Gaw tends to order the same dish every time she eats at a restaurant, but periodically ventures out to discover something new and fabulous. After living in China, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Thailand for more than 8 years, she craves tasty Asian food. E-mail her at jgaw@enquirer.com.


Food/dining writer Polly Campbell loves every quirk and secret of Cincinnati's food personality, and is on a constant lookout for something good to eat. Keep an eye out for her restaurant picks, or see how she's progressing toward becoming famous for her apple pie. E-mail her at pcampbell@enquirer.com.


Communities reporter Rachel Richardson is on a mission to prove vegetarians eat more than lettuce. She shares both her graduate work on American food culture and food-related news.. E-mail her at rrichardson@enquirer.com.

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Thursday, September 27, 2007

chef's tasting menu at Pho Paris

A dish for all you foodies:
Turns out that Jared Whalen at Pho Paris does a weekly tasting menu. Who knew? Not me, but apparently and Old Pho (in Oakley), his Thursday night tasting menu had quite a following. New Pho is still hopping, though, as I witness every night when I drive home. Tonight is his 103rd, he says, and it will feature tilefish, walleye and leg of lamb, among other delicious dishes. It's $54, and wine is included.
Oh, and I talked to Dan of Keystone bar across the street from Pho Paris. They have paired with their neighbors and dubbed the Roebling Point, in the hope of branding that up-and-coming area.


Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Snarky


Do you know a food snob? Someone who can tell you everything they ate at The French Laundry last time they were in wine country, someone who has their own prosciutto curing in their garage? Does this person annoy you?
Then you will very much enjoy the snarky tone of "The Food Snob's Dictionary, " a list of all the important things you need to be able to name-check if you need to be on the cutting edge of culinary with-it-ness. It's hilarious. At the same time, it's rather useful to the actual aspring food snob.
"Pulses: Exasperatingly counterintuitive term for the edible seeds of legume plants, e.g. lentils, beans and peas. Primarily used by English ladies and vegetarian cookbook writers looking to liven up their prose."
"Line-caught. Pet phrase of lyrical menu-writers, denoting a fish that has been caught in the old-fashioned rod-and-reel way, presumably by a small-time fisherman, rather than swooped up in a net with its entire school by a crew of unfeeling Russians on a huge, rusty trawler"
And so on. It's all in that tone of making fun of people who dare to make distinctions, while at the same time out food-snobbing them.
Buy it now for your favorite foodie; it will be out of date in a year or so.


Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Help feed other people


I'm a member of the Freedom Project, a YP group in Cincinnati that focuses on service and diversity. We're hosting a food and clothing drive for Give Back Cincinnati. Helping other people is food for the soul, right?

Freedom Project sponsors food and clothing drive
for Give Back Cincinnati

CINCINNATI -- Fall is fast approaching, and with cooler weather comes an ideal opportunity to clean out the closet and the pantry -- and feel good about it in the process.

The Freedom Project is taking charge of Give Back Cincinnati’s annual food and clothing drive on Saturday, Oct. 20, and these ambitious young professionals want to surpass the usual 30,000 pounds collected for St. Vincent de Paul.
Want to help? It’s easy. Bring your clothing and nonperishable food items to the convenient locations listed below.
Three of the drop-off sites are at Kroger stores, which makes it easy to multitask. Pick up a few cans or boxes while you’re doing your grocery shopping.

When: Saturday, October 20, 2007; 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Fountain Square, in downtown Cincinnati, along with these Kroger stores: Hyde Park (3760 Paxton Ave.), Queen City (4777 Kenard Ave.) and Western Hills (6150 Glenway Ave.)

These YPs like to have fun, too, so donors can play Cincinnati’s favorite game, cornhole, along with other fun activities after dropping off their donations.
At this time of year, missions like St. Vincent de Paul are in need of donations more than ever. These goods will be distributed throughout the area and ensure warm bodies and full bellies.

The Freedom Project is a young professionals group that represents a collaboration between Give Back Cincinnati and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center’s FreedomYP group. The Freedom Project provides a unique opportunity to actively volunteer in the community while building relationships with people of diverse backgrounds.
Give Back Cincinnati started in December 2000 with a small group of friends that wanted to give back to their community. Since its first event, that small group of friends has grown to over 2,400 members (representing 400 companies) and continues to provide young people in Cincinnati with an outlet where they can have fun, meet people, and give back to their community all at the same time.

Give Back Cincinnati is a federally recognized nonprofit organization led by our board of directors, with our membership playing key roles in leading and executing projects throughout the year.




Premier Cru

Mesh is offering an opportunity that doesn't come along very often: a wine dinner that features every one of the Bordeaux "premier crus" or "first growth" wines. These are the wines from the Bordeaux region of France that were classified back in 1855 as the top wines of the region. They have always been the big names, the famous, expensive French wines. This dinner includes:

1999 Chateau Mouton Rothschild
1999 Chateau Haut Brion
2001 Chateau Lafite Rothschild
2001 Chateau Margaux
2001 Chateau Latour
There's also the most famous of Bordeaux's dessert wine, Sauternes:
1997 Chateau d'Yquem
Matthew Citriglia, the only master sommelier in these parts, going to introduce and discuss the wines.

If I had $300 lying around, I would defnitely go to this meal--I don't, so I'll just have to imagine it. These are good vintages--not the absolutely top years, but certainly good, and ready to drink.

Paul and Pam Sturkey are creating a meal to go with the wines. It starts with a cheese course, then a duo of muscovy duck, a lamb chop, (a classic with Bordeaux though not necessarily a barbecue-pecan crusted lamb chop with caramelized baby brussels sprouts chive gnocci and wild mushroom cabernet jus), braised kobe beef short ribs, and a dessert creation to go with the sauternes.

Will certainly be interesting. Could be fabulous.
It's 6 p.m, November 12, and like I said, it's $300. Mesh is 6200 Muhlhauser Road, 513-777-7177


Sunday, September 23, 2007

Below Zero Lounge

Just got back from Below Zero piano lounge in Over-the-Rhine. Wow! Live cabaret from a former CCM professor on a Sunday night, great cocktails, a surprise appearance by a CCM alumna and Broadway singer, a host to walk you to your car... a great place. I'll write more about it tomorrow, but until then, check out www.belowzerolounge.com. Nigel, J.C. and Anthony have a great thing going on.


Restaurant week's a keeper

Good news... Restaurant week will return in February. Details will come later.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070922/BIZ01/709220343/1076/BIZ
I talked to Harry Stephens of Bella Luna, who brought the idea of restaurant week to the GCI group, along with Jimmy Duane of Jimmy D's, Shannon Purkiss of Tavern Restaurant Group and Shawn McCoy of Brown Dog Cafe. They all reported noticeable increases in covers (number of diners, a term that I learned from Harry in doing this article) and revenue.
I didn't get Shawn's comments in the paper, but he said that restaurant week went so well that they couldn't get everyone in! (They only have 17 tables, he says.)
I only made it out one night of restaurant week, but Harry told me that he had a group of new customers who had been to four new places that week. Wow!


Friday, September 21, 2007

How cute (and odd) is this?


Remember the edible "jewelry" of your childhood? Budding foodies could rock Ring Pops, candy necklaces and candy bracelets... Fast-forward to adulthood. Now that you have the means to spend more than 25 cents on your accessories, why not find other ways to satisfy your appetite for jewelry that's inspired by food? (And you don't have to get the least bit sticky.)

Check out these interesting earrings from Inedible Jewelry. And if you love sterling silver as much as I do, look at these charms on Zulu Moon. But I think Pancake Meow takes the cake: They add scent to their miniature dessert baubles. Love it...

Anyone know of local shops with similar items?


Like peas and carrots...


Peanut butter and jam. Pasta and meatballs. Ham and cheese. Some things just go together.

Sunday marks the beginning of fall and, with all the cool, crisp weather, clear skies and breathtaking leaf peeping, I start to crave the delicious (and maybe even diabolical) duo of cake doughnuts and apple cider. I don't know many people who can resist a cake doughnut, what with its slightly firm and crusty honey-brown exterior that gives way (with a delectable crunch) to a light, moist interior. The best are the rather substantial ones with a bit of homemade heft. And they must have those glorious, toothsome ridges on the bottom, all without leaving a film of greasiness on the palate. And good apple cider is a treat, whether it's served cold to be refreshing or hot with a cinnamon stick to be soothing...

Who do you say has the best cider and cake doughnuts in town?


10 super-health foods

Men's Health has this article on "The 10 Best Foods You Aren't Eating." Pretty cool list - considering I was hoping to get to Findlay Market for beets today anyway. And guess what's number one on the list? (A friend got some last fall and grilled them up - their oven was broken. Those we absolutely AMAZING, and now I can try to re-create that taste!) It's got your usual - pomegranate juice - and the more esoteric - cinnamon (who knew?), purslane (huh?) and goji berries (huh, never saw these when I was in Tibet... but I think I have seen them in traditional Chinese medicine pharmacies). Eat up!


Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Cleaning out the crisper

Seems like a good analogy for a catch-all posting on a food blog, don't you think? So I've moved but I'm still on the Foodie Report. I'm now a business reporter, and I'm covering retail and restaurants, among other things. It's a big change for me, but I'm quite excited by the prospect. Already it's been a fruitful (and long and exciting) week.
-- We reported that Mr. Cincinnati, Jim Tarbell, has sold Grammer's. I'm too new to Cincinnati to remember this place. Polly told me it was beautiful!
-- I'm reading your comments. I commented to midwest transplant on the Daveed's posting from a couple of weeks ago. She asked about organic food at restaurants. Truthfully, I don't know of many that use solely organic restaurants. I'll start asking, but unfortunately, I don't think a lot of places are using only organic. Do you know of any? Let us know.
-- I'm spending every Saturday morning at Findlay Market, enjoying the last tomatoes of the season and getting excited about squash. Forget flowers; I'm allergic to many. I like to put my pretty produce on a nice platter. I'm sad that summer's ending, but I love squash and pumpkin. Ruth Reichl had a recipe in one of her memories for "Swiss Pumpkin," essentially pumpkin gratin: bread, swiss cheese and milk, cooked inside a pumpkin. I'm terribly excited to try it on the first really cold night. Considering it's supposed to be in the 80s and 90s for the next week, I'll be waiting a while.


Ambar Empire

Ambar Indian in Clifton has a lot of loyal customers, who also like Baba in Oakley, which has the same owner, Jesse Singh. He also opened Guru in Crescent Springs. Now there's another:

Raja Indian Restaurant in West Chester Township. It's menu will be similar to its sister restaurants. 6188 Tylersville Road. It is open 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. daily. 513-770-0050.


Tuesday, September 18, 2007

It's more than a cherry pitter. . . .


This is a pretty sweet cherry pitter from Oxo. I tried it on some cherries earlier this summer, and now I've got it in my drawer with all the other gadgets, because it pleased me that it worked so well-- even though I don't really need to pit cherries all that often.
Well, I discovered the other night it has an even better use--at least in my world. It pits olives. Perfectly, quickly and neatly. Put your kalamata or nicoise or manzanilla on the little rounded holder, press the handle, and the pit comes out the bottom, and the olive is perfectly pitted. This means you can buy the good olives from the olive bar and then easily add them to your Greek salad or chicken stew or whatever olivey thing you like. We have Greek salad about once a week in the summer, and it's really nice not to have to spit the pits out or accidentally chomp on them and break your teeth.


Gift certificate auction

Greater Cincinnati Independents, the restaurant group that sponsored Restaurant Week, is having their gift certificate auction on Friday. You can purchase gift certificates worth $25 for $17.50, or $50 certificates for $35. It will start about 8 a.m., and there are a limited number available. Go to http://www.gcindependents.com/ to see what restaurants are participating, and to buy the certificates. it's a pretty good line-up of restaurants, including Jags and Red and the Jean-Robert places. If you're like me and put away such things somewhere safe and forget about them, don't do it, but if you're reasonably organized and want to try some of these places, it's a good deal. and just because they're called gift certificates, you don't have to give them to someone else!


Irmo's Okra Strut


Hats off to the good folks of Irmo, South Carolina, who celebrate the Okra Strut Sept. 28-29, complete with a fried okra eating contest, a giant green mascot, a parade, festival and street dance. Pity I won't be able to make it!

But if you make your way to Findlay Market, you should find some GORGEOUS fresh okra in some of the stalls outside (both green, and the lovely red okra, shown above, which mysteriously cooks up just like the green stuff - it turns green!). I bought some a couple of weekends ago, and my Chinese aunties cooked me up a wonderful dish of stir-fried okra and chicken. They parboiled the okra first. Yum! Eat it with white rice.

I can't tell you how gorgeous the okra is at Findlay Market. You have to see if for yourself!
In fact, here's a fried okra recipe from Findlay Market. I think frying takes away the health benefits of such a gorgeous veggie, but I'm sure it tastes awfully good.


Yet another lettuce recall

This time from Dole. Yeesh. Check yer fridge...


Monday, September 17, 2007

Another one bites the dust: W. Chester's Black Forest

Heard from a friend that the Black Forest Restaurant in West Chester has closed. There's a For Lease sign out front. Not sure anything new will go in that space, but hopefully we'll have a business story with details soon.


Speaking of Madison Road. . . .

It's not exactly news, but Nick's Chops and Chasers (next door to A Forkable Feast in Oakley) has closed. I'm afraid the charming and historic little building is going to be torn down. It hasn't been in its proper setting for a long time, and has become even more crowded out by bigger buildings. It was such a cozy nook, with its wine barrels and plaster walls and old-fashioned coziness. Owner Nick Longo is having success with his new restaurant Porkopolis in the Rookwood Pottery building in Mount Adams, and Nick's hasn't done as well. There's not a definite deal for the property but possible deals call for demolishing it. Moment of silence.


A Feast to go

I finally stopped by A Forkable Feast in Oakley recently, research for a story I'm writing about the popularity of take-out food from restaurants. If I were more of a take-out food person, this is where I'd go. The whole idea of what they're doing just makes so much sense.
It's a lot like getting something to go from a restaurant, in terms of the quality and selection--they have jerk pork tenderloin and planked salmon and chipotle sweet potatoes, etc. The difference is they have designed and made these dishes specifically for taking home. They make each dish, super-chill it and package it individually. It only takes a minute or less per dish to re-heat it at home. The quality you end up with is much better than a hot dish that you pick up, which cools down and has to be re-heated without instructions or the right kind of container. It's also less expensive than restaurant meals. I picked up a full-course meal for two of us with salads and sides and two entrees and dessert it was about $25. I think it's also a leap forward for take-home delis that display salads and casseroles and sell them by the pound. It's easier to pick out, you know how much things will cost, and it's packaged better.

And aside from all that, they have something you might want to try even if you make your own dinner. Their molten-center chocolate cake is quite fabulous, as good as any restaurant version. It takes less than a minute to heat to the perfect temperature and consistency. Something about the warm center doubles the chocolate intensity.

Forkable Feast is across from Crossroads Church at 3363 Madison Road. 513-871-8646


Friday, September 14, 2007

Miraculous salads

I have been eating the best salads of my life the last couple of weeks, just simple green salads with a few vegetables that are little miracles of deliciousness.

They are based on local lettuce, which is what makes them miraculous. Who could be growing good lettuce in this prolonged heat? A nice guy with a farm in Oxford called Locust Run Farms brings coolers full of lettuce to the tailgate market in Pleasant Ridge on Mondays. (I'm not sure what other markets he goes to) He has all kinds of varieties, from buttercrunch heads to crispy, iceberg types (Not tightly packed heads, but crispy leaves) and other very tender-leaved kinds--there's one with a funny German name that means "trout" he says--I can't remember the name right now--it's speckled like a trout. I buy three or four kinds and use a little in each salad. I've also been adding pea sprouts from the kids at the Eco-Gardens who sell at Findlay Market.



Then there are the wonderful varieties of salad tomatoes in all the markets now. Hyde Park market,http://www.hydeparkfarmersmarket.com/ especially, has farmers with every possible color and size. They give salads a blazing palette of yellow through orange and pink to bright red, are all really sweet.



Finally, I have found the most extravagant way to dress a salad, and I'm afraid I now have a rather expensive habit. Shoshannah Hafner at Honey mentioned to me a vinegar called Minus 8, http://http://www.minus8vinegar.com/which is trendy among fancy chefs. It's made like an ice wine from frozen grapes in Canada. It comes in a slender bottle and it costs $59.99. (though I've seen in cheaper online) Not quite as expensive as a super-good balsamic. I've been putting it on vegetables, I used some in a chicken salad, I added a little to a pan sauce, and it improved all of those things. But I'm most in love with it as a simple vinaigrette with olive oil on a green salad. It's so subtle, so full of flavor, and has no harshness at all. I'm going to have to give up some other things in my life to buy it. You can use a very small amount, and less salad dressing all together, too, since it's so flavorful. Buy it at Hyde Park Gourmet Food and Wine. www.hydeparkgourmet.com


Thursday, September 13, 2007

Lunch and coffee

I had lunch twice last week at the Coffee Emporium on Central Parkway last week. I just happened to walk in one day and realized the whole store had shifted to the right, into a new, much larger space that feels sort of lofty-industrial-urban. It was full of all these arty-looking people, like ballet dancers and people wearing cool glasses. Sometimes an atmosphere will just feel different or new, or full of a kind of people you don't feel like you usually see. . .
They take coffee really seriously there. Tony Tausch is roasting his own, even sourcing it himself from all those exotic coffee places like Ethiopia and El Salvador.

He's also sourcing his food from places that are perhaps less exotic but also best-of-class. The soup is from Myra's in Clifton, the pastries from Shadeau and the salads from What's For Dinner? in O'Bryonville. They, in turn, use his coffee. I like his cooperative, don't reinvent the wheel approach. The sandwiches are their own--paninis like a good mozzarella-basil combo and a roast-beef with lots of horseradishy mustard. And they come with a little bag of high-class potato chips from blue potatoes.

Too bad I can't drink coffee after about 11 a.m. (as I realized that night, once again. . . . )
It's at 110 Central Parkway, and is open from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 513-651-5482. The website http://http://www.coffee-emporium.com/# seems like it's still being developed.


Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Back in Town:

I'm back, after a two-week vacation (and back from that week after, when your mind stays on vacation.) After dropping off our daughter at college in Boston, we spent four days in Wellfleet on Cape Cod. We did a lot of vacationy things--but most notably ate oysters. (and lobster and scallops and bluefish and clams and mussels and lots and lots of French fries.) I couldn't get enough of them there. They way they slide down your throat like a silk scarf, the way they taste a little metallic, and just like the way the ocean feels. I've always found it hard to describe eating oysters--I was trying to tell a friend, and she quoted someone doing it perfectly: Seamus Heaney in his poem "Oysters."
". . . . my tongue was a filling estuary,
My palate hung with starlight
as I tasted the salty Pleiades. . . . . "

I would be happy to eat oysters only on Cape Cod or similar oceany places if I could go often enough, but with Washington Platform up Elm St., McCormick and Schmick's a few blocks away and Mitchell's just across the river, it's nice to know I could hang my palate with starlight about any time I wanted. After all, oysters have long been transported far from the ocean.

The other significant food I ate in Massachussetts was Grape-Nut pudding. It's a baked, eggy custard with Grape-Nuts forming a sort of soggy crust along the bottom. Very nursery-food, rather bland, but with a fortifying hit of the whole grain. Perhaps, though, it truly does need to be eaten in New England to be appreciated.


Ready for my close-up. Are you?

Are you a wannabe celebrity chef, the most inventive cook on the block? And, most important, do your culinary skills go way beyond the ability to boil water?
If you’ve answered “yes” to all the above, then Rachael Ray may be looking for you. The syndicated talk-show host is launching “So You Think You Can Cook?” – a nationwide search for an enterprising foodie.
“We just want to give a person – a real person, not a chef or somebody specially trained to do this for a living – a shot at showing everybody their personality and how much fun you can have with food,” said Ray, 39.
Ray and her producers will narrow the field of candidates to five cooks, who will undergo two weeks of intense competitions and challenges before a winner is announced on the air in late November.
“I’m always telling people how my career was an accident,” Ray said. “I just wanted to sort of marry up the idea for the show that anybody who likes to cook could literally be Rachael Ray, the ‘30 Minute Meal’ girl.”
The winner of the contest will co-host the “Rachael Ray” show for a day and receive training at a U.S. culinary institute. An original recipe will be published in Ray’s lifestyle magazine, Every Day With Rachael Ray.
Go to www.rachaelray.com for contest rules. Entry deadline is Oct. 3.
(from the Associated Press)


Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Black tie fundraiser at Cincinnati State

Bummer. I wish I could report back on some fabulous restaurant week finds, but I've been tied up eating home-cooked meals (and leftovers, yum!) from a bevy of Chinese aunties and uncles who've been in town lately. And I'm not sure I can make it to this black-tie fundraiser at Midwest Culinary Institute, but it sounds delicious.

2nd Annual Celebrity Dinner and Auction
Scholarship Fundraiser

Experience a once-in-a-lifetime food and wine extravaganza at the Midwest Culinary Institute. This black tie event will be hosted by Certified Master Chef John Kinsella, World Master Chefs, Meg Galvin and Jim Myatt, of the Midwest Culinary Institute and will feature celebrity chefs Jean-Robert de Cavel of Pigall’s and David Cook of Daveed’s. To enhance the experience, you will be joined by the most “Special Guest” of Walt Disney World, Disney celebrities and will include photo opportunities. Each guest will receive a commemorative piece created by Walt Disney World, exclusively for this event. The evening will be complimented by an auction of unique, one-of-a-kind items provided by Walt Disney World and the friends of Cincinnati State College. Proceeds from this event benefit students who co-op in the Walt Disney World College Program. Seating is limited, so act now!


WHEN: Friday, October 5, 2007 @ 6:00 pm
WHERE: Summit Dining Room at The Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State
WHAT: Five course dinner paired with fine wines, silent auction.
SPONSORS: Kroger, Cintas.

To register, go to
http://scholarshipdinner.rsvpbook.com or call Tom Hale, 513-569-1779.
For information call Kathleen Ruppert 569-1633



It's a delicious price too - at $250 a head. For a good cause...


Friday, September 07, 2007

Rusty Bucket coming to Rookwood

Bar food, served up in the form of the Rusty Bucket Corner Tavern, will be coming to Rookwood Pavilion in February. I believe it's going in in the place of Nothing but Noodles. Rusty Bucket is owned by Cameron Mitchell of Columbus, who operates two Mitchell's Fish Markets in the area.


Thursday, September 06, 2007

For the foodie and the creative in you...

Cuz' who doesn't love cupcakes...? Oh, and art...

“Exquisite Cupcake: A Sensory Happening” to Benefit Summerfair Cincinnati and Art Machine

WHAT: “Exquisite Cupcake: A Sensory Happening,” a fundraiser benefiting Summerfair Cincinnati and Art Machine.

WHERE: The Marx Gallery
520 Madison Avenue
Covington, KY

WHEN: Friday, November 2, 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

COST: $5.00 (includes one drink and one unfrosted cupcake to decorate)

INFO: Summerfair: (513) 531-0050
Visit:
www.summerfair.org or e-mail: info@summerfair.org

Part of the Covington Art District’s “First Friday” Gallery Hop, “Exquisite Cupcake: A Sensory Happening” invites guests to channel their inner artist through cup cake decoration. With admission guests will receive a large, unfrosted cupcake to decorate and enjoy. Activities that evening will include a celebrity cake contest, a cake walk and baked goods from top bakeries across the Tri-state. Proceeds from the evening will go towards Summerfair Cincinnati grant initiatives and Art Machine classroom programs.

The event is a part of the grand opening of Summerfair Select, an exhibit of past Summerfair Aid to Individual Artist grant recipients.


Photo: Enquirer file


Wednesday, September 05, 2007

An environmentalist's dilemma

In Japan, Big Macs were offered half-price to those who can prove they're fighting climate change. Hmm... I'll fight climate change for heirloom tomatoes and farm-fresh, cage-free eggs. Oh, a tomato salad sounds so good right now! But Big Macs?


Mark your calendars: Bacchanalian Society event

Just got this e-mail from the Bacchanalian Society. I met my best friend Kris at one of these events. They're pretty fun. Anyone else planning to go? I'm in the Freedom Project, and we're the honorary hosts/hostesses.
You And Your Guests Are Cordially Invited To The Fall Gathering of
The Bacchanalian Society For the Benefit of The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center at National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
50 East Freedom Way
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Thursday, September 13, 2007 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Complimentary Hors d'oeuvres
$10 suggested donation per person to benefit the charity
HONORARY HOSTS & HOSTESSES
Freedom YP
&
The Freedom Project

THE RULES
The wine for this tasting is CABERNET SAUVIGNON. Bring three bottles of the same wine per team (one-three people)
RSVP with your name and guests' names via email to BACCHANALIANSOCIETY@HOTMAIL.COM


Daveed's: Restaurant Week

Three girlfriends and I had a desperately needed night out together yesterday at Daveed's. We were surprisingly pleased to see that most of the people in the small, well-lit room to the right of the bar were also eating the restaurant week menu.
The portions were restrained but adequate, and the food was light and fresh. The quantity was less than a normal meal, but the quality was superb.
We started with an amuse-bouche of citrus salad with basil seeds and snow peas. (I think -- please correct me if you also attended and remember better than I. I was there to have fun, not to work.)
The appetizer was a scallop, seared and sliced horizontally, served over a wonderfully rich white bean salad. Next was an arugula salad with pears, cheese and a couple of other goodies (I'm awful with the details this morning)...
There was a choice of two entrees: duck or Alaskan halibut. Three of had the halibut, with polenta and heirloom tomatoes. Swoon! The tomatoes were fresh and the sauce was delicious without being too heavy. It was the perfect size, and the courses were timed very leisurely so we had time to enjoy and digest our food. So often, meals are rushed! We left surprisingly full -- I think it was the slower pace.
Sorry my details are lacking. I was dining with friends I hadn't caught up with in a while. I meant to write last night, but I forgot! How was your meal?


Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Stone Creek Dining in Montgomery

I haven't been there yet, but friends were there for drinks over the weekend and loved it: Stone Creek Dining Company in Montgomery, south of where Marketplace is. It looks pretty cool, and I'm looking forward to trying it.

Anyone been yet? What do you think?


Taft Museum's German cooking

This just in from Taft Museum of Art. Sounds tasty (I love potato pancakes), and enough to warm you up by mid-October:

Sunday, October 14, 2–4:30 p.m.
German Cooking Demonstration

The Taft’s own “Iron Chef” Barbara Lenhardt demonstrates how to make three German dishes using a cast-iron skillet: potato pancakes, sweet and sour cabbage, and apple-raisin skillet cake. Former pastry chef and co-owner of Lenhardt Caterers, Lenhardt manages in-house events and the Lindner Café at the Taft. After the demonstration, sample the food while enjoying German wine and coffee. All participants will receive copies of the recipes to try at home.

Call (513) 684-4515 or order online at www.taftmuseum.org


It's here!

We've been blogging about it for weeks. It's finally here. Restaurant Week in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
I'm swamped this week with work, a birthday fete and Bold Fusion on Thursday, so it looks like I'll make it out just once. I'm headed to Daveed's with some girlfriends tonight.
Some of you have told us where you're planning to go. Do share! I love to hear what other people ate almost as much I enjoy eating.



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