Channel Cafe: Sustainability Success

Sustainable seafood is a hot topic, as well as a very significant one. But what can a single person do to help protect endangered fish and other sea creatures? Obviously, you can choose not to purchase or eat non-sustainable seafood, and that is an important first step. But, you can do even more than that. A single person can make a difference.

I recently received a press release about the upcoming Valentine's Day dinner at the Channel Café, which I posted about earlier today. Their “Local Love” menu focused on locally grown, sustainable food. In the original release, one of the courses included Gloucester Cod. I was aware that Atlantic Cod is not considered sustainable by a number of major seafood watch organizations, such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium. So I inquired further, asking the restaurant why they would use Cod for their "sustainable" dinner.

Apparently the Chef at the Channel Cafe reviewed the situation, checking on the status of the Cod, and realized it was not a good sustainable choice. He then took it off the menu, replacing it with line-caught Haddock from Maine, a sustainable choice. Congratulations to the Chef for stepping up to the plate and making an excellent decision! It certainly pleased me immensely, and I am sure the cod populations of the Atlantic appreciate it too.

But nothing would have changed unless one person spoke up, and questioned the use of cod. All I did was politely question the use of their cod, and that spurred on the chef to examine the issue more closely. And it worked! Anyone else could have done the same thing, and I encourage you all to do so. If you see a case where a restaurant or purveyor is using non-sustainable seafood, then ask about it. You never know where your question might lead. It might have a far greater impact than you realize.

Kudos to the Channel Cafe for stepping up for sustainable seafood.

Channel Cafe: Valentine's Day

Channel Café, an underground eatery in the Fort Point neighborhood, has announced their Valentine’s Day promotion “Local Love.” This is a pre-fixe menu focusing on locally grown, sustainable sustenance, perfect for those lovebirds seeking an alternative Valentine’s dining experience.

Each menu item has been carefully selected and sourced from local purveyors including Enterprise Farm produce, River-Wild Mushrooms and Twist of Fate Farm’s grass-fed beef to name a few, to ensure an entirely sustainable menu for Boston’s devout localvores.

For only $30, you receive a 4-course menu including the following:

First Course:

Organic Vegetable and Local Cheese Pizzette
Paired with Narragansett Lager

Second Course (Choice of 1)

New England Pork Rillette, Grilled Garlic Crostini, Roasted Apple, Red Leaf Lettuce, Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Puree of Celery Root Soup, House-made Creme Fraiche, Gremolata

Roasted Delicatta Squash Salad, Red Leaf Lettuce, Spiced Pecans, Warm Herbed Goat Cheese, White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Third Course (Choice of 1)

Foraged Black Trumpet Mushrooms and Marsala Wine over Fettuccine, Herb Medley, Shaved Romano

Balsamic Braised Short Ribs, Sweet Leeks, Butternut Squash Homefries

Horseradish Crusted Haddock, Pan Roasted Wild Mushrooms, House-made Grain Mustard Beurre Blanc

Fourth Course (Choice of 1)

Patron Affogato

Flourless Chocolate Cake -Dulce de Leche

Orange Mascarpone, Chocolate Wafers

For reservations, please call 617-426-0695.

Channel Café
300 Summer St.
Boston, MA

The Girls Scouts Present: Cookie Creations

Who doesn't love some variety of Girl Scout Cookies? My two favorites are the Thin Mints and Samoas. I can't help but buy some boxes each year when the cookie drive rolls through. Thus, I was especially interested in the Cookie Creations event, an annual fundraiser where local chefs would create desserts based on Girl Scout cookies.

This year, the Boston event was held at the Fairmont Copley and the chef's included Matthew Gaudet of Aquitaine, Rachel Klein of Aura Restaurant, Jens Retlev of Au Bon Pain, Sara Ross of Kickass Cupcakes, Chef of Locke-Ober, Kat Craddock of Tremont 647, and Armand Toutaint of Turner Fisheries.

Attendees got to taste all of the desserts, as well as vote for their favorite. There were also two judges who would choose their own favorite: TV Diner’s Jenny Johnson and Mix 104.1 Morning Show host Kennedy. Besides the delicious desserts, there were raffles, a silent auction and a bar.

As you entered the event, there was actually a long table of vegetables, cheeses, crackers, and more. A nice assortment of more savory items to precede your decadent line-up of desserts. They could also act as a palate cleanser between desserts so you did not get a sugar overload.

At the bar, you could order a variety of beers, wines and cocktails and I selected the Thin Mint Martini ($13). It is made from vanilla vodka, creme de cacao, and creme de menthe, garnished with a thin mint. It was sweet, and tasted a bit like a thin mint, though more mint than chocolate flavors.

Locke Ober adopted a mysterious vibe, not placing their recipe in the event booklet. They wanted to surprise the attendees and they certainly accomplished that, taking a different route by going savory. You wouldn't have expected to see a side of ribs next to all of the desserts. But that is what Locke Ober did, presenting a meaty rib, sprinkled with shortread cookie crumbs, and a side of grits. Though the grits and rib were delicious, I am not sure the cookie really added much except for a different texture. I would have liked to see the cookie integrated more into the sauce on the ribs.

Kickass Cupcakes presented their Caramel DeLites (also known as Samoas) Cupcakes. As Samoas are one of my favorites, I was hoping for good things from these cupcakes, and they did deliver. The interiors of each cupcake had gooey caramel and bits of the Samoa cookies. The cucpcakes were moist, and the buttercream frosting adding to the whole. These cupcakes did impress, and they were my second favorite dessert of the evening.

The Winner of the Crowd Favorite was Turner Fisheries and their Peanut Butter Terrines, which used Peanut Butter Sandwich and Shortbread cookies. Unfortunately, the peanut butter cookies are the only type of Girl Scout cookie I do not like, so I did not taste the Terrines. But, from the others near me, the people seemed to enjoy them, and the fact they won the Crowd Favorite shows their popularity. Peanut allergies anyone?

The Judges Favorite, as well as my own personal favorite were Aura's Layered Lemon Ice Box, which used Lemonades cookies. Chef Klein made pushpops out of this dessert, making them not only delicious but also fun to eat. There were layers of lemon curd, blueberries, ricotta and cookies. All of the flavors blended well together and the lemon did not overwhelm the rest. I had a few of these pushpops, and wanted to eat many more as well but I exercised restraint.

Overall, it was a fun event, for a good cause, and showcased some very creative chefs. You don't often get to enjoy so many desserts at one time. Congratulations to the winning chefs and I plan on attending the event again next year. If you can't resist Girl Scout cookies, then I recommend you check it out too.

Boyden Valley Winery

Prior to attending the Boston Wine Expo, I knew that one of the booths I had to visit belonged to the Boyden Valley Winery, located in Vermont. Boyden was my Favorite Vermont Winery of 2009 and their Vermont Ice Red was on my list of 2009 Top Ten Wines Over $50.

I wanted another taste of their Vermont Ice Red, as well as to see what else they might be pouring. Besides enjoying once again the Ice Red, I also got to taste their Vermont Ice Cider and new Vermont Ice Apple Creme.

Their Vermont Ice Cider is made from only Vermont grown apples, including Northern Spy, Macintosh, and Empire. It actually takes over 400 gallons of cider to make one 60 gallon barrel of ice cider. The ice cider is fermented in stainless steel, aged in French oak for about six months and has an alcohol content of about 12%. The ice cider is sweet, though not cloyingly so, and has a prominent crisp, apple flavor. It is a very pleasant drink, just right for a New England winter day, and would also pair well with cheese as well as some fruit-based desserts, including apple pie.

The Vermont Ice Apple Creme was a surprising delight. It is made from Vermont Ice Cider, apple brandy and cream. It also has a higher alcohol content at 15%, though you would not notice that in the taste. It is lighter and more delicate than other cream liqueurs, reminding me a bit of a thinner version of egg nog, but with apple flavors. The creaminess combined well with the apple flavors, and the sweetness was once again under control, and did not overwhelm. Though it can be enjoyed on its own, I think it might also make for an interesting sauce, maybe drizzled over ice cream or an apple pie.

Once again, Boyden Valley Winery has impressed me. I really like the fact they grow their own grapes, and use local Vermont apples. You should give their wines a try, or even visit their winery. I may try to visit there in the spring.

Bob's African Wines

Call me skeptical, but when I saw the table for Bob's African Wines at the Boston Wine Expo, I was not sure what to think. Bob's? They couldn't think of a better name than that? And who was Bob? Was he someone famous that I should know? More importantly, were his wines any good?

Bob is Bob Lynde, an Oregon-based entrepreneur who co-founded Fat Barrel Wine Company with Jessica Harrington in February 2007. Though they wanted to sell wine, they also had a passion for philanthropy. Thus, they launched Bob's African Wines, which are supposed to be value wines from South Africa. As part of the philanthropy, 10% of their import sales benefit nonprofit international aid to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. The company also funds a scholarship program for a U.S. volunteer aid worker in South Africa.

I now understood who Bob was and the intent behind the company. The basic idea appeals to me as I love South African wines, and it is always good to find value wines. Plus, the company is contributing to a worthy cause. But what were the wines like?

The Bob's African Wines currently include a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blnac, Pinotage, Shiraz and Cabernet/Shiraz blend. These wines generally sell for about $10-$12. I tasted two of their wines, the 2009 Chenin Blanc and the 2008 Pinotage. I should note that neither of these wines are yet on their website. Maybe the vintages are too new.

The 2009 Chenin Blanc had a bright golden color and was very aromatic, lots of tropical fruit smells. On the palate, it was bright and crisp, with flavors of melon, grapefruit and touches of herbal notes. Though dry, it had an almost touch of sweetness, a bit more than most other Chenins I have tasted. It was quite delicious, and would be perfect for a warm summer day, or paired with a light chicken or fish dish. A very good value wine.

The 2008 Pinotage was a very fruit forward wine, an easy-drinking delight which should appeal even to those who claim to dislike Pinotage. The fruit flavors, black cherry, raspberry and plum, are accompanied by hints of spice that elevate this wine above other simple wines. This would be an excellent wines for pizza, burgers or BBQ.

So, if you are seeking a value South African wine, then I suggest checking out Bob's African Wines. And you will be contributing to a good cause as well.