Cooking With Ideas

Beer (+ Pork) = Finger Lakes Happiness

I have written about beer before. I have written about pork many times, including book reviews, restaurant reviews and, dare I say it, cooking pork. I love pork. And, I admit to having a very soft spot in my heart for beer. 

Having more or less just re-committed to upstate NY after spending a bit of time in NC, both are hard to focus on because, to be honest, the beer is amazing in Winston Salem (and elsewhere in NC, including Asheville which is justly famous for beer) and so is the pork, though NC has yet to really settle on the various versions of sauce. (Tomato-y? Mustard=y? VInergar-y? I can never remember which is easter, which is western and which is. . .  My preference, I will admit, is the vinegar-y and occasionally the mustard-y. Not so much on the tomato-y. But I digress.) 

Yes, indeed, I digress. And that's exactly what led to this post. We went out to do a very particular list of tasks, and on our way passed Brewery Ardennes. We both thought it was a place called Fribolin Farm, previously owned by HWS and then sold. It was not. It as, though, a repurposed and beautiful farm. Repurposed for what you ask? Drink - and secondarily - food. 

Of course, the word brewery gives the game away: beer. Having recently returned from beer heaven - aka North Carolina - I am eager to find delightful beers here in the FLX. Yes, I love my friends at Lake Drum, but there are always other adventures! And this was one. 

I had beer. Ok, to be honest, we had beer - a flight of lovely beers. And, it was a blast, sitting outside at a picnic table in a beautiful setting with our dog. We had the Belgian Lager, the Grand Cru tripel, the Belgian Hazy IPA, and the Grand Cru Dubbel. You learn something from that list: Brewery Ardennes is going for Belgian Style. And, they do a wide diversity of associated beers. (And ciders and yes, they do serve wine.) I would say my favorite, not surprisingly for those who know me was the beer. (Kidding - I particularly liked the Grand Cru Dubbel.)

Food Delights?

The food is, I suspect, the add on to the beer rather than vice versa. Yes, they serve mussels and frites. No we did not have that (particularly as I do not like mussels). We had two servings of a sort of pretzel bun and cheese fondue thing which was dangerously lovely. I'd like one more bun with each serving please! The cheese was, I think, gruyere - and the pretzel bun was perfectly salty. We followed this by sharing a . . . pulled pork sandwich. Have I said I love pulled pork? This sandwich ranks as the best I have had since starting my way across FLX in search of pork in new ways. This one is a carolina style kind of thing - and even is associated with a sauce that is called east meets west - in a sort of genuflection to the dispute in NC between styles of barbecue. The person who cooked the pork was . . . indeed. . . from NC. 

We intend to go back with dog in tow, again. 

Ambience and Related Matters 

There is no other way to say this: the setting is beautiful. There is a lovely lawn with picnic tables etcetera distributed across it - and trees which provide lovely shade. Parking was easy and all in all a great location. I would suggest they get a place to throw out trash that is outside. But that is a minor quibble. The bathroom, too, was clean and the COVID protocols apt.

I give it an Brewery Ardennes for ambience. 

And, the owner seems to have two french bulldogs or other similar dog - which was fun. 

Gorey Details:

570 Snell Road 
Geneva NY 14456
315.325.4858
[email protected]

PS I recently wrote about State Bakery and Smokehouse which is also an upstate entry in the pork is theist food ever sweepstakes to my heart. Check that post out here. 

PPS for information on Asheville click here. For Winston Salem, click here. 

It's All About the Riesling

Recently, Geneva and environs played host to a professional conference for Riesliong, organized by Kelby Russell of Red Newt and co-owner Oskar Bynke of Hermann J. Wiemer (and others) under the brand FLXcursion. The event was July 15ish to July 22, depending on how you look at what counted as part of the event! I went to a variety of events organized for both public and professionals. It was - I have to say - a total blast meeting professionals from winemaker to distributors to writers, tasting rieslings (including at 9 am), wandering with the dog on Linden Street and drinking a bit of grower's champagne, and more. My partner and I were part of the "Grand Tour" on Sunday July 18, as the end of the day speakers, and we spoke about Seneca Falls and women's rights (partner) and religion in upstate (me) at People's Park in Seneca Falls. 

A few notes on FLXcursion: 

Prior to the public events, we went to a dinner pairing Rieslings with food at Kindred Fare. We had a blast, largely because the conversation was amazing with a new friend who writes (among other things) for Wine and Spirits. The food was. . . nothing to write home about . . . though there was a bit of sausage that was made in house that was delightful. The wines? A great start to the days of Riesling. We tasted von Winning wines and wines from Selbach-Oster, both of the Mosel in German. At least the latter is distributed in the US by the folks at Skurnick who were also in attendance. Best learning of the evening: to read a piece on Palestine and wine posted here by Jamal Rayyis (and, to be honest, to look forward to the new Henrietta Hudson wine format coming soon). 

The next day was the aforementioned "Grand Tour," followed by a tasing and chicken barbecue at the (Seneca) lake front under a tent. The food (wood grilled chicken, corn, salt potatoes, beans) was the best food I had of FLXcursion, though I did not go to the lunches and most of the dinners. The wines - set up on tables at the front of the tent - were a range of local wines displayed and poured on tables with wooden platforms (I can't quite get the word right!) with the lakes outlined on them in what I assume was wood burning and then the wineries in their approximate locations. All in all a blast, though the wines varied immensely. A quibble: the wine makers could have been more audible when they spoke if they had enunciated! And, while I love Gap Mansion, the music was a tad too loud. I/we met the women from the Swirl Suite, which ranks as the best learning I had in the entire event - and I strongly recommend looking into their work. For those of us interested in JEDI in our own "industries" learning from other industries can truly shift one's perspective in very useful ways. This was also the day of the grower's champagne event at the Linden Social Club complete with karaoke. We sat outside with our dog which made us loads of new friends to converse with -- and then moved down the street to Microclimate which hosted a wines of Germany pop up throughout the conference. We're hoping the pop ups are a harbinger of a re-opening and have heard rumors that someone has purchased it! 

The two days of the professional event, I attended only two events; (a) a bit on having a seat at the table on Monday morning; and (b) the key note on Tuesday. The first event I mentioned was at 9 am on Monday, and I have to admit I was a tad . . . tired . .  from an unduly late evening the night before. The panel included Sarita Cheaves and Glynis Hill from Swirl Suite and Carlos Aguilera from West Haven Farm. And, there were 6 Rieslings to taste. I get why there were wines to taste, but I have to admit I think it distracted from what was a robust but limited conversation about race, gender and class (as well as immigrant status) in relation to the wine industry. Carlos was fascinating as someone who came as an agricultural worker, shifted to that work in the wine industry, and now owns an important organic farm near Ithaca. His points regarding access to money, fair treatment of workers, the impact of language differences and more opened my eyes. And, the women from Swirl Suite, in various ways pointed to the ways their race and gender led them to be dismissed when ordering wine with the assumption they knew nothing and wanted sweet wines, and also brought into question the notion of joining someone else's table rather than moving on outside of what today constitutes the table. Having their expertise dismissed - and they are most definitely experts - was part of their incentive into the work but so too was the love of wine. I truly wish there had been a more robust conversation - for example, of the ways sweetness/sugar has a different radicalized relationship to wine today than sugar had in the 19th century. Fascinating words and thinking - and I needed it! (A third member of their group was part of a conversation I had and she really linked environmental science (her day job) to intersectional feminism and anti racist work.) 

The key note was the last official event (other than a closing dinner) and took place at the Cracker Factory in Geneva, one of my favorite but not frequently visited venues. There was a lunch (which I skipped despite loving Rio Tomatlan) and then a key note, ostensibly starting at 2 pm. When I arrived, folks were drinking various wines (which had been served with play lists) and chatting like mad. I had some terrific conversations with a variety of people, most notably women in the wine industry (including Kerry Shiels of Cote Bonneville, estate bottled DeBrul Wineyard in Washington). As I noted above one of the things about attending a professional conference in an area well outside one's own expertise is how much I learned - and I would say I learned a lot from the women I talked with about the samenesses and differences between my experience and expertise regarding women in higher education and that of women in the wine industry. 

As for the key note: it was a hoot. The speaker -and singer - was Andrea Immer Robinson - a sommelier, television personality, and former wine manager for Windows on the World. She was - to be honest - a great "after dinner" type key note, clearly an insider who referenced many people in truly entertaining ways even for the clueless and got the tables engaged in a pseudo marketing campaign for Riesling. Branding exercises in one's own profession are one thing - but I have to say this one was a real education in Riesling humor and more. 

All in all the standing ovation for the team who put this conference and set of events together was well deserved. 

Best Conversation: Because it went on across days, I have to give a new friend kudos: Jamal Rayyis who I even heard sing. And, of course, the conversations about race and more with the women os Swirl Suite. 

Best Wine: Its hard to pick, I have to admit, but I give it to this wine if thinking Europe and am torn in terms of Finger Lakes with too many friends doing too many different things to really pick. Can't wait to continue to try new ones since this conference got me out of our local rut. Among the faves, of course, The Knoll from red Newt and the Hosmer tastings we had! 

Best Meal: Heads over all others: chicken barbecue at the lake front. 

For a Cooking with Ideas interview with Kelby Russell of Red Newt who was one of the organizers. click here. For other commentary on FLXcursion, I urge you to google! 

Best Pop Up of the Season? Red Tail Ridge + Waxlight

What seems like many years ago, when this blog began, I did an interview with Nancy Irelan of Red Tail Ridge. I had no clue who she was - I just knew that she was coming to the region to make wine and that folks I knew who kind of knew wine were thrilled. Red Tail Ridge opened its tasting room in 2007 - and, as they say the rest is history. 

I return there in this post for a variety of reasons. To be honest, I owe Red Tail Ridge and thus Nancy some thanks for my making it through COVID, isolated as I was in NC but drinking some of her wines. My partner and I convened via zoom - and it helped. Yes, they were shipped to me and we paid for them. But they meant much more than could be financed! We had her pet nat wines -short for petulant natural - in various versions - and, frankly, I smiled every time thinking of home. Yes, they are bubblies - and yes, there is a chardonnay, a riesling (hurrah riesling) and a pinot noir bubbly. And, there is more to all this than meets the eye. 

But: why this post beyond gratitude? On my relatively recent return home, my partner and I went off to a pop up dinner at Red Tail Ridge that paired their wines with a meal from Waxlight in Buffalo. It was utterly fantastic - and incredibly memorable. The wines were great (I will get to that). The food was impressive (I will get to that). And the total strangers (including someone from Avvino in Rochester which we will have to try!) we met were fun and thus the conversation quite entertaining and meaningful. 

The food? Five people from Waxlight were there - including chef and etcetera and the beverage manager. I think they were also the owners. In any case, they were congenial and smart. Of ht memorable bits: (a) the opening plate which had a variety of small bits ranging from a bit with salmon roe on a deviled egg to smoked cucumber to a bit of toast with squash on it, there were items from their menu and specially created bits. It was an amazing start to what turned out to be overall amazing, including other items from their regular menu (e.g., an asparagus soup) altered for the evening to include truffle in one of the best truffle treatments ever to escargot toasts (my least favorite) to monkfish done sort of butter chicken style to a bit of cold fried chicken (perhaps also with caviar?) to a terrific 2 desserts - a chocolate one and a rice pudding. The chocolate was a vegan chocolate and the tasting/fresh fruit bit on top truly made this special. The rice pudding - not my genre - was delightful though I did not finish it because. . . I was stuffed. 

The sizes were right on, the tastes varied and well matched to the wines, and the progression not so rich as to overwhelm the taste buds. I give this an A+ (despite my own view of the escargot everyone else loved it). And, the chefs/folks from Waxlight had interesting things to say about the food, the pairings, and their thinking processes. 

The wines? The wines were all - shockingly - from Red Tail Ridge. They came accompanied by a little bit of commentary from Nancy Irelan, which made the deliciousness even more special. With a very very few exceptions, these were bubbles - and the best of the best. 

The pairings? What was most impressive was that they clearly - clearly - began with the wines and built a menu to go with the wines. This was no mix and match but truly thoughtful. Some pairings were through contrast, some through lifting an aspect of the food. And, on occasion, more than one wine was paired with the food to show options. Overall this was an A+ for this aspect, well beyond (alas) the ways food and wine went together in a variety of other venues! 

Of the wines we had that were exquisite: Perpetual Change (a traditional method champenoise from perpetual reserve); a 2016 ( I think) sekt which I always love; and of course various pet nat selections. We bought six bottles - and are very much looking forward to the experiences. 

The ambience? 

We ate in the wine cellar at a single table with our peers who had purchased tickets.  It was delightful. Stainless steel (I assume) tanks surrounded us, of different circumferences and heights. And, the temperature was perfect. The parking was close by and the overall setting perfect My partner particularly liked passing the boots on the way to the bathroom. 

And, part of the ambience is, of course, the people. These, including Nancy, added to the wonder of a very nice evening. 

Gory details:

Red Tail Ridge Winery 

846 State Route 14 

Penn Yan, NY 14527 

(315) 536-4580

[email protected]

Waxlight 

27 Chandler Street 

Buffalo, NY 14207

[email protected]

Finger Lakes Happiness: State Bakery and Smokehouse

Since my return to the Finger Lakes, my partner has been introducing me to new(er) places in the region. Its been a delightful set of adventures - though we both remain a bit trepidatious in what everyone hopes is a post COVID era but may indeed be the start of the next wave of delta variant. 

In any case, one of those adventures involved State Bakery and Smokehouse. We have been there twice - and let me just start by saying we will go there repeatedly. The food is good, the service kind and wholehearted, and . . . well, it made us both smile even as we ate in the car the first time. 

What's on the menu? Well, there are a variety of bakery delights, including what my partner says are the best croissants locally. My favorites: peanut butter cookie. Raisin croissant (what on earth are those called?) and yes, indeed, we have had the chocolate croissants. 

More substantially, we have had two lunches there. The first time we had 2 (yes, one too many) lunches that came with 2 meats (pulled pork and biscuit) and multiple sides (we tried mac and cheese, cole slaw and potato salad). Overall: this is a huge meal and getting two was either a mistake or perfect, depending on whether you want to eat the meat for days. The cole slaw was wonderful - tart, with very supple cabbage, and perfect with the meat. The potato salad came in second, though I would have salted it more. And, alas, the mac and cheese was a distant third - and usually that's my favorite dish of all. The meat: to die for - especially the brisket. The pulled pork - again one of my favorites - was adequate. In fact, I thought it was great until later the same month we encountered another in upstate NY which I preferred! 

The second time we visited, we got one brisket sandwich and shared it. The right decision. The bread - house made - was a sour dough and held up to both the meat and the slaw. We drove on to a few more errands and it took us a while to get home to the sandwich. And yet, it remained in good shape! Hurrah! 

A few comments: for those of you who are into it, perhaps it matters that this seems to be texas style, no sauced, meat. As they say on their website: texas soul, upstate state of mind. 

What else of note? 

We got drinks, all iced  - once a green tea and thrice (is that a word?) mint lemonade. All were dandy and not too sweet. 

Also, we intend to return to try the breakfast sandwiches. This requires getting up just a tad earlier than we did the last time we went! 

On Ambience and related matters: 

This lovely experience is on Rte 89, so somewhat of a drive from Geneva. (See below for address). Its worth knowing that there are a few chairs and a picnic table but in our case we ate in the car (the first time) or brought things home (the second time). The bakery/smokehouse is in a garage - at the end of a short driveway. And, it is the most welcoming though kind of garage in the non-chic sense place. The people are kind - clearly the folks who run it - and deal well with the discombobulated amongst us. When ordering, they then weigh out the meat - and . . . wrap and hand to you. It's delightful. 

I cannot comment on a bathroom as I am not sure whether or not they have one as I have not used it or inquired! 

Also worth knowing: they cater. 

For other commentary on their lovely establishment: this is a terrific little piece on the business. And, here is a Finger Lakes Times piece. 

Address: 3512 NY-89  Fayette, NY 13148 (though my mapquest does not think it is in Fayette). 

Phone: (315) 305-2161

Email:[email protected] 

 

Eric Ripert - Vegetables!

Eric Ripert has fans in my household. Two. And there are (only) two of us in the household (unless you count the new dog). He just seems. . . nice. And wow can he cook and talk about food and . . . all those things. 

I don't really know why - we just like him. 

And so, when his newest cookbook came out on vegetables, my partner immediately ordered it. And, I am glad she did.Its simple, true. And it is beautiful. True. And, she has cooked from it - which is high praise for the very reason that I order the darn things sometimes and spend more time reading them than I do cooking from them. In this case, I have indeed spent most of my time with it perusing it - and seeing somewhat better versions of things I either cook - or used to cook - including braised belgian endives. We used to love them - carries of butter and beef broth from, I think, The Joy of Cooking. And now another version. One day I will have a veggies attack and . . . out will come this beautiful book. 

I have not cooked from the book, but  my partner has who has always made great clafoutis but now is making even better clafoutis based on Ripert's recipe for Cherry Clafooutis in the book! 

The book title is Vegetable Simple: A Cookbook published by Random House. With a cover which simply pictures some asparagus twined together for steaming . . . the book too, is beautiful and simple.