Reengineering

Pardon us while we do some site updates.....

Chopbiscuit Preeminent booze review: Righteous Ale - Sixpoint, Brooklyn, NY

We figured it's time to get back to our roots here at Chopbiscuit and continue the reviews of The World's Best draughts. We're often seen walking our pints throughout town and cuddling with our favorite Belgium's at the Cinema. Beer is our canvas and we paint that canvas by drinking more beer. We have poked fun at our favorite canned beers in the past, but ultimately we love the best in craft beer brewing. Whether it's a Belgium White, American Brown Ale, Japanese Rice lager or an oatmeal stout - We enjoy a good beer and a firm hand shake. So, let's continue the exposition with our reviews.

Brewery: Sixpoint, Brooklyn, NY
Beer: Righteous Ale
Beer style description: Rye
Color: Light Brown - Cinnamon
ABV: 7.2%
IBU:51-54

I've been an advocate of great beers in cans for quite awhile now. Unfortunately, the process to be able to can your beer for some smaller micro breweries is quite an expensive undertaking. Luckily, Six Point Ales out of Brooklyn takes this lead in representin' the cans with their premium collection of hand crafted ales. The aroma from the canned version of Righteous Ale was much more intense than the beer I had on tap at a few of my favorite watering holes. The spicy notes from the rye definitely stand out. Also, the rye aftertaste is also more pronounced in the canned version. In my opinion, the canned version is a rank better than the tapped version.

Let me point out, I've never been a big fan of rye ales. Sometimes, the smell and aroma has driven me away after drinking a few sips. Rye is a tough, resilient grain that doesn't have the sweetness of a barley. But, if you're interested in tasting a perfect Rye Ale, this is it. This beer has single handily changed my entire mindset and opinion on Rye beers, I had initially written the entire style off as smelly, homeless out of work cousin of good quality ales. That said, this is an extremely well crafted brew that is supremely drinkable and a great pairing with many food options. Well done Sixpoint, well done.

Make sure you head on over to the Six Point Ales site to check out their brewer's log and see what this clever, crafty bunch is brewing up in their lab.

Four out of Four Biscuits

The Most annoying Food Trends of 2011: You Chic, bearded chef bastards

Just as we brought you our prediction of Dining Trends of 2012 - the creative folks over at Zagat wanted to make a point to articulate on the Most annoying Restaurant Trends of 2011. It's a kind of Yin and Yang thing going on over here at the Biscuit. I don't personally know Kelly Dobkin who wrote the article, but it ironically comes across as a Brooklyn Hipster piece on food trending. I do agree with the "Civil War" look though - nice catch on that one Kelly.  It's a cross between Portlandia and Hipstersuck.com

Anyhoot, let's go through her annoying trends of 2011. Just remember, I brought you this annoying list before it was cool to show you annoying food trend lists.

1. Communal Tables

Like Communism itself, communal tables are a great idea…in theory. But let’s face it, even Karl Marx couldn’t endure this much sharing. Sure, they’re great for the single diner who’s looking to make "friends," but for the most part, if you start talking to the person next to you at a communal table, you’re probably interrupting a date or butting your nosy self into someone else’s business. If the restaurant has even an ounce of cachet, you’re most likely shoved up against the next table anyway – in which case you should still MYOB.

2. “The Civil War” Look

A hallmark of the “Brooklyn aesthetic,” more and more restaurants nationwide are being decked out in rickety furniture that looks like it got ganked from the home of a Civil War reenactor. Note to restaurants: wall-mounted wagon wheels and photos of dead bearded dudes don’t make the food taste any better. Live in the now!

3. Chalkboard Menus

We kind of got over reading off a chalkboard in say…pre-school? After a long day of staring at a computer screen, the last thing we’re trying to do is have to squint at a barely legible menu scribbled on a wall halfway across the room. Are restaurants doing this to make the prices appear fuzzier?

4. Mustachioed Bartenders

We’re not knocking all facial hair, but we don’t need Wyatt Earp mixing up our martini. The suspenders, the fedoras, the mustaches…nuh-uh. The more pretentious the whiskers, the more we just want to get wasted on Malibu bay breezes and be done with it.

Note to restaurants: The Civil War is over

 

5. “Gourmet punch”

There’s nothing like a $45 bowl of Earl Grey–spiked punch served in dainty crystal teacups to get the party started. Last time we checked, we weren’t attending a turn-of-the-century high school prom. Can we get a real drink, please?

6. Iceless Table Water

Whatever happened to ice? Just a quick note to restaurants: not everyone is an ice-hating European or a germaphobe who thinks all ice is contaminated. All of a sudden, it’s as if liking ice in your water makes you a T.G.I. Friday’s–going rube. What gives, man?

7. Pop-Up Restaurants

Pop-ups are to real restaurants what hot, emotionally unavailable men on motorcycles are to love-starved 38-year-old single women – a pointless tease. The allure of pop-ups is clearly their impermanence, but are they merely a way of dodging failure? Some brilliant person thought to himself: “Most new restaurants fail within the first months of opening, so, hey, why not just open one for only that long?” Note to that dude: um, no. The odds of anybody making a profit during such a short run are slim, and what’s worse, fans of the eatery will have to say buh-bye to it the second they get hooked. Le sigh. Pop-ups are a lose-lose for everyone.

8. “Comfort-Food” Menus

We’re all for indulging in comfort food when the moment strikes, but lately it seems like an alarming number of major chefs are opening eateries that serve nothing more than overpriced, overly gussied-up versions of dishes you could have learned watching Paula Deen. Eighteen dollars for some mediocre mac ’n’ cheese, $26 for a breaded pork chop, $22 for fried chicken. Can chefs please go back to being chefs?

9. Sliders

Putting the word “slider” on your menu has been known to cause instantaneous food boners among middle-aged ex–frat boys. “Dude, they’ve got sliders on the menu…hook those up, brah!” And lately it seems like almost any meat item is being “slider-ized.” Crisped-up kernels of pork belly packed between two bready buns is no doubt delicious, but it’s definitely not a “slider.”

10. Bread Baskets You Have to Pay For

Restaurants that charge for bread are as irritating as airlines that charge for a bag of peanuts. We don’t care how many wheat-scything artisanal bakers it took to make it, there’s no way bread should cost as much as your appetizer.

Living in the world of Restaurant Acronyms

The restaurant industry loves to create acronyms. If you can take a term and deconstruct it into a catchy three letter catchphrase, you've done your job. We've got a ton of them in the food industry: FOH, BOH, COS, CRM, MIT, POS, SOS and QSR.

...and the list goes on. We've also created an acronym for the type of restaurant sector most concepts compete in. No longer are you just a restaurant, you're a phrase within the "Restaurant Mother Ship". I figured it would be prudent to showcase the different industry profiles by denoting them through fashionable pictorials.

Let's begin.

Fast Food

Inexpensive food that can be quickly served and easily prepared by questionable workers sums up this demographic. These foods are often processed and void of nutrient value. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-out/take-away. It's often based on efficiency and void of self esteem. (as seen above).

Popular Concepts in this category are McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, Bojangles and KFC. 

Quick Casual

These are various types of restaurants. It's the new darling of the food service industry.  Restaurants fall into several industry classifications based upon menu style, preparation methods and pricing. Additionally, how the food is served to the customer helps to determine the classification. Most Quick Casual restaurants do not offer table service, but may offer non-disposable plates and cutlery and scream hello when you walk in the door. The quality of food and prices tend to be higher than those of a conventional fast food restaurant but may be lower than casual dining. Confused? So am I. Also: See Fast Casual, it's playful cousin.

Popular concepts in this category are Chipotle, Five Guy's, Moe's, Corner Bakery and Cosi's.

Casual Dining

A casual dining restaurant is a restaurant that serves moderately-priced food in a casual atmosphere with a shit ton of crap nailed into the walls and Wang Chung playing in the background. They're also known for innovative birthday songs that will make everyone inappropriately uncomfortable. Except for buffet-style restaurants (sorry Golden Corral), casual dining restaurants typically provide table service with server staff wearing an abnormal amount of pins and flare showing their dedication to the brand. Casual dining comprises a market segment between fast food establishments and formal dining restaurants. Casual dining restaurants usually have a full bar with separate bar staff, a larger beer menu with cold 20 oz mugs and a limited shitty wine menu. They are frequently, but not necessarily, part of a wider chain, particularly in the United States.

Popular concepts in this category are Applebee's, Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesday's, TGI Friday's and Chili's.

Formal Dining

Formal dining concepts are full service restaurants with specific dedicated meal courses. Decor of such restaurants feature higher quality materials with an eye towards the "atmosphere" desired by the restaurateur. Stay Classy San Diego. The wait staff is usually highly trained and often wears more formal attire, often jet black to show how chic they are. Fine-dining restaurants are almost always small businesses and are generally either single-location operations or have just a few locations. Food portions are visually appealing. Fine dining restaurants have certain rules of dining which visitors are generally expected to follow. It's a place you can go to Hob Knob with the local Highbrow and pay an unrealistic price for your favorite wine.

Chopbiscuit preeminent booze review: Whitetail golden ale - Rock Art Brewery, Morrisville, VT

We figured it's time to get back to our roots here at Chopbiscuit and continue the reviews of The World's Best draughts. We're often seen walking our pints throughout town and cuddling with our favorite Belgium's at the Cinema. Beer is our canvas and we paint that canvas by drinking more beer. We have poked fun at our favorite canned beers in the past, but ultimately we love the best in craft beer brewing. Whether it's a Belgium White, American Brown Ale, Japanese Rice lager or an oatmeal stout - We enjoy a good beer and a firm hand shake. So, let's continue the exposition with our reviews.

Brewery: Rock Art Brewery - Morrisville, VT
Beer: Whitetail Ale
Beer style description: American Blonde Ale
Color: Light Gold/Copper
ABV: 5.0%
IBU:N/A

I had the opportunity to shake down this draught this past weekend while skiing in Stowe, VT. Rock Art is a brewery that I've always wanted to visit. The Whitetail Ale is a golden American Ale that has a nice crisp body and slightly dry, hoppy finish. The beer has a light honey sweetness, with a balancing of mildly characterised hops. It was a nice "refresher" beverage for skiing that didn't have the heavy after tones you get can with an America Ale that is hop forward. Rock Art has a nice catalogue of beers that has a very loyal following around Vermont.  For me, this was a great beer that differentiated itself from the standard Blonde Ale.

Also, go on their site and check out their brew videos. It's a pretty clever introduction to you beginner folks that want to learn about craft brewing.

3 Out of 4 Biscuits

Chopbiscuit Dining Review: Orange Cat Cafe - Glens Falls, NY

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. (Mark Mcdonough style)

Orange Cat Cafe
21 Elm Street
Glens Falls, NY 12801

So it's Monday morning and I'm sitting at the Orange Cat Cafe getting some work done. I'm feeling giddy, yet at the same time a little embarrassed. My close friends know that this is not an unusual predicament for me to be in, but, be that as it may I am. Here's why: I spend countless hours reading, researching and learning about cities and the food they consume. Ironically, this little gem is a bike ride away from mi casa. I'm embarrassed because I continue to search high and low in my neighborhood for grass-fed, locally raised beef outside of my house and it's often difficult to find. Max London's isn't open for lunch, it's a seasonal thang.

But PONCHO hooked me up with a text recently, letting me know that his brother-in-law was running GFB's as a chalkboard special at his watering hole The Local Pub and Teahouse. So, several times in the last couple of months I've been able to get my fix Luckily now I have Orange Cat Cafe. My very own local joint that I can call home.

We live in a beautiful little community, but lets face it until very recently the culinary adventures in Northern NY have been just that; an adventure. An adventure to find, an adventure to get to because it usually involved pretty long drive and search. My wife Sharon and I had a Sunday afternoon lunch at the Orange Cat Cafe and was pleasantly suprised because the food was killer! A very large portion of the menu is organic, even down to the condiments.  I was able to order a half pound grass-fed burger with romaine, shaved white onions and buns from Ezekiel. The fries alone are worth the visit. As soon as the order is placed they place the potato's into the fancy fry cutter then they drop them into the hot oil. A few minutes later these golden rods appear at the table and when you place their organic ketchup on them....Bam, amazing flavor. These fries are some of the best I've ever had. Period. They remind of my buddy Chef Vito's place that he had in St Louis a couple of years ago called Big V's Burgers.  Vito has always done local humanely raised beef and his fries and burgers were amazing.

So, I'm sure that you will see many more articles from me about the food or unknowingly to you, I'll be working, writing or hanging out in my new local joint.

Be Well Eat Well & Live Well
~Mark

*Oh, and the big bonus: They recycle, compost and save scraps for the hogs. I'm right at home!

Meet Adam Schmeichel - Head Brewer of Adirondack Pub and Brewery

Editor's note: This is a series of food related interviews with industry professionals, writers, bloggers, executives, farmers and folks who have made a positive impact on the food cosmos.

I would like to introduce you to Adam Schmeichel. (pronounced - Sme-kzzzcheelesch) Adam is the Head Brewer at Adirondack Pub and Brewery in Lake George, NY and is a Culinary Institute of America graduate that decided his passion lived in the world of malted barley, wort and hops instead of a kitchen. Originally from Michigan (The Mitt), he now lives in Saratoga Springs, NY. I had the opportunity to spend a day with Adam at ADK brewery and chat with him about the world of beer culture, process and brewing.

Adam's brewing day generally starts out early in the morning to make sure his batches are completed by mid-day. It's a job that has to have your attention as every detail matters along the way. 

As a fan of beer and beer making, I was always curious about how breweries choose their equipment. ADK produces their beers on a 15-barrel Bohemian copper brew house. The fermentation capacity is 60 barrels (1,860 gallons). Adam explained to me that they're often at peak capacity during high season. Adam and his team are very particular about their award winning craft-brewed beers and make no shortcuts when it comes to using the finest malt, hops, yeast and water. In 2010 Tap NY, ADK won the Brewers Cup as Best Brewer in the Hudson Valley region. (see below)

Adam (pre-beard) capturing the prize

Yours truly chillin' with the Mash

Unlike many brewers, Adam's approach is more of an artist, than a chemist. He told me that "I know each step of the process by feel and I don't have to monitor the batches with all the fancy gadgets that are available. It's a craft you learn with experience."  He also stated that brewing beer is summed up in four words, "Hurry Up and Wait." One of Adam's pride beer is Dirty Blonde Ale. The Ale was recently named “3rd Best Craft Beer in the Hudson Valley” by TAP NY. Dirty Blonde Ale is an all-American wheat beer with a twist of grapefruit, making this brew light, refreshing and perfect for drinking in the summer. I've had "Many "O" Nights with a Dirty Blonde provided by Mr. Schmeichel.  Adam also explained to me the his thoughts on the world of craft brewing and that it's still in its infant stages. He stated that grapes are to wine as barley and grains are to beer. "Most people think that hops are the influence to fine craft brewing, but it starts with great grains."

I had a great day with Adam, getting in his way and annoying him with my many questions around brewing. I think he's on the fast track to becoming a renown brewer with his use of flavors and creativity around great beer. As I've stated before, the commodity beer in this country has taken a big hit from Craft Brewers like Adam. People are realizing that Great Beer is better when produced by artisan brewers that are passionate about their product.

So, if you're ever up in the "Dirty" North, make sure you pick up one of Adam's fine craft brews.

The Hops of ADK

Chopbiscuit Dining Review: Hattie's Restaurant - Saratoga Springs, NY

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)

Hattie's Restaurant
45 Phila Street
Saratoga Springs, New York, 12866

Ever since I migrated west to Saratoga Springs, one of my favorite spots locally has been Hattie's. The soulful dining spot serves a variety of Southern and Louisiana cuisine, including their famous Southern fried chicken and homemade desserts. The chicken is so good that it's been written up in some of the most famous industry periodicals and Jasper, the Head Chef, even won a throw down with Bobby Flay. My wife and I had them cater our wedding rehearsal dinner a couple years ago to rave reviews from our guests.

Recently, Hattie's dove into the brunch business. We were finally able to stop in and check out brunch and were pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness of how they translated their southern cooking to pair with standard brunch staples. If you first glance at their menu, you realize it's something special if they are serving Brandy Milk Punch. Make sure you take a look at their entire brunch menu here.

I decided to go with the Cajun omelet, which featured North Country Smokehouse Andouille sausage, caramelized onions and extra sharp Cabot cheddar cheese. The smoked sausage added great flavor to the extra sharp cheese. The omelet was cook perfectly with a nice melted filling.  It was tough not to choose the Pain Perdu (New Orleans style french toast), but I was going to be wearing a speedo in the south of France in a couple days, so I wanted to loosen up on the carb intake. I kid. The highlight of the brunch were of course the Beignets, or as they are often known in New Orleans as, French Quarter donuts. They were fried to perfection with a nice topping of powdered sugar. So, there goes the speedo option.The menu has a bite for all brunch fans and puts their Hattie's flare into many early weekend staples.

So, if you're ever in Saratoga for weekend brunch - make sure you swing by Hattie's.

The art of merchandising - Thank you Stewart's

Sometimes you just have to stop and gaze in absolute wonder. You have to realize that some people are just more bright and savvy than you are. I had one of those moments this evening at Stewarts. I'm not sure I can explain what you see in this picture. It's beyond my ability to process from a creative and strategic merchandising skill set.

The bright orange cones, the folding card table, the promotion of ice cream in mid January in Upstate New York - I'm not in that creative league. Period.

Stewart's, you may have won the battle, but we'll win the war. God bless your Peanut Butter Cup.

Sincerely,
Poncho

Chopbiscuit preeminent booze review: Peak Organic Pale Ale - Peak Organic Brewing Company

We figured it's time to get back to our roots here at Chopbiscuit and continue the reviews of The World's Best draughts. We're often seen walking our pints throughout town and cuddling with our favorite Belgium's at the Cinema. Beer is our canvas and we paint that canvas by drinking more beer. We have poked fun at our favorite canned beers in the past, but ultimately we love the best in craft beer brewing. Whether it's a Belgium White, American Brown Ale, Japanese Rice lager or an oatmeal stout - We enjoy a good beer and a firm hand shake. So, let's continue the exposition with our reviews.

Brewery: Peak Organic Brewing Company - Portland, ME
Beer: Pale Ale
Beer style description: American Pale Ale
Color: Medium Gold/Copper
ABV: 5.05%
IBU: 44

I was turned on to Peak Organic from a local friend. Initially I was curious about the brand because of it's commitment to local ingredients and sustainable practices. Peak Brewing Company is a brewery that's committed to using the best ingredients possible for their handcrafted Ales. Peak's Pale Ale surprisingly became one of my favorite Pale Ales because of it's subtle caramel notes and smoothness. It's less hop forward than most, but I believe this adds to the dimension of the flavor.

The Ale has a solid pale malt scent along with a touch of Munich malt sweetness and a light to mild hop aroma. The taste, in my opinion, is right smack dab where a good American Pale Ale should be. The light pale malt flavor goes down easy and finishes with a touch of dryness and a light to mild bitterness.

It's the perfect Pale Ale, plain and simple.

*Four out of Four biscuits*

{No Shit Sherlock Commentary} NRA says eating well is critical to good health

I've written my thoughts about the need for the National Restaurant Association (NRA) in the past. I'm often dumbfounded how they take content and findings and spew it back out as the commandeer of restaurant foresight and opportunity. Let me say this, I have nothing personally against the NRA. I just don't see it's relevancy anymore outside of the yearly NRA show, where you can always find out the most efficient and cost effective ways to make "All Natural" hybrid jalapeno poppers from a desktop Turbo Chef.

So, let's move on to their very poignant piece on eating and good health. Apparently, they've done the research and figured out that "Eating Well is critical to good health".  You can read the entire article here.

Only if Paula Deen could  have read this article a few years ago.

I'm completely dumbfounded by the hypocrisy of the NRA and this article proves my point. They have a self interest to lobby for their members, period. The organization is a punching bag for big industry to tout it's power in alliance to gain more bandwidth on the national scene, and to stymie lawmakers in Washington.

2012 food and dining trends: #1 {Real food is chic}

Welcome to CB.com's 2012 food and dining predictions. I've always loved postulating about where food and food culture is headed. Sometimes I'm spot on, and other times I've failed miserably. We feel that we have a pretty good pulse on this industry and want to look into that crystal ball and lay out some educated guesses on what the food retail industry may look like like in 2012 without any of the Nicholas Cage Mayan calendar nonsense.

Let's finish our 2012 predictions with the number one trend on our list. We're finally done.

The coolness of REAL food.

Real Food is food which truly nourishes and respects producers, consumers, communities and ultimately, the earth.  It is a fundamental food system--from seed to plate--that fundamentally respects human dignity and health, animal welfare, social justice and environmental sustainability. Suck on that Glenn Beck.

Some people call it "local,", "hippie communists", "green," "slow," or "sustainable". Most knowledgable people just call it "Real food". It's that simple. Real food is food that is as close to its natural and original state as possible. Real food is not produced in a factory, it is not engineered in a lab, nor is it full of artificial colors, sweeteners, or flavors. It's what your grandparents and great-grandparents ate. Real food doesn’t have a list of ingredients - it is the ingredient. 


The more I travel, more I see food provides slowly move into this world. Real food, in my mind, is the number one trend in food service today. Real food looks like what it is – a tomato that smells like a tomato and is ate in the heart of summer. The Decentralization of procurement in our country is because people are starting to understand the "why's" of eating healthy. Let's face it, Our food system is broken. From food riots abroad, to rising rates of diabetes and obesity here in America; from the carbon emitted by agriculture to the human rights abuses in the fields; it's clear our food system is in need of major change. Travel to many urban communities and see the food deserts that have served our youth and less fortunate. 

Government and big business have failed to step up to the challenge, with business-as-usual prevailing over the health of our bodies, our communities, and the Earth. There's a real movement happening and slowly the economics are going to make sense. When it does, you'll see a new opportunity of entrepreneurs, farmers and artisans who will capture our stomachs and minds with this new progressive approach to eating.

Here's to REAL FOOD. Raise your pint glass now.

2012 Food and Dining Predictions:

#10 - The inconvenience of Food 

#9 - Personal Investment and Ownership

#8 - Minimal is the new black

#7 - The fusion of family style meals and belittlement

#6 - Beer is King, not the King of Beer
#5 - Cloud Eating and Cooking
#4 - Grains, Grains. Grains and .....more Grains.
#3 - Grow your own
#2 - Rage against the food machine

2012 food and dining trends #2 {Rage against the food machine}

Coming in at number two is the full on pursuit, by many, of "food justice" and integrity from millions of people across the country in their investigation to find solidarity between social, environment, unbalance and equality in our countries food system. This movement has been moving strong for quite some time, but I believe 2012 we will see a bit more clarity in their message and more focus on the objectives around our food ecosystem.

 As an industry veteran I've never heard the back room chatter this loud around people and companies that are trying to embrace more efficient practices or how to spin their message to dupe the eating populous. See the new Mcdonalds PR campaign around their lettuce, beef and potatoes. In one clip, they feature a farmer emphasizing family cooperation and rotational grazing to showcase the idealistic heritage of "real farmers" that support our industrial food chain. I think the ad campaign is a good move in the direction of transparency and connecting consumers with the farming origins of the food we eat. The farmers share a bit about their dedication to family, the land and environment, and making sure they produce quality food. As with most new campaigns from large companies, there will be critics and some blasting of how they are full of shit, literally and figuratively. Some question the honesty and motive of the ads, while others tie it right back into the big food company brute force and hypocrisy.

Whatever it is, this movement has legacy companies such as McDonald's throwing millions of dollars into a real food campaign to put a message out there. These boardroom MBA's and strategic consultants don't make decisions like this if they don't think that there's some potential Return on investment. Big companies in the food business can't seem to grasp that they're not the front line of innovation anymore and they have to play catch-up to trends that make brand sense. You can be assured the McDonald's of twenty years ago would have never thought they would be spending a big chunk on their Ad budget, touting their farmers and suppliers for a national television audience.

This year you will see a loud and expeditious voice of people making decisions with their wallet as they shift into different eating and purchasing habits. There's still a lot of work to be done, especially in our inner cities and in communities where real food is not an option.

2012 Food and Dining Predictions:

#10 - The inconvenience of Food 

#9 - Personal Investment and Ownership

#8 - Minimal is the new black

#7 - The fusion of family style meals and belittlement

#6 - Beer is King, not the King of Beer
#5 - Cloud Eating and Cooking
#4 - Grains, Grains. Grains and .....more Grains.
#3 - Grow your own

Chopbiscuit recipes: {Chillin' Chili}

Welcome to the Great White North

We are getting some much anticipated snow this week in New York, so I thought I would shoot out a quick post with my wife's Kick Ass chili. This is a simple and very flavorful chili that, well, tastes like homemade chili.Obviously.

It all starts with the ingredients, so make sure you buy the best organic jar tomatoes, great whole spices and you will be rockin' in the snow while the chili is simmering. You can use any protein, but this recipe calls for ground turkey. We often use seitan, ground buffalo and grass fed-beef. Just depends on our mood.

Chillin' Chilli

Canola oil - 2 tbsp

Ground turkey - 2 lbs

Onions - One large

Chili powder - 1 tbsp
Black pepper, fresh cracked - 1 tbsp

Chipotle chile in adobe sauce to taste (we usually use one medium or two small)

organic tomato sauce - 2 jars (click on the link for one of our favorites)

organic can tomatoes - 1 can (click on the link for our favorite)

Sea salt - taste

Pre-heat your pan over medium high heat for a couple of minutes. Add your oil, wait one minute then add the onions and turkey at the same time. Reduce heat to medium and lightly brown. (approx. 10-12 minutes)

Add the dry spices: cumin, black pepper, chili powder. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often. Scrape the bottom of the pan and add the remaining ingredients and turn heat to low. Stir and cover. Stir every so often to keep from burning or sticking on the bottom. Run and play in the snow and come back and eat a killer pot of chili.

Be Well, Eat Well and Live Well

~Mark

A Chopbiscuit Road Trip - Fancy Food Show {San Francisco}

There is no food show in the country at the level of the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. Period. That's why I love starting out my year with this food event. There are many of other food shows in California that boast about record attendance, but to be honest, most of the other shows around the country lack the quality of the Fancy Food show. Most shows in our industry concentrate on the restaurant industry as a whole. They have row after row of equipment, cleaning supplies and ladies barely covering their "lovely lady parts" to get you to stop by their booth and try to sell you something you don't need. (restaurant supplies that is - get your mind out of the gutter)

What makes this trip even more special is that for the second time my son Paden is joining me. Since this is Paden's second trip to the FFS he is now a seasoned pro. If you were to ask him, he would probably tell you that the first time you go can be very overwhelming. So, now that he has his sea legs he can enjoy smooth sailing.

Another great thing about the FFS is the fact that they hold two shows a year.  The winter show is in San Francisco and the summer show is in New York, so if you miss one you can still catch a second showing. Now, what else could even make the FFS better? How about a huge section showcasing locally made food products from the home states. The Cali show puts an entire wing of the Moscone Center into full Cali mode with products from the great state of California.The New York has a huge local section as well from all over the state including maple syrup, cheese and so much more. Just check out this link for a huge list of NY products.

So, keep a close watch here for a special roadtrip series to California and the fancy food show.

Be Well, Eat Well and Live Well

~Mark

Chopbiscuit on the road - St. Louis {The Rome of the West with a side of Toasted Ravioli}

Toasted ravioli, or breaded deep-fried ravioli, is an appetizer created and popularized, in St. Louis, Missouri. Toasted ravioli can be found on the menus of many St. Louis restaurants including those of The Hill, a predominantly Italian neighborhood.

I travel down to St. Louis frequently for work and when I'm feeling like carb loading, I often eat local and ingest some nice deep fried raviolis. What spicy chicken wings are to Buffalo, toasted ravioli is to St. Louis.It's a local and cultural icon for many. I've made them a few times, and this is the recipe I've always chosen to use.

Please feel free to reach out if you have anyway recommendations or ways to "zing" it up.

Toasted Ravioli
Yield - 10 people
*I often cut the recipe exactly in half if I'm sharing with a group of people. 

1 - 9 1/2- or 10-ounce box bread crumbs, plain or seasoned
50 fresh uncooked ravioli, cheese- or meat-filled, or 1 can (3 pounds, 2 ounces) brine-packed ravioli.
Well drained 1 cup evaporated milk
Oil for deep-frying Parmesan cheese, grated.
2 cups tomato, meat or butter sauce for dipping, optional.

1.Sprinkle a thin layer of bread crumbs evenly over the bottom of a shallow tray or pan.
2.Dip ravioli into milk, and place close together on top of the crumbs. Cover completely with more bread crumbs. Pat down so the coating adheres. Repeat as necessary until all the ravioli is coated. (If you prefer, the ravioli can be dipped and breaded separately.)
3.Fry in oil heated to 375 degrees for 3 or 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain.
4.Place on heated plate. Sprinkle at once with Parmesan cheese and serve plain or dipped in a tomato, meat or butter sauce.

Chopbiscuit Interview - Meet AJ Bodden of Saratoga Festivals, LLC

Garth and AJ - Festival Gurus

Editor's note: This is a series of food related interviews with industry professionals, writers, bloggers, executives, farmers and folks who have made a positive impact on the food cosmos.

Founded in 2009 by lifelong friends A.J. Bodden and Garth Ellms, Saratoga Festivals has quickly established itself as the premier large scale event management company in the Capital Region. Saratoga Festivals is the owner and operator of Saratoga Beer Week, Saratoga Brewfest and Oktobeerfest NY. The festival company has quickly established itself as a premier outlet for beer enthusiasts in the Northeast. I had the chance to ask AJ some questions around the company, industry trends and of course...........Beer.

You've had some great luck with your festivals around supporting Craft Beer and smaller Boutique Breweries. Where do you see the Craft beer movement headed in the next few years?

 

I honestly feel that what we are experiencing locally, nationally and globally, is just the beginning of a movement that will continue to surprise people, including those of us directly involved.  Consumers are becoming increasingly more focused on “quality” over “quantity”.  They want to know a products origin; what is in it, where is it from, who made it, what is it “about”, etc.  It just helps the cause that the products taste great!  My prediction is that we will continue to see a growth in craft beer for many years to come considering beer is so complex and there is so much that can be done with it.  

 How has social media allowed you to expand your brand awareness?

Social media has played an incredibly large role in establishing and increasing brand awareness.  It is free and interactive-no brainer! Today’s consumer wants to interact with the businesses they are buying from…they crave and need that interaction.  People naturally want to feel important, special and “heard”, therefore why not give them a chance to. More important is the fact that social media is viral and our society LOVES that about it. We love to tell each other about what we are doing, where we are going and why they should do the same.

  

What's in the future for Saratoga Festivals? Are you heading in any other direction outside of Beer fest and your upcoming Saratoga Beer Week in February?

Our vision is to grow our business by continuing to provide unique, interesting and cutting edge events.  We are not married to craft beer and are always looking for new ideas, but are always thinking local.  However, we are not interested in trying to reinvent the wheel.  If something is being done we are not looking to try to do it better. But we may be interested in looking at how we can do it differently. 

We are also moving towards creating partnerships with other professionals which will allow us to continue to grow without compromising the quality of our product.  We look to partner with professionals whose expertise is different than ours.  We truly believe that success is achieved by getting the right people on your team and allowing them to do what they do best.  In the end we all win. 

There are a lot of beer festivals around the country. How do you differentiate yourselves from these other festivals?

This is a great question, and one we get often.  The truth is we do take into consideration what others are doing, (we have to) but we put the majority of our focus on looking at our event objectively and focusing on what key components we feel all festivals need to be successful.  These components include a variety of great beer (of course), rare beers that people can’t find elsewhere, live music, local vendors, a great setting and plenty of space.  Beyond that we focus on the little things like lines, bathrooms, etc.  The bottom line is we want people leaving thinking they had an awesome time, tried something new, didn’t spend all day in line and can’t wait for our next show! 

  

When AJ isn’t running a festival company, what type of beer is he drinking when he’s got some free time?

Many, many of them! HA-HA.  Not only is craft beer my business, it is a passion of mine and one that I share with my closest friends and family.  I always enjoy drinking new beers, especially the local brews when travelling. I love all kinds of brews and with it being winter I am looking for malty, nutty ales with plenty of hop character but nothing over powering.  I am loving the fact that more brewers are doing Porter, Imperial Stouts, Scottish Ales and German styles like Doppelbocks.  My favorite brewery is Peak Organic Brewing Co out of Portland, ME.  These guys are producing top tier brews while sourcing their ingredients locally, brewing organically and growing their business through grass roots efforts.  They represent what it means to be a craft brewery.  Source local, pure ingredients and brew great beer that you can stand behind. 

Chopbiscuit Interview - Meet Tom Gumpel {Panera Bread's Chief Baking Officer}

Editor's note: This is a series of food related interviews with industry professionals, writers, bloggers, executives, farmers and folks who have made a positive impact on the food cosmos.

Tom Gumpel is currently the Vice President of Bakery Development for Panera Bread.  I've worked with Tom for a few years now and for all my time spent in the food industry, Tom is one of the most passionate guys I've ever met. Recently Tom was recognized by Dessert Professional magazine as one of the country’s Top Ten Bread Bakers. Tom is a certified master baker and previously served as associate dean for curriculum and instruction for baking and pastry arts at the CIA. He also received international acclaim when he served as captain of the U.S. Baking Team that captured the grand prize at the prestigious Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie (World Cup of Baking). His success in the competition was featured in People, USA Today, The New York Times and on ABC’s World News Tonight.  He also was a member of the 1992 Culinary Olympic team that won a bronze medal at the International Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt, Germany.

Below are a few questions I asked Tom regarding our industry, food trends and the craft of baking.
  

As a highly visible leader in our industry, what are your thoughts on food trends and the yearly diatribe of articles promoting the next “big thing” in food and bakery, year after year?

This is a great question and my knee jerk answer is that chasing trends serves more of a distraction than it is a solid development model. But thinking through that deeper, I would tell you that trends are often a representation of societal growth and maturity (like a teenager needing to do a lot of crazy, irresponsible stuff in order to grow up into a mature adult). Trends can be defined as” continuations on a theme” and if the next big thing is something within your brand or competency, then have at it.

How difficult is it for someone who has mastered a craft to still be creative, but within constraints. You steward a large baking organization of folks with different skill sets and abilities, but your product is expected to be at consistently high level through out thousands of locations?

Mastering your craft requires discipline, focus and practice. As you may notice, creativity is not a critical component. Where creativity comes into play is in the application of your craft. How you sell yourself and your product takes creativity and passion. Having guidelines is actually more difficult and if you don’t recognize these as very positive challenges, you’re missing the biggest lessons in your career. I see these thousands of bakers as students of baking and eager learners. The goal is presenting them with opportunities to grow and reasons to stay with us. From there, nailing quality becomes more attainable. 

What excites you when you look out in the world of product innovation in our industry today?

Two things get me jazzed; first is observing how other business take a piece of Panera into their world. You can either look at this with disdain or consider the ultimate form of flattery for the brand. Secondly is the industry’s move towards cleaner labels and striving for more wholesome foods. This is a direct reflection on the public’s out cry for health and wellness in the food chain. Aside from that, I get excited about watching the growth of non-meat protein alternatives across the supermarket shelves. The things that are being done with soy are amazing!

Everyone has a food guilty pleasure that they may not like to share, what's yours?

Watermelon Sour Patch Gummies

What does the world of baking and bread look 10-15 years from now?

I think it will follow some of the trends we see in restaurants. Wheat flour that is grown regionally (where possible), organic and/or local fruit the norm, and I could see more mom and pop bakeries getting their foothold again.  Wherever we will see savory foods excelling and taking an area or region by storm, you will always be seeing passionate bakers, pastry chefs and chocolatiers .New technologies are always on the horizon. We will see chocolate companies use technology to deliver their products in ways never before seen. Flavor companies have only scraped the surface of their capabilities. Being able to extract flavors and colors from any plant will make “all natural” a no-brainer.

Saturday Grubbin' {my favorite sandwich}

Very few times do I plan meals. Or, I should say that very few meals are completely thought out until it's meal time, and this holds true more so for lunch than any other meal time. Now, the trick to satisfying your hunger is to leave yourself with plenty of options. If you pay attention to each ingredient, you can't help but create great food. This reminds me of a quote a friend of mine used to say.

"If eating a shit sandwich, don't complain about the bread."

I decided today was sandwich day. Now,  in order to keep your options open make, sure you have plenty of veggies, cheese, spreads and pickles. I love pickles and will be posting my favorite pickles very soon. 

Let's get to today's sandwich. I started with a sourdough made with scallions and walnuts. I picked up some roasted turkey and shaved ham for a weekend of sandwiches because it is a playoff football time!  I lightly toasted the Scallion & Walnut Sourdough in a pan using just a little olive oil. Next, I smeared a cranberry white Stilton cheese on the warm bread, piled the roasted turkey  and added some organic baby spinach. The most important ingredient of this sandwich was the organic Adriatic fig spread.  This stuff is crack. Period. 

The gist is that you need to begin to build a simple arsenal of great condiments and have some fun. Always be creative.

Be Well Eat Well and Live Well

The Hotel Food Quagmire - We can only hope for the better

* A Mark Mcdonough commentary

Usually, when we travel for work we are eatin' pretty well. Generally 80's Rockstarish well. But, then again some nights I'm pretty content to just to hang out in my hotel room eating great food from the local market or eatery.  Last night I decided to pick up a kick-ass Chicken Burger, still warm from the oven, on a sprouted grain roll coupled with Late July organic chips with Virgil's Root Beer. 

Let's just start with the chips. Late July, for me its all about flavor first and Late July is not short on flavor. The multi-grain dude ranch chips I ate had a great grain flavor without over powering  ranch seasoning, which I thought was really flavorful. Great find! They are made by a very giving family owned company that has strong roots and takes their organic products very serious. The company donates 10% of their profits to the American Camp Association to provide summer camp scholarships to kids in need. HOW COOL IS THAT!

Let's move to the chicken burger. My disclaimer is that I really only like beef burgers. Maybe lamb, and some great veggie options, but that's it.  There is something about poultry burgers that that just don't do it for me. But, that changed tonight when I ate the Coleman Natural Chicken burgers made by a subsidy of theirs called The Original Brat Hans. This patty had tons of flavor and I ate the fully cooked Uncured Bacon & Cheddar Burger, which was amazing. I'm glad that I grabbed my son Paden a few packs of these because they are top notch. Coleman claims to have been in the organic humanly raised meat industry since 1875. Guess that makes them one of the oldest of their kind, plus doing the right thing by treating their animals with respect makes it all the better. They really were great.

Now to the beverages. If you are a Root Beer lover and have tried Virgil's you can skip the rest of this paragraph. Virgil's is truly a root beer classic. They take making root beer very seriously. I've known good men that have died not taking their Root Beer seriously.

Last but not least for dessert I ate some of the Berkshire Bark chocolate. Dear Lord of all things sweet! I grabbed the white lightening bar from their product line and all I can say is that the rest of this chocolate will not make it on the drive home. These bars are hand made in the Berkshire Mountains with premium Belgian chocolate roasted cashews, fresh lemon zest and crystallized ginger. I tell you that this was one of the best pieces of cholocate I have ever eaten. Period.

Be Well Eat Well & Live Well

The every man "How to stay creative list"

I often spend time perusing online viewing  how other creative people use their time and what types of ways they organize their lives in an innovative fashion. You can find a lot of lists from folks claiming they know the most efficient ways to stimulate creative thinking. Most lists are always the same, with redundant "live life to the fullest" mombo-jumbo. I've never really been a big "Self Help - Motivation", Tony Robbins type of guy.

I've often noticed that balance and calmness, brings the most out of myself when I'm working on something creative. I'm a relaxed guy by nature, so insanity around me makes me cringe. You often have the Steve Jobs types, who are so insanely focused and obsessive to GET IT RIGHT, that their personal and non-work life are often in shambles. Obviously it's great to have those folks every generation - you wouldn't be able to play Angry Birds during your meetings right? Humor has often been my way of getting things done and dealing with stress. I'm okay with never being as laser focused,credulous and dogmatic as a Steve Jobs was. Could you imagine if you were in a bar full of Steve Jobs types? You'd want to bust a pint glass over every one's head for being such a douchebag.

The good thing about creative work is that you can find your own way to bring the imaginative side inside you. No book, lecture, TED Conference will do that. Find the place where you're able to think at a different level. For some that may be on a run through the country, on the ski slopes or even over a nice glass of wine. Don't depend on other people telling you how to find your creative side, you know where that is - and use it when it's applicable and appropriate.

2012 Food and dining trends #3 {Grow your own}

True Food Kitchen's onsite Herb Garden

Welcome to CB.com's 2012 food and dining predictions. I've always loved postulating about where food and food culture is headed. Sometimes I'm spot on, and other times I've failed miserably. We feel that we have a pretty good pulse on this industry and want to look into that crystal ball and lay out some educated guesses on what the food retail industry may look like like in 2012 without any of the Nicholas Cage Mayan calendar nonsense.

Let's continue with our educated guessing!

Can we be done with this list already? It might be 2013 before this is completed.  Coming in at number three on our trend list is the movement towards retailers farming their own food. As you can see in the picture above, True Food Kitchen, a concept based out of Arizona,  maximizes it's real estate.  The interior's open layout, high ceilings, large sliding glass doors, and citrus color scheme bring the outdoors in. An on-site herb garden and smoker lend to farm-fresh feel. The airiness of the place creates a unique sense of openness when we almost walk into the wall-less kitchen. The garden ultimately is what makes this place credible.

Coast to coast, more chefs and restaurant owners are adding pitchforks to their small ware repertoire as they create gardens to feed their culinary zest and their diners. Ambitious and environmentally conscious chefs on the West Coast (and everywhere in between), are growing their own veggies and herbs and bypassing the traditional procurement route.

Let's set the record straight. This isn't a new and novel idea. Restaurants across the country have been doing this for years. But.....the ROI is staring to surface in a unique and opportune way that many mainstream outlets are looking into this culture of cultivating. Whatever the scale of the agricultural endeavor, the benefits are clear, you can pick something during the day and incorporate it into a special that night. It creates a convenience and nimbleness that most restaurants aren't afforded otherwise. The trend has caught on with high-end, Michelin-starred restaurants in California such as The French Laundry in Napa and has trickled down to more casual friendly outlets as well.

Providing boutique vegetables for high-end diners has been proving it's worth as of late. Adding the ability to walk outside your back door and get the same high end quality, could provide a new way of menu engineering from a micro sense. I personally think we are just scratching the surface on this...Stay tuned.

2012 Food and Dining Predictions:

#10 - The inconvenience of Food 

#9 - Personal Investment and Ownership

#8 - Minimal is the new black

#7 - The fusion of family style meals and belittlement

#6 - Beer is King, not the King of Beer
#5 - Cloud Eating and Cooking
#4 - Grains, Grains. Grains and .....more Grains.

Eating Heat Map - I'm a Blue Stater

 

I was monkeying around the other day viewing all my favorite restaurants and where they are located. So, I figured I would graph them on a map to see where most of my favorite Canteens are within North America. Ironically if you were looking at this from a political landscape, you would say I'm an elitist, progressive liberal snob. Well, that's probably true otherwise, outside of being a snobby elitist.

Sadly, most of my favorite restaurants are just where I've spent most of my time living and traveling. I've never been to the Dakota's but I'm sure there's a few joints  that serve some nice petite sirloin? I've yet to visit Utah, but I've heard the Mormon Duck Confit is dripping with flavor. Wisconsin, cheese? I'm actually embarrassed I haven't visited the state of Wisconsin due to my inappropriate relationship with beer. Minnesota has Prince, but not the edible kind.

This map just make me realize that I need to continue to travel around the country finding people and places that serve the "Best of". I'm looking forward to my forthcoming food and beverage adventures and hopefully I will end up sitting at a campfire in Montana under the moonlight, wearing assless chaps and eating some nice Montana Elk. One could only hope.

New Year, Old Ways - Some commentary on Healthy options for the New Year

Editors note: This was an article our comrade Mark wrote for the Panera Bread internal media publication - The Baguette Gazette.

Against the Grain

If you are like millions of us who find ourselves really needing more energy and an overall healthier lifestyle now that the holidays are over, Then check out a few of our favorite recipes from the Bakery Development Team along with some useful tips to gain more energy after a long night or day of baking. Plus if you are looking for a New Year’s Resolution, what could be better that having better energy, better health and a more holistic approach to your life. This begins a new series in the Baguette Gazette to offer healthy eating tips and great recipes to help make it a little easier to balance a demanding career & healthy life style.

There are many options to choose from when it comes to boosting your energy. There are energy bars, energy drinks, soda, candy, and the list goes on. Have you ever thought about what exactly gives you that boost of energy? All of the things listed above contain simple carbohydrates which all equal incredibly easy to digest sugars and in return give you short lived energy which sometimes leaves you even more tired. There are also numerous health issues that can arise from consuming too much of these types of carbohydrates including heart disease, certain cancers & diabetes. And, if you drink a lot of caffeine this just adds the up and down roller coaster.

To start this new healthy series we are going take a holistic approach to life & health with how to gain a more sustained energy by introducing or re-introducing whole grains into your diet.

Whole Grains are complex carbohydrates which take much longer to digest and most importantly the heath benefits include better and a more sustained energy as well as antioxidants to help fight the free radicals in your body, but first a little history of grains and then the most simple ways to get this newly gained energy into your diet.

Grains have been cultivated for our eating pleasure and nourishment for over 10,000 years by humans in various places around the world or if you think like Michael Pollan,  the plants have actually been cultivating us. But either way we humans learned early on about the unique benefits from making a large portion of our diet whole grains. And a big thanks to the Romans who are credited with creating the grain milling industry as we know it today. And to Northern Europe and Russia for creating the porridges and hot breakfast cereals that a lot of us have come to dearly love and enjoy especially when it comes to starting out the day well balanced healthy hot meal.

Whole grains are a high energy food and the simplest way to introduce them into your diet is through breakfast cereals. According to the USDA we should consume at least 48 grams of whole grains a day and since breakfast cereals come in many different types of grains what are you waiting for?

Here is one of my all time favorite breakfast recipes using Red Quinoa, add peanut butter for extra protein, for a little sweetness top with agave syrup and for additional nutritional and protein for energy I sprinkle ground black chia seeds over the top.

Morning Red Quinoa

Yield: 2 portions (on most mornings)

Water -1/2 cup (near boiling)
Organic Red Quinoa - 1 cup (cooked)
All natural Peanut Butter - 1 1/2 tbsp
Ground Chia seeds - 1 tbsp
Agave Nectar - 1 1/2 tbsp

Place the peanut butter into a small bowl and pour in the hot water and stir until smooth. Fold in the cooked quinoa sprinkle the chia over the top and squeeze the desired amount of agave and enjoy.

Those of you not familiar with Quinoa or chia seeds, here is why I chose them for this powerhouse of breakfast cereals. Quinoa was once considered the “gold of the Inca’s” and is one of the few plant based foods that can provide a complete protein and equally important is the fact that it’s loaded with magnesium. Magnesium is super heart healthy and multiple studies have shown that a diet rich in magnesium lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease & Type 2 diabetes. That aside I really like the mild flavor and the fluffiness of quinoa and I love keeping old heirloom grains alive and in return that help me promote a healthy breakfast.

Chia seeds are what some call a superfood and offer you a rich source of vitamins and high Omega-3 acids. They are rich in fiber, protein, calcium, phosphorus and zinc. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Chia is 16 percent protein, 31 percent fat and 44 percent carbohydrate in which 38 percent is fiber. They are also very beneficial in converting carbohydrates into sugars which is important in getting the best bang for your buck or in other words more nutrients per calorie. There is another added benefit that is most impressive to me and that is the appetite suppressant qualities of Chia. This happens mainly due to the fact that they swale 15 times their size and do not have to be ground like flax seeds in order to be absorbed.

The agave is the nectar of the agave plant, and yes the same one that tequila is derived from. But, the agave syrup is used here because of good flavor, very light and sweet but because your body process the sugar differently than cane sugars and most all forms of sweeteners. Agave as a lower glycemic index meaning that it tends not to shoot your blood sugar up which makes it a little more friendly to diabetics.

Please don’t let the unfamiliarity of the Quinoa and Chia change your mind about starting a new holistic approach to your mornings. Just start with grains that you are familiar with to begin your new High Energy breakfast regiment. I change it up all year and soon I will to more of an oatmeal regiment for the winter and usually wrapping up the winter with Bob’s Red Mill 10 grain hot cereal. Just do it! Here’s the big one for any of you reading this and think that the flavor of grains are like eating cardboard, keep eating your grains you will ,like all acquired taste foods and drinks, become more educated and development a sophisticated palette. Plus, the real goal in mind Less Processed Foods more whole foods and grains and this could not be truer than in the breakfast ritual. Here is one more recipe that might be a little more familiar but equally as delicious.

Good Ole Oatmeal

2 cups of cooked oats (not instant, real cooked oats, rolled or steel cut only)
1 cup of warmed milk
1 large apple cut into cubes
½ cup walnuts
2.5 Tablespoons of honey or maple syrup (REAL MAPLE SYRUP)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Equally distribute the oats into 2-4 bowls, them place the apples and walnuts on top of the oatmeal. Give it a little stir. Now pour the hot milk over the oatmeal and sprinkle the cinnamon over each bowl along with the syrup , enjoy.

Be well, eat well & live well