Yes I'm Nutz

Presentation Tonight (1/15/09) - Oak Park - Local Eating in the Winter

A month or so ago, I was asked to participate in a presentation in Oak Park on winter local eating. There would be a grower, a market maker and me, the market shopper. I jumped at the opportunity like I jump at any opportunity to spread the eat local message. Then the week rolled in.

On Sunday, we sent e-mails around. It would be minus 212 degrees on Thursday. Would we want to postpone? Me, I said I would be willing to wait, but what better way to hammer home the idea of winter eating than in the winter-est of winter days. But then again I'm nutz. It turned out my fellow panelists were equally nutz, and we all voted to proceed.

I do hope there's some fellow nutzians out there who want to discuss winter eating tonight. Details below:

Green Community Center in Oak Park presents Locally Grown Foods in Winter


Thursday, Jan. 15, 7pm

New Spirit Community Church
542 S. Scoville, Oak Park

What are the obstacles to growing and buying local foods in the off-season in Chicago? What are the solutions? What can you find–and where can you find it? Presenters include Kathy Caldwell (Catalina’s Garden), who sells at farmers markets and has ventured into season-extending growing methods; Robin Schirmer, who organizes Winter Farmers Markets & Meals for Hope in the Chicago area; and Rob Gardner, who together with his family is eating as locally as possible year-round.

Mado's Next Family Dinner - December 7, 2008

I've mentioned before that as much as I like eating at Mado, I like eating best there during the family dinners. While I knew a family dinner was in the works, Rob and Allie were a bit late announcing the details. From a recent e-mail:

it's time for mado's next family dinner!
on sunday, december 7, 2008 we will be featuring goose from swan creek heirloom farm. look forward to goose sausage and spit-roasted goose breast and, of course, allie's amazing desserts. the goose dinner will be 5 courses served family style, beginning at 6pm and will be $65 per person, not inclusive of tax and gratuity.
to reserve seats at the table call or email.
hope to see you there!!

773.342.2340

Volunteer for Family Farmed Expo

You all know I'm very in to this forthcoming Family Farmed Expo. Well, I know that volunteers are still needed. Volunteer for a 2 hour shift at the Kidz Corner and get free admission to this great local food festival. From Purple Asparagus:

On Saturday November 22 and Sunday November 23 from 11-4, Purple Asparagus will again be organizing the Expo's Organic Kids Activity Corner where you and your kids can have some fun while learning about sustainable foods. There will be crafts, face painting, story time, a reading corner of books related to food, farming nature, tastings of local food and a label reading discussion.

If you'd like to volunteer, contact Melissa Graham at info@purpleasparagus.com

Tomorrow's Mado News Today

I probably do not need a trip to the Green City Market tomorrow, but two of my favorite chefs are doing a demo there. Come meet Mado's Rob and Allie Levitt and see what seasonal dishes they have to show. It's a full day at Green City, with well known cookbook author Sheila Lukins, signing her new book, TEN: All the Foods We Love and the Perfect Recipes for Each. Mado at 10:30; Silver Palate at 11.

Family Farmed Expo Program Announced!

100's of Locavores, Chefs, Politicians, Activists, Retailers, Wholesalers, Farmers, Distillers, Butchers, Bakers and Candlestick Makers (and Combinations Thereof)

If you have any interest in local food. Cooking it. Eating it. Finding it. Selling it. Building better systems. Getting better items. The impact on the environment. The impact on the government. Having your restaurants more green. Having your shops and such more greeen. Cassie Green. Green grass beef. Green grass dairy. In the city, in the fields, on the farms. On your plate, in your glass. For the everyday. For the holidays. Fresh food fall all. In your school, in your store, at your neighbor's house next door. Learn it. Live it. Love it. Family Farmed Expo 2008.

I am quite pleased to be involved with Family Farmed 2008's gigantic festival of local food being held this forthcoming weekend, November 21 through November 23 at the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph. I will participate in a panel on November 23, hosted by my friend and favorite food reporter, Monica Eng, on making your holidays more local. In addition, I will reporting on the event, perhaps live blogging it, for the Local Beet.

This Expo serves several purposes. Foremost, it is a celebration of the foods and farmers of the Great Lakes. You can meet the people growing the food. Meet the people shaping the food into quality manufactured goods. Some of the most famous chefs in Chicago, Rick Bayless, Gayle Gand, Paul Kahan will teach you how to make best use of the foods. The whole local, local food world will come together for a localicious party on Friday Night. Beyond celebrating, it's about educatin'. It is about better reaching the consumer, better reaching the institutions. It's about the tiny, like growing your own patch of food, and it is about the whole, like the food systems in Illinois; from greening your backyard to greening the great big earth. The Family Farmed Expo is bringing them all together. It's got me impressed.

Wait. There's More. There will be a farmer's market, reminding you that even in late November, there is plenty of local food to be had as well as introducing you to foods you did not know could be had. There will be exhibitions by local manufacturers who create outstanding products. For the young uns, there will be a kidz area run by Purple Asparagus. No one's gonna walk away bored.

Keep your eyes peeled on these pages and the Local Beet for more information on the Family Farmed Expo. Please come out to see me chat. For a long time, I have been extolling the virtures and pleasures of the eat local lifestyle. Here's a chance to get yourself into it as well.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

November 16 2008 4:30 - 6 PM - Unity Temple, Oak Park

Eating local IS about getting the best food; not just the food that tastes best, but the food that best serves your greater community. That community includes our wide blue earth. Us locavores believe we aid the earth by keeping our diets mostly local. There are many other ways to eat that reduce your carbon footprint; hence having an impact on global warming. This Sunday, in Oak Park, Jill Ovnik will speak on ways to eat that help the environment.

Unity Temple is at 875 Lake Street, Oak Park. RSVP to mjharied@gsb.uchicago.edu. Additional Information can be found at The Power of 10 or the Low Carbon Diet.

On the Local Beet

Why 18

Ever get a check from a Jewish friend for $54. You scratch your head. $54. But it's three times chai, that's why! See, all Hebrew letters also have numerical values. This means you can add up the letters in a word to get a number. A lucky word, chai (pronounced with a hard ch), adds up to 18--chai, by the way, means life. Since chai = 18; 18 = life. As the Torah states, choose life, etc., etc., Let's just say, we Jews have a thing for 18.

I had been asked to put together a tip sheet on local eating for a conference being put together by the Union of Reform Judaism on green issues. I made a top ten list of ways to eat local. Then, one of my daughters came up with the very bright idea of making it a list of chai, 18. With a bit of editing, it's now the latest feature on the Local Beet.

Although I am currently in Austin, Texas, I did just finish up a post I started the other day on the much fun myself and my two daughters had shopping the winter market and eating Top Notch Beefburgers. Lotsa other local family news in that post including brunch at Mado, forthcoming liquor license at Cassie's Green Grocer, and events this week and in a few weeks.

I'll try to check in again during the week. In fact, if I feel ambitious, I'll update the inventory after much shopping last week (i.e. this).

Much to Eat at Mado

I've mentioned at LTHForum.com, that as much as I love Mado, I love it best when offered up family style. I have had the privilege of being there for both of Mado's "Family Dinners", multi-course affairs built around a theme and a farmer. The first one was a harvest dinner, with Nick Nichols of Nichols Farm. Last night it was George Rassmussen of Swan Creek Farm and a wild boar he procurred. I've enjoyed about all my eating at Mado, but I probably enjoy it most at the family dinners.

Like a Chinese banquet, Mado's family dinners operate on the principle that each dish is merely a cog. That the meal comes from the entirety of dishes served, each part playing off another. What's more, there are two more ways that these meals remind me of Chinese banquets. First, there is a mindfulness to the meals. It is not just food on a plate, but food from a farmer nearby, and I mean as in sitting nearby. Moreover, there is a theme to each meal, a chance to think about what the chef is thinking. Second, like a good Chinese banquet, once has to be very careful not to fill up on the initial courses. Chinese banquets often begin with platters of cold cuts, including something meat jelly-ish (as well as often, jellyfish). Mado starts you with two of their house charcuterie. As with a Chinese banquet, it takes will power not just to fill on these things. Hell, it takes me will power not to fill up on the radish parsley salad and fig mostarda. I did have room to eat much food.

I took only one portion of the roasted honey-eggplant 'cause that's a dish my wife's working on herself these days. I did eat two of the made from risotto, arancini. My attempt to eat even more helpings of the canelinni beans with boar shank was ruined by them taking the dish away (despite my pleas). I did, I guess, then have room for two helpings of the boar ragu with house made noodles. I only had one plate of salad, shaved fennel, heirloom apples, boar bacon, chestnuts, but who needs more than one plate of salad, but it was a big plate though. I would have liked a few more slices of the spit-roasted boar loin, but then again, I finished both the slices of cake offered while most around me were splitting at that point. Finally, to help drive a point home, I hope, I ate lavish amounts of roasted celery root and sauteed mustard greens. I wanted the house to know these were very much appreciated.

'Cause I pretty much appreciate all that Mado does. Not just the local-seasonal menus, the nose-to-tail eating, but also the enormous generosity of Chefs Rob and Allie Levitt who have been training my wife in the finer points of kitchen science and who also allowed MikeG and I to show the world what a head can taste like.

Non-local Local Event

I post this because I know a few people from Ann Arbor read this blog, a few people might be willing to travel to Ann Arbor, and 'cause I love the La Quercia stuff. This Thursday at Zingerman's:

The King of Cure
INCREDIBLY SPECIAL VISITORS — Herb and Kathy Eckhouse from La Quercia
Thursday, September 18th, 7-9pm, Upstairs Next Door
Call 663-3400 to sign up. $20 in advance. $25 at the door
How do you go from working for a seed company to becoming the foremost artisan producer of cured pork products in the nation? Come to this tasting and ask Herb Eckhouse yourself. While he is telling you his story, you can taste his fantastic cured meats and learn about how they are made. And hear about the 50 hogs they finished on acorns last winter. This is a tasting you don't want to miss.

Like most foodies who have visited Ann Arbor, I would say that Zingerman's is about the best food store in the USA. I will also say that Ari and his gang are both dedicated locavores and supreme Internationalists (what exactly is the opposite of a locavore?). On one hand, Zingerman's understands the inherent goodness of local foods. The Roadhouse features local growers for their produce. On the other hand, Zingerman's is all about bringing in food from around the world. Local is not the domain here. Still, a Midwesterner can be well served to keep his or her blinders secure. Amongst the things this locavore brings home from Zingermans:

• Any of their breads
• Any of their house made cheeses, especially the cream cheese and fresh mozz'
• The aforementioned Iowa Quercia ham
• The made in Grand Rapids Michigan Cream-Nut peanut butter

I wish I could spare a Thursday this Thursday.

No Place Better to Eat - Farm Dinner - Prairie Fruits Farm

KennyZ, an LTHer really has my number. Not that long ago my wife and I went to a food based event presented by the Shriver Center that we learned of from Kenny. Kenny and I are also charter members of the Mado fan club. I had my first Mado meal with him. When Kenny told me about a farm dinner at Prairie Fruits Farm, I think he knew I'd jump at the idea. We had a near ideal dinner on the prairie the other night. (The night also very much possible by the gracious sitting of my parents.)

Prairie Fruits Farms is the off-spring of Wes Jarrell and Leslie Cooperband. As they say on their site, they moved from urban and academic life, to life on the farm. They raise goats, producing farmstead goat cheeses, and they grow fruits including peaches and berries. They are especially committed to local foods. Beyond selling their fresh fruits, they are looking for ways to offer their produce year round through canned goods, freezing and perhaps drying. They also realized that nothing showcases local foos more than eating local food, and there is no place better for eating local food than feet from where it grew (at least some of the meal). Hence the farm dinners. I should also add that at this was a bargain at $65/BYOB.

The night began with very refreshing mason jars of tea made with the farm's peaches and black currents. The day started out cool, but near dinner time, it felt more like Illinois August. The tea fixed a parched throat. With the tea went assorted nibbles. They grilled cheese sandwiches of their Little Bloom on the Prairie goat milk cheese, then accented it with peach chutney and farm harvested honey. They fried squash flowers plus tiny squash, the blossoms stuffed with the freshest of chevre.

Our last pre-bites: corn cakes with andouille sausage from Stan Schute's Triple S Farms with a roasted green chili relish. This could have been a great dinner here.

Momentarily satiated, Wes took us on a small farm tour.

We all gathered around Wes's tractor pulpit including the hens that followed us and the goats that wandered in from their pasture, to hear about farm life and cheese production. That was interesting, but the highlight was Wes teaching us how to pick a fresh peach, about as good a taste as we had all night.

That's not to diminish at all the work of Alisa DeMarco, the farm chef.

I'm more of a fan of chunky gazpacho, but I cannot complain in the least of this pureed version, its strong tomato essence highlighted with a good kick of garlic and touch of hot pepper. Dinner came in large platters. For all the talk of slow food conviviality at the dinner, we went after the food with much gusto. Thus, I never got around to capturing the servings. Instead, see what my first helping looked light--I had much more of everything. We all loved the Country Cottage Farm lamb, but really loved the veg including eggplant agrodulce and roasted heirloom potatoes.

After dinner Kenny hit on the one flaw in the night (I have one other quibble, but I'll get to that in a moment). Our tables were oriented so that half the crowd, the unlucky half, faced the still blazin' prairie sun for most of the dinner. It was hot. It would have made more sense to face the tables the other direction. On the other hand, it meant we got to take in the blazin' prairie sun-set without craning our necks.

Of course there was cheese and then dessert.




We had three house cheeses in a range of ages, with little doo-dads of flavors along side such as currents in gin syrup and honey comb. The finish included their peaches and gelato made from their goat milk. My one quibble of the night, the only food touch that did not work for me; I did not much go for the bits of fresh herbs on the peach pie. Of course, I just picked them aside and ate away.

You all should be inspired by KennyZ's idea.

Eli's Cheesecake Lecture Series Update

My wife and I have been well enjoying the weekly lecture series at Eli's Cheesecake on sustainable entrepreneurship. Last Thursday, Lynn Peemoeler talked about her experience in food policies including urban gardening, starting farmer's markets and eliminating food desserts. The schedule has changed for this week. Instead of organic farmer, Stan Schutte, it's heritage poultry raiser, John Caveny.

He will speak from 1-2 PM. Eli's is located at 6701 W. Forest Park Drive, Chicago, which is not too far from Harlem/Irving.

The Night Local Reigned - Green City BBQ - CLARIFICATION

Department of Whoops

A few nights ago, I raved about the annual Green City Market BBQ. I mentioned in my report how much food I consumed. On LTHForum, Ronnie Suburban confirmed my belief that the fete provided more fare than last year. I believe that food induced coma rattled my mind and weakened my reporting abilities, forcing me to rely too much on stringers, i.e., my daughters.

Any reported sightings of Chef Dean Zanella of 312 Chicago, a locavore chef if the city ever had one (and even more notable for his zero waste and recycling efforts); were mistaken and any reporting that the awesomely cute kidz hawking ice cream at the 312 stand were related to Chef Zanella was also mistaken. Those said kidz went with 312 pastry chef, Kim Schwenke. They do resemble their dad. It's just that their dad is not Dean Z.

Vital Information regrets its errors and blames all on the vast amounts of items he was forced to ingest.

Great Local Event

I've been way remiss in not posting this earlier.

The Oak Park Micro Brew & Food Review, produced by the Downtown Oak Park Association and Seven Generations Ahead, features tastings of 50 craft beers from 15 local microbreweries from across Illinois.

Sample beer from the most skilled craft brew masters. Eat organic food from Oak Park restaurateurs and local farmers. Listen to roving musicians and participate in festive activities that will delight and entertain. Enjoy the new Marion Street shopping area. Admission is $35 and can be purchased at sevengenerationsahead.org.

A VIP pre-event celebration will be held at the new "green" Marion Street Cheese Market, and will include a select craft brew and cheese tasting, a tour of the new facility and its green features, and a welcome from brewmaster extraordinaire, Pete Crowley, president of the IL Craft Brewers Guild; tickets are $65 and include the VIP event and the Oak Park Micro Brew & Food Review.

For more information and ticket purchasing go to here on the Seventh Generation Ahead web site.

The Night Local Reigned - Green City Market BBQ

Once upon time, an erudite culinary historian and linguist with the nom de Internet of Antonious stormed around LTHForum reminding us that the proof was not IN the pudding but rather in the eating of said pudding. Mr. B would agree then, if he attended last night's Green City BBQ that the proof of local came not in the local pudding but in eating said putting, although really we did not have pudding we had cheesecake made from local goat cheese (my pals at Eli's) that was like pudding and sweetened farmer's cheese from Fox & Obel that was pudding-ish (as was the filling in the Spring/Green Zebra/Custom House ravioli). This night was a very worthwhile celebration of all things local, and nothing could convince you more, the local food offered.

Really, this fete has been recorded as the homage du porc, but unlike last year where literally (about) every other stand offered a take on pig belly, I found pork not quite as prevalent. It was more, I believe, the year of the sausage: bunny weiners from Blackbird/Avec, a locavore version of the Chicago hot dog from Four Seasons, a newly emancipated chef at the Peninsula making a foie gras Polish saw-sage; clever square breakfast sausage "sliders" from Iron Chef-testant, Paul Virant's Vie, and my favorite, the Greek flavored pork sausage from Mint Creek Farm served by Prairie Grass Cafe.

I stuffed myself on encased meat. So stuffed, that well past mid-day, I have had nothing to eat beyond coffee (fact: we anticipated this yesterday and cancelled our planned Shabbos "Southern Night*" dinner in light or our need to eat spa food for a bit). Stuffed aside, my favorite foods were not the sausages. For all the efforts of all the chefs, the things that impressed me the most were the La Quercia ham and the sustainably caught hot smoked whitefish from Plitt Seafood. Perhaps because I am so stuffed still, ultimately it was not even the food that most made the night.

The closest I've come before to meeting someone who has inspired so much envy and admiration in me was when my wife and I kinda, sorta intermingled with the sister of Gus Hanson in Las Vegas. Last night I got to meet and schmooze with the most hated one herself, the Washington Island dwelling Martha Bayne. Of course where would I find her, but hanging out with the Death's Door Spirits people. For me it was a chance to meet Martha and also meet, in person at least, my editor at the CTrib, Colin; for one daughter it was the chance to chat up Dale Levitski in the potty line. The real celebrities of the night, the farmer's were in abundance. Look there was Mr. Nichols and Nick and Chad were both espied. Beth Eccles of Green Acres looked very happy as did the Heartland Beef people (why not it tasted delicious). And if the farmers were tops on the list of market heroes, and there were reporters with the best of beats; and chances to meet the Top Chef (and I swear I saw someone who looked like the man with the culinary boner, Andrew); there were also chances to meet with many more top chefs like Bayless and Zanella (fact: your kids are cute AND look a lot like you) and Carrie can't say your last name and Sarah who must just be proud of it all (all except Virant who was face deep in flames) and finally all the bedrock foodies of the city, especially the crew from LTHForum.com. We all got a chance to eat our local. Get your tickets early for next year's event.

*Planned dinner included local collards slow-cooked with local smoked turkey from a Wisconsin farmer; summer squash casserole, pickled beets, etc.

Hear Me Talk Local

Chicago Amplified

Cathy(2) Lambrecht and the Midwest Foodways Alliance provided me a platform (in fact a cool Emerlesque cooking theater) about a month ago to talk local. For those interested in what I said, you can now find the podcast at WBEZ's Chicago Amplified page.

Eat Local Events

Land Connection Summer Abundance Meal

The Land Connection and Va Pensiero (1566 Oak Ave, Evanston, IL) invite you to their Summer Abundance Dinner on July 26 from 6:30 to 10:00 pm. Enjoy a delicious meal created by owner Jeff Muldrow and chef Eric Hammond from fresh, seasonal produce from Henry's Farm, supplied that day from the Evanston Farmer's Market!

Megan Lewis, executive director, and Terra Brockman, founder, will share what The Land Connection is doing to increase the number of sustainable farmers in Illinois and increase the amount of acres being used for local food production. The 3-course menu with wine and hors d'oeurve reception is only $80, all inclusive. A portion of the proceeds will go to support The Land Connection's work. Please call 847-475-7779 to make your reservations today. Limited to 60 guests.

Purple Asparagus's Project Dine Out

August 3, 2008 5:00pm-7:00pm

Join for an evening of music, food and fun at Uncommon Ground on Devon Street. The second Project Dine-Out includes a family-style meal created from locally-sourced ingredients. The menu includes:

Roasted Green Acres Farm Eggplant Salad with Mint Tzaziki & Pita

Zucchini & Carrot Fritters with Capriole Goat Cheese

Gunthorp Farm Pulled Pork with Seedling Farms Cherry BBQ Sauce
on Jalapeno Corn Bread

Asian-Style Heartland Flank Steak with Asian Market Greens, Cucumber & Herbs

House-made Chorizo Empanadas & Smoked Jalapeno Creme

Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta with Fresh Mozzarella

Market Green & Fruit Salad

Dessert Platter

$40.00 for teens and adults, $20.00 for children 5-13. For $10.00 more, adults can purchase a wine, beer or spirit package. To purchase tickets, please visit Brown Paper Tickets.

Uncommon Ground is located at 1401 West Devon Street, Chicago

Eat Local, Save the Earth

Terra Talks Toxic

Last week we stumbled into the terrific program being offered at Eli's Cheesecake. Right now it's basically my wife and I, plus the kidz from Chicago Ag School. You should come too. We got a great talk yesterday from Ms. Brockman of the Land Connection as well as a few sage words from Joel Smith of Slow Food (whose pitch of eating well while doing good finally has my wife seeking to join, and if she wants to do it, guess who won't be far behind). Terra talked local. Her vehicle, the tale of two farms. She contrasted battery egg production and other industrial farming against her brother's organic farm. She offered much, in a witty and engaging way, but what I most took from the hour was that eating local was even better for the environment than I thought.

OK, I'll say that I am pretty familiar with the ills of factory farming. I'm aghast at the idea of a huge penned milk line going up in Western Illinois. Still, when I've thought about local and the earth, including in my recent speeches, I've focused almost wholly on food miles. And when I try to think of other environmental reasons for local, I tend to think of the lack of packaging in my CSA box. Terra fully reminded me of a range of problems with standard ag.

Battery eggs, the slightly nicer term for caged in total confinement is gross in many ways. Think about that again, caged in total confinement. It is also bad for the earth. These factories produce huge amounts of, well, chicken shit. The shit as well as the occasional chicken that cannot handle the heat (so to speak) get poured into a brew known as the lagoon. Regs require these pits of animal hell to be sealed and otherwise set off, but of course it does not always work that way. This toxic water finds its way to where it's not supposed to be. Terra also talked about the typical industrial ammonia based fertilizer, which is really a off-shoot of petrochemicals--she cited some numbers of the amount of natural gas that is needed to make fertilizer. I did not write it down, but believe me when I say, a lot. Again, you have problems of run-off and seepage. She showed a picture of a sign in a Wisconsin farming community cafe, where the denizens were warned that the local water was not safe for the young and infirm...because of the nitrate stew of washed off fertilizer, unsaid in the warning. She ended her talk with the notion that no human activity causes more earthly harm than the production of food.

Wait you say. Terra's brother Henry, is an aberration. His farm is totally solar powered. He rides to the market in a biodiesel powered truck. The only fossil fuels he encounters occur at the locker where his chickens are processed. That's not local, that's a freak. 'Tis true. It's not like there are not factory farms that are local to me. I love the foodstuffs at Fair Oaks Dairy, hate the farming practices. My response would be that local, local food, locavore, means more than just food within my foodshed, food grown or produced near me. It means getting my food from the places I want. Making choices about my food. Choosing my farmer. Knowing my farmer. If you question anything Terra said, go visit the farm this weekend. She reminded me that there's more to local than good food.

Sustainable Agriculture Entreneurship - Eli's Cheesecake Factory

During the summer, a farmer's market--not a big one, but one at least--occurs at the Eli's Cheesecake Factory on Thursdays. This year, they are also running a lecture series with some great speakers on local and sustainable. Last week, my wife and I stumbled on the chance to hear Lloyd Nichols explain how he got started. Hint: when the other kidz were playing ball, he was tending his garden.

This week (7/10/08) is Terra Brockman of the Land Connection. She will speak from 1-2 PM. Eli's is located at 6701 W. Forest Park Drive, Chicago, which is not too far from Harlem/Irving.

Upcoming lectures all from 1-2PM:

7/17/08 - Lynn Peemoeller, an urban foods planner

7/24/08 - Stan Schutte, of the organic Triple S Farm

7/31/08 - John Caveny, raiser of heritage poultry (as well as lamb and beef)

8/7/08 - Donna and Natasha Lehrer, founders of Illinois Green Pastures Fiber Co-op.

Eli's has a stand selling lunches with market produce. Last week they made paella.

PS
As I wrote this, I found out that we're having a bit of car problems. I still hope to be there tomorrow, but even if I cannot make it, you should go.

PPS
The factory itself has great deals on imperfect cheesecakes as well as samples galore. That alone is practically worth the visit.

PPPS
Is it really true that our President said the problem with the French is that they have no word for entrepreneurship?

Be a Locavore, Put More Local on Your Table

Discussion at Kendall College, June 14 2008 - 10 AM

The Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance was kind enough to provide me a lectern on June 14 to discuss all things local. Details of the event can be found here. Hope to see you all there!

LAST MINUTE - CHANCE TO BE HEARD - TODAY (MAY 20)

Sorry for the last minute-ness of this, but I only got the word on this late yesterday.

The Illinois General Assembly created a "Food & Farms Task Force to further the cause of local eating in this state. In other words, trying to better hook up non-commodity farmers in the state with consumers of their food. The Task Force has scheduled “Listening sessions” at various locations statewide to gather recommendations from the public on production, infrastructure, public access, public education, and economic benefits that can be derived from Illinois farmers directly serving the needs of their neighbors. They need input!

There are two listening sessions TODAY May 20, 2008.

- Hull House Museum on the UIC campus, 800 S. Halsted, 12noon to 1:30pm, as part of their Rethinking Soup series (free soup!)

- DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., Room 8005, 3pm to 5pm, http://www.chicagofoodpolicy.org/events.htm

My wife and I are going to attend the session at Hull House. And a trip to Hull House is never complete, no, with a trip to nearby Manny's. We plan on being at Manny's around 11 AM and then walking to Hull House. We would love for anyone to join us at this last minute call to action (or for an early sandwich).

Here's the link to the Task Force for more info. Those who cannot attend in person can submit written comments at any time prior to July 15, 2008 to Debbie Hillman, dlhillman@sbcglobal.net (or call 847-328-7175 for mailing address).