Valentine’s Day menu for dining at home calls for more than just a cliche filet By PARIS WOLFE With restrictions on restaurant dining in Ohio, many couples will set a romantic table, light candles, and dine at home this Valentine’s Day. A renaissance in boutique butchers specializing in locally sourced meats gives home cooks more choices in 2021. The menu, area butchers say, could be and should be, something more interesting than a cliché filet. “Given the current dining scene and pandemic, this year presents an opportunity to challenge your cooking skills at home,” says Melissa Khoury, owner of Saucisson in Cleveland’s Slavic Village. Khoury and Penny Barend Tagliarina started the storefront butcher shop in 2013, to provide unique and hard to find products. From handcured meats to specially spiced sausages, Saucisson supports local family farms that are humane and hormonefree. Khoury says she’d start the Valentine’s Day celebration with a meat and cheese board. “We have so many local cheesemakers around Northeast Ohio that you’re bound to find a few makers that will satisfy everyone’s preference.” “When it comes to actual dinner, beef tenderloin, ribeye and higher-end cuts are always an option. But at Saucisson we push lesser-known cuts. A sirloin, for instance,” she says. “Most folks don’t consider roasting a larger cut of sirloin to medium-rare and slicing just as you would with beef tenderloin. But, in my opinion, sirloin has better marbling because it’s a muscle that works a bit more for the animal than the tenderloin. The result is a
marbled, delicious piece of beef for a quarter of the cost of tenderloin.” Willingness to experiment is wise given higher demand for better-known cuts. “Because Saucisson sources from small, family farms we have a limited supply of the higher-end cuts,” she notes. “So, we work hard to utilize the entire animal. Not to mention many cuts are just a damn, good piece of beef.” Khoury recommends potato sarladaise, as a side dish, basically potatoes cooked in duck fat. Saucisson sells duck fat for recipes like this. Something you’ll understand once you try it. Trevor Clatterbuck, farmer/co-owner of Ohio City Provisions in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood, also recommends charcuterie and Ohio cheeses as a starter. Started in 2015, OCP is part grocer and part whole animal butcher. The butcher shop features freshly cut, pastured beef, heritage and heirloom varietals of pork, pastureraised chicken, and occasional specialty meats such as rabbit, lamb, duck, turkey, venison, and goat. They also cure meats and create terrines/pates for use on charcuterie presentations. “I would serve a spreadable, cooked charcuterie known as ‘ciciolli,’” says Clatterbuck. “It’s soft with tender pieces of pork belly braised in white wine and herbs; the entire spread is whipped together with house-rendered lard and dried cherries.” He suggests pairing it with the Elmsted Ash, triple crème camembert from Marchant Manor cheese of Cleveland Heights. Rosemary-black pepper crackers and ground cherry preserves by local makers and sold at OCP,
complete a basic board for two. “For an entrée, I would spend the time to braise a frenched beef short rib,” he says. “This cut is economical, intensely beefy and well-marbled. It will require careful attention from the cook. With a low, slow braise, it is fork tender and delicious. When tied to the bone, it is an impressive presentation.” “I’d finish the short rib by glazing it in a pan with demiglace. Then, I’d rest it atop a bed of parsnip puree, plate it with roasted baby carrots and top with a drizzle of pan sauce.” And yes, OCP sells a homemade demi-glace so
home cooks don’t have to spend hours making it. Valentine’s Day is for sharing, says Nate Fagnilli, butcher/owner at Na*Kyrsie Meats in Geneva. Fagnilli opened Na*Kyrsie in 2016 as a sidebar to his gig as chef at Crosswinds Grille in Geneva-on-the-Lake. Today, he specializes in whole animal butchery and cured meats. He recommends sharing a chuck eye or tri-tip roast. Fagnilli says, “I prefer to indirect grill them on a charcoal grill. The key is to extend the cooking time as long as possible while still cooking to medium-rare 124 F. Low heat is needed to do this, and grilling makes it possible. I like indirect grilling as it will also caramelize the outside,” he says. “An alternative is to roast in a 200 F oven to a temperature of about 115 F. Then, sear the meat on the stovetop or on a grill.” As a side, Fagnilli suggests roasted sweet potatoes or a cauliflower puree and seasonal vegetable. Catherine Chuha, livestock farmer/owner of G.A.R. Horizons in Chardon suggests a stuffed flank steak. She and her husband Steve choose a spinach/cheese/mushroom combination. “Flank steak was a cut I was never familiar with, but so many of our customers asked for it,” she says. That sparked her interest and she started trolling Pinterest. “I tried this recipe once and it is a household favorite.” The sliced presentation adds elegance to a plate. “Our favorite sides are a fresh, local hydroponic-grown salad and our own farm fresh potatoes,” she says. The flank steak, potatoes and other locally made products are sold at the small, farm store she started in 2018. Prior to the store she sold freezer meats at local farmers’ markets.
Cleveland Botanical Garden to open 15th annual Flower Show ‘Orchids Forever’ Holden Forest & Gardens will open one of its most popular annual experiences Orchids Forever at the Cleveland Botanical Garden on Saturday, February 13, 2021. The show will run through Sunday, April 11th. Orchids Forever is generously supported by Just Add Ice®. “Orchids are one of the world’s most beautiful flowering plants and we are thrilled to be able to open this stunning show in Cleveland,” said Jill Koski, president and CEO of Holden Forests & Gardens. “Being surrounded by orchids is a delightful and mood-lifting experience, one that’s perhaps more welcome now than ever before. At the same time, Orchids Forever will inform visitors about their incredible resilience and the importance of the Earth’s biodiversity to ensure that we can enjoy them for generations to come.” Guests will be greeted with a stunning display of hundreds of Phalaenopsis orchids and a towering orchid sculpture “Orchids in Bloom” designed by copper, resin and steel artists Mark Lagergren and Anthony M. Ball. The experience leads to the Eppig Gallery for a visually striking timeline of orchid speciation and exploitation, as well as modern-day science and conservation. Clark Hall will have a conservation laboratory theme with orchids in test tubes and digital projections of orchids under microscopes. Horticultural displays will showcase exotic plants all surrounded by narrative panels about orchid science. The Glasshouse rainforest biomes will highlight orchid species from the continents of Africa, Asia, Australia and Central America, transporting visitors from the Northeast Ohio winter into a warm climate. Over the course of the show, thousands of orchids will fill the galleries, hallways and Glasshouses at the botanical gardens. Providing a safe and comfortable experience was topof-mind for the Orchids Forever design team. A socially distanced one-way path will guide visitors through the experience. A limited number of advanced reservations are available each day. Face masks must be worn in the interior garden building. Orchid Artwork: Silk paintings by Gunter Schwegler will grace the walls of Orchids Forever. Rainforest Creature Feature: Guests are invited to meet the critters that call the Glasshouse home during special meet-and-greets with the animals Fridays through Sundays at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Get up close with a panther chameleon, radiated tortoises, an eastern box tTurtle, African bullfrog or smokey jungle frog, and Madagascar hissing roaches. And don’t forget to check out the new addition to the amphibian case in our Costa Rica glasshouse—dart frogs! Ten bumble bee dart frogs will be on display in a new enclosure. Learn as You Go: Guests will receive an Orchids Forever educational packet with activities for learners of all ages including: a labeled orchid cutout to color, assemble and display to have your own forever orchid at home; hidden picture art with pollinators unique to orchids and key bioindicators specific to the health of orchid ecosystems; and a special QR code that will transport guests to four different countries where they can search for orchids and orchid pollinators native to each of those exotic locations. Each guest will receive their own packet will supplies last.
“Orchids Forever” at the Cleveland Botanical Garden runs February 13-April 11. Orchids-to-Go in the Garden Store: Orchids, including some exotic varieties, will be available for purchase at the Garden Store. Orchid soil, fertilizer and orchid pots will also be for sale. Learn and Grow with Virtual Classes All About Orchids Register for all classes at cbgarden.org Basic Orchid Growing & Care on Saturday, February 20, 2021 from 6 -7PM with Dawn Gerlica, Lantern Court Horticulturist. Live, virtual program; $10 per member, $25 per nonmember Does a Phalaenopsis send shivers down your spine? Do Oncidiums make you quake in your boots? This virtual class simplifies orchid growing by giving you a common-sense orchid grower’s checklist that can lead to blooming success with almost any orchid. A Q&A session will take place at the end of the lesson. Orchids on the Edge: Conservation in a Changing World on Saturday, March 6, 2021 from 10 - 11:00 AM with Dr. Lawrence W. Zettler, Hitchcock Professor of Biology at Illinois College. Live, Virtual Program; $10 per member, $25 per nonmember Every orchid on this planet – from showy epiphytes that grow on trees in tropical rainforests, to hardy terrestrials found here in the Midwest - needs a fungus to grow and survive. Many also require specific insect pollinators for the orchid’s reproduction and survival. About one half of the 27,000+ orchid species worldwide are now vulnerable to extinction. Dr. Lawrence W. Zettler, Hitchcock Professor of Biology at Illinois College, will delve into the life history of the orchid from seed germination into maturity and what needs to be done to ensure their proliferation. Ask the Orchid Doctor - this popular FREE orchid clinic will be virtual this year. Throughout the course of the show, Ask the Orchid Doctor will allow participants to interact with orchid experts and diagnose problem plants.
Visit cbgarden.org for details. Orchids Forever hours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays noon – 8:30 p.m. and Sundays noon – 5 p.m. The Botanical
Garden will be closed on Mondays except for Monday, February 15th with open hours from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Please note hours are subject to change, check cbgarden. org for updated information. Orchids Forever admission is $15 per adult, $10 per child ages three to 12 (free for children two and under). Admission is free for Holden Forests & Gardens members. Orchids Forever tickets will be available cbgarden. org three weeks in advance, beginning January 30th. Advanced reservations are required to control capacity for the safety of our members and guests. The Botanical Garden is located at 11030 East Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio. Indoor parking is available for a fee based on availability. For complete details about Orchids Forever, visit cbgarden.org/orchids-forever. About Cleveland Botanical Garden and Holden Forests & Gardens Cleveland Botanical Garden, located in Cleveland’s University Circle cultural district, is an ever-changing 10-acre urban oasis where visitors find enrichment and inspiration through themed outdoor gardens, an exotic Glasshouse and seasonal experiences. The Cleveland Botanical Garden is part of Holden Forests & Gardens along with the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio. Holden Forests & Gardens is making a positive impact on the community and region through urban greening and forestry initiatives, environmental research, educational programs, and world-class visitor experiences at its two campuses. For more information, visit cbgarden.org.
Emerald Direct Primary Care Launches First Cleveland Medical Practice with Affordable Monthly Membership Model Emerald Direct Primary Care, the first independent direct primary care practice in Cleveland, Ohio, announced that it is now accepting new patients. Emerald Direct Primary Care offers a new model of primary care, with unlimited visits. The practice works on a membershipbased model comparable to that of a gym membership. For adults, the fee ranges from $65 to $85 per month, based on the patient’s age. The fee covers all in-office visits, virtual visits, TeleMedicine and phone consultations, email and direct text messages to Dr. Megan Moini, the owner and lead practitioner at Emerald Direct Primary Care. “I opened Emerald Direct Primary Care because I knew there was a better way for me to practice medicine,” said Dr. Moini. “This new model of treating patients allows me to deliver a higher standard of care to my patients. It is so much better for patients, because most medical practices are owned by a hospital that has guidelines restricting appointment that sometimes should be longer and more thorough. When I worked in that system, my hands were tied regarding the time and attention that makes a difference in care and the relationships my patients deserve.” Direct primary care doctors can address 80-90% of most patients’ health concerns. The Emerald Direct Primary Care model is suitable for small businesses that have not traditionally offered health insurance to their employees. Now, they can now provide health services for their employees at affordable, predictable rates. This approach can bridge the benefits gap that many employees have experienced to date. As Dr. Moini put it, “I care about my patients very
much, and I want them to know they can see me or call me when they’re worried about something. Now I have more time with patients and instead of rushing through 15-minute visits. I can take my time addressing all concerns, and work on lifestyle modifications like diet and exercise that are often neglected in typical practices. It’s so rewarding, and my patients love the model.” Visits with Dr. Moini are longer than in traditional practices, averaging 45 minutes to allow time to address every patient issue. Communication and keeping track of concerning issues such as blood pressure and blood sugar are easy with email health updates and reminders. Unlike the usual methods in traditional healthcare systems, costs are transparent. Discounted labs and medications are available as well. The doctor’s patient panel will cap at 400 to 500 patients compared with 2000 to 3000 in a traditional practice. She added, “I am dedicated to giving my patients true continuity of care. Patients will always see their own doctor. Finally, Telemedicine and house calls are offered to patients who find that traveling to the office is difficult. In the U.S., very few doctors make house calls these days. I am happy to come to you if you need me.” Dr. Megan Moini is board-certified in internal medicine. She graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and received her medical training at University Hospitals of Cleveland. Dr. Moini has practiced in Colorado and at the Cleveland Clinic prior to opening Emerald Direct Primary Care in 2020. For more information visit www.emeralddpc.com. www.currentsneo.com January 28, 2021 CURRENTS C9