Cafe Femenino: Female Produced Coffee

If you are a serious coffee drinker, there is no better moment than the one when you deeply inhale the aroma of the first cup of the day. But have you ever thought about where your coffee comes from or how it is produced and who's making it?

Coffee is the second largest traded commodity in the world, and women coffee producers account for 30 percent of the 25 million coffee growers. In Peru, female coffee producers have united and are producing their own coffee brand, Café Femenino. Imported by Organic Products Trading Company, Café Femenino is sold only to companies who are either women-owned or have women in upper management positions.

The Femenino project began with 464 women in Northern Peru. At the first gathering of Women Coffee Producers in 2004 sprang this new idea of "separating their coffee from the rest of the production." Cafe Femenino's concept: women produce the coffee, then the consumer plays a key role in giving right back to the earth in which the beans were grown. With the help of organic and Fair Trade premiums, much progress has been made in recent years to improve life in the expanding number of rural coffee growing communities. Improvements range from better diets, improved sanitation, new wet-processing mills and many, many miles of new roads. Cafe Femenino's goal includes improving general standards of living for rural communities, but especially focuses on women's rights.

Out of the Café Femenino coffee initiative was born the Café Femenino Foundation, a social program whose purpose is to support these women in their efforts to achieve equality, build social and support networks and earn incomes through the production and sale of their coffee. Café Femenino is distributed to more than 80 roasters who pay a premium above the fair trade price. Through the fair price/fair trade certification program the coffee producers are guaranteed a minimum and reasonable price for their certified organic products and are able to establish themselves as not only working women but stable individuals. Today, more than 1500 women in Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru are active in the project.

RL Grill - The "It" Place to Lunch in Chicago

When I think of Ralph Lauren, images of Polo shirts and navy blue come to mind. But if you live in Chicago, the famed name means lunch at the hottest spot on North Michigan Avenue. The RL Grill opened 10 years ago and is more popular than ever. If you don't think so, try making a lunch reservation. All I can say is be patient and flexible.
A friend and I ate lunch there last week. We were impressed with the entire experience - including the ambience, wait staff, menu and especially the food. We left with happy faces and sated stomachs. Put this on your "must do" list for your next visit to the Windy City!

Mediterranean Tuna Salad - At Last Tuna Salad I Can Eat!

Saturday, while shopping up and down Chicago's Magnificent Mile - upper Michigan Avenue - I decided to dart into a nearby deli, L'Appetito, to grab a quick salad. I was in Chicago to attend my brothers wedding, but could not resist getting in as much shopping time as I could. Where I live in South Carolina, I have to drive at least two and a half hours in either direction - Charlotte or Atlanta - to even come close to what is available in the Windy City.
So there I was looking at the take-out menu board trying to decide what would be the most healthy, yet fulfilling thing to eat. Afterall, I had a very well defined little dress I needed to fit into that night. When I initially glimpsed the tuna salad my eyes went right past it. As I am allergic to eggs, thus mayonnaise - and what self-respecting tuna salad does not have mayo in it - I immediately skipped right over it. But my eyes kept coming back to it because it looked so scrumptious. It had all the things I like - olives, artichoke hearts and capers. So I asked the question that I have become accustomed to asking all my life. "Does the tuna salad have egg in it?"
Already anticipating what the answer would be, I had decided on the corned beef sandwich. Now there goes that cute little dress I was planning on wearing up in flames (I thought) !! There was no way after eating that three inch corned beef sandwich I was going to fit into that dress! When I heard the words from behind the counter come back at me with "there is no egg in this tuna salad" I thought I would start to cry.
So, long story short, I have found the tuna salad of my dreams and I want to share it with you.

Recipe:
2 cans Tuna (6 ounces each)
2 tablespoons Red Onions, finely minced
5 ounces Artichoke Hearts, quartered
10 Kalamata Olives, halved
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley, minced
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
Salt and Pepper
Boston Lettuce
Tomatoes, sliced

Toss all ingredients, except lettuce and tomatoes, together. Arrange lettuce and tomatoes on a platter and top with tuna mixture.

Death By Chocolate - Is That a Bad Thing?

Just mention the word chocolate and watch the expression on the faces around you. Nothing can stir up the emotion or bring such instant pleasure as eating a piece of chocolate. And most would agree that everything tastes better dipped in chocolate. Chocolate has been synonymous with love, passion and romance since it was discovered by the Mayans and Aztecs, of Mexico and Central America, hundreds of years ago.
Two years ago my husband and I vacationed in Brussels Belgium, where we discovered the famous brand Neuhaus chocolate. We would sit for hours in a very well-known and frequented beer house, La Mort Subite (meaning sudden death) and drink Trappist beer and eat a pound of this wonderful chocolate everyday!! I even brought a shopping bag full of it back home with me when I returned. But soon that ran out and I have not eaten chocolate since then. That is until this week, when I discovered a little chocolate shop tucked away in an obscure shopping center in Augusta, Georgia.
La Bonbonnière is owned and operated by Bébette Smith, who makes these fine Belgian chocolates in house. Not only does she offer thirty different chocolate selections, she specializes in making the most exquisite chocolate boxes which are then filled with her chocolate treats. And the bonus is that the chocolate boxes are also edible. All of her chocolates are made in the traditional Belgian method, which means without preservatives. Bébette, a former teacher who is originally from Belgium, fell in love with chocolate-making during a trip back to her home town. She decided to attend the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Institute to get formal chocolate-making training, and three months later she opened her own shop. “Nothing chocolate, nothing gained.”
La Bonbonnière, 706.868.8120

Faces of IACP 2009 - Denver

Last week I attended the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) Conference in Denver, Colorado. This years' theme "Pioneering a Sustainable World" resonated throughout the many workshops that focused on the food professional's obligation to improve sustainable practises in the food industry. Photos from the top:

Kathleen Flinn author of The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry

Virginia Willis author of Bon Appetit Y'all

Nancie McDermott author of Southern Cakes, Quick and Easy Chinese and more...

Rebecca Caro, Flying Foodie, Maida Pineda

Shirley Corriher author of Bakewise and frequent guest on Food Network's Good Eats

Grains of Paradise - Who Knew?

On a recent trip to Napa Valley, I wandered into a spice shop in the Oxbow Public Market. While sniffing my way through the countless spices, as any true culinarian would, I discovered something deliciously referred to as “grains of paradise.” Again, like a culinarian, the first thing I did was pop a few of these tiny reddish-brown grains into my mouth and bit into them. From the initial tingling on the tip of my tongue I thought ‘pepper.’ But once that sensation dissipated the finish was surprisingly similar to that of cardamom. I decided I could not return home without taking a generous amount of this West African spice with me.

In my house any new spices' or herbs’ ultimate test is how it holds its’ own when paired with a steak. I deliberately used the grains of paradise as a substitute for pepper – yes, I sacrificed a steak for the sake of this experiment. As I suspected, it tasted like a milder version of steak au poivre that left an aromatic hint on the palate. The preparation was oh so simple. Coat both sides of a steak with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Coarsely grind about three tablespoons of the grains of paradise and lavishly apply to both sides of the steak. Grill to your desired doneness. Enjoy!

T-Boys Po' Boys - Authentic N'awlins

Anyone who has ever been to New Orleans (N’awlins if you really consider yourself a regular) knows that there is nothing more indicative of the local cuisine than the po’ boy – fried seafood or meat served on French bread and “dressed” with lettuce, tomatoes and pickle. Now if that doesn’t make you hungry, I don’t know what will! But you don’t have to go all the way to New Orleans to savor this Louisiana treat. T-Boys Po-Boys on Broad Street, in downtown Augusta, boasts a menu of twenty different po’ boy sandwiches! But if you think po’ boys are all you will find at T-boys, look closer. The menu reads like an inventory of most of the dishes you would expect to find in the Big Easy.
Owner, Chef Tony Privat has dedicated his culinary career to producing Cajun food. He is originally from Lafayette, Louisiana and learned how to cook by helping his father. Two years at a nearby culinary school and it was off to work in Florida and then to Atlanta where he owned several restaurants including the French Quarter Food Shops. He has been in Augusta, at the same location, for over four years (T-Boy’s was previously Tap-Tap).
Because of the authenticity of the dishes and awesome taste, it is difficult to recommend any one item on the menu. I had the catfish po’ boy and it exceeded my expectations. The fish was seasoned to perfection and moist. The remoulade sauce was light and added just the right complement of flavor. My only regret is that I did not get the whole sandwich! Other ‘must trys’ are the muffaletta - sliced deli meats, cheeses and antipasto on New Orleans Boule bread. You can also get a seafood muffaletta. But I warn you, go very hungry or limit yourself to a ‘half’ sandwich. The full-size po’ boys are not for the faint of heart. I also have it on good authority, from a very trusted source, that the red beans and rice are to die for. Whatever your choice, be sure to save some room for the Banana Nut Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Syrup & Fresh Cream. This dessert alone will keep you coming back time and time again. In addition, T-Boys offer daily specials such as Gumbo, Etouffee, Jambalaya and crawfish boils. Oh, did I mention the homemade Root Beer?
Chef Tony has plans of expanding his concept which includes increasing their catering capability and developing more homemade soft drinks. He also plans to develop his outdoor garden to create additional seating for customer enjoyment during warm weather months. Chef Tony wants you to come experience a little bit of New Orleans in downtown Augusta. He promises “a great value for a quality sandwich.”

T-Boy’s Po-Boys is located at 1032 Broad St, Augusta GA. Open 11 - 4, 7 days a week. 706-722-7738.