Abigail Mendoza Ruiz (village cook, Oaxaca)


Rick Bayless (chef, Chicago)


Ricky Parker (barbecue pit master, Tennessee).

Triple Chocolate Cookies

How to get a really chewy cookie with intense chocolate flavor without the gooey chocolate overkill. The key to the fudge texture of these cookies is to let them cool directly on the baking sheet. It's been pointed out that a high qualitybittersweet chocolate is best. (The best bittersweet chocolates contain at least 50% cocoa solids.)

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped 7 Tbls. unsalted butter 2 tsp. instant coffee 2 tsp. vanilla extract 3 large eggs - room temperature 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate

Carefully melt the first three ingredients, the unsweetened, bittersweet chocolate, and butter in the microwave or in a double boiler.  Stir frequently until smooth and glossy.  Set aside for just a minute.

Dissolve the instant coffee into the vanilla extract, set aside for a second.  Beat the eggs and sugar to the pale yellow ribbon stage (thick and creamy) with and electric mixer.  Turn the mixer to low and work in the vanilla coffee mix. Next work in the melted chocolate until thoroughly combined.

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together and using a spatula, fold into the egg/chocolate mixture.  Fold in the semisweet chips or chunks, cover with plastic and allow to stand 30 minutes.

Scoop 1 heaping Tablespoon per cookie on sheetpans lined with parchment paper, keep them 2" apart.  Bake at 350 for 11 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets until room temperature, then transfer or serve.

Looking at the front cover of the December issue of Bon Appitit Magazine. A holiday rendition of chocolate candy cane cookie is suggested. They basically made a buttercream sandwich with their chocolate cookie, then rolled the edge in crushed candy cane or peppermint candy. 1 cup Butter 2 cups powdered sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 tsp. peppermint extract 2 fluid ounces heavy cream gel or paste red food coloring (optional) 1/2 cup crushed candy cane Cream butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and continue creaming until well blended. Add salt, peppermint extract, and whip. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add additional cream a teaspoon at a time if necessary to achieve the right consistency. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy. Add some red food coloring to make a light pink buttercream. Roll edges of cookie sandwich in crushed candy cane.

At the end of a cold winter, comes February and a time to think of your Valentine. I know it is just Christmas now, but this newsletter is intended to cover the Winter months, besides, chefs must think ahead to plan for the events that spell business in our industry. So I thought I would give you a jump on the year upcoming.

LOVE POTION TEA
1 pinch of rosemary 2 teaspoons of black tea 3 pinches thyme 3 pinches nutmeg 3 fresh mint leaves 6 fresh rose petals 6 lemon leaves 3 cups pure spring water Sugar Honey
To make another person fall in love with you, brew this tea on a Friday during a waxing moon (moving from empty to full). Place all ingredients in an earthenware or copper tea kettle. Boil three cups of pure spring water and add to the kettle. Sweeten with sugar and honey, if desired. Before drinking, recite this rhyme: BY LIGHT OF MOON WAXING I BREW THIS TEA TO MAKE [lover's name] DESIRE ME.	Drink some of the tea and say: GODDESS OF LOVE HEAR NOW MY PLEA LET [lover's name] DESIRE ME! SO MOTE IT BE SO MOTE IT BE On the following Friday, brew another pot of the love potion tea and give some to the person you want to love you. He or she will soon begin to fall in love with you. All in fun - but good luck!!!

CULINARY TOURISM

This article is a general overview of culinary tourism and why food, beverage and travel industry professionals need to pay attention to it. The content of the article is in two sections. The first section are the ideas of Culinary Tourism as presented by Erik Wolf and the International Culinary Tourism Association (ICTA).
The second section is a brief discussion of Nashville's Culinary Tourism as the editor of this newsletter percieves it.

Section 1

Culinary tourism is a new trend that unites the food, beverage and travel industries. While culinary tourism can be looked at as a tool for economic and community development, it's a sexy new concept that celebrates food and drink as the newest tourist attractions. Businesses stand to benefit as well. Today’s stark economic realities have beset the food, beverage and travel industries with unprecedented competition. Every aspect of a guest’s visit has been dissected in a desperate grasp at anything that will bring a competitive advantage. Cuisine has emerged as the sole component of the visitor experience that still holds potential for further development. Food and drink have the ability to positively impact a tourist’s experience and add to a company’s bottom line.

Why Culinary Tourism Matters…

• Culinary tourism as a niche is like where ecotourism was 20 years ago. Given the enormous interest, it’s poised to mushroom.

• Food seems like such a simple, insignificant part of the travel experience. Yet it involves all 5 senses and is the one thing that has the greatest chance to make a long lasting impact, influential or detrimental, on visitors.

• Nearly 100% of tourists dine out when traveling. Each dining opportunity is a chance to get to know local food and people.

• Unlike other travel activities and attractions, cuisine is available year-round, any time of day and in any weather.

• Think about it … culinary art is the only art form that speaks to all five human senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch).

• Cuisine is "experiential" as it satisfies new traveler demands for hands-on, interactive experiences.

• Dining is consistently one of the top 3 favorite tourist activities.

• Interest in cuisine in travel is not exclusive to a particular age, sex or ethnic group.

• The higher the dinner bill, the more likely the patrons are tourists.

• Culinary tourists are “explorers”. Cuisine offers a new discovery with every meal.

• Cuisine is an attraction that is available at any time of day, in any weather, even on holidays

• Culinary tourism can be a tool for economic and community development.

• Culinary Tourism is not pretentious or exclusive. It’s not just about restaurants that have earned 4 stars or better or exclusive wineries. Culinary Tourism is inclusive and represents any type of food, beverage and travel experience that is unique and memorable, no matter where it takes place.

Academician Lucy Long first coined the term “culinary tourism” in 1998 to express the idea of experiencing other cultures through food. Long is a professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Since then, food-beverage-hospitality professionals and the International Culinary Tourism Association have adopted the term and brought it into the mainstream. It is now part of the tourism industry.

Beyond Fine and Fancy

For many people, the first items that come to mind when they hear culinary tourism are wine and fancy restaurants. They think about connoisseurs and experts tasting and critiquing.

Wine and fancy restaurants are two of culinary tourism’s many facets, but that’s not typically to what we are referring. By definition, culinary tourism is not pretentious or exclusive. It includes any unique and memorable gastronomic experience—not just restaurants rated four stars or better—including both food and all types of beverages. For example, a unique and memorable culinary experience can be enjoying Coney Island hot dogs in New York, Cuban coffee in Miami, or a Rogue Ale in Newport, Oregon. Wine falls into wine tourism, and frequenting fancy restaurants would be gourmet tourism, two smaller subsets of culinary tourism.

Culinary tourism is important for many reasons. According to the U.S. National Restaurant Association, the Travel Industry Association of America and the Canadian TourismCommission, dining out is one of the most popular tourist activities. Consider that nearly 100% of tourists dine out while traveling and the message starts to sink in. Even culinary tourists cannot eat constantly. Tourists who are interested in wine/cuisine also show an affinity for museums, theater, shopping, music, film festivals and outdoor recreation. Business owners will appreciate the fact that the higher the total dinner bill, the more likely the patrons are tourists.

The concept of culinary tourism is as old as time. Thousands of years ago, merchants traveled the Seven Seas, looking for foodstuffs to trade. Spices, wine, fruits and olive oil were the currencies of yore. Today, we unwittingly do much the same. However, modern travelers tend to prefer restaurants and wineries in place of battered ships traversing pirate-infested trade routes.

Section II

When you think of Culinary Tourism, the Culinary Identity of New Orleans, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Miami are immediately obvious. A little less obvious are Albuquerque, Seattle, San Antonio, St. Louis, Memphis, Quebec, Baltimore, or Denver. But to "Foodies", these less obvious cities have a very distinct and appealing culinary tourism attraction. But what is the attraction of Nashville- do we have a culinary identity.

In the story of the World of Flavor Conference held at Greystone (above), it mentioned that they identified 12 hot spots of culinary interest and #12 was the American South- thats us folks. But still, does Nashville have an identity? Does it hold any facination for a Foodie? What is unique about the Nashville culinary landscape?

At first glance, Nashville is abundant in Chains. It is place after place of first generation chains like Fridays, Shoneys, Pizza Hut and IHOPS, second generation chains like Chilis, Applebees, Cracker Barrels, Outbacks, and Longhorns; third generation chains like P.F. Changs, Mortons, Romanos and Starbucks. Now the Fourth wave starts with Panera, Maggianos, Cheesecake Factory and on and on. Of course, this does not even consider the fast food industry. This is not a jab at Nashville alone. This unfortunately, has become the culinary identity of every medium or large metropolitan area.

Culinary Tourism starts in the independent restaurant sector - nobody ever flew to New Orleans to eat at Outback Steakhouse. It is the independent restauranteurs who attempt to take advantage of regional and local uniqueness, who try to buy local products and serve local tastes, they make up culinary identity. It is the independent restaurants that foster chefs and new ideas in the food world. Please know that this is not a backhanded slap at kitchen managers and chain chefs, because they can embody every bit of pride involved with the culinarian's code. Every cook and chef and kitchen manager and steward has my utmost respect. The job is hard and the people who do it are my people. I am one of them. I am just pointing out that the independent restaurants in a city are what define it's Culinary Identity and thus become the source of Culinary Tourism.

My dissapointment in Nashville stems from the fact that Nashvillians "like" the chain food so much, that they neglect the independent "culinary identity" restaurants, making survival a difficult fight. One could say that the independents just don't do as good a job as the chains, but that criticism sounds like a hollow justification for mediocre tastes of our populace. Truth is that independents have to work twice as hard as chains, just to keep their doors open.

One of the most successful independents I know swears that they run a non-profit corporation. This does not occur because of bad management, rather because they put every bit of pride and energy into buying the best raw materials, using the best preparation methods, and training and paying the best employees. Their chain competition are not constrained by those standards, thus the profit margin gets to the bottom line.

Nashvillians have an inferiority complex. They have always felt that the great food and good restaurants were someplace else, some other city. You have to fly to Chicago or New York or Frisco to find good restaurants. In a very consistant manner, Nashvillians have neglected the great gems in their own back yards while chasing someone else's idea of good food. Likewise, if your business comes from New York or New Orleans and opens a chain restaurant in Nashville, then you must know what good food is, so we will patronize them as well.

The answer to the question of Nashville's culinary tourism appeal is none, no, does not exist. If you see this as an insult, then you have missed the point. We are a city of great Music appeal. We live in a forest in some of the most beautiful country landscape in America. Our cultural heritage is genteel Southern. We live in an agricultural setting with a market for fresh produce. Our leading commodities are corn, pork, chicken, beef, wheat, tobacco, tomato and goats. What is the cuisine that we are known for? A better question, what should we known for?

Personally, I was very proud of Loveless Cafe, Macks, and Sweat's and Jimmy Kelly's restaurant as possible starting points for a culinary identity for Nashville.

This rambling has gone on to long, and a small book could be written on this subject, so I will end it now. Just one last thought.

It ticks me off that TGI Friday's is capitalizing on Jack Daniels Tennessee Sippin Whiskey, when Tennessee culinary traditions should have been building on that product. But hey, they thought of it and they used it for their promotion, so now, if Tennessee restaurants use Jack Daniels in their cooking, they can be just like TGI Fridays.