Zituna World Food Market opens in Richardson

Miss the closing of Worldwide Foods on Greenville a few years back? Well, now you can head up north to Zituna World Food Market. Opening late last year, Zituna offers a huge selection of fresh and packaged Middle Eastern, Greek, Persian, and Eastern European foods. Worth the drive for the olive and nut bar.

Located at 970 N. Coit #3025 (SE corner of Coit & Arapaho), Richardson, 75080; 972.470.0101

Thanks to the DallasFood.org blog for the scoop.

What's This NAIS Thing and Why Should We Care?

NAIS is an acronym for the National Animal Identification System, a program which the US Department of Agriculture says is needed to "protect the health of U.S. livestock and poultry and the economic well-being of those industries." NAIS, it avers will enable the USDA to quickly and effectively trace an animal disease to its source so we'll know exactly which animals are sick and where they are. But there’s much more to NAIS than meets the eye. Many small ranchers and farmers see it as a threat to their very existence.

The Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, an Austin-based non-profit, has been one of the leaders in the fight against the implementation of NAIS. Judith McGeary, the executive director, has called to our attention an eye-opening article about NAIS published on-line by The Nation.

This quote from the article sure got my attention. I think she's talking about us. I think it shows why we should care.

"NAIS is going to truly coalesce the food supply," said (attorney Karin) Bergener. "All the people who like to go to a nice farmers' market so they can buy fresh eggs and chickens from a farmer they can look in the eye won't be have anywhere to go. We won't be there anymore. We won't exist."

Another Must-Read Michael Pollan Article

Be sure to read Michael Pollan's article in today's New York Times Magazine. He uses this year's outbreak of MRSA and the mysterious epidemic that hit the nation's beehives to demonstrate the "precariousness of monocultures."

Latte Da Dairy Tastings Coming Up

Latte Da Dairy will be doing in store tastings this next week at the three Central Markets it serves:

• Dallas CM (Lovers & Greenville) Saturday, Dec. 15 from 12-4.
• Fort Worth CM (Hulen) Sunday, Dec. 16 from 12-4
• Southlake CM (FM1709) Tuesday, Dec. 18 from 10:30- 4.

Anne and her divas are also offering a chevre with the "works" (dill, garlic, red pepper & black pepper) that she says,"looks quite festive with the green and red of the spices ."

Stop by and tell Anne that Slow Food sent you.

Holiday Cheeses Available

Slow Food cheese makers Paula Lambert and Tonia Ashworth-Kuesel have special Christmas cheeses in stock that can be ordered on line or picked up at their stores. The Mozzarella Company's Christmas Cheese is a once-a-year treat that is made from Thanksgiving through New Years. In keeping with the season, the fresh, spreadable cheese is mixed with a red chile puree and topped with fresh jalapenos.

Over at Chateau de Fromage, Toni is offering here prosecco cherry, brandied cranberry and the year-round favorite, truffled chevre, along with gift certificates and holiday baskets.

Both offer gift baskets and Chateau de Fromage offers gift certificates as well. Order through the Mozzarella Company's and Chateau de Fromage Website. Or email Tonia at orders(at)chateaudefromage(dot)com.

Think Grass-Fed II

Got an e-mail reminder today from Eden’s Organic Garden Center in Balch Springs that even though the vendors that participate in Eden’s Farmers Market won't be back until February, you can still order products for pick-up before Christmas, but you must order by tomorrow—Thursday. Go to Eden's site for more info. For a list of vendors, see the Nov. 21st post on the Farmer-Rancher network.

Pick-up will be Saturday, Dec. 15. Note that JuHa Ranch has added a new item--stewing hens. JuHa also has plenty of fresh, free range chicken wings for those holiday football parties. You can contact them directly at jeg_31[at]hotmail[dot]com.

Think Grass-Fed for the Holidays

It’s not too late to order your grass fed beef, lamb or chicken (sorry no turkeys) for the holidays say Slow Food members Wendy Taggart of Burgundy Pasture Beef and Robert Hutchins from Rehoboth Ranch in Greenville.

Burgundy Pastures is out of whole tenderloins and standing rib roasts for Christmas but will have them available for a New Years feast. At Rehoboth, Robert reports that he has beef dry aging at the processor right now and will have cuts available for Saturday, Dec. 22. He’s offering a four-rib and seven-rib standing rib roast, “cut from our organic grass fed beef, of course.”

The price for the four-rib roast, which weighs about five to six pounds, is $14.99 per pound; and for the seven-rib roast, which weighs in at about ten to twelve pounds, the price is $13.99 per pound.

Both Wendy and Robert have grass fed lamb available. Robert also has ham roasts that are two inches thick. The ham is considered "fresh" or "green" since it has no preservatives or other chemicals in it.

Robert says that next year, he hopes to have some sugar cured hams available in holiday cuts. “We do have some sugar cured, smoked, sliced luncheon ham coming out after the first of the year. We think it will be very popular. It is very good, and also completely chemical free.”

Wendy says that Burgundy Pastures can also provide New York strip steaks, “or we can package whole strips, which is the other side when we take the tenderloin off” that can be cut into steaks or prepared and served on its own. Wendy admits she has never cooked one as a whole piece, “but if I did – I would brown the whole piece over a wood fire – and finish it in the oven.”

Wendy also suggests a “more down home preparation” –a brisket. “You can get just as elegant in the sauces to prepare for a brisket as if it were standing rib roast.”

At Rehoboth, Richard also has in stock some “very large plump roasting chickens--over five pounds--that would work very nicely for the Christmas dinner table.’

But, he adds, there are no turkeys. “They all sold for Thanksgiving except for the few people that planned ahead and ordered one for Thanksgiving and Christmas at the same time,” he said.

“James Morris from the Renaissance Worthington Hotel in Fort Worth served our Bourbon Red heritage turkeys for his special Thanksgiving brunch this year. It must have been a hit. I have already received a call from the new executive chef at the Mansion wanting to order heritage turkeys for his Christmas brunch. I was sorry to have to disappoint him.”

Suggest you order now if you don’t want to be disappointed. I already did. Just go online to Burgundy Pasture or Rehoboth Ranch for information on how to order.