It’s been over 30 years since I went alone to Ireland for the first time. I knew very little about the country, I had no friends or food producers there to call on, and, back before the world of the web was the norm, I had very little idea what I was getting myself into. That trip changed my life in wonderful ways. Thirty years later, I have many friends there. I’ve swum regularly in the river of its history. I love the music (sad-music lovers—give a listen to the bagpipes on Lankum’s “Young People,” or the harmonium on band member Radie Peat’s somber dramatic performance of “Dark Horse,” live in Dublin’s Kilmainham Gaol on Easter 2017). The poetry is powerful, the literature lovely, and the landscape unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced. I’ve been back to Ireland now probably two dozen times.
In the years since I made that first trip, Irish food has, I believe, become some of Europe’s best. In fact, there is now so much wonderful food and drink that even this intensive eight-day tour will only scratch the surface in the best possible way! If you grab one of these last few seats, I will guarantee you a whole lot of great eating and drinking, combined of course with a wealth of creative connections, wonderful culture, learning, and laughing. And, if you fall in love with Ireland as I did all those years ago, you will likely go back many more times.
People ask me all the time why I’m so drawn to Ireland. In the context of what I wrote a few weeks ago about sadness, I’ve realized one of the big reasons, in a quiet way that I wasn’t conscious of at the time, is that there’s something powerfully evocative in the spirit of the place that resonates for me. Not the stereotyped jovial “Irish humor” that’s often portrayed in movies, but, rather, the extreme but gentle, moving, and really almost magical sadness. The bleak beauty of the landscape is really beyond belief. I’m haunted by all of it, and always hungry for more.
Zingerman’s Food Tours Managing Partner Kristie Brablec has connected with longtime friends of the ZCoB Kate McCabe and Max Sussman from Bog & Thunder, who will serve as co-hosts. You can see all the amazing details of the trip on the Food Tours site. Buy a seat soon before they run out! You’ll experience some amazing eating, a wide range of emotions, and take in some of the most beautiful and moving landscapes you’ll ever visit.
The first tour for Ireland will be September 19-28, 2022. Or, alternatively, you can go with Kristie, Kate, and Max October 3-12. Sign up soon! If you do, I’ll buy you a copy of Manchán Magan’s lovely Thirty-Two Words for Field to help you get ready!
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Tag: ARI WEINZWEIG
The true story of your morning “cap” revealed!
It’s getting close to a decade ago now since I started to study beliefs. What began as a small bit of intrigue and intellectual interest evolved, over the course of five or six years, into a 600-plus-page book, The Power of Beliefs in Business. Later, that work expanded in the form of our Statement of Beliefs, and also another Natural Law (#16). One of the many things I’ve learned is how many commonly-held beliefs are quite simply wrong. G. K. Chesterton writes, “Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.”
So, here’s a good one for you! Much of what most of us believe about the history of cappuccino is incorrect. While this disinformation won’t lead to war, overturn an election, end a relationship, or cause a coup, I figured it’s still a good idea to share the full story. Although many of us might assume that cappuccino originated in Italy ages ago, a bit of historical exploration will show that to be wholly inaccurate. Modern cappuccino, the kind we serve and that many of you consume, is actually less than a hundred years old. Milk was not part of the original recipe. And its roots aren’t in Italy, but, instead, to the north, in Austria.
What we now know as cappuccino was first called “Kapuziner,” showing up in Viennese coffee houses in the 1700s. It was made at that time with whipped cream and sugar. Some recipes also reference spices. If you go to Vienna today, you’ll still find the classic Kapuziner on the menu! What we know now as cappuccino was first made in Europe in the early years of the 20th century, as the relatively new-fangled espresso machines became popular, at roughly the same time the Deli’s building was being built in 1902, and about the same time Chris Roelli’s great-grandfather was arriving in Wisconsin from Switzerland. The drink became more popular in Italy, and the name evolved from German to Italian. It gained widespread acclaim in the U.S. only in the last 50 years.
Like all food and drink, the quality of the ingredients that go into a cappuccino will have a huge impact on the flavor of the finished item. It’s almost impossible, I’ve learned over the years, to make something super delicious out of so-so raw materials. Here in the ZCoB (Coffee Co., Next Door, and Roadshow), we use a pair of excellent ingredients:
Espresso Blend #1 from Daterra Estate in Brazil — Sustainably grown, Rainforest Alliance certified, we’ve been working with the Pascoal family and the Daterra team for 20 years now!
Milk from Calder Dairy — One of the state’s only farmstead dairies, the Calder family still has its own herd of about 150 cattle. (And yes, we also have skim milk, oat milk, and almond milk.)
While most cappuccini look somewhat similar in the cup, there’s a huge difference in the flavor. I brought one as a gift to a friend I was meeting the other day. She took a sip, shook her head, and quietly, almost under her breath, said “Wow! You really can taste the difference.”
Swing by the Coffee Company, Next Door, or Roadshow to taste the difference! Or if you want to replicate a bit of Zingerman’s at your house, order a bag of Espresso Blend #1.
Sign up for Ari’s Top 5 e-newsletter and look forward to his weekly curated email—a quick roundup of 5 Zing things Ari is excited about this week—stuff you might not have heard of!
Tag: ARI WEINZWEIG
Taking craft candy bars to new levels of excellence with Ca$hew Cow candy bars
If you still haven’t had one of these amazing artisan candy bars, you might not yet know what you’re missing. Thanks to the hard work of the crew at the Candy Manufactory, what most of us knew as junk food and a quick way to get a sugar fix, has been transformed into a set of candy bars so complexly flavored and so compellingly good that they’re pretty much redefining the category. There’s a good bit of magic and mystery in every bite!
The very catchily named Ca$hew Cows have a homemade cashew brittle (made from cashews, sugar, butter, and a hint of sea salt) base, blended with a mix of milk chocolate, cashew butter, and some crisped-rice on the inside, along with pieces of cashew that have been roasted in butter and sea salt. All of which is again dipped in that very dark chocolate. You get a really nice texture, a touch of crunch from the rice, and a really lovely modest, mouth-filling flavor that never strikes me as overly sweet. A great way to boost your energy in the afternoon and/or end your evening. If you want to make them an elegant dessert, simply slice the bars into half-inch thick slices and serve them on a beautiful plate with toasted nuts and dried fruit.
How good are they?
Jamie LeBoeuf, long time confectioner, Candy Manufactory production manager, and a Staff Partner this year and next says:
For me, the Ca$hew Cow and Peanut Butter Crush bars have some substance and a satisfying texture to them. Where the Original Zzang!® and Wowza have the airy, sweet nougat, and the What The Fudge has the dense, sweet fudginess to them, the Ca$hew Cow and Peanut Butter Crush present a totally different texture. They are not quite as sweet as other candy bars. I love the mild, buttery flavor of cashews. The big cashew pieces and cashew butter have lots of protein and nutty richness, plus the crisped rice cereal keeps them from being too dense and heavy. The little hint of salt brings out the cashew flavors and brittle bits add some roasty, caramelly sweetness. I like to think of them as breakfast bars. When I skip breakfast and need a little mid-morning snack, a Ca$hew Cow mini is just the thing to hold me to lunch time.
And Dane Peterson at the Deli describes them as:
10 out of 10. Best candy bar on the planet. Better than any other candy bar. “It is ELITE” The cashews are roasty, toasty, and glowing. He even loves that it sticks to your teeth slightly because then he can taste it for like 20 minutes, he is literally praising God for the existence of this bar.
Come by the Candy Store on Plaza Drive (inside the Coffee Company) to get a Ca$hew Cow at the source! Or grab one at the Deli, Roadhouse, or any number of other spots in town and around the country.
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Tag: ARI WEINZWEIG
Spring Ham, Peas, Potatoes will be served with Grilled Trout at the Roadhouse’s Appalachian dinner
Ronni Lundy probably knows more about the foodways and folkways of Appalachia than anyone else in America. I’ve been hoping to get her to town now for years! Her kindness, care and insider understanding of an oft-misunderstood part of American culture are something special. If you like food and learning, you will not want miss her visit to Zingerman’s Roadhouse next month.
The Irish poet, John O’Donohue says, “Many of us have made our world so familiar that we do not see it anymore.” His wise words, I think, apply to many of us on many fronts, and I would say, still holds true for many who live outside of Appalachia. While we’ve all heard the name, most Americans know little or nothing about the area. We hear the names of the states (Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina), but unless we come from there or have spent significant time studying their history and culture, we have minimal understanding of this fascinating section of the country. Stereotypes get us stuck.
Author and Appalachian expert Ronni Lundy
In an era where curiosity and care for people different than ourselves often seems sorely lacking, taking the time to get to know someone—or in this case, someplace—is a gift we can give ourselves, and those who we are getting to know. Ronni Lundy knows the Appalachian region at a depth of spiritual understanding that I only hope one day I will be able to replicate, really, for anything.
“While I didn’t grow up in them,” she writes in her James Beard-award winning new book, Victuals, “I grew up of the mountains, and all my life I have held these connections that are a beautiful and remarkable gift.”
On the evening of May 15, we are fortunate to have Ronni coming to share stories of her 70 years of living both in and of the mountains. This is our chance to hear stories from the heart, of the heart, and to move past preconceived notions to see—and taste—the beauty, wisdom and wonderful work of the foodways and culture that make the Southern Appalachian region so special.
Skillet Fried Chicken is a one of the entree choices at the upcoming dinner
As she writes in her amazing book, Victuals, “[L]ooking through the lens of real Southern mountain food—the methods of its growing, processing and eating—we began to see a vivid picture of a region and its people that had little in common with their most prevalent and demeaning stereotypes.”
If you want another testament to the excellence of Ronni’s writing and scholarship, the marvelous musician Emmylou Harris said, that, “Victuals is so much more than just another cookbook. It’s a marvelous travelogue and history of an under-appreciated and often misrepresented part of America, it’s people and culture, written lovingly by my friend, Ronni Lundy. Still, as I finished the last pages, with their stunning illustrations, I couldn’t wait to get in the kitchen and try my hand at the delicious recipes she has gathered for all of us who just plain love good food.”
Ronni’s dinner at the Roadhouse, are meant to do the same. You or I could make the trip for ourselves and traverse those same 4000 miles, but in the meantime, please don’t miss out. I’m confident, both culinary and culturally memorable. I will be there. I hope you will too.
Exploring Appalachian Cooking with Ronni Lundy takes place May 15, 2018 at 7pm. See the full menu and reserve a seat on Zingerman’s Roadhouse’s website
Tag: ARI WEINZWEIG
On January 30th, Zingerman’s Roadhouse will be hosting our 13th Annual African American Dinner, featuring the noteworthy wines of André Hueston Mack. André owns his own winery in Willamette Valley, Maison Noir Wines, and was named Best Young Sommelier in America in 2003. He is the first African American to win that distinguished honor.
André’s road to success is one less traveled. For anyone who’s explored Ari’s anarchist approach to business, André’s philosophy will sound familiar. After learning about André’s guidelines to being a Mouton Noir, or “black sheep”, during his TEDx Talks presentation, I can definitely see how both he and Ari share ideas on becoming successful by doing things differently. Specifically, they both embrace the freedom of being unique, not following trends, and having fun while doing it. André fits right in to the Zingerman’s fold. Here are his rules for being a black sheep:
Don’t do what you are supposed to do.
In A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Building A Great Business, the first ingredient for Ari’s Recipe for Making Something Special is A Vision of Uniqueness. Likewise, When André mentions creativity, he emphasizes defining yourself as being unique. He did not grow up around restaurants or vineyards, but André followed a course that would take him to become Thomas Keller’s Sommelier for Per Se in New York. This is when he gained the nickname Mouton Noir, because he was not like many sommeliers in New York City. He found the name empowering.
Don’t be afraid to do it yourself. The second premise in Ari’s Recipe for Making Something Special is Bucking the Trends. He specifically speaks about the idea that when you start off doing something really different, you don’t often get a lot of support. André embraced his unique identity and chose to do something totally different…on his own. He left Per Se and became a winemaker. He opened his own winery, Maison Noir Wines with no startup and no investors. He didn’t have a design team to create his labels, so he created his own, and is now a talented self-made designer.
Don’t dress the part.
André started to design t-shirts in addition to his labels, like we do at Zingerman’s. And he wears them, like Ari. Neither of them want to be caught up in a status symbol culture. André’s mission is to make sure wine is accessible to everyone, and to make sure this happens, he chooses to not be restricted by how other people think he should appear.
Don’t seek approval.
According to André,“Wine is not a beverage reserved for the elite, but can and should be enjoyed by everyone.” He feels that wine is subjective, like anything else creative, so he does not have his wines rated. He understands that people will either like them, or they won’t. But he has to believe in the product, and avoid the anxiety of worrying about what everyone else thinks.Ari’s written an entire book on the Power of Beliefs in Business, and he’s been talking about the importance of belief since the beginning, “Without it…food is at best is technically correct, but almost always lacks the soul that makes it special.” By believing in his wines and not sweating about what everyone thinks they should be, André has been able to focus his energy on making them really great. Or as he says “put your energy into what feeds you.” In his new pamphlet, My Beliefs About Cooking, Ari echoes this sentiment, that the act of feeding ourselves just to get by has become so much more than that for him: “What was a rather unremarkable routine that ensured survival is now the centerpiece of my existence, something that sustains me physically and financially, intellectually and emotionally.”
Play. Having fun is another crucial ingredient in Ari’s Recipe for Making Something Special. For André, creativity is key. There is something to be said for figuring out what feeds you and playing with it. André has designed a coloring book about food and wine, called Small Thyme Cooks: Culinary Coloring and Activity Book. Have you seen his labels? Or his t-shirts for that matter? Personally, I’m a huge fan of his Horseshoes and Handgrenades label, for a red blend that we will be featuring at the dinner:
If you like what you see, don’t miss out on an opportunity to meet the man who’s sharpened the edge on winemaking. He will be at the Roadhouse, and we will be drinking his amazing wines.
Dare to be different and join us. Come alone if you’d like, wear a t-shirt, don’t ask permission. We will feed you, literally and creatively, and it will be fun.
Cara Mangini will be our honored guest at the Roadhouse’s Tomato Dinner #214 on September 12th! We will be tasting delicious recipes from her new book, “The Vegetable Butcher”, and watching a live demo of her butchering vegetables! Don’t miss out. Grab a seat today!
In the meantime, sink your teeth into Ari’s recent interview Cara.
ARI: I love that you focus so much on vegetables. How did that happen? Did you grow up a vegetarian?
CARA: The ritual of sitting down to share a meal has always been extremely important to me. Since I was a kid, I enjoyed the daily celebration of food and my family, and how those moments marked the year. I knew there was a special kind of magic that was created at the table. I also thought a lot about what I ate and the connection between food and health—how certain foods made me feel beyond sheer enjoyment.
I started to gravitate specifically toward vegetables when living in Paris and traveling around Europe in college. I continued to travel, cook, and eat my way through France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, and Turkey in my 20’s. Those food experiences had a profound effect on my perspective and path. It became very clear to me that I wanted to contribute to making vegetables second nature in our culture—the way they were in so many other places. At the same time, I lived in Brooklyn for 10 years while a vibrant farm-to-table movement was making big waves around me. It completely inspired me. I realized that vegetables have always been the most exciting and delicious part of the plate for me.
A: I’m sure you get asked this all the time but, what’s a vegetable butcher?
C: A vegetable butcher is a trusted professional who demystifies produce with tips, tricks, and practical, how-to information (the stuff that somehow no one ever taught you). We have professionals that we turn to for advice in so many areas of our life—traditional butchers, cheesemongers, doctors, hairdressers, attorneys. A vegetable butcher is that person you can count on and who will help take the guesswork out of breaking down and cooking with vegetables—an artisan who has dedicated her life to getting to know the ingredients so that you can benefit from her knowledge, lessons and recipes.
A: As someone who’s not a vegetarian but who eats a lot of vegetables, I’m excited to see them being put front and center in a cookbook like yours. Can you talk about that a bit?
C: At it’s core The Vegetable Butcher is a celebration of vegetables! It’s both a guide that will help readers break down vegetables with knife lessons, insider tips, and approachable preparations as well as a comprehensive collection of produce-inspired recipes (over 150). My hope is that The Vegetable Butcher will give readers the confidence, encouragement, and motivation to cook and eat vegetables every day—and ultimately, find the joy in cooking with seasonal ingredients that connect you to nature and to each moment of the year.
A: Tell us about your restaurant in Columbus? You also have a new place opening up soon? And how did you get to Columbus anyways?
C: Little Eater is a produce-inspired restaurant and farm stand in Columbus’s historic North Market. And, yes, we are in the middle of opening our second location which is our first real home where we will be able to welcome guests for a full experience. Everything on the menu in our restaurants is inspired by local ingredients and is designed to bring everyone to the table with focus on flavor and abundance (never sacrifice or obligation which can too often be the case or perception with vegetable-driven food). It is our mission to honor the work of our farm partners and to support the health of our community.
I am from the San Francisco Bay Area, went to school just outside of downtown Chicago, and spent most of my adult life in New York. Columbus was not on my radar! I met my husband at the Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams booth at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. I was living and working at a farm and associated farm to table restaurant in Napa Valley at the time. I moved to Columbus six month later and started actively working on my business and book. I always say (and it’s the absolute truth), Columbus was the missing link in my business plan. We are surrounded by inspiring entrepreneurs, incredible farmers and farmland, and a community that is just as invested in our success as we are. I am so grateful for it.
A: What are some of your favorite dishes in the book?
C: I can’t pick favorites, but I do have go-to recipes in every season!
Spring: Asparagus, Hazelnuts, and Mint with Quinoa and Lemon Vinaigrette, Snap Pea, Asparagus, and Avocado Salad with Radish Vinaigrette, Artichoke Torta, Swiss Chard Crostata with Fennel Seed Crust, and Ramp (or Leek) and Asparagus Risotto.
Summer: Corn Fritters with Summer Bean Ragout, Marinated Peppers with Goat Cheese Tartines, Seaside Gazpacho Zucchini, Sweet Corn, and Basil Penne with Pine Nuts and Mozzarella, Eggplant Polenta Cake.
Fall: Fall Farmers Market Tacos, and Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Chard and Coconut Black Rice, Turkish Carrot Yogurt.
Winter: Celery Root Pot Pie, Broccoli and Radicchio Rigatoni with Creamy Walnut Pesto, Parsnip Ginger Cake with Browned Buttercream Frosting.
A: What do you think are some of the biggest misunderstandings about vegetables amongst Americans?
C: Vegetables don’t have to equate to sacrifice. They can produce over-the-top flavor and craveable, deeply satisfying food. Vegetable-based food isn’t about what isn’t on the plate, it’s about everything that is.
A: Given that you’ll be here for the dinner in mid September what are some of the dishes you’re thinking about for this special menu?
C: We’re going to highlight the tomato harvest and all of those late summer ingredients that we’ll be missing a few months later. For sure we’ll do an heirloom tomato panzanella to highlight all of the different colors, textures and varieties of tomatoes grown at Roadhouse Farms. It’s going to be a beautiful celebration of that specific and fleeting moment of the year when the sun is that golden angle, and the food coming out of the ground and the people who grew it deserve to be honored.
A: Have you been to Ann Arbor before? Are you excited about coming?
C: I have never been to Ann Arbor and cannot wait! I have heard about what a special place it is and I’m excited to experience the food scene, most especially Zingerman’s that, honestly, I have admired from afar for so long!
A: What else should I ask?
C: I think you asked good questions, nothing to add. I always ask people that by the way! Always the best question… sorry, I don’t have a better answer:)
