Experience Cooking Demos w/Local Chefs at Elmwood-Bidwell Market
In order to inspire shoppers and showcase fantastic locally produced products, Slow Food Buffalo is sponsoring cooking demonstrations at the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market throughout the summer. Better yet, the demonstrators just happen to be accomplished chefs from some of the area's top restaurants and catering companies.
Each Saturday one of these talented chefs will show off their skills and culinary point of view through an on-the-spot assemblage of a dish featuring ingredients available at the market. Two Saturdays ago Chefs JJ and Kevin Richert of Torches served up arancini (stuffed with heritage breed fresh ham, locally raised spinach, onions, garlic and organic mozzarella) with a flavorful Leek Sauce produced by White Cow Dairy (pictured). This past week, Chef Bruce Wieszala of O'Connell's American Bistro prepared a pork and cheese quesadilla served with Saltamonte's Salsa and White Cow Dairy's Habanero Sauce.
The scheduled chef is asked to arrive on Saturday morning around 10AM to develop a recipe using kitchen staples and as many ingredients sold at the market as possible. Providing a spectacle, learning experience and showcase for local products has proved a popular addition to the already bustling Saturday morning marketplace. It has also provided Slow Food Buffalo with a platform in which to spread the word about preserving foodways, promoting sustainable agriculture, protecting “endangered” ingredients and rebuilding the WNY food system.
With over 1,300 farms in Erie County alone, isn't it about time you started eating local? Judy Einach of NYSAWG recently told Buffalo Rising that studies have been done that show that when citizens convert their grocery budget to include only 1% locally grown products, struggling farmers see a 5% increase in profits. Improving our regional economy is only one of the many positive effects of "eating locally".
To learn more about Slow Food Buffalo, visit their website. The schedule for Elmwood-Bidwell's Cooking Demonstrations is below. There are still a few spots available for local chefs interested in participating. Email Jo'el for more information.
See you at the market!
Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market Cooking Demo Schedule
May
31: Chefs Kevin and JJ Richert, Torches, Kenmore Avenue (Kenmore)
June
7: Chef Bruce Wieszala, O’Connell’s American Bistro, Kenmore Avenue (Kenmore)
14: Chef Avi Altman, Obviously Avi Catering (Buffalo)
21: Chefs Kevin and JJ Richert, Torches, Kenmore Avenue (Kenmore)
28: Chef JJ Richert, Torches, Kenmore Avenue (Kenmore) and Chef Chris Salvati, Ristorante Lombardo, Hertel Avenue (Buffalo)
July
12: Chef Adam Goetz, SAMPLE Restaurant, Allen Street (Buffalo)
19: Sous Chef Nicole Roarke, Trattoria Aroma, Bryant Street (Buffalo)
26: Chef Avi Altman, Obviously Avi Catering (Buffalo)
August
9: Sous Chef Nicole Roarke, Trattoria Aroma, Bryant Street (Buffalo) Tentative
16: Chef Bill Metzgar, Acme Personal Chef Service (Grand Island)
30: Chef Adam Goetz, SAMPLE Restaurant, Allen Street (Buffalo)
September
6: Chef Christopher Daigler, Oliver's Restaurant, Delaware Avenue (Buffalo)
13: Chef Bruce Wieszala, O’Connell’s American Bistro, Kenmore Avenue (Kenmore)
27: Chefs Kevin and JJ Richert, Torches, Kenmore Avenue (Kenmore)
October
4: Chef Avi Altman, Obviously Avi Catering (Buffalo)
18: Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market Harvest Festival
What Others Have To Say
What Do You Think?
Related Articles
-
Papa Jake's Saloon
A corner joint needn't be a dive.
And Papa Jake's doesn't make its patrons choose between a laid-back bar atmosphere and delicious, fresh food. Scott Leary, the new owner of Papa Jake’s Saloon on Elmwood, knows how to provide casual comfort and a very satisfying dining experience.
“We don’t take shortcuts here at Papa Jake’s,” Leary says. He proves this with Papa Jake’s fresh and tasty menu. “I don’t want to call this a late night menu, because we have amaz … - Dec 17th 2008, 6:34am
- Continue Reading
- 6 Comments
-
Gimme a (coffee) break
With the opening of more and more coffee houses downtown, some people wonder if Buffalo is really a coffee town. Buffalo is the original coffee town!
The "coffee break" which is taken for granted as a standard part of any work day has only been around for about a hundred years. Coffee culture has continued to flourish in this country and the espresso boom of the Pacific Northwest in the 1990s has seen to it that every other gas station in America now has a barista on staff. Perha … - Dec 8th 2008, 11:47am
- Continue Reading
- 3 Comments
-
Sea Bar-City
It's great to see stylish, hip, new restaurants pop up downtown such as Sea Bar on Ellicott Street, which specializes in contemporary Japanese food. A clean ultra-modern space, Sea Bar’s dining room is quaint and inviting. The sleek sushi bar has counter seating and the wet bar, with beer, sake, and wine, has at least 10 sakes to choose from on any given night. We were happy to try a Sojitio, a sake mojito, which had the right amount of mint without too much sweetness.
Sea B … - Dec 2nd 2008, 9:49am
- Continue Reading
- 6 Comments
-
Dinosaur Stalks Buffalo!!
Ten years ago, the downtown of My Fair City was forever altered when a Big Dinosaur appeared on the scene. Thankfully—unlike 1950’s Tokyo—when this dino showed up our downtown wasn’t flattened, but considerably improved. Dinosaur Bar B Que, a restaurant that originated in downtown Syracuse in the 1980’s, planted its foot in downtown Rochester in 1998. It was an instant hit—it’s common to have a line waiting to get in at all times. And it’s clearly Hog Heaven— … - Nov 21st 2008, 9:05am
- Continue Reading
- 50 Comments
Comment Options
rdominguez
I haven't eaten dinner yet, and this post is making me salivate. How delicious, and bravo to Slow Food Buffalo for organizing this.
Report this
salamooch
Do the chefs know what they're making ahead of time or is it like improvise with the ingredients at the market? Also, does the White Cow Dairy sell RAW milk?
Report this
mepolo
What a great idea! I might have to suck it up & drive into the city on a Saturday to check the cooking demos out...and get some of that leek sauce from White Cow. btw Christa - the link to the arancini info is great! I checked out a bit of that site just now, I think I'm hooked...what a very cool site! Thanks for sharing!
Report this
ChristaSeychew
salamooch,
They've left that up to the chefs. Some chefs are coming the week before and scoping out the goods, others are preparing their plates on the fly. The variation in available products from week to week makes it a challenge either way.
You can contact White Cow Dairy by emailing them. I'll send you their email privately through BR's messaging system so they don't get spammed to death. In NYS you can only sell raw milk on the premises of your farm (and even then its dicey). I'm not sure if Patrick does that or not, but I can send you some other resources if you're up for a country drive.
mepolo,
You're welcome. There are so many great food sites and blogs out there!
Report this
mepolo
Christa....don't I know it....I spend way more time than I should checking them out! lol
Report this