makers // mouth-us.mom

Stroopies
Brent Bailey, August 22, 2013

More than just a cookie, Stroopwafels are an experience. Ed McManness and his family first tasted these thin cookies with...

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{"id":8744139,"title":"Stroopies","created_at":"2013-08-22T11:24:17-04:00","body_html":"\u003cstyle type=\"text\/css\"\u003e\u003c!--\np.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica}\n--\u003e\u003c\/style\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/Stroopies_medium.jpeg?9581\" alt=\"\"\u003eMore than just a cookie, Stroopwafels are an experience. Ed McManness and his family first tasted these thin cookies with a caramel filling on family vacations in Holland. They learned the proper way to enjoy them, perched on cups of hot coffee or tea, so the caramel melted. When the Asian economic downturn put an end to their Indonesian export business, they returned to the US in search of new business ventures. Along with opening a cafe in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, they decided to start making and selling the \"stroopies\" that had been their go-to gifts for so long. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Brent Bailey","user_id":23116578850,"published_at":"2013-08-22T11:18:00-04:00","updated_at":"2020-03-11T11:30:09-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"stroopies","tags":""}
Chef's Cut Real Jerky
Brent Bailey, August 22, 2013

Blair Swiler, an executive chef by night, spent days developing a truly awesome jerky recipe. One fateful day, he shared...

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{"id":8612091,"title":"Chef's Cut Real Jerky","created_at":"2013-08-14T10:17:06-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\" style=\"float: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/ChefsCutRealJerky-edited.jpg?9604674311926775892\" alt=\"\"\u003eBlair Swiler, an executive chef by night, spent days developing a truly awesome jerky recipe. One fateful day, he shared some with his golf buddy, Dennis Riedel, who thought it was the best jerky he'd ever tasted. They decided to team up and see if they could turn it into a business. The secret was hand-cut flank steak, so they named the company Chef's Cut Real Jerky. \u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Brent Bailey","user_id":23116578850,"published_at":"2013-08-22T11:15:00-04:00","updated_at":"2019-05-14T13:42:18-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"chefs-cut-real-jerky","tags":""}
Stony Brook Wholehearted
Brent Bailey, August 19, 2013

In 2005, Greg Woodworth and Kelly Coughlin decided to relocate their mail-order baking business to Geneva in the Finger Lakes...

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{"id":8695021,"title":"Stony Brook Wholehearted","created_at":"2013-08-19T15:07:09-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/39196_453243798791_2914268_n_medium.jpg?9529\" alt=\"\"\u003eIn 2005, Greg Woodworth and Kelly Coughlin decided to relocate their mail-order baking business to Geneva in the Finger Lakes region of New York. A few years later, a local farmer suggested they try incorporating squash seed oil into their baked goods. Greg tasted it and was blown away. Squash seed oil deserved a place among the pantheon of fine culinary oils! The team partnered with Martin Farms to provide seeds from each year's squash harvest, and refined their oil making process. In 2008, they launched Stony Brook Wholehearted Foods. \u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Brent Bailey","user_id":23116578850,"published_at":"2013-08-19T15:03:00-04:00","updated_at":"2019-05-14T14:53:42-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"stony-brook-wholehearted","tags":""}
TruBee Honey
Brent Bailey, August 8, 2013

Ten years ago, Laura Kimball bought her husband Jeff a beehive for Christmas. He bought her a standing bass. Yes,...

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{"id":8524469,"title":"TruBee Honey","created_at":"2013-08-08T16:00:35-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/TRUBee_kimball_medium.jpg?9309\"\u003eTen years ago, Laura Kimball bought her husband Jeff a beehive for Christmas. He bought her a standing bass. Yes, she loves her massive string instrument and still plays it, but the beehive that was the real winner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir bees roamed across the local countryside, pollinating a bit of this, a bit of that. It wasn't fancy single-source honey, but the Kimballs thought it tasted shockingly good.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSoon, they started selling honey at farmers markets, and found other people liked the taste too. They jokingly called the bees “free-range,” but what they (and everyone else) loved about their honey was that each batch was a unique seasonal honey, resulting from a particular mix of plants that happened to be growing that year, from fruit trees in the spring to clover and herbs in the summer. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey’re passionate about honey, but bees are their true love. Their biggest fear is Colony Collapse Disorder, which has been decimating bee populations around the world. But the Kimballs are doing their part to help keep honeybees healthy and happy, and they've noticed that their honey-loving customers are more and more aware of the importance of these tiny pollinators.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeekeeping has its not-so-serious challenges too, like being sticky all the time! And once, Laura was stung on her finger and almost had to have her hand-engraved sapphire wedding band sawed in half to get it off of her swollen finger. The lesson? Don't wear rings to a beehive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eHow did you take the leap with that initial hive?\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn old man named Mr. Smith was kind enough to sell us our first bees, then help us get through that first year, which can be overwhelming. We try to pass his kindness along by helping other beekeepers get started. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eWhat keeps you going?\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoneybees are endlessly fascinating. It's interesting to observe how they work together, how they communicate, how they are cranky on windy days and how the queen bee dictates the mood of the hive (mean queen = mean colony).”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eStaple snacks?\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe frankly couldn't survive without PB\u0026amp;H sandwiches, but our favorite treat is goat cheese and honey. I take a log of chevre, roll it in chopped pecans, drizzle generously with honey and serve surrounded by thin Golden Delicious slices. This is easy, healthy and ideal for parties or cocktail hour. \u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Brent Bailey","user_id":23116578850,"published_at":"2013-08-08T15:57:00-04:00","updated_at":"2019-05-14T14:59:53-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"trubee-honey","tags":""}
Epic Pickles
Brent Bailey, August 8, 2013

Rob Seufert of York, PA was inspired to start pickling in the simplest way– he tasted some amazing pickles and...

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{"id":8521055,"title":"Epic Pickles","created_at":"2013-08-08T11:24:39-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/EpicMaker_medium.jpg?42078\"\u003eRob Seufert of York, PA was inspired to start pickling in the simplest way– he tasted some amazing pickles and started making frequent trips to an out-of-the-way spot to buy them. Then he caught the DIY pickling bug and now pickles all kinds of vegetables, from asparagus to carrots to cucumbers, often incorporating heat from his home-grown chile peppers. If you want to know how seriously he takes his pickles, just look at his car. His license plate reads EPICPIKL. \u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Brent Bailey","user_id":23116578850,"published_at":"2013-08-08T11:22:00-04:00","updated_at":"2019-05-14T13:57:37-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"epic-pickles","tags":""}
Videri Chocolate Factory
Brent Bailey, August 7, 2013

Raleigh, NC is where Sam and Starr Ratto, along with a group of friends, opened a bustling bean-to-bar chocolate factory....

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{"id":8505691,"title":"Videri Chocolate Factory","created_at":"2013-08-07T16:28:04-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/Videri_jpg_medium.jpg?9333\"\u003eRaleigh, NC is where Sam and Starr Ratto, along with a group of friends, opened a bustling bean-to-bar chocolate factory. This renovated century-old train depot welcomes passers-by daily to watch and learn the exciting process of chocolate-making. \u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Brent Bailey","user_id":23116578850,"published_at":"2013-08-07T16:02:00-04:00","updated_at":"2019-05-14T15:02:19-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"videri-chocolate-factory","tags":""}
Sfoglini Pasta Shop
Brent Bailey, August 7, 2013

Steve Gonzales and Scott Ketchum make pasta that pays it forward. That’s why they named their company after the “sfoglini”...

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{"id":8504713,"title":"Sfoglini Pasta Shop","created_at":"2013-08-07T15:47:18-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/sfoglini-sophiehays.jpg?59675\"\u003eSteve Gonzales and Scott Ketchum make pasta that pays it forward. That’s why they named their company after the “sfoglini” of Bologna: generations of ladies who make pasta by hand. The idea was to highlight their connection and dedication to the storied art of handmade pasta, and the tradition of teaching that comes with it – they didn’t become pasta past masters without years of mentoring. So soon, they hope to start teaching pasta-making classes of their own, to honor the sfoglini by passing along what they know.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother this pasta pays it forward is in sheer deliciousness. This duo uses only the best local ingredients, sourced from gardens and rooftops around New York City. It’s made expertly in the old-fashioned way: by hand, in small-batches. Super small, even – the pasta is made basically to order, allowing them to provide the freshest possible products.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSfoglini is the culmination of Gonzales’ years as a pasta pro and Ketchum’s 18 years’ worth of design and branding expertise. Gonzales spent 14 years honing his craft as an Italian food impresario in restaurants throughout Spain, Italy, Philadelphia and New York City. Ketchum was an established brand, web and packaging design authority who had a vision of creatively combining culinary arts with design. It was after he returned from studying brewing and management at the Siebel Institute in Chicago and traveling through Italy, Paris and Belgium to explore their food and beverage scenes that he partnered up with his pal Steve to start a company that would fuse his passion and profession. The two were hoping to raise funds for their own pasta restaurant and market when they noticed the lack of New York-based companies making artisanal dried pasta products – and they decided they’d be the first. And the best.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause they make it so fresh, they’re able to play around with unique flavors made from ingredients from local producers and gardens that might otherwise go to waste. That lets us try crazy unexpected noodles like “Everything Bagel Fusili” – so even if all you know how to cook is pasta, you can still make something totally gourmet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003ePhoto courtesy of Sophie Hays. \u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Brent Bailey","user_id":23116578850,"published_at":"2013-08-07T15:20:00-04:00","updated_at":"2019-05-14T14:51:48-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"sfoglini-pasta-shop","tags":""}
Potter's Crackers
Brent Bailey, August 2, 2013

At the frontline of the silent but deadly war ravaging the realm of cheese is a scrappy Wisconsin duo that...

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{"id":8438193,"title":"Potter's Crackers","created_at":"2013-08-02T16:53:48-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/potters_3339997c-8c8d-4971-8bef-1c528685205f.jpg?59632\"\u003eAt the frontline of the silent but deadly war ravaging the realm of cheese is a scrappy Wisconsin duo that calls themselves Potter’s Crackers. They’re warriors with wheat as their weapon, fighting for equal representation for cheese’s unsung counterpart: the cracker.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFlat and unassuming, crackers quickly fall victim to being treated as mere vehicles for spotlight-stealing cheese—especially in a place like Wisconsin, where it’s the state’s beating heart. But Peter Potter Weber and his mom Nancy Potter are taking a bold stand in defense of crackers, claiming they’re just as important to the cheese experience as the cheese itself. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey use high-quality, organic ingredients like Wisconsin milled whole-wheat flour and milk and butter from small, local farms in all of their crackers. We think they're seriously leveling the playing field when it comes to the cheese-and-cracker dynamic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir mission began in 2006 when Peter, a food science graduate of the University of Wisconsin, and his mom Nancy, who owned Wisconsin’s New Glarus Bakery for 25 years, decided to combine their Wisconsin-raised food brains to stake their claim in the state’s burgeoning artisan cheese industry. From their caramelized onion crackers and crisps to our newest addition, the cranberry and hazelnut crisps, we \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeople caught on. Potter’s Cracker’s, artfully rustic and hand-packaged, started showing up in dishes on coveted menus for the likes of Brasserie V, The Roman Candle and the Weary Traveler. Their sweet Hazelnut Graham crackers even show up in DB Infusions’ S’mores Truffle. Are Potter’s Crackers the pioneers of a new era of cracker domination? Can they single handedly shed their humble past for a future of glory? Judging on taste alone, we’re willing to bet yes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWas it intimidating to put out a product other than cheese in cheese-crazed Wisconsin?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes the bridesmaid and sometimes the bride! Everybody needs friends, even cheese.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCould you give us an idea of what goes into the making of Potters’ Crackers?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough [our process] sounds easy, it really is like magic. You would be amazed at how much handwork is in cracker making. Hard to give you a good way to understand quantity, but I can tell you we chop and caramelize 80 pounds of onions at a time, and the whole place is crying. Happy tears of course!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat’s been the coolest thing that’s happened for you guys since starting the company?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Dane County Farmers’ Market here in Madison is the largest producers-only farmers’ market in the country. We were on the waiting list for five years, and then finally got it. It never fails, every Saturday I meet a customer of Potter’s from afar. Last Saturday: Alexandria, VA and, you guessed it, NYC! Being local is great, but spreading the word about WI cheese and crackers across the great USA is exciting, too!\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Brent Bailey","user_id":23116578850,"published_at":"2013-08-02T16:48:00-04:00","updated_at":"2020-03-11T14:48:59-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"potters-crackers","tags":""}
Olive & Sinclair
Brent Bailey, August 2, 2013

Bourbon barrels. Buttermilk. Brown sugar. Smoke houses. If you could capture the old-fashioned, romantic ideal of the American South in...

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{"id":8438175,"title":"Olive \u0026 Sinclair","created_at":"2013-08-02T16:48:37-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/OliveSincla_medium.jpg?9317\"\u003eBourbon barrels. Buttermilk. Brown sugar. Smoke houses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you could capture the old-fashioned, romantic ideal of the American South in flavor form, these would be the exact notes. And they just so happen to be the prime ingredients that flavor Scott Witherow’s incomparable chocolate creations at Olive \u0026amp; Sinclair. A self-proclaimed addict to old things and food, Scott’s chocolate company is the logical conclusion to his journey from his straight-grenadine-slurping days as a sweets-obsessed kid, through the culinary scene in England (the Old World, of course) and then on the nostalgic Nashville restaurant circuit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScott was working as a pastry chef in Nashville, Tennessee and teaching at a local art institute when his interest in chocolate started to gain momentum. He started researching how to make it, and on a chance meeting with a bean-to-bar maker in Canada, Scott received the samples (all of which he devoured in his hotel room that night) that convinced him to start his own artisan chocolate company. He ran the idea by his business-savvy dad, got the green light, and Olive \u0026amp; Sinclair was born—named for Scott’s grandfather and his wife’s great aunt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn late 2007, Oliver \u0026amp; Sinclair was nothing but Scott at a tabletop machine, producing 3 to 5 pounds of chocolate at a time. In those early days, he’d oven-roast and hand-crack the beans with something resembling your grandma’s old sausage grinder, then use a hair dryer and an old French chinois to separate the nibs from the shell. Over time, Scott developed what he deemed Southern Artisan Chocolate: small batches of select single origin beans, slow-roasted and stone ground (just like grits!), combined with brown sugar for a smooth, rich flavor with a distinctly southern molasses undertone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom there, it didn’t take much for Olive \u0026amp; Sinclair to take off. Word-of-mouth, grassroots growth started almost immediately. Once Gwyneth Paltrow professed her affinity and requested 500 bars for her friends, success was a sure thing. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScott uses all-natural, organic ingredients in his creative bars, like his salt and pepper bar. He also collaborates with other Nashville makers to create crazy-unique and delicious chocolate creations like his Smoked Nib Brittle. His operation lives in a space that matches the brand, an 1890’s factory with old stone mills and rustic features. It all comes together to yield a chocolate that might be old-fashioned, but somehow feels totally \u003cem\u003enew\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Brent Bailey","user_id":23116578850,"published_at":"2013-08-02T16:35:00-04:00","updated_at":"2019-05-14T14:31:44-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"olive-sinclair","tags":""}
BOLA granola
Brent Bailey, August 2, 2013

Michele Miller began her culinary career working at Alice's Restaurant in Lenox, Massachusetts (yes, that Alice's Restaurant!), and she flourished...

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{"id":8436141,"title":"BOLA granola","created_at":"2013-08-02T11:30:37-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/BOLAgranola2_medium.png?9208\"\u003eMichele Miller began her culinary career working at Alice's Restaurant in Lenox, Massachusetts (yes, \u003ci\u003ethat \u003c\/i\u003eAlice's Restaurant!), and she flourished in the food world of Western Mass for the next 20 years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eIn 2008, she launched a granola company, using a recipe she'd gotten from a friend, which she tweaked and perfected until she'd found the perfect balance of sweet and salty, grains and nuts. It's still made just 36 pounds at a time. Each batch is mixed and packed as soon as it's cool to preserve maximum crunch. If we have our way, it'll be as famous as the song. \u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Brent Bailey","user_id":23116578850,"published_at":"2013-08-02T11:28:00-04:00","updated_at":"2019-05-07T16:16:46-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"bola-granola","tags":""}
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