A Bakery for Bethlehem: The Flour Shop

http://www.flourshopbaking.com

This past Thursday, on the last Bethlehem Farmer's Market day of the year, I was excited for a perfect opportunity to pick up lunch from the Market. I typically only shop for groceries, but this week had the biting chill of early fall and a generous dose of wind, so I was uninterested in purchasing anything but soup.

I had an idea of where to look.
The Flour Shop has appeared every week at the Farmers' Market, always generating lines of people buying breads, paninis, baked goods, etcetera. This week, they had a bread and hummus sample, an enticing windowed display as always, and fortunately for me, soups.

The woman behind the counter, Mary, let me sample the two soups they had available: a Curried Acorn Squash and Pear Bisque and a Bacon Minestrone.

I was completely impressed with the imagination it must have taken to put curry, squash, and pears together as well as the resulting flavor, and purchased a small container of the Squash and Pear Bisque, which came with a piece of their sunflower-seed semolina. All for a grand total of $5.

Mary told me their soups change week-to-week depending on what in-season vegetables they purchase. The Flour Shop buys almost all of their vegetables from "Chuck," who she pointed out over her shoulder, a local farmer whose produce is chemical-free. The soups they make and bring to the weekly Farmers' Market are available both warm and ready to serve, as well as cold for people to buy in bulk and take home.

It's also important to note that I only tried their soups and a small piece of bread while principally, The Flour Shop is a baker of artisan breads and cakes. Check out their website for more details!

So the Farmers' Market has ended. Now what? The Flour Shop is still making soups at their permanent location on 2980 Linden Street in North Bethlehem.
Gather your bearings on the map from their website: http://www.flourshopbaking.com/map.htm

Restaurant opening: Hello Burrito!

A few days ago, my fellow J198 classmate and I ventured over to Broad Street on Bethlehem's North Side to check out the area's newest restaurant, Hello Burrito. Enjoyed a Southwest Burrito to start classic, but I'm also intrigued by both the Mango burrito and Thai burrito for my next visits. The soups sound great too, especially on a day like today.
For your curiosity, here's their menu: http://www.helloburritobethlehem.com/

The question is, will it be the North Side's new hot spot?

Here's the story:

Bethlehem South Side Restaurants: The Running Tally

Instead of composing a post tonight I've been putting the together the list of my favorite South Side Bethlehem Dining and Drinks (look right and down). Each title is a link to the establishment's menu or home-page. Clearly, it isn't comprehensive and will, of course, be a work in progress.
North Side Dining and Drinks coming soon, in the column to the right of the South Side ones.

*If you're a restauranteur and don't find your restaurant/bar on this list, invite me in and feed me your best stuff. I'll even put together a review, and maybe even a video!
...Black Forest Deli has posed the invitation and I plan to take them up on it next week.

By the way, Happy National Coffee Day! 10 coffee facts: http://www.indyposted.com/113732/10-coffee-facts-for-national-coffee-day/

The Interview: Tallarico's Chocolates

For our latest assignment, we had to go into Bethlehem and conduct a video interview. I chose to interview Mr. Brian Tallarico, owner and founder of Tallarico's Chocolates at 26 East Third Street. My previous post talks some about the experience, and you can view the videos below:
We were asked to post both edited and unedited and describe a little about the differences. The first is the edited version, the second is the interview straight through.





I'm quickly learning how much time and effort goes into editing video, and I'm learning ways to make editing easier during the filming process as a result of having to make certain changes. I also found it interesting to take the rough footage and organize it in a way that highlighted the story I wanted to tell. Looking forward to seeing where this goes!

"Tallarico's Chocolates: the Immaculate Confection"

So reads the oval label on the white bag of chocolate treats I brought home from my interview this afternoon with Brian Tallarico, chocolatier. When he first opened Tallarico's Chocolates at 26 East Third Street almost seven years ago, he sent a friend of his in San Francisco a small package of his line of treats, and received a reply: "The Immaculate Confection," and the testimony remains.

I sat down with Mr. Tallarico for a short interview assignment for my Journalism 198 Multimedia reporting class. Fifteen or so minutes of footage and interview was all that was expected. I left the shop an hour later, after discussing a range of topics about his beginnings in chocolate, his hobbies, and his kids, and even swapped stories of travels in Europe. To say the least, Mr. Tallarico is an engaging guy, and a pleasant conversationalist. Who wouldn't be with a job delivering happiness in the form of chocolate morsels all day?

As I sit here typing, I can still taste the flavors of the cayenne pepper chocolate square that he added to my gift bag to try, and I'm sure a future craving has been planted. As Mr. Tallarico explained, I did not taste the cayenne in the actual bite, but rather felt a slight heat in the back of my mouth. The slightly crunchy texture and light numbing sensation make for quite the orchestrated event of a chocolate bite. My dad will absolutely be receiving an order from me as a Christmas present.

I also made out with a pistachio dark chocolate sort of cluster, which was fantastic, contrasting a slightly salty nutty flavor to the smooth dark chocolate. I typically don't even like pistachio that much, but this guy is good. Clearly, a dose of fine chocolate was all that was needed. Two dark chocolate pretzels and a malt chocolate, a type that Mr. Tallarico says he's been experimenting with are still in the bag as well. I'm cherishing them for tomorrow.

On the side, Mr. Tallarico makes unique string instruments from reclaimed materials, which he exhibits and sells from his shop. While he has certainly become quite the chocolatier, Mr. Tallarico still tells people he's waiting to see what he'll be when he grows up. Mr. Tallarico's array of interests have lent a lot more to this shop than just chocolate, so on your next visit take the opportunity to strike up conversation with him, admire his innovatively-crafted guitars, or spend some time in the cozy living-room like space in the store window.

You'll have to wait for my full video post of the interview which reveals the history and the story of his shop, and a few more enticing things about his chocolates. Although he wasn't manufacturing today, I would like to see what that process looks like at some point as well. He apparently hires around the holidays when his shop is at its busiest, and what a fun place it would be to learn. You may see me behind the counter one day soon.

In this economy, people are seeking goods like chocolate and wines as "simple pleasures" to take the place of more expensive ways to spend money and time. The health benefits of chocolate-in moderation, of course- have been proven, so follow your next chocolate craving to Tallarico's Chocolates, and I'm sure you won't regret it.
Tallarico's Chocolates are available for purchase by the piece and by the pound. Check out the menu and the rest of his website at: http://www.tallaricochocolates.com/menu.html

Also good to know:
During First Fridays of every month, local musicians perform at Tallarico's Chocolates (and many other galleries and stores which open for the First Friday evenings every month). For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, check out the next First Friday on October 1st, starting at around 7pm for a lively evening on South Bethlehem's Third and Fourth Streets. You'll find galleries and stores with doors thrown open until around 10 at night, free wine and cheese, art showings, music, and inevitably, conversation. Go with a few friends and get to know a wonderful side of Bethlehem.

Weekly Special: Thursdays at the Bethlehem Farmers' Market

Every Thursday in the fall and spring, Lehigh University's Campus Square is turned into a little fair of local farmers, kettle corn vendors, bakers and breadmakers, and even artisans of hand-knit woolen items. This opportunity for purchasing produce, sampling delicious baked goods, and perusing other products is the Bethlehem Farmers' Market and is absolutely a weekly specialty. Vendors set up tents and tables from 12-4 in the afternoon, drawing students and local Bethlehem residents alike.

I began my patronage last year as a senior while living off-campus and cooking for myself almost daily. In my hometown Durham, North Carolina, many families have supported, for many years, a farmers' market which is growing in scope and selection to accommodate the increasing desire for fresh, seasonal, local produce. I was raised to appreciate these Saturday outings, delighting over heirloom tomatoes or peaches that are so ripe they beg to be tasted at the earliest possible opportunity.

Plus, shopping the Farmers' Market supports local farmers, and the local food movement is here to stay. Despite tough economic times, people are still supporting Farmers' Markets, in part because many recognize that it takes a committed clientele to keep such vulnerable business owners afloat. Furthermore, in the face of increasing hype around reducing our carbon footprints, it's just plain "green," which is enough to validate anything these days. (Local produce doesn't travel as far to reach you, reducing the amount of gas used to transport it, reducing carbon emissions.)

People wouldn't pay the prices if it wasn't worth the trip; like produce sections with a face and a story behind every vegetable, human contact and mutual culinary delight abound. As pleased as shoppers are to be purchasing beautiful seasonal produce, farmers are equally proud of, literally, the fruits of their efforts. I have routinely found attendants on the other side of the stand not only willing but thrilled to engage in conversation about their favorite recipes, their own farm, or just local events. Just today, the woman from whom I was buying two apples threw in a third from other type that I had mentioned I was deciding between. Establishing a rapport or loyalty to her particular stand is a likely motivation, but I am more than happy to be on the receiving end.

Farmers' markets are engaging, inspiring, and most importantly, guarantee seasonal quality. As we left the Farmers' Market, a friend asked me about what is in season in the spring and I realized it took some thought to respond. In a world where when one region's produce ends its season and produce from halfway around the world can restock and replace it, we forget that certain foods are meant for a specific season. I'm not complaining about the fact that I can find tomatoes all year round, but I enjoy the Farmers' Market for reminding me what is suited for this particular season. These vegetables were not picked green and ripened in their cross-country trip, they were plucked off their stems because they were ready for your next weekly special.