our take on grapes, grains, brews & bites

Thurs., Feb. 11, 2010 @ 7 p.m.

At the Cold Spring Harbor Library, 95 Harbor Rd., Cold Spring Harbor Mapquest Directions

Join us and our amazing host, Joe Iadanza, for our February Open Mic next week at the Cold Spring Harbor Library

This month our featured performer is singer/songwriter, Chris O’Brien. This Boston-based musician is an artist on the rise and has caught the attention of many since his 2007 CD release of “Lighthouse.” We are delighted to have him perform at our Open Mic!

Admission: $5

Contact: events@greenpalateexperience.com

NOTE: We ask that all PERFORMERS please come by early to register at the door at 6:30 p.m. Space is limited, as performances end at 9:30 p.m. There is a piano on site & available for use.

Open Mic After Hours

Mary Carroll’s Pub, 1 Clinton Ave., Huntington Mapquest Directions

Join us immediately after Open Mic at Mary Carroll’s to unwind, have a cocktail and continue to mingle with this wonderful group. Drink specials and pizza from Rosa’s will be available.

Past Open Mic Highlights

Visit MyLITV.com for all of our videos!

We have had the distinct pleasure of being featured on local TV network, MyLITV.com. Their interest in our Open Mic has been the amazing original art & music that all of our lovely performers bring to the stage. We would like to extend our deepest thanks to all who have participated in making this possible!

Sponsors & Friends

…without whom this would not be possible!

Green Palate would like to extend a huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us to keep the show going:

• The Cold Spring Harbor Library
• S.B. MacDonald Custom Instruments
• Huntington Bay Music
• North Shore Veterinary Hospital
• Mary Carroll’s Pub

We also encourage you to check out the Folk Music Society of Huntington for their listings of local music events.

Yesterday I sat down to eat my lunch and continue working on the computer while eating; as I opened my browser I saw a news snippet that caught my eye. I’m a former news addict and have worked to minimize my news consumption since Jan, but this one I had to check out. It was a story about Pres. Obama’s daughter and the bigotry that emerged after some right wing radicals saw her wearing a peace sign on her shirt.

As I bit into my Almond Butter and Jelly on multigrain, I thought about a story a former colleague had shared with me..

He and his wife were looking for a place to call home on Long Island, a place to buy a house, where they would want to spend their days and raise a family. One day while he was out on the road for his job he was in Freeport and stopped to grab and eat a sandwich before continuing on. As he sat in his car eating, he watched some kids playing ball in a park across the street. He told me that after some time he saw a heated argument break out amongst the kids. Based on the nature of the argument he didn’t think it necessary to break it up. Essentially the argument went something like this “You were out…no I wasn’t…yes you were”… you get the point.

Upon returning home he told his wife he had found the place they should move to on Long Island from Queens. They subsequently did and raised their family there. I asked him what made up his mind that day in the park. He told me the beauty of the argument was these were kids just being kids. Although they were a group of multiracial kids, race never entered into the argument it was just about the game. And as an African American he knew this was a beacon for what life would be like for his family if they moved there.

Growing up the son of a color blind Jazz musician this was a realism I never thought possible and one that took a few seconds to compute. I heard that story over 10 years ago and when I saw the news snippet it reminded me of his story again. It saddens me to see the bigotry perpetuated when it should only be about the game.

The connection between this story and the green palate is a mind set. Not only are we committed to giving you our takes on Grains, Grapes, Brews and Bites, but also sharing what being open to the notion of “Green” means.

By the way in case you’re curious, the almond butter was freshly ground by us in the bulk section of Whole Foods Market. The texture I find is a cross between smooth and chunky, the jelly is Cascadian Farms, organic Strawberry spread, this has a nice flavor I’d like to see more chunks of strawberry; the bread was Vermont Bread organics multigrain, and all were delicious.

The other day my business partner, Matt, and I had planned to work through lunch. Matt had brought food for lunch and said he had plenty for two, asking if I’d like to share. I was glad to join saving the time I generally spent thinking about what I should eat, since I generally haven’t given things like lunch much thought until I find I’m really hungry.

Matt advised that he had brought Tuna fish for sandwiches, a salad, some fruit and multigrain chips. He then added that the Tuna was made sans mayo, using mustard and relish instead. Also offering that I could either add mayo or pass on the sandwich if I wanted. Having used mustard and mayo, I was interested to see how the Tuna tasted this way.

I found the Tuna to have a nice summery flavor. The mustard, a Belgian one according to Matt, and relished provide a nice tang, sweetness and crunch in the sandwich. Generally I add celery for crunch and found the relish worked well. We enjoyed the sandwiches on multigrain bread, which added a nice texture and even more crunch. As I ate the sandwich I felt the need to ask Matt a question, to which I assumed I knew the answer since we’re both in very similar places. When I asked Matt if the food was organic, without hesitation he said “Absolutely.”

The omission of mayo Matt shared was for caloric reasons, based on his love of mayo, a love I share. However I found this sandwich to be more then healthier, I found it refreshing. Health benefits became a side issue once I began to eat.

So why am I posting about a Tuna sandwich for lunch? How is this significant to those who might read it?

It’s significant for a number of reasons. First, think of the health benefits of a non mayo sandwich. Beyond that it’s a great way to enjoy Tuna fish in the summer. But look even deeper and you’ll see how this applies to the green palate.

Matt brought his food items in reusable containers, eliminating any wrappers, Styrofoam or other that may have gone to a land fill. His ingredients were organic which benefits me and the environment. We didn’t create a carbon footprint from driving somewhere to pick up lunch. The act of creating and sharing a meal forms a deeper connection between us. And it tasted better then probably anything else I would have picked up.

Thanks Matt for sharing your green palate Tuna.

Food equals so many things to so many people on this planet. Think about it: What is bread, rice or meat to someone who has not eaten in a few days? Or a week or two for that matter?

It is everything. It is the world. Their instincts tell them that they must eat and eat immediately. I remember hearing a story about Holocaust survivors being fed hard food too quickly when they were being rescued by troops and dying because their systems could not handle the military rations they were being fed by their rescuers.

However, here in America, as I watch other people eat you would think they have been starving! They look as if they have not seen food in days. A sandwich is gone in a minute. However, I can tell that they are not starving because they could probably live on their fat stores for weeks if not months! The amount of ‘scarfing’ that I see done in restaurants as I am eating out is pretty significant, and sometimes that person is me! I catch myself not paying attention to the food that I am putting into my body as sustenance, then I pause, become grateful that I even have food to eat and then begin to add in the different aspects of becoming conscious, which starts with grounding myself and noticing my breath pattern.

Hey, I am no skinny minny. I am 200 lbs on a good day, at only 5’ 10” so clearly I am not someone who does not enjoy my food, I really do. Actually I enjoy it much more when I am eating consciously and I have the added enjoyment of knowing that I am eating in a healthier way that will help my body digest more efficiently not too mention the emotional and psychological benefits of eating with some awareness. One thing I have learned over a long period of time of self observation is conscious eating and it has absolutely changed my life.

This is going to be the first blog post of a series I plan on writing about conscious eating.

Most people I talk to about this subject look at me like I have three heads, more often than not it seems to be the first time that they have really considered what it is to bring awareness to eating and for some of them it is the first time they are being introduced to consciousness on any subject.

Conscious eating in my personal definition, simply said is being conscious about what you are eating. However, before we can really even scratch the surface, we must have a definition of what I mean by the word ‘conscious’. For me the word ‘conscious’ in this context really means ‘Self-Awareness’. So I guess it could be called ‘Self Aware Eating’ but as I am sure you will you agree it just does not have the same ring to it!

So here is a short list of some of the aspects that I believe to be necessary in a ‘conscious eating’ experience.

1. Being connected to the five senses as you eat. Seeing the colors of the food, smelling the aroma of the food one is eating, and yes! TASTING the food, feeling the texture of the food in your hands, on your fork and lips, in your mouth, on your tongue and teeth, and listening to the sound it makes as you chew it.
2. Being aware of your body, your body language as it were, noticing how you are sitting or standing, as you eat. How you raise the fork or spoon to your mouth. How you cut your food, or move it around your plate or bowl, or how you peel it, crack it open or lift the glass or bottle to your mouth.
3. Noticing the breath in the body at least for a few moments throughout the eating experience. As one of my teachers told me many years ago: “How you breathe, determines your life.”
4. Being connected to the thoughts and emotions that you are experiencing as you eat, the awareness usually does all the change that is necessary.
5. Staying aware through the swallowing process, as well as the tasting, texture, smell, sounds, chewing and tongue movement. Did you know that your food is actually being prepared for the stomach while in the mouth? Your saliva actually helps break down fat and starches and if you eat too fast you miss out on that fat processing benefit!
6. Pacing yourself. The next time you eat, just eat normally but watch the speed at which you put food in your mouth, chew and swallow, for most people the whole process happens within seconds. Try picking up your fork slowly, watching intently as you use the fork to pick up the food, and then watching the food as you bring it up to your mouth. Before you have an even taken a bite a whole process is occurring! It has been known for many years that the brain does not know you are full until 10-15 minutes after you already are! This is a part of evolution that made sense 100,000 years ago when we did not know if we would be eating again for a days so we could fit more in our stomachs. Consider taking your time, enjoying your food, think about its nutritious value, its delicious taste, smell and texture.
7. Having some idea about where your food is from, how it was grown and prepared and who is preparing it. I am a huge local, organic, natural food person, but I know in today’s world of eating out, is there anything wrong with asking a wait staff what kind of beef they are serving you or if the greens are local? Remember, it’s your body and it’s your $ that you are paying them to serve you. For me this is an important aspect of what the green palate is about. Putting the word out to your restaurants that you care about what you put in your body and you are going to hold the places you spend your $ at accountable for giving you the best quality food possible.

There are certainly more aspects involved with conscious eating such as being grateful, relaxed, and sharing, as well as all the different effects that it could have on the health of the planet, I will get into some of those in the next installment.

I know it may sound weird or different but I implore you to take a moment to consider what I am saying because I know without a doubt conscious eating can improve the quality of your eating experiences, your life, your health, and definitely help you lose weight if that is necessary for you. If anyone has conscious eating experiences or questions about it please let me know! Peace, love and Conscious Eating!

Written by: Tom Pellicane

New Belgium Brewing shared three of their craft beers with the Green Palate to experience. They shared their Mothership Wit Organic Wheat Beer, Fat Tire Amber Ale and Enlightened Black Ale. We were all excited to get started with our tasting and thought we’d fine tune our process for this tasting since it was now our third time together as a panel. We all agreed on a couple of changes that would enhance the experience. First, we decided not to read anything about the beers before we tasted. We wouldn’t even let Katie, our keeper of knowledge, begin to speak. Second, we agreed that after each initial action taking in the nose, savoring on the palate there would be no talking for one minute. These were both instituted to avoid subliminally affecting our interpretations of the beer.

For this evening we enjoyed the company of a guest taster, Susan. Susan is an eco techno geek/consultant by day, a true novice to craft beers and a woman who clearly knows what she likes.

On to the tasting!

First up: Mothership Wit Organic Wheat Beer. According to their materials Mothership Wit is brewed with wheat and barley malt, as well as coriander and orange peel spicing resulting in a balance of citrus and sour flavors held in suspension by a bright burst of carbonation.

Nose
On the nose this beer offers a light, crisp sweet smell with hints of citrus. Our panel found hints of lemon and orange, as well as a little earthiness cloves and coriander. Andrew and Adele found hints of Bergamot as well (I had to Google it first before I could add it to this review.) Matt said its nose was even “a little farmhouse herbally,” whatever that is.

Palate
The palate was found to be “nice,” “light,”  “crisp” with hints of citrus for most tasters. This nice light taste was complimented by a balanced effervescence. Matt said it had a “Very impressive first taste, with an enjoyable dance on the tongue.” Andrew and Chris said it was “Refreshing.” Chris went on to describe a “Slightly spicy flavor and slight bitter finish.”

Pairing
Once again our friends at Whole Foods Market were kind enough to provide selected treats that they thought would pair well with these brews. For the Mothership Wit they chose organic Thai Spring Rolls with cilantro and lemon grass and Asiago Fresco Cheese.  All felt the spiciness of the Spring Rolls were a good compliment, and that the lemongrass and cilantro balanced well with the citrus notes of the beer. Adele said she “absolutely loves the Spring Roll pairing.” Additionally all enjoyed the Asiago Fresco, which is a creamy, mild, nutty cheese. I thought the creaminess of the cheese worked well with the effervescence of the beer; on the other hand, Matt found it “neutralized all the fun dynamics of the beer.”

Sharing
Lastly we asked our panel if they would Recommend this beer to their friends and/or buy it for themselves. All of us found this it is a beer we would recommend. Tara said it’s a “Great beer for newcomers to beer.” Most of the panel said they would buy it, Matt added “Most definitely! Love it!” Me and Chris didn’t find it to be a beer we would keep on our shelf, for me it was simply too light.

Fat Tire Amber Ale: The materials say “Fat Tire won fans is in its sense of balance: toasty, biscuit-like malt flavors coasting in equilibrium with hoppy freshness.”

Nose
Some found the nose of this amber ale pleasant with hints of caramel and sweetness. Andrew found hints of apple and cinnamon, and Matt smelled hints of maple syrup, Tobacco and damp leaves. Susan thought the nose was “not very pleasant, smells burnt.” Clearly this mix of senses for the nose had us eager to move to the palate.

Palate
Similar to the nose of Fat Tire, the palate was mixed as well. Many tasters found the tastes of hops. Chris found the palate to be “very nutty.” Katie said the “flavor is delightfully bitter with sweet caramelly notes.” Adele found this same bitterness, but a “lingering of burnt caramel” on the palate. We found ourselves doing a lot of head scratching on this one, trying to decide where we stood on the palate and opted to move on to the pairings.

Pairing
For this beer the Whole Foods Market team chose crab cakes, a Norwegian Gjetost cheese, aged Gouda cheese and tropical fruit salad. Many thought the pairing of the crab cakes and the fruit salad worked well with the beer. I found the crab cakes bland by themselves and not doing much of anything with the beer, while Matt thought they “really helped bring the taste up.” The Gjetost received mixed reviews when paired since the cheese is somewhat caramelly by itself, some felt paired with the beer it was too much. Chris felt this cheese really “lights up” the caramel in the beer. Most found that the aged Gouda didn’t quite work well with the beer and preferred it alone.

Sharing
It was a mixed a bag on the nose and palate, and the same holds true for thoughts on sharing. I agreed with Tara’s summation when she said “There is nothing special going on for me here with this beer. It’s drinkable and I wouldn’t turn it down, but I can’t put my finger on any specific tastes.” Susan added, “the name doesn’t make me want to drink it, nor does the smell, and when I finally taste it – I realize I’m spot on.” Yet Katie went on to say, “Yes I would recommend and buy. It’s delicious.”  A couple of tasters left this spot blank so we’ll chalk them up to abstentions for whatever reason.

1554 Enlightened Black Ale: As the New Belgium Brewing site says…”Born of a flood and centuries-old Belgian text, 1554 Enlightened Black Ale uses a light lager yeast strain and dark chocolaty malts to redefine what dark beer can be.”

Nose
The nose of this ale was found to have many tones associated with richness. Our panel described hints of Molasses, coffee, toffee, hops with hints of citrus and spice. Matt found a hint of “melon” and said there was a “zest” to the nose. For the most part we found the nose pleasant and leaving us in anticipation of experiencing it on the palate.

Palate
Most of the panel found the hints of coffee from the nose were amplified on the palate. Susan described a “bitter aftertaste,” with the combination making her think “of a winter drink.” Katie found it “very smooth, sweet at first with a spicy/coffee aftertaste.” While I didn’t find the aftertaste, I did find this to be rich, smooth and sweet on my palate. Chris said it had a “nice strong, full bodied flavor.”

Pairing
With a plate of chocolate treats having yet to be touched during the evening, the pairing was as anticipated as moving on to this beer from the last. Our accompaniments were Potato Pancakes, Havarti and Point Reyes Blue Cheeses, some almost burnt Pretzels, as well as a Mud Pie and Chocolate cheesecake. Very quickly the Potato Pancakes were ruled out to pair; Matt summed it up well with “Eh.” The blue cheese was a hands down favorite for those who eat cheese. I thought it was the perfect pairing for this beer, the sharp saltiness of the cheese against the rich, backdrop of the Black Ale. Matt thought it “Added structure,” and was “Quite delicious.” While the Havarti tried it just couldn’t hang with this ale, Chris said the cheese was “overpowered.” The Mud Pie and Chocó Cheesecake got mixed reviews with about half the tasters feeling one or the other paired well with the beer. Unfortunately the pretzels got lost in the excitement of the beer and other pairings we’ll have to bring them out again to pair.

Sharing
As with the other two beers the Enlightened Black Ale also received mix reviews as to whether our panel would recommend to a friend or buy for themselves. Matt and Susan were firm no’s; Adele and Tara leaned no, short of abstentions. While the rest of us would recommend and buy. Reading back on my notes from the night I noted that “I’d welcome it to my fridge.”

Summary
This is the first tasting that we had such mixed feelings and thoughts on the things we tasted. Showing that half the fun is trying something new, spending some time with it to see how you like and feel about it, and experiencing the care and effort that the crafters put into its production. Beyond that, knowing what you like and don’t like changes with experience, time and other variables. Even if it doesn’t, I know that this tasting sparked some great banter and conversation for our panel and guest.