Bi-Rite Blog


 

Catering for the Red Carpet and Beyond

February 22nd, 2012 by Michael

Although today’s balmy weather hints that spring is around the corner, the dishes on our late winter catering menu are going strong. Our “Peak of the Season” menu selections are a perfect complement for work luncheons, a weekend get-together, or this Sunday’s Oscar celebration…why not make your Oscar bets while enjoying some award-worthy nibbles from our catering menu? Top it off with a lively Monthuys Pere & Fils Champagne and the Creamery’s decadent Chocolate Midnight Cupcakes, and your night will be red carpet worthy!

A tower of mini cupcakes from the Creamery

Our catering team’s favorites on the menu include:

Focaccia Flatbread with Potatoes, Bacon, Fontina, Goat Cheese, Ricotta and Fresh Thyme 

Crostini with New Orleans-style Dungeness Crab and Artichoke Spread with Parmesan, Peppers, Celery, Chives, Parsley and a touch of Tabasco

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Lentil Salad with Orange Zest

Chocolate Midnight Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream and Chocolate Glaze

If ordering for Oscar Sunday, please make sure that you have put in your order before 3 pm on Friday 2/24 (or 3 pm on Thursday 2/23 if your order includes any sweets from the Creamery).

 

 

 

 

Posted in Catering | No Comments | Article Page



 

Kiko’s Food News: 2.17.12

February 17th, 2012 by Kirsten

Five years after moving from NYC my heart must officially be in SF, because I lamented reading that Mission Chinese Food is replicating in New York–I don’t want to share Danny with the Big Apple! (full story)

But it wasn’t all bad news this week. Several big food businesses took steps towards healthier offerings made by healthier people and from healthier animals:

In a move that will hopefully inspire other grocery chains, Trader Joe’s signed a Fair Food Agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in Florida; it requires them to pay a penny more per pound of tomatoes and to ensure better working conditions for tomato workers: (full story)

And McDonald’s said it will work with its U.S. pork suppliers to phase out the use of gestation crates, admitting that the metal crates were “not a sustainable production system for the future”. (Wondering how the National Pork Board responded? They’re defending stalls as a “conventional” practice and saying that alternatives, including open pens and pasture, have “welfare advantages and disadvantages that must be considered by an individual farmer”.) (full story)

The House introduced a bill that would require labeling on egg cartons to specify whether the eggs are from caged, cage-free or free-range hens; the American Farm Bureau Federation (a trade group for farmers), National Pork Producers Council, and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association oppose the bill, fearing this humane regard for the well-being of farm animals will spread to their own industries: (full story)

Mars candy company has made a move to focus on “reasonable snacking”, pledging that by the end of 2013, it will stop selling chocolate with more than 250 calories-goodbye king-size Snickers! (full story)

Using a strategy of “price perception”, Whole Foods is looking to broaden its socioeconomic appeal by marketing to a less affluent clientele with smaller stores: (full story)

Dog lovers, I don’t even know what to say about this one but I think you’ll love it: (full story)

Posted in Who We Are | No Comments | Article Page



 

Thursday 18th Hour: Come and Knock on Our Door

February 16th, 2012 by Olivia

 

Photo: Paul Dyer

Rosie and I are finally starting to feel settled in our new space and graciously welcomed into the 18th Street community. Though we were on Guerrero Street for over three years, something about being on 18th feels special to us.

 

 

18 Reasons has always had diverse programming: extending from hands-on cooking classes to wine tastings to food documentary screenings, all in an effort to continue to educate our community about the food we eat. While rich in classroom based learning, our schedule was lacking a casual way for people to gather, eat good food, and relax.   And after listening to some feedback from our members and volunteers, we learned that you wanted this type of simple, no-reservations needed, evening. Welcome 18th Hour!

 

Photo: Henrik Meng

18th Hour is a café night every Thursday from 5–9. The hope is to create a place where people can come and hang out– listen to music, chat with friends, all while enjoying a glass of wine and a cheese plate. We have a menu ranging from $3 to $15 that includes a wine list, beer list, and snacks. It’s perfect for that time between work and evening, week and weekend.  Come to finish up a day’s work  with a beer and some cheese or meet up with your friends for a chilled out happy hour.  So far we have been blown away by the positive response the past few weeks. Thank you! For those of you who have already supported us, we hope to see you soon– and everyone else, we look forward to greeting you! Stop by any Thursday.

Posted in 18 Reasons, Who We Are | No Comments | Article Page



 

Sign your Name Alongside Mine to Label Genetically Engineered Foods

February 15th, 2012 by Sam

The FDA is on the brink of approving genetically engineered salmon for human consumption. This would be the first genetically engineered animal on supermarket shelves in the United States. The salmon is engineered to produce growth hormones year-round that cause the fish to grow at twice the normal rate. The government already requires labels to tell us if fish is wild-caught or farm-raised – don’t we also have a right to know if our salmon is genetically engineered? Without labels, we’ll never know.

More than forty countries, including Russia and China, already require labels on genetically engineered foods. As Americans, we firmly believe that we deserve the same right to know what we are eating.

That’s why I signed a petition to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which says:

“Commissioner Hamburg, we urge the FDA to require the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods. We have a right to know about the food we eat and what we feed our families, but under current FDA regulations, we don’t have that ability when it comes to genetically engineered foods. Polls show that more than 90% of Americans support mandatory labeling. Such near-unanimity in public opinion is rare. Please listen to the American public and mandate labeling of genetically engineered foods.”

Please sign the petition as well so we can all be sure to know what is in our food and where it is coming from.

Click here to add your name:

http://signon.org/sign/tell-the-fda-that-we?source=s.fwd&r_by=2559843

Thanks!

–Sam

Posted in Who We Are | No Comments | Article Page



 
Simon

Diggin’ Deeper: Learning from the Legends and Bringing it Home

February 13th, 2012 by Simon

At the Eco-Farm Conference

Farmers don’t get much time to relax from their hard work and reflect on the fruits of their labor.  Once the New Year kicks in, seed catalogs start piling up and planning begins for another long growing season.  However, every year in the beginning of February, farmers and other folks in the organic farming world get together to share and celebrate at the Eco-farm Conference in Pacific Grove, CA.

As Bi-Rite’s produce buyers, Matt and I spent a few days at the conference, which takes place at Asilomar, a gorgeous conference center on the edge of Monterey Bay. The sessions offer young farmers a chance to learn new farming techniques from successful farmers who have been making it happen  for over 30 years.  This is also a great place to network with all of the dedicated farmers and distribution companies who keep this organic movement alive.  We’re lucky to be part of this movement that’s led by some of the legendary growers that put it on the map in the late 70’s and continue share their love, passion, and integrity.

Throughout the year, Matt and I are so busy keeping all of the fresh produce coming into Bi-Rite that we don’t get many opportunities to have longer conversations with the farmers we partner with.  There’s nothing I love more than running into Andrew from Full Belly, picking his brain about all the crops they’re growing, and hearing about the farming techniques that make their farm one of the most successful in the  Bay Area!

Down On the Farm

At Tomatero with Chris and Adriana (Matt & I learned so much walking around with them!)

Matt and I took the opportunity to break away from the conference, heading over to Watsonville for a farm tour with one of our favorite organic farms in the Bay Area.  Tomatero Organic Farm started on 4 acres in 2004, which has grown to over 100 acres from Watsonville to Hollister.  Throughout the year, Tomatero grows amazing tomatoes, basil, chard, kale, lettuce, strawberries and a lot more.  Farmers Chris and Adriana have done a wonderful job growing high quality produce and maintaining awesome quality as the farm expands. They currently sell their produce at farmers markets throughout the Bay Area, and will start delivering to Bi-Rite in early spring.  In March they’ll be delivering their first CSA boxes to San Francisco. Their dry-farm Early Girl tomatoes and Seascape strawberries are so tasty!

One of the keys to becoming a successful farmer is being able to extend the growing season.  Tomatero has seventeen acres of farm land covered by a large hoop house, which will allow them to get their summer crops into the soil a lot earlier.

The farm shed and hoop house Riley’s built on our Sonoma Farm

Up in Sonoma

So now that we’ve learned from conversations at the conference and visits to other farms, how do we apply that to our own work? We’re very excited to start our 5th season of growing food in Sonoma.   The fields are really wet right now, so we can’t work the soil; this is the perfect time of to take care of projects that will help us take the farm to the next level.  Farmer Riley has just finished work on a nice farm shed and greenhouse–now it’s time to plant some flats of onions and get this growing season started!

Posted in Eat Good Food, Produce, Who We Are | No Comments | Article Page



 

Why Be Dull? Bernal Cutlery’s Japanese Whetstone Sharpening is Coming to Bi-Rite!

February 13th, 2012 by Kirsten

Bring us your knives this Sunday!

We’re so excited to bring a new service to our guests: knife sharpening right outside the door of the grocery store! We’re partnering with Kelly and Josh of Bernal Cutlery, a passionate duo with an artisan approach to the craft of sharpening knives. There’s no denying the golden rule of cooking well: having sharp knives will not only improve the texture of food in your recipes but also lessen the chances of cutting yourself (a dull blade is dangerous since it requires too much pressure to slice!).  As Josh says, “knives reflect the evolution of our creative relationship with food and cooking,and through that, our relationship with the world that sustains us.” With the highest quality Japanese whetstone sharpening available on your way to or from the Market, there’s no excuse not to take advantage!

Here’s how it’s going down:

  • Bernal Cutlery will set up shop on the third Sunday of every month from 2–6 pm in front of the Market. We’re kicking off this Sunday February 19th.
  • Bring as many knives as you’d like to be sharpened
  • Knives will be sharpened on a first come, first served basis from 2–6 pm. Any knives not sharpened during that time will be taken back to their shop at 331 Cortland St in Bernal Heights, and you’ll be notified when your knives are ready for pickup at the shop. If you’d rather not venture to Bernal, and can do without your knives for a couple of weeks, they’ll bring them back to Bi-Rite the following month to hand them off to you.
  • Pricing and contact info is here.

Josh, Taka and Tag, Bernal Cutlery’s three craftsmen sharpeners, use Japanese Whetstone grinding techniques which result in edges that are sharper and longer lasting, and remove far less metal for less wear on the knife. Japanese whetstones not only are the preferred sharpening medium for fine Japanese knives but are superior for all types of cutlery. The three of them have tens of thousands of hours of experience in sharpening Japanese, French, and Western knives. More info is available on their website.

Even if you don’t have dull knives, we highly recommend stopping by to see the sharpeners at work; the rhythmic sound of knife on whetstone is therapeutic, as you can see in this video!

Posted in Eat Good Food, Events, Who We Are | No Comments | Article Page



 

Kiko’s Food News: 2.10.12

February 10th, 2012 by Kirsten

When a foodie and a non-foodie fall in love, cooking and eating aren’t always a shared experience; as we await next week’s annual celebration of couple-dom, this article  seems apropos: (full story)

The “mindful eating” movement is growing, rooted in the idea that eating slowly and genuinely relishing each bite could remedy our fast-paced American lifestyle, endless fad diets and the resulting path toward obesity: (full story)

A new CDC report found that 9 out of 10 Americans ages 2 and older consume more than the recommended amount of sodium each day; the leading culprits are not potato chips or popcorn but slices of bread and dinner rolls: (full story)

It was just a matter of time before lard made its comeback, overcoming stigmas associated with disgusting-ness and taking the spotlight on restaurant menus: (full story)

Monsanto aggressively touts its technology as vital to ensuring adequate food production worldwide, but this article digs into how they’ve held back the development of sustainable agriculture by expanding monoculture, increasing herbicide use, suppressing research and more: (full story)

And as one group of victims of Monsanto’s dominance, farmers who say they cannot keep genetically modified crops from their fields have brought a suit against them that’s sparking debate around the country with new petitions, ballot initiatives and lawsuits in the works: (full story)

Finally, a profile of a few of the family-owned, independent markets that have faced heightened competition from large supermarket chains but survive to fill an important need in their communities: (full story)

Posted in Eat Good Food, Who We Are | No Comments | Article Page



 
Mel

Cellar It!

February 9th, 2012 by Mel

Now is the perfect time to start building your wine collection for 2012. We know it’s hard to put wine away, but we must tell you it’s totally worth it. We have many age-worthy wines here at Bi-Rite that won’t break the bank and will knock your socks off 10 years down the road.

Here’s what we suggest: Buy two bottles of the same wine. Open one now; enjoy it while it’s young and fresh. Take a few notes and then lay down the other bottle. Be patient. We know it’s hard! Once you feel the time is right, pop open the other bottle. You will experience how the wine has taken on a different personality. Here are a couple of wines that we think will age with grace:

2008 Francois Pinon Vouvray “Silex Noir” Loire, France $19.99

The wines of François Pinon are considered some of the finest wines of Vouvray. François, a former child psychologist, took over the estate from his father in 1987, and has steadily made a name for the estate over the past 10 years. He is a serious winemaker whose main focus is “to keep the typicity of both the appellation and the vintage” in all his wines. The soil of his vineyards are clay and silica on a base of limestone (tuffeau) with flint (silex). Pinon follows a discipline of plowing the vineyards, not using chemical fertilizers and pesticides and, of course, harvesting by hand and uses no cultured yeasts.  It is impressively concentrated, with honeysuckle and citrus, along with more notes of smoke, oyster shell and white flowers. Cellar it!

2008 Eva Fricke “Seligmacher” Riesling Rheingau, Germany $24.99

Eva Fricke is the cellar master for Joannes Leitz, a very well respected winery throughout Germany. Eva is a young and ambitious winemaker who strives for perfection in all her wines. This is her single vineyard Riesling that is bone-dry and has a beautiful balance between acid and ripeness.  With notes of apricots, lemons, thyme and touch of mint, the wine finishes with dried citrus fruits and a creamy texture.  Cellar it!

Posted in Wine, Beer & Spirits | No Comments | Article Page



 
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