Second star to the right, and straight on til' morning.

Wow...  high expectations set in the title here folks!

Sometimes something just feels... right.  We've been working...  and working and working on it.  The winter was...  To be honest, the winter was sort of a disaster!

Plumbing...  Fail!
Generator... Fail!
Propane tanks... Fail!
Plumbing...  are you kidding me...  DOUBLE FAIL!

All along, we've been toying around with new ideas and recipes, finding our voice and plotting a course.  We stuck out the winter, hoping to stay connected.  It was lean, but we worked doubles and occasionally triples to stay afloat, all the time looking toward a spring full of possibility and a new direction that seemed to elude description.

When spring finally arrived...

Car accident... fail!

There have been good things too!

     We've developed awesome new relationships with amazing new folks, like those at Seventh Son Brewery.  It's stupendous to meet people with like minds and aesthetics; folks that want to give you something awesome and handmade but are still willing to introduce you to any good thing they find!  The product that we've all been waiting for from "The Son" is finally here, and it's completely worth the wait!   We think it's way more than the Bar of the Moment, but heck...  if they're talking' bout ya...  http://www.columbusalive.com/content/stories/2013/05/02/beer-review-does-the-bar-of-the-moment-seventh-sons-beer-live-up-to-the-hype.html

     There's an exciting pairing with a new partner, Rosa Huff from Crepes A la Carte.  This partnership strengthens both of our businesses and gives us a chance to focus on what it is we feel we do best;  Feed you.  Rosa is helping us cross the i's...  dot the t's and giving us a chance, we all hope, to do that for a long time to come and hopefully, bring you MUCH bigger and better things.

     You might have heard about our new product line, PRESS, a super simple, but high quality spin on a pressed sandwich using what we believe to be the best focaccia around, from Perzoot italian foods.  Matt Swint is a genius who's bread baking and comedic timing are both impeccable!  It's still creeping along a bit, making an appearance here and there, but there will be a full rollout soon!

See?  So very special!

     Through the Crepes brand, we've gotten a chance to Swoop! you up at brunch too, every Sunday at the Hills Market downtown from 9am - 2pm spinning some of the crepes a swoop kinda way and bringing what we believe is the best french toast a man (or lady) can get.  It's as much Creme Brûlée as it is french toast, but any way you pitch it, it's special.

      Hello Worthington, food trucks bid you hello!  We've spun up our very own food pod, Sharon Square Food Arcade (take a second, like it on Facebook to stay up to date) which we're staffing with some of the best, most fun food in town!

     The good news is that the team seems to have found that new direction we were looking for, and we hope it excites you as much as it does us!  We've been working to test new recipes and the results are stellar so far.

Oh...  Swoop! has corn dogs!  Or...  do they!

     Swoop! will no longer be "the slider truck", though we will maintain a couple of sliders as options, because... well, they're good and people like them.  But we'll be forging new territory as we turn our focus toward street food from around the world.  We'll show you a Swoop! corn dog after a spin through north africa.

Falafel?  Scmalafel!

     We worked today on a falafel we think is unlike anything you've ever tasted; packed with fresh, bright flavors and a dose of sweet crab.   It's composition is as spare and clean as our new Logo, a benefit of another new relationship with an amazing new designer, Belinda Tran.

Oh, and lest we forget... we still Got Tot's!

We hope you'll join us at our relaunch paaaaartay @ Seventh Son Brewery next Friday, May 10 and excuse any bumps as we shake the rust off and tack to our new course.  Come Celebrate the #returnofthetots!

Need something awesome to draw the eye to your business?
www.belindatranonline.com

Learn Seventh Son and all of the heroic things they've been doing.  With beer.
                                                                                    http://seventhsonbrewing.com/

Craft

When I first shopped Bluescreek farm meats at the North market I found myself in a state of awe.  The product offering was diverse, pristine and it was clear that those folks know ALL about it.  Frankly, I also thought that they were mean.  I know, it's seems harsh...  (Spoiler alert: I was right!  And wrong!)

I used to joke that they were soooo mean because they had to be sooooo nice to their animals.  This is a clearly premium selection.  There are certain products there, which price prohibits my use as a reseller, that set a new standard for me about how a cut was supposed to taste.

You don't really get a full understanding of "a thing" until you do it a lot, or watch it being done by someone who is an expert.  I watched the folks do their thing last night and it was breath-taking.

I took the Bluescreek "Beef 105" course yesterday.  David and Cheryl graciously invited us into their space as David and Tim worked, step by step on a set of primals.  Every step was explained and when it would have been impractical to continue the breakdown because of the necessity of a saw, they pulled meat from the case to show the end product.  Jamie and Cheryl were also on top of tons of hints and tips for the preparation of every cut we were shown.

I learned a lot, a few of which I'll mention here...

The fact the factory farming is dangerous was re-enforced
As a chef, you are always striving for perfection through control.  The larger your operation gets; the less control you CAN exert.  I am as confident about a product I get from David and Cheryl as one I were to fabricate with my own two hands.

Those folks aren't mean.
They're focused, deeply, on being respectful to an expensive product that they work very hard to provide.   They do love their animals, which may seem contradictory to some, and respect the sacrifice.  It appears that a lot of care is taken to make use of every bit.

Repetition
As a cook, I pride myself on my knife skills.  Put a chicken near me, and that chicken is DOOMED.  Produce doesn't stand a chance!  A cow...  Uh...  Maybe if I just...  Nope.  If I turn it...  Nope.  David and Tim know, instinctively it seems, where to cut to separate this from that.  It's an ease that comes from years of practice.
As much practice as I'll get in the coming years, I'm never likely to be able to make it look that easy.

I feel like I'm doing a disservice to Jaime and Cheryl,  the ladies are clearly knowledgeable and probably capable of butchering circles around me.  That's ok with me.

Thank you folks for your hospitality and knowledge.

Food truck crazy!

Over the past few months I've seen the phrase "food truck craze" in print several times.  It's been needling me, slowly.  Agitating me.  BOTHERING me.

So it's time, I suppose, to make a simple declarative statement.  There's no such thing.  This is not a craze.  This is not a fad.  There are some exceptions, but overall, this isn't a get rich quick scheme for us.  It's probably not a get rich at all scheme for most of us.

It's a small part of a growing contingent of artisans.  Talented and hardworking people who want to show you something new, or maybe something old.  These are people you should take seriously.  Good food should not be treated as a fad.  Fads come and go.  I want good food to stay.

It is an exciting time to live in Columbus.  Food is getting better, amazing even, and it's not just a rash of cupcake shops because cupcakes are in.  It's people blazing new trails or doing old comfortable things in new and exciting ways.

I had a donut today.  A donut in solid contention for the best donut I've ever had, and I've had a few in my day.  The concept seems so simple and it is, in a way.  This is an item you can find within one or two miles of where you sit right now.  This donut, however, towers well above all others and not because it has maple and sausage in it, but because it is crafted in a way that makes it better.  It's not overproofed, so it isn't just a wisp of sweet, airy regret.  It has some chew, an appropriate density.  The oil temperature was obviously closely monitored, because it wasn't greasy or heavy.  The sweetness wasn't over the top, leaving room for you to enjoy the other flavors.  Someone loved that donut (before me), and wanted to share it with you. This is what the food culture is becoming, and it's a great thing.  This is an idea we should get behind.  Maybe there will be a donut craze...

I'm pretty sure that Dan, on That Food truck, is insane.  He isn't just bringing you a wonderful product, but he's so concerned about the quality of his product that he is cutting and curing his own meat.  Your meat, really.

It's not a second thought to most people, as they are loading up on scalding hot hodduk and dduk boki from Laura at Ajumama, how much time and effort is involved in crafting that product from the ground up.  Kimchee(s) and (eese), sauces, marinades...  sourcing ingredients alone has to occupy hours.

As far as we're concerned...  there isn't much to say beyond tater tots.  So. Many. Tater Tots.  Then, we have the rest of the menu to prepare, also from scratch, down to the bacon.

It's control.  We can all tell you, where pretty much every ingredient on the truck came from specifically down to the ingredient.  We're accountable, because we made it, or we know who did.


There is a clear picture of where this goes.  Portland, LA, Manhattan, DC... trucks are now an integral part of the restaurant culture of those cities.  The food coming off of these trucks deserves to be taken seriously and held to the same standards; judged at the same level as any brick and mortar.

If you ask most of us, I'm sure you'll find that we're up to the challenge.


Check out our offerings and schedule www.swoopfood.com

Try a little Seoul food at it's best www.ajumama.com

See what's happening with the fellas on the other Big Red, www.thatfoodtruck.com


Find out when and how to get the best damned donut you've ever had in your life www.destinationdonuts.com

That was great! Where are you guys normally?

One of the buzzwords I seized while putting Swoop! together was agility.  It is an obvious upside to this sort of business plan.  This parking space not working out?  Move to another.  Not selling the beet salad (which I'm still a little sore about)?  Make the rest of the beets into chips.  The way we exist in this space is perfect for change.

There is, however, a trade-off.  You have to give up some of your stability in exchange for that sort of agility.  When a customer wants to find your product, there is a little more doing involved to track you down.  A brick and mortar is generally glued to a concept.  The upside is that if that concept is successful; if everything is executed well consistently, it works and customers know exactly where to find you.  You don't have to juggle a hundred locations and be as concerned about what sells at one location or another. 

We're discussing the laying down of some roots, in several possible forms.  But in the mean time, we're happy to be making and maintaining some more solid and on-going partnerships.  Some are new, and we'll hopefully be able to put some flesh on the bones for you soon.  Some feel as old and worn in as your favorite pair of jeans. 

If you've spoken to me in the last four months for more than two minutes concurrently, you've probably heard me gush about Dinin' Hall.  We love Dinin' Hall.  Eliza and Tim are awesome.  Dinin' Hall and by extension the property at 400 W. Rich, with its collection of artists and artisans are, in my opinion, great for Columbus.  There is ownership and responsibility shown for the city that radiates from there.  I hear that even the mayor was sighted taking in the scene at the market recently.  It's becoming a community hub.  We enjoy partnering with all of the trucks and carts that we pair with there; some standouts being The Green Meanie (I'm gonna start a petition to bring back that sandwich), Crepes a la cart and recently Lac Viet, who's lamb pho is one of the most amazing dishes in Columbus.

We're proud to support them, and happy that they support us.  Through the cooler months, we'll probably be at Dinin' Hall quite a bit.  We might be doing as much eating as cooking, but if you wanna stop by and grab a table...  there's a really great chance that you'll enjoy something special.

Check out our schedule at www.swoopfood.com.  We really wanna know what you think.  Feedback!
Learn more about Dinin' Hall and see what vendors are there at www.dininhall.com
Please, please, PLEASE eat the lamb pho from the cart or http://www.lacvietfoods.com.  Please.
Go to http://www.greenmeaniefoodtruck.com  and tell Keith and Janka to bring back the Green Meanie or I can't be held responsible for my actions.
Finally support a dinin' hall favorite and a great crepes cooker  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Crepes-A-La-Carte/309005385776843

Happy Accidents and hello fall

What started out as a disappointing setback turned into a good thing for us when we found out that the Bluescreek shop at the North Market was out of fresh side, or pork belly; nearly out of pork all together after a long family vacation.  Several moments were spent stalking the case and avoiding a meltdown.

Our Fall burger was going to be just a plain (as something with housemade bacon can be) bacon cheeseburger.  We tend to build things from the bottom up, keeping them relatively simple.  Great bread and great meat that we try not to overpower with a lot of outside ingredients.  In our opinion, the more things you pile into a bite of food, the harder it is to maintain balance... to discern the subtleties of each ingredient.  The challenge is magnified when your product is only a few bites, something we've gotten a lot of negative... feedback... about in the last few weeks leading up to the burgerwars competition at Zauber brewery.

I've been toying with the idea of curing some lamb "belly", technically breast, as bacon for quite some time.  The original BLT for our summer menu was conceived as that salty lamb bacon confited, thick cut and seared, with a thin slice of pickled green tomato with...  well, I won't give it away, but when faced with a missing ingredient and a lack of time to find it elsewhere, well, we settled into a "no time like the present" mentality and wheeled slightly to the right.

The result, named after Lyle's son, one of the cutest kids we could think of, was the  LJ had a little lamb (and then we ate it).  Several balanced bites of beef, fatty lamb and smoky cheese with a touch of acid from our tomato jam.  We liked it.  One could go as far as to say we loved it and were excited to share it with you.  We weren't counting on you taking to it so quickly.  We sold out in two hours and won a burger competition to boot.




Here is a sample of what we're bringing you this fall:

Cheeseburger Slider
American Cheese, house pickle, lettuce, tomato jam

L.J. Had a little Lamb (and then we ate it)
House lamb bacon, tomato jam, house pickle, smoked gouda, lettuce

Spicy Jerk Fried Chicken Slider
American Cheese, House pickle, lettuce

Braised Short Rib Slider
Glazed, slow cooked beef short rib, horseradish cream, crunchy tots

Justin Tim-BAO-Lake
Roasted mushrooms, hoisin, Chili Paste

Beet Salad
Arugula, Goat Cheese, Pickled mango dressing

Housemade Tots as always

Tater Tot Poutine
Bacon Gravy, Cheddar Cheese

And yes, we are pulling the brussels from the menu for a while, doesn't mean that we forgot how to make them.  They are still available for catering and special requests.  Of course we cater! Give us a call some time!

Collaboration

The career of a cook is filled with great and original ideas.

     Fact is, as a chef, or cook... you find inspiration daily in all sorts of things.  Flipping through a cookbook.  A walk through a farmers market.  A simple stroll through German Village can yield some interesting results, but that's a story for a different time.
     There are so many great ingredients and ways of connecting them that it would take several lifetimes to explore them all!  Yet, many masters have had many lifetimes to cover most of the bases and chances are, it's been done.  But never fear... new worlds of exploration of texture modification techniques have made the possibilities endless! In this way you'll could find yourself collaborating with the great chefs of history.
     But on a daily basis... the grind of a day to day kitchen... even the seemingly simple tasks might require collaboration, not just to fulfill volume, but to make it work. 
     I'd made tater tots on a small scale again and again over the past few years and as the plan for Swoop! developed, I had very reasonable expectations of how to scale the volume up sucessfully.  What a simple thing.  A wonderful crunchy little thing. 
     Our plan... my plan, was to par cook our potatoes, shred a portion and finely chop a portion.  Then we seasoned the mix, forced it into a pvc pipe, pressed it out in cylinders and retired it to the freezer to set.  After the potatoes were frozen, we chopped them into the tots and took a few moments to be proud of ourselves.  The tots were GORGEOUS!


     The next step was to send them for a ride in the fryer and that's where things began to fall apart, literally.  Freezing the tots before there was a crust allowed ice crystals to form on the interior, which as the tots thawed released water, which produced steam... which produced a beautful lace of hash browned potatoes.
     Fail.  Fifty pounds of useless product and back to the drawing board.
     The research on tots began in earnest.  I experimented with corn and potato starch looking to bind the structure without, desperate to salvage our plan.  The really surprising thing, however, was what my only employee did.  My only employee, who's not a cook.  My only employee that doesn't want to be in a kitchen.  My only employee that has been saving my ass at evey turn.  He turned into a tater totspert.  He read the history of tots, could probably be certified as a tater tot expert at this point.  He figured out ratios for our binder, cooking times that minimize moisture, worked with me to figure out a process to scale a recipe for a pound of potatoes to one that works for 50.


See?   Gorgeous!

     It's tedious work and a food cost loser, but we do it because you really like it and we'll keep doing it.  You know what else...  we'll throw in the small batch recipe for tots too.  Pretty sure you won't make it more than once

Tater Tots

1 lb Yukon Gold Taters
1 minced shallot
2 large garlic cloves minced
Salt and pepper (feeling bold?  substitute a little cayenne for pepper... boom)to taste
Vegetable oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees while you are mincin'
Rinse and cook the potatoes for 8-18 minutes depending on size.  What you want is to cook the potatoes exacly 1/2 way.  If you cook them all the way, you'll be making mashed potatoes, which are delicious fried, but another recipe.
Remove to the refrigerator to cool, or submerge in an ice bath and dry thoroughly.
Shred 1/2 of the potatoes and mince half.  You can pulse them in a food processor if you'd like.
Mix everything together and start rolling.
Keep rolling
Keep rolling
Yeah... keep rolling.
Roll some more.

When you are almost done  preheat your oil to 340, then fry in small batches until golden and freeze.  About halfway through this process, I promise, you are going to want to quit.  "Oh..." you'll say, "I'll just finish tomorrow." 
No...  just like your parents used to say...  you have to finish what you started.  If you try to store the mix the salt will draw out enough water to steam your tots apart as they fry.  If that happens you can add a little flour or cornstarch until the mix it dryer and a bit sticky.
Once all of your tots are frozen, bag them and prepare them the same way you would a nice store bought tot.  You'll like and appreciate them more.

The Great Basil "Caper"

So...  you might have seen a couple of photos of my Trip to Jorgensen Farm in Westerville Ohio early last week.  (I think... things are beginning to blur a bit)  The farm was a great experience, a ton of very diverse product literally as far as the eye could see.
My mind was reeling a bit, as the green peaches that I'd come for were gone gone gone and I was flustered trying to decide whether to change a published catering menu or search else where for product, I mean... I drove all the way to Westerville.
By way of introducing me to her product, and I like to think as a way of letting me clear my head and perhaps find some inspiration, Val put me in the capable hands of one of her farmers for a tour.  I was struck by the large variety of product, and excited for a couple of years to pass by, when the farm will really be in full bloom.  In the short term, I satisfied myself with the knowledge that if I'm careful, and quick, the first harvest of some of my favorite things will be available.
For a whole season, however, in the mean time herbs abound there and as we strolled from plot to pot smelling and sampling, one thing stood out to me in a big way.  Basil.  Someone out there loves basil.  There were literally miles of it.  Purple, Green, Thai...  I think I even saw some saw toothed Holy basil in the distance. 
By the time we made it out of the sage plot, where I lingered overlong perhaps, my hands reeked of sage and my palate was pretty much blown.  On the way back to the farm house I was stuck trying to figure out what I could use.  As much as I loved the succulent leaves of sage they offered, its a bit too aggressive for any preparations I had in mind.  As we walked by the rows and rows of basil, a plan started to form and by the time I'd reached the porch, I was in love with the thought of a garlic-less Thai basil pesto with sesame oil and peanuts. I was virtually swimming in it.
But how much Thai basil?
My mind blanked, stems, yield.  It was flowering, so a lot of it would be a bit tougher, though the Thai isn't as prone to the bittering you'd experience in sweet basil.  As I often do, when put on the spot, I overreached.
"Four Pounds!"  I blurted and 20 minutes later I was on the way to the car with two large grocery bags packed with basil.  What was I thinking?
As I picked through the leaves to prepare them for blanching, I was struck by the aroma of the leaves.  and perhaps unconsciously, the resemblance of the tight buds to capers.  It seemed a shame to throw them away and I researched a ton of uses for basil flowers, none which would apply to me by the time I'd be able to use them.  I needed to preserve them, which left me two options.  Drying or salting.

Then I had and idea.  What if I "capered" them,  and their little flowers too!

I made a heavy brine, rinsed them thoroughly and immersed them in the brine right after I made my pesto and a couple of days later the product is aggressively salty and caper like, but it has an amazing sweet herbal quality that is more pungent than the more conventional pesto and if you let the broken buds linger on the tongue for a moment, a numbing sting reminiscent of szechuan peppercorns or flowers/buzz buttons floating in my most memorable hot pots.

Basil Bud "Capers"

3/4 cup basil buds
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar (I'm not gonna make this decision for you.  I will say I'd stay away from very sweet or lower acid vinegars)
1 tablespoon sea salt

Dissolve the salt in the vinegar and water, pour over your rinsed buds and let sit, refrigerated for well, I've had mine down for 5 days and they're awesome.  They were delicious in two days.  They might not make it two months.