02 May Blooming with Activity
Did anyone notice where April went? I seem to have misplaced it, because the last time I checked I’m sure it was March. Suddenly I can go outside without a jacket (on the rare occasions when time permits it), and those twittering birds are so loud that they inadvertently made an appearance in my last Food Philosophy podcast, which had to be re-recorded. Perhaps I’ll leave them in next time so it sounds like I’m in the midst of a forest, à la Snow White. The kitchen elves can stand in as dwarves.
We’re having a blast with the Culinary Podcast Network, which has lots of developments underway. It now has its own home on our forum, with sections for each show, so feel free to leave your feedback on any of them. Soon we’ll launch a round table discussion on pressing topics in the world of food, where a group of us will chew on the various controversies that abound regarding food choices, laws, and the things that push our buttons.
I love the ease with which new media enables us to communicate with all of you, and in whatever means you find most inviting. Some of you listen to our podcasts on the way to work, others surf our recipes while you’re at work (we won’t tell), and some of you check out our musings on the weekend or in the evening. We love that we can be here whenever (and wherever) you need us. There is lots being added to the mix, some of which is coming this month, and it’s hard not to spill the beans about it! However, as I’ve been threatened with duct tape, suffice it to say that we are constantly developing new features to make your experience here more inviting and fulfilling, and we’ll announce them as soon as they are ready.
We’ve also begun traveling to different cities to host cooking classes and tasting experiences, which is terribly exciting because it means we get to leave the office and interact with you in three dimensions. Chef Mark was at Williams-Sonoma in Albuquerque last month, and I’ll be in Atlanta in June for a series of demos and classes. Things are also underway here at our Hudson Valley home, so the summer is going to be quite busy. We’ll send updates on classes and events as they become available, so keep an eye out for that. Whether you want to host a class or dinner in your home, or you prefer to attend a tasting at a restaurant, we’re creating an array of choices for the pleasures of your palate.
One project close to my heart is the Bachelor’s Boot Camp, which was borne out of a response to the many questions I get from, yes, bachelors, who seek knowledge in the realm of the kitchen. That will become a podcast and class series of its own very shortly.
This month at the Gilded Fork we are delving into the pleasures of fennel and morel mushrooms, as they offer bright flavor and compelling texture, and to us they just scream Spring. Fennel is an extremely versatile ingredient, and we are slicing it, dicing it, roasting it, and anything else we can think of. Morels, those cute little spongy mushrooms, are a rare Springtime treat, and we love how their nooks and crannies serve as perfect holders for sauces. If you are hosting Mom for a Mother’s Day meal, don’t forget to take a peek at our Mother’s Day Mise en Place menu, whose combination of flavor, color and texture is sure to please that wonderful lady. We’ve even posted wine pairings from our friend Lenn Thompson to make it all effortless.
Lastly, you may have noticed a little recorder in our sidebar. It’s called MyChingo, and it enables you, with a click, to leave a voice mail message for us. We are eager to get a conversation going, so we hope you will communicate and share your thoughts with us. We’ll also leave updates there periodically, so keep an ear out for those.
We recommend that you sign up for our newsletter and become a Gilded Select member, because those exciting developments I can’t talk about will be announced there first!