And Now For Something Completely Different: The Mind Kitchen

I mentioned earlier that I was a guest on one of New York's most incredibly hip and underground radio shows, The Mind Kitchen. Well, it's finally available on line.

On this episode of Mind Kitchen Matt Timms sits down Robert Fernandez of Grillin' on the Bay BBQ Contest, painter and fine artist Matthew Langland and John Hoppin, musician and bigwig at Heritage Foods USA. Don't miss this special Iron Maiden-laden, prize-packed episode of the greatest game show ever to take place entirely within your mind. This episode was sponsored by Barterhouse: one of NYC's best importers of wine.

This was a real blast. (Do the kids still say blast?) I had a great time dishing up one of the most, shall we say exotic, meals in my repertoire. Have a listen here.

BBQ Events: The New Q - A Twist on Old School BBQ

I'm still doing taxes so my review of the Charbroil Tec Grill will need to wait another day, but in the mean time..

This came into my email a few minutes ago and I wanted to share it with you. I wish I had the scratch to head down to Georgia for this. It sounds like a great event.

A Friendly Reminder – You are invited to ‘The New Q’ – A Twist on Old School BBQ organized by Heritage Foods USA & Slow Food Atlanta on May 5, 2007 1-5 pm at Studioplex in Atlanta, Georgia.

It’s our First Annual BBQ to celebrate local chefs, heritage breeds, sustainable farms and to raise money for the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Tickets are available in advance for $25. To purchase tickets go to www.xorbia.com/tickets/thenewq. Enjoy the purest proteins on the planet! Enjoy tastings from over a dozen of Georgia's best chefs. Pair them with homemade BBQ sauces and vegetarian sides as well as refreshing beers from Sweetwater Brewing Co. and local wineries. Plus live music and more!

All-Star Cast of the New Q Chefs: Their Menus and Their Thoughts!

Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene
Menu: Caw Caw Creek Pork Belly served with hominy and buttermilk flan matched with Western style Carolina BBQ sauce and bread and butter pickles.

“I love the way the fat and the meat come together in the belly. Plus ‘lesser cuts’ are the best tasting parts and using them gives an extra helping hand to the farmer.”

Shaun Doty of Shaun’s
Menu: Newman Heritage Berkshire Whole Hog Tacos, smoked Mexican BBQ style.

“Atlanta loves Slow Food and Heritage Foods USA – and so do I!”

Joe Truex and Mihoko Obunai of Repast
Menu: Lazy Farm Red Wattle Spare Ribs with a garlic, lemon and rosemary dry rub and Napa cabbage coleslaw.

“Pig on wood is nothing but good.”

Carmen Capello of Global Culinary
Menu: Sequatchie Cove Farm Lamb Carpaccio with baby basil salad, salmon caviar, and roasted garlic oil / Spicy Braised Lamb Tacos in a chipotle aioli and green tomato relish / Shaved Lamb Gyros in a cucumber foam, avocado sour cream.

“It is a great day when the planets align to bring together great chefs, heritage products and new ideas.”

Gerry Klaskala of Aria
Menu: White Oak Pastures Beef Brisket White Corn Tortillas served with guajillo chili and a new take on BBQ sauce.

“I love Texas-style BBQ and am thrilled for the opportunity to outdo my comrades in Texas in downtown Atlanta”

Delia Champion of Flying Biscuit
Menu: Good Shepherd Ranch Heritage Turkey Barbequed in Root Beer and set on a flying biscuit.

“I’m thrilled to be part of such a good cause and plus I get to use fabulous products. Nothing could be better than an afternoon like this.”

Ron Eyester of Food 101
Menu: Sequatchie Cove Farm Coca-Cola and Balsamic Braised Beef Ribs and White Oak Pastures Mustard-Seed Roasted Beef Brisket with sweet chili slaw.

“Bringing together unlikely ingredients is a big part of New School barbequing”

Robert Gerstenecker of Park 75 at the Four Seasons
Menu: Newman Heritage Berkshire Pulled Pork Sandwich on sweet potato brioche with Ground Chuck Chili-Dogs from White Oak Pastures.

“It’s a great opportunity to participate with such good food while giving back at the same time.”

Hugh Acheson of Five & Ten
Menu: Lazy Farm Red Wattle Braised Pork Belly with a citrus salad chili vinaigrette.

“I love belly because it is an easy cut to work with but most people don’t commonly eat much of it. I’m looking forward to introducing more people to my bellies.”

David Larkworthy of 5 Seasons Brewery
Menu: Cracklin’ Scallion Sequatchie Cove Farm Whole Ossabaw Hog Crepe in a regional BBQ sauce.

“Not only is the Ossabaw pig one of the rarest varieties, it is also one of the tastiest and Bill Keener raises some of the best.”

Chef Cathy Conway of Avalon Catering
Menu: White Oak Pastures Slow Roasted Beef Brisket Tacos with Anson Mills corn masa tortillas in a salsa molcajete.

“What could be more appropriate for a Cinco de Mayo celebration than beef brisket tacos.”

Chef Todd Mussman, Ryan Turner and Ryan Hidinger of Muss & Turners
Menu: Riverview Farms Bone-in Ham, house-brined and smoked with special sauces.

“Wes and Charlotte from Riverview have great heritage pork. We find their marbled hams work perfectly with our secret brining recipe.”

Chef David Sturgis of Farm 255
Menu: Slow-roast Riverview Farm Pork Shoulder accented by a selection of Athens style BBQ sauces.

“Turning tougher cuts of meat into unctuous treasures, spending time with family and friends, eating way too much, it's hard not to love the BBQ.”

Michael Tuohy of Woodfire Grill
Menu: House-made Tamworth Farm Fennel Sausage with Anson Mills polenta and San Marzano tomatoes.

“Pure, honest and good is the best way to describe Curtis White’s pork – and he’s local to Atlanta!”

Steve Farace of SweetWater Brewing Company
Menu: 420 Extra Pale Ale, Hummer Belgian White, Blue Light Wheat Ale with Blueberries on draft.

“Don’t float the mainstream”

Heritage Foods and Slow Food

I don't know if you're aware of Heritage Foods USA and The Slow Food movement. In a very small nutshell, both of these organizations are trying to preserve the food and cooking methods of our youth, parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.

Heritage food focuses primarily on the breeds of animals that our ancestors ate. While Slow Food focuses primarily on the cooking techniques and recipes of our past.

You remember those foods; meat, poultry and fish without all the antibiotics and genetic manipulation that we have now. Do you remeber when pork actually tasted like something? These guys do and they are worth your support.

Heritage Foods USA is High On The New Q and Small Family Farms

New York, NY, March 2007 – Heritage Foods USA and Slow Food Atlanta are high on the hog about their NEW Q, the First Annual BBQ to celebrate local chefs, heritage breeds, sustainable farms and to raise money for the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

This event will pit together local chefs who make the best BBQ in town on May 5th from 1-5pm at Studioplex, 659 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30312. Limited tickets are available in advance for $25 per person. To RSVP visit www.Xorbia.com/tickets/thenewQ or call 800-364-0644.

Participating chefs include: Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene, Shaun Doty of Shaun’s, Delia Champion of Flying Biscuit, Todd Mussman and Ryan Tuner of Muss & Turner, Michael Tuohy of Woodfire Grill, Ron Eyester of Food 101, Gerry Klaskala of Aria, Carmen Capello of Global Culinary, Cathy Conway of Avalon Catering, Robert Gerstenecker of Park 75, David Sturgis of Farm 255, Hugh Acheson of Five & Ten, Joe Truex and Mihoko Obunai of Repast and David Larkworthy of 5 Seasons Brewing.

Participating farms include Tamworth Farm in Dublin, GA, Newman Farm in Myrtle, MO, Lazy Farm in Glasco, KS, Riverview Farm in Granger, GA, Sequatchie Cove Farm in Sequatchie, TN, White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, GA, and Caw Caw Creek in Columbia, SC. Each chef will work with a local farm to come up with a delicious new take on BBQ. Beer from SweetWater Brewing will also be served.

The Atlanta Community Food Bank is making a difference in the lives of underprivileged Georgians by distributing over 2 million pounds of food and other donated grocery items to the public monthly. The New Q fundraiser will help the Food Bank continue its fight against hunger.

The New Q is part of a series of new initiatives by Heritage Foods USA to bring awareness to the plight of small family farms raising sustainable proteins in the United States.