Edacious

It's time for the 2016 Virginia Festival of the Book! In this special episode I'm thrilled and honored to present Chef Nora Pouillon, who will speak and sign copies of her book, My Organic Life, on Friday, March 18th at 2pm in New Dominion Bookshop. Chef Pouillon is a pioneer in the farm to table movement. For 37 years Restaurant Nora in DC has implemented sustainable practices and in 1999 became the first organically-certified restaurant in the US. Before the government even coined the term "organic" Chef Pouillon was working with farmers and creating her menus daily based on what was seasonal. She pushed for local, additive-free food at a time when folks considered it "hippie food" - lentils and lettuce. As we know from its popularity today, it's anything but.

In this episode we talk about the laborious process involved in certifying a restaurant, something that had never been done before she thought of it, as well as the extra effort it takes to keep up the certification and train staff in organic practices. She has a 3-ring binder of certifications for every ingredient. Her water filtration system takes up an entire room. She must buy drums of oil rather than small bottles. And I haven't even mentioned the organic cleansers, the paint on the walls, the carpeting, the dishes. She stays incredibly organized. And this is on top of all her other restaurant duties. What's the ONE item in her restaurant she can't source organically? Listen to find out. It's probably not what you think!

How do we slow down and become aware of what we're putting into our bodies? Especially when we live in a world where chemicals and additives are everywhere, not just in our food but in our clothes, our mattresses, our children's toys. Even in our water. What are small, doable ways to incorporate organic into everyday living? Can we see making dinner as not just another chore, but as a way to slow down, be more aware, to reflect not just on what we eat but how we spend our days? Can we learn to visit the local butcher and talk with them instead of just throwing a prepackaged meat from who knows where into our grocery carts?

Yes, organic is more expensive than typical produce. It's challenging to grow, there's more hand labor, the farms are smaller, and there aren't any tricks to keep the produce fresher longer. It's the difference between wearing a designer dress and something from WalMart. Organic produce has more nutritional value because there are no pesticides, so in the long run you will be healthier. And wouldn't you rather spend your money on food than the doctor? Plus it tastes so much better.

Presidents and celebrities, including James Beard, have dined at her eponymous restaurant. Chef Pouillon remains an inspiration to all women in the food industry because at a time when most didn't work outside the home, she was running a successful restaurant. She is one of the most fascinating women I've ever had the pleasure to meet. Her passion and dedication to organic living is one to emulate. I know you'll enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Cheers!

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

Thank you to Team Podcast who helped me with sound issues on this episode. Christy Haussler is a MASTER of the medium and worth every penny. Cheers Christy!

Edacious - Food Talk for Gluttons is one year old! Just learning to smile and laugh. Thinking about learning to walk, falling a lot, finding her voice, making gurgling noises that will eventually be coherent words. Eating cake. Yep, that's my podcast.

Thirty-two guests, hours and hours of conversation, and 15,000 downloads. I've learned so much. And I'm so incredibly grateful. Edacious, after a year of triumphs and missteps, is going along full-steam ahead with exciting new ventures and projects in the works. Before tackling all of them, I wanted to take a minute to look back. To reflect on some of the great talks I had over the past year.

Who did I talk to?

• 20 women (either singular or as part of a business partnership)
• 15 men (either singular or as part of a business partnership)
• 8 Chefs
• 2 Front of House
• 3 Bakers
• 7 Beverage folks
• 5 Artisanal Food Producers
• 5 Writers/Photographers
• 1 Artist
• 2 Food nonprofits

What did we talk about? It wasn't all local issues, topics indecipherable to folks not living here. The themes are worldwide. Universal. These were most prominent:

• Mentoring - MANY MANY folks talked about mentoring and being mentored. Passing on knowledge. Constantly learning. Probably my most prominent theme of the year.
• Overgrowth - What happens when your small business grows too fast?
• The encouraging environment of Charlottesville, nobody here says, "Bad idea!"
• Please, please please, if you're in a restaurant and your experience isn't perfect, SAY SOMETHING!
• This is hard work, not glamorous celebrity

To celebrate a year's worth of talks, here is a small sampling: three women, three men, and two couples. I've grouped them under the themes of Mentorship, Family, Unique Backgrounds, and Bright Futures. Enjoy. Thank you so much for listening. I couldn't have done any of this without your support. I mean it, without you I'm doing this in a vacuum. Continue to send me your comments and suggestions. Together we can make this a great resource for locals, as well as folks getting to know Charlottesville, Virginia. Cheers!

THANK YOU to all of the food professionals who took time out of their busy schedules to sit and talk with me this past year. You're aces. We're so lucky to have you living and working in our fine town and I wish you good things. All good things.

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

"Happiness lies at the edge of your comfort zone." I read this quote from Gail Hobbs-Page of Caromont Farm and knew immediately I had to talk with her. Welcome to Episode 32. Here is a chef, cooking for 25 years, contemplating her next move in the food world back in 2007. Gail's decision? To take up goat farming and make cheese. Cooking is in her DNA, but cheesemaking is not. So how did she get here? And why did a simple request for goat cuddling suddenly go viral and make national news, including The Today Show, threatening to overrun her small farm with thousands of folks wanting to give a kid a hug?

We talk about all of that. Her experience growing up on a 3rd-generation farm in North Carolina. Learning to cook under the tutelage of southern cooking icon Edna Lewis (yes, THAT Edna Lewis), as well as Ben and Karen Barker of Magnolia Grill in Durham. How she's passed on the lessons she learned to the next generation of chefs, including Loren Mendosa at Lampo who continues to garner well-deserved accolades.

People hear, "Goat farm..." and they imagine Heidi, cavorting in the Swiss Alps. But this is WORK. Farming plus the real chemical science of cheesemaking. Pair that with the costs of running a business, building an online presence, and navigating new, stricter regulations and you begin to see to be a cheesemaker you've got to be creative just to stay afloat.

How? The emerging industry of agritourism is one way. Farm tours, goat cuddling, and cheesemaking classes not only alleviate the cost of business, but help bring back skills on the verge of extinction. Back in the day every household knew how to preserve milk. By offering knowledge, Gail Hobbs-Page is thankfully mentoring an ever-growing circle of students.

What does it mean to be a mentor? Why do folks want to hug goats? What important component is missing in our lives when there is such a strong need to see where our food comes from? Why is the terroir of cheese probably the most important aspect? Does the discussion of gender inequality in the kitchen need to continue? Or should we just get to cooking because it's what we love and why we signed up for this journey in the first place? We didn't come to any conclusions, but sure had fun traveling down that particular rabbit hole.

We cover a lot of ground in this episode so settle in. You're in for a real treat!

SHOW NOTES - Links to items discussed within the episode:

• Chefs With Issues - an important project on the mental health of folks in the industry by food writer Kat Kinsman
• The Problems with Food Media that Nobody Wants to Talk About - an important article by First We Feast
• Why Women Don't Get the Respect in the Kitchen - Edible San Francisco tackles the issue
• The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis
• Bill Neal - NYT article on his life
• Hottest Cheesemakers in America - Harper's Bazaar recognizes our own Nadjeeb Chouaf
• Silky Cow Dairy - where Gail sources her milk
• Albemarle Ciderworks - what Gail uses to brush her Red Row cheese
• Fast Food Nation - Wow. Just wow. There's a reason Richard Linklater is my favorite director
• Polyfaces - Joel Salatin offers up a better way

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

There is a shortage of line cooks in this country. Is it because new culinary graduates want to be instant Top Chefs? Are they unwilling to earn their bones on the line, hoping to skip ahead to celebrity status? Or has the explosion of food culture caused the shortage by the very nature of its popularity? Maybe it's as simple as being 22 and not wanting to spend your formative years cooking in a small town when you might make a name for yourself in New York?

This week I talk with Chef Ian Boden about this very thing. From his 26-seat, 400 square foot restaurant, The Shack, in the heart of Staunton, Virginia, Chef Boden is creating some of the most tasty, creative food I've had in years. On first glance you'd think such a small space would create more problems than opportunities but Ian sees only freedom. Freedom to be the kind of chef he wants to be and the freedom to create the sorts of dishes he wants to make. And he's able to do it with limited staff only four days a week. Dinner only. The Shack just celebrated its 2nd anniversary and thankfully shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. In fact, four of his dishes made my "Best of 2015" list.

Early on the restaurant earned accolades from the likes of Esquire writer Josh Ozersky and Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema. But as anyone who's worked in the food industry knows there's no such thing as overnight success. Ian has been at this a long time starting as an apprentice under French Chef Marc Fusilier at Chez Marc in Manassas, himself a Maitre Cuisiniers de France (M.C.F.), the prestigious organization of Master Chefs of France. After culinary school he cooked in New York and while still in his 20's opened Staunton Grocery and five years later was selected as chef of Charlottesville's Glass Haus Kitchen.

All of these experiences taught him to be a good chef you have to be present. Focusing on your guests rather than on accolades, celebrity, and hype. Not running an empire from an office with a clipboard, but in the kitchen every night, getting excited about whatever seasonal ingredient you have in front of you and continually perfecting, tweaking, and trying new things. What I love about the way he cooks is an ingredient on the menu on Wednesday will be in a totally new form by Saturday. So eating at The Shack is always an adventure. It's progression. And it's always delicious.

In this episode we talk about his improvisational style of cooking and why having restrictions and specific parameters actually helps you to be more creative. What is schmaltz? What is redneck caviar? What's the difference between molecular gastronomy, "fussy" French cuisine, and what I like to call "tweezer food"? You'll find out. We go down many culinary rabbit holes in this episode so make a pot of coffee and settle in. This is good stuff people.

As I drove home from Staunton I couldn't help thinking about a scene in "The Gambler". Mark Wahlberg is compulsive and in trouble when he approaches John Goodman for a loan. John explains when you are in debt to someone else, when you are working toward someone ELSE'S dream, you're not operating from The Position of Fuck You. And that is the highest goal a human can achieve. To be beholden to no one. To only be driving toward your own happiness, your own peace, and to not owe anybody anything. It's a great scene. You should watch it. And in my opinion, Chef Ian Boden is most definitely operating from The Position of Fuck You. A good place to be.

This was recorded the day before Snowstorm Jonas hit and a few times folks came in with questions and snow preparations. I thought about editing them out then figured what the hell. I want my listeners to know what happens day-to-day in a restaurant. This is it guys. You wear many hats. Even during a scheduled interview...

SHOW NOTES - Links to items discussed within the episode:

• Josh Ozersky writes about The Shack in Esquire mazazine
• Tom Sietsema write about The Shack in the Washington Post
• Chefs With Issues - an important project on the mental health of folks in the industry by food writer Kat Kinsman
• The Problems with Food Media that Nobody Wants to Talk About - an important article by First We Feast
• Francis Dunnery - my musical hero. He saved my life. Literally. "We walk like flowers towards the sun to know ourselves...." Stay to the end of the song for some guitar MAGIC. Just unreal.
• Aaron Silverman of Rose's Luxury gives a Ted Talk. And it's awesome.
• The Spice Diva
• J.Q. Dickinson Salt Works
• The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg
• The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

Meet Josh Hunt of Beer Run and Kardinal Hall! I love beer. So it was only natural Beer Run was one of the first places The Hubby and I visited when we moved to Charlottesville. Which meant co-owner Josh was one of the first food folks I met. We sat at the bar where he welcomed us, recommended some beers, and the rest is history. Based on that visit alone, we knew we'd moved to the right place.

Beer Run is a beloved part of the community, a place where folks young and old meet, eat, and drink beer. A family restaurant, something Josh and his stepbrother John Woodriff didn't forsee when they designed a "grab-and-go" store. But "family restaurant" is in Josh's DNA since his mother ran The Virginian as well as Rococco's when he was a kid.

Beer Run has been the recipient of many accolades, including Draft Magazine's America's 100 Best Beer Bars 2014 and 2015 and the Nature Conservancy's 2013 People's Choice Nature's Plate Award. It's easy to see why - most of its food is sourced locally and its 17 taps (rotated on a daily basis) and 800-1,000 bottles and cans keep customers well-versed in all things hops.

Now Josh and his brother are expanding, opening Kardinal Hall just this October, a bocce and beer garden with German-style cuisine and 24 beer taps, 1 cider tap, 2 wine taps, and 1 kombucha. Not to mention the plethora of choices in bottles and cans. The building sits in a historical Coca-Cola plant, one of three Art Deco buildings still in Charlottesville. You can even see the syrup stains on the floor. The outside is festive, decorated in white lights overseeing picnic tables and a bocce ball court. Perfect for meeting friends.

In this episode, Josh teaches me the difference between lager and ale, something I can never seem to keep straight, and we discuss the surge of breweries exploding along Preston Avenue and in the Charlottesville area in general. We also discuss his recent health scare and how he's miraculously beating the odds. Josh is an incredible guy and it was an honor to speak with him. I cannot fathom how something like this affects a person and his entire family and outlook and Josh remains positive, cheerful, energetic, and just lovely to be around. He's someone you like knowing. It's one of my favorite conversations to date and I know you'll enjoy it too. Please join us!

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

I'm on a cider kick! Just talked with the Potter's Craft boys and this week it's Diane Flynt of Foggy Ridge Cider.

Cider is the fastest growing segment of the alcohol business, growing at a rate of over 100% a year. But it still only makes up 3% of the entire industry. How do we increase this number?

As Diane says, "The ingredients in the glass are important." In other words, if you're using shabby apples, you're going to get shabby cider. Which is why Foggy Ridge uses only heritage cider apples it grows on its property, including English cider varieties Tremlett's Bitter and Dabinett.

Proudly purist, Foggy Ridge uses no flavorings just the pure essence of blended heirloom apples. In her mind it's the difference between a fine wine and a flavored wine cooler. Just taste her Serious Cider or First Fruit and you'll understand exactly what she's talking about. These are complex and layered ciders, worlds away from anything Angry Orchard could dream up. They pair perfectly with fatty meats, nutty cheeses. We even enjoyed it with our Thanksgiving turkey this year.

Diane spent years in the corporate world, but her family's background and love of agriculture lead her to study apples. Foggy Ridge was the first farm winery in Virginia focusing entirely on growing and producing hard cider apples. Diane researched what to grow by talking with cidermakers and then figuring out what would grow well on the land in Dugspur, Virginia. They grow more than 30 varieties in their test orchards and in the ones used for production so Diane is always testing, trying out new flavors and varieties for new blends.

What is the difference between heritage and heirloom? And how does that relate to the apple's value and how we can use that heritage fruit today? Why is a cider made with local apples not necessarily the best? Why does Diane blend instead of making cider from single varietals? What are Apple Memories and why did she create this part of her website? Which happens to be my favorite. I'll be writing my own Apple Memories for the blog next week. Watch this space.

We discuss all of these topics including the history of hard cider in Virginia and how it might be a myth that folks drank cider instead of bad water back in the day. I learned so much listening to Diane and I know you will too. Please join us.

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

Here it is folks. My Golden Fork Awards for 2015! What did I eat this year that was memorable? A lot of stuff evidently. When all was said and done I counted fifteen, yes FIFTEEN dishes from Charlottesville restaurants and beyond that were so tasty, I remembered them even months later. Which is how I construct the list. No, it's not a perfect way, just my way.

In the past I've made this a blog post, but since I launched a podcast in 2015, why not plop it right into the new medium? It's an experiment. Most things are with me. We'll see how it goes. Let me know what you think. Do you agree? Disagree? What did I miss?

Thank you all so much for your support, suggestions, and comments. I continue to be astounded and amazed at the amount of food talent in this area. And I'm beyond grateful for the opportunities my own version of the "Amsterdam Chess Club" have afforded me. This year was a big one. In launching a podcast I learned not only a lot about the food community, but about myself as a person, both in what I can accomplish professionally, and who I am personally. The only resolution I'm making is to continue those connections. To do even more with these conversations. To go deeper. It's been a wild ride, one I hope you'll take with me in 2016. Happy New Year. Cheers.

One of my passions is getting people to try and enjoy hard cider. But how do we do this? What are the gateways? Tastings? Pairing with food? As a cocktail ingredient?

Cider is the fastest-growing beverage in the beer market. But it's mostly watered-down mass-produced Angry Orchard. What I'm talking about is craft cider. Cider produced in small batches by folks passionate about their product. Folks like Tim Edmond and Dan Potter of Potter's Craft Cider.

Dan and Tim saw a need in the market for high quality small batch cider in the same way small brewers saw a need for craft beer in the 1980's. It's that grass roots, DIY attitude that makes their cider shine. If you can make it yourself and make it exactly the way you want it, it's always going to taste better. This isn't Alpenglow or even Strongbow or Woodchuck. This is CRAFT cider folks. The craft cider category is being defined as we speak and Dan and Tim are lucky enough to be riding the crest of that wave.

The creation of their first cider batch was a happy accident after an agricultural tragedy when they lost their barley crop to floods. They've never looked back. In addition to their Farmhouse Dry, a bright, crisp beverage similar to a French cider, Dan and Tim have developed blends incorporating hops, or peaches, or raspberries, or honey, or juniper. My personal favorite is the Oak Barrel Reserve aged in apple brandy barrels from a local distillery. A calvados without the liquor burn.

Cider is gluten free and a bright accompaniment to any dish. It pairs well with charcuterie, pork, venison, duck, or nutty cheeses like comté or gruyère. The bright, light acid cuts through the fattiness and just tastes extraordinary. We had it with our Thanksgiving turkey.

Their energy and passion is infectious. Felt like I was talking to a couple of vintners. Cider production is similar to wine both in the way its made and in the selection of apples for blends or other ciders types made from one single variety of apple.

What are the four qualities of good cider? What unusual ingredient does Tim add for tannins? What is their next concept for cider, one I am just over the moon excited about? What cocktail does cider go great with at brunch? What is Tim's "Appetizer Bagel" order at Bodo's? Listen to find out! We nerded out on cider making in this podcast, the fermentation, the tasting notes. A must for cider lovers and anyone interested in home brewing. Great conversation!

Ready to try some cider? Potter's Craft Cider is hosting their 2nd Annual Orchard Wassail Event TOMORROW, Saturday December 19th from 12pm-5pm at the cidery, 4699 Catterton Road in Free Union, one of only two cider events on the property this year! Join in this ancient tradition where folks sing carols to the trees in hopes of dispelling evil spirits and ensuring a healthy harvest in 2016. Check the link for more information. And go drink some cider!

SHOW NOTES - Links to items discussed within the episode:

• Shameful Bartending - How Hubris & Arrogance is Replacing Hospitality - by Joseph DeLuca on Dr. Drink's Apothecary

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

What makes a good craft cocktail? What makes a bad one? I've been looking forward to *THIS* conversation for a while. I love cocktails, and many moons ago worked as a bartender. Lately though there are only mixologists and the bar resembles an apothecary with spices, oils, bitters, and tinctures prominently displayed. But do we really need artisanal ice? I'm talking with Christian Johnston of The Cicchetti Bar at Tavola to find out.

The Cicchetti Bar was created as a waiting room of sorts for Tavola restaurant. A place to sit and unwind while you wait for a table. It's becoming so popular folks are using Cicchetti to wait for tables at nearby restaurants like Lampo. Or making it their primary destination.

Born in Jersey, raised in Charlottesville, Christian started out as a server but quickly discovered his place was in the kitchen. First at Mellow Mushroom then Boylan Heights where Chef Kelly Trip (of Restoration and Blue Light Grill) showed him how to care about ingredients, even if you're creating a simple burger. This led Christian to work with Chef Justin Hershey at Zinc where he developed the palate needed to make himself a fantastic bartender. Circumstances let him to The Whiskey Jar then Blue Light where he met Micah Lemon the mixologist now creating ethereal nectars at The Alley Light. Micah mentored him and Christian started developing his own cocktails.

I wrote about bartending recently. How bars can become second homes if the bartender treats you right. If they look down their nose you might end up going somewhere else. We discuss this in depth. How it is the HOSPITALITY industry after all. Then we go into the flavor profiles of vodka, of which there are many believe it or not, and talk about his process for creating his peach-tea-infused Manhattan and his pink peppercorn gimlet which graced the cover of a recent C-VILLE Weekly. How was The Spice Diva involved? Why is vermouth having a resurgence? What's his favorite cocktail? All this and more in this episode.

Christian took me to cocktail school and I'm so appreciative! Learned about cordials, shrubs, absinthe as an ingredient, and why vermouth needs to be refrigerated. Whoops! I loved this conversation and hope you do too. And Christian? Remind me to order a Corpse Reviver #2 next time I see you...

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

Yes folks, it's a BONUS episode for November. I entered a podcasting contest. As my Momma used to say I got a wild hair and entered Libsyn's "Thanks, Podcasting" competition where you're given up to 10 minutes to talk about how podcasting has impacted your life. The winner gets bragging rights and a free year of hosting, something I could really use. Both the hosting but especially the bragging rights...nice confidence boost for an anxiety-ridden hot mess like me. Enjoy. Fingers and toes crossed. Hope your Thanksgiving wasn't unbearable. And remember sometimes the hardest part of life is just showing up...