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Written by Ann Shepphird
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Sunday, 14 February 2010 03:39 |
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 In honor of Valentine’s Day I thought it appropriate to highlight Love Heals Jewelry, a mother, son and daughter team who not only make their handcrafted jewelry on a family farm in Ojai but plant 10 trees for every piece of jewelry sold (and they’ve planted more than 320,000).
I discovered the jewelry last spring on a trip through San Luis Obispo. I was staying at the Petit Soleil bed-and-breakfast inn (pictured, right), which – for you GTTers who like staying at businesses that support local agriculture -- not only has its own herb garden but features locally grown products, including those purchased at San Luis Obispo's famous Thursday Farmers' Market. Petit Soleil is a few blocks from downtown San Luis Obispo where, on the first Friday of every month, the Art After Dark gallery walks take place. It was on one of these walks that I discovered Romp Shoes. Owner Karen English has a great eye for truly fabulous shoes, accessories -- and jewelry, including Love Heals. When I found out a ring I was looking at was not only exactly my size but that by buying it 10 trees would be planted, well, what could be better?
So, I said this was in honor of Valentine’s Day and that’s because a lot of people associate the day with, say, a lovely locket – but, really, who needs an excuse to buy a little bauble that both makes you happy AND adds 10 more trees to the world?
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Written by Ann Shepphird
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Friday, 05 February 2010 19:38 |
 Amid growing concerns about Colony Collapse Disorder in North American honeybees, a number of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts have added bee hives to their rooftop kitchen gardens. Not only does the addition of the hives help the environment by providing bees to pollinate area gardens and parks -- but the honey can then be harvested for use in the hotel restaurants and bars, where the honey is used to add a nice buzz (yes, I had to) to the cocktails. Fairmont hotels that have joined the program include The Fairmont Washington, D.C.; The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto; The Fairmont Algonquin in St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick; The Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver; and The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec.
Some of the new cocktails using the homegrown honey -- and other fresh herbs and produce from the kitchen gardens -- are the Bee-tini at The Fairmont Washington, D.C., which mixes Belvedere Pomrancza vodka, clover honey, fresh grapefruit juice, mint and grenadine, and the Festival Buzz, pictured above in front of a honey harvest at The Fairmont Royal York, which combines 1 oz of white peach puree, ¼ ounce of Royal York Honey and 4 oz. of Moet Chandon champagne. |
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Written by Ann Shepphird
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Sunday, 13 December 2009 01:57 |
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 Located on 200 acres in North San Diego County, the Cal-a-Vie destination spa combines vigorous exercise with luxurious spa treatments (picture a loving boot camp) – plus fresh healthy cuisine that is low in calories, high in flavor and always plenty filling. Cal-a-Vie Executive Chef Jason Graham has been named one of the top healthy gourmet chefs and is co-author of the book “Cal-a-Vie Living: Gourmet Spa Cuisine,” which is available in Cal-a-Vie’s gift shop.
We recently spoke to Chef Graham about his methods in preparing healthy, low-calorie cuisine using fresh local produce. He was also kind enough to share two recipes ideal for the winter months: roasted natural beef tenderloin with balsamic marinated heirloom tomatoes, roasted potatoes and green beans and a fuju persimmon and cranberry cobbler.
How would you describe the food you serve at Cal-a-Vie?
Clean, upscale spa cuisine. My version of clean spa food is no butter, cream, white or brown sugar and no excess oil. We use classic French techniques and natural ingredients. We estimate our calories to numbers, but really work with portion size and, of course, common sense. Using fresh, seasonal ingredients that are full of flavor, we’re able to create tasty, delicious dishes. (Click "read more" for rest of article and recipes.) |
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Written by Ann Shepphird
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Saturday, 05 December 2009 01:10 |
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 Downtown Dallas is not exactly the place you’d expect to find an organic kitchen garden -- but find it you will at The Fairmont Dallas. The garden was created by Executive Chef jW Foster (pictured, right), who started working for the hotel in the fall of 2007 and by spring of 2009 had built a 3,000-square-foot kitchen garden on the terrace level as part of his reopening of the hotel’s Pyramid Restaurant & Bar.
The garden includes benches and other seating so guests can sit and enjoy the space – or they can go further and take one of the cooking classes taught by Chef Foster or go even further and help plant and harvest the produce and then work with chefs to turn that produce into a signature menu creations, something the hotel is working into a package for next spring.
We recently talked to Chef Foster about putting in the gardens, what he’s learned and how he’s using the produce in his kitchen. He was also kind enough to share a recipe for one of the chutneys they make in-house – this one is tomato-apricot. (Click “read more” to continue.)
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