To Shoe Or Not To Shoe

I recently did an inventory of my closets (yes, I have more than one) and came to the realization that I have way too many clothes and an obscene number of pairs of shoes. I guess that would be just fine if I actually wore these items but I don't. Many of them I haven't worn for years for one reason or another and dare I shamelessly say forgot that I have a lot of it. Because of this, I have issued myself a challenge: NO NEW SHOES! I am challenging myself to shop in my closet and wear the shoes that I have. I have committed to not buying a new pair of shoes for the entire summer. Now if you love shoes, you know that this will be quite a painful obstacle since shoe divas tend to live, breathe, and dream of shoes. However, I will be strong even as the shoe sale demons taunt me with unbelievable summer clearance sales. I will keep you posted on my progress and hope that you will join my NO NEW SHOES! challenge.

Fashionably yours,
Frenchye

The Decision

We're hardly doomsayers, but it cannot be a good sign that LeBron is calling tomorrow's primetime free-agency announcement on ESPN "The Decision." He knows our painful lineage with two-word phaseology (The Drive, The Fumble, etc.), so here's predicting that his big announcement won't be "I'm staying."

Yum Me

Matt Mytro likes to mess around with food, taking ingredients and diners to places they’ve never been before. Sure he can do straight up cooking- his resume includes chef time at Boulevard Blue, Paladar, and currently a temporary gig at Touch. But he’s driven to color outside the lines and take us Clevelanders off the eaten path. That kind of thinking has led to a series of numbered events that combine culinary experimentation with a party vibe.

I went to Yumm 1.2 in June. Using dry ice, liquid nitrogen, agar-agar and other components and techniques from the molecular gastronomy toolbox, Mytro and his minions worked their magic, “poaching” ice cream that burned the tongue if consumed before cooling, turning coconut and jalapenos into bubbles, and dishing up futuristic mojitos that looked like jello shots.

Behind the bar Mike Gulley was also pouring his maple bacon Old Fashioned (breakfast bourbon anyone?), now being served at Dragonfly where he shakes and mixes most nights of the week.

Yumm 1.3 is scheduled for July 12. Like all the other food happenings Mytro’s been cooking up lately its presented by Stove Monkeys- the company he founded with partner Anthony Lynch to market their cool cooking inspired t-shirts. Show up at The Mercury Lounge on West 6th Street in downtown Cleveland between & 11 PM to sample corn on a stick, “jellied” ravioli, tomato basil and mozzarella salad candy, vodka encased in meringue and other surprises. Tickets are $7 in advance, $10 at the door. (Drinks are priced separately at $3 each).

And that’s not all. Mytro’s also taking would-be gastronauts flavor tripping on July 19 at the B-Side Lounge. Guests pop some Miracle Fruit (don’t worry- it’s safe and legal) that temporarily changes taste perceptions.. What is usually experienced as bitter, tart or sour seems sweet, smooth, and pleasant. The berries come from plants indigenous to West Africa and eating under the influence has been all the rage in cities on both coasts for a couple of years. If this kind of night out is your kind of catnip, make reservations online at Stove Monkeys or by calling 216-394-8706. Bon Apetit!

'Mission' signs at E. 9th and Euclid

"We want to keep him at home," said the woman at East 9th and Euclid wearing a T-shirt that read "Home" and carrying a sign that read, "Mission." She and three other black-clad mystery figures staked out the intersection's four corners at lunchtime today, the first day of LeBron James' free agency.

A few blocks up East 9th, LeBron himself sat in the IMG Building, meeting with Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov and hip-hop star Jay-Z, owners of the New Jersey Nets. New York Knicks representatives passed Jay-Z's towncar on his way out. (See cleveland.com's story here.)

The signs and shirts bore the familiar designs of the More Than A Player publicity campaign aimed at convincing LeBron to stay in Cleveland. It's the same group that launched last month's Tower City flash mob.

The sign lady wouldn't give her name. The sign guy across East 9th wouldn't even let me take his picture. They said they were volunteers. But the Plain Dealer's basketball reporters wrote that Cavs employees made up a sign-waving crowd staking out the IMG Building. Sounds like Dan Gilbert's not waiting until Saturday to lobby his star.

Vegging Out

2010 is the 8th year for Veggie U’s annual Food and Wine Celebration. The gourmet extravaganza is a fundraiser for the nonprofit group’s educational programs that help fourth-graders understand the field-to-fork concept and foster healthy eating habits. It takes place at the Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, Ohio, on July 17 from 5-9 p.m.

A sort of “tent city” springs up in a meadow outside the 11,000-square-foot facility, surrounded by fields, carefully manicured gardens and a fringe of woodlands. It’s a beautiful spot to enjoy food prepared by acclaimed chefs and wines from a variety of vintners. Everything’s presented station-style, so you can make your way from one table to the next sampling the entire spread over the course of the evening. Cooking demos, wine seminars and a silent auction are also on the schedule.


I’ve been attending since 2005. There was a chef cook-off back then, and I was a judge that year and for a few more after that. The job had its perks — tasting the fabulous creations of the competitors — and its downside — not eating or drinking much of what was on offer under the “the big top,” so I wouldn’t be too full or too snockered to fulfill my official responsibilities. But the real challenge, especially the first time, was mastering the fear that I’d make dumb choices and, thus, reveal that I had no business being a food writing professional. My fellow judges were always heavy hitters in the field, among them someone from Gourmet, a longtime and recently retired restaurant critic for a major newspaper, the associate editor of Food Arts Magazine, a hot NYC restaurateur … you get the idea. The questions that gnawed at me were these: What if I gave high points to a dish they all thought was sub-par or dubbed something a loser that they deemed number one. Happily this never ever happened. But the worry that it would added an angsty edge to being there for me.

Last year I was relieved of those responsibilities and was able to relax and graze. But my husband, photographer Barney Taxel, was working instead. He’d been asked to document the event, and some of his images appear here. This time around we’re both just guests and plan to do nothing but enjoy ourselves. You can too.


Grand Tasting tickets are $175 per person. Spend more, and you get more including VIP access to the pre-party and an after-party. Buy tickets online or call 419-499-7500.
Be sure to come hungry.

The Opposite of Eating

I use this space to celebrate Cleveland’s food community and all the wonderful things it has to offer. Week after week I write about new restaurants, events where food takes the spotlight, places to find the best of everything edible, our chefs’ accomplishments and all sorts of other culinary-themed stories. So it’s no wonder my Wednesday posts appear under the heading Feast!

But there’s another aspect to the topic, a dark side that most of us rarely consider: hunger. For all of us who eat well and regularly, it’s important to remember that it is a privilege not afforded to all.

A recent national study revealed a 46 percent increase in the number of people receiving emergency food aid from food banks and the agencies they work with since the last survey in 2006. That disturbing uptick translates into more than 37 million people, or one in eight Americans, at risk of not having enough to eat. Many of them live right here in northeast Ohio.

The Cleveland Foodbank, one of 185 food banks around the country that participated in the study, serves residents in six counties. They’ll feed an estimated 223,000 people over the course of this year. That’s a 23 percent increase over past years. Halfway through 2010, the organization is on track to distribute 30 million pounds of food to those who desperately need it.

On June 24, from 7–8 p.m., Mary O’Shea, Advocacy & Public Education Manager for the Cleveland Foodbank, will give a talk entitled “Hunger In America 2010.” It’s part of the Summer Lecture Series at Lucky Penny Creamery in Kent. Cost to attend is $5 per person, and all who buy a ticket receive a $5 Lucky Penny Creamery credit. Visit Abbe Turner’s Creamery again, and you can use it toward the purchase of the goat cheese she makes there. 632 Temple Avenue, Kent, 330-572-7550, abbe@luckypennyfarm.com

Hot Summer Days, Cool Summer Offices

As outdoor temps heat up and office temps chill out, many of you are facing a corporate wardrobe change. This may pose a problem for those who are most comfortable donning two-piece suits and ties for most corporate offices relax their dress code during the summer months to what is commonly called "summer casual" or "corporate casual." Offices that adopt a summer casual dress code allow their employees to take a break from the normal business attire to sport lighter and more casual clothing. It is expected that, although your appearance is less formal, it should remain professional. To achieve the summer casual wardrobe, men should try separates such as cotton blend slacks, dress shirts sans a tie (unless required), crisp khaki pants, polo shirts, and neutral colored suits or sport coats. A business casual wardrobe for women should consist of lightweight cotton skirts and dresses, cotton blend cardigans and pants, peep toe pumps, and wedge heel sandals. Tone down the prints and bright colors if your office is on the stuffy side; otherwise, have fun with the season's bright colors and bold accessories to give your summer casual look a personal touch.

Fashionably yours,

Frenchye