Posts by Susie

La Cocina – Incubating Heavenly Goodness

By Susie, 15 September, 2008,

La Cocina‘s “Taste of La Cocina” open house united a number of food businesses that have grown, often, from hobbies into thriving businesses offering well-crafted, packaged, and marketed food products.

My Last Supper

I barely staggered out the door on a major sugar high, inspired and delighted. Some of my faves:

Chilean “alfajores” – the most delicate powdered sugar butter cookies sandwiched with sublime dulce de leche – from Sabores del Sur. (I dare you not to drool looking at these photos.)

Tamales from Los Cilantros – With a rich red chile salsa

Claire’s Squares – An Irish version of the alfajores: “We start with a buttery shortbread base, then coat it with a thick layer of rich caramel and top it off with a smooth coating of Belgian chocolate.”

…and many more. Has my caramelphilia exhibited itself?

Wistful about not being in San Francisco, home of La Cocina?

Consider the case of mother and daughter team of Embrace Sweets:

They’d started a brownie business in Ohio. After some success they had trouble taking the business to the next level. They heard about La Cocina, looked into it, applied, packed their bags, and now are happily baking and selling in local farmer’s markets.

Now that’s dedication all aspiring entrepreneurs can take a bite out of.

I didn’t really want to end this with poor grammar, but really wouldn’t it sound weird to say “from which all aspiring entrepreneurs can take a bite?”

Can a Croissant Reunite a Mother and Daughter Long Distance?

By Susie, 14 September, 2008,

The answer is “Yes!”

In pondering my fun and unusual food experiences of recent years, I remembered this incredible story delicious indulgences and synchronicity.

Read about it in my other blog, along with another “there are no accidents” artisan pastry story.

Hey, Mrs. Tangerine Woman

By Susie, 10 September, 2008,

By the fortune that only random instant messaging conversations seem to bring, a friend introduced me to Lisa Brenneis, creator of Eat at Bill’s, the heralded documentary about Berkeley’s Monterey Market. I’m not alone in saying that this market, along with the Berkeley Bowl, are reason enough to live in Berkeley.

As if I weren’t thrilled enough, she lives on an organic citrus farm in Ojai, California where they grow Buddha’s Hand citrons. This particularly amazed me as very few people grow this fruit commercially; yet they’re now the second citron grower I know. (Yay!)

Her husband Jim Churchill, the “Tangerine Man,” is famous for those cute little organic Pixie tangerines, as well as 12 other varieties. What most inspired me to write was this spooky picture of Buddha’s Hands growing, which I’d never seen before. Who needs Halloween trappings when you have an orchard with alien like fruit ready to grab you? (They’re so fragrantly delicious, I can imagine much worse fates.)

If like me, you can’t wait to get to Ojai, for now try perusing the Edible Ojai magazine , where you’ll absorb interesting local food facts.

And check out Tangerine Man’s shop, featuring their adorable labels:

Visit Harley Farms – Delicious Award-Winning Goat Cheese

By Susie, 8 September, 2008,

A bucolic country goat farm in the San Francisco Bay Area?

My quest to find Harley Farms led me to the back road of Pescadero, a small town which, as noted has a back “road,” not “roads.” It’s perhaps most famous for Duarte Tavern’s old time artichoke soup but Harley Farms is well on its way to becoming a main attraction. (Just Google it and you’ll see).

On my visit, Dee Harley and Ryan were still decompressing from Slow Food Nation weekend. Harley Farms’ cheese is in such demand, they’d work all day then spend nights trying to churn out enough for the anxious masses. It’s no wonder: Their delicately fresh cheeses have won numerous First Place awards from the American Cheese Society, among others.

Dee showed me the beautiful upstairs hall, overlooking the goats, with a long wooden table and chairs they’d made by hand themselves over the years. Definitely a place to get married or throw a “slow party.”

In the store you’ll find lots of playful signs and gifts along with a full spread of cheeses to taste. (The pepper coated log is my favorite. Somehow the pepper brings out the goat flavor.) Learn all about the varieties and ask Dee your questions.

When you visit: The beach at Pescadero is very accessible. I highly recommend bringing a cooler, planning a late morning at Harley Farms, picking up cheese, and heading to the beach for a picnic along with extra cheese for home. You’ll find great artichoke laden bread in town.

If you can’t visit: Enjoy this tour, in which Ryan gives me an overview of Harley Farms. (It’ll make you find a way to visit.)

Want to Start an Online Artisan Food Business?

By Susie, 6 September, 2008,

Sometimes surfing the Internet really pays off, and I hope your stumbling upon this blog post pays off for you as well:

Through trend-spotting site Springwise, I discovered Foodzie.com, which they cleverly describe as the “Etsy for artisan food.”

Foodzie could be huge, in terms of exposing many online stores to people browsing around.

On a related note, do you know about LocalHarvest.org? Before “locavore,” Local Harvest was cataloguing farms and farmer’s markets all over the US from the bottom of their hearts.

Is your heart racing, thinking of possible good businesses to start on Foodzie?

Well, think of Local Harvest as a great source to not only discover new great quality, fresh, and sometimes exotic produce, nuts, honey etc.—and order directly from growers. (The passion fruit caught my eye. Who knew this tropical fruit was growing right there in Ventura County!)

If one day you remember you read this here, please chime in. You have a taste tester here at your disposal.