By: Tom Kearney | Feb 12, 2012 | #
Pre-Industrial Dinner
It’s funny how naming a dinner “Pre-Industrial” can arouse so many people to want to attend. I suppose it demonstrates how desperate we are for a an honest connection to our food, or a simpler more kindred one. Maybe it’s pure curiosity. Nevertheless, working with a food historian (Sarah Lohman) and doing a healthy leaf-through of food history ended up being a little disillusioning. Turns out shit wasn’t that great on the food front. Ever hear of “swill milk”? Google it and that’ll set the mood. So with our newly informed sense of food in the 1850’s we decided to take inspiration from the best practices of the time and let our instincts lead the way. Have a look at some of the evening:
By: Tom Kearney | Nov 02, 2011 | #
On The Street
I don’t want to go off on a an overly wordy discourse on the merit of street food, especially since it is kind of self-evident. But I would like to say something praiseworthy about the endeavor. It has got to be one of the most honest ways to engage people. Often street food is providing some kind of thing that is in demand but is absent in brick-and-mortar version from the place where it’s offered. Sometimes it’s ambitious and many times not. There are sanctioned versions and black market versions. What’s interesting here is when you’ve got nothing to lose the results can be idiosyncratic, original and just downright weird.
On a recent outing with a group of Farm fans we explored and shopped Sunset Park’s Chinatown. We were having a great time and at one point a guy started talking to me about whether I had ever heard of homemade Rice Wine or knew where to find it. I didn’t and while intrigued had basically no clue how to acquire that. It must have been five minutes later and I turn around and there he was with a plastic quart container of rose colored liquid. Pretty impressive! We drank some on the street. I’m not saying this to be provocative but it was pretty great. It had a lively acidity, a maderized or oxidative quality that you find in sherry or Madeira, all around a balanced dry wine. I’ve been back since and let’s just say there can be a lot of variation from batch to batch.
In other news; if you happen to be walking down Cortelyou Road anytime soon and are passing by the laundry mat on the corner of E. 16th St., then you might be inclined to have a mexican corn soup served out of a five gallon bucket inside of a shopping cart. I know that sounds brutally unappetizing but it is what it is. It’s a corn soup with mayo, parmesan, fresh lime, and chili. The couple serving it are charming and get crazy amounts of props from people for being out there, and they’re pretty busy.
Good looks to all those who’ll be on the street all winter bangin it out.
By: Tom Kearney | Jun 03, 2011 | #
Beekeeping in Ditmas Park
I may not know the difference between brace comb and buff comb or a nurse bee and a worker bee but Todd does. Todd Scott is a beekeeper in Ditmas Park. He travels to the backyard of folks who have adopted his hives as sort of foster parents. I went around with him today to take it all in and to learn something about these amazing little creatures that are beyond magical.
Daphne…not a fan of bees, unsurpisingly
By: Tom Kearney | Apr 23, 2011 | #
Earth Day Foraging
This morning I set out to meet up with a group of like-minded forage-curious Brooklynites at Grand Army Plaza. The get together was organized by Green Edge Collaborative. Our guide was Leda Meredith, author, ethnobotanist, educator, homesteader and all around swell lady. It was great having Leda as our guide not only because of her encyclopedic knowledge of the species but because she is so actively committed to using seasonally available plants in her own life. I liked hearing about the medicinal and psychoactive effects of the various plants. Have a look at some of our finds. And Happy Earth Day!
Magnolia (the flowers are edible as are the flowers of all stone fruit trees)
Chickweed (salad material)
Garlic-Mustard (smells like it sounds—used like an herb)
Echinacea (the stuff people turn to when they’re sick. But actually should be used as a preventative)
Field Garlic
Pine (edible as in a tea. The resins can also be used for cleaning)