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Restaurant Week Wrap Up with Pistacia Vera

Posted by CMH Gourmand on March 16, 2009

Pistachia Vera

541 South Third Street * German Village * 614.220.9070

At the end of Restaurant Week – I had tried two new places. I opted to make my Dine Originals Week a full course of course so I finished up with dessert. Pistacia Vera featured a $15 Desert for Two offering; a selection of old and new favorites. The sampling (descriptions provided by Pistacia Vera, digestion by CMH Gourmand) included:

Pistachio Dacquoise
– Layers of flourless almond & pistachio nut meringue, pistachio mascarpone cream and orange preserves, masked in pistachio French buttercream.

Flourless Truffle
– Rich layers of flourless chocolate cake, chocolate ganache and orange & apricot preserves, dusted in premium cocoa.

Vanilla Bean Madeleine
– Layers of vanilla bean madeleine cake (with premium olive oil), vanilla custard and vanilla bean
white chocolate ganache, masked in French buttercream.

Parisian Macaron
– Light nut meringue sandwich cookie with buttercream or ganache. A taste of Paris!
There are twelve flavor varieties to choose from which vary by season. This is always a hard choice, it is best just to get all twelve.

Bittersweet Fudgie
– We could not put more chocolate in this cookie if we tried. Fact: This is true – it could not be more chocoliscious. Well, they could put another Fudgie on top of the Fudgie provided with some Jeni’s Dark Chocolate Gelato in the middle – that would be more chocolate. OK – I will do it – stay tuned.

Pate de Fruit
– All natural fruit jelly made with pure fruit puree, pectin & sugar.
These petite pates received a nice mention in the April 2008 issue of Bon Appetit. There are eight flavors to choose from. I chose cherry.

Cashew Butter Caramel
– Chewy vanilla bean butter caramel with salted cashews.

Choice of Two Beverages – Coffee or Tea

There is only one problem with Pistacia Vera. You have to walk the length of the counter to get to the register so I always end up getting something between my initial selection and final transaction.

I spied Steve Stover (The Dean of Columbus Food Lovers) at the door just before I entered. He was there getting treats for his wife for (I believe) their 40th anniversary. We talked shop for a bit – he confirmed that initial reports relayed by restauranteurs indicated Restaurant Week was a big success. It is very likely we will see a second serving of Dine Originals Restaurant Week in the Fall.

I also had a chance to speak with Anne, one of the owners of Pistachia Vera. She reported they had an incredible turnout during the week, including a lot of new faces. Some of the people popping in did not know there was a special menu so they were thrilled to have a selection of PV treats to get acquainted with the shop. Anne is one of the most pleasant people in the business and she is very approachable. She is a great resource for selections if you get stumped.

For Restaurant Week to be a true success, the key is to make sure restaurants draw in new customers not regular customers like me looking for a deal. New Customers become regular customers if they have a good experience. For me – a successful Restaurant Week means my favorite places stay vibrant, sustainable and successful so I can keep coming back again and again. Don’t forget these places between now and the Fall. Keep trying out new places and supporting old favorites.

The Refectory has long offered a special Bistro menu as an introduction of their menu at a value. Many other Dine Originals restaurants will keep the spirit of Restaurant Week alive with special menus, fixed price samplings and Happy Hours. There are bargains out there and value, so go eat them.

Posted in bakery, culinary knowledge, events | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

NAPICS: Pizza and Ice Cream and Freebies…Oh My!

Posted by CMH Gourmand on February 25, 2009

Pictured above is my “swag” from the North American Pizza and Ice Cream Show (NAPICS). This food industry event has called the Columbus Convention Center it’s home since 2004. For a sense of what is offered see the slides in the link below.

Pizza Marketplace slides from the 2008 NAPICS

NAPICS is the only pizza show in the Midwest, it draws over 5000 people each year from Ohio and surrounding states and it attracts companies from around the country.

Here are some interesting pizza points to ponder:

“Ohio has the largest concentration of pizza and ice cream shops per capita of any state in the country”.

“More than one-fourth of the nation’s 63,000 pizzerias are located in Ohio and the five surrounding states”. I believe Columbus has about 450 pizza slingers.

NAPICS also hosts the annual Pizza Pizzazz competition. Winners of this contest receive cash prizes and the opportunity to try out for the US Pizza Team and in turn head to Italy for the World Pizza Championship.

For the last two years I have attended as a member of the “Press” by marking “other” on my ticket application. I could sense the change in the economy based on the types of promotional items offered, the density of the crowd and the topics of the seminars. I scored some good loot last year, this year – not so much. My pass provided admission for two days. Each booth had something to offer including samples of all the pizza, pepperoni, meatballs, sausage, cheeses, sauces, ice cream, desserts and such I could stuff in my stomach. There are also competitions to watch – pizza making, dough tossing, etc.

Here are a few more links of interest.

PMQ – Pizza Magazine: Sporty Slices (about Columbus pizza)

NAPICS

Posted in Columbus, culinary knowledge, events, pizza | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

The Market Report – What You Are Missing.

Posted by CMH Gourmand on February 24, 2009

Hills Market – Pistacia Vera Dessert Pairing with 5 wines and 1 beer (Cherry Lambic), February 12th

It was a wonderful night. Pistacia Vera now sells select items at the Hills. They make a multitude of memorable macaroons, some of which you can savor at Hills. Several of my usual suspects finally joined me for a night at the Hills, including Hungry Woolf so I will defer to her excellent post.

Hungry Woolf at the Hills

New eventful evenings are on the horizon at the Hills Market including a cooking class with the Restaurant Widow – Lisa Dillman. Sign up – you will not be disappointed. Sometime before Spring passes by I plan to have Hill’s Cheesemonger, Kent Rand on Columbus Foodcast.

The North Market – 4th Annual Fiery Foods Festival (February 21st)

I found myself at the North Market on official business as judge for the Professional and Amateur chili contests. There were eleven samples ladled by the professionals then a taste off between two at the end to decide second place. This was the chili contest cast of characters.

Kevin Bertschsi – Alana’s Food + Wine
Jerry Bullock – North Market Poultry and Game
Stephani Janel Hedgepath – Barley’s Brewing Company
Rocco Valentino – Pasteria
John Dornbeck – Basi Italia
Justin Shoults – Handke’s Cuisine
Matt Prokopchak – Trattoria Roma
John Skaggs – MyCateredTable.com (formerly of Northstar and L’Antibes)
Anthony Frazier – Urban Chefs
Ken Smith – Catering Consultant
and I apologize – another really good chili maker disappeared from my notes, done in by a kidney bean

Update:
Under the kidney bean, the name was (Thanks MM) Tom Hoover from Happy Trails.

Chef Chili Challenge – Prize: (see photo a little farther down) and $200 in North Market gift certificates.

Chef John Dornbeck and wife Trish Gentile serving chili

Chef John Dornbeck and wife Trish Gentile serving chili

Each chili blended different ingredients and styles to create very unique flavors – savory and sweet; mild and wild: hot and really hot. My favorites were crafted by Jerry Bullock, John Dornbeck and a name smudged out with chili sauce that was a spicy southwestern chili with corn and zucchini. John Dornbeck always has a wild card up his culinary sleeve for North Market contests (he would make a great Iron Chef contestant). His version of chili included chorizo and espresso. If it had a fried egg on top (known as Estilo de Colleen) it would be the perfect breakfast dish. (By the way, Basi now has an incredible 1/2 price deal Monday to Thursday early evenings, check it out – but don’t steal my seat.)

The chili champion (in a very tight race) was Jerry Bullock from North Market Poultry and Game. If you have not sampled the cuisine at his side counter, try it next time you visit – his crew always have several slow cooked surprises to serve.

Customer Chili Cook Off – Prizes: first place winner $100 and the runner up $50 in North Market gift certificates.

This was another competition with narrow margins between victory and defeat. There were 15 chili recipes to sample, including chili from The Restaurant Widow (Lisa is everywhere).

My kudos and respect go to Robin Davis, Food Editor for the Dispatch. She and I were the only judges to sample all chili concoctions in both contests. We both survived. I plan to sit next to her at any future competition because she always packs an epinephrine pen with her for unforseen ingredients. As a judge with a fish allergy unsure if he was allergic to shark chili last year, Robin is a handy person to have within arms reach.

Other events at the Fiery Foods Festival:

Wings of Fire Wing Eating Contest; Two divisions: “Hot and Extremely, Insanely Hot”

Cajohn’s took over the upper level kitchen all day for their Fiery contests and for cooking. Chef Steve Lawrence and I go back to Kindergarten so it is a personal and professional pleasure to sample his culinary creativity.

There were also free fiery foods galore to sample while exploring the market festivities.
Mary Martineau knows how to make the North Market fiesta like it is 2099. Thank goodness she does not make it Macarena like it was 1989.

Cheeses sampled by Curds and Whey - including Satanic Goat - no joke

Cheeses sampled by Curds and Whey - including Satanic Goat - no joke

Stop missing the good stuff. Both the Hills and The North Market have plenty more in store for March and beyond. Take a reusable bag, support local business, meet the people that keep Columbus on the culinary radar, take a cooking class and enjoy.

A Gourmand disclaimer:

(Pardon the lack of advance notice for these events, my wireless connectivity has been frequently foiled this winter. I love living in Clintonville – (although Victorian Village has been calling my name for months) however the ancient electrical grid in my neighborhood and the bone numbing cold has not been friendly to my high speed connectivity. It has encouraged some hefty weight gain but I guess polishing off pancakes, sampling 20+ chilis, scouting 4 taco trucks and hosting a Mardi Gras party in a 12 hour period will facilitate fatty tissue).

Posted in culinary knowledge, events, markets | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Hills Market – 2009 Wine and Cheese Tasting Line Up

Posted by CMH Gourmand on January 24, 2009

I wrote and raved about Hills Wine and Cheese tastings in 2007 and 2008. Each month, the market presents an evening of wine, cheese, and appetizers (featuring the cheeses) inspired by a country, region or theme. Constance (wine director) and Kent (cheesemonger) pair up to create the wine and cheese pairings. They guide us through each wine we drink and each chunk of cheese we devour to fill our minds with knowledge while we fill out stomachs. It is a great night of good conversation with interesting and diverse people.

A taste of a tasting is offered in Columbus Foodcast, episode 15.

Here is the line up for 2009:

Seating is limited, reservations can be made at 614.846.3220. The cost is $35. Take your seats at 6:30 PM or I will steal your cheese.

January 29 – Ohio

(Post Post – 01/30/09)
This is what we had:

Wine
Firelands Winery Sparkling, NV
Ferrante Winery Vidal Blanc
Harpersfield Pinot Gris
Markko Vineyards Chardonnay
South River Winery Trinity
Kinkead Ridge ‘River Village Cellars’ Cabernet Franc

Hors D’oeuvres...

Ratatouille Bruschetta (Served with Ohio Goat Cheese)
Mini Cheese Artichoke Hearts (Served with Ohio Monterey Jack)
Stuffed Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cheese and Bacon (Served with Ohio Smoked Cheddar)
Savory Spinach Cheese Squares (Served with Ohio Farmers’ Cheese)
Sour Kraut Gouda Balls (Served with Ohio Caraway Gouda)
Feta-stuffed Mediterranean Pocket Pitas (Served with Ohio Feta)

February 26 – Germany and Switzerland

March 26 – East Coast U.S. and Canada

April 30 – France

May 28 – Greece

June 25 – West Coast

July 30 – Spain and Portugal

August 27 – South America

September 24 – Italy

October 29 – Australia and New Zealand

November 19 – Autumn Cheeses and Wine

December 10 – Sparkling Wines and Cheeses

Posted in cheese, culinary knowledge, events, markets, wine | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Wild Goose Chase: A Cheese Tasting and More

Posted by CMH Gourmand on January 14, 2009

I left town to get caught up again. This time I was on sabbatical in San Antonio. The SA food scene has serious menu mojo!

Now for a journey back in time. A gaggle of folks from Wild Goose Creative put together a New Years Festival filled with a diverse range of activities running from December 31st to January 4th. I attended several of their events: a coffee tasting with the owner of Cafe Brioso, a pairing of Buster Keaton and Popeye for Saturday morning breakfast, another breakfast at the new Banana Bean location (Nick spoke about his breakfast blog and I chimed in a bit) on Greenlawn and a few other workshops. The event had a wide array of sponsors – many of them dear to my heart and stomach as shown below.

sponsors

What lured me in was the cheese tasting with Jen Bhaerman from Snowville Creamery. If you have not tried their milk – do so. Got Milk? Well compost it or give it to your cat then get Snowville instead, it is that good. You can find Snowville dairy products at North Market, Hills Market and other select stores.

snowville

Jen provided a packet of information titled The Pleasures of the Curd. This short handout provided a quick overview of cheese fundamentals. As part of the workshop she used several cheeses to hone our taste buds to the four main attributes of cheese – Appearance, Touch, Smell, and Taste. We started with mild cheese and worked our tastes up the flavor spectrum to wild.

Interesting factoid from her handout: Taste buds can detect only five flavors (bitter, salty, sour sweet and (not commonly known) Umani / Savory but the olfactory system can detect about 10,000 different aromas. So smell is critical to the tasting experience. Hmm, so why do I like stinky cheese so much?

cheese tasting

Jen knows her cheese and she works for a great company. Another bonus is she formerly worked for one of my favorite cheesemakers Cowgirl Creamery.

These are the cheeses we tried (photos not in order):

Twig Farm Goat Tomme

A raw milk aged goat cheese from Vermont. My favorite of the samples.

cheese 1

Oakvale Gouda

An aged cheese from just west of Columbus. Gouda..good.

cheese 2

Vermont Shepherd

Another raw, aged sheep’s milk cheese. Award winning and pleasing to my palate. Who told Jen I am a chupacabra of goat cheese?

La Chaux Doux (no link)
A washed rind cow’s milk cheese from a Fromagerie in Switzerland. This is a pungent, runny cheese that the group either loved or hated. I like stinky cheeses and found this paired well with the Gouda on a cracker.

cheese 3

Bayley Hazen Blue

A cow’s milk cheese made in Vermont using an English recipe, how is that for diversity? Jasper Hill Farm is a renown cheesemaker in a state that fields a lot of competition – we benefit from the high standards these cheesecrafters hold.

A guest also provided two additional cheeses from Bobolink Farm in New Jersey. Unfortunately, I did not note what they were.

Jen B

Jen does practice what she teaches – the photo above shows her sampling cheese – it is great to lead by example.

I think we can expect to see Jen in the future, maybe I can talk her into doing a tasting or two for Slow Food Columbus…stayed tuned.

Wild Goose Creative offers several food related events throughout the year. A taste of what is to come includes:

Whiskey Tasting at Mac’s Cafe – January 26th

Too Many Cooks: Pattycake Bakery – February 1st
See how vegan baking can taste so good.
(For reasons why you want to go to this event listen to Columbus Foodcast Episode 21)

Too Many Cooks: Northstar Cafe – March 1st
Learn some of the secrets of Northstar’s kitchen. If they show how to make one of their peanut cookies or the veggie burger I am in.

Check out the Wild Goose Creative web site for more details.

Posted in cheese, Clintonville, culinary knowledge, events | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

Surf Local for the Holidays

Posted by CMH Gourmand on December 20, 2008

Well since we are in a recession – if you are looking to cut down on your food costs (makes me shudder), then live vicariously via virtual victuals. Many of my posts have encouraged readers to go local with their food dollars. I support going local with blogs as well.

Here are some New(er) Blogs Worth R(ss)eading

Hungry Woolf

OK, Bethia is a good friend of mine. Her mom reads my blog and is a loyal Columbus Foodcast listener – (thanks Mum!) so I am biased. Bethia can combine cooking, provisioning and dining better than a mere gourmand or anyone else. As a fellow Slow Fooder, Columbus Undergrounder and Highland Estates Bon Vivant Club member, many of her culinary adventurers are mine too. She just gets to the keyboard faster, even though I typically go home sooner. This is one of the best blogs around if you can get past an occasional White Castle crack and an abnormal loathing of Essex.

Salty Carmel

If you live in Columbus or if you have visited once, you have heard of Jeni’s Ice Cream. Jeni Britton Bauer is the creative culinary genius behind the artisan flavors her shops scoop out. The Jeni’s blog is named after her marquee flavor – Salty Carmel. This is worth a click.

2 Silos Farm

Ever wondered what it would be like to go live on a farm and make a run at raising chickens and such to support Community Supported Agriculture. Read about the fun and misadventures at 2 Silos Farm. You can see what is available for seasonal CSA’s, look at some recipes, and observe how lard is related to elections. The farm also offers some killer events – literally – you can go there and kill your own chicken. I chickened out of that one.

The Vino Files

Chris Dillman knows wine. He knows food. He knows how to pair wine with food. Chris is the guy you want to have at any table you are eating at. Chris is sommelier (pronounced or suh-mal-‘yAy) or wine steward (to the pronunciation challenged like myself) at Rosendales. Dillman’s Vino Files explores the world of wine with a fresh perspective. He provides a level of knowledge that can be ultra-detailed and fun at the same time. I could tell you who his “Scully” is but I am bound by the bloggers oath not to.

If you know of any other Columbus food blogs that are worth looking at comment away and add a link.

Posted in culinary knowledge | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Man vs. Food – The Dagwood Sandwich Revisited

Posted by CMH Gourmand on December 4, 2008


The Travel Channel has a new show called Man vs. Food. The host travels around the country profiling good food cities and taking on one of the culinary eating feats in that town.

The show came to Columbus and covered an OSU tailgate, Schmidt’s and the Thurman Burger. For the grand finale…. The Dagwood at the Ohio Deli.

The Dagwood Challenge was one of the first Columbus Underground food fieldtrips of 2008. I wrote about the Dagwood in December 2007 at about the same time the Dispatch did a story on food bloggers in Columbus, including me. The photo in that story shows me eating a Dagwood. I only ate half waiting for the photographer to get our group photo right, (I could not eat the first half, it was too soggy from being in my mouth for twenty minutes).

The Columbus episode of Man vs. Food will air on the Travel Channel, December 10th at 10:30 PM with multiple repeats over the following week.

Walker Evans from Columbus Underground put together a great documentary video of the CU Dagwood Challenge. I have to feel that that may have led the Travel Channel to our fair city.

Man vs. Food – where they dined

The Dagwood Challange with Columbus Underground – The Video

You can get information about the Thurman Burger in this blog as well – “A Tale of Two Burgers”.

Posted in Columbus, culinary knowledge, restaurants, sandwiches | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

North Market News – Excellent Yule Events

Posted by CMH Gourmand on December 2, 2008


Every word below was lifted directly from the North Market News e-mail I receive as a member of the Market. Support local businesses and fill your belly.

Ladies of the Market Cookie Exchange

Benefiting the Mid-Ohio Food Bank
Thursday, December 4
5:30-7:30PM in the Dispatch Kitchen
Cost $50
To register call 614-463-9664

Get some early help with your holiday baking at the Ladies of the Market Cookie Exchange! Every participant will go home with her choice of 3 dozen cookies personally made by the Ladies of the Market. Come join us for a glass of wine, hors d’oeuvres and some entertaining stories of life “on market” as told by our own merchants. The event will be co-hosted by Robin Davis, Food Editor of the Columbus Dispatch. Take home luscious cookies and contribute to a great cause, the Mid-Ohio Food Bank, at the same time!

North Market Holiday Open House & Craft Extravaganza

Saturday, December 6
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Once again ‘tis the season for holiday entertaining, cookie baking, pie making, turkey basting, present shopping, gift-giving and celebrating all of the reasons for the season. The North Market Holiday Open House & Craft Extravaganza on Saturday, December 6th is the perfect place for both inspiration and acquisition of all of your holiday trimmings. Where else can you pick up everything from a fresh cut tree to a free range turkey to a beautiful bauble for your sister or niece or mother (or yourself)? Roasted chestnuts, holiday trees and greenery, warm beverages, live holiday music and entertainment will be located throughout the market the length of the event on Saturday, December 6 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m..

Our merchants will be armed with an array of samples to tempt your taste buds and help you formulate your holiday feasts. As always they are endowed with the wisdom of years of experience to give you excellent advice. The second floor will be devoted to forty-five local artisans and crafters for a special day of shopping for distinctive handmade gifts.


North Market Gift Certificates

North Market Gift Certificates are one-size-fits-all perfect stocking stuffers, lovely hostess gifts, or an ideal bequest to your favorite North Market supporter! Gift certificates are issued in $5 increments and are accepted by all of our merchants and farmers. That makes them oh so easy to splurge on anything from your favorite pint of Jeni’s to a chunk of cheese at Curds & Whey!

Our gift certificates are easy to procure, simply drop in at the North Market business office on the second floor the next time you are shopping. Still too much work? Give us a ring and we’ll mail them right to you or your favorite recipient’s door! North Market gift certificates are valid for two years from date of purchase and we don’t hit you with any pesky carrying fees or other nonsense (postage is required for mailing).

‘Tis the season and a gift of North Market gift certificates makes everyone jolly! Call us at 614-463-9664 to get the ball rolling today!

No fine print here – I love the North Market and I want you to support the market so I am passing on the information.

North Market
59 Spruce St
Short North

Posted in culinary knowledge, events, markets, Short North | Leave a Comment »

Talking Turkey – Beyond the Fire Dome

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 25, 2008

Columbus Foodcast, Episode 24, finds us talking turkey, outdoor grilling, and such at a Spanish restaurant with Dave from Weber Cam and Andrew from Slim Pickin’s Pork. You can click on the link below or go to Itunes for the free download.

Columbus Foodcast

Posted in culinary knowledge | 1 Comment »

Joining Jennie and Jeni

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 24, 2008

I love Tollhouse cookies from Pattycake Bakery.

Tollhouse cookies

3009 N High St.
Clintonville
614.784.2253

hours:
mon-fri: 8-7
sat: 9-5
sun: 11-4

Pattycake Bakery

Owner: Jennie Scheinbach

Pattycake

I love Jeni’s Ice Cream. I was looking for something different for a party dish. Wonder Twin powers activate: Form of Jeni’s Buttercream Chocolate Freckles; Shape of two terrific Tollhouse cookies top and bottom for some killer ice cream sandwiches.

Jeni's Ice Cream

Jeni’s Ice Cream

Jeni’s at North market

Owner: Jeni (Britton) Bauer

Posted in bakery, culinary knowledge, ice cream, Vegetarian Friendly | 1 Comment »

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