Post Hurricane Drink: The Hurricane

First off, I hope everyone on the Right coast is safe and made it through Hurricane Irene with minimum damages. It was a doozy for some, especially in the Southern Vermont area and local farms all across the the Eastern half of New York State. My wife, who works near Manchester, VT was unable to drive East because of flooded roads and dangerous creek and river water levels. It's tough times for many - good luck with the cleanup! I figured what's better than celebrating the passing of a Hurricane, than drinking a Hurricane.

So, what's a Hurricane you say?

A Hurricane is an extremely sweet alcoholic drink made with fruit juice, syrup or grenadine and rum. It is one of many popular drinks served in the Big Easy where it's gained popularity during the roaring 20's. 

Via: (Wiki)

The creation of this passion fruit-colored relative of a Daiquiri drink is credited to New Orleans tavern owner Pat O'Brien. In the 1940s, he needed to create a new drink to help him get rid of all of the less popular rum that local distributors forced him to buy before he could get a few cases of more popular liquors such as scotch and whiskey. He poured the concoction into hurricane-lamp-shaped glasses and gave it away to sailors. The drink caught on, and it has been a mainstay in the French Quarter ever since. It is more commonly served in a disposable plastic cup, as New Orleans laws permit drinking in public and leaving a bar with a drink, but prohibit public drinking from glass or metal containers.

So, why not a Monday Happy Hour honoring those who were battered by Miss Irene?

Chopbiscuit at home: coffee review - Maragojipe microlot {Counter Culture}

Every morning when I'm not on the road, prior to performing 100 one-handed push ups (Jack Palance) style, acrobatic worthy somersaults and my 5K unicycle ride down an expert's only mountain bike run -  I make my cup of morning Joe. Generally, I have a new blend from one of the many favorite joints and roasters I've seen throughout my years on the road. Lately, I've been ordering most of my coffee (mail order) from Counter Culture. For me, it doesn't get any better than this. These guys and gals eat, sleep and breathe coffee and all the nuances around it.


This month's shipment featured selection: Maragojipe Microlot

This Nicaraguan microlot coffee is a single variety coffee that boasts spicy and sweet notes of citrus fruit and a nutty mouthfeel. As many of you know, I'm a big fan of Counter Culture coffee. But, I'm not a fan of this roast. It seems like the coffee is missing some roundness that I would normally get from a coffee from this region and process. I definitely can taste many of the attributes, but the classic citrus forward taste profile is definitely missing.

You can check out the history of the farm and the people that bring this coffee to life here.

So, what happens next? This may be the only coffee from CC that I haven't preferred. Should I just pack it in, hop on my couch, grab a sleeve of Fig newtons and watch Who's the boss re-runs? Maybe.

Chopbiscuit on the road dining review: Al Forno - Providence, RI

Welcome (again) to another delightful ad hoc Chopbiscuit inspection of some of the USA's most frequented saloons, dining halls, dive bars, food trucks, in-room dining and high end bistro's. At least one of your humble contributors is on the road virtually every week and luckily have the opportunity to dine at some of the finest institutions and loathsome watering holes known to man. Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, some deity would permit us to be pirates and savage our nutriment.

We like eating. It fascinates us. We sit and look at the food for hours. We often eat while laying down in my hotel room with a bib in my lap and my outlook calendar open. Eating is our tweeting, except it's much cooler. Food is often made into the celebrity of carnage, which makes us appear to be pompous and scarce in regards to the act of eating itself. You eat because you fuel. We eat because we're hungry. We eat because it's our job. We go out to these establishments to consume their lineups with arrogance.

I then judge it. (Poncho Sinatra style)

Al Forno
577 South Main Street
Providence, RI
401.273.9760

Greetings, it's been awhile. How is everybody post #earthquakeapocolypse? I just returned home after a long weekend celebrating our first wedding anniversary with my wife in Rhode Island. Did you know it's not really an island? On our way out to our final destination in Newport, we stopped in Providence and had the opportunity to stop at the renown Al Forno restaurant. This place is regarded as the first restaurant in the country to celebrate grilled pizza over hardwood charcoal. Also, it's regarded as one of the 100 best restaurants in the country for 2011.

From the excerpt:

Husband-and-wife owner-chefs George Germon and Johanne Killeen recently  received the Insegna del Ristorante Italiano from the Italian government, a rare honor for Americans, attributable to their informed passion for pasta along with their invention of the grilled pizza. They also, though, aim the culinary spotlight on Rhode Island's defining vegetables — corn, squash, beans, and tomatoes — prepared simply, with the authentic Italian panache one would expect of multiple James Beard honorees.

What I ingested:

Let's just skip everything else and talk about the famous Al Forno pizza. As a pizza lover, obviously one of my courses was going to be one of their famous flatbread creations. We chose the Grilled pizza with native corn (pomodoro, two cheeses and spicy oil). I always rate the flatbread pizza on tenderness and flakiness of the crust. The crust should also have some nice charring, with a slightly smoky note from the oven or grill. With the heat in a hardwood charcoal grill getting up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit, this crust was absolute perfection. The sweetness of the corn was offset by the cracklin' crust and heat from the spicy olive oil. A perfect combination of richness and soft cheese rounded the pie out. This may have been one of the best flatbread pizza's I've ever ate. Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix would have to tip the cap to this East coast rival.

Design and Concept:

 

Johanne Killeen and George Germon have earned untouchable status for their artfully simple and cerebral renditions of food rooted in the various regional cuisines of Italy and Southern France, re-crafted and re-imagined to integrate the products of New England farms and waters into their simple yet sophisticated menu. Matching the quality of their food is the environment they've created in the restaurant. In summer there is a lot of al fresco seating in their amazing garden settings, but we noticed many patrons liked the open bar the best. It is set back of the garden, but open to the fresh evening air. Inside, the very attentive staff are very efficient and graceful in the warm - turned over factory. Greenery gives the high ceilings a warm and comforting feel that completes the sense of space and sufficient elbow room for large parties.

When you're in Providence, this place is a must.

The best naan bead in the country? Maybe?

Naan is the bomb at Karavalli

Do you enjoy good naan bread as much as I do? Do you live and die by the texture of good naan bread? Really? Me too, how funny. The other day myself and a few of my culinary gifted work cohorts decided on grabbing some Indian food for lunch. If you're ever in Saratoga and your craving some decent Indian, make sure you stop by Karavalli on Caroline Street. (Review to come shortly)

Let's get back to naan bread. So, what makes a good naan? The bread is typically popular in South and Central Asia, Iran and in South Asian restaurants abroad. Generally, it resembles pita bread and, like pita bread, is usually leavened with yeast and unleavened dough  is also used.

Naan is traditionally cooked in a tandoor, or clay oven, from which tandoori cooking takes its name. Cool eh? Modern day recipes sometimes substitute forms of baking powder for the yeast. Yogurt and/or yogurt powder may also be used to give greater volume and thickness to the naan. Typically, it will be served hot and brushed with ghee or butter and can be used as a scoop and or carrier for a filling.

If you've never tried a good naan bread, go out and taste for yourself. It will make the Persian folk very happy.

I like Milkshakes. I like Booze.

A shake that "The Dude" would be proud of

What in the world is better than a mid-summer milkshake? Maybe a mid-summer cocktail? What if you combined the two for some Voltron like power and enjoyed  mid-summer Boozy Milkshake?

Perfect right?

Well, the creative folks at Imbibe put together their Top 5 Boozy Milkshakes for the summer and they look deelish. You can count on a few of these being made by yours truly prior to summer's end. Nothing like a creamy hangover!

Go check out the list here.

Oktobeerfest is approaching- Are you {Sich vor Angst in die Hose scheiben?}

From the guys that brought you this, they now bring you this.  That's right, Saratoga Festivals is going to get all "German" this September with Oktobeerfest on Saturday, September 17th, 1-6PM. It's going to be the same great beer (bier) and food with all the bells and whistles from the last event. Except this time, you're going to taste and sample all the German bier and fall appropriate selections you want and yearn. You know you're "yearning" for it.

So, make sure you put this in your Outlook calendar and sync it to your smartphone. This is where you will be on September 17th, not your cousin's wedding in Long Island. (You don't ever talk to her anyway)


Dein Mutter saugt schweine!
(translated: your mother suckles pigs)

Coffee Cupping - A Chopbiscuit lesson

A cupping I participated in while in Costa Rica

As you probably know, I drink  lot's of coffee when I'm not drinking wine, beer, milk, water, moonshine and Brass Monkey. I've been a hoity toity coffee snob now for about 7-8 years after understanding what Good Coffee really is. I was speaking to a co-worker last week and he asked me, "What the be-jesus is coffee cupping?" For many of you, this is foreign language and probably jibber-jabber that's pretty confusing. But, every good cup of coffee has it's beginning, so let's explain the process.

The cupping process was conceived as a means for evaluating and comparing different coffees on a level playing field. Because the differences between great coffees can be very delicate, observations about the characteristics of those coffees (flavor, body, finish…) can be easily influenced by small variations that occur as part of most brewing methods. By eliminating some of these variables, a carefully prepared cupping allows the coffees being tasted to compete on the basis of their own intrinsic merits. It's ultimately the gating rule for releasing a batch of coffee by a Vendor or Roaster.

Some degree of scientific rigor is key to conducting a fair cupping. Measurements of water and coffee grounds should be precise, any grinding equipment should be flushed between cups to prevent cross-contamination, and the pouring of hot water should be done with great consistency. Time is also a factor; once the grounds are wet the steeping process is underway, and the coffee will undergo many changes in chemistry and flavor over the next 20 minutes. Time is essential - think of it as the NFL combine for coffee beans.

The cupping room at Starbucks

It is very important to evaluate each coffee from the start of this cycle to the finish, so most cuppers have developed a protocol for managing this sequence of events to ensure that every coffee on the table gets equal treatment. Some are a little extravagent and some a bit, insane.

For casual cupping at home the protocols need not be so rigid, as the stakes are quite different. Cupping coffee at home can open you up to a whole new world of what makes coffee the special thing it is to many of us. You’ll discover flavors and nuances you never thought existed in a cuppa joe. You’ll learn to evaluate and categorize coffees that would do well in your own custom blends, if you’re a home roaster, or even if you’re buying a variety of single origin beans, and post blending them at home.

Cupping is also very much a social thing. While one can cup alone, cupping is best done in a group, where you can compare and contrast notes, opinions and thoughts on what you are sampling. For many beginning cuppers, evaluating coffee with others will open your eyes and your tastebuds to nuances in a coffee you might have otherwise missed - your cupping partners will point something out and you will revisit the sample and possibly discover it yourself.

Cupping at home doesn’t have to be rigid - in fact, it shouldn’t have the rigid and complex rules and rituals that professional cupping often has. If you’re cupping at home, you’re most likely doing it for the love of coffee, the sense of adventure from trying and discovering some new things, and you’re doing it to have fun! However, if the goal is to really compare the coffees to one another, it is a good idea to strive for maximum consistency in the set-up.

Instead of putting together a lesson on how to conduct a coffee cupping, I figure I would let the amazing folks at Intelligentsia coffee explain in only a way they can. You can see how to set your own cupping up here.

Iconic Athlete and food commercials

I bat cleanup for Steve's bar and tavern

Many of you know that I have a few passions in life. One being food and the other is competitive athletics. Falconry is no longer one of my passions since I mastered the craft in '97. Although it's been since college that I've competed at a high level, I've been an avid supporter of sports and follow my favorite teams fervidly.

Recently, the Daily Meal put together a slideshow of the most iconic athlete food and drink commercials. One of the funniest things about food and sports is that the food sponsors that are promoting athletics at a high level are some of the worst processed and commoditized crap out in the marketplace.

For example, look at some of the major sponsors for athletics over the past 20 years:


McDonald's
Oreo cookies
Coke
Chunky Soup
Coors Light
Burger King

Call me crazy, but I'm sure some of these Athletic freaks aren't throwing down a sixer of Coors Light with a sleeve of Oreo cookies on a daily basis right? Imagine a world where grass fed, free range beef association had the ability to sponsor a NFL player or the association of humanely raised pig farmer's had a logo splatted on the shirt of Tiger Woods.

One can only hope.

Chopbiscuit at home: coffee review -Guatemala Finca Nueva Armenia {Counter Culture}

Every morning when I'm not on the road, prior to performing 100 one-handed push ups (Jack Palance) style, acrobatic worthy somersaults and my 5K unicycle ride down an expert's only mountain bike run -  I make my cup of morning Joe. Generally, I have a new blend from one of the many favorite joints and roasters I've seen throughout my years on the road. Lately, I've been ordering most of my coffee (mail order) from Counter Culture. For me, it doesn't get any better than this. These guys and gals eat, sleep and breathe coffee and all the nuances around it.


This month's shipment featured selection: Guatemala Finca Nueva Armenia {Counter Culture}

I feel ashamed. My last shipment of coffee sat on my shelf for a little too long while I was gallivanting (do the kids say that anymore?) across the country for work. I like to pound back a pound of coffee per week and this sat on my shelf for about two full weeks. Shame on me. Foolish games.

Even with the extended shelf life this coffee had a fruitiness and crisp acidity. It also had  well rounded mouth feel. Make sure you check out here to find out about the brothers that founded the farm and the history of the bourbon trees that were planted there. A great solid coffee for beginner's who are learning the delicate nuances about flavor profiles.

Chopbiscuit daily links: Wendy's Dave Thomas is rolling in his grave

Please sell the Hot 'n Juicy, please!

Wendy's sues franchisees, unveils new prototype

As the newly independent Wendy’s prepares to report earnings Thursday for the first time since parting ways with Arby’s Restaurant Group, the quick-service brand is finding itself locked in a legal wrangle with a group of its own franchisees. The 5,877-unit Wendy’s Co. has filed a lawsuit against franchisees who have yet to install specialized equipment required to prepare the brand’s new Dave’s Hot ’n Juicy cheeseburger.

Wendy's: You will buy the new special equipment (waving hand like a jedi knight)
Franchisee: We will buy the new equipment. 
Wendy's: Move along, move along.... 

Food Day, modeled on Earth Day

Chefs, nutritionists and food activists are asking U.S. restaurants to buy more products locally or collect for food banks for Food Day in October. Groups such as Chefs Collaborative, American Culinary Federation and the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture are encouraging local restaurants to seek out partnerships with area hunger and sustainable-agriculture groups Oct. 24.

Sustainable food doesn't have to be Elitist: Pigs Edition

Over on the Atlantic site, the food politics writer Jane Black has a thoughtful post on farmers market sticker shock in brownstone Brooklyn. Confronted at her neigborhood market by the spectacle of $8/dozen eggs—which had sold out, no less—Black frets that "that the 'good-food-costs-more' argument is being taken to an extreme that puts at risk the goal of a mass food-reform movement, which is to make good food available to the greatest number of people possible."

Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce (recipe - Fifteen spatulas)

I don’t think there’s ever a time when I don’t get TOTALLY excited about eating these.  Coconut shrimp is just so delicious, and it tastes even better with this spicy sweet dipping sauce.  There’s a lot of variation in coconut shrimp, but I prefer to use unsweetened coconut instead of sweetened.  I think the sweetened coconut makes it taste like a shrimp macaroon, and is a bit too sweet.  Take a look at your local grocery store for the unsweetened coconut, and if you have a Whole Foods nearby, I find the unsweetened coconut both in the bulk/scoop section with all the grains and also in the baking section.  Oh, and definitely go with panko rather than regular bread crumbs.  It will make ALL the difference in the crispiness.

Making Cheezoo-Kaykee (recipe - Joe Pastry)

I’m not going to call this chiizukeiki or Japanese cheesecake, I’ve decided. I’m going to call it “cheesecake surprise.” Because let me tell you, I put a bite of this into my mouth convinced that I already knew what it was going to taste like…but I was completely surprised. For Japanese cheesecake has the feel of a dense soufflé or angelfood cake, but it has none of the dryness those sorts of egg foam-heavy foods can have. Instead it’s entirely moist, lightly sweet and smooth, and it vanishes off the tongue almost instantly, leaving nothing but a hint of New York behind. Remarkable.

Chopbiscuit on the road dining review: Gott's Roadside - St. Helena, CA

Welcome (again) to another delightful ad hoc Chopbiscuit inspection of some of the USA's most frequented saloons, dining halls, dive bars, food trucks, in-room dining and high end bistro's. At least one of your humble contributors is on the road virtually every week and luckily have the opportunity to dine at some of the finest institutions and loathsome watering holes known to man. Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, some deity would permit us to be pirates and savage our nutriment.

We like eating. It fascinates us. We sit and look at the food for hours. We often eat while laying down in my hotel room with a bib in my lap and my outlook calendar open. Eating is our tweeting, except it's much cooler. Food is often made into the celebrity of carnage, which makes us appear to be pompous and scarce in regards to the act of eating itself. You eat because you fuel. We eat because we're hungry. We eat because it's our job. We go out to these establishments to consume their lineups with arrogance.

I then judge it. (Poncho Sinatra style)

It's a burger you "Gott's" to try...Ha, I made a funny!

Gott's
933 Main Street
St. Helena, CA 94574

Who doesn't love a classic American roadside burger joint? If you don't - get out of my country and take your Marxist ways with you. You communist fascist. Okay, if you've ever been to Northern California and haven't taken the time to experience the tray gourmet at Gott's, may god have pity on your soul. Gott's is a standard in wine country and nothing beats a day of tasting your favorite California wines and then heading down to Gott's for a great Niman Ranch burger with local farm raised sides and the infamous Black and White Milkshake.


What I Ingested:

I felt my inner gluttony calling after a day of touring the CIA Greystone Culinary Campus. I chose to chew on the double cheeseburger with the secret sauce which is on a fluffy, buttery egg bun. All the burgers are cooked to medium-well, so just a little pink tenderness on the inside. One of the best burgers I've had in a very long time and deterred my need for swinging by In-N-Out - my usual stop for any West Coast jaunts. I also bought the fried zucchini, straight from their garden out back. They had great flavor with a nice golden brown breading. For the finale I went double. A thick black 'n white milkshake and a pint of Trumer Pilsner. Yes, I know. Gastronomy and greed at it's finest. A P90X workout routine should have followed.

Concept and Design:

Gott's is the stereotypical roadside joint. A nice large, spacious parking lot with an abundance of outside seating on the classic American picnic table. Their push is tray gourmet, which makes sense by the quality of product they use from Niman ranch ground beef to the fresh garden out back for their vegetables.  They are able to push the longest of lines through with courtesy and respect and have strategically placed an "add-on" bar to slurp down your favorite cold beverage while you're waiting for your grub. Good thinking management! A great, classy American burger joint that's a must stop out in Northern California.

Beastie Boys - Food lover's since the break of dawn {Licensed to ill}

After some having some fun with the first round of Beastie Boys food orientated lyrics, I figured I would keep this going since The "Boys" have enough food mentions in their songs to fill a fat guys pantry. So, let's continue rockin' da food beats all night long.

We are going to break them down - album by album,  until we see MCA's hair go competely grey.


Album: Licensed To Ill

10. Ho ho ho and a pint of Brass Monkey And when my girlie shakes her hips - she sure gets funky (Rhymin 'n stealin')

Lot's of Brass Monkey mentions in the first two albums until Tone Loc's "funky cold medina" took all the wind out of the monkey's sail.

9. I got franks and pork and beans. Always bust the new routines (The New Style)

8. I drink quarts and cans and bottles and sixes. Between the turntables keep the vodka and the mixes (She's Crafty)

It's been awhile since I bought a six-pack from a Quickmart. My father would express his displeasure with my hoity-toity craft beer drinking self, as he was king of the Busch Light six-pack.

7. I shot homeboy but the bullet was a dud. So I reached in the Miller cooler - grabbed a cool Bud (Slow Ride)

The folks at Miller must have been livid at the Beastie's for grabbing a Bud out of a Miller cooler. Shame on you Mike D.

6. Like a lemon to a lime a lime to a lemon, I sip the def ale with all the fly women (No sleep 'til Brooklyn)

I've always wondered what kind of def Ale MCA drank? Wonder if it's a standard English Pale Ale or maybe a nice hoppy IPA?

5. The King Adrock that is my name and I know the fly spot where they got the champagne (Paul Revere)

A nice move upward from beer to champagne for Adrock. Keep it classy Adam.

4. I'm down with Mike D. and it ain't no baloney. For real, not phony "O.E." and Rice-a-Roni (Hold it now-hit it)

As they say in the commercial, "Rice-a-Roni - the Brooklyn and Queens treat." Or, maybe not.

3. We got determination - bass and highs. White Castle fries only come in one size (Slow and low)

Really White Castle, one size? Get your number crunchers on this and see if your guests would like a size upgrade. It might bring more money to your bottome line.

2. He stumbles in the room with the Chivas in his hand, cold chillin' on the spot at the microphone stand (Time to get ill)

1. Went outside my house I went down to the deli. I spent my last dime to refill my fat belly. I got rhymes galime I got rhymes galilla, and I got more rhymes than Phillis Diller (Time to get ill)

Any mention of Phillis Diller and your local deli deserves the number one spot. Did I just mention Phillis Diller? I'm dating myself now.

Chopbiscuit on the road dining review {booze edition}: Mr. Bing's - San Francisco, CA

Welcome (again) to another delightful ad hoc Chopbiscuit inspection of some of the USA's most frequented saloons, dining halls, dive bars, food trucks, in-room dining and high end bistro's. At least one of your humble contributors is on the road virtually every week and luckily have the opportunity to dine at some of the finest institutions and loathsome watering holes known to man. Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, some deity would permit us to be pirates and savage our nutriment.

We like eating. It fascinates us. We sit and look at the food for hours. We often eat while laying down in my hotel room with a bib in my lap and my outlook calendar open. Eating is our tweeting, except it's much cooler. Food is often made into the celebrity of carnage, which makes us appear to be pompous and scarce in regards to the act of eating itself. You eat because you fuel. We eat because we're hungry. We eat because it's our job. We go out to these establishments to consume their lineups with arrogance.

I then judge it. (Poncho Sinatra style)

Mr. Bing's
01 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA
(415) 362-1545


It's a Mr. Bing's world and we are all just living in it. As you all know, I have an inappropriate relationship with the culture of American Dive Bars. I've been intrigued by the culture since my hometown Elmira Heights, NY was "chock" full of them during my adolescence. Its' a melting pot of American culture from the gritty factory worker, to the local town drunk and now - the progressive, hipster looking for that "alternative stop" for his or her hipster yearning.

Mr. Bing's has all you want in a Dive Bar.

Ripped out leather seats (check)
Limited or no food menu (check)
Regulars look or could be possibly homeless (check)
Doesn't take credit cards (check)
No high end alcohol (check)
A jukebox with shitty music and/or majority country (check)
The bartender contiguously drops F-bombs (check)
Condom machines from a company you've never heard of in the ladies restroom (check) 

What differentiates Mr. Bing's from most of America's most famous dive joints is that it has an Asian flare. I'm not sure who Mr. Bing is, but I'm sure he is one of the coolest Asian guys you've ever met. I'm sure he was involved in some seedy dealings during the "Bing" high years - probably in the late 70's. (That's the era the Mr. Bing's sign out front suggests at least)

For all you Dive bar enthusiasts such as myself, don't miss this valuable stop during your journey to San Francisco.

I've forever been "Binged".

Is this Mr. Bing?

Applebees on four wheels - it's okay to laugh.

Do the trucks sell 2 for 1 Razztini's?

Is nothing sacred in the culinary world anymore. Over the past few years the masters of marketing have bastardized the world of food culture in the most insane ways. By claiming fast foods joints have artisan bakers baking bread, to adding sea salt to their french fries - they have duped the populous when it comes to real food. But, now they have crossed a line.

Welcome to the world of Big Retail food trucks.  Jack in the Box seemed to have started this back in March and several have followed like the Applebee's, where it's  mobile truck was spotted in Denver last week. An Applebee's food truck, are you shitting me?  About 5 years ago a few chefs that didn't have the capital for creating a brick and mortar restaurant got the great idea of buying inexpensive used roach coach mobiles. They began churning out culinary creations that would rival any ethnic Grandmother's favorite recipes, BBQ joint, bakery, coffee house and even a highly rated 4-5 star restaurant. This in actuality has been one of the best Culinary creations I have seen in my 20+ years as a culinary professional or in my 46 years on this earth for that fact. I have eaten food trucks from L.A. to Boston and from Denver to Chicago, and I can tell you these guys and gals are for real and they bring a passion and skill that inspires us to leave our comfortable unfulfilled jobs or careers with very little capital and live the dream. Like all great ideas, food trucks are in jeopardy of losing what makes them special.

So, for all of you Senior VP's of marketing that are reading this, and I know you read blogs to really understand what goes on the" underbelly of the cool world." Please, leave this one alone. Go find your own great idea that really identifies with your brand.

I'm sorry Applebee's - you can put your concept on four wheels but it's still an Applebee's.

Rubs me raw - Johnny Gill style {Food Culture}

A couple of days ago Federal Agents including a S.W.A.T. team of local authorities and the FDA raided both Rawsome Foods & Healthy Family Farms. Over 20 armed men and women raided the Food Co-Op (or call it the super secret raw food fight club) with arms drawn. "Hey keep a watch out for the hippie with a loaded banana". Authorities arrested James Stewart (owner of Rawsome Foods) and Sharon Palmer (of Healthy Family Farm) and Victoria Bloch of The Weston A. Price Foundation. Both James and Sharon were held on bonds over $120,000 and were not allowed to post their own bail. Victoria was held on a $60,000 bail

Imagine if one of the volunteers, yes no one gets paid to work there, came out of the walk-in with a thermometer gun (it's a infra red surface reading thermometer that could resemble a gun if you are in an extremely hostile environment like a raw food Co-Op) and was gunned to death by a trigger happy L.A. cop.  Hey, stranger things have happened in L.A, like raiding a food co-op selling raw milk and fruit juice.

It seems that the real culprit here is not the raw fruit juice and raw milk but the fact that they did not have the proper permit to sell raw milk. So I thought I was confused in the beginning but it got even more confusing the more I researched the matter. In the end it wasn't the raw milk,  it was "they might make dairy products out of the raw milk." And the charge - conspiracy to commit a crime. Good thing those armed authorities where called to the rescue because they did have some dairy products made with raw milk. Those fucking rebels!

Everyone that joins the CO-OP signs the following agreement:

“I completely reject and refuse all governmental food standards. I fully trust the board members of this club to properly oversee and manage the preparation, handling and packaging of the food in this club, including but not limited to raw meat, raw eggs, raw produce, raw juices, raw dairy.”

So, what's the problem?  I should be able to educate myself on the dangers of drinking raw milk and chose to go for it without having a warrant out for my arrest and my life turned upside down!

Below is a quote from foodrenegade

James (owner of Rawsome Foods) was followed from his private residence by law enforcement, and when he entered his store, the raid was launched. Law enforcement demanded that all customers (members) of the store vacate the premises, then they demanded to know how much cash James had at the store. When James explained the amount of cash he had at the store — which is used to purchase product for selling there — agents demanded to know why he had such an amount of cash and where it came from.

James was handcuffed, was NEVER read his rights and was stuffed into an unmarked car. While agents said they would leave behind a warrant, no one has yet had any opportunity to even see if such a warrant exists or if it is a complete warrant. Agents destroyed over $10,000 worth of milk, vegetables and fruits and confiscated, cash and computers. Seems they showed those Hippies who's in charge. I'm really upset that the FDA can turn their back on so many known carcinogens, cigarettes and other toxic pollutants, yet they can throw folks that simply want to choose how to eat in jail.

Crazy world we live in today regarding the food ecosystem. Question is whatcha gonna do about it?

A mesh of rock "metal" culture and artisan bread bakeries

Chef Ray opening up for Pantera Bread Co. Great double bill!

I had the opportunity this week to check out a great new metal rocker "Chef Ray" open up for one of my favorite metal groups of all time - PANTERA BREAD COMPANY.

The double bill was featured at Dry Creek Winery in the wine region of northern california. If you're not familiar with PANTERA BREAD COMPANY, make sure you check out their video here.  In my book, there's nothing like combining great artisan bread with ripped up jeans, mosh pits and loud, thumping metal music.

Chopbiscuit on the road: Hotel Healdsburg, Healdsburg, CA

On the road again -
Just can't wait to get on the road again.
The life I love is making music with my friends

And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again

Good Ole "Slick" Willie Nelson to start your morning off. Work again brings me out and about. This week I'm at a work offsite in beautiful Healdsburg, CA. If you've never been to the region, this place is a must stop. It has a great small town vibe with a vibrant local business community and an eclectic youthfulness feel. We're staying at the Hotel Healdsburg, a local chic boutique hotel right downtown. I would describe the hotel as a W style feel with out the boastful arrogance you sometimes get from the W vibe.

We had a great community style dinner last night which featured small plate style courses. I will get into the food later, but I had some great seared Kampachi with kaffir lime oil and pickled rhubarb. Yes, life could be worse.

Hotel Healdsburg in Healdsburg, CA

Healdsburg is located at the convergence of three of California's richest Agricultural valleys. In the center of town is the Plaza, a park where the town holds festivals, antique fairs, farmers markets and live music. It's truly a main street park that is the center of the town's thriving community spirit. There's a collection of boutiques and shops that have a city sensibility about them and some fine restaurants and bakeries. It's truly a town that has great balance for many different interests. It actually reminds me of my place of residence, Saratoga Springs, NY.

So, if you're ever thinking of making a trip out to Northern California for a lil' wine tour, make sure you take the time to tour the town and book a night at the Hotel Healdsburg - you won't regret it.

Editor's note - Oh I almost forgot, when I got back to my room last night they left me two freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on my night stand. Not too shabby eh?

Chopbiscuit daily links: Workin' the West Coast

Editors note: I'm currently out in San Francisco working my way north to Healdsburg, CA for another work offsite. As a pompous wine lover - I'm looking forward to gallivanting around town with some classy bubbly wrapped in a paper bag shouting - "The End is Near". 

I kid. Let's get to some linkage.


Eating and Drinking in Detroit

When I told friends about my pending trip to Detroit – to scout out bars and restaurants – some were quick to dish out unsolicited advice: Watch out for the gangs; steer clear of drug dealers. Really? Doesn’t every city have a restaurant scene now? I soon learned that Motor City stacks up quite well to other large metropolitan cities, with noteworthy New York-style pizza, crêpe cafés, barbecue joints, world-class tapas, you name it.I'm with you, the Big D has some great restaurants and food culture. Detroit Whaaat!

Subway introduces fortified bread

Subway is fortifying its bread with vitamin D and calcium as competition in the better-for-you quick-service market heats up. The nutrients are being added to all of the breads sold at the Milford, Conn.-based sandwich chain’s more than 24,000 U.S. locations, except for English muffins and flatbread.

Raspberry Cream pistachio crisp towers (Recipe)

Yes, this tastes as good as it looks.  Wafer thin pistachio cookie crisps (which you will have a difficult time not devouring on their own), layered with whipped cream, fresh raspberries, and chopped pistachios.  Seriously, it’s dishes like this that make me feel justified in being a complete pistachio addict.  They are truly the best nut, and it’s probably for the best that I have to shell them before eating, otherwise I would eat a bit more than I should for my own good.  Definitely give this dessert a try, because it’s unbelievably easy, delicious, and quite pretty looking.

A Real Picnic - spicy sweet potato salad (Recipe)

I made this recipe a while back as a contribution to One Green Planet, but it was too pretty not to share with you all. I wanted to make a colourful potato salad that seemed both classic and innovative. I used multi-coloured sweet potatoes from our local farmer’s market and added sweet corn, bell peppers, onions, jalapeno and cilantro. This pretty little dish has both a spicy bite from a touch of cayenne and a burst of freshness from its simple lime dressing. Summer picnic food at its best!

The Sustainable seafood myth

Stroll by any Whole Foods seafood counter and you will see color-coded fish: Green for fully sustainable, yellow for partially sustainable, and red for fish threatened by overfishing or grown on polluting fish farms. Buy a "green" fish and you eat guilt free, confident that you are doing your part to save the ocean and its inhabitants.

Put down your fork -- Whole Foods is not telling you the whole story. The dirty little secret of their seafood rating system is that it ignores the largest and most imminent threat to our oceans: greenhouse-gas emissions. Even if every human on the planet miraculously decided to buy only seafood stamped with the Whole Foods seal of "sustainablity," marine species will still be doomed.

Chopbiscuit Pompous Wine Review - 2009 Thierry & Guy Fat bastard Chardonnay

Editor's note - I'm off to  Healdsburg, CA for a work meeting so I thought I would give a preemptive wine review on my way out.

Welcome to Chopbiscuit's elitist, smarty pants and stiff-neck wine review. We will be completely patronizing and pretentious as we review some of our favorite wines. As we do with with the barley pop, we will review anything from your local "box" of magistracy or the most pompous french cardinal blush.

Now, go get me some crackers and turn on the Bravo network for some clever metrosexual programming.

What we drank: Fat bastard Chardonnay 2009 

What is Chardonnay you say? 

Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine  region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new and developing wine regions, growing Chardonnay is seen as a "rite of passage" and an easy segue into the international wine market.

The Chardonnay grape itself is very neutral, with many of the flavors commonly associated with the grape being derived from such influences as terroir and oak. It is vinified in many different styles, from the lean, crisply mineral wines of Chablis, France to New World wines with tropical fruit flavors and lots of oak.

We originally bought this wine to make some pasta. I've drank Fat bastard prior and was usually never  impressed. This bottle had some nice vanilla tones and a big, fat juicy finish. If you're an Oaky Chardonnay type, stay far away. Pack your bag and run for the Oaky Hills. This Chardonnay boasts floral and juice notes that would take away any oaky finish. I'm not too much of a big, oak chardonnay guy,  (punch me in the face for saying that)  but this juice was too big for my britches - As Huck Finn would say. Again, I drank this because it was open and we were cooking with it, so I would say pretty decent for a "cookin' wine". Ya Dig?