The Value of a Traditional New England Drink

Greetings from the University of New Hampshire!

I am Sara Hartley, a senior dual-majoring in Marketing and EcoGastronomy.  My EcoGastronomy senior capstone research project is on hard cider!

Specifically, my research is titled "Closing the Gap Between Consumer’s and Seller’s Perceptions of Hard Cider: A Study of the New Hampshire Seacoast Region." 

The general underlying question is, “How do individuals on the Seacoast value hard cider, a traditional drink of New England, and how can distributors of the product enforce these values?” In a food world, where the intimacy of food with beverage pairings produces the essence of a meal, it is amazing to see how far we reach to source the beverages.  Apples grow best in the sandy clay soils of our own backyard of New England.

With my project I propose a campaign to revitalize the spirit of hard cider and preserve the foundation of hard cider producers in this region.

I am using a survey to collect consumer's perceptions of hard cider. The survey takes 8 minutes, and my goal is to collect 500 surveys. Participation in the survey will be greatly appreciated, and you have an opportunity to win raffle prizes from Farnum Hill Orchards.  Please go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/cider to participate in the survey.  Thanks!

 If you are still wondering...what is that crazy EcoGastronomy degree? here is a fun description of the subject:

EcoGastronomy is designed to integrate three broad fields of study and practice: sustainable agriculture, regional cuisine and hospitality management, and nutrition. The goal is to provide a unique and systemic educational experience that will prepare students to flourish in the complex and holistic nature of our food community - from farm to fork to nutrition and health outcomes.  Thus, the term "gastronomy," which is defined as "the art and appreciation of preparing and eating good food," is paired with the prefix "eco," indicating that the "art and appreciation" of food cannot be separated from our agriculture, our environment and the myriad social, economic, political and ethical issues associated with food production and eating.

This post is contributed by  Sara Hartley if you have any questions. 

Don't Miss the December Gourmet Dinner - Local Food and Thinking of Others

http://www.wsbe.unh.edu/gourmetdinner

A Common Table Dec. 3rd and 4th Featuring Guest Chef Evan Mallett of Black Trumpet Bistro
The University of New Hampshire’s Hospitality Management Advanced Food and Beverage Class will host the Gourmet Dinner: ‘A Common Table’ on Friday, December 3rd and Saturday, December 4th. The dinner will take place at Stillings, 20 Ballard Drive, Durham, NH. Hors d’oeuvres begin at 6 o’clock followed by a six course dinner at 7 o’clock.

The dinners are completely student run and serve as the capstone experience for the Advanced Food and Beverage Management course. The events have been held for over 50 years and have a strong historical presence on campus. The Gourmet Dinner is a time to slow down and get back to the table.

The students prepare the food from scratch and buy local when feasible. Area suppliers include: Beach Pea Baking Co., ciabatta rolls; Brookford Farm, green cabbage, carrots, milk, cream, eggs; Garen’s Greens at Riverside Farm, watermelon radishes, turnips; The Gelato Fiasco, local cranberry sorbet; White Gate Farm, pears; Applecrest Farm, apples; New Roots Farm, rainbow chard, chili sauce; Heron Pond Farm, scallions, onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, parsnips; Seaport Fish, haddock, Maine shrimp.                                                                                                       

  Menu

Hors d’oeuvres
BLT Crisp
House-cured Pancetta, Rainbow Chard, Tomato Chutney
Walnut Brittle, Goat Cheese, Poached Pear
Paella Stuffed Pepper
Maine Shrimp, Saffron, Peppadew Pepper
Pig On A Blanket
House-made Chorizo, Tarragon Mustard, Puff Pastry
Appetizer
Oregon Truffle Mac n’ Cheese
Mornay Sauce, Shaved Truffle
Entrée
Shepherd’s Pie
Local Lamb Dodine, Baby Turnips
Intermezzo
Cranberry Sorbet
Clementine, House-dried Cranberries
Main Entrée
Fish and Chips
Line-caught Haddock, Roxbury Russet Apple Slaw
Salad
Blue Cheese Wedge
Great Hill Blue Dressing, Radishes, Bacon Lardons
Dessert
Handmade Donuts
Zeppole, Peppermint Fudge, Tawny Hot Chocolate

Executive Chef Evan Mallett from Black Trumpet Bistro and his assistance with menu innovation, along with Dover Wine’s arrangement of excellent wine pairings.Promising a memorable evening, guests are invited to recapture warm memories of times well spent. Come in from the cold and eat a warm dinner with the company of friends, old and new at ‘A Common Table.’ All leftover food products will be made into “stone” soup by the students Sunday after the dinner and will be given to Cross Roads House in Portsmouth to feed those who also deserve a warm meal.Tickets for ‘A Common Table’ can be purchased online for $60 per person at www.wsbe.unh.edu/gourmetdinner.

The UNH Department of Hospitality Management combines business fundamentals as well as classes geared toward the service industry sector. Hands-on education proves to be a strong and integral part of the experiential and academic curriculum. The department also offers the first-ever EcoGastronomy Program, which integrates UNH’s strengths in sustainable agriculture, hospitality management, and nutrition to offer a unique academic program emphasizing the interdisciplinary, international, and experiential knowledge that connects all three fields.
The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state’s flagship public institution, enrolling more than 12,200 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students.

Gourmet Dinner - A Common Table, December 3 & 4

The UNH Hospitality Management Advanced Food and Beverage Class is 
pleased to announce the Gourmet Dinner: A Common Table on Friday, 
December 3rd and Saturday, December 4th. A time to slow down and get 
back to the table, we invite you to recapture memories of times well 
spent. Guests will experience exceptional service and thoughtfully 
prepared foods made with honest, and often local, ingredients. 
Executive Chef Evan Mallett from Black Trumpet Bistro is assisting 
with menu innovation and Dover Wine is arranging excellent wine 
pairings. Cocktails and hors doeuvres begin at six oclock, followed 
by a six course dinner at seven oclock. For more information and to 
purchase tickets, please visit: www.wsbe.unh.edu/gourmetdinner.
Press Release for UNH Gourmet Dinner.

Fairy Rings and Mushrooms

To learn everything there is to know about mushrooms would require books, guides, attendance at workshops, shadowing an expert, joining clubs and forays, careful record keeping, and extensive study.  Knowing trees and other telltale signs, such as  "fairy rings"  and "washes",  is just as important as identifying good mushrooms from their scary, poisonous counterparts.  Once the mysterious mushroom is found the next step is enjoying its wonderful flavor in any one of countless possibilities.  From simple sautéing to making precious oils the mushroom has a maddening effect on mushroom maniacs everywhere.  Forget wine, knowing what to pair a gourmet mushroom with requires a whole other set of specialized knowledge.  Dryads saddle, morels, King Bolete, and oyster mushrooms, to name a few, all have distinct flavors and uses.  For now I will leave it to the mushroom connoisseur to entice and dazzle me with their wonderful creations.
Evan Mallett of the Black Trumpet restaurant in Portsmouth is one such expert. He was trying to come up with a name for his restaurant while on a hike near his home.  Near the summit of Mount Agamenticus, he stumbled on a meadow full of black trumpet mushrooms, and he took a knee and looked skyward in thanks.  A real life epiphany, and there was the name.   And luckily for us, Evan Mallett is the guest chef for the UNH Gourmet dinner December 3rd and 4th.  What better way to start the holiday season then relishing a spectacular culinary feat.

Post by Colleen Schriefer

Eat-In Held by Youth Food Movement at Terra Madre

Michelle Raye shares about getting involved at Terra Madre and an  article worth reading in Time magazine about the event, "The anticipation for Terra Madre and Salone Del Gusto was building since the day we arrived in Bra. As the weeks went on, all of the students at UNISG started to talk about the events that were about to unfold, and how they were going to be involved.  As “outsiders” we UNH girls were excited, but at the same time we didn’t really know what to expect. Talking to some of our new UNISG friends we were told about different workshops and events that would be happening that we should definitely attend and we were also offered the opportunity to volunteer at the Eat-In, which was being held on Saturday by the Youth Food Movement. 

             I was very excited to hear about this, as I had been looking for a way to get involved somehow. After two exhausting but fulfilling days exploring Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre, I was excited to wake up on Saturday morning, travel to Torino Lingotto, and volunteer with other students to make the eat-in a success. The eat-in was quite a success! There were over 200 attendees; from Terra Madre delegates, to students, to producers. There were also many prominent members of the media there including TIME magazine, and the Netherlands’ “delicious” magazine writers. I later found out that the event was also featured on the local channel 5 news.

             It felt great to be working hard with other students my age, some very talented chefs, and some very generous producers, to create such an inviting and joyous event. The eat-in was about food, yes, but it was about bringing different people from all over the world together to sit down and enjoy each other’s company.

            Here’s a link to the TIME magazine article featuring the eat-in, Terra Madre, and Salone Del Gusto. "

Thanks, Michelle!

In Their Own Words: Terra Madre 2010

Jumping into the middle of Shannon Jasie's description of Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre, she talks about the tremendous inspiration she received from the encounter, "To give my stomach a break and to walk off the infinite samples (from Salone del Gusto), we trekked through Torino to the Terra Madre opening ceremony.  The best way to describe this event would be call it the Food Olympics.  Each country and continent as a whole was represented with flags, among speeches, songs, and traditional dance.  The speeches were translated into a handful of languages, as eager foodies listened with open ears.  Carlo Petrini spoke last, filling us with hope and empowering us to be the change our communities need to remedy our food system.  The ceremony was quite lengthy, but it allowed for ample time to reflect on the union of people from all over the world sharing one common passion.  I couldn’t help but feel like I was part of the start of something huge.

  We made our way back to Salone del Gusto, because we somehow managed to work up an appetite listening to inspirational speeches on the topic of food.  After visiting the street foods section for a dish of the most flavorful pesto gnocchi known to mankind, I sleepily returned home to dream of pasta and canolis while I recharged for day two.

  The following day was primarily dedicated to exploring Terra Madre.  We passed through Salone del Gusto once more to fill our stomachs for the day, and found ourselves surrounded with beautiful traditional music from a quartet on a make-shift outdoor stage.  Entering the Oval where Terra Madre takes place was overwhelming, to say the least.  There were numerous tables displaying Slow Food projects, information booths, interactive activities for delegates and observers, and tons of people.  After consulting a schedule, I decided to attend a workshop on Family Farmers against GMO’s. 

 I had a little time to kill before the workshop started, so I wandered over to a gigantic tapestry filled with black writing.  As I approached, I learned that the purpose of this tapestry was to promote biodiversity and attendants of the conference were asked to write a national product produced in their country in their native tongue.  My contribution was Maple Syrup—a product that I have been missing this fall. 

  It was time for the workshop to start, and once again, we put on the translation headphones.  The guest talked for a bit about GMO’s, then opened the floor to the participants for discussion.  Through translators, a conversation began to unfold in English, Russian, German, and French, all with similar mindsets of the opposition to GMO’s, which was incredible to witness.  For the second time during this experience, I felt very privileged to be part of something so big among hundreds of people who shared a similar passion. 

 This experience has helped to continue to inspire me to work towards a non-corrupt food system.  Being surrounded by such passion reinforces the idea that I am not alone in this pursuit.  Being submersed in this energy was invigorating and refreshing, and this was an experience that I will never forget as I embark on my food endeavors."

In Their Own Words: Terra Madre 2010

Shannon Jasie and Sofia
Ramos in Turino, Italy

Sofia Ramos summarizes her experience at Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto.     "Out of all the things I learned and experienced during my time at Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre, I think the event that impacted me the most was the opening ceremony. Other people would say the closing ceremony was better, but I didn’t make it there because I was in Milan and Lake Como for the weekend. However, the amount of people who were there amazed me; I couldn’t wrap my head around how many people were so passionate about sustainable food and lifestyles. On top of that, it was incredible to see so many different ethnicities represented in one city in one weekend. I liked listening to the different speakers and their opinions and views about the modern food systems and how their countries have been affected. It was my first time hearing Carlo Petrini speak, and he gave the audience advice on ways to change our eating and lifestyle choices; much of which I have heard before.      

                The conference I attended focused on issues regarding GMO’s and family living. It was not what I expected, but it was interesting because many people stood up and shared opinions and things they were doing to make steps towards better agriculture. Topics discussed were the importance of family farms, heritage seeds, and safer biodiversity. Again, most of the things I heard were about what is going wrong in our food system, and less about the ways we can overcome long-term environmental damage and health risks related to cross-pollination and pesticide use. I was glad I attended because there were many different countries represented, and they all had similar things to say. At Salone del Gusto I got to try many things, including Iberian Ham from Spain and other cured meats; which I am very interested in. The best food and liveliest section for me was the street food area, because all the young people were there and we were able to try very typical foods from other places we wouldn’t normally visit. I tried baklava from Turkey and vegetable dumplings from an Asian place I can’t remember... oops.

Overall, my experience was a very positive one, it was exciting to be around so many people my age being there for the same reasons. I learned a lot about cuisines and specialties from different countries, along with many new products from regions in Italy as well. The only negative feedback I have is that Terra Madre and Salone could have been less exclusive. This is mainly because the resources and energy used to make this world event happen kind of goes against the basic principles of sustainability.  But anyways, Italy is AWESOME so far. "