Finds at Fabulous Food Show

With a light crowd and quick pace, I was able to visit the entire floor of the Fabulous Food Show on Friday night before the Ruhlman/Keller conversation.

The fine folks at Blue Jacket Dairy offered samples of their gretna grillin' cheese and cheese curds.  I am already a huge fan of the delicious gretna soft cheese, especially when crusted on a hot skillet. Owners Angel and Jim King said they will be at the Worthington Farmer's Market every other week starting in January.  Their cheeses can also be found at Weiland's market locally.

I enjoyed talking to the farmers of Covered Bridge Gardens about how corn grows and their four colors of popcorn.  A local mill stone grinds some of their crop into cornmeal.  (Did you know that cornmeal can come from the same corn grain as popcorn?  I didn't!)  They also offer a CSA for people local to their Ashtabula county location.

Edward Gordos, distributor of Middlefield Original Cheese Co-op and pictured above in the apron, was generous with his time and cheese samples.  He explained that the Middlefield co-operative had operated for fifty years but was suffering from lack of hand milking amish farmers due to low prices in the mid nineties.  His distributorship helped the farmers and cheese makers transition to more artisan products and begin retail sales, including distribution to Whole Foods stores in Ohio and Kentucky.  Their business is growing and this year they started marketing organic cow's milk, 100% grassfed cow's milk  and goat's milk varieties.  All milk used in the making of the cheese is hormone and steroid free and comes from Ohio cows.  Most importantly, the varieties I tried were tasty!

The Ohio apple people had a busy booth tasting apple varieties.

Many of the rest of the booths were occupied by processed seasoning mixes, gimmicky cooking "tools", and prepared ready to eat foods.  Celebrity chef appearances are the other big draw to the Fabulous Food Show, although I attended none except the aforementioned Keller/Ruhlman interview.

I was intrigued by two non-edible exhibits.  Sillycone Inc. was an exhibitor showing off their freezer, oven, and microwave-safe BPA free silicone food trays.  While not an entirely new concept, Sillycone is innovative in their letter, number and symbol designs.  The family owned company is based in northeastern Ohio.  They offered me a sample of the 26 letter trays that can be used to make letter shaped ice, chalk, candles, chocolate and more.  I am excited for Lil and I to explore the alphabet with food!

Then I ran into this:

It's an oversize (two feet in diameter!) burger cake.  Only in Ohio...

I had high hopes for the large beer and wine tasting area.  Cleveland is, after all, home to my favorite brewery, Great Lakes.  Several wineries in the area are acceptable and others in Ohio are excellent.

I should have read between the lines here.  Just because Inbev (parent company of Anheuser-Busch) is based in Belgium does not qualify Michelob varietals as Belgian beers.  I tasted a bottled Michelob "cask ale" that was sickeningly sweet.  Stella Artois and Hoegarden were the only beers available on draft and the only ones I consider Belgian.

The wine selection was similarly uninspiring. I could find only one Ohio wine, from a mediocre winery.  I recognized most other selections as average $12 bottles.  Two Bailey's products and several pre-made cocktail mixes occupied the spirits section.

In conclusion, the Fabulous Food Show favored typical middle American food preferences more than I expected.  I had high hopes for more honestly local whole foods.  Ohio is home to hundreds of farmers raising heirloom products and dozens of fantstic breweries and wineries.  A fabulous food show is the perfect time to introduce consumers to these local treasures.

My stay in Cleveland was enhanced by lodging provided by the Cleveland Airport Marriott.  They were showing off their luxurious and comfortable  rooms, renovated lobby, and Dean James Max restaurant AMP150.   I did not have a chance to eat at the restaurant because I was busy at the food show.  The menu changes seasonally and makes use of northeastern Ohio's local foods.

A Conversation with Thomas Keller and Michael Ruhlman

Many Clevelanders are drawn to the Fabulous Food Show to see TV celebrities like Guy Fieri, Tyler Florance, and Sandra Lee.  In the opinion of many food lovers, the true stars appeared on Friday night when Michael Ruhlman and Thomas Keller held an open conversation around Keller's new book, Ad Hoc at Home.

Food writer and Cleveland native Michael Ruhlman started the conversation with the story of how he came to write the The French Laundry Cookbook with Thomas Keller, the visionary chef of the a family of fine restaurants.  "It was all because I lived in Cleveland," he related.  Ruhlman had a conversation with food media specialist Susie Heller who lived in Cleveland and was looking for a writer.  Ruhlman thus began a now ten year long friendship with Keller.

The talk continued with an overview of Keller's food philosophy.  "Other than nourishment, food is also nurturing," Keller said, a theme repeated throughout the evening.  "[It is] so, so important about food: nurturing and memories."

Ruhlman moved the conversation to practical advice for home cooks.  To his question about what makes a good cook, Keller replied "It's all about repetition."

Home cooks can elevate their cooking with consideration to two things: product and execution.  Product is what you buy as raw ingredients.  Keller and Ruhlman agreed that consumers have improved grocery store selections in the last twenty years by being choosy with their purchases.  Ruhlman urged cooks to continue talking to grocery store managers and farmers market vendors demanding higher quality.

Home cooks can improve their execution by practicing solid organization.  Mise en place (the act of preparing and setting aside components before beginning to cook) has its place in the home kitchen.

Cooks must not be afraid of their food.  They need to touch and feel the food at every point in the cooking process.  Use all the senses to observe and adjust techniques.  Temper meats by allowing them to come up to room temperature before cooking.  Use salt throughout the cooking process.

At many points in the conversation, Keller emphasized the importance of seasoning.  When Ruhlman asked how home cooks can train their palette, Keller suggested using spinach.  Try cooking spinach alone, then adding salt little by little until the flavor of the vegetable is fully heightened.  Keller actually carries salt in his pocket at all times to season meals to his taste.

The conversation then turned to food sourcing, particularly local foods.  Keller clarified that delicious heritage proteins are available year round, so seasonal ingredients are typically fruits and vegetables.  "I love vegetables so much," he swooned.  Enjoying produce in season creates rituals.  When something comes back into season, cooks have the opportunity to remember the last season and savor the flavors.

Keller proclaimed that California has the best produce in the country.  He said it is "difficult to mass produce high quality food."  Home cooks always enjoy high quality food when they buy in season and cook at home.

Fabulous Food Show in Cleveland Nov 13 - 15

This weekend (Friday-Sunday) Cleveland plays host to the Fabulous Food Show.  Held at the massive IX Center, the Fabulous Food Show features more than 200 vendors, the Main Kitchen Theatre and Culinary Celebration Theatre packed with celebrity and regional chef demonstrations, Grand Tasting Pavilion, Sweet Street and 100 ongoing demonstrations.

The $25 ticket paid online ($27 at the door) gets you admission to enjoy samples from the vendors and a spot at one celebrity chef appearance.  Discounts are available for multi-day tickets.  Pay an additional $10 for the wine and beer tasting tickets + crystal glass.  Friday from 4 - 8 PM you can enjoy Happy Hour admission for just $15 with this coupon.

Alex and I went to a similar food show in Cleveland in 2004 (if I recall correctly) and it was a delicious way to spend a day.  I look forward to more emphasis on local Cleveland foods this go-round.  I'm attending Friday and Saturday as a member of the press!  Look for a blog post or two recapping the event next week and follow me on twitter for live updates.