michael tuohy's

Today's NY Times article http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/dining/21benno.html?ref=dining
say's "now" chefs are courting farmers for ingredients. Some of us have been doing this for a very long time ;)

Very Fresh!

 

the day before yesterday, i had yet, another profound reminder of why i chose to be in sacramento to practice my craft. recently, i connected with a local gentleman by the name of michael passmore, who has a farm in nearby sloughouse. his farm, passmore ranch, is farming sturgeon, bass, catfish & carp. being that i am a huge lover of fresh sturgeon & bass, my curiosity was peaked. after doing my usual research on the background of this operation, i determined that they were following correct protocols for a sustainable fish farming operation. i then had the opportunity to meet michael & his wife at our local sunday morning farmers market where they had a stand set up selling their fish. i decided to order some sturgeon & bass to be delivered to Grange for a trial run. this is where i was not only impressed, but, the fun began! they show up with the fish in tubs still alive! i was brought a couple of 20# sturgeons, and 16 1# ea. bass for tonight's feature. what's the big deal? well, i can tell you right now, that there are not many restaurants anywhere, that have access to receiving the fish still alive! even restaurants in locations by the water often have their catch delivered after days of being iced on a fishing boat. we get to process them ourselves! just as we do with our chickens that arrive straight from the processor, our hogs, goats, lambs etc... it just reminds me that i made the right choice to be in a place with such abundance of great ingredients. sacramento is a very special place indeed.

 

Boqueria California Squandered

tonight, the city council of sacramento via a "substitute motion," voted for 2 competing development projects rather than the one that included the boqueria california. yes, I am biased since i was a part of the development team, known as the Sacramento Alliance team, which ultimately, was on the short end of the stick. however, being a resident and worker of downtown, i can't help but feel highly disappointed. I live just one block from the proposed development and work one block from the area. i find it amazing how many people from outside of the area were so opposed to the boqueria project. i was frankly perplexed by several comparisons to the now defunct Copia, formerly in downtown Napa, when there is nothing about that project that has any relation to this project. Copia was built way before it's time in downtown Napa thanks to the generosity of the prolific Robert Mondavi and his family, an icon and legend in California's wine industry. those same people that drew that comparison couldn't even remember his name! it was very nice to imagine what could be or could have been. the thought of being part of the creative team to develop what would have been a unique center for food & agriculture, a community market, a place of community that would have regular vendors, customers and visitors. A place that Sacramento could be proud of and claim as their own. a place that reached to the greater Sacramento region as well as the entire state of California and what it truly represents. in my mind, there is no other place that speaks to this. now, downtown Sacramento will enjoy a few more apartment buildings with some ground floor retail. this is not necessarily a bad thing, but it certainly isn't a "great" thing. especially when you consider the amount of vacant space that exists in both new and old buildings, many of which are in need of viable tenants and residents. I certainly wish the groups that were selected by the "substitute motion" from certain council members, nothing but success. 

TELL YOUR FRIENDS

Please sign our petition! The city council of Sacramento will vote tomorrow night

on which project will move forward in the revitalization of K-Street between 9th&7th streets and K & L Streets. The Boqueria/Rubicon Partners proposal is by far the most comprehensive plan that addresses the current needs of the downtown, the city of Sacramento, the greater region and the state. We want the state Department of Agriculture to not only be located here but, to have a place that will serve as a year round destination for people to celebrate the abundance of California!

TELL YOUR FRIENDS.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS