James Beard Award Side Note
May 3, 2009 farming, missouri, sustainable agriculture
And as a little side note…
The specific James Beard Award Kristen Hinman won was Newspaper Feature Writing Without Recipes. Two other people were also given the award, and I think it’s a particularly telling thing about where we are at the moment as a nation of carnivores, that another one of the winners, Monica Eng, won for an article she wrote for the Chicago Tribune that also dealt with humanely raised pork. Even more telling: it was another Missouri farm, Newman Farm, she mostly wrote about.
Amongst the horrors of confined pork in the Midwest (and to be sure, there is a lot in our state) Missouri has a group of smaller farms going out of their way to make sure things are happening the right way.
Monica Eng’s article, Morality Bites, about her personal need to face the death of her food head on, is also worth reading if you find yourself with a little free time.
Also, some of us will soon be able to taste products made with Newman Farm pork as Mark Sanfilippo has purchased some for his Salume Beddu guanciale.
Tags: James Beard Award, Mark Sanfilippo, Monica Eng, Newman Farm, pork, Salume Beddu
Notes
Oct 5, 2008 St. Louis, books, farmers' markets, groceries, offal watch, restaurants
1. I spotted hardback copies of one of my favorite foodie books, The Apprentice
It’s hard to imagine a time when people were attempting to make chain food that actually stood up to some level of high standards.
2. Guanciale. Salume Beddu was slinging some made with Fararr Out Farm Berkshire jaws at Tower Grove recently and it is delicious.
Toast some good bread, render some up like lardons, and top it with arugula and a fried egg cooked in the rendered fat for the ultimate (and fast) after-work snack.
3. Grits. I’d been unimpressed by Revival’s in the past, but this week, cheesy grits baked in a dish and topped with a slice of ham and a sunny-side up egg were absolutely perfect. It doesn’t get much better than egg yolk running over anything.
4. Getting much better…the Fat of stlbites.com has made an appearance at Niche. Lamb belly is now the final savory course of the tasting menu and it’s ridiculously good–everything a solitary slice of tender lamb gut was meant to be.
Lamb – mushroom, cauliflower, tapenade (& Brussels Sprouts when I had it)
5. A guilty pleasure: Chicken Modega and a side of white cavatelli at the Town & Country Rich & Charlie’s. Bonus: it was $28 for two of us to eat. Bonus 2: That Rich & Charlie’s is BYOB. Bonus 3: It was enough for lunch the next day too.
Tags: Farrar Out Farm, fried egg, grits, guanciale, Jacques Pepin, lamb, Niche, Revival, Rich & Charlie's, Salume Beddu
Would You Like to Join a Meat Club?
Aug 25, 2008 St. Louis, farmers' markets
Sometimes the most important thing is to keep exciting news to yourself. For example: Saturday Salume Beddu began sign-ups for their Cure Club at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market. I held back because I needed to get my own order in and, with Mark Sanfilippo and his wife Jamie taking just 25 quarterly subscriptions, they’re sure to go fast. Each delivery will include 2-3 whole salumi and upfront cost to you is $20.
I’ve no idea the cost at pickup but, honestly, I didn’t ask because let’s face it, it’s pork and it will be awesome.
Tags: Mark Sanfilippo, Salume Beddu
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