I have been told that I am a food snob and, while I am no genius, I don’t think it was meant to be a compliment. The not so surprising fact, ha ha, is that I have actually been called that more than once in my lifetime. The first time, I was pretty offended. What, me? A food snob? Hurumph. The second time, I sat back and pondered for a moment or two, and determined that being called a food snob is totally a compliment. Or, I would take it that way anyway. Anyone who truly knows me knows that I possess no trace of snobbery where food is concerned. Unless, that is, you count my aversion to Twinkies or diet soda. Ick. I simply have a gargantuan passion for all food, particularly an obsession for good, healthy, fun, fresh food.
Food doesn’t have to be luxurious; a restaurant definitely need not be expensive. Food, for me, is so completely intertwined with life, with little everyday memories. It is more about the atmosphere surrounding a meal, the laughter of close friends, and the clink of glasses, snuggling up on the same side of the table. I would easily give away a dozen fancy restaurant meals for one simple, late afternoon barbecue at home, the summer light golden and fading, a gentle breeze blowing, a glass of one of my best friend’s perfect, pale pink rosé in-hand. I’d take one crazy-sweet pint of Watmaugh strawberries over a boring, multi-course tasting menu any day. Call me a food snob, but I would trade a whole tin of über expensive caviar for a skinny hot dog, loaded with fluorescent green relish, the dog too long for it’s doughy white bun, eaten at my very first baseball game, sharing it with someone I love. In less than a heartbeat, I would choose a slice of greasy pizza eaten from a paper plate; my toes in the sand, rum drink in my hand, on a beach in the islands over dinner in a Michelin-starred spot.
The appreciation of food, for me is also utterly about the procuring of it. There is truly little that brings me more comfort or more joy than shuffling slowly through a thoughtfully curated grocery store, the shelves filled with beautifully packaged products that I have never tried, but will now! I love to linger, peering at all the interesting labels, the exotic jars of foods from faraway places, and imagining the meals I would create with them. While my market bags are filled to the brim with a selection of yummy things, I am at my most content. When I get home, I lay my goodies out on the kitchen counter, satisfied that I am filling the fridge and the cupboards with not just food, but future memories, with quiet times spent chopping and blending, and of future Sunday picnics or long, wine-filled dinners, all with friends. I am providing not only nourishment for my body, but for my soul.
I am happily receptive to all sorts of food, from all sorts of places and am honored when someone shares their food traditions or their food finds with me. My own food history is peppered with little pieces of other people’s food stories. Someone I know with amazing taste only recently, and thankfully, made me aware of how life can surely be sweeter – with a little sweetener – that, yes, good stuff can come from a jar, and that crunchy peanut butter eaten from the container with a fork and paired with red wine is one of life’s most decadent pleasures. An infatuation with greasy fried plantains I adopted after a loco family dinner party thrown by my dear friend’s Puerto Rican mother. Y’all are surely aware of the significant impact both of my grandmothers have had forming two of my most treasured foodie fixations, Southern greens and Jello pistachio instant pudding. I am indebted to New Orleans for my homemade mayonnaise addiction and to my dad for my fondness for devouring any meat that is cooked on the bone. So, call me a food snob if you must, but first pass the peanut butter.
On The Menu
Join expert landscaper Maile Arnold for a Summer Pruning Workshop on Saturday, July 28, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Sonoma Garden Park. Attendees will learn valuable strategies for recognizing different plant types and their appropriate pruning needs as a means of rejuvenating, encouraging, or containing growth. The workshop is suitable for all levels of experience, and costs $10 for Sonoma Ecology Center members and $15 for non-members. All proceeds benefit Sonoma Garden Park, a working farm and model of sustainable agriculture, located at 19996 Seventh Street East. For more information, or to register for the workshop, visit the Sonoma Ecology Center website at sonomaecologycenter.org or call 996.0712, ext. 113.
Head out to Murphy’s Irish Pub, where Chef Sarah Pinkin has switched up the menu to take advantage of Sonoma’s fabulous seasonal summer produce with new items such as a yummy sounding “Summer Chicken Cordon Bleu,” filled with fresh basil, goat cheese and a summer succotash, a “Summer Chopped Salad,” of Blue Lake Beans, local tomatoes and bacon, or a tasty sounding, healthy appetizer of local tomato and corn salsa with homemade guacamole. Visit their website for the complete menu and a list of great live music at sonomapub.com
Nicholson Ranch hosts a couple of fun events in the coming weeks. This Saturday, July 28, beginning at 7:30 p.m. is “Movie Night at the Ranch,” featuring the hilarious film, “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” The movie and a glass of wine are complementary, while food will be available for purchase, or bring your own picnic. On Saturday, August 11, beginning at 7 p.m. visit the Ranch for a “Roasted Pig Supper.” The to-die-for cuisine from Sorensen Catering, including a whole hog, will be offered, in addition to plenty of sides, wine, and dancing into the night! RSVP to either event by calling 938.8822, Ext. 15, or by emailing Charles at charles@nicholsonranch.com.
Summer Chopped Salad
Recipe inspired by Murphy’s Irish Pub
Serves 4
2 heads Bibb lettuce or 1 head Boston lettuce, shredded
2 large carrots, cut into matchstick-size pieces
1 yellow and 1 red pepper, cut into matchstick-size pieces
3 beets, cooked, peeled, and cut into matchstick-size pieces
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1 ripe tomato, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
4 radishes, sliced paper thin
1 head radicchio, shredded
2 heads Belgian endive, sliced
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Watercress or mache leaves, for garnish
Directions
Scatter shredded lettuce on a serving platter. Arrange vegetables, radicchio, endive, and cheese in separate rows on top of lettuce. Whisk together mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Drizzle dressing over salad, sprinkle with parsley and watercress or mache leaves, add more pepper, and serve.
Kristin Jorgensen is one of Sonoma’s most passionate, food obsessed residents. In this weekly column, she covers all the delicious happenings, foodie events and restaurants in Sonoma, the rest of Wine Country and beyond. Find her blogging daily as the Cook at thecardiganandcook.com or via email at foodandwine@sonomasun.com.
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