Tagged: artisanal

Food Field Trip: Ventura Limoncello

by Aida Mollenkamp —

Food Field Trip Ventura Limoncello Bottle

If it were possible to bottle Southern California, I imagine it would taste quite like the limoncello from Ventura Limoncello. It’s cheery as a canary’s coat, bright as sunshine, and tastes so purely of lemon that it might as well be lemon curd in alcohol form.

You’ve likely come across limoncello – on a trip to your local trattoria or even to the motherland – but chances are it’s been crappy. Limoncello is too often harsh, overly sweet, or just poor quality, like Lysol in liqueur form. If you’re like me, then you’ve probably even taken to making your own limoncello, because, let’s be honest, it’s really not that hard.
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Seconds, Anyone?

by Aida Mollenkamp —

honeybee

As a cook, the ultimate compliment is having someone ask for seconds, and, as a TV person, well, the same holds true. I’m over the moon as foodCrafters has been asked to serve up a big serving of seconds and a season of 13 new episodes will be starting this Monday. The crew and I are still on the road in Austin, Texas filming the last of the stories, but we’ve got a load of drool-worthy stories already lined up for you. Here’s the road map of what’s ahead for the next few months and when it’s all airing:
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Passion, Packaged

by Aida Mollenkamp —

fresh foodCrafters finds for Season 2

We’ve met many unique foodCrafters in our journeys, but no matter their story they all have one distinct commonality: passion. Passion for quality, passion for flavor, and a definite passion for the product; in this age of workplace drudgery, it’s beyond inspiring to see the little guys fighting to do what they love. We’re busier…
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Community Gathering

by Aida Mollenkamp —

Talking up the night's menu

Homeward Bound of Marin is a special place; the kind of place that feels familiar even if you’ve never been there before. I was invited to visit, demo, and cook as a means to help the organization gain awareness and to, in their words, fun-raise. The event took place in their state-of-the-art cooking school that,…
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Getting (Food)Crafty

by Aida Mollenkamp —

Foodcrafters shoot

Ok, kids, I’ve been holding back but I can finally confess — I’m working on a second show and, seriously, it is the best thing since sliced brioche! So here’s the deal: as of May 31st, the beloved Food Network is launching a sister channel called the Cooking Channel where both Ask Aida and my…
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Touring with the Tofu Ambassadors

by Aida Mollenkamp —

hodo-soybeanery-yuba

I know, I know, you think I’ve become a roadie for a vegetarian band. Fear not as I didn’t, but I did visit with the folks over at Hodo Soy Beanery. They’re self-professed tofu ambassadors as they want to breathe new life into tofu by making it minimally processed, eco-conscious, and delicious. Have you ever made your own tofu? It’s easy yet it’s not. I mean the process is a cinch, but achieving really awesome texture and flavor, well, that’s a challenge.


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