June 2020 Feast Magazine

Inspired Local Food Culture

/

midwest

june 2020

Discover how an acclaimed Kansas City restaurant transformed into a community kitchen on p. 32

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Inspired Local Food Culture /

midwest

june

2020

Volume 10 / Issue 5 Vice President of Niche Publishing, Publisher of Feast Magazine

Catherine Neville, publisher@feastmagazine.com

EDITORIAL

sales

Editor in chief

For advertising inquiries, please contact:

Heather Riske, hriske@feastmagazine.com managing editor

sales@feastmagazine.com 314.475.1298

Rachel Huffman, rhuffman@feastmagazine.com

Special projects coordinator

assistant editor

Aubrey Byron, abyron@feastmagazine.com

Kasey Carlson, kcarlson@feastmagazine.com Kansas City Contributing Editor

Jenny Vergara St. Louis Contributing Editor

Mabel Suen fact checker

Karen Parkman Proofreader

Alecia Humphreys Contributing Writers

Julia Calleo, Gabrielle DeMichele, Teresa Floyd, Hilary Hedges, Rogan Howitt, Jenn Tosatto, Shannon Weber

ART Art Director

FEAST TV producer: Catherine Neville production partner: Tybee Studios

Contact Us Feast Media, 8811 Ladue Road, Suite D, Ladue, MO 63124 314.475.1260, feastmagazine.com

Distribution To distribute Feast Magazine at your place of business, please contact Eric Freeman for St. Louis, Jefferson City, Columbia, Rolla and Springfield at efreeman@post-dispatch.com and Jason Green for Kansas City at distribution@pds-kc.com.

Alexandrea Povis, apovis@feastmagazine.com Contributing Photographers

/ 9 / the mix Bubbling Bramble

Chris Bauer, Julia Calleo, Judd Demaline, Teresa Floyd, Sam O'Keefe, Pilsen Photo Co-op, Jonathan Pollack, Jennifer Silverberg, Starboard & Port Creative

/ 10 / 3 Ways Watermelon

Contributing illustrators

Alaska Adams

/ 12 / mystery shopper

Ghee / 14 / sugar rush Cornmeal cake with roasted strawberries / 16 / on trend Piquette Feast Magazine does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork.

Submissions will not be returned.

All contents are copyright Š 2010-2020 by Feast Magazine™. All rights reserved.

Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents, without the prior written permission of the publisher, is strictly prohibited. Produced by the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis, LLC.

on the cover/table of contents Crossroads Community Kitchen in Kansas City by Pilsen Photo Co-op

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feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 2 0

Features

26

stepping up to the plate

30

an extra helping

32

meals for the masses

/ 18 / the dish Cajun catfish sandwich / 19 / midwest made Pickles / 20 / quick fix

Beef stroganoff / 22 / crash course Tomatoes

North Sarah Food Hub helps combat hunger among St. Louis students.

Dig into our new community-sourced cookbook, which supports the local hospitality industry.

The Rieger in Kansas City has transformed into Crossroads Community Kitchen, serving to-go meals to those in need.

Re-Opening Tuesday, June 2 for dine-in and curbside and contactless pickup!

Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m 5200 Oakland Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 thebloom.cafe | 314-652-5666

/ j u ne 2 02 0

5

Letter

W

hen I wrote my publisher’s letter for our April issue, restaurants in St. Louis were set to temporarily close for dine-in service that night. Today, as I type, the city is readying for a partial “reopening” tomorrow.

from the

Publisher

Looking for new recipes to try at home? Visit feastmagazine.com and check out our new cooking columns, including kid-friendly recipes and pantry staple sweets.

Last month, we held off on printing a hard copy of Feast as restaurants had either closed altogether or shifted to takeout, curbside pickup and delivery.

Now, they’re able to open again, if they wish, for dine-in service, albeit with social distancing and other restrictions in place. Some restaurants are sticking with carryout and delivery while others are choosing to open their doors to diners – there is no one-size-fits-all solution to navigating this crisis. Across Missouri, Kansas and Illinois, guidelines for how restaurants and bars can and should operate are different from county to county and city to city. The patchwork of regulations adds complexity to an already difficult situation, and we are staying on top of all developments in the industry with our constantly updated online coverage at feastmagazine.com.

The COVID-19 pandemic sent our editorial team back to the proverbial drawing board with regard to our print coverage as well. The stories we had planned to tell in our hard-copy pages were either not possible, not relevant or not aligned with what we are all experiencing during this crisis. As the industry pivots, we are pivoting our coverage to ensure that we are reflecting the reality of how the pandemic is playing out in kitchens and dining rooms, in bars and shops, on farms and in food-production facilities.

In this issue, for example, managing editor Rachel Huffman checked in with Howard Hanna, the beloved and highly talented chef of The Rieger in Kansas City. As the crisis began to overtake KC, he shifted his dining room to become Crossroads Community Kitchen. Through feeding those in need, Hanna connected to his community in a way that he says has permanently impacted how he wants to work. Turn to p. 32 for his inspirational story of finding connection and a deeper sense of purpose by responding to the pandemic in the best way he knows how: cooking.

My hope is that, like Hanna, we can find a renewed sense of purpose in our experience of this crisis. Food is a thread that binds us together, and today, more than ever, we hunger for the moments of joy we experience at the table.

Our lives will be forever changed, but I believe that by rising up to our shared challenges, we can emerge from this period as a more compassionate and connected society.

Catherine Neville

publisher@feastmagazine.com 6

feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 2 0

2020

This year, we’re taking our annual Feast 50 Awards online.

Visit feastmagazine.com on June 1 to see the winners!

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TROPICAL PASSION FRUIT POPSICLES

Some of my favorite childhood memories are from trips to my grandma’s

14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk 5 oz coconut Greek yogurt 2 ripe bananas, frozen Juice and zest of 1 lime 2 cups diced mango ½ cup pineapple juice 4 passion fruits Toasted coconut chips, optional

house. Grandma was always looking for ways to shower us with love.

If she wasn’t slipping a dollar in our pocket to use on a rainy day, she was spoiling us with our favorite snacks. Summertime treats at grandmas always meant an orange cream popsicle. The combination of vanilla ice cream and orange sherbert was always so sweet and refreshing. To this day, even the thought of an orange cream popsicle brings me back to hot summer days spent with my grandma.

Popsicles are still a simple pleasure I like to enjoy on the hottest of summer days, although they look a little different than my childhood treats. Instead of vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet, I like to combine fresh pureed seasonal produce and Greek yogurt to make my own frozen treats. Making these swaps in homemade popsicles not only allows you to be creative with new flavor combinations, but also adds protein and fiber while cutting down on the amount of sugar you’d find in a traditional popsicle.

Since summer is the peak time for so many fresh fruits, it’s easy to

SERVES 8

PREPARATION In a blender add coconut milk, coconut yogurt and frozen bananas.

Puree until smooth. Empty contents into medium bowl. Add lime juice and zest, stir well. Using a popsicle mold, fill ½ of each popsicle with the coconut puree. Insert popsicle sticks and place in freezer for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a clean blender, puree the diced mango and pineapple juice.

Empty contents into a medium bowl. Cut each passion fruit in half and scrape out the pulp and seeds. Add to mango puree, stir until combined.

Remove popsicles from freezer and fill remaining half with passion fruit mango puree. Freeze at least 6 hours or overnight. To remove popsicles from mold, run under warm water for 10-15 seconds. Enjoy with toasted coconut chips!

choose your favorites and let their natural sweetness shine through.

The addition of fresh herbs or a creamy coconut milk can add another depth of flavor to enhance these frozen treats. So if you are looking for a way to beat the heat this summer, grab your favorite fruits and join me by creating your own homemade popsicles. You won’t regret it!

SPONSORED CONTENT BY ALLISON PRIMO, REGISTERED DIETITIAN

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THE MIX / 3 ways / MYSTERY SHOPPER / SUGAR RUSH / ON TREND / THE DISH + MIDWEST MADE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

Blackberries and cognac inform this bubbly riff on the classic spring cocktail. Add your favorite baking spices to the syrup to customize your drinking experience, or top off the mix with Prosecco for something sweeter.

Story and recipe by Rogan Howitt, beverage director, Good Spirits & Co. in Springfield, Missouri Photography by Starboard & Port Creative

serves 1 Blackberry-Ginger Syrup (Yields 1½ cups) 1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup water zest of 1 orange (try to avoid pith) 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced Bubbling Bramble 1 oz blackberry-ginger syrup (recipe follows) 1 oz cognac or brandy ½ oz fresh lemon juice 3 oz dry sparkling wine blackberries, mint and lemon zest, for garnish / preparation – blackberry-ginger syrup / In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add all ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Strain liquid, transfer to an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. / preparation – bubbling bramble / Add syrup, cognac or brandy and lemon juice to a shaker tin with 1 cup ice; shake enough to break down ice and slightly dilute mixture. (The cocktail will also be diluted with sparkling wine, so don’t shake too much.) Double strain cocktail into a 6-ounce coupe glass.

Garnish with blackberries, mint and 1 strip lemon zest.

/ j u ne 2 02 0

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THE MIX / 3 ways / MYSTERY SHOPPER / SUGAR RUSH / ON TREND / THE DISH + MIDWEST MADE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

Say goodbye to lemonade – agua fresca is a lighter, more refreshing

Serves 4

drink that will jazz up your repertoire of summer sips. Add a shot of vodka to this watermelon version when the time is right.

Watermelon Agua Fresca

6 28 1 ½ ½ ¼

cups chunked seedless watermelon oz cold water, divided oz honey oz fresh lemon juice oz fresh lime juice cup packed mint leaves, plus more for garnish

/ preparation / Add watermelon, 16 ounces water and honey to a blender; blend on high until smooth. Strain liquid into a large pitcher. Add remaining water, lemon juice, lime juice and mint leaves; stir to combine. Serve over ice and garnish with mint leaves.

serves 2

Watermelon “Pizza” Blueberry Compote 2 Tbsp water ¼ cup granulated sugar 1½ cups blueberries juice of 1 lemon (approximately 2 Tbsp lemon juice)

Watermelon – the go-to fruit in my household from May to September – is extremely

Vanilla-Honey Goat Cheese 1 cup goat cheese 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp honey ½ tsp kosher salt

versatile. Each one is so big that even after you’ve gotten your fill and crowned a seedspitting champion, there’s still a lot uneaten. Take those juicy leftovers and turn them into something unexpected.

This “pizza” will quench your thirst and satisfy your lust for summer.

story, recipes and photography

The tangy goat cheese and sweet

by Julia Calleo, writer and recipe

blueberry compote add an extra

developer, mylavenderblues.com

layer of indulgence.

Watermelon “Pizza” 1 slice watermelon, cut from the middle of a whole watermelon, 2 to 3 inches thick 8 mint leaves (approximately) vanilla-honey goat cheese (recipe follows) blueberry compote (recipe follows)

/ preparation – blueberry compote / In a small

saucepan over medium heat, add water and sugar; bring to a boil. Add blueberries and lemon juice; continue to boil, stirring every minute, until blueberries have burst and liquid begins to thicken, approximately 8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. (Mixture will continue to thicken.) Once cool, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. / preparation – vanilla-honey goat cheese /

In a small bowl, add goat cheese and break it up with a fork. Add vanilla and honey; using fork, whip together until well mixed. Sprinkle in salt and whip again. Set in refrigerator until ready to use. / preparation – watermelon "pizza" / Cut watermelon into triangles, like a pizza. Add one large mint leaf to each triangle. Top each mint leaf with 1 teaspoon goat cheese and one teaspoon blueberry compote. Serve chilled.

Serves 6 to 8

Watermelon Gazpacho 6 1 4 1 1 1 ¼ 4 4 1 1

This recipe gives gazpacho – a cold Spanish soup typically made of raw, blended vegetables to create a savory flavor profile – a sweet spin with the inclusion of watermelon.

10

cups chunked seedless watermelon cucumber, peeled and seeded Roma tomatoes, cored red bell pepper, seeds removed and fine brunoise cut clove garlic, pressed Tbsp minced shallot cup fresh basil Tbsp red wine vinegar Tbsp olive oil tsp ground cumin tsp smoked paprika kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

/ preparation / In a blender, add watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, red pepper, garlic, shallot, basil, red wine vinegar and olive oil; blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients. Transfer to refrigerator and chill, at least 4 hours or until cold. Garnish with cubed watermelon, chopped cucumber, diced avocado and fresh flat-leaf parsley, if desired.

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THE MIX / 3 ways / MYSTERY SHOPPER / SUGAR RUSH / ON TREND / THE DISH + MIDWEST MADE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

An age-old ingredient living a second life as a buzzy diet food – typical.

What Is It? Lately, ghee is everywhere: promoted as a trendy way to add good fat to a Whole30, paleo or Bulletproof diet and billed as a healthier alternative to conventional butter for the average home cook.

Created in ancient India, it was originally used in cultural ceremonies and traditional medicine but eventually made its way into the kitchen as well. The clarified cooking fat is made by melting regular butter, which separates into liquid fats and milk solids as it’s slowly heated. The milk solids are removed – meaning ghee has less lactose than butter – and the product is reduced to liquid gold. Its toasty quality gives it nutty and toffee-like aromas, and it’s as practical as it is indulgent. Without those milk solids, ghee can handle high temperatures without scalding or smoking – plus, it’s shelf-stable, so no need to refrigerate.

What Do I Do With It? Like coconut oil, ghee’s health benefits and healing properties are vast, and it’s as at home in a salve or balm as it is in your skillet. Since we’re here for the food, grab a jar and start cooking. It’s obviously a shoo-in for Indian dishes, but ghee also works as a nutty curveball in baking projects such as quick breads, which typically call for an oil as the fat. Use it to scramble eggs, sauté vegetables and sear meat, or simply slather it on toast. Thanks to its rise to stardom, ghee is available at most local supermarkets as well as international markets.

Story and recipe by Shannon Weber, Writer and Recipe Developer, aperiodictableblog.com / Photography by jennifer silverberg

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For this appetizer, I use ghee to pan-fry tostones; it’s a perfect way to infuse the plantains with fabulous flavor.

While plantains smell a little like bananas, they’re very starchy and decidedly unsweet. Frying them reveals their true purpose: not as a tropical fruit but as a snack reminiscent of french fries with the shape and color of the sun. Season generously with salt after their second ghee bath to truly tempt your taste buds.

Ghee-Fried Tostones with Rainbow Salsa pair with: Tequila

PA I R IT!

Tostones and salsa were made for tequila – more specifically, the new Una Vida Blanco Tequila from Mission Taco Joint (where I happen to run the bar in Kansas City). Agave-forward, it has a vegetal pepper – almost like a poblano pepper – quality and a citric element that will give your palate a welcomed break from this rich recipe. Try the private-label tequila in a Margarita. Add 2 ounces tequila, ½ ounce orange liqueur, 1 ounce lime juice and 1 ounce simple syrup to a shaker tin with ice; shake vigorously.

Pour mixture into a salt-rimmed pint glass and garnish with a lime wedge. –Jenn Tosatto missiontacojoint.com

serves 6 to 8

Rainbow Salsa 1 cup pineapple, medium dice 1 cup mango, small dice ½ cup red bell pepper, small dice ½ cup red onion, small dice 1 small jalapeño, brunoise cut juice of 1 to 2 limes 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste Ghee-Fried Tostones with Rainbow Salsa 1 cup ghee 3 large, green or greenish-yellow plantains, peeled and sliced into 1-inch chunks kosher salt, to taste rainbow salsa (recipe follows)

/ preparation – rainbow salsa / In a medium bowl, mix pineapple, mango, bell pepper, onion and jalapeño until combined. Pour lime juice over the top, season with salt and toss. Set aside. / preparation – ghee-fried tostones with rainbow salsa / Melt ghee in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium high heat. (Ghee should be ¾ inch deep.) Working in batches, fry plantains on top and bottom until golden, 3 minutes per side; transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Allow each batch to cool only slightly and then press with the back of a flat spatula until approximately ¼ inch thick. Return batch to pan and cook again until crispy, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and season generously with salt. Transfer finished tostones to a towel-lined casserole dish and store in a warm oven. Repeat steps with remaining plantains. Once all tostones are fried, remove from oven and top with rainbow salsa. Serve immediately. / j u ne 2 02 0

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THE MIX / 3 ways / MYSTERY SHOPPER / SUGAR RUSH / ON TREND / THE DISH + MIDWEST MADE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

serves 10 Cornmeal Cake 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup cornmeal 1 tsp kosher salt 1¾ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ½ cup, plus 3 Tbsp, unsalted butter, room temperature ¾ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling 1 Tbsp orange zest 2 large eggs 3 Tbsp canola oil 2½ tsp vanilla extract ¹⁄₃ cup ricotta ¾ cup plain whole-milk yogurt Roasted Strawberries 2 lbs fresh strawberries ¼ cup sugar 1 pinch kosher salt ½ vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped ¼ tsp orange blossom water / preparation – cornmeal cake / Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking oil spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and orange zest until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. One at a time, add eggs, beating well after each addition. Add oil and vanilla extract; mix to combine. (The mixture will appear curdled – that’s OK.) Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add ricotta, yogurt and flour mixture; mix on low until just combined. Transfer batter to prepared cake pan and spread out into an even layer using an offset spatula. Sprinkle the top with sugar. Bake, 38 to 40 minutes or until deeply golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and set on wire rack to cool, 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the roasted strawberries (recipe follows).

Carefully invert cake onto a clean plate and gently remove parchment paper. Return cake right-side up. Slice and serve with a topping of warm roasted strawberries, plus a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

One of my favorite warm-weather activities is picking strawberries at a local farm – the fruit just tastes better straight from the field.

This recipe is a nod to those sun-kissed berries. Whether you pick your own or buy them at the farmers’ market, choose strawberries that are dry, plump and deep red in color from bottom to top. Roasting concentrates their natural sugars; the result is a complexly flavored and aromatic topping for this fluffy cornmeal cake.

Story, recipe and photography by Teresa Floyd, Food writer and recipe developer, now-forager.com

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feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 2 0

/ preparation – roasted strawberries / Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Rinse, pat dry, hull and halve strawberries. In a bowl, toss together strawberries, sugar, salt, vanilla bean seeds and scraped pod. Transfer strawberry mixture to prepared baking sheet, including vanilla bean pod.

Roast until strawberries are tender and juices are flowing, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from oven and discard vanilla bean pod. Drizzle with orange blossom water and gently stir in without crushing the strawberries.

pair with: Vignoles

PA I R IT!

This month, I looked for a wine that was as sweet – if not sweeter – than this dessert. Vignoles from Noboleis Vineyards in Augusta, Missouri, is a semi-sweet white wine with fresh tropical fruit flavors, a touch of acidity and a refreshing, bright finish – all of which help elevate the flavor profiles of the cornmeal cake and roasted strawberries. –Hilary Hedges noboleisvineyards.com

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15

THE MIX / 3 ways / MYSTERY SHOPPER / SUGAR RUSH / ON TREND / THE DISH + MIDWEST MADE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

Move over, rosé – this summer, we’re drinking piquette. A cousin of Pét-Nat and orange wines, piquette technically can’t be called wine, as it’s made from pomace (the grape skins, seeds, stems and pulp left over from the wine-making process) as opposed to fermented grapes. Winemakers add water to the pomace and ferment it, resulting in a fizzy quality.

Piquette is often compared to sour beer or kombucha – because it isn’t filtered, it often features a little sediment in the bottle, giving it a cloudier characteristic than other wines. “It’s tart, fruity and aromatic depending on what kind of grapes you’re using – piquette takes one note of a single varietal and exaggerates it,” says Alisha BlackwellCalvert, a certified sommelier and wine consultant.

“It’s kind of a fun, juicy but not so serious way to reuse your scraps from winemaking.”

Over the past few years, the historic European style has seen a huge resurgence, most notably on the East Coast, and now, it’s starting to make its way across the country. “I think there’s, in general, interest in mining the past [and] mining other cultures to try to understand what has been done that we’ve forgotten,” says Doug Frost, a master sommelier, American Master of Wine and the beverage director of The Restaurant at 1900 in Mission Woods, Kansas.

“And piquette is definitely one of those animals. It’s kind of like Pét-Nat – there are all sorts of styles and no boundaries on how you make it. It’s just a word that means we took our trash and managed to squeeze more good out of it.” With that in mind, piquette hits on several of this year’s biggest drinking trends: it’s naturally made, low-ABV – typically between 4 and 9 percent – and sustainable. Here, meet two local producers embracing the funky style. –heather riske

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feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 2 0

FENCE STILE VINEYARDS & WINERY Fence Stile Vineyards & Winery is no stranger to innovation. Located in Excelsior Springs, Missouri – approximately 40 minutes outside of Kansas City – the winery started producing a late-harvest orange wine in 2018 and offers a popular low-ABV wine, KAIscape, year-round. On Leap Day, Fence Stile released the first Missouri-made piquette, a fizzy, 9-percent-ABV, hazy pink wine made with Chambourcin grapes, which lend it light berry flavors and give it a little pluminess. Owner and winemaker Shriti Plimpton says she wanted to work with Chambourcin grapes for the beautiful color; the grapes themselves are violet, releasing a pink or red juice. “The thing I love about the piquette is that you actually get to taste the harvest – it tastes like the grapes without being grape juice,” she says. “They’re a little bit lighter and more refreshing, and the sparkling characteristic makes it bright and fresh.” Plimpton says she’d love to play around with the style again; in her next piquette, she’d like to use a white grape varietal.

31010 W. 124th St., Excelsior Springs, Missouri, fencestile.com PHOTOGRAPHY BY PILSEN PHOTO CO-OP

EBB AND FLOW FERMENTATIONS DeWayne Schaaf jokes that he’s a natural wine junkie. The owner of Ebb and Flow Fermentations in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, which specializes in beers made with historic and wild yeast strains, was immediately drawn to the way piquettes are made. “I tend to like the second-used fruit almost more – there’s a delicacy to it that I really dig,” he says. Released last fall,

HAND SANITIZER

Ebb and Flow’s bright pink Eine Kleine Piquette is far from traditional, as

AVA I L A B L E I N 1 G A L L O N & 1 L I T E R C A S E S

it uses a beer base instead of water. The spent skins and seeds from a previous Chambourcin beer-wine hybrid (featuring local grapes from The Barrens Winery in Perryville) were added to a lighter blonde beer base and then refermented. Schaaf likens his take on piquette, which he recommends pouring at cellar temperature, to the Beaujolais Nouveau style, as it has a subtle fruitiness, light tart flavor and not much sweetness at all. Schaaf says the brewery will definitely experiment with more piquettes, perhaps one made with Norton or Noiret grapes. “It fills this weird void between wine and beer,” he says. “It’s really light, low in alcohol and very refreshing.”

11 S. Spanish St., Cape Girardeau, Missouri, ebbandflowfermentations.com

Do you have a business looking to reopen? Do you have a need for hand sanitizer? We now have (4) 1 gallon and (12) 1 liter cases available for purchase. If you are in the Missouri market and hold a liquor license you can order directly from Major Brands. Otherwise you can place your order online at 4handsbrewery.com and do curbside pick up at 4 Hands Brewing Co. B E S A F E , B E K I N D, B E C L E A N !

/ j u ne 2 02 0

17

THE MIX / 3 ways / MYSTERY SHOPPER / SUGAR RUSH / ON TREND / THE DISH + MIDWEST MADE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

cajun catfish Sandwich

When you’re feeling peckish, seek out the Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co. food truck. The flaky buttermilk biscuits slathered with sweet cream butter or housemade preserves are dependably delicious, but the biscuit sandwiches are really what Columbia diners line up for. The Cajun Catfish sandwich – offered in fall, winter and spring – features crispy catfish raised in Mississippi and marinated in buttermilk. Topped with pickled red onion, kale slaw and a creamy remoulade sauce, it’s a great choice for breakfast, lunch or dinner. “At Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co., we really focus on Southern-style food,” says owner Bryan Maness, “and we wanted to highlight a fish entrée, so we came up with [this ].”

yields 6 sandwiches

Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co. uses zucchini pickles for its remoulade sauce, but you can use any type of pickle you like.

To get the recipe for bona fide Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co. biscuits, visit feastmagazine.com.

–Kasey Carlson

Recipe by Bryan Maness, owner, Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co. Photography by sam o'keefe

Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co. uses kale slaw, but any crunchy slaw will work.

Remoulade Sauce (Yields 1 quart) ¹⁄₃ cup pickled serrano peppers 3 Tbsp diced pickled red onion 3 Tbsp chopped pickled zucchini ¹⁄₃ cup apple cider vinegar 2 cloves garlic 3 Tbsp parsley 2¹⁄₃ cups heavy mayonnaise ²⁄₃ cup buttermilk 1 tsp paprika 2 tsp salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 pinch ground mustard 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper Cajun Catfish Sandwich 6 4-oz boneless, skinless catfish fillets 1 cup buttermilk 2 large eggs 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups medium-grind cornmeal ½ cup sugar ¼ cup paprika 1 Tbsp ground cayenne pepper 1 Tbsp salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 6 biscuits sliced pickled red onion, optional slaw, optional remoulade sauce (recipe follows) / preparation – remoulade sauce / Add pickled vegetables, vinegar, garlic and parsley to a food processor; pulse until smooth. Fold in remaining ingredients by hand. / preparation – cajun catfish sandwich / Place catfish in a zip-close freezer bag. In a bowl, whisk together buttermilk and eggs.

Pour mixture over catfish, seal bag and marinate in refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

In a bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. Remove catfish from marinade and dredge each fillet in flour-cornmeal mixture. Using a deep fryer or pan with oil (350°F), fry catfish until browned and crispy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer fried catfish to a towellined plate. On a clean work surface, slice each biscuit in half. On the bottom half of each biscuit, add one catfish fillet, red onion and slaw; top with remoulade sauce and finish with the top half of each biscuit. Serve hot.

Shelly La Fata

owner

Pasta La Fata 18

feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 2 0

Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co.

“Thinking about [Maness’] menu in general, everything is so balanced – especially on the Cajun Catfish sandwich. When you’re presented with that sandwich, when you’re eating it, you really feel like someone’s taking care of you and cares about you.”

Pickle Party Since its inception, Kansas City Canning Co. has forged a modern approach to the traditional craft of food preservation, embracing unique flavor profiles in its recipes.

For example, Boulevard Brewing Co.’s unfiltered wheat beer is used in the pickling liquid for the slightly sweet Unfiltered Hoppy Pickles. And the crisp, tart Cucumber Dilly Pickles feature whole Kirby cucumbers, which get a brine bath in fresh garlic and dill, peppercorn, dill seed and dill weed for a salty-savory combination. kansascitycanningco.com

Kay Goddard and her husband, Bill, own Papa Hart’s Pickles in Columbia, Missouri. At festivals, they sell 36,000 to 48,000 jars of pickles and jalapeños a year. The sweet dill pickles called Papa Hart’s Pickles – named after Kay's father, who started selling pickles to attract more people to his now-shuttered winery in Lahoma, Oklahoma – have a subtle garlic flavor and a slight red pepper bite at the end, while Grandma Linda’s Dill Pickles, made from Kay’s grandmother’s original recipe, are also worth a try. papahartspickles.com

What began as a must-have snack on an annual family float trip turned into a tasty treat for all. Float Trip Pickles, based in Springfield, Missouri, offers pickles with that signature crunch and sassy spice from added jalapeños. Besides pairing them with burgers and sandwiches, try them in a Martini or turn them into relish – the sweet garnish will bring hot dogs, brats, salads and coleslaw to life. Sold in markets and specialty shops throughout Missouri, Float Trip Pickles can also be ordered online at floattrippickles.com.

Made from time-honored family recipes, the gourmet pickles from Ozark Pickle Pantry in Camdenton, Missouri, are too good to eat just one. Fresh and crunchy, the dill pickles boast a touch of sweetness and a final tangy kick. There’s also a hot version with an additional spicy zing. The bread and butter pickles are more sweet than tangy, and the jar of peppers and pickles combines those great-tasting dill pickles with red cherry peppers and pepperoncini. ozarkpicklepantry.com.

Served alongside your favorite sandwich or burger, or eaten straight out of the jar, pickles have a sweet, tangy and savory flavor that’s difficult to resist. Having perfected the cool, crisp cucumber snack, these Missouri-based companies are kind of a big dill.

Whatever your pickle preference, there’s a variety here for you.

Written by rachel huffman / photography by chris bauer

Two Men and a Garden, a St. Louis-based pickle and salsa company, began in 2006 when a couple of neighbors merged their backyard gardens. Thousands of jars later, the company now works with local farmers and distributors to keep up with the demand for its products – which are still made in small batches with seasonally available ingredients. Its pickles come in three varieties: bread and butter pickles, dill pickles and spicy dill pickles. Widely available in grocery stores and specialty shops throughout the Midwest as well as online, no two jars are quite the same. twomenandagarden.com

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19

THE MIX / 3 ways / MYSTERY SHOPPER / SUGAR RUSH / ON TREND / THE DISH + MIDWEST MADE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

Beef Stroganoff Originating in Russia in the mid-19th century and becoming popular around the world with considerable variation from the original recipe, beef stroganoff is comfort food at its best. While some might think of it as a heavy, old-world dinner entrée, it’s actually enjoying a well-deserved resurgence. This version features juicy beef tips, an assortment of mushrooms and just the right amount of creamy sauce.

Written by Gabrielle DeMichele / Photography by Jennifer Silverberg

In this class, you’ll learn which cuts of beef require more time to cook, and why, as well as how drying meat before cooking it affects the end result. Also, discover the real difference between crème fraîche and sour cream.

Get Hands-On Join Schnucks Cooking School director Gay DeMichele on Zoom at 6pm on Wed., June 24 to learn how to make the dishes on this month’s menu.

For more information on everything you’ll need for the virtual class – from cookware to ingredients – contact the cooking school directly.

nourish.schnucks.com/ web-ext/cooking-school

or call 314.909.1704

20

feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 2 0

serves 4 to 6 1½

½ ½ ½

3

8

2

1

2

1 1¼

2 1½

lbs beef tips from tenderloin or sirloin, cut into ¼-inch-wide strips cup, plus 3 Tbsp, flour, divided tsp kosher salt tsp freshly ground black pepper tsp oil, divided Tbsp butter, divided cups thinly sliced assorted mushrooms medium onion, small dice large cloves garlic, minced Tbsp tomato paste cups cold beef stock Tbsp sherry cups crème fraîche or sour cream buttered noodles, to serve

/ preparation / Using a paper towel, pat meat dry. In a bowl, combine ½ cup flour, salt and pepper; dredge meat in mixture. Heat a medium skillet over high heat; add 1 teaspoon oil and 2 tablespoons butter. When the fat begins to

bubble, add a portion of meat (all strips should be able to lay flat in the bottom of the pan) and cook until just browned on both sides. Transfer meat to a large platter. Add another teaspoon of oil to pan and repeat steps with another portion of meat until all meat is browned.

In the same skillet over medium high heat, add 1 teaspoon oil and 2 tablespoons butter.

Once fat is hot, add mushrooms; sauté, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and add 2 more tablespoons of butter to pan; add onion and sauté until tender but not brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic; cook, 30 to 45 seconds. Add onion and garlic to mushrooms.

In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons butter. When butter begins to bubble,

whisk in remaining flour to make a roux; continue whisking as the roux gently bubbles, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to combine.

Slowly pour in stock and stir constantly until mixture thickens. Add sherry; cook, 1 minute.

Add meat and mushroom-onion mixture.

Stir in crème fraîche or sour cream; cook until all ingredients are heated through. Adjust seasoning and serve over buttered noodles.

MAKE THE MEAL • Blood Orange and Golden Beet Salad • Beef Stroganoff • Buttered Noodles • Spring Peas in Parsley-Butter Sauce • Tarte Tatin

PROMOTI ON

The Long and Short of

BANANAS

SPONSORED CONTENT BY KATHERINE LEWIS

CAVENDISH When you picture a banana, you’re probably picturing a Cavendish. These long , gently curved fruits are by far the most common bananas in the United States. They start to ripen as soon as they are picked, which causes their starch to change into sugar.

Cavendish can go from a firm green to a sunshiny yellow in a matter of days.

Even brown, they’re perfect in banana bread or smoothies.

It’s easy for bananas to get lost amid the fruits and vegetables that are having a moment right now, such as açaí berries, kale and brussels sprouts, but it’s hard to overstate bananas’ significance around the globe.

This healthy, inexpensive fruit is among the top five most economically important foods worldwide — right up there with wheat, rice and corn — and bananas are the No. 1 fruit in the United States. (Apples are No. 2.)

It might be precisely because bananas are everywhere that they are so often overlooked. “They are actually better than their reputation,” says Dr. Graham Colditz, associate director of prevention and control at Siteman Cancer Center. “Their high potassium, magnesium and fiber content — about three grams per banana — and low sodium make bananas a good addition to a heart-healthy diet.”

Dr. Colditz points out that there’s a good reason why bananas are handed out to runners at the finish line of long races: “They’re easy to digest and are full of minerals and nutrients that can help with refueling after a hard effort,” he says. “Sweating often depletes your sodium and disrupts the balance of sodium and

potassium. Bananas are a good source of potassium, and they can help ease or prevent muscle cramps, likely by helping to rebalance electrolytes in the body.”

Bananas are also good to reach for when the body is short on electrolytes for other reasons, such as stomach sickness or vomiting. They are easy to digest and low on the glycemic index, meaning that they can be metabolized without a “sugar shock.”

Plus, they’re filling. “Because they’re low in calories and high in fiber — just one banana can provide up to 10 percent of daily fiber needs — bananas can also help with weight control by helping you feel full without extra calories,” Dr. Colditz says.

LADY FINGER

Dr. Graham Colditz Washington University associate director of prevention and control Siteman Cancer Center

These cigar-shape bananas only grow four to five inches long , but what they lack in length, they make up for in sweetness: If Cavendish bananas are too bland for you, give these a try instead. Lady fingers work particularly well in desserts, plus their smaller size brings fewer calories, so they’re excellent for snacking.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SITEMAN CANCER CENTER

in good taste PRESENTED BY SITEMAN CANCER CENTER

Pantry Cookies ORINOCO Orinoco bananas are striking: They’re shaped like footballs, are two to five inches long , and turn a deep gold color mottled with black patches when ripe. Tasting them brings even more surprises.

Orinocos (sometimes called “burro bananas” or “horse bananas”) are lemon-like, and their centers can be a bit crunchy.

YIELDS | 20 SMALL COOKIES

APPLE

1 cup mashed banana

½ cup chocolate chips

1 cup nut butter (such as peanut, almond or cashew)

½ cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)

1 cup oats

½ cup chopped walnuts (or other variety)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SITEMAN CANCER CENTER

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a medium-size bowl, combine banana, nut butter and oats. This can easily be done by hand. Once combined, add the remaining ingredients. Place cookie dough on a baking sheet in portions of about 2 tablespoons. Bake for about 12 minutes. Enjoy! (Note: These could be considered gluten free, but to be safe, be sure to verify that the oats were processed in a gluten-free facility.)

Nutrition Information (per cookie): 154 calories, 11g fat, 13g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 4g protein

Apple bananas are neither squat versions of the ubiquitous Cavendish, nor are they designer hybrids. This variety has been around for thousands of years, prized for its tangy taste that really is reminiscent of apples. Although the peel turns almost completely black when ripe, the flesh itself stays rather firm and doesn’t brown as fast as some other bananas, making them perfect additions to fruit salads and skewers.

/ j u ne 2 02 0

21

THE MIX / 3 ways / MYSTERY SHOPPER / SUGAR RUSH / ON TREND / THE DISH + MIDWEST MADE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

Story and recipe by Shannon Weber, Writer and Recipe Developer, aperiodictableblog.com Photography by jennifer silverberg

Summer wouldn’t be the same without the heady aroma of plump, ripe tomatoes wafting through a backyard cookout or picnic in the park. Starting in the spring, Midwesterners can find overflowing bins of tomatoes in myriad colors, shapes and sizes, creating a utopia of sorts for fans of the fruit. While all varieties are delicious, some are better suited to certain preparations.

Want to grow your own? The same rule applies: Research what types of tomatoes will work best for you – in recipes and in your garden – and in a few months, you’ll be able to pluck them off the vine and enjoy them with any meal.

22

feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 2 0

plant Want to n your ow ? s e tomato

See o ur growi ng gu ide at feastm agazin e.com .

DETERMINATE Celebrity tomatoes, robust and medium in size, are good for almost anything, from salads and sandwiches to salsa and homemade sauce.

Oblong Roma VF tomatoes don’t become overly juicy in the pan, creating quintessential tomato sauce. They’re great for canning, and the fruit also freezes well for later cooking.

Small but full of flavor, Patio Princess tomatoes are super sweet and great for salads.

INDETERMINATE The Super Sweet 100 tomato cultivar produces long, fruit-bearing stems that hold 100 or more bite-size tomatoes, which easily jazz up any ordinary salad.

Delicious flavor with outstanding yield, the Sweet Million hybrid produces large clusters of smooth, bright red fruit that come in season early and continues to produce all summer long.

Tomatoes can be grouped into three main categories in terms of use: salad, slice, cook.

Salad tomatoes – juicy and sweet – are the epitome of summer: Just imagine popping one in your mouth and delighting in the bright flavor as it bursts between your teeth. Look for cultivars such as Super Sweet 100, Sweet Million and Sungold; their small size makes chopping a breeze, and this time of year, no salad should be without them. Celebrity, Better Boy, Jet Star and Big Beef tomatoes are just as sweet but larger and meatier – perfect for slicing and sprucing up a burger or sandwich. And meaty, mild tomato cultivars such as Big Mama and Roma VF thrive when you apply a little heat.

In existence for more than 50 years, Better Boy requires support for the growing plant, but with the right care, it can produce an astounding yield. In fact, it holds a Guinness World Record for amount of fruit produced from a single plant.

Globe-shaped fruit in an eye-catching red, Jet Star tomatoes are firm and meaty with low acid levels. Although classified as indeterminate, the vines are fairly compact.

Big Beef produces large fruit with classic tomato flavor. Its vines are vigorous and resistant to many of the problems that can discourage gardeners.

The best variety for making Italian tomato paste and sauce, soup and salsa, Big Mama tomatoes are red and plum-shaped. They’re easy to peel and core and have very few seeds.

Yellow Pear gets its name from its color and shape – although you can also find them in orange and red. Chop them and throw them in salad.

With distinguishable dark green and yellow stripes, the Green Zebra cultivar is tangier than other tomatoes.

Cherokee Purple tomatoes – squat with a purplish-brown hue – boast a sweet, savory and smoky flavor as well as a dense and juicy texture.

In local markets, Brandywine is the most common heirloom cultivar. Large and meaty

Another way to categorize tomatoes – I’m talking to you, gardeners – is by determinate or indeterminate varieties.

Determinate tomatoes are smaller, growing to a compact height, and all the tomatoes from the plant ripen at approximately the same time. They are ideal for small gardens or container planting. Indeterminate tomatoes are the big boys; they grow tall, bear fruit all year long and require a lot of attention.

with the tomato flavor we crave, it is best sliced for sandwiches and burgers or a dramatic caprese salad.

Amish Paste tomatoes have an oblong shape and firm texture. Their succulent flavor shines when they’re slow-roasted for sauce and paste.

BOTH VARIETIES EXIST Small, extra-sweet and sunset orange, Sungold tomatoes stay firm longer than other cherry varieties and can be used in salads and tartines.

Big with bold red color and concentrated sweetness, Early Girl is true to its name, blooming early and prolifically. The determinate variety is great for sauces and canning, while the indeterminate variety can be sliced, cooked or used in salads. / j u ne 2 02 0

23

THE MIX / 3 ways / MYSTERY SHOPPER / SUGAR RUSH / ON TREND / THE DISH

CRASH COURSE

DIY Slow-Roasted Tomatoes Slow-roasting, or oven-drying, tomatoes lengthens the life of your fresh picks, concentrates their flavor and increases their flexibility in dishes, from tartines to tortellini. It takes barely any effort for outstanding results – just follow these simple instructions.

Note: Smaller varieties of tomatoes work best for slow-roasting, as larger tomatoes don’t pack the sugar content needed to achieve that quintessential flavor, and they contain a bit too much liquid for the task.

   

Preheat oven, 200°F to 225°F.



Drizzle everything with enough olive oil to coat but not drench; toss to combine.

Line lipped baking sheets with parchment paper.

Halve tomatoes from tip to tail.

In a bowl, add tomatoes and any extra flavors such as garlic cloves and/or fresh herbs.



 





Lay ingredients on baking sheets in a single layer.

(Tomatoes should be placed cut-side up.)

tPick up a handful of your favorite

Season with sea or kosher salt – only if you’re into it, and in moderation.

Transfer baking sheets to oven and walk away. Depending on the tomatoes – the varieties, sizes and quantity – as well as personal flavor preferences, they can slow-roast for 2 to 6 hours. Once tomatoes have shrunk in size and darkened in color, they’re technically done, but you can leave them in longer to achieve different flavors and textures. Check in on them every hour just to make sure nothing is burning or too dry.

tomatoes – sticking to varieties you know are good for slicing – for this exquisite summer snack. The recipe is easy enough, and grating the chiles will infuse the buttermilk ricotta topping with bright heat – without worrying someone will bite into a whole chunk.

When they’re finished roasting, remove tomatoes from oven and allow to cool.

To store in the refrigerator, stuff them in canning jars and cover with olive oil. To store in the freezer, lay them in a single layer on a clean baking pan and freeze individually. Once frozen, transfer tomatoes to a freezer-proof container and put them back in the freezer.

Fresh Tomato Tartines with Whipped Lemon-Serrano Buttermilk Ricotta serves 4

1 2 to 3

½

½

2

4

4 3 to 4

cup whole-milk ricotta tsp finely chopped lemon zest tsp finely grated serrano pepper tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning Tbsp fresh buttermilk, shaken thick slices grainy bread, toasted and cooled medium tomatoes, sliced equatorially strips bacon, crisped and finely crumbled (optional) freshly ground black pepper, to taste

/ preparation / Add ricotta, lemon zest, serrano pepper and salt to the bowl of a food processor; pulse to blend. Turn food processor on and stream in buttermilk; blend until combined. Transfer to an airtight container; chill in refrigerator, at least 4 hours.

Spread chilled ricotta over toast; layer with tomato slices and top with bacon crumbles, if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

24

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25

How North Sarah Food Hub is helping to combat hunger among St. Louis students.

Written by Kasey Carlson Photography by Judd Demaline

On the north side of St. Louis, a brand-new kitchen with state-of-the-art equipment teems with activity. Chefs from beloved restaurants – the executive chef of Brasserie

by Niche, the pastry chef of Pastaria and the executive chef of Taste, to name a few – work together to create tasty meals.

But this isn’t a new restaurant from Niche Food Group co-owner and James Beard Award winner Gerard Craft – it’s the North Sarah Food Hub, a nonprofit working to feed children, families and other at-risk groups who are struggling through the COVID-19 crisis.

PICTURED OPPOSITE: Gibron Jones (left) and Gerard Craft (right) PICTURED ABOVE: North Sarah Food Hub kitchen; chef Marca Nicole Rottnek prepares cranberry beans in tilt kettles

eering through the windows of North Sarah

That’s where Gibron Jones comes in. A St. Louis native,

meals and the logistics team, which coordinates with other

Food Hub, you can’t really tell what’s inside,

Jones has quite the résumé: A graduate of Kansas State

organizations and seeks donations to keep the ball rolling.

but hidden behind the foyer – which will one

University’s architecture program, he co-founded DDI

day serve as a community gathering space –

Studios (a multimedia business offering website design and

Craft has been on North Sarah Food Hub’s board of directors

is where the magic happens. The kitchen is

music video directing services), worked on a pumpkin farm

since its inception. Having chosen to close all of his Niche Food

filled with commercial-sized tilt skillets and

in Austria, produced his own KÜrbiskernÖl (pumpkin seed

Group restaurants, with the exception of Cinder House inside

tilt kettles, four ovens, multiple ranges and

oil) and, shortly thereafter, returned to his roots and started

the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis (which is now temporarily

a massive walk-in fridge and freezer. It was

growing produce on one of St. Louis’ first rooftop gardens.

closed), ahead of the order for Missouri restaurants to

originally designed for culinary education:

Throughout his childhood, Jones’ family grew all of their own

temporarily end dine-in services (Pastaria in Clayton, Missouri,

a place where the next generation of

fruits and vegetables on a 20,000-square-foot urban farm

and Brasserie by Niche have since reopened in limited capacity),

growers, producers and chefs can get their

next to their four-family apartment building in the Walnut

he invited Niche Food Group chefs who were still on the payroll

careers off the ground and begin to make

Park neighborhood. With a revived passion for growing, Jones

to donate their time to the food hub’s efforts. Approximately

their mark on St. Louis’ food system. During the second week

eventually created HOSCO (Holistic Organic Sustainable

two dozen workers – from the front of house to the back

of March, the food hub passed all its health inspections,

Cooperative Organization). For years, the nonprofit umbrella

of house to chefs of all stripes – showed up to do the work,

gearing up for a busy summer hosting chefs-in-training

company has been a resource for culinary education and food

including Meaghan Coltrain, Alex Feldmeier, Brian Moxey and

cranking out to-go meals and young farmers packaging locally

aggregation, providing its members with a complete farming

Michael Petres. Even two employees who had to self-isolate

grown produce alike.

and cooking skill set that enables them to work in a variety

found a way to help, researching safe handling practices to

of food-related fields. North Sarah Food Hub is another

create the most effective protocols to keep everyone in the

way in which Jones has realized his goal of providing food

kitchen protected. In the early days of the operation, Lauren

entrepreneurs with a place to launch their businesses.

DuBro, assistant general manager at Pastaria in Clayton, and

Then COVID-19 hit Missouri.

Zane Dearien, executive chef of Pastaria in Nashville, helped

Almost immediately, North Sarah Food Hub was called upon for a task that wasn’t part of the initial plan: making meals

Also a product of St. Louis Public Schools, Jones has worked

run the kitchen. Although they all worked on a volunteer basis

for St. Louis Public School students and their families. Many

with the district in the past to teach students about food

for the first month, the chefs now earn a paycheck thanks to

students rely on the free breakfast and lunch offered at

and farming, and he quickly stepped up to the plate when it

donations and grants.

school – according to the City of St. Louis, 36.8 percent of

needed assistance. “For me, it was just something that I had

children in the area live in poverty – and when the district

an obligation, a duty, to do,” says Jones.

“Many people just wanted to be involved,” says Craft. “During times like this, I think one of the few things that makes all of us

shut down in response to the pandemic, providing access to

feel good is being able to do something good.”

those meals became a major challenge. In order to keep kids

Now, instead of the food hub buzzing with culinary hopefuls

fed, the district decided to offer meal pickups across the

and entrepreneurs, extra space is taken up by pallets of

city – but under the unique circumstances, they needed help

shelf-stable food. The only people allowed in the area are

Jones estimates that in the first two weeks the team made

making the food.

Jones, director of projects Kelli Williams, cooks preparing

approximately 6,200 meals for those in need. / j u ne 2 02 0

27

n early March, if you had asked Matt Wynn to tell you

Although he’s back in a kitchen, Wynn’s typical day looks much

about the most rewarding moment of his career, he

different than what it looked like at Taste. For one thing, when

would have answered easily: when St. Louis Post-

Wynn is meal planning at the food hub, he has to consider making

Dispatch restaurant critic Ian Froeb included Taste

hundreds – or even thousands – of meals at a time. And getting

in his annual STL 100 list of the best restaurants in

the portions right is tricky. One time Wynn needed to make 1,000

St. Louis. Wynn was named executive chef at Taste

servings of white turkey chili; he was convinced he had made

in November 2018, and after more than a year at

enough, but it only covered two-thirds of what he needed.

the helm, Froeb wrote a glowing recommendation of Wynn’s cooking. “I remember sitting at home,

Every chef at the food hub has to get creative with the

drinking a glass of whiskey and thinking, ‘Yes. I finally

ingredients they’re given – which are based on donations and

did it,’” says Wynn. “And then this happened.”

donation-purchased goods from Restaurant Depot – creating what Wynn calls “MacGyver moments.” “Even though I’m not

The STL 100 list published on March 8. A little more than a

used to cooking nearly the amount I’m cooking right now,” he

week later, Craft announced the temporary closure of his

says, “I still know how to use ingredients and solve problems

restaurants, including Taste. “I was just like everyone else, very

right off the cuff” – although he admits he’s doing a lot more

lost and confused,” continues Wynn. “I felt like I was fighting a

math than usual.

battle, and I just lost. It was very frustrating.”

Meals from the food hub include antipasto salad (a mixed

PICTURED ABOVE: Garlic Brussels sprouts, roasted cauliflower mac 'n' cheese and cranberry beans with roasted mushrooms and charred rosemary

Wynn has found solace in leading the kitchen at North Sarah

green salad with artichokes and kalamata olives), wild

Food Hub alongside private chef Marca Nicole Rottnek,

mushrooms over creamy polenta, coconut-roasted broccoli

who was already helping the food hub before the COVID-19

and, one of Jones’ favorite dishes that he’s tried, coconut-

crisis – her personal mission is to heal communities through

truffle red beans and rice. “The kids and the families [we’re

food. As the chef of a restaurant that specializes in carefully

serving] are eating a lot better than we normally eat,” he jokes.

PICTURED OPPOSITE: 35,000-plus meals have been served for COVID-19 food relief

make meals en masse during a global pandemic was a jarring

Jones estimates that in April and May, the kitchen was

Much of the time, the menus for these organizations are

transition for Wynn. “It was a surreal scenario to walk into,” he

producing between 3,300 and 3,500 meals per week, but

flexible, so the kitchen can make substitutions. If Wynn has

says. At the kitchen, he was greeted with a hello and promptly

he predicts that this month it will produce as many as 5,000

leftover beef from making pot roast for one organization, he

handed a mask, gloves and a thermometer. (Anyone who has a

meals per week. Currently, the North Sarah Food Hub is

can repurpose it, adding broccoli and transforming it into a

temperature of 99°F or more has to wait 10 to 15 minutes and

distributing those meals to St. Louis Public Schools, The

different dish for another. For a few, though, chefs have to

then have their temperature taken again. If it remains above

Salvation Army, St. Louis Housing Authority, Urban Strategies

color inside the lines: If they are told they will receive 200

99°F, they can’t be in the kitchen that day.) “It felt like my first

and other organizations to get food into the hands of those

servings of pot roast, they expect 200 servings of pot roast.

day working at a hospital or something,” adds Wynn.

who need it most.

executed small plates, walking into a commercial kitchen to

PICTURED BELOW: Chef Matt Wynn at North Sarah Food Hub

After the meals are cooked, chefs carefully portion them into to-go containers, which are delivered through a variety of distribution schemes: Some meals are delivered directly to individuals in the community, some are picked up from the food hub and many more are delivered to the respective organizations, who then distribute them to the communities they serve. Jones and his team keep track of how many meals are promised to which organizations on which days via a Google spreadsheet, so every member of the team is kept abreast of the situation.

Although Wynn enjoys the work he’s doing, he’s eager to get back into his own kitchen. However, he’s concerned. Will the restaurant he worked so hard to shape look anything like it did before the pandemic?

“Taste [is] an intimate, classic cocktail bar – that’s the heart and soul of the establishment, even more so than what I’m doing back there [in the kitchen],” he says. “If the heart’s not able to beat, what’s the rest of the body gonna do? It’s stuff like that that I worry about.”

Additionally, Wynn says North Sarah Food Hub has given him a new perspective. “It’s a game changer, for sure, and it definitely makes you think twice about where the industry is really moving and [about] my previous goals. I’m like, ‘Was everything I was trying to accomplish, was that maybe a little selfish?’”

28

feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 2 0

opefully things will begin to normalize soon, but Jones stresses that this won’t eliminate hunger – there will always be people in need of meals. He hopes that the COVID-19 pandemic will teach local organizations to collaborate, so that more and more people can benefit from their help. “We really need to have conversations about how, collectively, we can serve the need of the city,” says Jones. “The only way for us to actually be effective is for everybody to be working together. [Right now], it feels like organizations [don’t] want to

975 W. Terra Lane O’Fallon, MO 63366

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do that until the last minute.”

www.therestaurantshop.com

As for North Sarah Food Hub, its original mission remains the same.

M-F 8am - 6pm • Sat 9am - 3pm

“I really want North Sarah Food Hub to be a platform for people that are looking to create their own local food business,” says Jones. “When you give people the skills that they need, I think that’s very powerful.” That said, producing meals has –

Open tO the public

somewhat unexpectedly – also become a part of its long-term plan, which goes back to the driving force in everything Jones does: helping others. His family used to give away the surplus of fruits and vegetables from their aforementioned urban farm to their neighbors rather than selling it, and Jones says that simple act of kindness has always been in the back of his mind. In mid- to late June, North Sarah will slowly introduce its newest initiative: a small cooperative grocery store offering stale items and fresh-cut vegetables sourced from local farmers whenever possible, which Jones hopes will help improve the resiliency of our food system. To make meal prep easier for everyone, Jones is working closely with Wynn and the other Niche chefs to create recipe cards with instructions on how to prepare the foods they offer.

While he doesn’t expect the food hub’s capacity to be as high in the future as it has been during the pandemic, Jones promises it will still produce meals for the community. He thinks maybe culinary students can make the meals as part of their training or he can sell meals at a low price point to help fund the operation. “How does it work? What does it look like? I don’t have all the answers now,” says Jones, but he’s optimistic. He knows that the St. Louis community has the ability to thrive.

The besT equipmenT makes for The besT resulTs.

Come visit our showroom, so many ideas for your kitchen and patio needs. / j u ne 2 02 0

29

an Extra Helping 30

Some of life’s most meaningful moments are celebrated around a table, whether it’s a special occasion or a Tuesday night. Birthday dinners, date nights, work lunches – they’re all made more memorable (and, of course, more delicious) by

Our new cookbook, featuring almost 100 recipes from chefs and bartenders around the region, supports the local hospitality industry.

feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 2 0

illustration by

photography by

alaska adams

jonathan pollack

restaurants and the people who work in them.

In the blink of an eye, the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to that. The effects of the novel coronavirus have rippled through society, but the restaurant industry – which runs on notoriously razor-thin margins – was dealt an especially devastating blow.

Every corner of the industry has been impacted, from James Beard award-winning fine-dining institutions to mom-and-pop delis to dive bars.

As many restaurants were forced to close their doors and lay off their staff, we here at Feast searched for a way to help. And as so often happens, we found the answer in the kitchen. While restaurants and bars are gathering places for celebrations and special moments, our home kitchens are a place to escape from the world and seek comfort.

That’s precisely the idea behind Extra Helping, the new community-sourced cookbook we created with Small Circle Recipes to benefit the local hospitality industry. The digital cookbook features almost 100 recipes submitted by some of the best chefs and bartenders in our region; you can order a copy at feastmagazine.com/extrahelping.

In addition to providing you with new recipes to try at home, this cookbook serves a greater purpose: All fundraising dollars will be donated to the Gateway Resilience Fund in St. Louis and Chef Collective KC in Kansas City to support industry employees impacted by COVID-19; to date, we’ve raised more than $8,000. So whether you’re digging into Gerard Craft’s hearty coda alla vaccinara or slicing off a piece of Megan Garrelts’ lemon meringue pie, you can feel good knowing that your support of the cookbook helped a local hospitality worker.

-HEATHER RISKE

There’s never been a better time to support the people behind the plate, so grab your apron and let’s get cooking.

Moonshine Sour Room 38 in Columbia, Missouri, has been open for 12 years, and the Moonshine Sour is still one of co-owner Billy Giordano’s favorite cocktails on the menu. It’s simple, clean and refreshing, with an extra

Fiori Arrabbiata

kick from the addition of jalapeños. Also featuring infused whiskey

Arrabbiata means “angry” in Italian and refers to the spiciness

and agave, it’s great for any time of the year.

of the chile flakes in this tomato-based sauce. It is generally

Recipe courtesy of Billy Giordano, co-owner, Room 38

serves 1 Infused Whiskey

1 bottle clear whiskey

½ large pineapple, chopped

2 jalapeños, cut in half lengthwise

1 large handful cilantro Moonshine Sour 1½ oz infused whiskey (recipe follows)

½ oz agave

½ oz fresh lime juice / preparation – infused whiskey / In a large glass jar, combine all ingredients; let sit, at least 3 days. Strain liquid for use. / preparation – moonshine sour / Add all ingredients to a shaker tin; shake.

Strain liquid over ice in a 9-oz rocks or whiskey glass. Garnish with fresh jalapeño.

paired with penne, but in the version at Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria in St. Louis, chefs use fiori (flower-shaped noodles) – the signature pasta of the restaurant.

Recipe courtesy of Katie Collier, co-owner, Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria

serves 4 to 6

2

4 1 to 2

2

12

½

¼

2

1

3

Tbsp butter cloves garlic tsp chile flakes cans whole peeled tomatoes leaves basil cup mascarpone cup arugula Tbsp kosher or table salt, plus more to taste pound fresh fiori freshly ground black pepper, to taste Tbsp shaved Parmesan

/ preparation / Fill a 6-quart pot ²⁄₃ of the way full with water; bring water to a rolling boil over high heat.

Meanwhile, in a medium sauté pan over low heat, melt butter. Add garlic and chile flakes; stirring frequently, cook until garlic has caramelized and chile flakes become fragrant, approximately 1 minute. Add tomatoes and basil; using tongs or a spoon, break up tomatoes to desired size. Turn heat to medium low and bring mixture to a light simmer; stirring frequently, simmer, 8 to 12 minutes or until desired consistency is reached. Turn heat back to low, add mascarpone and gently stir until it’s melted and the sauce becomes creamy. Remove from heat. Add arugula and stir until incorporated and slightly wilted.

When water for pasta is boiling, add salt. “Fluff” fiori by loosening up the noodles with your fingers; add to pot and give them a quick stir to prevent them from sticking. Cook until desired al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain pasta and add noodles to sauce; toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer fiori arrabbiata to pasta dishes and garnish with Parmesan. Serve hot. / j u ne 2 02 0

31

Meals Popular Kansas City restaurant The Rieger has transformed into Crossroads Community Kitchen, serving to-go meals on a pay-what-you-can basis under the direction of chef Howard Hanna.

Masses

Spanish-American chef and humanitarian] José Andrés

By 4pm that same day, Crossroads Community Kitchen was

and World Central Kitchen.” Andrés founded the nonprofit

serving its first to-go meals on a pay-what-you-can basis.

organization to provide meals in the wake of natural disasters.

The first night, 21 meals went out, but numbers grew from

When Hanna first read Andrés’ book, We Fed an Island, about

there. The kitchen served 56 meals the second night, 245 the

Written by rachel huffman Photography by pilsen photo co-op

the chef’s relief efforts in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria

third and hasn’t looked back. When this issue of Feast was

ripped through the nation in 2017, he was blown away by the

in production, Crossroads Community Kitchen had served

B

impact Andrés made with the simple act of cooking.

approximately 50,000 meals to the community, with the help of

crowded. Kansas City diners flocked to the Crossroads Arts

enormous paellas fit to feed thousands of people, Andrés and

District to try the restaurant’s high-end dishes and hand-

his team eventually served approximately 100,000 meals a

In order to adhere to social distancing guidelines, an average

crafted cocktails, returning again and again confident that

day at more than a dozen kitchens across the island.

of six people work in the building at a time, including a good

efore Mon., March 16, The Rieger was consistently

the community. From the beginning, Hanna believed that if he From dishing up sancocho (a traditional Latin American

focused on feeding and taking care of other people, those with

broth-based meat and vegetable soup) with his friend José

the means would rise to the occasion and help take care of his

Enrique at Enrique’s ravaged restaurant in San Juan to cooking

staff too. “And that very much happened,” he says.

mix of The Rieger’s front and back of house as well as members

they would receive the same outstanding service. Today, its tradition of hospitality takes on new meaning.

“I love how he just plowed ahead,” says Hanna. “Every time

of the management team. Rather than have all the food come

[Andrés was told], you need to come to this meeting with this

off the line – and, as Hanna says, “have four cooks stirring the

After finishing regular dinner service on Sat., March 14, chef

nonprofit and this government agency and this community

same pot” – some items such as sandwiches and cold sides

and partner Howard Hanna knew something had to change;

association, and we’ll all get together and brainstorm, he was

are made in different areas of the restaurant. “We’re really

business was down, and he couldn’t ignore the toll that

like, fuck that, why don’t I just cook – people are hungry. That’s

trying to spread everything out so that we’re not all over

COVID-19 was taking on the country’s food and beverage

very much how I felt: Like, everything’s up in the air and life’s

each other,” he adds.

industry. “[Sunday] was rough,” he says. He spent a majority

crazy, let’s start cooking for people. I don’t know what else to do.”

Hanna has also had “hard talks” with his staff about the

of the day reading up on the pandemic and trying to balance his concerns for the greater community with concerns for his

The next morning, Hanna ran his idea to transform The Rieger

importance of social distancing. “Your personal life is your

staff. “It sucked being in my head and wading through [all] that.”

into Crossroads Community Kitchen by director of operations

personal life, and we can’t make decisions for you,” he’s told

And by the end of the day, he still couldn’t decide what to do.

Becki Ford, who was immediately on board. “We have a great

them, “but right now, everybody’s personal risk impacts the

business relationship,” says Hanna, “because I’m all about big

team and this whole operation, so you need to take it seriously.”

“I went to bed that Sunday night still agonizing over it,” says

dreams and inspiring the troops – my heart’s in the right place –

Luckily, everyone at Crossroads Community Kitchen agrees

Hanna. “At probably four in the morning – I slept [horribly]; I

and Becki’s really good at logistics – planning and organizing

that the organization is bigger than any one person, and they’re

kept tossing and turning – I woke up thinking about [acclaimed

and making it happen.”

all willing to make sacrifices to ensure its success.

32

feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 2 0

H

anna and his team launched Crossroads Community

Kitchen with three goals in mind. First, feed people in the community who have become food-insecure. “People were laid off so quickly, and suddenly they were having to choose between buying groceries or paying rent,” says Hanna. “That’s really scary.” The kitchen also serves a large number of homeless people in the neighborhood who were food-insecure and at risk before the COVID-19 crisis.

The second goal? Take care of The Rieger staff. A GoFundMe fundraiser was started right away, and originally, all proceeds went to the restaurant’s hourly staff. However, Hanna encouraged those employees to file for unemployment; with that income, plus the additional $600 a week of federal pandemic unemployment compensation and the $1,200 stimulus check, they should be able to pay their bills. Now, the money raised through GoFundMe supports the entire operation by paying the wages of people taking shifts at the community kitchen, purchasing diesel fuel for the refrigerated truck donated by food and beverage distributor Ben E. Keith Co., which stores the kitchen’s inventory of perishable supplies, and stocking up on other supplies, among other things. “To-go

howard hanna

boxes were a constant hassle,” says Hanna. “We kept running out of soup containers, for example, and were having to beg for them on social media every day and wait until the last minute

Many other local businesses have shown their support for

every day, which had been part of my entire adult life. So, [for

to decide, is this gonna be a soup or poured over rice so that it

Crossroads Community Kitchen as well. In one day alone, it

the first few weeks that the Crossroads Community Kitchen

thickens, because until we know what container we have, we

received donations from Grand River Mushrooms, Barham

was open], it was really inspiring for me to be able to come in,

don’t know how we can serve it.”

Family Farm, Missing Ingredient and Yoli Tortilleria, and many

look at the food, write a menu and just start cooking.”

more have since contributed to the mission.

The third and final goal is to reduce food waste. Initially, Hanna used all of the perishable inventory at The Rieger to make the to-go meals for neighbors, guests and staff. “It seemed crazy to waste a single bit of food while there are hungry people out

W

Working toward Hanna’s third

hen Kansas City

there,” he says. “So we took all the food we had and converted it

restaurants temporarily closed

into whatever meals we could. They didn’t have to be the same;

for dine-in service – and many

they didn’t have to be things we would do at the restaurant.

temporarily closed altogether –

They just had to be nutritious whole meals with good food.”

a lot of chefs and owners who had heard about Crossroads

The community kitchen received an incredible response: From

Community Kitchen emptied out

massive amounts of food to monetary donations via GoFundMe

their walk-ins and brought over

to cases of to-go servingware, the public’s generosity was

the ingredients. Suddenly Hanna

astounding. “Every day for that first week, we were nearly in

and his team were buried in food.

tears,” says Hanna. “The support – from some people we didn’t

“We had to scramble to keep up,”

even know – was really inspiring. It confirmed that this is the right

he says. “Every day, I would come

thing, this is what we need to be doing, and we’re not in it alone.”

in with no idea what I would be

Every day for that first week, we were nearly in tears. The support – from some people we didn’t even know – was really inspiring. It confirmed that this is the right thing, this is what we need to be doing, and we’re not in it alone.

- Howard Hanna

goal of using every edible piece of food, he and his team decided to expand their reach. “Our maître d’, Whitney Coleman, got super proactive about it. She started calling shelters and hospitals, making connections and asking, ‘Where are the needs?’ If it’s not you, point us in the right direction,” explains Hanna. As soon as people in those sectors knew about Crossroads Community Kitchen, there was a huge demand. Today, the kitchen fills standing orders every week,

cooking, but I would just walk through the stacks and stacks

feeding those on the front lines and those most at risk. “Seeing

Crossroads Community Kitchen processes donations of

of produce and be like, those green peppers are gonna go

all of the people in the Kansas City area who were underserved,

supplies for the to-go meals from different sources. If

bad fast, so that’s happening today. And we have literally 500

marginalized, ignored and already hungry before all of this was

someone who lives down the street stops by with eight

pounds of onions, so no matter what, I need to cook at least

really eye-opening,” says Hanna.

oranges, then the next eight boxes that go out have an orange

100 pounds of onions – just move some onions.”

products with whom The Rieger does not usually work,

To some, creating menus for the to-go meals on the fly might

donated 1,000 pounds of pork chops. Paradise Locker Meats,

sound chaotic and stressful, but to Hanna, it was, well, fun. “It

located in Trimble, Missouri, gave the kitchen an equal amount

was way more hands-on than I’ve been in years,” he explains.

M

of various meats such as bacon, ham, ground beef and turkey.

“The Rieger is nine years old. The first two years, there were

community on a greater scale. Everyone in Hanna’s family is

And Farm to Market Bread Co., which was previously located

[menu items] that nobody else even knew how to make because

either an educator or some kind of social worker. His mother

around the corner from the kitchen, has provided the bread

I made them every single day, and I cooked all the time. As we

was the executive director of the Flint Hills Breadbasket, a

for countless sandwiches. “I can’t even guess how much bread

matured, as the team grew and the business grew, I became

community food network founded in Manhattan, Kansas, in

they’ve given us,” says Hanna. “It’s made a huge difference.”

more of a teacher and a manager – I stopped touching food

1983, which ensures no one in the community goes hungry.

in them. Seaboard Foods, a Kansas-based exporter of pork

ake no mistake – Hanna loves being a restaurant chef,

but his formative years prepared him to help serve those in his

/ j u ne 2 02 0

33

doing. It’s workforce preservation and the mass production of meals,” says Taylor. “In the long-term, [Chef Collective KC] is focused on a resiliency model for the food system, [which involves] streamlining how local and regional growers get their produce and more of their perishable goods into the system and creating a nimble model to maximize the distribution channels [we’re identifying today] once the food gets into the system. … Part of the reason we were able to [launch] this operation as quickly as we did is because we didn’t invent it out of thin air. The model that we’re building on is a model that Michael Foust has been thinking about for probably 10 years now.” Chef Collective KC received lead funding from Bank of America and sponsorship from the Visit KC Foundation, among other companies, which also helped the initiative get off the ground.

Initially, Hanna thought it was too good to be true. “I thought when they finally got it together and got it funded, it was going to be very restrictive, and we would have to stop what we’re doing and then start as a member of this bigger thing.

But what we’re doing is working – we just really need help with funding. They listened to me and were really supportive.”

Now, Crossroads Community Kitchen continues to function the same way, and Chef Collective KC is helping fund it. For example, on May 5, the community kitchen received a check for $16,000, covering the previous week’s overhead. The amount that it receives each week is calculated simply: “We pay them $5 a meal for the amount of meals that we mutually agree they are going to produce on a weekly basis,” explains Taylor. At Kanbe’s Markets, Chef Collective KC has also set up a centralized receiving, processing and distribution center, where it organizes food that it’s acquired through a variety of different means. “So we have the ability to provide food for a kitchen,” says Taylor. “If you think of that $5 model in this hybrid scenario, where we’re providing the food [as opposed to Crossroads Community Kitchen and other restaurants that purchase their own food], we cover a $3 portion of the She was hired when the operation was still tiny and expanded

homeless. That’s unacceptable. We’ve got to be better than

meals, and we pay a kitchen $2 a meal to prepare them.” That

it extensively. “She was working with every food pantry in

that or I don’t want to keep doing it.”

universal $5 amount makes accounting a breeze, and by

the city but also connected with the powerful, rich people

solving problems such as food sourcing, storage and delivery,

of Manhattan – she was great at twisting their arms to get

Fueled by this fire, Hanna jumped at the opportunity to join

Chef Collective KC provides a support system for the

donations and support!” says Hanna. “So, my entire childhood

forces with Chef Collective KC. Greg Garbos of City Bitty Farm

restaurants that choose to go down this road.

was – quote unquote – volunteering at the Breadbasket.

introduced Hanna to Kansas City civic entrepreneur Jon Taylor.

Taylor recently started the collective in collaboration with

There are a few fundamental stipulations concerning how

“I’m the only one who buys and sells things,” he adds with a laugh.

Hanna, Michael Foust, owner of Black Sheep + Market, and

the money can be used: When making purchases, each

“I’m the only one running a business, but I fell in love with food

Brandon Winn, former executive chef of Webster House, which

organization should prioritize local growers and producers,

and cooking and feeding people – my life made sense through

permanently closed on April 12. Through The Community Meals

they should be mindful of nutrition and the meals they serve

that lens, but it’s definitely different from what I was raised to

Project, the collective is helping feed Kansas City residents

should be complete. “Those are all things we align with

do.” Crossroads Community Kitchen has changed all that. Now

currently out of work or unable to work due to the coronavirus,

anyway,” says Hanna.

his work reminds him of his mom and all the good she did.

in addition to those with day-to-day hunger issues.

Hanna hasn’t had a lot of time to sit back and reflect, but when

The model designed by Chef Collective KC allows restaurants

different challenges that we’re facing right now,” he says.

given a moment, he says this is the most fulfilled he’s felt in

to morph into community kitchens during a catastrophic event

“It’s trying to employ restaurant workers and other people

years – maybe ever. “I don’t know what that means for what I do

and retain their employees – much like The Rieger has during

involved in the food system. It’s trying to feed those same

after this. … I miss my restaurant. I love that life, I love what we

the COVID-19 pandemic – and then, once the crisis is over, to

people. And it’s trying to provide meals to the community at

do, but it’s a grind. It’s a hard life, and it’s not very good to the

transition back into a restaurant until there’s a new need.

large. In doing all of that, it’s also supporting our local food

“I like that [The Community Meals Project] is attacking

people living it; it chews people up. I don’t want to go back to

system, and not just for the immediate future, but to keep

that. I don’t want my staff to be one paycheck away from being

“In the short-term, The Community Meals Project is disaster

people growing food and making food so that we have a

food-insecure and two or three paychecks away from being

management in the spirit of what World Central Kitchen is

healthier, more sustainable system in the long run.”

34

feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 2 0

Festus is open * for business The Brick Bistro & Brew Taytros Pogolino’s The Corner Cup Petit Paree Main & Mill Restuarant Main & Mill Brewery Pine Mountain Country Coffee House Festus flower shop The Daisy Chain Queen Anne’s Lace Klein’s Jewelers Peace of Mind Alchemy Gallery & Studio

Streetside Whimsy & The Selfie Studio Father Time Clock Shop Cobblestone Frame & Art Gallery Metro Hallmark Gift Shop Tree of Life Celebrations Unlimited Strings Kennedy’s Catchall Mineral Area Cyclery The Prom Store Festus Music World Burch Sports Books Galore

*some restrictions apply.

Contact individual businesses for hours.

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