Anywhoo, as the sun set, we headed to do some bird watching among the mangrove forests on the coast. (Tiger herons!) One of the guys on the trip, Jerry Garret, a writer for the New York Times, stayed behind and took this photo of us as we left the dock. He’s holding an unofficial caption contest with no prizes. I figured we’d have our own. Winner gets a bag of powdered cocoa (drinking chocolate) from a plantation outside of Leon, Nicaragua. (My entry was: “A pork in the river.”) GO!

NEW PRIORITIES FOR BEATEN-UP CONSUMERS: “Too many restaurant and hotel execs are grappling with pre-recession consumer issues, while people today are expressing entirely new – and more complex — sets of concerns.” Yes, according to these guys, we (consumers) are “personal, emotional and ethical.” That throws me out of the equation, but for you this is very important. Are you familiar with your “hot buttons?” (Beat, beat.) “Hot buttons include: economic survival, reassurance, intimacy & friendship, feeding my knowledge, feeding my emotions, artisan, hand-made, neighborhood, local, authentic, real.” Cold, hard bitches need not apply to 2010. Look for this: “hotels and restaurants should be luring these hunkered down consumers from their psychological storm cellars (Cymbalta?) by replicating the “campfire experience” – building emotional ties and connecting to communities. OH GOODY, more S’MORES!

PUTTING FOCUS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MENU: Have you ever read about the psychology of menu writing? I’ll bet you didn’t know that the left side of the menu is reserved for “emotional resonance.” In case you don’t watch In Treatment, that translates into creative snacky things, small plates, food sized for one, two, or for a crowd. Sharing is the key because we need comfort and safety for intimacy and friendship. (Hmm, I usually feel safer when I get the whole cake.)

Jump for more joy!

UPSCALING THE DOWNSCALE: (Clever title, eh? I even remember the PBS series.) Anywhoo, next year look for gourmet hamburgers (groan) smothered with fancy cheese (they suggest Manchego) and fancy hot dogs (yes!) served with goat cheese (no) and guacamole (what are these guys smoking?). I’m sorry I just lost respect for this report. “French fries revved up with parmesan cheese and truffle oil”—puhleeze make truffle oil disappear into the tanks of delivery trucks.

FRESH = LOCAL = HAND-MADE = SAFER = BETTER: Do you have “organic” and “natural” fatigue? Your medicine will be exciting “new” comforting words like “fresh” and “local” and “hand-made.” Feel better? The report goes even closer to the ledge: “That’s why farmers markets are catching on everywhere even though food there (sic) costs more than at chain retailers: People are looking for edibles they can trust.” (Yea, my ex-husband is finally out of style.) Be bold—“house-made, locally-made bread, artisan cured salami, chef-pickled vegetables, locally- butchered beef, honey from nearby hives, food purchased from regional farms” will be strong. Vegetable gardens and beehives on roofs! Vegetable gardens at the White House! Rejoice!

FRIED CHICKEN IS THE NEW PORK BELLY: Over it. I am not paying Thomas Keller a zillion dollars for fried chicken.

PUTTING IN “GOOD” ADDITIVES INSTEAD OF TAKING OUT NASTY ONES: This should be a law not a trend.

THEY LAUGHED WHEN WE SAID “TONGUE”: Yes, they did and in Dallas, they will continue to do so. However, in case you travel, eat on Jefferson Avenue or at Charlie Palmer’s,  look for pig’s ears, pork cheeks (yummers), gizzards, tripe, and “other innards” to be chic. They should have titled this entry, “Poor People’s Food is the New Sorta Rich People’s Food.”

LOSING CONTROL OVER LANGUAGE: Talk about burying a lead—look out folks, YOU are in control. Bloggers, Twitters, Facebookers, Yelpers, and Texters are replacing food journalists. OH. MY. GAWD. PR people are also headed to the endangered species list.

SWEET TO BITTER TO TART: Did you know that “a decade or so back, American palates (and food journalism) made a profound shift from sweet to bitter?” (My guess is that drug pusher Howard Schultz did.) That is why you can’t get enough strong coffee, dark chocolate, broccoli rabe, or Brussels sprouts. Don’t worry, the report notes that we are getting older and we all need more “zing” so we will be rebalancing our sour-salty-sweet tastes. Zing is in. Do not forget that. Very 2010.

MENU CHURN: “A crummy economy and declining consumer traffic forces restaurants to poach each other customers by stealing competitors’ top menu items.” WHAT? No, this can’t be. First, I want a job where I can get paid a bazillion dollars for actually getting “crummy” printed in an expensive report. Second, I can’t believe that any self-respecting restaurateur would actually steal from his competition. I guess I can comfort myself in the knowledge that the report predicts: “Cupcakes are popping up in so many places that this trend is sure to self-destruct.” Get Sprinkles on the line, I feel like celebrating!

MEET YOU AT THE SUPERMARKET: Seriously? This is soo 1999. “The frequency of meals eaten away from home was sliding even before the global economic collapse – in large part because fewer women are working…” I can’t even go there, I’m late for my appointment at Jenny Craig.

CATERING TO KIDS: “It’s no accident that kids’ menus are popping up on chain restaurants: The recession did it.” WTF? Once again, I want the job of writing this report next year. Oh, here’s some big news: “Chains such as P.F. Chang and Cheesecake Factory added children’s menus this past summer, with Chipotle Grill following suit.” Shocker.

Here is your homework. Buzzwords for 2010.
Authentic Neapolitan pizza. Lamb riblets. Too many food trucks, not enough curb space. Latino street food. Farmed trout creeps up on farmed salmon (potential movie). Curry- and Indian-spiced fried chicken. Vietnamese sandwiches (bahn mi). Gelati. Global comfort food (HUH?). Artisan hot dogs. Made-to-order ice cream. Chefs turned butchers (Brad Pitt to play Nick Badovinus.). Casual comfort. Touch-screen kiosks and home delivery in fast food outlets. Latino street food. Wood oven cooking. More energy drinks and adulterated waters (interesting choice of words). Mood food.(Excuse me? Mood food? Somebody help me here.) Backyard and rooftop bee hives. Stevia. Kimchee. Urban farms. Griddled burgers. Free food. House-made everything, especially in sandwiches.

Blatant ommission: Frozen yogurt.

Stefano had been shopping at Jimmy’s when our paths crossed as I was on the way to enjoy a Saturday ritual of visiting Tom Spicer’s market on Fitzhugh.  That was the day to stop by Jimmy’s, as they had just gotten in a fresh selection of glorious Burrata, arriving fresh from Italy.

For those that may not be familiar with Burrata, it is like a big ball of cheese heaven.  Burrata means “buttered” in Italian, an excellent assessment of this gooey good cheese.  Baseball size hunks of Buffalo Mozzarella wrapped around delicate, creamy rich goodness with the texture of soft Ricotta, but so much more decadent. 
Dinner at Ferrari’s is like taking a little trip to Italy, or their native Sardinia: warm, comforting and elegant with thoughtful touches that turn a normal night into an experience; one that you want to revisit over and over again.  From the welcome kisses and handshakes at the front door by the Secchi’s, to the succulent aromas wafting from Chef Stefano’s kitchen, (who the James Beard Foundation noted as one of the finest young culinary stars,) to Ferrai’s gracious, knowledgeable staff, everyone is there to ensure you enjoy yourself.  Almost like you have stepped into your own Dallas “Big Night.”

Our meal celebrated the day’s shopping adventure with simply prepared dishes highlighting the fresh ingredients, a popular preparation method for Stefano, masterfully painting culinary works of art.  Sautéed Spicer Lobster mushrooms with the creamy Burrata center topped with fresh chives; whole Burrata paired with 12 hour roasted tomatoes and fresh basil with proscuitto; cloud like tiramisu, light and delicate.

All paired with Sardinian wine selections including a white Vermentino and red Cannonau.    Vermentino is a smart Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio alternative.  Best when served very cold, it is light, crisp and refreshing with good acidity, lemon/lime and herbaceous aromas, and uncomplicated citrus flavors.  A lovely compliment with the lobster mushrooms, as the acidity cut through the earthy flavors and paired beautifully with the creamy Burrata.   

Cannonau is an alternative for Grenache or a light Syrah, with a little more depth and earthiness, with ripe berry, pepper and spice flavors.  Finding wine to pair with tomatoes can be difficult.  This one matches well with the roasted tomato flavor, and adds additional depth to the flavor of the Burrata. 

Cap off the evening with an Espresso, or a Tawny Port, and there is little more to ask for.  An evening of conversation with friends and family, wrapped around outstanding food and wine.  My little slice of paradise.

Paula Lambert at the Mozzarella Company  makes a Burrata year round…try it out.

The City of Dallas Health Department has decided that the Celebration Farmers Market is in violation of certain codes. Celebration was told on 2 previous occasions that we could operate a Farmers Market in our parking lot under our existing permits. We strongly believe that all food handling practices and food products at the Farmers Market were perfectly safe. We have complied strictly with all Health Department codes for 38 years and take our responsibility to public health VERY SERIOUSLY.

We appreciate the warm welcome and support that you’ve provided our Saturday Farmers Market. We believe that what we along with our wonderful vendors are offering is a safe, fun and convenient setting for you to purchase healthy, delicious, local produce and other products.

We are going to approach the Dallas City Council to explore how the code can be modified to allow the Celebration Farmers Markets and others like us to provide a valuable service to the citizens of Dallas while protecting the public health.

I have contacted Ed and asked him for instructions on how you can sign the petition he plans to take to the Dallas City Council. Stay tuned. (OMG, I can hear Amy Severson already.)

Local Farmers are in Shed One at the Dallas Farmers Market.

Hey, Farmer groupies. Grab you cloth bags and head to the Dallas Farmers Market this weekend. Here is what you can expect to find.

Angela’s Farm – onions – red, yellow and white, yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, OKRA! and peas.

Arce Park Farms – Heirloom tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and cowpeas.

-Beef all grass finished; salad-bar beef – strong Red & Black Angus influenced

Berry Best Farm – Organic Blueberries

Birch Creek Farms – cantaloupe, eggplant, peppers, acorn, yellow and butternut squash, cucumbers, zucchini.

Comeback Creek – tomatoes, blueberries, peppers, okra, peaches, and plums – are starting a CSA group.

Fred’s Alaska Seafood – salmon and crab legs.

Haney Farm – organic eggs & will be bringing cherry tomatoes also until it gets too hot for them to produce. They feed only organic feed from Coyote Creek mill, the only USDA certified organic feed mill in Texas, and pasture/free-range our hens, no cages, and they have access to fresh grass year ’round.

Harmony Harvest – eggs and veggies- also has CSA group.

Heddin Family Farm – Texas Cream peas, Purple Hulls and Black eye peas, green beans, green tomatos, Cayenne Peppers, Jalapeño Peppers, squash, red new potato’s, zucchini, pickling cucumbers.

J.T. Lemley – yellow squash, 8-ball squash, tomatos, onions, peaches, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, plums, blackberries, cucumbers, new potato’s, sweet yellow onions.

John Lucido –herb plants and of course his herb pasta and canned goodies.

JuHa – pork, lamb, sausage, eggs, beef, and pastured poultry.

Kitchen Pride – Mushrooms – Oyster, Portabella, Baby Bells, and White Button

La Esperanza Farm – squash, onions, okra, eggplant

Lightsey Farm – peaches, onions, figs, plums, blackberries, green beans, zucchini and peas.

Mill Creek Farms is also bringing in squash, potatoes and peas.

Northstar Ranch – Beef and pork –

Orchid Garden with specialty plants and orchids.

P.O.P. Acres will be here on Friday’s and Saturday’s

-steaks, roasts, stew-meats (great for summer grilling). They are also bringing in a few scallop squash that are Organic.

Savoy Sorbet – Saturday afternoons & Sunday’s – herbal infused sorbet from her herb garden; currently offering Chamomile Orange, Rose Geranium Raspberry, Lavender, Rosemary Lime Chablis, Lemon xxx, Apple Mint, and Anise. New Flavor – Mojito

Sonny Ferrell – figs, peppers, and onions

TEXAS MEATS Super Natural will always be 100% grass fed beef and lamb, pastured chicken and pork, eggs from free ranging hens, farmstead cheese.

TxHoneybee Guild – local and zip code honey, comb honey, honey sticks and bee pollen.

TxLonghorn Cooperative – Saturday’s and Sunday’s with certified Longhorn Beef – regular cuts, beef sticks, sausage and smoked bones for dogs!

Wackym’s Kitchen – Newest Cookie Flavor – Salted Caramel.  Brown sugar and sea salt.

]]> http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2009/08/14/dallas-farmers-market-weekend-of-august-14/feed/ 0 http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2009/08/14/aldi-food-market-is-hiring/ http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2009/08/14/aldi-food-market-is-hiring/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:25:15 +0000 Nancy Nichols http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/?p=8050 ALDI Food Market will hold a manager trainee hiring event
for Dallas-area stores on Aug. 25 & 26. The “select assortment discount grocer” will accept applications for manager trainees to work in ALDI stores located throughout the Dallas/Ft. Worth are that will begin opening in Denton in the spring of 2010. Details below.What: ALDI hiring event: Accepting applications for store manager trainees
Photo/Interview Opportunity
$20 per hour
Full benefits (medical, dental, vision) plus 401k

When: Aug. 25, 26
7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel
700 Avenue H East
Arlington, Texas 76011
For more information about ALDI Denton hiring events, visit www.alditexasjobs.com.

Local Farmers are in Shed One at the Dallas Farmers Market.

Looks like a bountiful weekend at the Dallas Farmers Market. Here is what you can expect to find.

Jump for the list.

Angela’s Farm – onions – red, yellow and white, yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, OKRA! and peas.

Arce Park Farms – tomatoes, onions, elephant garlic, peppers and eggplant. Possibly cowpeas.

Berry Best Farm – Organic Blueberries

Birch Creek Farms – cantaloupe, eggplant, peppers, acorn, yellow and butternut squash, cucumbers, zucchini.

Comeback Creek – tomatoes, blueberries, peppers, okra, peaches, and plums – are starting a CSA group.

Fred’s Alaska Seafood – salmon and crab legs.

Haney Farm – organic eggs & will be bringing cherry tomatoes also until it gets too hot for them to produce. They feed only organic feed from Coyote Creek mill, the only USDA certified organic feed mill in Texas, and pasture/free-range our hens, no cages, and they have access to fresh grass year ’round.

Harmony Harvest – eggs and veggies- also has CSA group.

Heddin Family Farm – Texas Cream peas, Purple Hulls and Black eye peas, green beans, green tomatoes, Cayenne Peppers, Jalapeño Peppers, squash, red new potatoes, zucchini, pickling cucumbers.We also offer seasonal organically grown veges. This week we will be bringing basil, tomatoes, and black-eyed peas.  There may be some squash too.

J.T. Lemley – yellow squash, 8-ball squash, tomatos, onions, peaches, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, plums, blackberries, cucumbers, new potato’s, sweet yellow onions.

John Lucido –herb plants and of course his herb pasta and canned goodies.

JuHa – pork, lamb, sausage, eggs, beef, and pastured poultry. “JuHa will be offering grass fed beef again in shed 1.  Come and get it!

Kitchen Pride – Mushrooms – Oyster, Portabella, Baby Bells, and White Button

La Esperanza Farm – variety of spring vegetables – can’t even list them all!

Lightsey Farm – peaches, onions, potatoes, plums, blackberries, green beans, and zucchini.

Mill Creek Farms is also bringing in squash, potatoes, and peas.

Northstar Ranch – Beef and pork

Orchid Garden with specialty plants and orchids.

Savoy Sorbet – Saturday afternoons & Sunday’s – herbal infused sorbet from her herb garden; currently offering Chamomile Orange, Rose Geranium Raspberry, Lavender, Rosemary Lime Chablis, Lemon xxx, Apple Mint, and Anise.

TxHoneybee Guild – local and zip code honey, comb honey, honey sticks, and bee pollen.

TxLonghorn Cooperative – Saturday’s and Sunday’s with certified Longhorn Beef – regular cuts, beef sticks, sausage and smoked bones for dogs!

TEXAS MEATS Super Natural will always be 100% grass fed beef and lamb, pastured chicken and pork, eggs from free ranging hens, farmstead cheese.

P.O.P. Acres will be here on Friday’s! Beef all grass finished; salad-bar beef – strong Red & Black Angus influenced
steaks, roasts, stew-meats (great for summer grilling). They are also bringing in organic scallop squash.

Michael Powell – several varieties of cherry tomatoes.

Wackym’s Kitchen – Newest Cookie Flavor – Salted Caramel.  Brown sugar and sea salt.

UPDATE: NYT article on food prep for the movie.

Several Dishers attended, and I await their reviews below. I am not a movie reviewer, but the following is my Sybil-esque recap. (I say Sybil-esque because I had two strong and separate reactions to the film.)

Full disclosure: I have not read Julie Powell’s book or blog. I am extremely jealous of her rags-to-riches-by-blogging success. Also, other than Lions for Lambs, the movie she did with Tom Cruise, I have enjoyed watching every film Meryl Streep has ever made. (“I haaad a faaaarm in Aaaafricaaa…..” slays me every time.) Okay, here goes:
Overall observation: Julie & Julia is the ultimate chick flick for middle-aged chicks with stylish short haircuts and funky jewelry who wish they were married to either one of the perfect husbands portrayed in the film.

Thumbs-Up Sybil: Meryl Streep pulled it off. Julia Child was a larger-than-life personality, and acting the part must have been a huge challenge. The only other actor who has successfully pulled off a Julia Child was Dan Aykrod when he spoofed Child on Saturday Night Live. BTW, the clip is in the movie and is the funniest scene.

Stanley Tucci, who played Child’s devoted husband Paul, was buff, tan, and kissable. I would like to be married to Paul—he loved Julia’s big sassy body and brain. Not to mention her obnoxious voice. (Note: I am middle-aged with short hair and funky jewelry.) The grainy photography of Paris in the 40s and the set designs were delicious. I laughed effortlessly a couple of times, but I can’t remember why. Actress Linda Emone, who played Child’s bitchy co-author, Simone Beck, was brilliant.

I wish the movie would have just been about the life of Julia Child and not interwoven with the present blog/book, but that is probably just me. However, one redeeming value to this juxtaposition is that it illustrates Child’s unbending devotion to conventional cooking and shines a light on her culinary force. She was earnest and not a slave to fads. Current day reality TV chefs look stupid and shallow in her shadow.

Thumbs-down Sybil: Yes, Julie Powell was writing a food blog in 2003. Yes, she was ahead of the curve and got a break. So, cynical me has to not like her. That said, Amy Adams, who played Julie, didn’t have a chance. The relationship with her husband is sickeningly sweet. A couple of the scenes made me wish I could be a film editor. TOO LONG with the fake crying (she needs acting lessons) and the kitchen melt downs. If Meryl Streep is criticized for overacting, then Amy Adams should be called out for under acting. (When you see the movie, watch for her pathetic attempt to yawn convincingly.)

Men are not like either of the husbands portrayed in this movie. (Yes, I wish I were married to Paul.)

The use of the word “yum” must cease immediately. It is insulting to food.

Questions:

(1) How did Julie and her perfect—and poor—husband afford the ingredients for this project? In the beginning, Julie is cooking on hand-me-down cookware. A few scenes and recipes later, she is tossing about $200 of live lobster into a copper stock pot. (Maybe that is in the book.)

(2) How did Julie and her perfect—and poor—husband not gain 50 pounds eating Julia Child’s butter-laden recipes? In one scene late in the movie, Julie is lying across the marital bed fake sobbing into a pillow while dressed in her perfect-and-poor husband’s dress shirt that conveniently cups her tight little butt. She had been cooking for over a half a year and complaining about weight gain. She did not weigh 100 pounds. (Note: I weigh more than 100.)

(3) The scene with Julie and her perfect-and-poor husband making love while the answering machine plays back 65 messages of offers to make her famous made me sick at my stomach. Jealous? Me? Yes. Gross.

And speaking of sex, I had a hard time watching Julia Child, excuse me, Meryl Streep playing Julia Child, in a sex scene. But that’s just me wishing I was having a sex with Stanley Tucci in Paris.

But I’m off task. The WSJ author, Katy McLaughlin, interviewed Steven Raichlen, host of public television’s Primal Grill and author of The Barbecue Bible. Raichlen talks about grass-fed beef and why it is rarely (sorry) graded Prime.

By contrast, grass-fed meat, which comes from cattle that haven’t been fattened on grain towards the end of their lives, rarely earns the prime grade because it tends to be less marbled. But it can have a more complex flavor, with herbal notes that reflect the grass diet, and it is also healthier than corn-fed beef, with more omega-3 fatty acids and less saturated fat. This meat benefits from a sprinkling of melted butter or olive oil. For the ultimate garnish, Mr. Raichlen recommends making a cup of aluminum foil, filling it with a piece of beef fat, and placing it over a cooler part of the grill until it melts. Pour a little liquid fat over a cooked steak for a beefy enhancement, he recommends.

In case you don’t read the whole article or the link doesn’t work, here is the money quote: “Man, oh man, it couldn’t be any tenderer” he says. “You chew it with your tongue.” Yummers, that could be a big seller at the Cheesecake Factory.

Lots of cheap cheese at Newflower Farmers Market in Plano.

Lots of people are talking about how much they love, love, love Newflower Farmers Market. Yesterday I had a chance to take a quick stop at the shop in Plano.

Short take? If I passed this market on my drive home from work, I would stop in for some groceries. However, I will not drive to the store. Why? I discovered several rotting items on the shelves. And I was only in the store for ten minutes.

First the good news: I bought a bunch of five big sunflowers for $6.99. Blue Bell vanilla ice cream is .20 cents cheaper than my Albertson’s. Romaine lettuce was only .88 cents. (Last week I paid $1.59 at same Albertson’s.) Cheese is cheap but the selections are basic and not sourced—huge chunks of generic cheddar, Jack, peppered Jack, and Swiss, etc.

On to the downside: Most of the produce was ABT (anywhere but Texas) and you had to have powerful reading glasses to find the source. I’d heard that the prepared food was the great thing about Newflower—cheaper and better than Central Market and Whole Paycheck Foods. I wanted to compare the chicken salad prices but, at noon, they were out of it, so I settled for a small container of egg salad ($1.57!) As my nieces say, “Yuck-a-doo.” Well, unless you like runny mustard with hard bits of hard-boiled eggs.

Bad picture of rotting lettuce. Click it, it gets bigger.

I picked up a family-size container of Organic Girl Spring Mix baby greens and turned it over to read the label. Streams of brown water flooded from front to back. The lettuce near the edge was rotten and soggy. The “sell by” date was July 2. (Yesterday was July 9.) There were 8 more packages in the refrigerated case. When I started to unload my cart at check out, I realized that a pint of whole milk mozzarella packed in liquid had leaked all over my National Enquirer other groceries. I looked closer at the tiny balls of cheese—they were all brown and stuck together.

I’d like to go back and price the whole foods, nuts and meats. Maybe I’ll go later today—after I toss out my drooping sunflowers.

Even Vincent would not be happy.

Local Farmers are in Shed One at the Dallas Farmers Market.

Angela’s Farm – lots of onions – red, yellow and white! Yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, okra, peas are starting to come in

Arce Park Farms – tomatoes, onions, elephant garlic, peppers and eggplant. Possibly cowpeas.

Berry Best Farm – Organic Blueberries

Birch Creek Farms – cantaloupe, eggplant, peppers, acorn, yellow and butternut squash, cucumbers, zucchini,

Comeback Creek – tomatoes, blueberries, peppers, okra, peaches, plums

Dan Massey – Cream red new potatoes, yellow straight neck squash, green zucchini, Blue Lake green beans, Japanese cantaloupe, Crimson Sweet watermelons, seedless watermelons, Small Jubilee watermelons, Black Diamond watermelons, blackberries and jalapeño peppers, Black-eyes and Purple Hull peas (weather pending), tomato’s

Dis-n-Dat – eggs

Fred’s Alaska Seafood – salmon and crab legs

Fretwell Produce – okra, yellow crook neck squash, patty pan squash, 8-ball squash, gold and green zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant, red new potatoes, Pablano peppers, Jalapeño peppers, sweet banana, Marconi pepper, green bell peppers, white 1015’s and purple sweet onions

Haney Farm – eggs & will be bringing cherry tomatoes also until it gets too hot for them to produce

Harmony Harvest – eggs and veggies- also has CSA group

Heather Duncan – fresh cut flower bouquets out of her garden, herbs and cucumbers. She also has a recipe for Lavender Lemonade made from her own lavender!

Heddin Family Farm – Texas Cream peas, Purple Hulls and Black eye peas, green beans, green tomatoes, Cayenne Peppers, Jalapeño Peppers, squash, red new potatoes, zucchini, pickling cucumbers

J.T. Lemley – yellow squash, 8-ball squash, tomatoes, onions, peaches, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, plums, blackberries, cucumbers, new potatoes, sweet yellow onions

John Lucido –herb plants and of course his herb pasta and canned goodies

JuHa – pork, lamb, sausage, eggs, beef, and pastured poultry.

JZJ Beef – Beefmaster beef, beef jerky, and beef sticks!

Kitchen Pride – Mushrooms – Oyster, Portabella, Baby Bells, and White Button

La Esperanza Farm – variety of spring vegetables – can’t even list them all!

Lightsey Farm – peaches, onions, potato’s, plums, blackberries, green beans, zucchini, apricots

Mill Creek Farms is also bringing in squash, potatoes and peas

Northstar Ranch – Beef and pork –

Orchid Garden with specialty plants and orchids

Savoy Sorbet – Sunday’s – herbal infused sorbet from her herb garden; currently offering Chamomile Orange, Rose Geranium Raspberry, Lavender, Rosemary Lime Chablis, Lemon, Apple Mint, and Anise

TxHoneybee Guild – local honey and zip code honey

TxLonghorn Cooperative – Saturday’s and Sunday’s with certified Longhorn Beef – regular cuts, beef sticks, sausage and smoked bones for dogs!

TEXAS MEATS Super Natural will always be 100% grass fed beef and lamb, pastured chicken and pork, eggs from free ranging hens, farmstead cheese.

Wackym’s Kitchen – Newest Cookie Flavor – Salted Caramel.  Brown sugar
and sea salt

Ali Baba Café
Multiple locations.
$10.00. Whole Middle-Eastern rotisserie chicken served with garlic sauce, rice, and pita bread.
Each bird cooked 1 hour and fifteen minutes
Garlic, olive oil, Middle-Eastern spices.

Central Market
Multiple locations.
$7.99 whole.
Each bird is cooked for about an hour.
Flavor options: Classic, Beijing (seasoned with fiery and pungent spices such as sugar, garlic, salt, ginger, cayenne, star anise), Citrus Peppercorn, Herb, Sonoma, Spice Trade, Spicy Thai, Tuscan, Vanilla Pepper.

Chic from Barcelona
$14.95 for whole chicken with roasted apples
Family special pick-up:
$39.95. A whole chicken, a half chicken,
a quarter gallon of gazpacho,
choice of two salads
“Secret chicken recipe”

Costco
Multiple locations.
$4.99 for whole chicken
“Standard seasoning and a little salt.”
Each bird cooked 1 ½ hours.
Available 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekends.

Cowboy Chicken
2 locations
$7.99 for whole chicken.
Lunch Special: ¼ Rot. Dark, 2 sides and a wheat roll $4.99
Each bird cooked for 2 ½ hours.
“Super secret special seasonings.”
Open 11:00a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Call early for pick up or catering.

Eatzi’s
$7.99 for whole chicken
$10.99 chicken and 2 sides.
$17.99 whole chicken and 2 large sides and corn bread.
Each bird cooked 1:45-2 hours.
Flavors: Peking Chicken, Thai seasoning and soy sauce, and Lemon Herb.
10am-10pm

El Pollo Regio
Multiple locations
$14.06. Whole chicken comes with rice, charro beans (kind of like the ones at Matt’s), tortillas, onion, and salsa,
Each bird is coated with a “red seasoning rub” and cooked over open coals.

Fiesta Market
Multiple locations.
Whole chicken: $5.89 to $6.89 depending on what they’re stuffed with and comes with corn tortillas, jalapeños, and roasted potatoes.
Each bird is cooked 2 ½- 3 hours. Available from 8:30a.m.-9:00p.m.

Neighborhood Services
(214) 350-5027 (no website)
Whole chicken dinners to go.
$35 with reusable tote bag, $30 without.
Includes chicken, salads, cucumbers, potatoes, garlic bread, caramelized onions, weekly vegetable, chicken wrapped in butcher paper, separated wings and legs presented under the breasts. Each bird is roasted in the oven, split open, seasoned with butter, chicken seasonings, and cooked for an hour and fifteen minutes

Whole Foods
Multiple locations.
$8.99 whole. Each bird is cooked 2 ½-3 hours.
Flavor options: Plain, Barbecue, Lemon Pepper, Honey Balsamic.
Chickens available 11am-10pm.

Looking for passion (fruit) in Plano? Betty Martin is looking for you.

Yesterday it was Ed Bamberger’s turn to try and seduce you with food and singles. Today it’s Market Street in Plano—they are now hosting a Singles Grocery Shopping Night. (Why did I think everyone in Plano was married?) Seems one Plano resident, and Market Street Dish Retail manager, Betty Martin was looking for a new way to meet other singles. When Market Street opened in Plano, Betty put down her package of dried Medjools, and started looking for a date that actually talked back. Betty now has around 50 members who meet at Market Street every few weeks. The next event is Wednesday, June 17 at 6:00 p.m. Dang, I have a standing Wednesday night activity and I don’t fool around.

Sun, June 7th – 10am-2pm
First Sunday Farmer’s Market

Savoy Sorbet’s: organic, homemade, uniquely flavored sorbet’s.
Amy’s Raw Chocolates & Superfoods
Homemade Gourmet: delicious dips, meals and more!
Juha Ranch: Eggs, pork, lamb
JZJ Natural Beef: All beef
Dominion Farms: Beef, pork, chicken
NHG Veggie Garden: Small harvests of beans, herbs, eggplant, tomatoes, carrots, peppers, cucumbers. Get here early!!
My Good Spice Seasonings: Best Lemon Pepper in town! Serious!
Sloan’s Creek Farm: beef, pork, goat, honey, salmon

Lots of food people send food products to the office (Hi, Sprinkles! Hi, Eatzi’s!) and I rarely write about them. Full disclosure: The folks at Graeter sent me 3 pints. I think it’s a product worth the calories. Click here if you want to learn more.  Graeter’s is now available at area Kroger Food Stores.

Due to the recent FDA recommendation that consumers should avoid eating pistachio products,  Central Market H-E-B is voluntarily removing any product containing pistachio nuts from our stores until further FDA verification has been received.

Central Market H-E-B has elected to remove these products strictly as a precautionary measure, even though we have received numerous affidavits from various vendors stating their products do not contain ingredients from the FDA-identified Salmonella source.

Central Market H-E-B is removing these products as part of our ongoing commitment to food safety and the safety of our customers.

Murmur.

Kenner gets behind the real story of how food gets to your table and it’s a story that corporate America doesn’t want you to know. The film has two showings at the AFI film festivalone,  on Monday, March 30 at 7:30 PM at the Magnolia Theatre and the second on Tuesday, March 31 at 10:00 PM at the Magnolia Theatre. The film’s director, Robert Kenner, will be in attendance. Want a quick bite? Check out the film’s trailer below.

(I’m tearing out my yard and planting a garden, Nikki where are you?)

Magnolia Pictures will release he documentary Food Inc. in June; the film is showing at the AFI film festival Monday, March 30 at 7:30 PM at the Magnolia Theatre and Tuesday, March 31 at 10:00 PM at the Magnolia Theatre.  The film’s director, Robert Kenner, will be in attendance and available for interviews March 30th and 31st.  Please let me know if you would like a DVD screener of the film and if you are interested in interviewing him while he is in Dallas.

Robert Kenner wants to show you where your food comes from. He takes an unsalted look at America’s industrial food system—dirty, crowded cattle lots, genetically modified veggies, fast food chains and processing plants. The result isn’t very appetizing.

Kenner probes the secrecy that shrouds the food conglomerates (none would comment for the film), the control they have over contracted farmers, the idyllic family farm images they propagate over the reality of gigantic processing plants, and the might of legal departments that strong arm anybody who gets in their way.

Using handheld cameras and imaginative graphics, Kinner shows us shocking examples of both animal and farm worker abuse. The images can be grotesque, but he hopes they’ll make you consider where your dinner came from.

Back for an encore – our best hard shell, live lobsters are only $9.99 a pound during Dive In (while supplies last.) Fresh Gulf Shrimp 21/25 ct is only $6.99/lb. Ameripure Oysters. Mussels. Littleneck Clams. And the king of all sale prices is happening on our sweet King Crab Clusters caught by those guys from the “Deadliest Catch” in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska. The Specials on shellfish start Wednesday and will make your head swim – catch them here and get ready to break out your bibs and crackers.

I don’t write ‘em, I just a post ‘em. (But the lobsters I bought last time were fab.)

ALDI has already invested more than $50 million in capital expenditures, and plans to invest more. The $50 million, 500,000-square-foot Denton distribution center is currently under construction and will open in January 2010.  The distribution center will service ALDI stores in the Dallas/Fort Worth area that will open beginning in March 2010.

While supermarket chains have closed stores in Texas, cutting jobs and leaving consumers with fewer choices, ALDI will be opening 25 stores initially, bringing warehouse jobs and positions including everything from managers to cashiers.  ALDI employees enjoy great benefits such as health care, higher salaries and a 401(k) program.

Known for its high quality, select brands at the lowest possible prices, ALDI is able to offer these popular choices without consumers having to buy in bulk.  The grocer ensures its ALDI select brands meet or exceed the national name brands in taste and quality by rigorously testing its brands against the competition in its independent test kitchen in the Batavia, Ill., headquarters.

A grocery retailer that has grown without merger or acquisition, ALDI has gone from averaging 20 to 30 new stores per year to opening more than 100 new locations across the United States in 2008 and plans to open more than 75 new stores in 2009.

The store, which inhabits the former Minyard space, is slightly bigger than the Highland Park location but doesn’t feel as cavernous. It’s going to be LEED certified (just don’t know which designation yet) and has 47 skylights, parking designated for hybrid and eco-friendly vehicles, bike racks, and lights in the frozen foods cases that dim when customers are not passing through. The company has been very sensitive to the Lakewood community, and there is even a huge timeline in the produce section that ties in Whole Foods to the city. (The Greenville store, by the way, has been around for 23 years and was the oldest existing Whole Foods left.) On to the foodstuffs. There are more than 600 items in produce, with about half organic. The bulk items are located nearby and include nozzles with which you can fill plastic containers full of olive oil, agave nectar, maple syrup, and honey. The cheese counter will have more than 400 selections, and the meat counter will feature quail, buffalo, veal, and lamb in addition to the staples. A nifty feature: there are screens attached to the meat scales, and they will display shots of dishes containing your meat of purchase. You can ask the butcher to print out the recipes for those meals, complete with all the ingredients you’ll need to prepare them as well as wine and beer pairings. Very cool. The beauty and cosmetics section feels much more like a department store, and there’s a whole section of cleanses (of the colon blow variety). Boozers will find 800 kinds of wine and 40 feet of refrigerated beers and ales (conveniently located directly across from the salty snacks: chips, popcorn, nuts, pretzels). The prepared foods section will have all the usual suspects, but there is a sandwich bar, which will include cleverly named offerings that reference the neighborhood. The coffee bar will open at 7 each morning (the store itself gets rolling at 8 a.m.) and will allow early birds entry to the cafe seating area, which has free wi-fi. Another technological plus: the Dyson Airblade hand dryer in the bathrooms. Just go and see for yourself.