Healthy Corner Stores bill at Senate steps
If you’re interested in supporting healthy eating and local food producers, it might be time to contact a senator. A bill by a Tulsa legislator designed to make it easier for those interested in opening healthy corner grocery stores to get loans recently passed through the state House of Representatives.
House Bill 3015, by Rep. Seneca Scott, D-Tulsa, would make healthy corner stores, which are certified by the state Department of Agriculture as those that sell fresh fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious foods, able to receive agricultural linked deposit loans of up to $350,000.
Als0 known as the Oklahoma Agricultural Linked Deposit Act, the bill aims to promote the growth of such health-conscious stores in underserved areas of the state.
No more than 10 percent of a store’s gross sales can come from the sale of beer and tobacco. Most of the items on its shelves must be market-fresh fruits, vegetables and meat that is certified as such by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. The stores also gives local producers a much-needed expansion of places to peddle their products.
Now that the bill has made it through the House, the next step is to get an audience with the Oklahoma Senate Finance Committee. If you think this bill is worthy, contact co-Chairs Sen. Gary Stanislawski and Sen. Mike Mazzei, and ask them to hear HB3015.
Cochon 555 Coming to Oklahoma
STILLWATER — The Oklahoma State University School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration will host Cochon 555 at 4:30 p.m. April 3 in the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center.
The competition, featuring five chefs, five pigs and five winemakers, will be preceded by a dinner April 2 and a farm-to-table forum at 11 a.m. April 3. Competition chefs will include Chris Shepherd of Catalan in Houston, Curt Herrmann of White Owl in Tulsa, Kurt Fleischfresser of The Coach House, and Matthew Harris of J&G Grill in Park City, Utah. Resident butcher is Ryan Farr of 4505 Meats. Providing wine are Domaine Serene, Revana Family Vineyard, Raptor Ridge, Miner Family Vineyards and K Vintners.
The forum will feature vintners, farmers, professors and chefs as they discuss the dynamic of the farm-to-table relationship. The free event will be in Room 202 of the College of Human and Environmental Sciences building. Five chefs will prepare five pigs. A post-competition celebration will be at 10 p.m., including Oklahoma crafted brews and local musical entertainment. Guests and professional judges will determine a winner based on utilization, presentation and overall best flavor. The winner will have the opportunity to compete in the Grand Cochon from June 18-20 during the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colo.
On April 2, The Ranchers Club, in the Student Union, will hold a nine-course meal at 7 p.m., featuring local Berkshire and Mangalitsa breeds under the direction of chef de cuisine Marc Dunham and sous chef Chris Becker.
This is an excellent chance to show off Oklahoma talent, lay the foundation for Oklahoma as a food and wine destination while eating, drinking and making merry.
I’ll be there, and hope to see you there, too.
For reservations, call (405) 744-2333. For tickets, go here.
Cafe 7: Lucky For Us
When it comes to dining out in the far north portion of the city, quantity is kicking the hell out of quality. But thanks to a handful of local operators, standing up to the chains, scale is starting to tip back toward quality.
Before I continue, let’s be clear: I understand the worth and value of chain restaurants. They are good for the local economy, producing valuable tax dollars and offer jobs to locals that not only help folks pay their mortgage or rent but also impart education for future endeavors.
But that doesn’t mean I like to eat at chains myself. No, it’s not that I’ve never been to one, it’s that I choose to eat local 99-percent of the time when I eat out.
Chains have dominated the Memorial Road corridor for the last two decades. But in the last 18 months, Nunu’s Mediterranean Cafe, Yakimono, Avanti, Thai Stop, Cafe 7 and now Saturn Grill have opened and offer alternatives to Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Chili’s and friends.
I recently had a chance to make a couple of visits to Cafe 7, which started badly but ended great.
The bad start had nothing to do with the food. It had to do with the concept. Cafe 7, 14101 N May, offers salads, pasta, pizza and sandwiches all under $ 7 and ready in less than 7 minutes. The menu has seven choices in each category, including “build your own.”
Color-coordinated order forms are on a table as you enter. The diner is intended to fill the forms out and hand them in at the register. I was unaware and didn’t notice the instructions. It wasn’t because the instructions were hard to see, it was because of competing diners. The set up unintentionally puts patrons in competition to fill out their form as fast as possible and get it in. As a first-time diner, people were buzzing past me like I was a grandmother cruising the I-40 Crosstown. I finally approached the register and was asked to please go back and fill out the form. Thanks to the frustration of those pressing by me and my family, I almost walked out.
Thank God I didn’t. Cafe 7 is a real find. The ingredients are fresh and expertly prepared. I tried a chicken sandwich the first time and a pizza the second. I loved both equally. My children, aged 10 and 12, are enormous fans. My extremely picky 10-year-old daughter can get her pepperoni pizza the way she likes it. My slightly more adventurous son, can try something new each time. My vegetarian wife doesn’t have to pore over the menu or feel awkward about asking for something without meat. I get peace and quiet and excellent food.
And then there’s the fact that the price is right and the service, once you get to it, is efficient.
Cafe 7 combines the traditional delicatessen with what the owners call a “pasteria” experience. Owners Paul Sorrentino and J. Mays were once student and professor at Oklahoma State University’s Hotel and Restaurant Administration school, where they forged a friendship that developed into a partnership.
While I’m not sure what there plan is for the concept as costs will undoubtedly force them some day to become Cafe 7.99, I’m glad it’s around today.
Cafe 7 also offers prepared meals for takeout, including meat loaf, chicken parmesan and lasagna. Cafe 7 opened Nov. 11. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Have you been to Cafe 7? Let me know what you thought.
What the Food Network Fuss is About
Guy Fieri logo on the wall inside Nic's Grill, 1201 N Pennsylvania, in Oklahoma City. Photo by Paul B. Southerland, The Oklahoman
Six local restaurants hit the jackpot by drawing a visit from Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” last year.
Click on the restaurants below to watch host Guy Fieri visiting Ingrid’s Kitchen, The Diner is Norman, Nic’s Grill, Eischen’s Bar in Okarche, Mama E’s Wings and Waffles and Cattlemen’s Steakhouse.
But this wasn’t the first time Fieri has set foot on the Red Earth. He previously visited Leo’s, The Rock Cafe in Stroud, and Clanton’s in Vinita.
Been to any of these places? Tell me what you thought.
This month’s tacos inspired by Asian Cuisine
These chicken tacos are inspired by Asian cuisine.
I’ve been eating and talking Asian cuisine all month, thanks to the Lunar New Year. I’ve talked long and learned a ton from Max and Sindy Chow as well as Thai and Kathy Tien of Grand House. I’ve also been inspired by Fung’s Kitchen and Pho Lien Hoa to come up with these two tacos.
Ginger is added to the mix to give it that fresh, bright flavor so common in Asian foods. For the garnish, I went with the julienned daikon and carrots found in Vietnamese banh mi and some watercress. Tacos live and die with the sauces they’re paired with, so I’ve infused salsa verde with ginger, mixed Mexican crema with hoisin sauce, and when all else fails, go with Sriracha.
To give the tortillas a dumpling feel, I’ve steamed them then pan-fried them with a small amount of oil.
Check back tomorrow for a vegetarian taco with Asian inspiration.
Ginger Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced and mashed
- 1 bunch of green onion, sliced. White parts only
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of Mirin (rice vinegar would work, too)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
- Daikon and carrott matchsticks
- sliced radishes
- sliced fresh jalapeno
- watercress leaves
- 1 cup salsa verde with ginger (recipe below)
- 1/2 cup Hoisin Crema (recipe below)
Directions
- If the chicken is thawed, put it in the freezer one hour so that it’s partially frozen before slicing it thin and then chopping it into bite-sized pieces. Then set aside in a bowl, adding the juice of one lemon and some zest and a tablespoon of the soy sauce. Let stand at least 30 minutes. Make the crema and salsa while chilling and marinating chicken.
- Heat a wok to medium high, then add sesame oil.
- When the oil is rippling, add chicken and toss till both sides are browned. You might need to do this in batches.
- Add ginger and garlic, tossing frequently.
- Add remaining soy sauce and stir fry until it’s mostly cooked off.
- Add mirin, salt and pepper. Toss one more minute then remove from heat.
- Soak 4 to 6 papertowels with water, wring lightly then wrap them around the tortillas. Put in microwave on high for 1 minute.
- Let cool, while you heat a skillet to medium high and add 3 tablespoons of peanut or vegetable oil.
- Place two heaping spoonfuls of chicken in the steamed tortilla, and pan fry on both sides until toasted. Repeat until you’ve run out of filling.
Serve with daikon, carrots, sliced jalapenos, radishes, salsa verde with ginger and hoisin crema.
Salsa Verde with Ginger
- 5 ripe tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 knob of ginger, about a half inch by a half inch, peeled.
- 2 large jalapenos
- 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves.
- 1 bunch green onions, greens only
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
- In a pot of boiling water, add all ingredients except salt and green onions.
- Blanch for five minutes.
- Move ingredients plus salt and half cup of liquid into food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add onion tips and pulse 5 to 6 times, until consistency is how you want it.
Hoisin Crema
- 1/2 cup Mexican cream or creme fraiche
- 2 tablespoons hoisin
Mix thoroughly and serve.
Variation: If you can’t access Mexican crema or creme fraiche, substitute sour cream and 2 teaspoons of mirin.
Source: Dave Cathey
Cupid Loves Coco Flow (and so do I)
Last Valentine’s Day, Gene and Kim Leiterman’s Coco Flow on Western Ave. was duly emptied as it was every Feb. 15. Another success on their most important day of the year.
Fast forward a year and everything is changed.
Coco Flow is now in Bricktown where he says he feels “much safer.”
How is that? Not long after Valentine’s Day 2009, Coco Flow was robbed. Yes, robberies happen a lot. But this was an armed robbery in the building where Gene and Kim’s children were present, including an infant.
For a couple looking to live the Willy Wonka life, this is about as far from that goal as they could’ve been taken.
But here they are now in the Mieneke building, preparing for another onslaught of procrastinating men looking for, as Gene put it, anything Coco Flow is willing to sell.
“I could dip my shoe in chocolate and sell it on Sunday.”
To celebrate the new location, Coco Flow will be open Saturday and Sunday night with bistro tables and live music available in the common area adjacent to the store.
Welcome back, Gene and Kim, we missed you.
Chinese Cuisine thriving and growing in Oklahoma City
The fact that two of the city’s best Chinese restaurants are in old pancake houses might be a red flag in most culinary circles. Those who would judge our thriving collection of Asian eateries poorly based on the ingenuity and efficiency of two of its leaders are fate’s fools as they would never know the profound privilege of eating at Chow’s Chinese Restaurant or Grand House. While along with Fortune Chinese, 12314 N. Rockwell, these are my go-to spots for wok-induced wonder, after spending some time with Max Chow my view of what authentic Chinese cuisine will never be the same.
First, know Oklahoma City’s Asian community is a prosperous and growing a mix of Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean and Thai peoples. Regardless the signifying culture depicted on the marquee of any local Asian restaurant, each of the aforementioned cultures play a role in the food that comes out of the kitchen. Purity is rare, but was there an eleventh commandment I didn’t hear about, proclaiming that cooks and chefs be jailed for caving in to influences outside their ancestry? If there was, then I don’t want to be a saint.
The Mid-Del area is home to a number of Korean restaurants. The Asian district north of Midtown is populated primarily by Vietnamese and banh mi and pho shops are strongly represented there and on the south side of Oklahoma City. Pho has even leaked into the suburbs, popping up from Norman to Bethany and in Edmond.
A handful of solid Japanese restaurants can be found, including Tokyo House, Sushi Neko, and Stillwater’s shabu shabu specialists at Tokyo Pot. Then there are fusion specialists like Saii Bistro and Sushi Bar that offer all things to all diners.
Photo by John Clanton, THE OKLAHOMAN: Chow's Chinese Restaurant opened in 1982 in an old A-frame International House of Pancakes building.
Chinese restaurants predate them all. However, the earliest worked hard to build an audience. To do that, traditions began in San Francisco and New York that placated Western tastes were represented on the menu. Not until the Vietnamese population took root did a handful of old-school Chinese restaurants decide to get out of the buffet business and consult their inner crispy duck. That said, Chow’s Chinese restaurant owner Max Chow admitted his restaurant, which switched from American-style Chinese cuisine to more authentic Chinese cuisine in the early 90s, doesn’t mirror exactly what would be found in his hometown of Hong Kong. Influences from the other Asian communities are clear on his menu and on those of his fellow Asian restaurateurs.
“The available ingredients are not the same,” he said. “There are things in Hong Kong that cannot be exported to the U.S.”
Max says his food is a communion between Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai traditions.
His daughter Matty, who earned her Masters Degree in Hong Kong, said during her time in China the dining experience is completely different than anything in the West.
“Everything there is government owned,” she said. “The sense of urgency to profit doesn’t exist.”
She said that lack of free-market-fueled ambition leads to long waiting times and leisurely service because their is no eagerness to turn over diners. That’s great if you’ve got a table, but not if you’re waiting for one.
This kind of authenticity we can gladly do without.
After spending a number of hours with the Chow family and eating Max’s heartfelt offerings, I came away with the inclination that the authenticity Chow’s and others who strive for a truly Chinese experience like Dot Wo, Fung’s Kitchen and Grand House, has to do with tradition.
Max Chow is the most humble, generous and gracious chef I’ve come across. He has no discernible ego as a chef. Perhaps drawing from their communal upbringing, both Max and Sindy take enormous collective pride in what they do and its place within their community. Not many years ago, the Chows sold their restaurant. But when the couple heard grumblings that the quality of the food had suffered, they bought it back to right the ship. But there was at least one caveat.
“We used to be open for lunch,” Sindy explained. “And we were very busy all the time, so we hired a cook to help out in the kitchen.”
But Sindy said when Max wasn’t manning the wok, customers noticed a dip in the quality. With their nest emptied, Sindy said they opted to shut down lunch service because, “My husband only has two hands.” And she admitted they were both ready to spend at least a little time outside the kitchen.
When asked about his cooking style, Max is practically sheepish. He shrugs and talks about learning a simple style, an ancient style, which requires close attention to heat maintenance and fresh ingredients. When Sindy Chow talks about fresh ingredients, she’s serious. She doesn’t use the word fresh the way it’s used in marketing slogans or advertising jingles. If you order crab or lobster at Chow’s, it will be alive when you do. That’s why if you’re planning a visit to Chow’s and are thinking crab or lobster, you better call ahead.
Ba Luong, executive vice president of Super Cao Nguyen Market, told me he sees the Chow’s almost every day.
“They’re always in, checking out the produce, picking up live crab or lobster,” he laughed.
Max’s aim is simple: find the aroma of the ingredient and release it into the dish when it’s most capable of lending its flavor. He achieves that with high heat and a discerning eye. Spices are secondary.
“If the ingredients are not fresh, you will get very little flavor,” he said.
Sindy said, “We only buy the best ingredients because if we don’t, the food will not taste right.”
Authentic Chinese dining isn’t so much about specific dishes, it’s about connection. No matter how many times I asked Max to make a traditional chinese dish, he simply could not move forward without knowing my preferences. Spicy? Salty? Crispy? Beef? Chicken? Pork? Seafood? Dessert?
Chow’s is true family dining in the sense that a trip there, is as close as you’re going to get to inviting yourself over to somebody’s house and not only being welcomed in the door but asked what food will please you. It’s the best of a culture that doesn’t glorify the individual. Yes, the individual is consulted, but dinner is served by committee. Your flavor profile, fresh ingredients and a technique passed down over thousands of years to a gentle soul from Hong Kong who once dreamed of building audio equipment.
To proclaim one restaurant is better than another goes against what I’ve learned from Max, Sindy and Matty Chow. If you want a buffet, by all means find one and enjoy it. The good folks at August Moon, 2142 SW 74 St., do a great job as does Panda Garden in Norman, where I once witnessed Oklahoman sportswriter extraordinaire Berry Tramel eat 100 mushrooms before begining his lunch.
Chow’s, in fact, offers well-known American-style favorites like General Tso’s Chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork. Max said he would do his best to make a chicken-fry if that’s what a customer asked for.
I’ve always felt music and food were similar art mediums, used subconsciously by people to mark time and solidify memories. After eating Max Chow’s food and listening to his family’s philosophy, I realized there’s an even stronger parallel: Just as there are songs, styles and musicians for every mood, so too is there food, chefs and restaurants.
While I might listen to The Clash more than I listen to The Kinks, they are both British rock bands 
who play song-driven rock with various cultural influences. Do I have to say I like one better than the other? No, I can love them both. Ray Davies has my left ear, Joe Strummer has the right. My brain is in between firing impulses down my spine that, when the mood is right, make the hair on my neck stand up. Because they can both have this effect, they are equal in the end. The happiness created in me connects us all.
Kind of equalizes us as human beings, which just feels a lot more like how this little thing called existence was intended.
Just as Ray Davies draws a song from soul when he asks, “Where have all the good times gone?” so too does Max Chow make me close my eyes, scrunch my toes and smile when I take a bite of his Ginger-Scallion Crispy Chicken. And just as Joe Strummer compels me to crank the volume when he asks, “How’d you get so rude and reckless? You been drinking brew for breakfast?” So too does my adrenalin race and energy jump when I take a bite of Shrimp-Stuffed Jalapeno or Salt and Pepper Shrimp from Grand House.
Authentic Chinese cuisine occurs when desire sparks imagination interpreted by technique. It’s impossible to say that exists in one place or in one dish better than any other because it’s subjective. And while it might begin with a simple understanding between one diner and one chef, the cuisine expands with each hungry person who pays a chef to cook. While that might sound a little chaotic, tradition and technique keep the whole thing in harmony. And why else would Max Chow have ever dreampt of building speakers if not to amplify harmony?
Choc-a-lot
When I was approached by Nicole Thomas to become a judge in the first-ever Best in Show competition for Chocolate Decadence, it was hard to conceal my enthusiasm.
When I joined Louisa McCune-Elmore and Carol Smaglinski at the Hudson-Essex building for the annual Automobile Alley fundraiser, my enthusiasm was brimming like Gene Leiterman’s chocolate fountain at the CoCo Flow booth. However, that enthusiam flagged somewhere between samplings 15 and 20. I was, however, able to, umm, gut it out. No pain, no gain…took one for the team…insert your favorite cliche, you get the picture.
The Best of Show was not too difficult. While the tortellini with white chocolate sauce from the Skirvin, the chocolate tortelonni and white chocolate zuppa from Trattoria il Centro and the lamb chop with balsamic-chocolate reduction from Mickey Mantle’s were all sensational, CoCo Flow was king. With the aforementioned fountain as a dipping bowl for accompanying kabobs of fresh fruit and cakes, Gene also had as fine a bread pudding as I’ve ever tasted and a collection of bite-sized chocolates so that his booth examined the full potential of chocolate and its decadent nature.
Other contenders included the twin bites from Paseo Grill, the ultra-clever cotton candy from Nonna’s and accompanying carnival atmosphere and the bacon, chocolate and pistachio bites from Deep Fork. Thanks also to the Whiskey A-Cocoa from Sean and Cathy Cummings and to Iguana Mexican Grill for making chocolate sippable. Also shouts to Red Primesteak for the chile-ancho sauce and to La Luna for bringing mole to the table and making it work.
The best part of the evening was reconnecting with Nicole, who is a friend from a previous life. She’s planning events now, and based on the success of this one, I suspect she’ll be behind a lot more really cool events to come.
Taco bout a weird kid
When I met my first taco at Taco Bell in the mid-1970s, the taco sauce came in packets like the kind used for jelly at diners. They were sturdier, easier to open and less likely to be handled at the point where the sauce was dispenced thanks to the foil-like cover. I mention this because I developed a habit of drinking the hot sauce after my two tacos were gone. If two seems like a small number, it is. But that’s all either mom or dad would spring for back then. So, after plucking every last bit of residual meat, lettuce and cheese, I routinely peeled back the top of the taco sauce containers and drained them.
Taco Bell, pre-4th Meal and Chihuahua.
Having watched my two children and a dozen nieces and nephews navigate their sixth year without ever endeavoring to drink chile-based sauce as if it were a Kool-Aid, retrospect tells me me that this was indeed the birth of my flavor profile. I literally couldn’t get enough chile, garlic, onion and tomato puree. That really hasn’t ended.
Thus, it’s time to unveil some of my taco recipes. Starting in February, I will release one taco recipe per month. They sometimes will be Gringo-style, but mostly authentic.
Tomorrow, we’ll get started with a simple chicken taco with green sauce.
Meantime, share your taco recipes right back, and we’ll try them out.
Dine Out for Haiti
Kyle Guffey spent three months in post-Katrina New Orleans, so he’s familiar with the effort it takes to recover from disaster. While helping restaurants rebuild databases, he witnessed the slow, laborious nature of rebuilding a population center.
So after the tragic earthquake in Haiti, the man behind BeConnectedOK used his relationships with local restaurants to organize Dine Out For Haiti. Starting Sunday, local restaurants will donate 10-percent of sales to the American Red Cross. Sapphire Night Club gets the drive started Saturday night with a pre-party from 8 p.m. to close. Here is the full schedule.
