DEVOUR UTAH APRIL 2020

VOL. 6 NO. 4 • APRIL 2020 • FUTURE FREE COPY

the future of food WORLD FLAVORS P. 8

Appetizing Apps P 33

FOOD SCRAPS REBORN, P. 37

Devour Utah • april 2020 1

Devour Utah • april 2020 43

SASS KICKER

1.5oz Underground | .5oz lemon juice 6oz Sarsparilla | dash of cherry bark bitters (optional) Serve over ice in a mason jar.

Garnish with a lemon wagonwheel & Taste the old west!

Devour Utah • april 2020 3

Contents

JOHN TAYLOR

8 Diverse Universe Four unique eateries that blend and bend traditional flavors

BY MIKA LEE AND CAIT LEE

30 Wishful Locavore 37 Devour We want it ‘locally grown’ This Recipe but how much of our food actually is?

BY JAN STRIEFEL

12 Devour Dozen

33 Things We Love

BY DEVOUR STAFF

BY MEGAN WAGSTAFF

Food trends coming soon to an eatery near you

29 Q&A

Normal Lab Ice Cream MEGAN WAGSTAFF

If you want to cook like a pro, there’s an ‘app’ for that

34 Green Scene

To up your health quotient, add adaptogens to your favorite foods and drinks

BY MERRY LYCETT HARRISON

4 Devour Utah • april 2020

Devour Your Food Scraps

BY BROOKE CONSTANCE WHITE

38 Spirit Guide

Utah’s bar industry is doing its bit for sustainability

BY DARBY DOYLE

42 Last Bite

This year’s food trends could drive you to drink

BY JOHN RASMUSON

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2020 East 3300 South Millcreek (385) 202-7236

2578 Bengal Blvd.

Cottonwood Heights (801) 666-6918

4536 S Highland Drive Salt Lake City (801) 274-0223

Station Park 895 East Promontory (385) 988-3727

SICILIAMIAUTAH.COM Devour Utah • april 2020 5

Contributors STAFF Publisher PETE SALTAS Associate Publisher MICHAEL SALTAS Edi torial

Editor JERRE WROBLE Proofreaders LANCE GUDMUNDSEN, MEGAN WAGSTAFF, KASS WOOD Contributors AIMEE L. COOK, DARBY DOYLE, MERRY LYCETT HARRISON, REBECCA ORY HERNANDEZ, CAIT LEE, MIKA LEE, HEATHER L. KING, JOHN RASMUSON, JAN STRIEFEL, MEGAN WAGSTAFF, BROOKE CONSTANCE WHITE

SLC native Megan Wagstaff has more than 16 years experience in Utah’s food and beverage industry and loves to write about it.

Production

Art Director DEREK CARLISLE Graphic Artists SOFIA CIFUENTES, CHELSEA NEIDER, JENIFER TERRY

Business /Office

Accounting Manager PAULA SALTAS Office Administrators DAVID ADAMSON, SAMANTHA HERZOG Technical Director BRYAN MANNOS

Heather L. King writes about food and culture in Utah and beyond. She is the founder of Utah Ladies Who Lunch and a proud Great Dane owner.

Circulation

Circulation Manager ERIC GRANATO

Sales

Director of Sales and Marketing TRINA BAGHOOMIAN Senior Account Executives DOUG KRUITHOF, KATHY MUELLER Retail Account Executive KELLY BOYCE

Merry Lycett Harrison is an herbalist who owns SLC-based Millcreek Herbs. A professional member of the American Herbalists Guild, she teaches classes in medicinal and culinary herbs and herb gardening. To learn more, visit MillcreekHerbs.com.

On the cover: New York strip steak over basmati rice at SLICE’s Encore Dinner Series Photo by John Taylor Distribution is complimentary throughout the Wasatch Front. Additional copies of Devour Utah are available for $4.95 at the Copperfield Media offices located at 175 W. 200 South, Ste. 100, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 • 801-716-1777 • DevourUtah.com Email Editor@DevourUtah.com Advertising contact: Sales@DevourUtah.com

Copperfield Publishing

Copyright 2020 All rights reserved

@DevourUtah

6 Devour Utah • april 2020

@DevourUtah

@DevourUtah

John Rasmuson spends his days trying to put the right words in the right order. He wrote a column for City Weekly for 12 years that won awards every now and then when he got the words just right.

From the Editor

The Day t he Eart h Didn’ t Stand St ill

S

cience-fiction writers must envy the plotline that we in Salt Lake City find ourselves living at the moment.

As news of the coronavirus, Covid-19, trickled into our awareness, most hoped and assumed it would fizzle out like other horrific illnesses we’ve heard tell about in modern times.

Instead, it became a pandemic that has taken the world by storm, prompting unforeseen consequences on every level.

For those of us in greater Salt Lake, on March 16, local officials ordered all bars to shutter and restaurants to end dine-in operations for 30 days, setting off a wave of dire concerns.

Is it possible for members of the local hospitality industry to endure a monthlong closure (or longer, if the virus persists)? If business owners can somehow cover their overhead costs until customers return, will their employees hang on until then? Will suppliers still be in business and will vital food stocks remain available? Will patrons even have the disposable income to enjoy dining out in the wake of the looming economic crisis?

The worries and anxieties are bad enough, and then, Mother Earth gifted Salt Lake with its first earthquake since 1962. It packed such a punch that Moroni, the golden angel above the Salt Lake Temple, dropped his trumpet. Again, the stuff of science fiction!

In the face of such challenges, restaurant-industry stalwarts have stepped up to offer take-out and curbside pickup. A number of websites and guides have sprung to life, directing diners to places that are open along with menus and delivery services (look for links to them on the Devour Facebook page). Yes, folks, we will get through this, but it’s obvious the landscape will change (you know, the earthquake).

Even in the short space of a month since the features for this issue of Devour Utah were penned, it’s become a brave new world. Our theme for April, The Future of Food, had writers looking at trends, tastes and fashion “way back” in our carefree pre-Covid-19 days.

But now, our collective future has a new destiny. This will be the first issue of Devour Utah that will be published online or in an e-edition format only—you will not find it in print (sadly).

Since bars and restaurants are major outlets for our print edition, their closures have impacted our publication as well!

Hopefully, while you’re at home “social distancing” and craving diversions, you will appreciate the somewhat rosier future of food in the following pages. Our writers worked long and hard to highlight suppliers, chefs, trendsetters and those who grow our food. Look for both entertaining and informative, thought-provoking pieces to help you ponder the days beyond Covid-19.

In the meantime, we encourage you to patronize any and all food purveyors that your means will allow in the hopes that our friends can weather the storm. Feed yourself well and keep talking to us on social media. We will get through this and look back on the days we survived our own sci-fi tale. ❖ —Jerre Wroble

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Diverse Universe Four unique eateries that blend and bend traditional flavors STORY & PHOTOS BY MIKA LEE AND CAIT LEE

T

rendy eats, ultramodern decor, self-serve dining are all the rage. Foods reflect evolving lifestyles and cultural mores while pulling from wide-ranging influences. The food trends we see today are a veritable swirl of flavors, ingredients, technology and atmosphere.

So, what’s dictating our food choices du jour and those of tomorrow? Simply put: the flavors of the world. Culinary diversity is sweeping Utah by storm.

Years ago, the state’s ethnic cuisines represented a niche market. Today’s modern palates crave not only exotic flavors and texture but local sourcing, eye-popping presentation and a “chill” ambiance where you feel comfortable hanging out and savoring the moment, a type of “traveling while staying in place.”

Here are four eateries that prove unique food, flavor and presentation never grow old and are, in fact, qualities destined to be the wave of the future.

Sample the Taste of Mahider platter with the teff bread

Finish the meal with fresh-roasted Ethiopian coffee

Sheshi Tadesse, Mahider’s owner and manager

Mahider’s baklava

8 Devour Utah • april 2020

The Future of Food

COOK IT YOURSELF

A new player in the downtown Salt Lake food scene, Mr. Shabu is the latest in Asian hot-pot dining, featuring thinly sliced meats and vegetables that you can cook yourself in specialty broths. Featuring an impressive spread of sliced meats and a colorful salad bar, owner Jaehan Park and manager Julia Kang have perfected the Japanese fondue pot, known as shabu shabu, in their modern eatery at the Gateway mall.

“We wanted to create an interactive dining experience,” Park says. This allyou-can-eat/cook-it-yourself restaurant allows diners to tailor a meal to their personal preferences. It also means food choices can be adapted for those with food restrictions. Their easy-to-follow “How to Shabu” menu provides six broths and meat selections, along with a dizzying array of fresh ingredients ranging from noodles and rice cakes to seafood to fresh veggies such as cabbage, bok choy, carrots, bean sprouts, daikon, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, lettuce, peppers, onion and corn. After cooking, dip your bites into a variety of succulent sauces. There’s nary a dull moment, which makes this a special occasion kind of place but one you can visit on a regular basis.

Mr. Shabu is the latest in Japanese fondue at The Gateway

Mr. Shabu, The Gateway 159 Rio Grande St., SLC 801-456-0273 MrShabu.com

LET’S SCOOP TOGETHER

Mahider Ethiopian Restaurant has been serving up family meals in Salt Lake for almost a decade. A meal here is often served on a single large plate over injera, or teff, a sourdough sponge crepe. The teff is meant to be ripped apart and used to scoop up spicy veggies and stewed meats (called wot) as well as a homemade buttermilk cheese.

Sheshi Tadesse, owner and manager of Mahider, promotes the Ethiopian tradition of having people eat together, never alone. “[Sharing] a large plate means we eat together, keeping family bonds together,” he says. Food is eaten with your hands from a shared plate. Using only fresh ingredients— never frozen—he brings his family recipes to life. Order a platter for two or four with lentils, cabbage, chicken, beef, cheese and more. Be sure to enjoy a cup of their madeto-order fresh-roasted Ethiopian coffee at the meal’s end, for which there is even a two-hour coffee ceremony offered on special occasion.

Savor tender morsels of veggies, meats and sauces

Julia Kang pours the tonkotsu broth

Meat choices include thinly sliced beef, pork and lamb cuts

Mahider Ethiopian Restaurant & Market 1465 S. State, Ste. 7, SLC 801-975-1111 MahiderEthiopian.com Devour Utah • april 2020 9

10 Devour Utah • april 2020

The Future of Food

IT’S ENZYME TIME

Healthy + sustainable = Rawtopia, an eatery serving up organically grown, gluten free, non-GMO foods using low-temperature techniques that preserve vital enzymes and nutrients. Omar Abou-Ismail, owner and COO, created his eclectic menu by defying labels and focusing solely on food as an energy source. “This restaurant comes from my heart.

I’m not trying to imitate anyone,” he says. His mission is to provide nutritionally dense, environmentally friendly foods to Utah. To do that, Abou-Ismail employs his scientific background to derive the maximum nutrition from foods; he uses sprouts and other foods rich in enzymes whenever possible.

Rawtopia’s stuffed mushrooms

Berry cheesecake with ice cream

Rawtopia’s Omar Abou-Ismail: cuisine from the heart

“The food is filling because you are satiated from all the nutrients,” Abou-Ismail says. It’s impossible not to love Rawtopia’s diverse menu offerings, including flavorful cooked and raw Lebanese and West African dishes, where everything is made from scratch, including organic spices and herbs.

Rawtopia Living Cuisine and Beyond 3961 Wasatch Blvd., SLC 801-486-0332 Rawtopia.com

Rawtopia’s vegan tacos

ROLLING THUNDER

SLC Eatery takes your palate on a journey around the world with Asian, French, Mexican and Japanese notes that create a distinct twist on contemporary American cuisine.

Paul Chamberlain, owner and cochef, starts off the tour with a rotating amuse-bouche to enliven the taste buds. “Our goal is to create small plates that are comfortable and not too exotic,” he says, a quality that resonates in the restaurant’s casual ambiance.

SLC Eatery enhances its regular menu with a variety of appetizers that roll by on a multi-tiered metal cart.

From turnips in miso-apple butter to beet and blue cheese tartine to tuna crudo to a smoked strip loin spring roll, the appetizer-size morsels range in price from $3 to $7 and can be selected, dim-sum style, throughout dinner. Add on some small plates, which, Chamberlin says, lend a refined, clean “and very intentional” flavor to the meal, and you might hit upon the perfect meal. SLC Eatery is open for dinner daily with a weekend brunch menu. ❖ SLC Eatery 1017 S. Main, SLC 801-355-7952 SLCEatery.com

SLC Eatery’s Paul Chamberlain

À la carte: Oysters in green apple leche de tigre with daikon radish

SLC Eatery’s luscious small plate of broiled prawns

Dim sum style: Tokyo turnips in miso-apple butter, peanut furikake crunch Devour Utah • april 2020 11

GREEN,

CLEAN

“Food in general is super interesting, whether I am talking about a product or just talking about food itself—it’s fun to talk about.”

WITH A

ZING

BY DEVOUR STAFF

R

emember your first bite of sushi? Your first banh mi sandwich? That initial spicy slurp of dan dan noodles? Some of us recall the day we boarded the bus for “anywhere but here” cuisine, the day we realized a whole world of flavor awaited our taste buds.

That quest appears to be driving modern food trends.

Flavors jetting in from far off lands—South America, Africa, the Middle East and South Asia—continue to amp up local menus with succulent spices such as caraway, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, sumac (essential to Persian cuisine) and star anise. Peppers are hotter than ever in 2020, we’re told, including the superhots like Trinidad Scorpion and Carolina Reaper.

12 Devour Utah • april 2020

It’s Still a thing: Bone broth soup

NATABENE

Food trends coming soon to an eatery near you Chile sauces like sriracha are now commonplace condiments while new spice blends (Ethiopian berbere, anyone?) are coming on scene. Sea salts have always been amazing, but new versions are now smoked and infused with herbs. A never-ending supply of exotic mushrooms and fruits continue to make an appearance at Asian markets and health foods stores. Gourmet snack foods such as crackers, chips and even popcorn burst with flavors that range from red chili to caramel chipotle.

Devour writers hit the streets to check in with those on the forefront of the local culinary scene to see what they’re excited about. Here are a dozen ideas for your consideration.

The Future of Food

Futurecast: PAD THAI with protein noodles (made from pollOck)

TOM NUNN

DREAMSTIME IMAGE

WORLD FLAVORS AND CLEAN, PLANT-BASED FOOD

Nicholas & Co. business development specialist Andrew Redford sees products such as pot stickers, ramen noodles, chile verde and tempura in high demand while Salt Lake diners’ interest in Indian and Mediterranean flavors has spiked orders for aleppo peppers, peri peri seasoning, curries and coconut products.

Nationally, Redford notes that fermented foods, insects and protein noodles—a noodle that’s made from pollock fish—are rising trends that Utahns may soon taste on a regular basis.

Alongside world flavors, plant-based foods made with no animal or animal by-products and ecofriendly and compostable packaging products are becoming mainstream as well.

In addition, Redford points to increased requests for clean-label foods (no antibiotics ever, no nitrates, humanely raised) where consumers can follow the story of their food. “Customers not only want to know what is in their food, but how it was raised or grown, how those who harvest it are treated and what the environmental impact is,” Redford concludes.

Founded by Nicholas Mouskondis in 1939, Nicholas and Co. is a third-generation, familyowned food distribution company based in Salt Lake City that sells high-quality proteins, produce and beverages throughout the Intermountain West.

Serving schools as well as health-care and the food-service industries, Nicholas delivers to more than 1,100 restaurants in the Salt Lake metro area.

Of those, just over 60% are independent, onelocation operators.

And nearly a third of the company’s Salt Lake restaurant business comes from establishments serving international cuisine—with Thai, Korean, Japanese, Italian and Latin American representing growing market share.

With access to so much information readily available to all consumers, Redford sees the role of food distribution businesses like Nicholas evolving into a more consultative role where they can provide value-added solutions (such as washing and cutting lettuce) to save restaurants labor-intensive work and bringing new and emerging trends to their customers to be on the cutting edge of the changing food landscape. (By Heather L. King) Nicholas & Co., 5520 W. Harold Gatty Drive, SLC, 801531-1100, Nicholasandco.com

CHICKEN SANDWICH WARS, ALL-DAY BREAKFASTS, BONE BROTH SOUP manufacturers he represents by hopping on board the latest hot-ticket-item express.

“Food in general is super interesting,” he says. “Whether I am talking about a product or just talking about food itself—it’s fun to talk about,” Frech said.

He uses social media to stay in the loop, he says. “I turn to Instagram [to see what people are talking about]. It makes staying on top of trends that much easier.”

The notorious chicken sandwich wars, breakfast all day and bone broth soups are the current trends Frech is seeing. You may have picked up on them, as well? (By Aimee L. Cook) KeyImpact Sales and Systems Inc. KISales.com

Andrew Redford, Nicholas & Co.

COUTESY PHOTO

As a food broker, Christian Frech follows food trends as a way of life. The business development manager for KeyImpact represents food manufacturers selling products ranging from hot dogs to chocolate.

Working for a variety of food operations, from the mom-&-pop shops to locally owned restaurant groups, Frech says that when he hears numerous customers talking certain foods, that means it’s trending. “If there is someone from a university asking me about a chicken sandwich and then a local, independent shop opens, and they are asking questions about a chicken sandwich, it is flagged,” he says.

Restaurants pride themselves on starting trends but also do not want to miss out on what’s hot, he says. Frech then looks for ways he can increase business for the

Devour Utah • april 2020 13

AS THE LIGHTS GO OUT TEMPORARILY IN ALL OF SALT LAKE RESTAURANTS DINING ROOMS, OUR LIGHTS ARE STILL ON TO SERVE YOU.

Harbor will be offering free delivery for all take-out orders in our neighborhood or within reason. We will also be offering curb-side service.

We all still need a good meal. Our staff is committed to serving you, we are taking every step necessary to provide our guests incredible food prepared in a very clean environment. Our staff completely sanitizes the kitchen prior to every shift.

Your support means more than you know, it allows us to provide work for our staff. If you know us here at Harbor, we owe what we have to our fantastic staff that always gives us their best.

We are still here to serve you.

-The Harbor Team

14 Devour Utah • april 2020

Location 2302 Parleys Way Salt Lake City, Utah 84109

The Future of Food Chef Donovan with Jamaica’s Kitchen Food Truck & Catering

CAIT LEE

Jackie Rodabaugh SPICE KITCHEN COMMUNITY RELATIONS COORDINATOR

COUTESY PHOTO

SPICE KITCHEN PROGRAM MANAGER

INCUBATORS HATCH DIVERSE EATERIES AND PRODUCTS

Chefs Rowiya and Ibrahim’s syrian cuisine

at Halabs Jasmine Kitchen

COUTESY PHOTO

Kate Idzorek

COUTESY PHOTO

Jamaica Jerk Chicken Combo

CAIT LEE

SPICE KITCHEN’S CULINARY ENTREPRENEURS

In the seven years since Spice Kitchen Incubator has opened their culinary business-incubator program for refugees and the disadvantaged, they’ve helped numerous entrepreneurs open food businesses and ultimately create viable income and work for themselves.

“We can clearly see that there’s value in what we’re doing,” program manager Kate Idzorek said. “Salt Lake City really wants this, and [the city] also really needs [the culinary startups] to continue.”

Although the nonprofit recently had to move out of their South Salt Lake location, Idzorek said they’re continuing their program at Square Kitchen, also a culinary incubator kitchen, while they seek new, larger space. It will likely include a cafe and storefront to increase brand exposure and allow them to test packaged products and prepared foods.

They also hope to have more room for food trucks, which Idzorek said is an easy way for entrepreneurs to test their business model without the overhead costs of a permanent location.

Once Spice Kitchen has a new permanent home, their overall goal is to get more food entrepreneurs into brick and mortar locations and to ultimately diversify the food scene in Salt Lake City, Idzorek said.

As for food trends they’re seeing, Jackie Rodabaugh, community relations coordinator, notes their entrepreneurs seek to use local ingredients while many offer high-quality plant protein and plant-based products.

“They want to support the farms where they know where their ingredients are coming from,” Rodabaugh said.

In addition, their clients work hard to blend culinary traditions from their home countries with what local customers want. “There’s a demand for authentic ethnic food,” Rodabaugh said, “so it’s exciting to see cultures and food identities blend as they create dishes that are accessible to everyone.”

As for other trends in the culinary incubator world, Ana Valdemoros, the founder of Square Kitchen, notes many businesses are focused on creating specialized foods and products. She thinks the future of incubator kitchens will likely involve kitchens and facilities dedicated to producing exclusive foods or products. (By Brooke Constance White) Spice Kitchen, 751 W. 800 South, SLC, 385229-4484, SpiceKitchenIncubator.org

Devour Utah • april 2020 15

16 Devour Utah • april 2020

The Future of Food

BREWING OUTSIDE THE BOX

BLEND Kiitos brewing’s Coffee cream ale

COUTESY PHOTO

to CREATE THE ‘Morning after’ beer COCKTAIL

COUTESY PHOTO

Ryan Miller, Saltfire brewing PLAYING WITH FLAVOR PROFILES

COUTESY PHOTO

COUTESY PHOTO

A meal at Tiburon paired with Saltfire12 Monkeys IPA

Although the original science of brewing beer hasn’t changed in thousands of years, a few Salt Lake City breweries are playing with different ingredients and flavors to put a new spin on things.

For instance, Kiitos Brewing, which brews entirely with solar and wind power, encourages visitors to blend their beers. Head brewer Carl Turnbow said their Milkshake series brew, which changes seasonally, is one that customers often combine with other brews to cut the sweetness and fruit flavor a bit.

“We encourage our bartenders and customers to be experimental,” he said. “If someone feels like a flavor profile is too sweet or something, mix it with something else.”

And if you need help with combinations, Kiitos’ secret beer menu suggests combinations and ratios for these mixed beer “cocktails.” Want to try the Sweet N Sour? Mix three parts Vanilla Nut Cream Ale and one part Blackberry Sour. How about the Morning After?

Mix equal parts Vanilla Nut Cream Ale, Coconut Stout and Coffee Cream Ale. And because they use a less traditional, high-efficiency brewing system, Turnbow said they use ingredients that other breweries can’t.

“If someone comes across a random, fun ingredient, we’re always interested in seeing what we can come up with,” he said.

“Our customers love it and we love thinking outside the box.”

Over at SaltFire Brewing, owner Ryan Miller said they’ve started focusing on barrel-aged sour and wild beers, which can take months— or even years—to make. A new brew they’ll be releasing soon is soured in Jamaican rum barrels and fruited with Utah peaches.

They’re also aging their flagship IPA in charred gin barrels from Beehive Distilling.

“It’s a fantastic beer and really picks up the oak, gin and botanicals from the barrels,” Miller said, adding that customers also love their Dirty Chai Stout, which is made with Blue Copper coffee and chai spices.

While they try to stay true to the art of craft beer, “it’s fun to play around a bit with simple flavor profiles,” he said. (By Brooke Constance White) Kiitos Brewing, 608 W. 700 South, SLC, 801-215-9165, KiitosBrewing.com SaltFire Brewing Co., 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake, 385-955-0504, SaltfireBrewing.com Devour Utah • april 2020 17

18 Devour Utah • april 2020

The Future of Food Issue

tdk

COUTESY PHOTO

Skinnyfats at the Gateway

THE CALL OF THE HALL

KEEP AN EYE OUT for food alley: SAYS Hoang Nguyen\

The world cuisine savored at Sapa Sushi Bar & Asian Grill may soon be enjoyed in a planned State Street food hall.

SAPA INVESTMENT GROUP

HallPass, Salt Lake City’s first food hall, located in The Gateway mall, has been jampacked since it opened in mid-January. But unlike most other food halls, one company owns all the concepts in the 11,000-squarefoot eatery, so there’s no competition and each eatery is held to the same high standard.

HallPass owner Reed Allen Slobusky says that, so far, guests love the variety of cuisines. Along with SkinnyFats, Slobusky’s Las Vegas-based eatery built around a half healthy/half happy menu, HallPass includes Blaze of Thunder, CodSpeed, Colossal Lobster, Raining Ramen, Waffadopolis, Hibachican, Beer Zombies and Guac Pusher.

There’s also a tiny, passwordprotected “speakeasy” style bar.

“People love going somewhere where they all have different options but can all eat and drink together in a communal area,” Slobusky said.

HallPass employee Andrew Bona said he thinks food halls are the future of dining. Not only are there choices for every palate but as with food trucks, there’s lower overhead for each of the concepts.

In a similar vein, Hoang Nguyen, managing partner with Sapa Investment Group, says their longawaited Food Alley will open the first phase of their project in 2020, with Phase 2 opening in early 2021. Unlike a traditional food hall, Food Alley will be located in a small alley off State Street at 800 South, made up of 17 family-owned restaurants offering different cuisines.

Of the 17, five or six will be larger “anchor” restaurants, Nguyen says, while the rest will be smaller, microrestaurants in reclaimed shipping containers. All will be locally owned/ operated, representing as many different food cultures as possible.

“We will be working with Spice Kitchen to help some of their entrepreneurs bring their concept to life, which we’re really excited about,” she said. “We also hope to have urban art studios on the second level. There’s a lot of moving parts to this process, but we’re so excited to see it come to fruition in the coming months.” (By Brooke Constance White)

SARAH ARNOFF

SARAH ARNOFF

HallPass, The Gateway, 153 S. Rio Grande St., Ste. 107, SLC, HallPassSLC.com Food Alley, 757 S. State, SLC, SapaInvestment.com/foodalleyrestaurant

Devour Utah • april 2020 19

SEE YOU SOON

TRADITIONAL LEBANESE & MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE

HALAL • VEGAN • VEGETARIAN CATERING AVAILABLE 1326 E. 5600 S. SLC (801) 679-1688 BEIRUTCAFE.COM

20 Devour Utah • april 2020

The Future of Food

Kristen & Shayn Bowler,

URBAN FARMSTEADS

UTAH NATURAL MEAT AND MILK

“There is this whole other outlet to farming that now people are starting to value” COURTESY PHOTO

—Kristen Bowler

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

the farm is in the process of building a goat dairy to supply raw goat’s milk in addition to raw cow’s milk and other products

Sustainability and innovations are a challenging balancing act for local urban farmers.

For the past decade, Shayn Bowler, a fifth-generation farmer, and wife Kristen have operated Utah Natural Meat and Milk, selling their grassfed beef in response to customers who, after viewing various food documentaries, began seeking local and sustainable sources for meat.

“That’s when it kind of dawned on us there is this whole other outlet to farming that now people are starting to value,” Kristen says. Located in West Jordan, they already had the infrastructure in place along with pastures and cows. The Bowlers cleaned out their garage and created a store.

“People started lining up down our driveway and down the street every Saturday to buy our products,” Shayn says.

Currently, the farm is building a goat dairy to supply raw goat’s milk in addition to raw cow’s milk and other products. They are also producing goat’s milk soap. Cheese production has been on their radar for a while, so don’t be surprised if you see that on their shelves in the future.

They also grow sprouts in their hydroponic greenhouse, which uses only 3% of the water that a traditional irrigation pasture requires. “Being in the middle of the city, water is not as accessible for us,” Kristen says. “This way, we can feed our animals fresh greens every day, even during the winter.”

Urban farms need to educate customers and neighbors who often misunderstand the ways of the farmer and tend to humanize the animals. Still, farming is in Shayn’s blood, and he takes the challenges in stride.

“It’s something I was always drawn to and enjoy. It is not just about producing a product. It’s rewarding to see that we can help people through something as simple as food with profound results,” Shayn said.

“It’s meaningful to me to raise the animal, and then share that product with someone else,” he says. “I really don’t think it’s something you can understand through words—it’s something you understand through experience.” (By Aimee L. Cook) Utah Natural Meat and Milk, 7400 S. 5600 West, West Jordan, 801-896-3276, UtahNaturalMeat.com

Devour Utah • april 2020 21

Caputo’s, multiple locations, Caputos.com

22 Devour Utah • april 2020

Matt Caputo

“I don’t think there are many humans on Earth that work harder than the farmstead small cheese maker.”

—Matt caputo

park city Creamery’s Silver Queen goat CHEESE

COURTESY PHOTO

Matt Caputo, cheese monger and CEO of Caputo’s, is concerned about the disappearance of family dairy farms and is on a preservation mission.

“We have many cheeses in our case from small farms or small producers in Utah and have seen how hard it is for them to survive,” Caputo says. “Mesa Farm will be the first to tell you that without Caputo’s, they wouldn’t still be here, and we had to undertake a huge effort to make it work for Mesa Farm.”

Caputo believes the survival of small cheese producers depends on consumers making a point to buy local cheeses on a regular basis. He encourages consumers to incorporate Utah’s small cheese makers into their regular rotations.

“Park City Creamery is Utah’s newest (and quite likely smallest) cheese maker. While [owner Corinne Zinn’s] cheese is insanely delicious, she is going to face many challenges and hurdles that many other categories of food don’t face,” Caputo said.

“Our government has been lobbied so hard by big cheese companies,” Caputo says, “it’s really difficult to be a small cheese maker these days.

My hat goes off to them all. I don’t think there are many humans on Earth that work harder than the farmstead small cheese maker.” In particular, Caputo says, Randy Ramsley from Mesa Farm must be a “demi-god” for as hard as he works. (By Aimee L. Cook)

AUSTEN DIAMOND

SMALL CHEESE IS BIG

The Future of Food

‘EARTHGANIC’ FARMING

Park City restauranteur Bill White is known for doing things differently. His eight eateries—Grappa, Chimayo, Wahso, Windy Ridge Café/Bakery, Ghidotti’s, Sushi Blue and Billy Blanco’s—cover the spectrum of regional cuisines and price points and helped advance the culinary scene in Park City over the past several decades.

As the farm-to-table movement gained mainstream appeal in Utah, consumer demand for sustainable agriculture such as open range, hormone-free meats, sustainable seafood and pesticide-free fruits and vegetables grew.

In 2013, White saw an opportunity to step back from his restaurants to return to his northern Michigan farming roots and shed light on the importance of how the plants and animals are raised and grown. Today, Bill White Farms and the Agriculture, Education and Sustainability Center put into practice innovative ways to grow and serve food as well as utilize the leftovers once a meal is finished.

Bill White Farms encompasses two properties—the farm on Highway 224 and also a 5-acre ranch on Old Ranch Road—each operating under the Earthganic standards White developed and trademarked to describe his holistic approach to agricultural and ranching practices. From soil restoration and cover cropping to rotational grazing and a focus on producing protein sources that improve human nutrition, White’s current efforts far surpass organic farming practices and USDA animal health standards.

The Highway 224 farm started as a hobby farm but quickly changed course to showcase sustainability and how much healthy food can be produced on very little land. Over time, it has become a model of clean farming principles and produces four dozen different varieties of vegetables and fruits including tomatoes, kale, corn, bell peppers, eggplant, asparagus, apples, strawberries and herbs such as basil and oregano.

At Old Ranch Road, White raises pigs, chickens, turkeys, cows and lambs where they forage and enjoy open air in addition to fresh kitchen scraps from the restaurants. A 100,000-gallon fish tank feeds plants that become fodder for the livestock during the winter months. White eventually hopes to grow 50,000 rainbow trout, too.

Food raised by Bill White Farms is then served at charitable dinners on the property and benefitting other nonprofit organizations or donated to Christian Center of Park City to feed 4,000 Park City residents each month. (By Heather L. King) NIKI CHAN

Bill White Bill White Farms

Bill White Farms, 5373 Highway 224, Park City, 435-647-2908, BillWhiteFarms.org

It’s a great spring Devour Utah • april 2020 23

Sehr Gut !

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siegfriedsdelicatessen.com 24 Devour Utah • april 2020

The Future of Food

FEELING GOOD ABOUT GETTING WASTED

kali matson offers tips on how to prepare ‘reScued’ food dana williamson,

waste less solutions

Chefs turn “extras and uglies” into a delectable meal

diane sheyA,

Chefs only learn about available ingredients a few days before the event, making for an intriguing one-of-a-kind dinner

Co-Owner & Culinary Director at Salt Lake Culinary Education

What do gourmet butter, serrano peppers, tiny butternut squash, abundant herbs and spotted bananas all have in common? They were all diverted from a landfill and rescued

by Utah nonprofit Waste Less Solutions. Even better, they became a multi-course, chef-prepared meal for 16 lucky attendees at the most recent Encore Dinner Series held at Salt Lake Institute of Culinary Education (SLICE).

The Encore Dinner Series supports Waste Less Solutions’ overall mission of reducing food waste and feeding Utahns in need through their food diversion program that engages the community to help rescue edible food and get it to the food insecure in Utah.

The dinner series pop up is a deliciously creative way that Waste Less Solutions’ founder and president Dana Williamson hopes to educate Utah consumers about rescued food.

Rescued food, says Williamson, can come in several forms—from imperfect produce like the undersize zucchini squash donated by Muir Copper Canyon Farms to an extra turkey breast from The Blended Table catering company.

By finding alternative consumers for products that would otherwise go to waste, Waste Less Solutions helps reduce food waste and, in turn, feeds Salt Lake County’s food insecure with donations from events, grocers and other food service industries.

The organization also strives to teach Utah diners about how they themselves can reduce food waste by shopping smarter, freezing leftovers and composting. Through newsletters, cooking classes and the Encore Dinner Series, they’re invited into the kitchen to see how professional chefs turn a grocery list of “extras and uglies” into a delectable meal that everyone can feel good about.

In the true spirit of the event, featured chefs only learn what ingredients they’ll have on hand a few days before the dinner when the rescued food has been brought in—adding intrigue to the one-ofa-kind dinners. It’s a “fun way to get people interested and to introduce them to the idea of food waste where they can see the food used firsthand,” Williamson says. Look for future dates of the dinner series at the website below. (By Heather L. King) WastelessSolutions.org/events/encoredinner-series

Diners learn how to reduce food waste by shopping smarter, freezing leftovers and composting PHOTOS BY JOHN TAYLOR

Devour Utah • april 2020 25

The Future of Food

Elite Greens, 801-243-2801, EliteGreensUt.com

26 Devour Utah • april 2020

Jack Wilbur

elite greens

OGDEN SEED EXCHANGE

What started on a Saturday in February a decade ago as a simple gathering of friends at a local coffee shop to swap seeds has grown into a community event that hundreds attend annually.

David Wolfgramm and Gregg Batt started Ogden Seed Exchange with an abundance of garden seeds that they wanted to share with others. They didn’t realize how popular the event would become as it outgrew several venues over the years, including the Ogden Nature Center.

Anna Cash, who runs Ogden Preparatory Academy’s School Garden, stepped forward to offer the school’s gym for the event, where it’s held today. For three hours, you can meet dozens of local seed growers and small farm owners and learn all about the

“Things grow like crazy in here” —Jack wilbur

important craft of seed saving. It’s a great way to begin planning your most delicious garden yet.

“Ogden is the perfect community for this type of event,” says Mary Milan, who began participating as a volunteer in 2013. “It’s a good time of year—you get a head start on planning, and the swap has an energy there.”

With a common interest in seed sharing, she says, you always learn something new from one another.

The seed exchange has a simple rule—local seeds only. Local seed is the foundation of healthy, localized food. Local seed yields healthier, heartier and bettertasting plants. All vendors at the seed exchange are bioregional— which means that they are in the same climate/zone for optimal growing conditions. Local seeds germinate and adapt better than commercially grown seed.

COURTESY PHOTO

elite greens SUPPLIES RED AND GREEN LEAF AND BUTTER LETTUCES COURTESY PHOTO

While the winter season delivered heavy doses of the Greatest Snow on Earth to Utah, Bountiful organic farmer Jack Wilbur began delivering organic hydroponically grown produce to restaurants and consumers along the Wasatch Front.

The new venture, branded Elite Greens, comes from the co-founder of 3 Squares Produce Farms and opens the door for year-round hydroponic growing of organic greens, microgreens and herbs.

As an urban farmer, Wilbur has spent years growing crops on small plots of urban land up and down the Wasatch Front, but his latest venture utilizes just 600 square feet of indoor space to grow up to 1,500 plants with an average harvest of 300350 plants each week.

“I think it is part of the future of small urban farming,” says Wilbur.

This year-round growing arm of Wilbur’s farming operations features staggered planting and harvesting, using hydroponic methods in custom-built hydro towers.

Plants are initially germinated from seed then transferred to the custom-designed water walls which pump nutrient-rich water directly over the root system and utilize a 14-hour on and 10-hour off grow light operation.

Best of all, Wilbur says, “Things grow like crazy in here.

I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Elite Greens supplies red and green leaf and butter lettuces as both bagged salad and full heads, frisee, endive, radish, sunflower, pea and mustard microgreens. In addition, they grow parsley, basil, cilantro and rosemary. Small amounts of other greens, such as kale and Swiss chard will also be grown seasonally.

Most of the produce will eventually be distributed wholesale but consumers will also find head lettuces or a gourmet lettuce mix, microgreens and herbs appearing in their community supported agriculture (CSA) subscriptions, and any leftovers will be available for purchase at 3 Squares Produce’s farmers market booths in 2020. (By Heather L. King)

COURTESY PHOTO

YEAR-ROUND GREENS

Dan and Suzy Dailey, who own Grounds for Coffee, have a community garden behind their shop. “Like-minded people are trying to make small changes to improve the current monoculture of seed (crops). Local seed variety has dropped over 80%—there used to be much more variety. Doing this encourages us to create a healthier world,” Dan says.

Although it’s safe to say wait until after Mother’s Day to put anything into the ground, it’s never too early to plan the garden.

Visit the Facebook page for the Ogden Seed Exchange to start your dream garden. (By Rebecca Ory Hernandez) The Ogden Seed Exchange Upcoming seed exchange May 2 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Ogden Nature Center 966 W. 12th St., Ogden, 801-621-7595, OgdenNatureCenter.org

Ogden Seed Exchange co-founder Gregg Batt

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

Ogden Seed Exchange co-founder David Wolfgramm

COURTESY PHOTO

OGDEN SEED EXCHANGE

VEGANISM IS MAINSTREAM

Plant-based cuisine is now arguably on nearly every chef’s menu. No longer perceived a fanatical lifestyle choice, plants are in the forefront of the foods we all eat. Depending on the source, veganism is shown to have grown by over 300 percent in America in the past 10 years.

Plant-based cuisine equates to better food, better choices, better health and more nutrition. Whatever the reason for its growth, veganism has to be an element of every chef’s menu planning. Even fast-food places offer garden or vegan burgers and sides. Veganism is mainstream and can’t be ignored.

In order to get truly delicious vegan fare on the plate, there must be sources of fresh, good-quality ingredients from the garden. Buying locally grown produce supports the local economy while lowering

pollution and costs of transporting food. Look for local produce at places like the Oasis Café, Vertical Diner and Zest Kitchen and Bar. When asking local chefs what they’re working on, many of them mentioned more vegan fare and highlighting organic, local vegetables.

Even “meatier” establishments such as Bambara are offering vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.

This writer’s favorite is Salt Lake City’s Zest because they buy from local farms such as Frog Bench Farms and other gardens whose produce you’ll find at the Salt Lake City Farmers Market. Taste matters, and many chefs have risen to a level of unbelievable creativity when it comes to incorporating plants into their offerings. (By Rebecca Ory Hernandez) ❖

Devour Utah • april 2020 27

28 Devour Utah • april 2020

Q&A

NORMAL LAB ICE CREAM

BY MEGAN WAGSTAFF

COOURTESY PHOTO

Normal’s Alexa Norlin is creating an outlet to ‘get weird.’

Late in 2019, cryptic messages started appearing on Normal Ice Cream’s social media feed: normal.club Fri-YAY vibes we’ve got some *real* fun things planned for our bb grumman truck in the new year that we CANNOT wait to share with you! We have a total revamp coming at you @trolley_square *hint hint* #NORMALLAB let’s get weird.

Normal fans were excited to see what owner Alexa Norlin had up her sleeves. When January arrived, I couldn’t wait to see what all the frozen fuss was about. Turns out, the Normal Truck at Trolley Square had done a lot more than cross over into 2020. It debuted a new concept that’s light years ahead of its time: Normal Lab. Gone are the tried-and-true ice cream flavors such as milk chocolate and salted vanilla bean (don’t worry, you can still find them at the brick-and-mortar location—169 E. 900 South, SLC), replaced by a rotating selection of “experimental” flavors—think wasabi and white chocolate or ube (purple yam). I asked Norlin what inspired the switch and got the inside scoop on the future of ice cream in Salt Lake.

Devour Utah: Why the change to Normal Lab? Alexa Norlin: I love weird food! I have always wanted to make “strange” ice cream flavors,

experimenting with ingredients that you would never think to find in ice cream. But as a business, you obviously need to appeal to the majority.

I wanted an outlet for Normal to truly “get weird,” while also (hopefully) educating our customers about new or interesting combinations. I have also always loved playing around with liquid nitrogen and absolutely love Dippin’ Dots, but I wanted to make them my own way. Who wouldn’t want a “Normal Dot” covered soft-serve cone?

What has the customer response been?

AN: I think people have loved it! I am so thankful that our customers are here for my wild ideas! I have been wanting to make wasabi ice cream since I launched Normal.

Had I started out with a bang in the early days, I don’t think it would have been a success.

We have been able to build a reputation and a loyal customer base that understands our dedication to make the best possible product that we can.

What new flavors are you most excited to try?

AN: So many! I wanted to launch Normal Lab with a Japanese-inspired menu because I am obsessed (and hope to take Normal to Japan one day), but we have some other really cool

ideas. Like, what if one month is four varieties of vanilla? Madagascar, Mexican, Tahitian and Ugandan. How cool would it be to show the difference in such a “basic” flavor?

I also love making sourdough bread. I can’t wait for tomato season, so we can do a themed month. Sourdough, olive oil, basil and maybe a tomato sorbet?

Are there any flavors that were total misses?

AN: I tried to make a vegan eggnog in December that was truly terrible. I threw the whole batch away.

What’s in store for the future of Normal?

AN: I am excited to work on systems to get the business running more efficiently and smoothly.

We will be working heavily on wholesale and hope to expand quite a bit there. And who wouldn’t want a pint of the month club?!

To taste Normal Lab’s latest inventions, head to the east entrance of Trolly Square, where the truck is open Monday–Saturday, noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. ❖ Normal Ice Cream Shop 169 E. 900 South, SLC Normal Lab Food Truck at Trolley Square 602 S. 700 East, SLC Devour Utah • april 2020 29

The Future of Food

Wishful Locavore

We want it ‘locally grown’ but how much of our food actually is?

BY JAN STRIEFEL

U

tahns overwhelmingly want more locally produced and consumed foods, but the fact is they’re not getting it. Public policy, climate change and population growth are all major factors affecting agriculture in the state.

“Utah residents envision feeding their families with healthy, high-quality food grown in Utah. They see an abundance of locally grown products as part of a healthy lifestyle that will improve the quality of life for them and future generations,” says Ryan Beck, a senior planner with Envision Utah.

In 2014, Envision Utah conducted the “Your Utah, Your Future” survey in which more than 50,000 respondents participated and an incredible 97 percent favored scenarios in which Utah substantially increases production in agriculture, particularly locally grown and consumed foods.

Utah agriculture is an important part of our economy as it represents approximately 15 percent of our total state output. But Utahns are actually consuming more out-of-state products and sending our own produce elsewhere. And our largest crop (alfalfa) uses huge amounts of scarce water and is either exported or used as animal feed.

In 2018, the League of Women Voters of Utah conducted a study looking at the current status of agriculture and agricultural sustainability in the state. They interviewed individuals from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, faculty and researchers from Utah State University College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, the Utah Farm Bureau, and Envision Utah. Their study found that what Utahns say they desire is only partially achieved or achievable.

Here are the facts:

Only 3% of fruits and 2% of vegetables consumed by Utahns are grown here. These are the products found in farmers markets, distributed through CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture farms), or other farmto-table growers, and are produced by small growers on small acreages.

In contrast, we produce 95% of grains, 134% of protein (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, eggs), and 26% of dairy, but not all of that production is consumed by Utahns, in part due to the lack of processing facilities.

We still import large quantities of processed and packaged protein from out-of-state. These commodities are generally produced on large farming and ranching operations.

Alfalfa hay is by far the largest crop grown in Utah, both in number of acres and market value. Some is used locally as food for cattle and other animals; the rest is exported. Alfalfa also uses large quantities of water, more than most food crops. One has to wonder if we are essentially exporting our scarce water when we export alfalfa.

While the average size of farms and ranches in Utah has decreased, efficiencies in farm/ranch practices have increased productivity dramatically. In fact, there is a seismic change in farming—the number of farms and ranches has increased, due in large part to growth in smaller organic farms that supply the farm-to-table outlets.

30 Devour Utah • april 2020

Farmers and ranchers face many challenges. Some are a consequence of climate and available resources; others result from policy and legislation.

Prime farmland is scarce; it represents only 3% of the land in Utah, and development pressures continue to eat away at what is remaining.

Zoning, land use policy and law, and planning decisions rarely support the preservation of agricultural land.

Water is also scarce, and much agricultural production requires water. Utah is the second driest state in the nation, and our climate is not ideal. Not surprisingly, climate change remains the big unknown.

National immigration and visa policy and law affect the availability of a reliable labor force, particularly in the agricultural sector. Labor shortages are a central focus of the Utah Farm Bureau and its national counterpart. Labor shortages include both short-term employment visas needed for seasonal crop production and harvest, as well as long term employment required in the dairy and animal production sectors.

Utah’s population is expected to double by 2050. So, what is the future of agriculture and agricultural sustainability in Utah? It depends. We may need to: • Rethink how and what we eat; plant-based products are far less water intensive than animal products, and in general less resource intensive.

• Produce more fruits and vegetables in greenhouses to combat our climate restrictions, and invent other efficient, cost-effective, and healthy ways to increase food production.

• Eat more seasonally and locally grown food and reduce our reliance on imported food crops. That might mean fewer lemons and bananas, and more apples and peaches.

• Change our laws and policy to protect what little prime agricultural land we have left. That might mean stronger land use regulation and limitations/changes to individual property rights policy;

Only 3% of fruits and 2% of vegetables consumed by Utahns are grown in Utah

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and more investment in conservation easements and supportive land preservation strategies.

Incentivize smaller producers who grow the agricultural products we consume.

Perhaps with tax breaks, by supporting in-state processing facilities to reduce the related costs of transportation and other incentives to encourage new farmers to grow, produce and succeed.

Purchase more locally grown food to support those farmers who are supplying the products we eat. Encouraging local grocery stores, school kitchens and restaurants to use locally grown products, and committing to buying locally grown food whenever possible.

Realistically, is it possible for Utah to produce all the food it needs for its residents?

Probably not because of the many limitations and environmental conditions contributing to scarce water and land, and climate. But we can certainly do better to change behavior and policy to achieve what we all want—a reliable, healthy, local food supply grown, produced and processed in Utah. ❖ Jan Striefel is a landscape architect and planner and a member of the League of Women Voters of Utah, which conducted the survey mentioned in the article.

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The Future of Food

NYT Cooking

You can search endlessly for recipes on your phone trying to find the perfect pad thai. Or you can download NYT Cooking, which, in my humble home-chef opinion, is the holy grail of all cooking apps. If a recipe is good enough for The New York Times, well … it’s gotta be damned good.

Vivino

Although the shopping/ delivery feature doesn’t apply to us Utahns (thanks DABC), Vivino is still worth downloading if you find yourself in a wine rut. Is that $40 crémant you’ve been eyeing worth a try?

Scan the label of any bottle for instant reviews and pairings or search by varietal and price.

THINGS WE

SideChef

SideChef is techy enough to sync up with your LG, Sharp, Electrolux and GE appliances, offers over 15,000 recipes, functions as a meal planner, interfaces with Alexa and can even deliver your groceries via Amazon Fresh. The only thing it can’t do is actually cook for you.

LOVE pp for a

Tap the A eal M s u o i c i l e D

OpenTable

“Do I need a reservation?”

That depends on how you feel about waiting in the lobby with the guy who “knows the owner,” or worse (if you’re an introvert), being seated at the communal table. Use OpenTable to find popular restaurants in your neighborhood and search by seating options, cuisine and price. ❖

BY MEGAN WAGSTAFF

MORE THAN JUST BARBECUE

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of Utah

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Devour Utah • april 2020 33

The Green Scene

Adaptogens are becoming a staple in wellness foods and drinks

BY MERRY LYCETT HARRISON

COURTESY PHOTO

Stress Busters

34 Devour Utah • april 2020

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

F

eeling tired, anxious and worn down by stress? Having trouble sleeping? Is your digestion off? Well, step out of the supplement aisle and into the food aisles, because food “adaptogens” may be just what the (herb) doctor ordered.

Adaptogens are plants that help you adapt to stress without needing to rely on caffeine, sugar, processed snacks and energy bars. Herbs such as ginseng, ashwagandha, rhodiola, maca, licorice and mushrooms like reishi, miatake and shiitaki increase resistance to stressors and improve energy levels. In addition, they’re thought to boost the immune system, relieve anxiety and mild depression, strengthen the nervous system, improve cognitive function and increase libido.

Whole Foods sells a variety of new wellness beverages from Rebbl Sparkling Prebiotic Tonic with ginger, turmeric, lemon and cayenne to Suja Blood Orange Bitters Kombucha, Good Culture Probiotic Gut Shot (technically kefir) and Rebbl Gold Label Elixir chocolatey mushroom drink.

The Vive Organic brand uses adaptogens and prints a novel, neoteric stamp on each bottle that reads “Doctor Crafted,” referring to a team of doctors with whom they work to craft the formulas. They sell 2-ounce shots in Immunity Boost (original, cayenne and elderberry), Wellness Rescue and Antioxidant Detox blends.

In London, Starbucks offers a new Turmeric Latte, and even Coke and Pepsi have their R&D departments analyzing future potential of adaptogens.

Food and snacks with adaptogens are certainly on display at natural products trade shows such as Expo West, where retailers go to see what’s coming in the industry. As drinks are more marketable, it makes sense that the ingredients are showing up there.

A number of Salt Lake local businesses have joined the adaptogen bandwagon: Vive Juicery (1597 S. 1100 East, SLC, 801-875-8923, ViveJuicery.com) infuses its line of healthy drinks, shots and elixirs with spices and herbs, Brass Smoothies (BrassSmoothies.com) in the 9th and 9th neighborhood offers both signature additives as well as adaptogen blends and Chocolate Conspiracy (EatChocolateConspiracy.com) has already blended the beneficial herbs rooibos and maca into their highquality bars.

There are, however, a few concerns with this trend. Some herbs are meant to be used short term while other tonic herbs may be consumed long term to gain their benefit. And if there is only a dusting or drop of the adaptogenic herb(s) combined with the food or beverage, the therapeutic effects cannot be assured. It is doubtful that occasional snacking on these products will produce desired results.

Reading the over-the-top benefits of these herbs online make them seem like the answer to everything from weight loss to erectile dysfunction. If only… They do however offer subtle, welcome shifts to overall well-being, stamina, outlook and even memory.

The point is, when you feel better, you do better. A good night’s sleep, improved digestion, less reactivity to stress and more energy all serve to support you in being at your best. More than a trend, the recent inclusion of adaptogens in foods and beverages is an evolution toward increasing sensible, helpful and healthful food options for consumers. ❖

Are you a frequent flyer? Are people in your household, at your office or in your classes frequently ill?

To fortify your immune system, consume astragalus, echinacea and elderberry

ON SUNDAYS WE BRUNCH

Have you recently experienced excessive physical demands?

Restore your depleted body and blood with high-mineral plants such as wheat grass, dandelion, oat straw and nettle.

Are you worried and anxious to the point where it affects your sleep?

Dial down the mental chatter with ashwagandha and kava.

Has a long-term difficult situation worn you down?

Stay on a more even keel ingesting ginseng, eleuthero, rhodiola and maca. ❖

“ADAPTOGEN” A plant extract that is

held to increase the body’s ability to resist the damaging effects of stress and promote or restore normal physiological functioning.

(Merriam-Webster)

ADAPTOGENS IN HISTORY

• Egyptians revered the blue lotus for its mild narcotic and aphrodisiac affect.

• In 2700 BC in China, reishi was called the “mushroom of immortality” and reserved exclusively for the royal family. Asian ginseng was valued as the “longevity herb.”

• In the ancient Ayurvedic medicine system, rasayana, meaning the “path of essence,” was the term used to describe rejuvenating and restorative plants.

• Vikings used rhodiola to enhance their physical strength.

• The root vegetable maca grows in the high elevation of the Peruvian Andes where it has been consumed for thousands of years to nourish and improve energy and stamina.

• In 1948, the Soviet scientist, Nikolai Lazarev, coined the term “adaptogen” while seeking a performance tonic for the Soviet Union during the Cold War. ❖

Food curated by Executive Chef Matthew Anderson See you soon...

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RECIPES

DEVOUR YOUR FOOD SCRAPS DIRECTIONS & PHOTOS BY BROOKE CONSTANCE WHITE

D

id you know you can regrow many of your food scraps? If you have a stocked fridge, you probably don’t even need to shop for any supplies— just look in your produce drawer and remember to save the produce ends you normally throw away.

While there are endless possibilities, we picked four veggies that are easy, fun to grow and require few supplies. You’ll be able to watch daily progress as the veggie scraps grow into a ready supply of produce.

Onion start

Lettuce start

Carrot start

Sweet potato start

CHOP IT AND WEEP Ingredients 1 onion One small pot Potting soil Tap water

Process Cut the onion in half and put the side with roots in a cup of shallow water so the roots are covered. Change the water every day. After a few days, you’ll see some root growth. After about a week, roots should be an inch or two long.

Plant the onion, root side down, in a pot with well-draining soil or directly into the ground.

You can trim and eat the green sprouts as the bulb develops. In three to four months, you will have a mature onion.

LETTUCE EAT

Ingredients 1 lettuce head (the same process works for celery heart or green onions) One small pot Potting soil Process Place the bottom portion of the lettuce head in a small dish of water.

Change the water daily. After a week, you should see small leaves growing out of the top. You can trim the leaves to eat as they grow or let it grow back over 10 days and use it all at once. Once the main stalk shoots up, it’s bolted and will likely be too bitter to eat.

CARE FOR A CARROT

HOW SWEET IT IS

Ingredients One half of a sweet potato Toothpicks or wooden kabab sticks Mug or small bowl

Ingredients Carrot tops Shallow bowl Tap water

Process Place a carrot top in a shallow bowl of water so that the bottom ⅛” of the carrot is covered in water.

Wait seven to 10 days, changing water daily.

You should see a few small green leaves growing out of the top. After two weeks, the carrot greens should be ready to eat and are perfect for making carrot top pesto, chimichurri or putting in salads or soup.

Process Cut a sweet potato in half.

Using toothpicks, prop the sweet potato in a cup so water covers a ¼” of the cut end. Wait two to four weeks and you’ll start to see shoots, known as slips, growing out of the potato.

Once slips are a few inches long, separate them from the potato and place the stem bottom in a shallow bowl of water. After a week, roots will emerge from the slips. When the roots are an inch long, plant the slip in well-draining soil. You’ll have mature sweet potatoes in three to six months. ❖

Devour Utah • april 2020 37

Spirit Guide

Back to the Future

Local cherries for Wasatch Blossom Cherry Liqueur

Utah’s beverage industry yearns for sustainability

BY DARBY DOYLE

W

hat’s more futuristic than thinking about how to make hospitality a more sustainable and environmentally friendly biz? Some sobering statistics on why we all might want to take a trip to the neighborhood bar a little more seriously: While U.S. recycling programs overall grew steadily since data was tallied in the 1960s, the volume of recycled goods has essentially leveled off since 2000. And, according to the EPA, glass (the biggest player on liquor store shelves) recycling has steadily declined since 1980.

To boot, the hospitality industry has recently turned a self-critical eye to reducing the amount of food waste that ends up in landfills: of the 63 million tons of food waste that Americans send to the trash each year, roughly 40% is generated by “front facing” businesses like bars, restaurants and hotels.

With these concerns in mind, the food and beverage industry has been rising to the challenge by reducing waste, recycling, and closing the waste loop. And we’re fortunate that many leaders in this charge for sustainability can be found right here in Utah, making future-forward choices an intrinsic part of their workflow, production and business models. Mighty good incentive to raise a glass in cheers, to be sure.

38 Devour Utah • april 2020

Getting to the Source

COURTESY PHOTOS

Reducing the carbon footprint of the food and beverage industry through conscientious, local ingredient sourcing has become a priority for many Utah businesses. Distilleries and breweries make buying local a priority, such as New World Distillery in Eden sourcing Utah cherries for their Wasatch Blossom Cherry Liqueur, and The Hive Winery’s lineup of Utah-sourced fruit wines and spirits. Local businesses also benefit from partnerships with local farms, orchards, and with organizations like Green Urban Lunchbox, a group that picks and distributes surplus from urban fruit trees that would otherwise go to waste.

Thriving craft cocktail bitters companies Bitters Lab and Honest John Bitters Co. both source fruit from GULB for their artisan products. Says Honest John Bitters Co. owner Sara Lund, “We partnered [with GULB] last year to create several apricot-based products, including mixers like shrubs, a syrup and two kinds of bitters;” and for each bottle of apricot product sold, Honest John donates $1 back to the GULB FruitShare program.

On the production side of the environmental equation, other businesses have committed to supporting Utah beekeepers. Sometimes, that means making the footprint seriously localized, as in the case of the Takashi and Post Office Place bar programs, which use honey sourced from their own rooftop beehives. But one of the most significant steps all of these programs have made is to recognize the balance between consumer aesthetics and accountability. Says Willis, “Since bars normally juice produce, we have flexibility with how produce looks.” Which means that bars are the perfect purchasers for ugly fruit and veggies. “Dented peach? Who cares if you’re just going to pulverize it?” she says. “Brown on a lime?

Doesn’t matter if you’re only using the inside.”

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Spirit Guide

the reduction in waste this simple thing can do.”

Lund says her bars took a similar stand: “We eliminated the use of all plastic straws and cocktail picks in the building and only use reusable stainless steel straws, or straws and picks made from natural and biodegradable materials,” like paper, bamboo, wood, hay, etc.”

Closing the waste loop

Silicone wine toppers, the search for nonplastic straws, adopted cats as distillery mousers and alcohol-free mash as cattle food. ,

COURTESY PHOTOS

Reduce and Recycle

AC Hotel bar manager (and Utah Bartenders’ Guild officer) Tracy Gomez notes that the hospitality industry is super-aware of the environmental and community costs of food waste. Her observations: “There’s a general trend away from ginormous plates of food in favor of small or shared plates,” and drinks and plate garnishes are moving away from big, gratuitous (and often inedible) gimmicks.

Quarters bar co-owner Katy Willis notes that it’s sometimes the small things that can really add up to the tally of waste. “We don’t burn [throw out] ice at the end of the night,” she says. “Our unused ice goes into the wells that hold juices and melts over time. Burning ice is a waste of water.”

There’s also a glimmering community of sustainability-driven camaraderie in their network of Main Street-adjacent bars. “We have trash, glass recycling, regular recycling— and we compost our food waste from prep,” says Willis. “Alibi does all these same things as we share trashcans!”

Just up Main Street, bars Bodega and The

Rest have set up similar protocols. Says owner Sara Lund, “We recycle all of our glass and food waste with Momentum Recycling,” as part of their workflow practice. Willis also notes that many bars in SLC—including Bar X and Alibi—have cut way back in the amount of plastic wrap used (at Quarters, they’ve eliminated it entirely) by using stretchy silicone lids for garnishes, and silicone wine toppers for juices. “They work great, are less messy and end up costing about the same as plastic wrap,” she notes. Her suggestion inspired me to look into similar products for my home food storage practices.

It’s also been a bit of a trial-and-error experiment for many bars to figure out a non-plastic straw solution that works equally well for the environment and the customer experience. “We have tried all the straws,” says Willis, echoing a lament that I’ve heard all over the industry in the past couple of years of working toward a plastic straw ban.

For the moment, Willis says, “We have settled on switching to hay straws, which can be composted. The same as everyone else—we only give straws when asked. It’s kind of wild

Some of the most exciting practices in the distilling industry aren’t even futuristic ideals. They’re holistic approaches that harken back to the earliest days of the craft, when community distillers were intrinsically rooted in local agricultural cycles of growth, abundance and returning nutrients back to the land. In keeping with non-pesticide-based integrated pest-control practices, distilleries all over the world have long relied upon feline companions to police grain-filled warehouses for vermin. At Beehive Distilling’s sparkling modern distillery on West Temple in South Salt Lake, their shop cat, Gimlet, graces the space with charm and character (though her mousing skills have yet to be proven, which I speculate is more due to the distillery’s cleaning vigilance than her lack of ambition).

Says lead distiller Chris Barlow, “We’ve partnered with Best Friends Animal Society for a fundraiser, so adopting Gimlet from them seemed like a natural fit.” The lithe tuxedo kitty has pride of place in the warehouse— which is separated from the public bar for food safety reasons—and she has a pretty cushy sleeping situation in a bed made from a reclaimed whiskey barrel.

Going back to the point of production, more distilleries are following in the ancient footsteps of their savvy craft distilling forebearers to close the waste loop. In addition to sourcing grain within 100 miles of their West Temple shop, Sugar House Distillery has integrated a mash upcycling program. “If we put it down the drain, it is a huge cost for the water departments to clean it up,” says founder James Fowler. Instead, SHD looked into completing the agricultural cycle. “We sent off samples to Utah State University for testing,” he says of the spent alcohol-free mash, “and it actually has more nutritional value after we have mashed and distilled it,” making it a nearperfect feed for livestock. Farmers pick up the feed mash by the truckload from the distillery a few times a month. “It is really hard for us to collect and do it (right), but it is the best thing for the environment,” Fowler says.

Quarters Bar’s Willis notes that sustainability is more than a buzzword in the industry: “A cool thing about sustainability efforts is that it can often lead to financial efficiency, which saves a business money,” a choice she identifies as an opportunity to give employees more beneficial labor hours, which can be offset by reducing food costs. “I ultimately save money, help the environment in a small way, and I have created a new parttime job!” She, and we, declare it a win-winwin trifecta of change. ❖ Devour Utah • april 2020 41

Last Bite

The

MOment This year’s food trends could drive you to drink

BY JOHN RASMUSON

I

n 1943, a co-worker gave my mother a recipe for ginger snaps. It was well received. She baked the brown cookies frequently as I grew up. When she did, I was close at hand, cadging dollops of dough when she wasn’t looking. Not until recently did I look at the cookie’s ingredients: an egg, assorted spices, sugar, flour and a cup of Crisco.

In those days, there was always a can of Crisco in the refrigerator next to bottles of Winder milk. Evidently Crisco’s shelf life rivaled that of a Hostess Twinkie. Odorless and lard-like, white as cold cream, Crisco was made by hydrogenating cottonseed oil.

The resultant shortening substitute pushed out butter and lard and became a mainstay of most kitchens: Upward of 60 million cans of Crisco were purchased each year. In 2007, Crisco’s formula was changed to remove its trans fat, but bakers and cooks went on to seek out healthier oils. Could we agree that Crisco may be as out of fashion as Earth shoes? Wine coolers? Milk?

Yes, milk! Cow’s milk has been falling out of favor for decades. Two of the nation’s largest producers, Borden Dairy and Dean Foods, declared bankruptcy recently; in Utah, the Winder family ended its 100-year-old, homedelivery business last summer. Back in my dough-eating days, Winder Dairy delivered bottles of milk to the front porch three days a week.

The bad news from dairy farms is

42 Devour Utah • april 2020

surprising. But, then, I am not a student of trends. I am slow to spot one and even slower to jump aboard. I resist upgrades in all their insidious forms, ignoring Vogue’s advice to embellish my wardrobe with nylon mountain wear this year. When it comes to food, the only fads I can point to are almost as dated as New Coke: Cajun-blackened fish, the donutcroissant union in cronuts, Ben and Jerry’s cookie-dough ice cream and California Pinot Noir, the beneficiary of the movie Sideways. I have yet to sample a plant-based burger.

I suppose every trend fizzles out eventually.

Competition hastens the end. Winder’s homedelivery business was undermined by grocery stores’ move to e-shopping and delivery. Cow milk’s decline is traceable to consumers’ choice of nondairy milks such as coconut, soy and, most recently, oat. But their day in the sun may have already passed: pea milk is ascendant, I have read. Also, in vogue in 2020 are Brussels sprouts, cauliflower pizza crust, grilled jackfruit, anaerobic coffee and White Claw Hard Seltzer. Health-conscious millennials are quitting craft beer, and to the chagrin of California winemakers, guzzling cans of White Claw by the truckload.

However, white is not this year’s color du jour. The trendy one is Classic Blue, the shade of unwashed Levi’s, according to the Pantone Color Institute. By coincidence, 2020 may be remembered as the year blue wine arrived in Utah. Gik Blue, a new Spanish wine the color

of Windex, is already available in 30 states.

Utah Instagrammers are no doubt hoping to capture Gik Blue pairings with savory blueberry sauce on grilled salmon and plates of squid-ink pasta.

I have been wondering whether blue food coloring would redeem the ginger snaps. It seems unlikely. But replacing Crisco with butter would. I was mulling that as I read some handwriting on the wall last month: “Selfdriving truck drives 2,800 miles across the U.S. to deliver 40,000 pounds of butter.” ❖

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2 Devour Utah • april 2020

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