Slow Food

There is a movement called Slow Food that has been gaining a lot of momentum since its inception in 1989. Those of you who are tired of seeing fast food restaurants pop up like voles on a newly landscaped lawn will appreciate the Slow Food mission and initiative. To follow is a description of their noble pursuit: "Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of traditions and people's dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. To do that, Slow Food brings together pleasure and responsibility and makes them inseparable. Today we have over 100,000 members in 132 countries."
Out of the Fire is a member of the Slow Food movement and if the integrity of our food chain is important to you then consider joining the Slow Food effort. The international website is www.slowfood.com and the United States website is www.slowfoodusa.org

Amy

Green as a Moral Imperative

Several years ago I decided that in order for me to feel good about what I was providing at the restaurant I needed to align it with how I was leading my personal life. I made several changes, not because I saw this as an opportunity to market the restaurant as an environmentally responsible business , but because I thought it was the right thing to do ethically, environmentally and socially. A few of the changes I made were not well received, as a matter of fact I lost customers over these changes. For instance, we discontinued offering Coke or Pepsi (this created the strongest negative reactions) and switched to all natural sodas. We will only purchase antibiotic and growth hormone-free poultry and meat, we only purchase fish that is recommended by the Monterrey Bay Seafood Watch, all wines are either biodynamic, sustainable or organic and I try to purchase as much local and organic produce that I possibly can. These are just a few of the many changes that have been implemented.
I recently met with a wine representative who had a representative from Rutherford Wines working with her. They presented some wines that were right up my alley. All wines are sustainable and in the process of organic certification. I decided to place two of them on the wine list, the Lander-Jenkins Spirit Hawk Chardonnay (offered by the glass, please ask for a taste) and Scott Pinot Noir. I felt compelled to recognize their commitment to environmental preservation not only because they are operating with a great amount of integrity, but because I decided to "use" a description of their mission for the title of this blog entry: "green as a moral imperative." I derive a great amount of satisfaction from working and partnering with like-minded businesses. You've got to feel good about what you are doing, otherwise why bother?

Amy

He Who Tastes Knows

"He Who Tastes Knows" is an old Sufi saying. Instead of translating it metaphorically I am going to tackle it literally. This only makes sense when your profession is food. Lets talk beef, literally.
Over the past few decades our food chain has been radically altered. Small family run farms have been eclipsed by large commercial operations. The focus changed from providing a family and community with locally raised animals to large commercial feed operations whose focus is profitability as it pertains to one thing:money
The practice of good animal husbandry is completely void from these large commercial feed operations. What is the definition of good animal husbandry? I will give you my definition. The animals should be able to roam freely, have access to natural sunlight, good clean water and pastures on which to graze. They should not be fed antibiotics prophylactically nor should they eat grain; cows are herbivores. Feeding a cow grain forces their body, metabolically into a diabetic state. They become fat and unhealthy. Who wants to eat meat from an animal that is fat and unhealthy? Well, I'll tell you, Americans do! Our palates have developed a taste for meat that has been raised, shall I say, without good animal husbandry. Unless you buy meat that is labeled grass-fed and antibiotic-free you are most likely purchasing meat from "the other source."
Back to the topic, taste. How does the manner in which an animal is raised effect taste? An animal raised naturally will produce meat that is leaner, lower in saturated fat and higher in omega 3's. It is a cleaner tasting product.
I would encourage everyone to seek out locally raised beef from farms that have an "open door" policy. This means you can visit the farm and see for yourself how happy the animals are. You can find this information at your local Farmers Market or Co-op.
When you taste meat from an animal that is raised well you'll know!

Amy

Another Man's Bounty

We received approximately 24" of snow in Easton, Maryland in less than 24 hours. The adjectives meteorologists used to describe this storm were "paralyzing", "record-breaking", "historical!" Those all sounded to me like nails on a chalkboard! A small business owner, particularly in the service industry, cannot afford to be closed on the weekends, it is "paralyzing" to cash flow. We can't make that up. People aren't going to come in and consume twice as much!

I did realize the selfishness of my bitter musings. Particularly when those who are benefiting from this bounty of snow are those that have been really suffering for two years. Those individuals who work in construction, landscaping, home improvement. These individuals are thrilled to be out there removing that snow so we can navigate around safely. I must say they are doing a stellar job.

My return to compassion came to me when I let myself enjoy the calm after the storm. Breathtaking, clear, pristine blue skies followed. A perfect day to ski (unfortunately the Eastern Shore of Maryland is flat.) So, instead of skiing I trekked out to our pool, cleared two feet of snow from a pool-side chair and sat out in the sun like a lizard for 45 minutes. This, I thought to myself, is a little slice of bliss and an adjunct to my sublingual vitamin D. I was also entertained by my mothers tri-colored Welsh Corgi trying to navigate her way to me in two feet of snow donning her black fleece-lined jacket that could only be perfected by two Batman symbols embroidered on each flank.

I was welling with self-pride when I realized the adage "one man's misery is another man's

bounty" was completely altered by how I chose to perceive my situation. Another man's bounty was also mine. I was able to slow down. My entertainment was simplicity.

Amy

The Source of Happiness

I must immediately begin by making it clear that I don't have the answers to the secret of happiness. It is an interesting topic of conversation. When I have posed this question to friends and strangers I receive a spectrum of reactions ranging from surprise, shock ,discomfort and I my particular favorite, the deer in the headlights glare. I am currently reading Eric Weiner's book "The Geography of Bliss." In my opinion bliss is very different than happiness, but I'll reserve that debate for a tête à tête with friends, good food and plenty of time to banter that subject about.
There are people that actually devote their lives to studying and documenting our source of happiness. I love the idea of studying data about what makes us happy as opposed to what makes us miserable or suicidal. Both disciplines are equally important, but at this moment in history it is in my best interest(and those who must spend time with me!) to focus on what makes me be happy.

Ruut Veenhoven is a Professor of Happiness Studies. His interest is healthy minds and happy people. Happiness study is interesting in the fact that there are subtle nuances in each culture that define happiness. It really boils down to: " in winter, spring summer or fall all you've got to do is call, you've got a friend" (thank you James Taylor). Ruut and his peers estimate that about 70% of our happiness stems from our relationships (both quantity and quality) with friends, family, co-workers and neighbors.

I know it makes me happy to leisurely spend (of which I have very little) time with my husband, friends and family. I don't need to be entertained, I just want to talk about things that matter. Each time I conclude a few hours of my day in this manner I leave craving more. This is a sign to me that I need to make more time in my life for those nourishing chats.

It also makes me happy to have a restaurant full of people enjoying good food, wine and interesting conversation. I love the sound of laughter and I derive a large amount of fulfillment being the voyeur of people connecting with real intention.

Jean-Paul Sartre declared "hell is other people!" Ruut Veenhoven's data discredits that statement. If I were to guess, Jean-Paul didn't choose his company carefully! With so little free time on our hands it is important to surround ourselves with people who reflect our ideals and principles.

What defines your personal happiness?

Amy

The Why of Water

Have you ever wondered why you can get a perfectly satisfying cup of tea or coffee at some establishments and be sorely disappointed at others? Of course the obvious culprit is the quality of the tea leaves or coffee beans, however you can expose some incredibly beautiful tea leaves or coffee beans to water, shall I say, that lacks purity. This will quickly ruin your investment and mood. I use bottled or filtered water at home. At Out of the Fire I have a water filtration system that makes a perfect companion to brewing a wonderful cup of tea or coffee. I made a choice 11 years ago (time flies when.........) that the restaurant would need a filtration system-town water would not be a friend to leaves, beans and body for that fact! I must admit that my palate is extremely sensitive, I am a self-proclaimed water snob. However, you don't have to be a water snob to take note of the effect that water has on the quality of your beverage.
I had some customers from the UK share with me that they were extremely disappointed with the quality of coffee and tea that they were being served at the very expensive Inn that they were patronizing. One would think that an establishment of a certain caliber would pay attention to that very important detail, water, especially since it is a relatively simple and direct fix. They asked me why they couldn't get a decent cup of tea or coffee in America. My response was, "you can, but you have to start with good water!" To prove my point (a patriotic move!) I made them a French Press. They left the restaurant fully satisfied and enlightened! I must add that my coffee beans are roasted the day I order them. They are also fair-trade and organic. The blend is called "Out of the Fire" Blend (big surprise to all, I am sure!) which is 80% Guatemalan, 10% Peruvian and 10% Mexican. However, good water can mask the inadequacies of a substandard bean or leaf!
To sum it all up, water is 98% of your coffee or tea so it is better to bask your beans and leaves in good water. Below is what I could have said in a few sentences:

It is necessary to use high-quality, filtered water without chlorine. The hot beverage can be vastly improved by the use of a simple Brita or Pur filter, which eliminates chlorine and diminishes greatly the water's TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) content. A bottled spring water with a pH of 7 and TDS of 30 PPM or below is ideal.

The motto of Out of the Fire is: "Enjoy life, enjoy each other, eat well and don't forget: Life is too short to drink bad wine." However in this case "life is too short to use bad water!"We all know there is nothing better than a great cup of coffee or tea and great conversation!

Enjoy!

Amy