CultureJunkie

Culinary Breakdown

Listen up, Foodies: I've discovered a new service - an experience, really - that you'll want to check out: Culinary Breakdown.

Billed as a "collective culinary experience for the at-home social cook," Culinary Breakdown is the brainchild of Douglass Williams, a renowned chef whose previous experience includes posts at the Smithville Inn in Atlantic City, Harborview Restaurant in the Trump Casino and Resort, and Boston's very own Radius.

Now Douglass has turned his culinary attention to much more intimate gatherings; more specifically, a variety of classes for cooks of all levels that are intended to inspire, motivate and build confidence in the kitchen. Simply tell him the type of cuisine or ingredients you're interested in, and he'll design a menu and cooking experience to suit your tastes. Programs are designed to get everyone involved - learning quick tips, tricks, and trade secrets - before sitting down and enjoying the meal together.

I had the pleasure of meeting Douglass - and witnessing his kitchen skills first hand -  at a barbecue hosted by a mutual friend. He had us all peeling, chopping, grilling, and searing in no time (let it be known that my blistered tomatoes were a crowd pleaser!), all in the comfort of our friend's kitchen & backyard. And besides the menus and cooking tips, Douglass brings a great sense of humor and flare to the party, ensuring a fun event.

Visit Culinary Breakdown for details on organizing an event, class, or private chef dinner (wine/beer/sake pairings are included in the price!), sample menus, and even a short video on how to butcher fish.

And, see Douglass this Friday when he helps kick off Boston Fashion Week with a complimentary tasting menu at Phenomena 2009, an annual non-profit charity gala that raises money for local and international charities.

UPDATE: Culinary Breakdown is now live on Twitter and Facebook, so be sure to follow them and get all the latest news and event information!

Mmmm...Camel Milk

Move over, Coconut Water. There's a new drink in town: Camel Milk.

A centuries-old staple in the Middle East and Africa, the drink has been called "liquid gold" for its healing and nutritional qualities (some even say it's an aphrodisiac). Camel milk has three times as much vitamin C as cow's milk and contains high amounts of iron, unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins.

It hasn't been widely available in the US, mainly because camels aren't listed in the rules governing the sale of milk here (which apparently cover "milk coming from hooved mammals" - and camels don't have hooves). And also because there aren't a lot of camels here. And they don't like to be milked.

But that hasn't stopped Dr. Millie Hinkle, a NC-based holistic health practitioner, from creating Camel Milk USA, a company "devoted to the research, development, sales, and promotion of camel milk and camel milk products in the US."

She also founded the American Camel Coalition, an organization composed of camel owners and breeders here in the U.S. People like Larry Seigal of Ferncroft Farms, a breeder of rare white Dromedary and Bactrian camels (and, interestingly enough: French Bulldogs!!).

They're all hoping to replicate the success of foreign camel dairies, like Dubai's Emirates Industries for Camel Milk & Products, which sells camel milk and camel-milk chocolate under the brand "Camelicious" - purported to be the Godiva of the Middle East. But the drink hasn't yet been FDA-approved here at home, so for now you'll have to settle for Hinkle's logo products, or take a trip abroad. Or, you could always buy your own camel.

Quorn Meat-free Products

This one's for all my health-food friends.

Many of you know that after reading The Source a few months back (great guide to healthy living, BTW), I've been trying to eat healthier on a regular basis. This includes consuming less red meat and processed foods and more chicken/fish/tofu and fresh fruits & vegetables. The Source actually provides 21 days' worth of recipes to make it easier, and many of them are so good they've become staples in our diet.

So when I received word from BzzAgent that they were launching a campaign for Quorn meat-free products, I took notice. Historically, I've avoided items in the "meat-free" and "meat-alternative" aisles at the grocery store, assuming they'd be tasteless or just plain gross. I tentatively started eating tofu after reading The Source, and still struggle with it bit thanks to the consistency (the only way I really like it is sliced thin and fried in a coconut milk & curry paste, per one of the book's recipes).

But given my newfound resolve to eat healthy, I decided to give Quorn a whirl. And I'm glad I did.

Quorn products are made from mycoprotein, a member of the fungi family (like truffles, morels, and mushrooms), which gives them a tasty, meat-like texture. Mycoprotein is a good source of protein and fiber, and contains less fat, calories, and cholesterol than meat products. Apparently, a diet rich in mycoprotein can help reduce cholesterol and manage the risk of obesity and type-2 diabetes.

There are 11 different varieties of Quorn products in the frozen food aisle at the store; I went with the Cranberry & Goat Cheese Chik'n Cutlets, figuring the fruit & cheese would offer more flavor than say, the plain Chik'n Cutlets. We popped them in the oven for about 20 minutes and ate them a couple of side dishes. DELICIOUS. 

On my next trip to the store, I purchased the Naked Chik'n Cutlets and the Gruyere Chik'n Cutlets. I cooked the former one morning before work and sliced it into a whole wheat wrap with cheese and mango salsa. YUM. We ate the latter another night after a long day at work, along with some fresh vegetables and potatoes. YUM.

So now I'm sold, and Quorn products are a staple in our diet. I realize we're heading into Memorial Day Weekend - traditionally the domain of steaks, burgers, and hot-dogs on the grill - but give Quorn a try. They are really tasty, and easy to cook - in the oven or on the grill!

Trip to Vermont

This post is a couple of weeks late, but I visited Sugarbush, Vermont, for the first time last month, and oh my - it is gorgeous!

Here are some of the highlights; if you're planning a trip up there anytime soon, be sure to check these out:

The lodge at the base of the mountain is beautiful - that silver grain silo was converted into rooms:

It has an outdoor, heated swimming pool that was very active despite the single-digit weather (primarily children...Sugarbush is a much more family-oriented spot vs., say, Killington).

The little town of Warren, VT is quaint, but blink on your drive through and you might miss it. The centerpiece is The Warren Store, a charming spot right in the center of town, full of local delicacies, housewares, clothing, and novelties.  We enjoyed breakfast at their deli/bakery, and took home a jar of the Thursday Cottage handmade rum butter.

A short drive north brings you to Waitsfield, VT, my favorite part of the trip. Much larger than Warren (but still a very small, quaint, New England town), Waitsfield is full of art galleries, craft shops, and gourmet food stores.

The Sweet Pea Natural Food Store in the Village Square Shopping Center is the best! We cooked in a couple of nights and the produce and prepared foods from this place are fantastic. We took home an extra bottle of the Vermont Wholesome all natural maple chipotle dressing - highly recommended.

At the Artisan Gallery I picked up some Vermont Goat's Milk Soap from Elmore Mountain Farm; it smells divine (in Bergamot Rosewood and Spearmint Bergamot) and creates a rich lather. I'm tempted to try some of the other products on their site as well.

I also picked up the namesake cookbook of The Inn at the Round Barn, a 19th century farmhouse and a attached horse barn that were converted to an inn which now boasts its own catering service. And a really cool photograph called "Downhill" by photographer Jon Olsen. He uses a pigment ink printing system on 100% cotton rag watercolor paper coated to receive pigment inks...so while it's a photograph, it actually looks like a watercolor. It's really quite striking.

Last, but not least, is The Store. This place is awesome: chock full of gourmet food items, dishes, housewares, antiques, and quilts, all displayed in displayed in a restored 1834 Methodist Meeting House. There is even a cooking school in the back, where you can take classes or schedule private events: 

 

All in all, a really fun weekend. View the full slide set here (sorry, forgot the "real" camera so we're stuck with Blackberry shots):

El Bulli

Last week, Chronicle ran a story about local chef Ken Orringer entertaining world-reknowned chef Ferran Adria with a 30 course meal at Clio. Yes, you read that correctly: THIRTY courses! The feast included delicacies flown in from around the world, and lasted until 3am.

Intrigued by the pomp and circumstance put on for this man Adria, who is reportedly the best chef in the world, I did some digging. This is what I found:

Born in Catalonia, Spain, Ferran Adria is the famed head chef of El Bulli, a 3 Michelin star restaurant that is generally regarded as the best restaurant in the world. It was founded in 1961 by Dr. and Mrs. Hans Schilling, and was named in honor of their French Bulldogs.

In 1984, at the age of 22, Adrià joined the kitchen staff of El Bulli as a line cook. Eighteen months later he became the head chef. He is known the world over for his experimentation with molecular gastronomy - or, the physical and chemical processes that occur in cooking. It's not unusual for Adria to incorporate things like liquid nitrogen into his dishes, as he constantly looks to manipulate food flavors, temperatures, and textures.

El Bulli is only open from April to October; it accommodates 8,000 diners per season, although it gets over 2 million requests (which, as Chronicle notes, makes it tougher to get into than Havard!). Adrià spends the remaining six months of the year perfecting recipes in his workshop "El Taller" in Barcelona. He is famous for his thirty course gourmet menu, which is why, I imagine, Mr. Orringer went all out for his recent visit to Boston. New York foodie blogger Lia has a GREAT play-by-play of her own 30-course experience at El Bulli from a couple of years ago. Not only was she lucky enough to visit the place, but she scored a photo with the top Chef himself.

Adria has also introduced a series of quick-serve restaurants throughout Spain called Fast Good, in an effort to bring the same quality of ingredients used at El Bulli to the masses (and at more reasonable prices).

Here are a couple of pix of the restaurant; visit the About.com gallery to see more.

OnLatte Art and Promotion

This is kind of fun, if frivolous:

Cambridge-based OnLatte Inc. has developed a machine for decorating the frothy foam atop espresso drinks.

Founders Josh Grob and Oleksiy Pikalo have repurposed a 1980s-era Kodak inkjet assembly and affixed it to a flat-panel scanner, thereby automating the creation of the fancy hearts, flowers, and other images formerly left in the hands of a crafty barista.

And thus, a new ad medium was born.

The creators ask us to imagine a world where “You go into a Starbucks. They want to promote the latest movie they’re a part of. They can print that on your latte.”

Or even: “You can have your own art — your own image that you want on top of your latte. That can be stored on your customer card so when you swipe your card it appears on your drink.”

The former seems to be the more likely scenario, as marketers looking to get the buzz effect from such a stunt could leverage it at various events or in specific neighborhoods. The second scenario would be a tougher sell; would consumers be willing to pay for this perk? Hard to imagine in this economy, when a lot of folks are curbing their latte drinking altogether.

Learn more at the OnLatte blog, or see it in action here:

Starbucks: Get out the Vote

Starbucks has rolled out a new broadcast spot with a very important message...and a nice perk for those who vote on Tuesday. Check it out:

Nicely done. Again.

McCain in the White House

On the eve of the Democratic National Convention, McCain is grabbing headlines in the ad world.

Not John McCain, mind you, but McCain Foods, a Canadian packaged foods company that's taking advantage of its namesake's run for the US Presidency to roll out a new ad campaign.

Ads feature the company's frozen french fries, sweet-potato fries and kid-friendly "smiles" - all of which are trans-fat free and accompanied by copy such as, "McCain goes to war over oil."

There will also be a "Recipes for Change" section on the campaign site when it rolls out later this week.

All jesting aside, this post marks the addition of the "Politics" category to CultureJunkie. Time to get serious and take a closer look at the issues as the clock ticks down to November 4th.

Stay tuned.

The Oceanaire Seafood Room

Restaurant Week inspired me to visit the 7-month-old Oceanaire Seafood Room...and wow - I'm glad I finally did.

Set in a former bank building between Boston's Financial District and Government Center, this cavernous space feels like the interior of a 1930s ocean liner (as their site proclaims), with dark wood paneling, brass trimmings, and a fabulously ornate ceiling and crown moldings.

I didn't realize until I sat down to write this post that this Oceanaire is actually one in a national chain (16 in all) - all known for their extra-fresh seafood that is flown in daily from around the world. In fact, our server Don (who was fabulous), informed us that they will not serve anything that has been in-house more than 3 days.

They have a wonderfully old-fashioned cocktail menu (like Sidecars & Harvey Wallbangers), plus an extensive collection of wine and beer.  We started off with a basket of fresh bread with whipped butter (complete with their signature fish logo etching), and a plate of crudités. Because it was Restaurant Week, the chef also treated us to an amous bouche of toast points with a seafood medley on top.

Appetizers consisted of a plate of fresh, grilled calamari and a Caesar salad with nice, big Parmesan shavings (my favorite). Both were excellent, but soon overshadowed by the main event: (1) the "Black and Bleu Mahi-Mahi" - fresh fish in a peppery rub with sweet onion confit and Roquefort butter; and (2) Flounder stuffed with scallops, baby shrimp and Brie. My companion got the latter, and while I couldn't bring myself to try the scallops/shrimp combo, the flounder & Brie were divine (as was my Mahi-Mahi). We barely had room for the desserts: raspberry & lemon sorbet, and a slice of Key Lime pie.

I cannot say enough good things about this place. The ambiance, service and food were all spectacular. There was a lively bar scene (complete with raw oyster bar), large groups, and smaller parties alike (and where we sat, in back, was surprisingly quiet, given the crowd). Even Mayor Menino, who was dining at a table nearby, seemed to be enjoying himself.

Read more reviews on Yelp.

Canadian Club Whisky

Those who've followed my blog for awhile know that I often comment on advertising and marketing programs that catch my attention...ones that aren't necessarily related to my day job (or they'd appear on ART+science), but have succeeded in "breaking through" - to me, anyway - in some manner.

The latest brand to do this is Canadian Club Whisky...damn right your dad drank it!

Truth be told, my participation in a Canadian Club BzzAgent campaign is what prompted me to write this post, but I had in fact seen this new campaign recently and was impressed enough to write about it (after the good folks at BzzAgent so kindly reminded me of its existence).

So what's the buzz? Canadian Club has a fantastic new campaign in market, designed to position it as the "go-to masculine cocktail that provides the right level of style and sophistication without being pretentious."  Full of kitschy photos from the 60s and hilarious tag lines, the ads are getting the attention of masculine & feminine alike.