From seed to fruition
I remember visiting the provinces of the Philippines when I was quite young. I used to love spending time at my grandparents' farm in Bicol and picking corn straight from the field and toasting it just a few steps away by the side of the house. I also remember gorging ourselves with ripe mangos that we plucked from the trees behind my Aunt's house in Zambales.I've tasted fresh produce and have compared it to the produce bought at large super markets. There is just no substitute for freshness. The fact of the matter is that most produce, if not all of them, start to die as soon as they get picked. Some die slower than others but overall that they start losing their freshness.
The produce that is bought in large super markets sometimes travels for several days prior to reaching the store. To circumvent this issue and prolong the life, the produce is picked before they are ripe and some are injected or introduced to chemicals and gasses to simulate freshness. This is the reason why local farms are important to the production and distribution of freshness.
Many urban farms are sprouting up around the Long Beach area, and this is a good thing. More local farms means less travel time for the produce. This means more fresh ingredients to be had. Not only is there freshness being produced here but also green; and by "green" I mean environmentally friendly. Most of the urban farmers are environmentally conscious and are using natural means of reducing and eliminating garden pests. I've learned a technique called interplanting from one of the farmers where the combination of certain plants would deter bugs away from other plants. One example that he gave was to plant basil around tomatoes. Basil, an annual, is also successful in distracting bugs away from tomatoes so they are a great natural pesticide for tomato plants.
Sasha Kanno, the Director at Wrigley Gardens, is working on developing an amazing local farm in Long Beach which would help provide local jobs, as well as a financial benefit to the City. It will promote a great source for healthy and fresh local ingredients to be available for families and local food establishments. I encourage you to view the video and get involved. This is much needed resource within the community so please donate to the project.
Sasha Kanno is a floral designer by trade but has also been a backyard farmer since childhood. She is the Director of Wrigley Garden; a community garden started in the spring of 2009 with its 40 plots, 14 hens and a small orchard she has fed many hungry mouths. She is also one of the founders of the Wrigley co‐op food exchange which harvests, shares and preserves the excess produce from our city.
Farm Lot 59, a biointensive mini farm is a new venture but she is dedicated to its success: “I am already growing amazing food and this farm will help me take it to the next level. This is the direct connection to the food that nourishes us all throughout our lives. Long Beach use to be full of agriculture, let's get back to our roots. Our children should be able to have wonderfully fresh food while growing up in the city.”
SIP at the Renaissance Hotel, Long Beach
The lounge greeted us with an inviting and relaxing atmosphere full of people sharing a common interest in food and spirits. As we headed further into the crowd and to the cheese station, I met up with Andrew Gruel and Dave Anderson of Seafood for the Future to say, "hello" and chat for a bit, then indulged in some blue cheese, date, and crostini. Delish!
Chef Michael Poompan told us that Polly Peak of DineLA was in attendance and that she was interested in some information about local farmers markets. On our way to the bar, we happened to see a lady sitting by herself dressed in a green blouse. It was Polly, so Didi and I introduced ourselves. She had such an enthusiastic energy about her as she talked about some of the events that DineLA have been involved with including the recent Roundtable Discussion with six well known culinary chefs in the LA area.
Polly told us about the braised beef sliders so Didi and I excused ourselves to head outdoors where they were serving these delightful, delectable goodies. They were boneless short ribs braised in Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale, then served on sliced dinner rolls with caramelized onions and sweet hot mustard. The whole thing just melts in my mouth and I couldn't have just one. It was a big hit amongst the crowds as I heard of claims for seconds and thirds. One of the guests told me that they had six already, and I found him hanging around the slider station, perhaps contemplating on a seventh helping...Across from the slider station was a table where one could sample a taste the flavors of Ballast Point beer. There were several bottles displayed including the Pale Ale, Big Eye IPA, Calico Amber Ale, Sculpin IPA, and the Wahoo Wheat Beer. As for me, I had a taste of the Calico Amber Ale and the Sculpin IPA. Although quite different, both were very good in taste. The Calico Amber Ale had a smooth, fruity, Madeira-like flavor, while the Sculpin IPA had a hint of lemony citrus, peach and mango flavors.
As I walked back inside the lounge area to finish my beer, I led Didi over to Carina Cristiano Leoni of Nino's Restaurant and introduced them to each other. Carina in turn introduced us to her friend John. As Didi was talking briefly with Carina, the reality came back to me that I've met all these people through my involvement with the Long Beach Sunday Market at California Heights. I have great admiration for everyone here because of the contribution that they provide to the health and food industry, as well as the development of the local community.
After chatting a bit with Carina, Didi and I sat back down and sampled some of the other food items being passed around. She sampled the dungeness crab potato skin with formage blanc cheese and horseradish, while I sampled the spiced lamb burger (cleverly disguised as meatballs), and roasted fingerling potatoes.
I then headed over to the bar and was introduced to a Red Stag Manhattan made with Jim Beam White Label, Red Stag, Martini and Rossi Sweet Vermouth, and Angostura. I've never had a Manhattan before but I like what I tasted. I picked up the recipes of the mixed drinks that they were serving and was told that I should try the Caipirinha, which from what I understand is Brazil's national drink. Needless to say I had to try one and was very thankful that I did. I love Whiskey Sours, and this one just kicked it up a notch by incorporating simple syrup. Wow!
All in all, Didi and I had a great time. The food was fantastic and the people were fun to be with. Thank you Chef Michael Poompan for inviting us and sharing with us this momentous occasion. I bid you the very best, to SIP, and the Renaissance Hotel staff.
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About Me
- Chef Sam Paano
- I am the co-owner and founder of Gourmet Conspiracy, a personal chef and catering service based in Lakewood, California. My objective here is to provide open communication about various types of food and their benefits towards our health. As far as my training, I graduated from Kitchen Academy in July 2007 with high honors. I have a great deal of passion about learning the cooking styles and techniques from various cultures and incorporating them in fusion dishes.
