However, there’s a movement out there of craft shows featuring young artisans (the 20-40 crowd) selling cool, unique and homemade clothes, jewelry, note-cards, t-shirts, handbags, photography etc.

I went to one yesterday at the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti called the Shadow Art Fair. I ended up buying wrapping paper made out of recycled bingo cards, a ”Made in Michigan” t-shirt for my sister in-law who now lives in Colorado (we’re going to include it in a local product gift-basket we’re putting together for her for Christmas) a funky, irreverant santa night-light for my brother’s new house and a set of “Hoppy Birthday” beer-themed note cards .

The best part?

After doing a little holiday shopping I was able to sit down, have a smoked turkey and gouda sandwich on Zingermann’s french bread and top it off with an Espresso Love stout.

Okay,  so my vision of the traditional craft show is probably exaggerated. But you’ve gotta admit, this still had to have been much more fun.  

I think they should hold an event like this here in Monroe next year. Maybe it could be sponsored by Cafe Classics and the Monroe Art Gallery. What do  you think?

Check it out: http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2007/11/localvore.html

- Rex Halfpenny, Editor, “Michigan Beer Guide”
(Click here for more of Rex’s thoughts on food, beer and community)

Next to local food, local beer is another topic that I get pretty excited about. I’ll be the first to admit that at this point in my life I’m probably, overall, much more conscientious about my beer purchasing decisions than I am about my food decisions. But, as you know,  over the past six months or so Kevin and I have been trying to make a deliberate effort to eat more locally and sustainably produced food. There’s actually a term for this movement that seems to be really be catching on: slow food. The Slow Food International website defines the movement as :

“[A]broad cultural shift away from the destructive effects of an industrial food system and fast life; toward the regenerative cultural, social and economic benefits of a sustainable food system, regional food traditions, the pleasures of the table, and a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life.”

This past Thursday, these two beautiful worlds of local food and local beer happily united at “Drink and Think,” a slow food and craft beer dinner hosted by Slow Food Detroit.

The event was held at Detroit Beer Company. It was hosted by Melinda Curtis, the founder and director of Slow Food Detroit. Over a three-hour period we were treated to a three-course meal featuring locally produced food, skillfully prepared by Reggie Emerson, the executive chef at Detroit Beer Company. Each course was expertly paired with Detroit Beer Co. beers crafted by head brewer, Kevin Rogers. And, last but certainly not least, we were guided through the sensory world of beer and food tasting (not to mention an educational and engaging whirlwind of fascinating beer history and facts) by Rex Halfpenny, editor of Michigan Beer Guide - one of our favorite beer geeks - and perhaps the premiere beer guru in the state.

Our meal began with a salad of chilled pear halves stuffed with cherries and almond cream cheese, served on a bed of mixed greens, drizzled with a raspberry
vinegarette and garnished with dollops of the cream cheese lined with plump Michigan blueberries. The salad was paired with the Broadway Light, a traditional german pilsner . This was an excellent choice to begin the meal because it provided a nice starting point for those new to the world of craft beer - since it’s what most people think of when they think of traditional American beer. It was also a great choice becuase the dry, crisp and clean taste balanced the the tangy sweetness of the cherries and the vinaigrette.

Our entree consisted of a generous portion of fresh Great Lakes whitefish encrusted withTraverse City walnuts, a Michigan cherry sauce, a side of roasted parsnips and potatos, and a sweet potato chip garnish. I’m very picky when it comes to fish and if it is too “fishy tasting” (which is usually a sign that it’s not fresh… and I come across this at a lot of restaurants) I won’t eat it. The fish was perfect - delicate, mild and flaky. This course was paired with the Detroit Dwarf, an award winning beer named after a local mythological creature. Perhaps even more interesting than the legend of the name behind the beer is the mystery shrouding the beer itself. Rex informed us that the beer was a unique style called”zwicker” which really means that it doesn’t fit into any of the traditional style categories. He described it as a young lager/ale hybrid and informed us that the category in which it won an award at the Great American Beer Festival was “Beer made with yeast.” This is funny considering that’s the the equivalent of winning a cheese competition in the category of “cheese made with milk.” Regardless of the enigmatic nature of the beer itself, the preciseness with which this beer was paired with the food was self-evident. The warm roasted caramel notes of the Dwarf complemented the soft nuttiness of the whitefish and the earthiness of the roasted root vegetables.

The meal was topped of with dessert consisting of warm doughnuts from a local cider mill and Detroit Beer company stout ice-cream garnished with a bit of the roasted barley malt used in the stout. This was paired with samples of the Brown Ale and the seasonal Pumpkin Ale. The toasted notes of the Brown Ale complemented the hints of caramel and chocolate in the ice cream while the spiciness and the slight tangyness of the pumpkin ale paired well with the cinnamon-sugar coated doughnuts. I must admit that while I finished my samples of the beer, I just couldn’t bring myself to finish the ice cream and doughnuts. I was too full!

We finished off the evening with a much-needed (after all that great food) stroll down to the basement of the brewpub for a tour with Kevin Rogers, the brewer.

A dinner pairing local food and local beer. It may seem extravagent, or exotic, or just plain silly to some people. But when you really think about it, as Rex Halfpenny said, it’s what our ancestors did for centuries prior to the industrialization, mass-marketing of food and beer. Craft beer brewed by artisans paired with quality food that was produced by you or your neighbors was what most people ate and drank for thousands of years before the advent of McDonald’s and Miller Light. But along the way it’s been forgotten. Events like these are a nice way for us to slow down and think about where our food comes from and what goes into it. Who grows it? Who picks it? How was the Earth where it came from cared for during the process?

And then to match it with a centuries old beverage steeped in history and tradition and brewed with knowledge, love, and respect.

Finally… to sit down at the table with friends and family (or complete strangers in this case) and build relationships over the fun of experiencing flavors that these magical combinations can create. That’s what slow food and craft beer are really all about.

Okay…so I do still eat fast food occasionally. But when it all comes down to it… I’d take more experiences like this over a quarter pounder with cheese any day!

Slow Food Detroit is planning a beer and chocolate pairing for February. Check back for more info.

If they held it next Friday, I’d be much more inclined to go. I love that initial pang of Christmas anticipation (before the usual stress kicks in, of course) I get the day after Thanksgiving. And, while I boycott the whole “Black Friday” mass-consumption-holiday-kick-off-frenzy I’d be willing to reconsider and opt-in for some downtown Monroe shopping and festivities on my day off next Friday.

Is it just me or does anyone else out there think they should wait and hold the tree lighting the day after Thanksgiving? The same goes for the parade.

Someone told me that both used to take place the weekend after Thanksgiving. If so, why did they change it? Is this just another example the Christmas season creeping up earlier and earlier? If so, I don’t like it.

Did you know that the Monroe farmers Market is open year round? I guess I always knew this in the back of my mind. However, until Kevin and I started making a conscious effort to buy local produce when possible, I never paid that much attention to that fact 

It’s only open on Saturdays now from 6 a.m. to noon (it’s open on Saturdays and Tuesdays from June through October). They’ve also moved their farm stands into the building and of course, there are fewer farmers with goods to sell. However, when I was there today…the first time I’d been since early October (Kevin had been going on Tuesday mornings)…I was surprised at how much fresh local stuff you can still get in mid November! Carrots, onions, red, green and hot peppers, apples, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, tomatoes and of course  butternut, acorn squash and pumpkins. Probably lots of other stuff that I am forgetting.

It makes me realize I should take advantage of it while I still can. I don’t know what I’m going to do come January!

 I came across Stephanie’s cookies by chance. A friend of mine got married last weekend. She is from Bellville and her wedding was in Canton. However,  having  sampled one of Stephanie’s cakes at a bridal show, she decided to go with them for her wedding cake. 

 At the end of the reception last Saturday night my friend asked me if I’d be willing to return the cake stand during the week, since she’d be off on her honeymoom and since I already live in Monroe. “No problem!” I said.  Well…guess what? I forgot I even had the cake stand in my car until I opened my trunk LAST NIGHT.

Panicked, I rushed the cake stand back to the bakery this morning. All is well and my friend will get her deposit back!  And of course, while I was there I got to see and smell all of the other delicious baked goods they make.  So I went for the pumpkin cookie (I’m really into all things pumpkin right now).  I bought Kevin a peanut butter cookie with a crumbled reese’s peanut butter cup on top.

It’s almost a shame that their name is “Cakes by Stephanie” because they do so much more than just cake! And now I’m glad that I know. Or maybe I’m not… this could be dangerous.

Upon closer inspection, I’ve found that, while well-meaning and a great first step, there seems to be one flaw in  in how they are promoting this.

The problem, in my opinion, is this: the focus seems to be on getting people to buy from businesses - any businesses - located in Monroe County rather than going to Detroit, Ann Arbor or Toledo without clarifying that it would be best to buy from a locally owned and operated businesses, rather than from a chain.

Example? One business highlighted in the video was Tim Horton’s. Now I’m not trying to pick on Tim Horton’s. And I will admit that, for some reason they really do have great coffee that I occaisionally get a craving for which must be satisfied. However, if I’m going to meet someone for coffee or a sandwich, or buy donuts, I usually try to go to Cafe Classics, Village Bistro or Monica’s Baker Boy, instead of Tim Horton’s which is an international chain. Why weren’t any of these businesses highlighted as opposed to Tim Horton’s?

True, the two Tim Horton’s stores in Monroe are franchises, and although I don’t know quite how it works, they are probably independently owned and operated by a local franchisee. And they do provide jobs to local folks. Still, I would bet that a bigger chunk of their profits goes to the international corporation that owns Tim Hortons (in 1995 they merged with Wendy’s International, Inc.) while a greater percentage of the profits would stay in Michigan one was to buy from a home-grown business.

More importantly, highlighting Tim Horton’s in the video sends the wrong message: As long you go to a Tim Horton’s in Monroe County rather than a Tim Horton’s in Detroit, Toledo, Ann Arbor, or Canada then you are buying local.

If this is the case then where does it stop? Is it then acceptable to shop at McDonalds or Wal-Mart, or dine at Applebees or Ruby Tuesdays as long as it’s in Monroe County and still feel like you are supporting your local businesses?

This may seem obvious to some people but I for others it’s not so apparent. When Kevin and I were doing our local food challenge in June someone actually said to Kevin “Well, McDonald’s is local right?” I’m not kidding.

I was also sad to see that the Monroe Farmers Market was not highlighted in the video.

Like I said before, overall I think it’s a good campaign. I just worry that it could be misleading to some people who haven’t ever thought about what it means to buy local.  

He was joking, of course. The Monroe Chamber of Commerce hadn’t stolen my idea. They had just caught on to what communities around the country (or at least in Michigan), little by little are already catching on to…a good way to infuse money into the local economy is to encourage members of the community to shop at locally owned businesses rather than just going to big-box chain stores. I can’t take credit for it. But I was happy nonetheless that the Chamber of Commerce in Monroe is catching on.

One thing that I do always appreciate about the end of summer in Monroe, is of course the River Raisin Jazz Festival. This festival is probably one of the best events in Monore. I’d dare to say that it’s probably the only event that draws such a large number of non-locals to Monroe. That’s a great thing.  

I have to confess that I’m actually not a big fan of the type of jazz they feature at the festival. I like jazz but I prefer old-school jazz like John Coletrane,  and Miles Davis and classic vocal jazz musicians like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. I can’t really get into the smooth poppy-jazz that’s highlighted at our festival.

Nonetheless, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Or at least I wouldn’t miss just being down-town on Jazz Festival weekend - to people watch and to just feel like you’re really a part of something big happening.

What I like even more than the Jazz Festival is the Art Festival that’s been held for the past three years down at Lorenger Square. I’d have to say that some of the beste art this year were pottery pieces by students from Monroe County Community College and Henry Ford Community College.

My favorite artist this year was Angie Ouelette-Tower of Bedford who carves out organically grown gourdes into the coolest things. You can check out Angie’s work here, although I don’t think the photos do it justice.  I ended up buying a cool purse made out of a pumpkin gourde. I’m not even that big of a shopper but when I see something cool and unique like this, I usually will splurge a little to buy it. You can keep your Prada. I’ll take my gourde bag any day of the week.

What’s even better about the Art Fair is that now that the Lorenger Square gazebo has been built you can get a nice taste of the jazz festival as you peruse the booths. I think I actually preferred the music at the gazebo better than the headlining acts at St. Mary’s Park. While we were there, there was a singer performing old standards.

I’m glad to see that both the Jazz Festival and the Art Fair continue to grow year after year. It makes me proud of Monroe.

We were hoping to get a good crowd, like around 20-30 people.

I would guess that we had around 80 people throughout the course of the night…on a Tuesday….during Fair week….on demolition derby night!

I brought my camera to the event but, sadly, it was so busy (I was selling tickets and Kevin was pouring samples) that I only ended up taking two pictures the entire night.

Here’s one of Kevin doing his thing:

And here’s the other of Rene (who was a big help with the design of the flyer for the event) and Aaron (our resident taster) from the Monroe Evening News!

Although I never managed to get a picture of him, I wanted to give a big shout-out to Rob (our very own TechBox blogger).

Rob found out about the event after e-mailing me about my Michigan Beer Trip blog posts. I tipped him off to our plans for a Michigan Beer Tasting event and he ran with it. I’m pretty sure getting an article on in the MEN prior to the event was his doing and was one of the reasons we had such a great turn-out. And Rob was willing, on a moments notice, to help pour beer.

Plus… Kevin and I have met some cool new local craft beer geeks like us which we’re pretty excited about.

But most of all, we’re excited about the fact that this event proved that people in Monroe love great, locally brewed beer. We’re hoping that local bar owners will keep all of us beer-lovers in mind as they make their future purchasing decisions and possibly plan future Michigan beer events.

And…since this year’s event was such a success…I can’t wait to see how it goes next year.