Slow Food Columbus Blog

Benefit for Alana’s server

Bear — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:18:48 +0000

We just got word today that James, one of the servers at Alana’s, a very nice guy in his early 20s, went into abrupt cardiac arrest some time ago — less than two weeks, I believe, but I’m not sure. He survived, but I don’t know anything about his condition at present. The cause was a heart defect, I gather a congenital one having to do with the nerves that control the heart muscles.

James has — you guessed it — no medical insurance, and he has been in the hospital since his cardiac arrest. Alana’s will be having a benefit dinner on July 13 to help defray his expenses. The cost will be $50. I’m about 90% sure that this information is correct; I hope to have it confirmed within 24-48 hours. Unfortunately, Alana’s is closed this week, so I’m not sure how quickly I can get specifics. For now, if it’s at all possible for you to make it to the dinner, save the date.

All of this is second-hand, based on an email message that I was only able to glance at today, so I’m awaiting more details. I will post any updates or corrections that I receive, but if you have more details please post them below. Thanks.

Slow Food Columbus on Columbus Foodcast

Bear — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:06:44 +0000

The guys (and gal — hi Mary) from Columbus Foodcast dropped by our place a few weeks back to hang out, have dinner, have a few drinks, and talk about the Slow Food movement in general and Slow Food Columbus in particular. We had a lovely evening, and we just got word that the episode that came out of that evening is now available on the iTunes store. We gave it a listen ourselves and had a ball reliving a very pleasant evening. We didn’t even hate hearing our own voices played back to us! Check it out, and check out their back-episodes as well — fun, funny, and informative.

Slow Food USA Online Auction

Bear — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:36:06 +0000

Slow Food USA writes:

SLOW FOOD USA’s 4th ANNUAL ONLINE AUCTION
June 16th-26th 2008

Slow Food USA is working hard toward the goals of protecting native foods that are at risk of extinction, renewing and building America’s food communities, and educating youth through taste celebration. You can help too, by participating in our 4th annual online auction.

By bidding on an item listed through eBay Giving Works you help contribute to needed funds for Slow Food USA local and national programs that protect the traditions, diversity, tastes and pleasure of food. 100% of the winning bid goes directly to Slow Food USA—now that’s guilt-free shopping!

Click here for more details and to peruse the list of items. Some of them are awfully cool!! Items include a stay at Morgan Farm in Ashland, OH, for up to eight people; a one-night stay at a B&B in Kentucky; a cocktail party with Alan Katz (he’ll fly wherever you are and mix cocktails for up to 16 guests); a variety of autographed books and subscriptions; and of course food — a Zingerman’s gift certificate, infused sea salts, artisinal olive oils, grass-fed veal steaks… all up for bidding through the 26th.

The health benefits of coffee

Bear — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:03:31 +0000

The conventional wisdom is that coffee is, at best, mildly bad for you. This conclusion tends to be based, I suspect, on impressionistic evidence, instinct (bitterness being one of nature’s ways of indicating toxicity), the widespread availability of bad coffee (bitterness being a characteristic of overroasted or over-extracted coffee), and general distrust of caffeine.

Scientific studies, on the other hand, suggest that there may well be considerable health benefits to coffee consumption. Previous studies have suggested that it can help to prevent liver cancer and diabetes; now, a large-scale study that tracked men and women over two decades has concluded that coffee consumption may lower your risk of heart attack, perhaps dramatically.

Admittedly, as a huge coffee fan I’m hardly an unbiased source. But I will admit that I’m a bit baffled that coffee has developed the evil reputation that it has among advocates of natural and organic foods. Coffee beans are entirely natural, and the process of separating them from coffee cherries and drying them generally is as well: no one who has seen raw coffee spread out to dry in the sun can quarrel with its natural pedigree. The only thing we do to it is roast it and infuse it into water, which is pretty much what we do with tea.

But flavored coffee — now that’s unnatural.

For those who are interested, I’ll reprint an older New York Times article on coffee and health below the fold.

August 15, 2006

Coffee as a Health Drink? Studies Find Some Benefits

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR

Coffee is not usually thought of as health food, but a number of recent studies suggest that it can be a highly beneficial drink. Researchers have found strong evidence that coffee reduces the risk of several serious ailments, including diabetes, heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver.

Among them is a systematic review of studies published last year in The Journal of the American Medical Association, which concluded that habitual coffee consumption was consistently associated with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. Exactly why is not known, but the authors offered several explanations.

Coffee contains antioxidants that help control the cell damage that can contribute to the development of the disease. It is also a source of chlorogenic acid, which has been shown in animal experiments to reduce glucose concentrations.

Caffeine, perhaps coffee’s most famous component, seems to have little to do with it; studies that looked at decaffeinated coffee alone found the same degree of risk reduction.

Larger quantities of coffee seem to be especially helpful in diabetes prevention. In a report that combined statistical data from many studies, researchers found that people who drank four to six cups of coffee a day had a 28 percent reduced risk compared with people who drank two or fewer. Those who drank more than six had a 35 percent risk reduction.

Some studies show that cardiovascular risk also decreases with coffee consumption. Using data on more than 27,000 women ages 55 to 69 in the Iowa Women’s Health Study who were followed for 15 years, Norwegian researchers found that women who drank one to three cups a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 percent compared with those drinking no coffee at all.

But as the quantity increased, the benefit decreased. At more than six cups a day, the risk was not significantly reduced. Still, after controlling for age, smoking and alcohol consumption, women who drank one to five cups a day — caffeinated or decaffeinated — reduced their risk of death from all causes during the study by 15 to 19 percent compared with those who drank none.

The findings, which appeared in May in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that antioxidants in coffee may dampen inflammation, reducing the risk of disorders related to it, like cardiovascular disease. Several compounds in coffee may contribute to its antioxidant capacity, including phenols, volatile aroma compounds and oxazoles that are efficiently absorbed.

In another analysis, published in July in the same journal, researchers found that a typical serving of coffee contains more antioxidants than typical servings of grape juice, blueberries, raspberries and oranges.

“We were surprised to learn that coffee quantitatively is the major contributor of antioxidants in the diet both in Norway and in the U.S.A.,” said Rune Blomhoff, the senior author of both studies and a professor of nutrition at the University of Oslo.

These same anti-inflammatory properties may explain why coffee appears to decrease the risk of alcohol-related cirrhosis and liver cancer. This effect was first observed in 1992. Recent studies,published in June in The Archives of Internal Medicine, confirmed the finding.

Still, some experts believe that coffee drinking, and particularly caffeine consumption, can have negative health consequences. A study published in January in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology, for example, suggests that the amount of caffeine in two cups of coffee significantly decreases blood flow to the heart, particularly during exercise at high altitude.

Rob van Dam, a Harvard scientist and the lead author of The Journal of the American Medical Association review, acknowledged that caffeine could increase blood pressure and slightly increase levels of the amino acid homocysteine, possibly raising the risk for heart disease.

“I wouldn’t advise people to increase their consumption of coffee in order to lower their risk of disease,” Dr. van Dam said, “but the evidence is that for most people without specific conditions, coffee is not detrimental to health. If people enjoy drinking it, it’s comforting to know that they don’t have to be afraid of negative health effects.”

Really Good Slow Food Weekend

Colleen — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:52:25 +0000

We didn’t have an event this past weekend, but I really enjoyed some great slow food-ness in our fair city and beyond. It all started on Thursday as I donned my cuter-than-cute rain boots and dragged the Bear out to get pizza before seeing Sabrina at the Ohio Theater, you know, on State Street where they show classic flicks in the summer for $3.50 a ticket!!! The pizza at the new Bono ToGo on Russell (Eleni Christina bakery by day) was something I had to try asap, according to a friend who knows what I like! Bill and Carlos were awesome as we “swam” up Russell to their door. It is a cozy place with just a few tables and chairs, which they usually put on the sidewalk. Pies are Neopolitan and 8 bucks a piece; there are lots of great fresh ingredient options on a relatively thin crust with your choice of fresh pesto or tomato sauce as the base. Bill was lamenting that he didn’t have a wood-burning oven, well, I look forward to trying these in that oven! We never made it to the movie, instead we enjoyed hanging out with the guys and then Peggy while finishing our Nebbiolo grape juice from Burgundy Room (Bono ToGo not technically a BYOB, but…..) and espresso made by Bill. Bill, maybe sometime you will put a fried egg on mine à la Niçoise with seasoned olive oil? Prego????

Next, Friday morning we went up to Fredericktown for a free farm tour offered by OEFFA. Ann’s Raspberry Farm is a Certified Naturally Grown farm that does a u-pick business. Ann and her husband were great hosts answering all of our questions very honestly. This tour was mostly for people that wanted to grow berries or have a similar business. Before the official tour, they took us to a nearby produce auction–culture shock!!! In season, Ann takes some of her berries to this auction. I was simply an observer. If I had had an auction paddle there is no telling what I would’ve ended up with! It had one of those honest-to-goodness auctioneers with the “tongue twisting blah blah blahs, twelve and a half, do I hear thirteen….?” Really funny, they were auctioning off everything from annuals and perennials, pies and other baked goods, chicken and emu eggs, lots of strawberries and greens, etc… I can’t wait to go back when I can pick!!! She makes jam, too. We took the long way home and tried Whit’s frozen custard in Granville. Again in the rain, this was the night we made it to Sabrina at The Ohio!

Finally, Saturday morning I went strawberry picking at Circle S Farm in Grove City (or thereabouts.) I can’t even fathom talking about strawberries at this point because I picked for three hours and brought home 27 pounds of them! As you can imagine, I spent all day hulling and cleaning. That night we were invited to a fellow foodie friend’s (and SFC co-leader’s) home for an outdoor dinner. Yes, I did take a strawberry galette with basil mascarpone cream. It was perfect slow and local food with great company. I hope no one saw my strawberry-stained finger nails. And sorry if we kept you up playing Bocce ball until 2:30 in the morning.

Refectory Rachel Widomski Benefit

Bear — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:06:51 +0000

We’ve just gotten wind that The Refectory is hosting a benefit for Rachel Widomski — a wine tasting this Wednesday, the 18th, at 6:30 p.m., involving six New Zealand wines paired with hors d’oeuvre. The $38 price will be donated directly to Rachel’s medical care trust.

Click here for further details on the tasting; click here for more details on Rachel and the tragic events at Haiku.

Refectory Dinner: French Country Meets Ohio Countryside

Bear — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:07:54 +0000

On June 5, The Refectory was good enough to host our third major dinner, an event we called “French Country Meets Ohio Countryside.” The idea was to have a traditional Refectory-style French country dinner in the open air on their patio, but using, as much as possible, all Ohio ingredients, right down to the wines (a prospect that made some oenophiles flinch — needlessly, as it turns out!)

The menu for the dinner was as follows:

French Country Meets Ohio Countryside
The Refectory, June 5, 2008

English cucumber with dill cream on toast
Puff pastry with Montcharet cheese and tomato
2007 Kinkead Ridge White Revelation

Chilled Ohio emu egg omelette with smoked salmon, chives, mushrooms, and tomatoes
Ravenhurst La Terre Riche Grand Cuvee

White asparagus feuilleté with morel sauce
Ravenhurst La Terre Riche Brut Rosé

Flat iron steak with green peppercorn sauce
2004 Busch-Harris R4 Cabernet Sauvignon

A presentation of Ohio and Michigan cheeses
2005 Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon

Ohio strawberry duet
2004 Ravenhurst Deux, Les Corbeaux

I didn’t really fulfill my obligations as photographer as much as I should have — I strongly suggest a visit to the more comprehensive review at Columbus Foodie for a very detailed writeup. (I don’t know what I’ll do if Becke can’t make it to one of these dinners — I’ll really be up a creek!) In any event, I did manage to get a few photographs that will give a sense of what the evening was like.

Here we are on the Refectory’s patio, being welcomed by the owner, Kamal Boulos. Kamal is one of the most gracious people we’ve gotten to know in Columbus, and he’s been immensely supportive of Slow Food ever since he discovered that Colleen was getting a convivium started.

The white asparagus feuilleté with morels. It was every bit as good as it looks.

Up close and personal with the flat iron steak. Background: potatoes gratin, mushrooms with yellow pepper sauce. Barely pictured: garlic-creamed spinach. Awesome.

Best in show: The 2004 Busch-Harris R4 Cabernet. Don’t let anybody tell you that Ohio can’t produce a top-notch Cab. (If it’s any indication of our esteem for this wine, this photograph was not taken at the Refectory, but rather in our backyard, the next day… and this isn’t the only bottle we brought home!)

All in all, it was a perfect Slow Food evening — wonderful food, great wines, excellent company, and a happy, convivial atmosphere. We look forward to many more!

Article for the CORA Newsletter July/Aug 2008

Colleen — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:32:21 +0000

CORA (Central Ohio Restaurant Association) asked if we would be interested in writing an article about Slow Food Columbus for their newsletter. Thanks Laurie, this is really great and shows we are not as elite as some people think. Mmmmm, a Ho-Ho sounds kinda good right now.

Confessions of a Slow Foodie
by Laurie Kamerer, Slow Food Columbus board member

I don’t eat McDonald’s, but my kids sometimes do. On cold winter weekends, we’ve been known to commune over a steaming pot of ramen noodles then chase them with pink-and-white iced animal cookies. I drink Starbucks, Diet Coke and spicy V8.

And in February, I co-founded Slow Food Columbus … because I also drink homemade ginger-lemon-honey tea, pull my own espresso, and obsess over obscure details relating to the milk my family consumes. The other Slow Food co-founders have similarly schizophrenic food idiosyncrasies. Colleen, the group’s fearless leader, is a fabulous cook and has her own secret (well, had her own secret): I imagine her meticulously braising osso buco with one hand, and cradling a half eaten Ho Ho in the other.

Truth is, we’re not fanatical. The other members of Slow Food Columbus don’t seem to be either. We’re all interested in food – and beyond that, we’re interested, variously, in local, organic, do-it-yourself, home gardening, medicinal herbs, the Farm Bill, coffee, wine, cheese. We’re interested in honey, strawberry picking, teaching our kids how to cook, setting a beautiful table. We’re interested in eating meat, and we’re interested in vegetarianism.

Which leads me to the (unofficial) criteria for admission to the Slow Food community:
1. Enjoy eating
2. Enjoy talking about eating (or at least be willing to humor those who do)

Of course any knowledge of Ohio milk sources will be welcomed with open arms.

Slow Food Columbus is the Columbus, Ohio convivium of Slow Food USA, which itself is the American branch of Slow Food International. Slow Food was founded in Italy in 1989 to counteract fast food and the fast life. It’s founded in the idea that people should be thoughtful about their food – where it comes from, how it’s produced, how it tastes, and the impact our food choices have on the rest of the world.The Columbus Convivium (or chapter) is devoted to these principles, and to facilitating activities where members can explore them. We provide a forum for our members to share knowledge about good food and best practices, and we sponsor a variety of events that bring slow food to life. For more information, visit
www.slowfoodcolumbus.org.

Micro-Roasting Taste Workshop 5/25

Colleen — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:00:25 +0000

Thanks to Bear for a fun and informative gathering about roasting your own coffee beans. (Click here to view the handout that he made.) We had a beautiful day to hang out in the courtyard and get crazy-caffeinated!!!

Attendees from left to right are: Colleen, Mitchell, Laurie, Chester, Stacy, Michael, and Bear (Stacey, taking the photo and Tony not pictured.) Coffees from left to right are Guatemalan Huehuetenango, Ethiopian Organic Idido Misty Valley, Sumatra Classic Mandheling long roast, and Sumatra Classic Mandheling short roast.

This is where the magic happens! Bear uses an iRoast 2 and a dryer hose to vent to the outside via our range hood.

So only one problem, today we have no coffee! We drank it all! Bear, time to get roasting!

Refectory Dinner: French Country Meets Ohio Countryside

Bear — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:55:45 +0000

French Country Meets Ohio Countryside
The Refectory
1092 Bethel Road, Columbus
Thursday, June 5, 6:30 p.m.
$58 members / $68 nonmembers

Did you know that the building in which The Refectory is housed was first used as a church when it was built in the mid-1800s? And that due to the new, noisy Hocking Valley Railroad that was built in 1877, the minister had to stop speaking until the trains had gone by? Finally, in 1918, two small schoolhouses and the land on which they were sitting were put up for auction. Consequently, the building was moved to its current location next to these schoolhouses and later joined them to become the lovely restaurant that it is today.

Since 1980, The Refectory’s relaxed and quiet Slow Food pace have presented evenings of elegant dining to residents of the Columbus area. At the heart of the dining experience are the culinary creations directed by Chef Richard Blondin, a native of Lyon, France, who studied under chefs Pierre Orsi and Paul Bocuse. Chef Richard will help us celebrate the bounty of Ohio at the beginning of June for our next dinner, French Country Meets Ohio Countryside. We will enjoy a six-course meal with wine pairings (some of which will come from Ohio, including the well-respected Ravenhurst Sparkling Wine) on the outdoor patio, weather permitting. The meal is $58, all inclusive, for members and $68 for non-members. Pre-paid reservations only, please. Seating is limited. Please join us! To make reservations visit the Slow Food Columbus Events page.

Menu

A Service of Hors d’oeuvres

Chilled Ohio Emu Egg Omelette
with smoked salmon, chives,
mushrooms, and tomatoes

White Asparagus Feuillete
with morel sauce

Roast Ohio Ostrich Fan
with quince bordelaise

Cheese Presentation

Ohio Strawberry Duet

We will present some Ohio wines
featuring Ravenhurst Cellars and
Kinkead Ridge with the courses.