Triple Crème Heaven

Kunik, I have missed you so. We finally have this cheese back in stock, and the price has come down considerably (maybe the recession drove the price down, who knows) making it a semi-pricey, but completely worth it indulgence. Nettle Meadow is a creamery in upstate New York producing excellent farmstead cheeses. Farmstead cheeses are defined as having the complete cycle produced right on the farm; raising the animal, harvesting the milk and cream, and producing the cheese. Even Better Nettle Meadow pasture raises their animals making for healthful and flavorful cheeses.

Cheese lovers, if you haven't tried the Kunik, you have yet to experience cheese nirvana. Here is how the dairy, Nettle Meadow describes this cheese:

Kunik is a unique and voluptuous triple cream cheese only made in Thurman, New York in the Warrensburg area at our small family farm. It is a white mold-ripened wheel made from goat's milk and jersey cow cream. The blend makes Kunik far richer and more flavorful than a brie-type cheese yet more subtle and sumptuous than similarly ripened goat cheeses.

Here is what critics are saying:
"Kunik is dreamy mild-ripened cheese made from a mix of goat's milk and fresh Jersey cream. It ranges from earthy, grassy and slightly firm to supple and unctuous and pungent, depending on its level of maturity. Kunik is delicious at any age and deserves a much coveted place in your belly." Anne Saxelby's Selections, Saxelby Cheesemonger, Essex Market, NYC, 2006.

"Kunik, a soft, bloomy Jersey cow and goat's milk cheese from Warrensburg New York was killing me softly with its smooth, creamy, flavorful but not at all stinky song. Jersey cows are known for their high milk-fat output and it comes through brilliantly in the Kunik." Grocery Guy, Chuck Klosterman's blog. June 12, 2006.

"...this tart tangy triple creme made of pasteurized goat milk, but enriched with fatty jersey cow cream. The blend makes for a sumptuous, thick buttery taste that retains the kick of fresh chevre." Murray's Cheese, NYC, 2006.

"It doesn't make you tired like other cheeses... This, you want to have more. It is very inviting. You could eat this with a spoon, it is very addictive." Joseba Encabo, Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY.

Sometimes Doing it Right Isn't Enough

This recent article written in the SF Chronicle about the closing of a beloved and well rated restaurant really hit a particular note with me. It was written by one of the restaurants sous-chefs who talks about all the expensive choices the restaurant made in pursuing a business that sought to honor its suppliers, employees and customers. The economy has a significant impact on independent restaurants and retailers. Those who have been unwilling to trade down in quality to improve their margins, or to let valued employees go have been hit the hardest.

Eventually, it became clear my careful attempts at cost-cutting weren't nearly enough. We either had to start serving many more people each day, or dramatically lower our costs. By this time, we'd already tried everything we could to attract diners - lower prices, happy hour, an extended bar menu, more comfort foods, you name it. None of it did much good. The only choices that remained were to buy lesser ingredients and replace our cooks with cheap labor.

We couldn't do those things. We couldn't forsake our principles and our employees just to keep the restaurant open. Such a restaurant wouldn't have been our Eccolo, anyway.

Before shutting the doors, we decided to have a week of special dinners. We'd cook the food we loved to eat, be surrounded by our friends, and pay tribute to the purveyors whose work we'd so greatly appreciated.

We spent each day in the kitchen preparing a different menu of Chris' favorite dishes. Eccolo overflowed with people; regulars fretted about where they would now eat.

Chris and I just looked at each other and wondered, "Where were all of these people before this? How could it be that only now, on the eve of closing, Eccolo had become the restaurant we'd always wanted?" We kept hearing from people, "I wish I had come more." We wished it, too.

Regardless of what the money people said, I think these customers knew that we were doing the right thing - supporting family farmers, putting money back into the local economy, hiring people from the neighborhood. I just don't think most people realize how hard or expensive those choices are.

Amen to that.

Olde Towne Butcher

On my way in to the shop today, I noticed two men on ladders, lifting a large, flat, rectangular object across the street. Watching from below, squinting in the sun was a very happy-looking gentleman who had come in to the shop several weeks ago and introduced himself as Lee Russell, butcher and future owner of Olde Towne Butcher at 405 William Street. I ran across the street to say hello and admire the new signage...simple black on white lettering, with a silhouette of a farmer herding a pig. Hopefully, a perfect start to what we hope will be a very successful business.

Here at kybecca, we are huge supporters of locally grown foods. Mr. Russell shares this sentiment, and hopes to bring Fredericksburg a variety of meats raised on nearby farms. He will be making his own fresh ground beef, as well as sausage using old world recipes.

There are many great reasons to support local, independent butchers, and the first is quality. While supermarkets provide a good range of food at a low cost, they are more concerned about shelf life and profitability. In contrast, a local butcher is usually extremely concerned about the quality of the meat. You may have to pay a little more for the cut you are purchasing, but the freshness, flavor and texture will be well worth it.

Also, a local butcher will be able to trace source of their meat and tell you exactly where it came from, which is really good, considering all of the health scares in regards to factory farming. And most of them will prefer to source the majority of their product locally which is environmentally responsible, as they are not shipping in from around the world. It also keeps our money in the community, instead of being skimmed off to investors in the form of profits.

If you are a regular customer, chances are that you may become favored with special deals or cuts that may not be on public view. Butchers, like all small businesses, enjoy rewarding their best customers and want to keep them happy and coming back.

We are looking forward to being one of Mr. Russell's first loyal customers. Best of luck to you, Lee!

My New Favorite Cheese, and It's Local!

Just recently I took home a few cheeses for the house from our cheese selection. One was from a cheese producer I was familiar with but hadn't had this particular one. The Appalachian from Meadow Creek Dairy is my new favorite cheese. Meadow Creek is a darling of food writers accross the country yet relatively unknown in VA where the dairy is located. This must change.

Meadow Creek Dairy is a family farm in the mountains of southwest Virginia. At an elevation of 2800ft, the combination of pure water, clean air and deep soils produce an ideal environment for growing diverse, mineral-rich pastures.

Since 1980, farming has been our craft. We have worked closely with our Jersey herd to give them the best care, develop the genetics best adapted to our farm, and in the process produce the highest quality milk. Now we take our craft to its next level, providing you with a full flavored, healthy, ecologically friendly cheese.

They produce farmstead cheeses (meaning the whole cycle happens on the farm) of exceptional quality. The Appalachian which we have in stock now is described as having a:

supple straw color paste and a white mould rind with glimpses of pink showing through. The flavor is mild and buttery with a spicy finish and just a hint of mushroom.

It melts beautifully and is wonderfully flavorful. Pair with the Jefferson Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay or Linden Hardscrabble Chardonnay for a completely local experience.

Using Local Produce

As we have grown and developed the wine bar it was always within our sights to develop relationships with local farmers who could supply us with fresh, seasonal produce. One of our favorites is Miller Farms who are located in Locust Grove (we also encourage you to go shop at their store on the farm, always great stuff).


They supply us with these lovely zucchinis which we use with our Romesco sauce ($4) and about which the Washington Post said:

We were most surprised at how much we loved a simple dish of roast asparagus with a romesco sauce of oven-roasted tomatoes, roasted peppers and sherry vinaigrette. We used up two baskets of bread trying to get every last red scrap.

We keep the Romesco sauce throughout the year and serve it with seasonal produce. Right now is also tomato season and we make sure to use perfectly ripe Miller Farms tomatoes in our Caprese salad. Get it while you can, because once the season has passed, the dishes are gone.

The Best Eggs Benedict in the Burg

Are at Eileen's Bakery. Can I tell you they are divine? The hollandaise sauce is light and lemony, just perfect. Great eggs cooked just underdone so that they can be safely microwaved, home-made muffins and delicious ham.

Even better you can get them to go. So come in to kybecca and grab a bottle of Baby Prosecco sparkling wine to make mimosas, then head to Eileen's. I promise you that this will make a perfect Sunday morning.

Another Great Locally Owned Business

What I never realized about running a small business is how much running around it entails, and how many meals you miss in your quest to get something done.
Yesterday I stopped into Keystone Coffee & Autospa to grab a sandwich on the go. I got the chicken salad sandwich and a mango smoothie. I was so pleased with both, but the chicken salad was one of the best I have had. Real pieces of pulled chicken, just the right amount of mayo, a little garlic and not too much salt. They offer it on whole grain bread with a container of grapes (no chips, yeah!). In a world of homogenized food choices and unhealthy offerings at every corner this little meal really delivered. I highly recommend supporting them.

A Taste of Korea, A Taste of Lebanon

I find that a lot of residents of this area are not familiar with some excellent out-of-the-way restaurants. Two in particular stand out that I thought I would tell everybody about. This first one is for the city residents who may not venture out to Route 3 too often. A few doors down from the kybecca store next to Ukrops is Laziza, a Lebanese restaurant. The owner, who is very nice to us, actually is from Lebanon and really knows what the food tastes like. Here's a review of them in the Free Lance Star. In particular, I recommend the Tabouleh (it's also very healthy) and the baba ghanouj. For those not familiar, baba ghanouj is similar to hummus but made from roasted eggplant rather than chickpeas. Laziza's prices are quite reasonable, and perhaps best of all they have a very nice selection of Lebanese wine.

Second is a discovery I made yesterday based on a recommendation from a friend. Choi's Korean Kitchen is located at 1964 William Street (Route 3). It's near Batteries Plus, you can see it from route 3. Their menu is small but everything is good. The Kim Chi was excellent. Like Laziza, it's a small, family-run place that really cares about food. It's also quite reasonably priced. Here's their review from the Free Lance Star.

I highly recommend both of these places, not only because their food is good but because they are local. It's important that people frequent local places to eat, because otherwise the only restaurants you will see around here will be the big chains.