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Posted by: Matthew
My grandmother always loved to discuss my affinity for all things sweet, specifically pie. We grew up in the land of wild blueberries, which also happened to be my favorite flavor. Before I could finish my first slice, warm with melting vanilla ice cream, she would speak my future words “more pie, mom” for me. So it went, until 2/3 of the pie was gone, the rest being just enough for a late night snack.
Chocolate has also always been at the top of my list, in any of its various forms. Althouh smores were not part of my childhood sweets rotation, they are a favorite of many people and something that nearly everyone loves.
This raw version is from my upcoming book, Entertaining in the Raw. I’ve been working on a slightly varied version this week, for the opening of Cafe 118 in Winter Park, Florida.
Its really not necessary to assemble the dish – the components are fine on their own or simple in the hands of guests who can add whatever quanities they like to create their own balance.
RAW SMORES
Serves 4–6
Graham Cookie
5 cups cashew flour
2 1/2 cups oat flour
3/4 cup water
1 3/4 cups maple syrup
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Cookie Instructions
Mix ingredients in medium size bowl by hand. Spread flat on dehydrator screens, about 1/8″ thick. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 4 hours. Make an incision with the back of a knife for six rectangles. Dehydrate another 6 hours and separate the pieces. Keep well sealed, at room temperature until ready to serve.
marshmallow crème
2 cups cashews, soaked
1 cup coconut meat
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup agave
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 small bottle Lorann Marshmallow Concentrated Oil
Instructions for Creme
Blend until smooth in Vita-Mix. Pour into plastic lined half sheet pan; refrigerate overnight or freeze if prepared 1–2 hours prior to serving.
Dark Chocolate Butter
4 cups maple syrup
2 1/2 cups cocoa powder
2 cups coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Butter Instructins
Whisk all ingredients in large bowl. Blend in batches in Vita-mix. Pour into half sheet pan and store in freezer.
ASSEMBLY
2 tbs. cinnamon
Bring Crème to room temperature at least 20 minutes prior to serving. Warm chocolate and grahams slightly in dehydrator.
Lie one graham on a plate. Carefully spread a generous amount of marshmallow crème on top and pour an even more generous amount of chocolate over that, allowing it to slightly run off onto the plate. Set another graham on top, but off center, exposing the crème and chocolate. Sprinkle the plate with cinnamon powder.
Posted by: Matthew
Recently, the New York Times published an article with the headline Weight Drives the Young to Adult Pills, Data Says, about the rapidly growing numbers of children taking adult medication for weight related medical problems, including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and acid reflux. The numbers are staggering, showing increases of well over 100% in many categories, and estimating that several hundred thousand children are now on adult medications as a result.
The last two words of that headline should perhaps be carefully noted, as to where said “data” originated from, but one thing is clear, and that is that much of the controversy around the subject is driven from not only the numbers themselves, but a recent statement issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommended that more children, as young as 8 years old, should be given adult medication to reduce cholesterol. More alarming is the rate at which the medications are being prescribed, which by some estimates shows an increase of more than 100% in the past five years.
The larger issues of these prescriptions are the illnesses themselves, and the fact that the adult medications may have not been properly studied for usage among children. Some Doctors defend the practice, explaining that lifestyle is ‘so difficult’ that there are no other options. The Food and Drug Administration does publish a list of drugs for which pediatric versions are needed, but the market is still too small for it to be profitable for drug pharmaceutical companies to make formulas specifically for children, although at the rate of this change, that is certain to be a reality in the near future.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is a proponent of prescribing these adult medications to children. Their website, in regards to the cholesterol epidemic reads:
“The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new cholesterol screening and treatment recommendations for children. The policy statement, “Lipid Screening and Cardiovascular Health in Childhood,” recommends cholesterol screening of children and adolescents with a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease. It also recommends screening patients whose family history is unknown or those who have other factors for heart disease including obesity, high blood pressure or diabetes. Screening should take place after age two, but no later than age 10. The best method for testing is a fasting lipid profile. If a child has values within the normal range, testing should be repeated in three to five years. For children who are more than eight years old and who have high LDL concentrations, cholesterol-reducing medications should be considered. Younger patients with elevated cholesterol readings should focus on weight reduction and increased activity while receiving nutritional counseling. The statement also recommends the use of reduced-fat dairy products, such as two percent milk, for children as young as one year of age for whom overweight or obesity is a concern.”
The most interesting, or disturbing, aspect of this statement is that it does not contain the word “exercise”. Nor does it do more than make a half hearted effort to address diet in any way, shape or form. Visiting the website of aap.org is, in fact, a bit of a surreal experience, with photos of smiling children eating ice cream and numerous categories to review. You’ll have to search through a grocery list of medical issues to find the word “exercise”, only to be directed to other random journals and publications which have suggested that exercise is beneficial. Another term that can be found, albeit not on the home page, is “exercise” with a moderately tempered brief paragraph within its link, stating:
“Proper nutrition begins at the supermarket with the foods you buy and continues at home as you prepare and serve meals. Giving your child a healthy start with good eating habits promotes his or her lifelong health. A variety of foods provides the nutrients that young children need to build strong bodies and stay healthy. Food also supplies the energy that children need to grow normally, play, learn, and explore the world around them. The AAP encourages families to think of their nutritional decisions as health decisions.”
It would be interesting to learn which ‘supermarket’ they had in mind. Needless to say, the general message one walks away with is definitely not they should promote exercise, organic foods or farm fresh vegetables for their children.
The issue is such a large, and serious one, that it truly needs attention. While it is difficult to define all of the causes nationwide for the childhood obesity epidemic, there are obvious signs in Maine, where I grew up and spend a great deal of time today. Most startling is the very situation which AAP makes little effort to address and which doctors who advocate these childhood prescriptions claim may not an option: lifestyle (exercise). It is not difficult to understand the reason if the clear signs available to the human eye are similar to what they are here. No less than 20 years ago, when I grew up, there were outdoor communities of children, riding bikes all about town, filling the baseball fields and basketball courts on any given weekend or evening. There were many days when my friends and I, from ages 8 or 9 through grade school, would spend the entire day outside, playing various sports, having snowball fights, or simply helping our parents in the yard or woodpile. I needed to ask a few people, my parents included, to verify that my memory was indeed, accurate, and sure enough, it was confirmed that it is.
Today, those same fields and parks sit mostly empty, with very little sign of life. The local park in town, once a meeting point for a pick up baseball or basketball game, or the town docks, where friends used to swim and ride bikes, are largely devoid of young kids and seeing a bicycle in town is a rarity these days. I often run in the country here, for 6 miles or more. In fact, I recently ran 13 miles, past dozens of cars, hundreds of homes and saw a grand total of 3 people outside, having a water fight. Not a single bicycle, runner, athletic game or even kids on a lawn, and that was a sunny, Sunday afternoon at 3pm.
Diet, of course, is another story entirely and one which most are aware, and most do little about. It has now been well documented, but in continuing the look at my small county in Maine, it may be noteworthy to point out that, although we did have a McDonalds in the next town when I was younger, we now have an additional Dairy Queen, Pizza hut, Wendy’s, Two subways and two Dunkin Donuts.
The local pharmacy has a drive through window, a far cry from the old fashioned one that used to sit downtown, with the soda fountain and penny candy. Trust me, I’m not that old! This is rapid change and its not about modernization.
The problems are so obvious that it is quite painful to watch and it is terribly unfortunate for the children who will suffer as a result of their well being not being looked after, other than by whatever solutions lie in medication. Even if these drugs were problem-solvers, the additional benefits of proper diet and nutrition are entirely lacking – without both of those, the feeling of well being, vitality and of course, youthfulness that is so precious and beautiful, will be lacking in their lives.
In reality, it may appear an easy approach for me to be making these assertions or to imply that there is such a thing as a natural ‘fix’. However, I am a believer, both because I have lived through the transformation, both in a negative and a positive way, and I learned firsthand how much of this is within our control. I was 12 years old – had lived a very active life and spent much of it outdoors, always playing sports, running around in the snow, and just in general being very mobile. Still, I had a penchant for sugar and a very high consumption rate of sweets, chocolate and empty calories. Vegetables were something I hid in my napkin to avoid eating. Despite the activity, I was slowly gaining some weight but it crept up on me.
One winter evening, I went to weekly open swim at the neighboring town – got dressed in the locker room and went to hang out by the pool with a few dozen of my classmates. Without a shirt on, one particularly blunt ‘friend’, walked up and poked me, and made an extremely sarcastic comment about how blubbery I was (I was, and to this day, I clearly recall the moment, what I was wearing and how I looked). That, fortunately, was my wake up call and the last one I ever needed.
The next day, I swore off butter – in fact, I don’t think I had it for many years, at least intentionally. I carefully avoided fats and sugars and began carrying my own lunches to schools, with snacks from a local health food store or whatever I could get my hands on. This discipline carried into sports as well, and I practiced daily, to the point where, a year later, I was unrecognizable; taller, lean and strong, with a very positive energy and a new outlook on life.
Change is never easy. At times, it can seem impossible. There are many times when the resources necessary for change are not present, or other circumstances provide no options. Sadly or fortunately, depending on one’s attitude toward making positive adjustments, there usually are options. They need to be explored.
Posted by: Matthew
Brook There was inspired by the idea that “there” often represents a place we’d rather be, and that fashion is the vehicle that can transport you from fantasy to reality, or from here to there”…Brook Delorme
It is interesting to imagine the creative process that leads to Brook There. This unique clothing is sewn on the coast of Maine, in Portland, by its founder, Brook Delorme. Brook’s style represents what I love most about Maine artists – the complete freedom she allows her designs to be inspired by, an independent approach to every level of production, and a forward thinking philosophy that extends to her community as well.
Eight years ago, Brook There was founded on the premise of creating a contemporary clothing line using organic and sustainable fabrics and local manufacturing. Each design is inspired by a philosophical thought, then handmade from soy, organic cotton, bamboo or organic wool fabrics. Brook photographs her own work and oversees the design of her entire brand, from the logo to her website. This unique approach results in work that is feminine, attractive, whimsical and highly original.
We asked Brook a few questions about her philosophy, Maine and her recent interest in raw food.
Do you recall the first moment you were inspired to design?
I made shoes- elf slippers- out of green felt for myself when I was about 7. I started sewing dresses when I was 13, using old patterns from the 1960s and colorful prints. I was the kid in class who was always the ‘artist’ and made really elaborate drawings with tiny paintbrushes…
Where did the idea of Brook There begin?
The roots of the line are based in my early work during college creating one-of-a-kind clothing from ‘found’ fabrics with a very deconstructed, raw, but ultra-feminine style.
Where do you find inspiration outside of work?
colors I see in nature….thoughts and emotional states. .
Does Maine’s seasonality play a part in your design?
Yes, definitely. The funny thing about fashion is that you are always designing – during the season you’re experiencing, but for a year in advance. Right now, I should be finalizing spring/summer 2009 (it’s designed, but not sewn up)…I’m thinking about fog right now actually- calling the new collection fog- and planning on using muted colors, with streaks of lemon yellow.
You oversee every aspect of your work? (photography, styling the shoots, designing our website, etc)
Right now, yes, except for production manufacturing (which is done in Scarborough), I do every aspect of my work. In art school I studied photography, so I’ve been pretty comfortable with that. I was lucky to have a Dad with major technology interests, so I always have had computers and neat software programs available to me- I remember being absolutely mesmerized the first time I used Photoshop—when I was about 13, in the early 90s. For a few years I’ve worked, in different capacities for my dad’s business, which is where I learned to develop websites and use more complicated programs like Illustrator. It’s super helpful to have those skills available.Very soon, I want to grow my business, and that will mean letting someone else do some of those things.
What motivated you to work with organic or sustainable products in your design?
The decision to source only organic or sustainable fabrics grew out of my personal choices to buy organic whenever available. It was also based in a desire to retain, in a different manner, the aspect of sustainability with which I started creating clothes. Instead of using found/ re-used fabrics, I source fabrics that were developed with sustainability as a priority.
“tangled”, Fall 2008
Could you describe your most recent collection?
The fall 2008 collection from Brook There, called “tangled”, was designed around the both literal and metaphoric meanings of the word. Dresses are constructed from strips of fabrics which result in a tangled mass around the hem. Organic wool coats have broadly curving shapes along the center front, and extensive pin-tucked stitching is used to emphasize necklines and curving insets.
What are the names of some of your earlier collections?
I’ve had this theme of duality/ or ‘the double life’ going through my head for years, and that crops up in design every few years. I experience, and I’m sure others do as well, such a schism between work and play, and I’m always trying to mend that.
Most of my collections are about emotional states I experience, or some sort of intellectual process I’m working through. That is pretty abstract, and doesn’t necessarily apply to the end-wearer…but it makes the design process easier for me.
some others: “pieced together…or starting over” – when I was in college I studied Kant quite a bit and did a collection about his Categories. I’ve also been very interested in rational vs. non-rational thought…I started applying that to foods a number of years ago- I made a cookbook called Babel foods- it was like Martha Stewart from another dimension.
You are involved in a large Organic farm in Maine, Locally Known Foods. How long did it take to develop?
My dad randomly met the three farmers out in their fields a year ago. They are the same ages as my brother and I, so we got involved with the farm. Noah (my brother) does lots of things there, drives tractors, washes lettuce, drives big trucks…I stick to the technology aspects of the business, creating and maintaining the website, and being the press contact and coordinator.
Do you feel that organic products and sustainability are becoming more common in Maine?
yes…but there are design flaws in the system. The east coast doesn’t, generally speaking, have year-round organic produce- we’ve outsourced it to CA, AZ, and Mexico… with Locally Known, we’re trying to create examples and systems to change that.
How did you discover raw food?
I used to travel to CA a lot for my technology job (haha)
That’s the truth, though. I heard about it four years ago or so…tried some restaurants, liked it, but didn’t understand how to do it full time, because I tried to eat too many dehydrated foods…this spring, I started reading about it again, and learned that I needed to have greens at every meal. Once I started doing that, I felt awesome and could keep it up.
I’ve been a vegetarian since I was 12, but never was able to be a cooked vegan- it made me feel sick, too processed, soy…I like being a vegan with raw, though I do have honey- my mom keeps bees, and I know that they are well treated bees…
Do you find it challenging?
Not really. I would if I had to travel, I suppose. I’ve had various coffee cravings, but they went away by day 80…I’m at 105 days now of basically 100%- though there has been the occasional toasted nori sheet or seaweed salad at the Japanese restaurant..strangely, seaweed is my ‘cheat’ food.
You must be a talented chef as well?
Not sure about talented! I’m not really into following recipes- I like to look at one, see the general ingredients that created a texture or flavor, and go from there. All my life I’ve baked cakes and cookies for people’s birthdays…I still do, actually. It hasn’t proven a problem or deterrent to eating raw yet.
This is an unrelated question – but you have such a unique sense of style, we’d love to know what your favorite outdoor place in Maine is?
Ok. Mackworth island. It’s a pretty walk around, maybe a mile…but look in the trees-there are these faces carved into some of the trees. It’s very mysterious!
Brook’s work is sold online and in boutiques.
BROOK’S COMPANIES
Locally Known: www.locallyknownfoods.com
Brook There: www.brookthere.com
Posted by: Matthew
Somewhat as I expect, the truck creaks into the lot at quarter past ten, and slowly backs up to the side of the steps while an employee from inside removes the crates. I’m enjoying my coffee and the morning, but when the gate to the body opens up, my eyes widen, as they always do. And even being so late in the season, there is still a wildly abundant amount of produce. Inside are wooden boxes filled with long purple eggplants – fat bunches of leafy greens wrapped in twine, bright cherry tomatoes that appear to have been dipped in champagne and honey, carefully placed inside brown paper flower pots, tin wash tubs with the most colorful mesclun mix in the world……the truck is overflowing, bursting actually, with these vibrant products, all artfully, but somehow naturally arranged in their perfectly matched country containers.
While the truck from The Chase Farm in Morrill, a few miles from here, is being emptied, I take my coffee inside – Chase’s Daily is the Chase family’s foray into retail, a large open space in the center of town – with its 20 foot original tin ceilings, all in white, art covered walls and a blond hardwood floor, it bears little resemblance to the kitschy Grasshopper Shop that used to be in this space, the one where my pre-college girlfriends always seemed to work and where I would buy cassette tapes to listen to on hot summer evenings in the parent’s car. It runs through from a rear parking lot to Main Street, which serves their operation well. In the front, beyond enormous country style windows and facing the street is a café, with about 50 slatted wooden seats and booths, and square farmhouse tables adorned with reddish orange cloth towels, small wildflower arrangements and tiny bowls of fleur de sel. Half of the center of the wide, but rectangular space is taken up by an open kitchen, which is framed by a retail counter and cash register. In an old fashioned deli case are about 20 artisanal cheeses, including Maine chevre, a blond and creamy goat gouda and also my favorite standby, aged Manchego. Small tins of Portuguese olive oil and jars of both black and green French olives sit above; each offered for sale as explained by the small cedar shingle beside, with a handwritten price on it.
Next to the register are a dozen or more hand painted country style plates with baked items – raspberry-buckwheat muffins or cheddar scones, pear almond muffins, a thick coconut cake – cherry tarts, various pastries and jars full of cookies, exposed just enough to give me serious temptation to the concept of enjoying one, although breakfast was a recent memory. The beauty of the operation lies behind the cashier, and in front of the kitchen, on the two way shelves that separate the food preparation and the front of the house – backed by two tall cooling racks still full of bread, the shelves are filled with the warm loaves of semolina, potato-rosemary, hazelnut-white raisin and the ultimate ring shaped crown loaf, with its golden crust, warm pillow-like chewy center and the dusting of flour on its flat, crisp bottom. The air by the register carries a sweet, yeasty, earthy aroma that can drive a hungry person mad.
Nearly everything in the entire space is grown, prepared and procured by, the family. An antique red coffee grinder sits along a wall opposite the counter, next to hand bagged beans, and on the same table as the local Swann’s honey, both raw and heated. Other than their own t-shirts, printed in my home town of Searsport, with the simple slogan “eat local”, there is no sign of commercialism, no web address, and no flyers. The plain brown bags that food is taken away in are stamped with a Chase’s Ink Stain, which includes an image of a country table much like those in the café. The space does double as an art gallery, a hobby of one family member, and I have noticed that the local exhibits are becoming a little more edgy these days. The ever friendly music, satisfied late breakfasters and eager shoppers awaiting their produce ensure that this remains as grounded as a store can be. Somehow, the family manages to operate a farm and this multi use space – and although they do appear to have devoted their lives to sustaining the business, it is all handled with grace and perfectionism intact.
I have no idea what I’ll prepare – and therefore, no idea what I will buy. But keeping an open mind has helped me with some of my favorite dishes over the years. I pick up one of the large wicker baskets and begin my shopping spree: licorice scented young fennel, a handful of orange-green squash, a big bag of that famous mesclun, broccoli rabe, a couple bunches of marjoram and thyme that have been so meticulously wrapped in twine and a large bouquet of opal basil with an intoxicating perfume….the aluminum cone shaped buckets hold handfuls of wildflowers – I choose one that has the usual muted white and green that I favor and carry it to the cashier with my produce. She removes the flowers and wraps them in yesterday’s newspaper, wets the bottom and packs everything – then adds my two steamy crown loaves, a jar of green olives, and good sized chunks of Seal Cove Chevre and a quarter pound of Manchego. After tearing off a piece of that warm chewy bread, I head back to my home in Searsport, loaded up with the charged energy I get by shortening the distance between earth and plate…in this case, a little more than half a day. Consider that purchasing produce even at an upscale venue in New York City – Whole Foods, for example – often means buying something that was harvested in another state, delivered in bulk and distributed to the store’s storage room. It is checked in and stocked only when the current inventory is depleted – it could be up to a week before the product is actually sold and often a few more days before it is eaten. The ingredients used in this meal will never meet a refrigerator and that excites me.
Once a week I’ll have a meal in the café, which is always prepared with the same straightforward seasonal approach. Although Chase’s Daily serves lunch Tuesday through Sunday, dinner is once a week, on Fridays. I tend to go late, as they have gotten very popular the past few years and it tends to be a little hectic at times. The menu is small, a bit quirky and intoxicatingly attractive. The menu still has hints of summer, yet provides a clear indication that the season is passing.
The wine list is small, but carries several European varietals that are light enough to marry well with this cuisine. Marinated olives, crusty warm bread and olive oil are on the table within minutes, assuring every dinner that they have very good judgment.
Starters tend to be very fresh and highlight the garden. A crunchy salad of raw vegetables; fennel, baby carrots, radishes and herbs, with a lemony vinaigrette and a few tiny squares of a fresh mozzarella is sparkling and vibrant. Roasted Beet and Parmigiano bruschetta is rich, innovate and well balanced with a rustic, herbal chickpea bruschetta on the same crunchy olive oil drenched bread. My brother always orders the sautéed greens with garlic, olive oil and lemon – they must be flash cooked in hot olive oil in a wok, as they are crispy and actually sweet, salty and sour.
Main Courses (which the menu calls “Dinners”) tend to be more substantial – so perhaps their title is more appropriate. My favorite dish is always the steaming hot and coarse polenta with a spicy roasted tomato pesto, a sautéed dark green (tonight it is broccoli rabe) and grilled smoky portobellos. A new dish on the menu is the Fresh, handmade fettucini with basil pesto, new potatoes, green beans and parmesan – this version of the classic Genovese style pasta al pesto is riveting . I usually tend to stick with rustic Italian preparations at Chases, but recently I enjoyed the soba noodles with peanut sauce, tofu, happy rich, sugar snaps, asian greens and Thai basil. It is seductively rich and spicy.
Desserts are large, homey, sweet and indulgent – we shared the peach upside down cake with whipped cream, which is every bit as rich and buttery as you might imagine.
Chase’s is a true reflection of the seasons and the beauty of nature.
CHASE’S DAILY
96 MAINE STREETBELFAST, MAINE 04915
207.338.0555
AMBIANCE: Sailboat Casual, LL Bean, Khaki Friendly, Comfortable
TARIFF: Small plates $6-10, Large plates $17-20. *Produce is remarkably reasonable. Cool Tshirts, $17
SERVICE: Smiling and Professional
RATING: Inspired, Vibrant, Comfortable, Gratifying, Healing
