Fresh Corn? Try This Southwest Salad.

So this is probably one of the last few weeks that fresh corn is available (like the corn I've been picking up at the Bethlehem Farmers' Market), but if you can find some, this recipe is worth your while. I've been putting together a batch every Sunday to enjoy for lunches throughout the week and it hasn't gotten old yet!

It's based on the Southwest Black Beans and Corn Salad from Mollie Katzen's Still Life with Menu cookbook (one of my mom's favorites of which I have inherited a copy).

• 2 ears of corn
• 1 can of black beans or 2 cups of black beans should you choose to cook them yourself
• 2-3 minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 red onion, minced to about the size of corn kernels
• 1 medium bell pepper, minced to corn kernel size as well
• 1/2 cup of olive oil, or enough for a light coating of the salad components
• 1/2 cup (handful) Cilantro or Parsley or both--Lately I've only been able to get Parsley and have been really enjoying a slightly mellower flavor than cilantro, which is what I typically use from Mom's garden at home
• Dash of cayenne pepper, adjust to your spicy tolerance
• A teaspoon of ground cumin
• Juice of a Lime
• Salt to taste (Sea Salt is both good for you, has better flavor, and requires less)
• Ground Pepper- also to taste

Mix, enjoy. Adjust any of these amounts or proportions to your personal taste, you really can't go wrong. It is excellent by itself or as a contrasting, palette-cleansing side for richer, heavier meat or seafood dishes. Mollie Katzen recommends it in a tortilla, also yummy.
The best news of all: this a recipe which actually improves with time as the flavors exchange and marinate in your fridge.

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.

Looking for: New Foodie Adjectives

It is only fair that a bite which makes the taste buds dance deserves a word which rolls beautifully off the tongue to describe it.

A five-second clip on the Food Network last week showed two people tasting a dish that they both described as "amazing." 

I don't want to simply lament the overuse of certain words so I've decided to do a little investigation and hopefully propagate a few lesser-used words to describe our culinary endeavors. 

Here are a few worth sharing (from www.dictionary.com and www.thesaurus.com):

1. Synonyms for Delicious: ambrosial, delectable, divine, piquant, redolent, sapid, savory, titillating.
2. Acerbic: bitter, sharp, or sour. Synonyms: acidic, acrid, harsh
3. Ambrosial: delicate, fragrant, heavenly, luscious
4. Piquant: flavorful, biting. Synonyms: highly-seasoned, lively, peppery, poignant, provocative, pungent, racy, savory, sharp, snappy, spicy, stimulating, stinging, tangy, tart, zesty. Notes: Having a sharp taste is pungent and having a pleasingly sharp taste is piquant. Local example: #15 Tom Kha Gai at Thai Thai II, 509 Main Street in Bethlehem. This is a wonderfully piquant item found at many Thai restaurants and perfected by Thai Thai II. From their menu: “The most aromatic herb soup: chicken with coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir leaves, mushroom, chili, and lime juice.” True statement.
5. Redolent: having the odor or smell of, i.e. a room redolent of country flowers. From Latin redolens smelling of, from redolere to give off an odor. Local example: Sal’s Brick Oven Pizza & Restaurant (313 S. New St.) has an intimate dining area redolent of the titillating flavors wafting from the kitchen.  
6. Sapid: 1. having a pleasant taste; 2. agreeable or engaging. From Latin sapidus, from sapere: to taste.

The words we use to describe our food are also a product of the cultures and communities of which we are a part. Our lifestyles have a way of infusing our language with terms that would not translate well to someone belonging to another mode. I know delicate, religious folk who I have seen repeatedly describe pleasing foods as “divine,” whereas teenage boys have been known to describe especially rich and flavorful foods as “dank” or even “gross.” It is amusing to imagine either party using the words of the other.  Note: “Gross” follows the same reverse logic as “sick,” its meaning is exactly opposite its principal definition. 

From your newly expanded repertoire, now you can at least attempt to put into words the culinary delight that can typically only be expressed in "Mmmmmmmm!!"

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.

An Introduction to Multimedia Reporting J198

We started our Multimedia Reporting class today with lots of momentum. I was given a handheld video camera and we've already learned to take and publish videos. My practice interview is posted here, it is a few minutes with the lovely Alex Levin about her study abroad experience. As Jeremy (Professor Littau)said, we're learning some very cutting-edge multimedia forms this semester and I'm definitely looking forward to the experience. We've started YouTube, Twitter, and this blog account to document our findings.
For the purposes of this class, this blog will be dedicated to a specific interest of my choice for the next few months. I'm looking forward to settling on a final decision, I have a few fun ones in mind.
Definitely a good start to my experience in the Journalism department!

A semester abroad with Alex Levin