In Michael Pollan’s recent talk at Benaroya Hall, he argued for the return of home cooking and the necessary elevation of “family meal”—the thesis of his new book Cooked. Woven into his argument were anecdotes of food-hobbyists and home cooks who are in his mind, leading the return to a “food democracy.” He described a nun who made her own cheese as a “folk microbiologist” who understood that making cheese in old wooden wine barrels (rather than stainless steel as the health department regulates) actually promotes the good kind of bacteria our gut needs. He described those who ferment as geeky basement “fermentos” who are “pacifists in the war against bacteria,” a war we’ve been waging ever since we discovered that bacteria spread disease (only 5%, actually). He called the microwave a highly individualistic form of cooking—the “Ayn Rand” of home appliances with every man and woman for themselves. And that the main reason it’s bad to let corporations cook your food is that they’re “shitty cooks.”
I’ve been increasingly interested in not only returning to the kitchen, but in returning to the farm and to the plants and animals in their original states. Which is why I was ecstatic when roughly a week ago, I was invited by like-minded foodies to attend an all-day hog-butchery. Leading the charge was Seattle Foodies facilitator, Darryl Duke, closely followed by fellow Tom Douglas Culinary Camp alums—Dawn, Peter, Holly, and Bruce.
Darryl reached out to a part-time hog farmer named Luke Conyac, who runs a small hog farm with his brother (when they’re not farming, Luke represents farmers as an environmental lawyer and his brother does organic certification).
Luke and his brother grew up on a farm in Kansas. They both got college degrees and entered into corporate jobs. And like many others interested in the Good Food movement, they felt something was missing in their lives, so they returned to farming.
Their farm is in Marysville, just off of I-5. Once you turn off the highway you pass a few fast food chains and supermarkets. Turn one more corner, and suddenly there are acres of fields, forests, and tractors.
We visited with the pig litters, played with the runts, and then it was time to choose our pig. We picked her based on age and size, and for her lean torso that promised extra cuts of bacon.
The kill was humane and simple, and I appreciated that Luke had thought out a method that was clean and painless (as can be) for the pig. The pig was stunned in the head to numb the brain and its nerves, and the throat was cut. We collected the blood for blood sausage.
We used every part, in-fact. After a few hours of de-hairing the pig, and removing the guts, we cleaned the small and large intestines for sausage casings, we saved the tail for crispy fried pig tail. Then we brought the pig back to Luke’s home in Lake Forest Park where he showed us how to butcher the entire pig down to separate pieces: round, picnic, country rib, hamhock, head cheese, shoulder, chop, pork belly, tongue, skin for chicharrón, lard leaf for pie crusts. Luke even uses the fat to make his own soap.
Accustomed to pig parts wrapped in plastic and carefully labeled at the grocery store, I was amazed at how many of these parts I didn’t recognize nor knew what to do with. (The most common answer is usually to smoke at a low heat for a very long time).
I admit that killing an animal, especially when you view it alive first, is a difficult task for many people. But by seeing the process of what it takes to kill and butcher one pig—an almost a 12 hour process in total including commute time—you gain an appreciation for what good food takes. And in this “food democracy” that Pollan advocates for, I can’t imagine anything more democratizing than 8 people killing, butchering, sharing the meat evenly, and then cooking it all together in the coming week. How ironic that as we “progress” as society, one of the most meaningful things that I’ve experienced is the same thing that our ancestors practiced for thousands of years.
Last Tuesday, Newaukum Valley Farm finally received their organic certification! Josh Hyatt has been practicing organic forever and after 9 years of renting/leasing, he finally bought the farm last year. He now has 23 beautiful acres (18 planted) on the banks of the Chehalis River. The certification, which requires the farmer to go through a lengthy process, really doesn’t mean that much to us at Tom Douglas Restaurants, since we’ve been buying Josh’s produce for years- and it’s exactly the same produce with our without certification because Josh was already practicing organic. But having the certification should help him sell more lettuce at the Olympia Farmers Market. I think it’s pretty cool we’ve been able to see Josh grow (ha ha! Grow- get it?) and become so successful…. all those potatoes and cucumbers we bought for Tom Douglas Restaurants helped pay for Josh’s awesome little slice of the American dream. Buy Local! Buy Small! Congratulations, Josh!
Did you know that our very own Tom Douglas and the fabulous “Chef in the Hat” Thierry Rautureau have a weekly radio show called “Seattle Kitchen” on KIRO? We’ll be posting the show and its brief synopsis here on the Tom Douglas Family Meal Blog every week, so keep your speakers cranked to “11″ or your headphones at arms reach for great insight into the Seattle restaurant scene and beyond!
Listen below:
Cooking Risotto, History of Hot Dogs, Olive Oil 101 and Cheese Parings.
As Seattle Beer Week comes to a close, I reflect on all of the wonderful experiences I have had this week at our joints. I know, to most, beer is the common man’s drink. As of late, beer is one of the most exciting things to pair with what I eat. A recent personal beer renaissance began at an unlikely place during Marche’s Mussel Month in February. Typically, a wine destination with Seattle wine icon Cyril Frechier at the helm, I anticipated an evening of well paired French grape juice. However, Mussel Month featured three different preparations of mussels with suggested pairings. The one that stuck out the most to me was a curried dish paired with a Chimay Triple, a delicious Belgian Abbey beer. The soft sweet grape notes from the beer eased the subtle spice from the curry. At the same time the understated bitter hop character of the beer sang with the natural sweetness of the mussels and caramelized nature of the toasted cumin. Needless to say each bite and each sip of beer was pretty magical- the food playing off the beer and the beer playing off the food. This is what pairing is all about!
I put a challenge to the chefs here in TD land last week when we opened Seattle Beer Week with a tour stopping at Palace Kitchen, Serious Pie, Dahlia Lounge and the Rub with Love Shack including beers from New Belgium and Elysian. I dropped a sample of beer off for each chef and asked them to dream up a bite that would make the mouths of our tourists happy. The beers selected for the evening ranged from a sour cherry kriek beer from New Belgium to the Elysian Superfuzz brewed with blood oranges. One pairing stuck out the most for the evening and all the guests agreed. Palace Kitchen chef, Dezi, knocked us out with a scallop crudo wrapped in nasturtium leaf with Jacobsen Sea Salt and spicy aioli. The brew was an Elysian mainstay, Avatar Jasmine IPA. Jacobsen Sea Salt lent texture and the perfect level of seasoning to a sweet scallop and peppery leaf and flower. The Avatar is floral, a touch sweet and crisp. The combination was phenomenal.
Last night at the Brave Horse Tavern I was thrilled by the pairing that Sous Chef Chris Field put together. Midnight Sun and Black Raven Brewery collaborated to make one of the coolest coconut porters I have tasted. The beer incorporated birch syrup that hit the high notes in the toast category while the roasty malt hit the low notes. Also of note, this beer was not sweet and far more dry than I had anticipated based on the list of ingredients. Chris vowed not to relegate this beer to a dessert pairing and knocked it out of the park by serving a mole braised short rib, chili tamale and grilled lime with it. I think the crowd was thrilled. I know I was. The bitterness of the mole harmonized with the birch tones of the beer. The body of both the dish and the brew matched perfectly and the grilled lime played the perfect contrast with the coconut notes. The pairing was truly inspired and shows us once again how cool and complex we can get with the combination of beer and food.
While beer flavors can be similar to wine, there are some notes that are completely different. For example, there is very little tolerance for bitter wine, but hoppy beers are fun to pair with. Maltiness is something that has a vague similarity to the toasty quality that wines aged in oak have, but it is not quite the same. This variance opens a door to a slew of intriguing pairing options. Hop character offsets sweetness and fat in dishes in a way that really makes them pop. Carbonation is another factor that really sets off food as well. Bottom line, besides the obvious rosé consumption, this summer I’ll be drinking lagers, farmhouse ales, sour beers and dry porters.
Have you ever seen a bouquet of sweet potato slips? Farmers Jackie and Dev have mastered the art of sweet potato cultivation. We’re looking forward to enjoying hundreds of pounds of yummy sweets later this season!
Also TDR line cook Shawn Illiff, with a little time on his hands between positions at Dahlia and Etta’s, gets down and dirty at Prosser Farm (in the best possible way!)
We are excited about the imminent opening of TanakaSan, and apparently others are excited too! Eater National calls out TanakaSan as one of the most anticipated openings, nationwide, of Spring and Summer, 2013. TanakaSan is our soon-to-open Asian American restaurant with a playful menu (TanakaSan Family Fried Rice!) and a cool drinks list (sake slushies!!) that’s a collaboration between our fearless leader, Tom Douglas, and his partner, our brilliant Executive Chef, Eric Tanaka. As Eater reports, TankaSan will open with “a slew of concepts headed to the Via 6 complex.”
In a David vs Goliath contest, the Supreme Court decided in favor of Goliath. In other words, the Indiana farmer who fought Monsanto on their right to prohibit him from planting inexpensive seeds he purchased from a small grain elevator and which likely contained Monsanto patented soybeans, lost the battle.
Eating insects is good for you and good for the planet according to this article from the AP based on a report from the UN.
We bid a sad, sad farewell to one of our favorite downtown spots, City Kitchens, a wonderful kitchenware store that is shutting its doors as reported by Rebekah Denn.
We are at the cusp of fresh salmon season with delicious pink, coho, Copper River, sockeye, king, and Bristol Bay salmon appearing on menus. Salmon is synonymous with the Pacific Northwest, and here in Seattle we idolize it. That’s why Tom Douglas has teamed up with fisherman, canneries, celebrities, boat builders, and movie producers to get the word out on why saving Bristol Bay is so important.
For those who don’t know about the fight occurring over Bristol Bay, here is a quick synopsis from the New York Times. As the largest sockeye salmon fishery in the world, over 50% of the world’s salmon comes from this one body of water, located in southwestern Alaska. The latest Bristol Bay Economic Report states that the harvesting, processing, and retailing of Bristol Bay salmon is worth $1.5 billion in value, and thousands of jobs.
Pebble Mine is a massive copper and gold mine that is proposed to be built upstream from Bristol Bay. It is spearheaded by Northern Dynasty Minerals (British Columbia) and Anglo American (London). Together they form the Pebble Partnership.
Pebble Partnership is spending over $80 million this year to collect the permits and approvals they need from state and federal agencies to begin building. The mine is only guaranteeing 50 years-worth of copper and gold resources—just one generation’s worth—and yet, it is estimated to permanently affect thousands of acres of wetlands and natural habitats, shut down 90 natural streams, and create 3,000 pounds of toxic waste.
Here’s a quote from the CEO of Pebble Partnership, John Shively, in an interview with PBS Frontline: “If the choice has to be between fish and mining, we choose the fish. Our challenge is to prove that the two can coexist.” Based on the latest EPA report, and under the Clean Water Act, no evidence suggests this is possible.
Leading the fight is Commercial Fisherman for Bristol Bay. Tom Douglas has joined the fight because in his words, “This is a thousands-of-year-old fishery; it has thousands of years of life left in it if we run it properly. To me, it’s unequivocally one of the biggest environmental catastrophes waiting to happen of my lifetime.” Watch the entire conversation in the video below:
Tom goes on to make the point that for restaurateurs, chefs, and diners, Pebble Mine affects us too: “What’s important to us is [salmon is] sustainably caught, sustainably run; that is just a part and parcel for us as restaurateurs—especially, I think, high end restaurateurs—where our customers are looking for our guidance on what’s right to eat, what’s a good thing to have on our plate—if I have it tonight, that I can still have it tomorrow, and for the rest of my life” – Tom Douglas.
If you would like to join the effort and support Bristol Bay, you can “like” Save Bristol Bay on Facebook. You can also email kat@fishermanforbristolbay.org directly for questions, or to find ways you or your organization can get involved. To comment directly on the latest Bristol Bay EPA report, submit your comments before May 31sthere.
Did you know that our very own Tom Douglas and the fabulous “Chef in the Hat” Thierry Rautureau have a weekly radio show called “Seattle Kitchen” on KIRO? We’ll be posting the show and its brief synopsis here on the Tom Douglas Family Meal Blog every week, so keep your speakers cranked to “11″ or your headphones at arms reach for great insight into the Seattle restaurant scene and beyond!
Listen below:
Tom, Thierry and Katie Oh are in-studio discussing goat cheese and a new Intrigue Chocolate, food in the news, and prawns!
I had a blast in New York City earlier this month when I had the chance to travel there for the James Beard Book and Journalism Awards (held on Friday May 3) due to being nominated in the Baking and Desserts category for the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook. We did not win, but I still feel honored to have been nominated in highly esteemed company. (There were just three books in our category. The others were Bouchon Bakery Cookbook and Flour Water Salt Yeast. It’s the latter book that won.) Tom also attended the gala James Beard Awards event on Monday May 6, where he passed the title of Outstanding Restaurateur (which Tom won last year) to this year’s winner (Maguy Le Coze of Le Bernardin).
My husband, Frank, and I did our best to eat at as many exciting restaurants as we could pack into the four days of our trip. Here are the highlights:
Empellon Cocina: Salsa was the star here. Seven little cups carefully lined up in front of us in order of heat. Smoked cashew was a stunner, but all 7 were pretty amazing, and ranged from traditional to creative. Eating these salsas, which were accompanied by masa crisps, guacamole and “60/40″ Mescal cocktails with flaming orange slices, while surrounded by tables full of loud, stylish youth, made for a rollicking start to our trip.
Red Rooster: we took the subway to Harlem in order to lunch at Marcus Samuelsson’s charming restaurant (photo top). We enjoyed the “yardbird” fried chicken (photo above), the fried green tomatoes, and the sweet potato doughnuts, but my favorite dish was a trio of deviled eggs embellished with chicken skin mayo.
Frank gets to choose ONE (and only one) Jewish deli experience every time we go to the Big Apple. This time it was Katz’s (photo above) on the Lower East Side for pastrami sandwiches (right after our tour of the Tenement Museum- be sure to check this out on your next trip.) I only had a few ladylike bites of the sandwich (my theory being that I have already eaten a lifetime’s worth of Jewish deli food in my childhood and need to save space for hip New York restos). It was quite good though Frank and I agreed the pastrami needed more fat and a bit more spice, but the meat was very tender, nicely sliced, and of course the sandwich was gigantic and served on good rye bread. I enjoyed the rush and hubbub of Katz’s. I had feared the long lines and system of tickets would be annoying, but it was actually fast, friendly efficient, and fun. I enjoy being in a large space crowded with people all eating pretty much the same thing. I guess it gives me a feeling of community. Also Katz’s makes delicious, very creamy, not-too-thinly-shredded coleslaw (similar to the coleslaw of Chicago delis) and the pickle plate, with new pickles, is an “Only in New York” experience.
Carbone: Never before having been to any of Rich Torrisi’s places (Torrisi Italian Specialties, Parm), I was excited to try the very new Carbone in Greenwich Village. I was prepared for it be a pricey experience, and it was. But overall, I was impressed by the technically perfect execution of the food and the high quality of the service. We loved our waiter (above, with the cake cart.) Despite what we had heard, most of the dishes we ordered were not gigantically large, with the grand exception of the $50 veal Parmesan (large as a platter, but also juicy and tasting like veal.) My favorites here were the fettucini con funghi (a rather delicate portion for $28, but perfectly delicious) and a beautifully grilled whole tail-on yellowtail snapper that was elegantly accompanied by 3 silver salvers of perfect sauces: beurre blanc, salsa verde, and Romesco, plus a cheesecloth wrapped half lemon.
Momofuku Noodle Bar: David Chang still sets the bar for pork buns: pillowy buns and velvety pork with a delicious sauce. (photo above) Also, this was the first time I ever really enjoyed pig’s tail (photo below)- the Chinese treatment of glazing meat with sweetened soy, charring it well, then chopping it up right through the bone is a brilliant way to deal with the fatty and bony properties of a pig’s tail.
The bright acid of Asian pear pickles which accompanied the pig’s tail helped cut the richness.
Bar at the Modern: This is my go-to spot because where else could you be but Manhattan when you’re seated in this stylish room? We always sit in the Bar, maybe next time we’ll try the fancy dining room with views of MOMA’s sculpture garden. The food at the Bar at the Modern is absolutely consistent, which means wonderful as ever. I could eat the Alsatian bacon pizza (photo above) every day.
Perla: Last but not least, Perla, in the West Village was our favorite meal of the whole trip. It was our favorite for the totality of the experience: the ambiance, our sweet perch at the “Chef’s Counter” which overlooked the dining room, the kitchen, and the oyster station, the modern menu, the hip young staff wearing wool caps and skinny flannel shirts who were genuinely warm and friendly and responsive to our enthusiasm about the food, the well crafted cocktails, the tasty bottle of red wine we were guided to….. and of course, the food itself. My favorite items here were the crisp sweetbreads with beautifully tender slices of veal tongue and the linguini with clams and ramps (photo above), but everything we tasted at Perla was delicious, and this is a place we’ll return to next trip to New York, which can’t be soon enough!!
Part of the adventure of opening up a new restaurant is learning. In an effort to have all the cool Asian libations available to our guests at the TanakaSan bar I get to taste all sorts of new things. Sake and Japanese microbrew have been the priority so far, but this week I branched out to the world of shochu. I will admit before I even tasted shochu, I was prejudiced against it. On the surface it seemed cheap, foreign and uninteresting. I was right on two levels, it is fairly cheap and it is foreign, but it sure is interesting. Therefore, the value on this product is amazing.
Shochu is distilled product from Japan (similar products are produced in Korea) made from a variety of bases. Though rice and buckwheat are the most common bases for distilling shochu, I have discovered a few that are made from sweet potatoes and even carrots. Shochu is a light and and fairly aromatic spirit that tips the scales around 24% alcohol by volume and typically distilled only one time. The distillation process is expensive and seriously reduces the amount of product you have left on your hands. Another result of this single distillation is a spirit with more flavors of its base. This has led to some really pleasing experiences tasting barley and sweet potato based shochus that have sweet estery and toasty aromas and soft palates. By the contrast I tasted on buckwheat shochu that tasted like the water drained from a pot of whole wheat pasta (try to avoid this one).
In general, the shochu experience has been excellent. I’ve enjoyed it as a shot with a beer back, on the rocks with a little lemon peel and just for sipping. Turns out, that we even have one produced in our own back yard (check out the Evenstar Ginger Shochu). The really wonderful aspect of shochu is the potential for cocktail recipes. The chu-hi (short for shochu-higball) is a classic Japanese tipple that mixes shochu, fruit juice and soda. We’ll have one on tap at TanakaSan called the Yuzu-Mizu with yuzu juice, orange juice, chiso syrup and shochu that is guaranteed to please.
Welcome to Family Meal, a blog that examines all things new and noteworthy in the world of food, wine, and dining.
At family meal, otherwise known as staff meal, there’s no hierarchy; you’re breaking bread with your friends. For those 30 minutes, everyone is equal- and hungry. Family meal is our version of the water cooler- but with better food.
I’ll be sharing my thoughts, tips, and observations, and, in the spirit of family meal, I’ve invited our creative, energetic staff- everyone from line cook to bartender to bookkeeper- to have a say. I hope you’ll add your own comments and join in the conversation.
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