Jan Norris: Food and Florida Online

The West Palm Beach co-op model is copied in Delray Beach

On Saturday, residents in South Palm Beach County will get their own food co-op – a helping hand to get fresh fruits and vegetables and other staples at a deep discount. The Rise and Shine Food Co-Op in Delray Beach is a project run by a grant to the Boys & Girls Club, Palm Beach County, from the Quantum Foundation.

Twice monthly, residents who sign up receive three bags of fresh produce, bread, and household staples for $30.

There is no restriction on who is eligible. 

Read all about it in my story in the Broward New Times. 

What: Rise and Shine Food Co-Op Kick-off

Where: Naoma Donnelly Boys and Girls Club, 1451 S.W. Seventh St., Delray Beach

When: 8 a.m. Saturday, March 6

Cost: $30 a month to participate, plus a one-time $10 administrative fee

Details: Must order in advance by noon Friday, March 5; hereafter, on the Thursday before delivery, which is the first and third Saturdays of every month.

For more information or to place order: Call 561-279-0251.

Henry's turkey meatloaf/photo by Jim Rassol, Sun Sentinel staff

In my You Asked for It! column today in the Sun Sentinel, I give the recipe for the best turkey meatloaf — ever. It’s from John Bellame, of Henry’s in Delray Beach. It’s the best recipe I’ve published and tested yet for the column.

True confession: I don’t like ground turkey. But combining dark and light turkey meat and grinding them together give the meatloaf the flavor depth and moisture it needs to elevate this. It’s darn good!

The turkey meatloaf recipe

I’m reprinting it here for my food readers, but you can find it and others I’ve written about – including the cannoli filling from Joseph’s Classic Market –  today on the Sentinel web site.

Henry’s Turkey Meatloaf

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
• 1 cup small dice Spanish onion
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 cups cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
• 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
• 2 pounds freshly ground turkey, dark and light meats

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and garlic; sauté until soft, but and slightly caramelized, but not overcooked. Remove vegetables from pan to a large mixing bowl. Return pan to heat and add remaining tablespoon of oil. Add mushrooms and sauté, carmelizing slightly. Put mushrooms into vegetable bowl and cool to room temperature.

Once cool enough to handle, add remaining ingredients and mix well with hands.

Form mixture into a loaf shape, about 4 inches in diameter. Wrap loaf in parchment paper and place in a 9-by-12 inch baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until completely cooked throughout. (Internal temperature should reach 155 degrees F.) Cool slightly before unwrapping.

Slice and serve with turkey gravy (recipe follows) and mashed potatoes.

Makes 8 servings.

(Recipe courtesy Chef John Bellame, Henry’s restaurant in Delray Beach, FL.)

You can tell a serious chef and cook from an amateur – by picking up their knives and doing some chopping.

True chefs and cooks keep their knives as sharp as when they left the factory, and pride themselves on keeping them that way. They know that unsharp knives are the most dangerous tool in a kitchen.

Bourdain proves it

Bourdain at 2008 fest

I was at the South Beach Wine and Food fest yesterday, and watched Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain cook. The first thing Bourdain did when he picked up a knife, without even thinking about it, and while talking about something else, was to thumb the blade - it was as natural a movement as he followed with: slicing a shallot in seconds, thin as paper.

Will a sharp knife let you cook like Bourdain or Ripert or Lagasse or Beard? If you buy Shun knives, or Henckels or Kai,  or Wusthoff’s, will that make you a good cook?

Not even close! And especially if you don’t take care of the knives.

But from 10-3 today, you can do ONE thing that the pro chefs do and do it as well: Have your knives sharpened professionally. By someone who has a wheel, the correct angling device and experience!!!

Bring your chef knives today ONLY to Sharp N Fix –  at Brown Baggin It Sandwich Shop, 934 Park Ave., Lake Park. (Take Northlake to 10 Avenue – that’s the lower end of Alt. A1A), turn south and go to Park Avenue. It’s next door to abandoned Rosita’s grocery store.) John will be outdoors on the deck: You can have a great sandwich or salad while you wait.
Call 573-382-4072 for more info.

The Slow Foods Glades to Coast chapter meets tonight for a sample-taste menu from Chef Joey Giannuzzi of the Green Gourmet.

It’s an inexpensive way to sample a lot of the chef’s foods, drink some organic wines and meet interesting people who are passionate about moving away from “corporate food” and keeping meals real and foods sustainable, and the earth green. All worthy goals – do your share as a food lover.

Chef Giannuzzi, formerly with Henry’s,  is someone to watch — he’s as passionate about flavors as the mission statements, so don’t expect bland foods – his dishes are gourmet, but comprised of nearly all organic and sustainable products. The take-out part of his shop serves on corn-based biodegradeable containers. He practices what he’s selling in other words.

Slow Foods Scene at the Green Gourmet

• Saturday (Feb. 27), 5 p.m. cash bar – organic wines or microbrews; 6 p.m. dine-around
• 16950 Jog Road (in Addison Place), Delray Beach
• Phone: 561-455-2466; www.thegreengourmetdelray.com
• Tickets (Pay at door):  $25 members of Slow Food; $35 non members

and 1 glass of Live A Little Organic Fairtrade White Wine or Montes Sustainably Grown Cabernet

or Organic Jasmine Peach Tea

All inclusive – Tax, Gratuity and donation to SF Community Projects

Cash Bar—5.00 wine by the glass & selection of Micro Brews or fresh juices

Stop by and meet others interested in changing our food system, creating a more healthy sustainable South Florida and having a great time doing it.

Learn about Slow Food.

Pay at the door.

http://thegreengourmetdelray.com/

JOEY GIANNUZZI, FORMER EXECUTIVE CHEF AT HENRY’S IN DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA, OPENED THE GREEN GOURMET, AT ADDISON PLACE IN DELRAY BEACH, ON NOVEMBER 2, 2009

Delray Beach, FL — Local foodies are buzzing about the opening of Chef/Owner Joey Giannuzzi’s The Green Gourmet — an upscale fast-casual eatery that serves up organic gourmet comfort food — which debuted on November 2, 2009, at Addison Place in Delray Beach, Florida. Giannuzzi developed a loyal following at his former post — as the Executive Chef at Henry’s in Delray Beach — where plenty of devoted fans used to line-up to dine at the restaurant during his eight-year tenure from 2000 – 2008.

The Green Gourmet is a novel concept — this innovative eatery serves up extraordinarily delicious dishes, which are comprised almost exclusively of high-quality organic ingredients, which are healthy for diners.

Giannuzzi notes, “By opening The Green Gourmet, I am able to realize my dream of bringing delicious, organic gourmet food, to my guests. I am thrilled to be pursuing my passion by combining flavorful, healthy options that are affordable and accessible.”

Chef Joey is passionately devoted to creating dishes that are comprised of ingredients that are 98 percent organic, all natural, or biodynamic. It is also important, to note, that all protein, fruit, and vegetables here are organic. Additionally, The Green Gourmet features a “scratch” kitchen — all sauces, dressings, soups, soup stocks, etc. are house-made by Chef Joey and Chef Fernando Lemus. Furthermore, this talented duo is making their own mozzarella and ricotta cheese. It is important to note that there is no fryer at The Green Gourmet.

Some food message boards aren’t worth the trouble it takes to call up because of the comments. (Some people simply shouldn’t own computers… or stoves, either.)

 I like ones that deliver and have useful conversations that make me want to try unusual things or new techniques. The Chow Home Cooking board is one of the more engaging ones I read.

This week, they discussed one of my favorite recipes: Salsa Couscous Chicken – now known as Million-Dollar-Chicken, since it won the big-buck prize for Ellie Matthews in the Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1998 in Dallas. (Click the title to get the recipe and more about it.) I’ve made this countless times and use its components otherwise – for slow-cooked pork ribs or beef shortribs. Boy howdy, my mouth is watering just thinking about this. It’s all due to the new words for taste: Flavor profile. This one is sweet, savory and simply unctuous. Surprising low-cal, too.

To get in on it, go to Chow, then sign up for the Chow Home Cooking Newsletter Digest sent to your email. Contact them by emailing newsletters@chow.online.com

Once a week, they drop the digest with a few graphs and teases with links in your mailbox, and lead you to recipes and discussions that in turn lead to a bunch of variations you hadn’t thought of. Sometimes, they tangent off, but it’s all home cooking.

Delicious Good Friday reading!