Chefs Collaborative

This Wednesday, the next Trawl to Table event will go down in Portland, Maine and we want to make sure you know about – and can participate if you’re a Maine-based chef!

Below is more information on Trawl to Table from the Gulf of Maine Research Center:

The next Trawl to Table Event will be held at the Maritime Gloucester on April 10, 2013 from 8:30-4:30PM. This event is for fishermen and food service professionals.

Space is limited and please R.S.V.P. with Patty Collins: patty@gmri.org or (207) 228-1625.

Trawl to Table Background from Gulf of Maine Research Center’s website:

In the spring of 2010, GMRI hosted an initial Trawl to Table event that connected local chefs and restaurant owners with local fishermen. Along with GMRI’s Gear Technologist, Steve Eayrs, the fishermen presented the latest information on gear types, fishing selectivity, habitat impacts, and bycatch with the forum’s participants, and even prepared a redfish lunch for attendees (read more in GMRI’s newsletter, Tidings).

On June 26, 2012, GMRI hosted a second Trawl to Table event* that expanded on the 2010 event. The 2012 event brought together 20 restaurant and seafood industry representatives and 12 fishermen for a day-long forum. The first part of the day included interactive fishing gear displays provided by Vincent Balzano (F/V North Star) and GMRI’s Gear Research Team, as well as presentations and discussions on quality handling techniques and strategies for sustainability from New Hampshire Sea Grant and GMRI.

Chefs from Sea Glass at Inn by the Sea and The Salt Exchange prepared a pollock and squid lunch for the group. The pollock was harvested from the Gulf of Maine and donated by North Atlantic, Inc., while the squid was harvested off of Richmond Island, Maine and donated by George Parr from Upstream Trucking.

During the second half of the day, attendees visited docked fishing vessels, the Portland Fish Exchange, and North Atlantic Seafood to explore and discuss the intricacies of the seafood supply chain.

A third Trawl to Table was hosted in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on October 23, 2012, and followed a similar approach, with a focus on New Hampshire’s fishing and restaurant community.

With the public comment period on genetically engineered (GE) salmon coming to an end this month, we want to invite you to add your voice to the growing community of individuals and organizations concerned about the impacts of GE salmon.

The story is, AquAdvantage transgenic salmon is the first GE animal intended for the food supply, yet the human health impacts of eating these GE fish are essentially unknown. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its draft assessment about the impact of GE salmon in December – but this study does not adequately examine the risks posed by the potential commercialization of the first GE food animal.

Luckily, we can do something.

We are asking chefs, food professionals, and restauranteurs to sign onto a letter to FDA Commissioner Hamburg. The letter expresses our concern about GE salmon, presses for much more rigorous GE salmon analysis, and states that any GE salmon that may be sold in the future must be adequately labeled.

Please read the letter, and add your name by April 15.

The comment period ends April 20, and we’ll be sending signatures to Congress soon. Please add your voice!

Q&A with Chefs Collaborative Cookbook contributor, Chef William Dissen of The Market Place Restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina

You can find Chef Dissen’s recipe for Pork Tenderloin with Bacon and Blackberry Peach Chutney on page 144 of The Chefs Collaborative Cookbook.

Chef William Dissen of The Market Place Restaurant, Asheville, NC. Photo: Matt Rose

Why are you a member of Chefs Collaborative?

Chefs Collaborative has grown into a unique network of chefs and producers that are all passionate about creating food that produced in a sustainable way. This might mean different things to different people – using local produce and meats, operating in a LEED certified building, advocating healthy foods, etc. – but the underlying meaning is we care about the way people eat and as the “middle man” to the end consumer we take a keen responsibility about the food we bring to the table.

I have been a member of Chefs Collaborative for all these reasons, but for me it’s also a unique place to meet and collaborate with other chefs to learn about how the sustainable ways they are running their businesses. I’ve grown my network and had the opportunity to brainstorm with other great chefs and grow ideas from the collaboration.

What was your introduction to sustainability in the kitchen?

I worked at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, CA under Chef Jamie West while on my externship from the CIA (Hyde Park). At the Ranch they kept a large organic garden and citrus orchard. I remember asking Chef West where to find thyme for a recipe and he told me to get a pair of garden shears and “head outside”. The memory of using garden-fresh produce sticks with me still today. Fresh flavors and bright colors straight from the garden.

Starting out, was there a chef whose career you admired and wanted to imitate?

Chef Donald Barickman, former executive chef and owner of Magnolia, Blossom & Cypress Restaurants in Charleston, SC, was my mentor and friend and advisor as I was advancing in my career. He was keen on advancing and using Southern heritage ingredients before it was the fashionable thing to do.

What size restaurant do you operate?

The Market Place Restaurant is 120-seats with a 32-seat bar and 20-seat outside patio.

Market Place Bar

How would you describe your restaurant?

The Market Place Restaurant is a “New American Farm to Table Restaurant”. We focus on using ingredients grown or raised within 100 miles of the restaurant. When we can’t find local, we source from the most sustainable purveyors possible.

How do you apply sustainable practices on a daily basis?

We are a partner with the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project and with the Monterey Bay Aquarium‘s Seafood Watch. So, we strive to provide our guests with fresh and sustainable produce, meats, and seafood. We also use thermal solar panels to heat our hot water, we compost, we recycle, we recycle our fryer oil for biodiesel, and our restaurant features many reused or recycled metal and wood accents and pieces of art and furniture.

What’s your framework for making choices?

Local whenever possible, always sustainable. To me sustainability means fresh, well produced food and ingredients. When a producers states that they are “sustainable” they are showing that they care about the bigger picture.

Can you describe one sustainability challenge you’ve overcome?

Our biggest challenge was always with seafood. Long before my involvement with the Seafood Watch I was demanding more transparency from my fishmongers. We would order a distinct species of fish and would sometimes receive a similar, but different type of fish. I finally had enough so I withdrew my sales from a few different purveyors. They would hound me to ask me for my business, but I refused until they would list the sustainable fish on their order guides. It came down to money. I did some calculating from my financial statements and showed them how much we were spending annually on seafood. I told them that they would have my return business if they could show me more transparency about the seafood I was ordering and about its sustainability rating. It took some time, but eventually their order guides started to note their sustainable species of fish and shellfish.

What do you still have to conquer?

We are fortunate to have such a unique network of farms and artisan producers in the Asheville, NC area. Our biggest challenge is to create more local whole animal processors to cut down on the carbon footprint of processing our livestock in this region. If we had more local whole animal processing facilities, then we would be able to help the farmers cut their costs and keep local dollars in our region without having to haul livestock hundreds of miles away.

Describe what you do in terms of community outreach?

• I am on the culinary advisory board for Asheville Buncombe Technical School’s Culinary Institute
• I am a culinary advisor to Rainbow in My Tummy nutritional enrichment centers and early care and educational centers in Western North Carolina.
• I work with the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project as a restaurant partner and also as a chef partner with their Growing Minds Program to educate school age children about the importance of eating healthy, local food.
• I work with the Asheville Chamber of Commerce with their Convention Visitors Bureau and Economic Development Coalition and in 2012 they honored me as “40 Under 40″ in the Asheville Business Community.

How do you use social media?

I use Facebook and Twitter to reach out to my customers to inform them about updates, news, and specials for The Market Place Restaurant.

What are your five favorite ingredients right now?

It’s Spring – wild ramps, “green” strawberries, spring onions, radishes, and morel mushrooms.

What are your favorite food combinations?

My wife was born and raised in India, so I love good Indian food. Curried Okra (bhindi masala) with a saffron rice pilaf, yogurt & cilantro chutney is so bright and flavorful.

What would you eat for your last meal?

That’s a loaded question, but here is an answer I’ve given to a few folks recently:

• Kumamoto Oysters on the half shell with a little caviar and a squeeze of lemon
• A bowl of homemade tortilla chips with fresh guacamole
• A dry-aged ribeye rubbed with good sea salt and cracked black pepper wood grilled and served with duck fat french fries, homemade ketchup, and a butter lettuce salad with a simple vinaigrette and Roquefort blue cheese
• Dessert would be a few truffles from Pierre Hermes and a glass of Pappy van Winkle 20-year bourbon

There are just a few days left to register for the 2013 Earth Dinners. If you’re contemplating signing up, but not sure how you can be a part of it – fear not – it’s up to you how you participate! And we have some awesome ideas to share with you, no matter what type of business you are.

1. Host a one-day event.

• Local Roots Restaurant in Roanoke, VA is hosting a Meet the Farmers Spring Lamb and Wild-Foraged Dinner on April 18. Their dinner will showcase local farmers who raise the lamb being served, as well as locally-foraged greens. Read more about their dinner…
• Farmers Fishers Bakers in Washington, DC is hosting a one-day event on Earth Day with a multi-course menu of food and beer pairings, featuring brews from Long Trail Brewing Company.

2. Host a week-long, or month-long, menu item.

• jm Curleys in Boston, MA is re-thinking “junk food” from April 1 through May 31. They’ll be taking some of America’s best-known junk food items, and re-doing them with local, sustainable (and dare we say healthier!) ingredients. From “velveeta” cheese of local Vermont cheddar, to jelly donuts with local bacon fat. Mmmm, indulgence never tasted so good!
• Uncommonground on Devon in Chicago, IL is offering a chef’s 3-course seasonal tasting menu for $35 from April 17 through April 24.. Their menu will feature the best spring products from their wide collection of midwest farm and ranch partners.
• From April 23-26, Seattle Culinary Academy students will prepare lunches featuring Northwest wild, artisan, and locally grown ingredients from Northwest producers.

3. Challenge your restaurant to do something new.

• Enzo Restaurant & Bar in Newburyport, MA is taking an all-new local challenge and will be serving food sourced from less than 50 miles from the restaurant for the entire week leading up to Earth Day! This includes all fats, salts, and so on. We can’t wait to hear more from Chef Mary Reilly.
• Steve & Cookies by the Bay in Margate, NJ will be creating Earth-conscious dinner specials using locally-grown organic produce. Their specials’ proceeds will go to Chefs Collaborative.

4. Not a restaurant? You can participate too – and do what works for you!

• Several professional cooks are hosting private, or public, Earth Dinner cooking classes.
• Forest Ridge School in Bellevue, WA is hosting an Earth Dinner lunch.
• Shorewood Culinary Arts in Shoreline, WA is hosting an Earth Dinner boxed lunch.
• Grand Central Bakery is hosting an “Eat, Cook, Bake Like it’s Earth Day Everyday”Campaign. Since they’re not a restaurant, they’ve found that promoting the challenge to source food sustainably year-round was the best idea for them.
• Fortune Fish is challenging the restaurants it works with to register for Earth Dinners (what a great idea!)
• Cuisine en Locale is hosting an Earth Dinner event through its ONCE a Week share. Their clients will be able to purchase shares to feed their families throughout the week, or buy multiple shares and host an all-local Earth Dinner party in their own homes.

We’re impressed with all of these ideas, and can’t wait to see what you come up with, too. Make sure you register as soon as possible!

If you have any questions about Earth Dinners, please contact our Program Manager Alisha Fowler: 617-236-5200 or alisha@chefscollaborative.org.

Today, Chefs Collaborative Executive Director Melissa Kogut sat down with Erin Fairbanks of Heritage Radio Network in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

From our Seafood Solutions programs, to the newly released Cookbook - they explored Chefs Collaborative’s beginnings, and where we are today!

Click above to listen to the show!

Ellen Jackson graduated from New England Culinary Institute and spent 12 years as a pastry chef in some of the best kitchens in Portland, OR. After her stint in restaurants, Ellen combined her love of food and words to create a new career for herself. She writes about and styles food for books, magazines, websites and television, develops and tests recipes and consults for local, sustainably-minded restaurant and food service clients. In addition to writing The Chefs Collaborative Cookbook, she is the coauthor of The Grand Central Baking Book and developed recipes for The Paley’s Place Cookbook and Weber’s Way to Grill. Ellen is a longtime Slow Food Portland steering committee member and a Portland Farmers Market board member.

Portland-based writer and food stylist Ellen Jackson (and pup).

What made you decide to write the book with Chefs Collaborative?

When I learned about the project, I felt like it would be a perfect fit for my experience as a cook and writer, and my passion for advocating for a more sustainable food system. I’ve been involved with Chefs Collaborative on and off for around 15 years. Greg Higgins, who sat on the national board and led the Portland chapter, introduced me to the organization when I was his pastry chef. At the time, local meetings took place in the bar at Higgins one Sunday morning per month, when I was working. I would try to arrange my day so that everything was out of the oven and I could sit in on the meetings.

When I left restaurant kitchens to focus on writing, I quickly realized that I am drawn to food issues and the broader implications of what and how we feed ourselves. At that point, I reengaged with Chefs Collaborative, this time from a slightly different perspective. To view food through this lens feels most meaningful to me, and gives me a sense that I might be able to make a difference in the social, environmental and economic challenges facing our food system by educating others about them.

What was the process like working with 115 different chefs from all over the country and Canada?

Organizing 115 chefs and their recipes was a bit like, well, herding chefs. Definitely a challenge. Between the chefs on the cookbook committee, CC executive director Melissa Kogut, our editor Carolyn Mandarano and myself, we came up with a vast and dynamic pool of culinary genius from which to draw content for the book. There were lots of spreadsheets involved, and endless emails and phone calls made by myself and others. We had to be patient and persistent when requesting recipes, clarification and feedback on suggested changes. And yet it was rarely as frustrating as you might imagine, in part because I realized how much better prepared I was to do the job having worked in professional kitchens. I knew what to expect, how hard to push and when to give up and move on. The list of chefs and recipes evolved and changed over time, to create a balance. We wanted the recipes to be representative of Chefs Collaborative regionally, of foods seasonally, and to strike a nice balance between very straightforward preparations, and recipes for more advanced and/or adventurous cooks.

Tacos with Greens in Green Garlic Mojo from Chef Rick Bayless, pg. 70 in The Chefs Collaborative Cookbook. Photo: Gentl & Hyers

How does this book differ from other cookbooks on the market?

The greatest difference between this book and most other collections of recipes from professional chefs is the amount of complementary information. There are loads of lists and practical tips that provide a framework for participating in a food system that respects the environment and all of its inhabitants. Yet none of the information overshadows the appealing recipes and gorgeous photos, which celebrate the bounty of delicious foods around us, and–hopefully–make readers want to cook and eat.

What kind of feedback are you getting?

The feedback we’re getting has been very positive, and so gratifying! I suspect that those of us who were especially closely involved lost our perspective on occasion–I know I did. There was never a time that I didn’t believe in the project, or feel extremely proud of the shape it was taking. To hear from our contributors and customers who’ve purchased the book that it’s everything we hoped it would be is thrilling. We’re fortunate to have the seemingly limitless support of our publisher, The Taunton Press. Everyone there is absolutely committed to marketing the book and getting recognition for it. They’ve done an awesome job, and knowing how much is still in the PR pipeline, in terms of appearances, reviews, reprints and the like, I’d say we’re in a strong position.

You tested all of the recipes. What was that like?

Again, I’m glad I went into this with my eyes open, and a good knowledge of kitchen equipment, techniques used by professional cooks, chef-speak and their inclination to put off writing a recipe. It’s contrary to what most chefs do, sitting in front of a computer, trying to convert something that comes together organically into a very specific set of ingredients and instructions. I relied heavily on my own experience in the kitchen and developing recipes, to translate techniques, ingredients and kitchen tools into a familiar language, one that resonates with home cooks.

But there were also plenty of recipes from chefs who have published their own books, contributed recipes to magazines and newspapers, or make a habit of providing their cooks with recipes. So, for every recipe that sent me or one of my testers back into the kitchen to double and triple check, or that needed a major editorial overhaul, there was one that worked beautifully out of the gate, and read more or less as a well written recipe should.

The photographs are beautiful. Tell us about the photo shoot.

As a food stylist, I was thrilled to have the chance to go New York for the photo shoot. The week was beautifully orchestrated, from a crack team of cooks and assistants led by food stylist Rebecca Jurkevich to the photography team of wife Andrea Gentl and husband Martin Hyers, to tables piled high with of gorgeous linens, vintage cutlery, delicate glassware, interesting surfaces, plates and platters. There was a team from Taunton Press there, who kept everything true to the artistic vision for the book, and I made sure the food was just so, since I’d tested and formatted the recipes we were shooting.

It’s no small feat to gather that number of people, unite their goals and meet an aggressive deadline–especially since New York City labor laws around overtime required us to be out of the studio space we were renting by 5:30 pm each day. All-nighters weren’t even an option. Over 5 days, the team came up with 50 recipe shots and all of the other photos you see in the book, like the cover and end pages, chapter openers, etc. The experience certainly made me aspire to reach for greater heights in my food styling career!

What were some of your favorite recipes from The Chefs Collaborative Cookbook?

I’ve probably made the Miso-Marinated Black Cod the most–it’s super simple and delicious–but I love Indian food and flavors in all forms, and think about the Pumpkin Curry most often and most fondly though I’ve made it fewer times.

Last question – what would you choose for your Last Meal?

Given the above, it might not surprise you that my last meal should include a simple masala dal with naan bread and a spicy tadka, the braised mustard greens with cilantro and ginger from Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors, and peach pie for dessert. I never seem to get much beyond that, in terms of menu planning, but I’d be perfectly happy if that was it. And maybe some cooling full fat Greek yogurt on the side.

A few more images from The Chefs Collaborative Cookbook. Photos: Gentl & Hyers.

Early this week, we had a Q&A session with a seasoned Earth Dinner participant, Diane Elliot of Local Roots – A Farm to Table Restaurant in Roanoke, Virginia. In the post below, she outlines her fantastic plans for a special Earth Dinner event at Local Roots on April 18. She also has some advice to share with new Earth Dinner restaurants. Read on!

What are you planning to do this year for Earth Dinners?

Photo from Local Roots website, credit: David Hungate

Diane of Local Roots: For our April 18 Earth Dinner, we are planning a Meet the Farmers Spring Lamb and Wild-Foraged Dinner. The farmer and wife who raise the lamb for us will be at the restaurant with slides on a computer screen showing their farm and operation and they will be answering questions about raising lamb and generally being ambassadors for raising livestock in an organic, caring way that respects who they are as animals.

With our lamb we will be featuring such foraged items as purslane, wood sorrel, dandelion greens, violets, ramps, nettles, wild garlic, “creasy greens” (dry land cress), and whatever else we can find that Mother Nature gives us. The event begins at 6 pm with a reception, open bar, and lamb appetizers.

At 6:30 we will sit down to a four-course dinner which will include lamb heart for first course and lamb loin for third course. These will be accompanied by the various foraged plants we have found and some garden-grown spring veggies from our nearby restaurant garden. The dinner is priced at $48. We will have wine-pairings available.

The menu will be available on our website soon: localrootsrestaurant.com. We do not always know very far ahead what exactly we will be offering as we are seasonal and what is in season dictates what we serve.

What inspired you to do a dinner like this?

Diane: I have been reading more and more about wild-foraged foods and thought it would be fun to have a dinner featuring what we can find around here. I like to open new horizons for people, taking them to a new place in understanding what is around them and helping them connect to what is real.

Also, it is part of our mission to educate people about what is available locally and seasonally. This includes what is right around them, even in their own yards. I hope the dinner will encourage people to look at what they already have as “weeds” in their yards and fields and to discontinue poisonous applications to their yards so they can eat what is there. All plants have a purpose. 

We wanted to have this last year and planned it for May, but due to an unseasonably warm spring, there was not enough to have such a dinner in May. So, we planned it earlier for this year to coincide with the Earth Dinner dates and, alas, it is an unseasonably cool spring. So, we shall see what we come up with!

Whatever you do, it is an opportunity to draw attention to what you are doing, your mission, and raise people’s awareness of eating locally and sustainably.

Chefs Collaborative is proud to recognize members in our network who are finalists for the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards. We are delighted to see so many members of Chefs Collaborative nominated for awards this year.

This is a guest post from Michael Virga, Executive Director of the US Composting Council (USCC).

We love the mission of Chef’s Collaborative to provide its members with information and resources to help foster a more sustainable food supply, strengthen the connection to nature, and support local economies.

One of the most impactful ways to accomplish all three is through the composting of organic residuals and by using compost! According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), food residuals are now the #1 material that goes into landfills and incinerators. And food residuals from restaurants make up 15% of all of the food that ends up in landfills.

The US Composting Council (USCC) invites members of Chefs Collaborative to participate in a new campaign where you can get involved with local community gardens and food pantries to grow a million tomatoes for needy families. The USCC is a national, non-profit trade and professional organization promoting the recycling of organic materials through composting. Visit www.buy-compost.com to learn more about the Million Tomato Compost campaign and to find out how you can participate in your own community.

Many of you already practice responsible food scrap disposal in your own restaurants. If not, there’s never been a better time to start. To help you get started, refer to these best-practice tips prepared by the USCC: www.buy-compost.com.

The USCC is proud to help close the loop by using the finished compost that food scraps helped create. It’s a great campaign and we would encourage all of you to join Chef’s Collaborative, AmpleHarvest.org, the American Community Gardening Association and renowned chef Nathan Lyon, in introducing Americans to the value of compost.

Why Use Compost?

• Compost grows healthier, bigger plants
• Compost builds healthy soil
• Compost reduces chemical fertilizer needs
• Compost holds water and reduces runoff
• Compost is, by its nature, a local and sustainable product

What Can I Do?

• Be aware! Measure everything you’re throwing away so you can diagnose problems, set baselines and dig into what’s driving the waste.
• Strive for 100% utilization! Between 4-10% of all food purchased by restaurants is wasted before it even hits the plate. Vegetable scraps can be used for soups; meat scraps for meatloaf. Use the whole animal whenever possible.
• Don’t throw it away! Anything organic (anything that used to be alive) can be chucked in a compost bin. This also includes clean or soiled coffee filters, pizza boxes, paper cups or plates, paper napkins/towels or wooden chopsticks.
• Close the Loop! Go to www.buy-compost.com and sign up for the Million Tomato Compost Campaign. There you can look for participating community gardens in your area who are interested in teaming up with chefs like you! Hold a cooking demo or talk about sustainable food with a local school. They’ll provide the marketing tools and templates, but it’s up to you how you want to use them!

The Chefs Collaborative Cookbook, published by The Taunton Press, is now available for purchase nationwide! We could not be more thrilled.