Spellabella

Got the location, need the direction

2010-11-24T10:24:00.000-05:00

Macy's was buzzing that mild, sunny Saturday afternoon. The store in downtown Chicago had just completed the annual lighting of the Christmas tree in the Walnut Room, so shoppers were streaming and jostling in and out. We had to move fast to avoid being stepped on.

As we entered, I spotted a sign on the door referencing Facebook Places. I had spent several days researching Places vs. Foursquare recently for a client, so I was eager to check in and check it out.

We found a safe spot to stop in cosmetics, and I logged in. I waited. Nothing. We rode the escalators up to see the tree on the eighth floor. I checked my phone again. Nothing. I went to Places and checked in at Macy's again. Nothing. We admired the tree, and I checked my phone again. Nothing.

I asked a salesperson about the special deal for checking in on Facebook Places. She asked someone else, and they sent us to customer service on the first floor. We asked the staffers there. Blank look in response. I showed them my phone. They called upstairs.

The manager had heard of Facebook Places, but she didn't know what we should get for checking in. To his credit, the very kind customer service staffer walked all the way to an entrance with us to see the sign. There it was, on all the doors, vaguely encouraging shoppers to check in for deals. "There must not be a deal right now," he said.

We did a lot of waiting and wandering and checking that day. I chalked it up to research. But I doubt I'll conduct that experiment again.

Two days earlier, my sister had sent out an email: She had received a free pair of jeans from Gap in a Facebook Places promotion. I'll try that down the street, I thought. So I checked in at Gap. Nothing. I waited. Nothing. I checked my phone again. Nothing. I decided I had better things to do in Chicago.

I asked my sister later how she'd received notice that she had earned free jeans. Did she get a text? An email? A Facebook notification? No, she said. She was in the Gap and asked a clerk about the deal...and they simply gave her a pair of jeans. No check-in required. Well that explains that. Sort of.

I was still hopeful for a deal when I was at JCPenneys last week. I was trying on a pair of shoes when I heard an announcement on the loudspeaker. Text JCP to xxxxxx and receive special offers! I did it on the spot. What timing, I thought! These shoes are looking even better! I checked my messages. I was asked to text the letter Y to another number. I did. I waited. I checked my phone. Nothing. I tried on some more shoes. I checked my phone. Nothing. Five stores later, I checked my phone again: I was now enrolled to receive special offers via text. But there was no deal. Not then, and not yet, a week later.

Each of these campaigns seems to have missed an essential element: execution. Worse, they got what they wanted--their names on my Facebook feed, access to my text messaging. And what did I get? You might know the refrain by now: Nothing.

Yes, location-based marketing and mobile marketing are new territory in which it's easy to get lost. But when you promote something, it's still important to educate your staff about the offer and to be able to deliver what the consumer expects. Or soon, the customer will expect nothing. And that's not a good place in which to be.

2010-11-01T11:05:00.000-04:00

15 Meaty Tips on Social Media Strategy

I had the good fortune to attend the Innovation Summit 2010 at the Indiana Convention Center last Wednesday.

The brain power in the building was impressive: venture capitalists, tech whiz-kids, business gurus and research powerhouses. There was an augmented reality flying whirligig from Ball State; a pen with a built-in scroll from Indiana University; and at lunch some very salty yet very dry chicken trying to hide under breading and gravy.

But the real meat of the program for me was the ExactTarget panel on social media, moderated by Tim Kopp, Chief Marketing Officer at ExactTarget, and including Jay Baer, social media consultant, speaker and author and president of Convince and Convert; John Lopes, Chief Marketing Officer of Andretti Green Racing; and Chris Baggott, cofounder/CEO of Compendium.

Though paraphrased and slightly out of order, here are some of their timely points as food for thought (much better than chicken):

1. The goal is not to be good at social media, but to be good at business because of social media.

2. Tracking "number of followers" is like collecting baseball cards: How many do you have? More important is, how many read what you post? Social media is about activating people. Creating advocacy. Get people who like you to be active on your behalf.

3. Engaging followers and fans requires an intimacy; it means offering them an exclusive, something they can't get anywhere else.

4. People want to buy stuff from people whom they like and trust, and social media gives you a chance to do that. Social media is branding 2.0: It feels personal and human, and drives loyalty.

5. B2B businesses have an advantage—they already have relationships with people and interact with them like humans.

6. Today, 83 percent of web traffic comes from search. People are unplugging, saying they can't parse all of the invitations to connect. They are trained to ignore marketing. The thought is: When I have a problem, I will type words into a box; someone had better show up and make an offer. Customers control the message, and they want it on-demand.

7. You solve a problem or you don't exist. Tell a story about how people have benefitted. Tell the story of how what you do is useful, has benefit.

8. One of the greatest selling tactics is the similar story. Social media give you lots of similar-situation stories being told.

9. If no one is searching for you, you have to create stories that give them something to talk about. Social chatter. You have to make your own content and make it super search-oriented.

10. The content creation strategy is to always make it bigger than the category that you're in. No company is so interesting that they can write only about their stuff. It's not about the company, it's about the movement.

11. It’s forcing marketers outside of their comfort zone. You have to give them something extra to create that stickiness. If you hold back you're going to lose market share.

12. And if you can be hyper-relevant, you will succeed. In an opt-in culture, people don't look until they need.

13. Every company is becoming its own TV station, its own magazine. Media used to be the middle man. But the middle is fading away quickly. Now, everybody in a company is in marketing and customer service.

14. Social media doesn't create negativity; it just puts a magnifying glass on it. It shines a light on those experiences and allows you to address it. If you're not there participating, you're at the mercy of the haters.

15. Your brand is the sum of the conversations about you. Social media is where those conversations are being held.

Notable is the fact that this discussion, held at the Techpoint Innovation Summit, didn't touch on platforms or tools. It talked about talking--innovations in communicating. If you don't know how your audience expects to communicate now, the platforms, tools and technology are just gravy.

Too flashy

2010-10-21T11:18:00.000-04:00

If a site won’t open in the Apple forest, does it make a sound?

This appeared recently as a news story in the Wall Street Journal:

“As the critical holiday shopping season approaches, an ongoing software feud between Apple Inc. and Adobe Systems Inc. is frustrating some U.S. retailers.

Purveyors of high-end clothing and accessories have spent extravagantly to enliven their e-commerce websites with video and animation that run on Adobe's pervasive Flash technology. Even mid-tier retailers such as Macy's have invested in Flash technology to spice up their online storefronts.

Apple, however, refuses to support Flash technology on its mobile Web browser. As a result, some of those websites don't function properly on Apple's iPhone and iPad tablet computer, interfering with retailers' sizzle…”
Some Flashy Retail Sites Come Up Short on the iPad, 10/20/10 by Rachel Dodes and Yukari Iwatani Kane

Apparently the fact that Flash doesn’t work on Apple products still is news to some, even though the Flash/Apple battle has only escalated since last spring.

Wherever one stands on the platform, the fact remains for now that if you want to build your site in Flash, you have to give up a big bite of the Apple audience. That’s a fairly huge decision to make, and it happens in the conception stage—way before you take an idea to a web designer or programmer and ask him or her to execute.

Building or redesigning a website may seem to be about text and photos and links and features, but underpinning all of that are some crucial technological choices that may make your gorgeous site impossible to find in a search; impossible to open on certain technology; or so slow to load that it annoys would-be users.

Would you develop the most clever, focus-group-approved, message-appropriate, call-to-action national TV commercial ever and try to film it using your kid’s Fisher Price video camera that won’t fully download to editing equipment?

On-page content…images…intra-site links…keywords…page titles…tagging…metadata: They should be a part of the same creative conversation from the start. Or a great idea might be a flash in the pan.

My latest in the Chicago Sun Times

2010-10-13T10:23:00.000-04:00

Below is my latest story in the Chicago Sun-Times, a little edited but awesome to see in "print" nonetheless. And awesome to write. There are few things I love more than meeting people who are as passionate as I about food, wine and all the culture/pride in craftsmanship/history/community that goes with it.

Secrets of the food pros
Chicago purveyors answer their most-asked questions

October 13, 2010
BY JULIANNE WILL

Have you ever eaten raw shrimp on accident? Opened a new cheese for a cocktail party only to find it’s the stinky kind? Wound up with too few steaks at your cookout or rubbed them with spices so strong your guests sneezed until they went home?

Some specialty foods and beverages are challenging. There’s a certain level of knowledge required to choose a wine or cheese, meat or seafood, and there’s a certain cost — we really don’t want to mess up those purchases.

Never fear. We’ve sought out the experts and asked some of those never-a-dumb questions for you. Don’t be shy — each pro we talked to has been asked every question in the book. They’ve seen it all . . . including the man who went home and ate his shrimp raw.

Here, a few things to know before you shop, based on the most-asked questions from six Chicago specialty retailers.

Meat
How much do I need?

Buy a pound per person if it’s a bone-in cut; a 1/2 pound per person for boneless cuts.

Those are generous portions — if you’re serving light eaters, figure 14 ounces per person, bone-in; 6 ounces without.

Buy 1½ sausages per person, unless they’re all women or children; in that case, one per person should be enough. With chicken, allow for 4 ounces per person.

Your question for the butchers at Paulina Meat Market, 3501 N. Lincoln, will elicit a whole lot of questions in return: What are you using it for? What else are you serving?

“It’s all about preparing the item from beginning to end,” says Bill Begale, who started at Paulina as a butcher and is now owner of the full-service meat shop and gourmet market in Lake View.

If you’re trying something new, bring in the recipe, Begale says, and the butchers can tell you what you need based on the picture.

Stuck at home with a question? Go to Paulina’s Ask a Butcher service online at paulinameatmarket.com and get a response from a real butcher.

The newest common question at Paulina: Where does your meat come from?

All of the meat at Paulina is humanely treated and locally raised (with the exception of the lamb, which is from Colorado), Begale says. And yes to your next question: Paulina grinds its own meat.

Seafood
How do you cook it?

That depends on what you’re buying. Isaacson and Stein Seafood, 800 W. Fulton Market, has recipe cards at the counters that tell customers how to cook most items they sell.

Customers’ questions about preparation are followed in short order by “When did it come in?” and “Where is it from?,” says operations manager John Poulos.

The shop gets fish in fresh on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. “Wednesday is a good day,” Poulos says, “because we have a big container of seafood come in from the Mediterranean.”

The store also gets shipments from Alaska, Hawaii, Ecuador, shrimp from Nigeria that weigh in at a half-pound each, and salmon from New Brunswick, Canada.

Because of that diversity, the oil spill in the Gulf this summer didn’t affect the store’s supply, he says. Shrimp prices went up a few dollars, but the shop’s oysters are from the East Coast.

Poulos recalls one customer who had purchased a package of brown shrimp from Brownsville, Texas. Soon after, the man brought it back in and said it was no good. The staff asked a few questions about what he did with the shrimp, to which he replied that he took it home and started eating it. He thought it was cooked.

The staff explained that the shrimp was raw and that he did need to peel and de-vein it before cooking, Poulos says. Clearly, there is something to fear more than asking a “dumb” question.

Just wine
What’s a good wine?

The answer? More questions. How the wine is to be enjoyed? Are you having food with the wine or is it an aperitif? The weather also is a factor.

Yes, your visit to Perman Wine Selections, 802 W. Washington, may start with a bunch of questions — not yours, but questions from owner Craig Perman.

“This isn’t a test,” he says. “I just want to get as much information out of them in order to get that right bottle in their hands.”

For the novice wine buyer, one piece of information, however, is key: “Try and remember the name — including producer name and wine name — of one or two favorite wines,” Perman says, and even a few you don’t like.

If you can share this information with a wine expert, he or she can help you find — or steer clear of — something similar.

“This is very important, because most people use wine terminology differently,” Perman says. “Sweet and fruity is a classic example. People may call a certain Sauvignon Blanc sweet, and then say they don’t like this.

“In reality, while some Sauvignon Blancs technically do contain a bit of residual sugar, the majority are considered dry, but with an overt fruitiness that the consumer terms sweet.”

Wine and cheese
What wine goes with what cheese?

A crisp, dry Spanish rose served alongside fresh goat cheese with herbs de Provence and green Picholine olives is a classic pairing.

Buying the right cheese is challenging enough. Buying cheese and wine together is another thing entirely, says Greg O’Neill, founder and owner of gourmet food shop Pastoral with Ken Miller. For many customers, “putting the two together is the height of uneasiness,” he says.

That’s why Pastoral offers “TLC” service at its three Chicago shops: tasting, learning and converting. They offer a tasting of the week and post it in their stores, on their blog and on their Facebook page so customers can try their recommendations.

As for learning: Staffers describe the family farms and small producers who supply Pastoral. “We want [customers] to understand . . . what goes into making it and what makes it so special,” O’Neill says. The store also offers classes.

Pastoral is a particularly valuable resource for world-be hosts. “We carry things that work well together,” O’Neill says, such as baguettes and olives. “We try to send them home with the whole package.”

Coffee
How should I store it? In the freezer?

The best way to store your coffee is at room temperature, away from direct sunlight and in an airtight container. If your coffee comes in a bag with a one-way valve, you can keep it in that bag on the counter.

For coffee, freshness is imperative.

“That’s the reason we won’t sell coffee at our store that’s over a week past the roast date,” says Seth J.A. Alexander, general manager of Metropolis Coffee Company, 1039 W. Granville.

Even the best bag of coffee will lose something with the passing of time. If it’s more than six months old — or if it’s been stored improperly — the flavors will be compromised or depleted, Alexander says.

And no, you should never store coffee in the freezer. “It’s going to start tasting like whatever you have with it in the freezer, and nobody wants that,” he says.

Rather, you want to taste your coffee in all its bright or bold glory. Each varietal has a unique flavor that can range from a rich earthiness to sparkling citrus. Alexander suggests trying different kinds, especially light roasts.

“You might find certain growing regions that you prefer over others, or certain characteristics that you like,” he says.

Spices
What is good on steak?

The No. 1 seller at the Spice House (five locations in Chicago and Milwaukee) is Back of the Yards Garlic Pepper Butcher’s Rub. The coarse-cut seasoning rub has two particle sizes of garlic and two of black pepper; each releases its flavor during different stages of cooking.

Put it on steaks before grilling or broiling, approximately 1 teaspoon per pound. The blend contains black Tellicherry pepper (ground in-house), garlic, kosher flake salt, sugar, red bell peppers, shallots and parsley. It’s $1.89 per ounce, or 4 ounces for $5.29.

The most frequent question at the Spice House might be about steak, but many other questions usually follow (How long does dill last? What’s the difference between these three types of cinnamon?).

Staffers are culinary school grads and foodies eager to help.

“I try to direct my staff to assume every person walking into the shop does not know how it works, and to make them feel at home,” says Patty Erd, who owns the business with her husband, Tom.

Staffers can measure portions as small as an ounce into a plastic bag or, for longer storage, into a glass shaker. Ground spices, blends and seasonings have a one-year shelf life.

“Old spices will not make you sick, they just will not deliver any flavor to your food,” Erd says.

Julianne Will is a local free-lance writer.

JUST GOOGLE IT
Chicken and coffee are on the minds and likely in the kitchens of many Chicago area cooks, according to Google. Here are the search engine’s fastest rising food- and drink-related search terms in 2010.

Food
1. Chicken
2. Zucchini bread
3. Guacamole
4. Pizza
5. Bruschetta
6. Cake
7. Wings
8. Pie
9. Pasta
10. Cookies

Non-alcoholic beverages
1. Acai
2. Frappe
3. Macchiato
4. Smoothie
5. Tea
6. Pepsi
7. Coke
8. Kombucha
9. Frappuccino
10. Pomegranate

Source: Google's Insights for Search

Did ya leave the light on?

2010-10-11T20:51:00.001-04:00

With that one catchy phrase--"We'll leave the light on for ya"--Motel 6 went from just another cheap chain on the cloverleaf to the friendly outpost waiting for your weary family with smiles and an extra clean towel any time you decided to drop by.

It's a great analogy for the commitment that establishing a social media site requires. When you set up and publicize a Twitter account, a Facebook page, a blog, you're inviting people to come on by.

But then you need to be there when they come by--you need to leave the light on.

If they visit once and find no one there--no new content, no conversation--they might assume they just missed you. If they visit twice and find no one there, they might start to question the sincerity of your invitation to drop on by. If they swing by a third time and there's no sign of life, they're going to be annoyed that they wasted their time trying to see you. And that might be worse than never issuing the invitation at all.

So keep your sites updated. Leave the light on. If the investment of time is too great and your electricity bill is skyrocketing, close down that location until you can commit to a grand reopening. Or shutter the site for good and concentrate your efforts on only those properties that you can manage.

Yes, this post is riddled with hypocrisy. As you can see from my last post, my blog bulb is a little dim. (Commence with the dim bulb jokes.) But because this is a property that I want to invest in, I'm planning instead to shut down my Twitter site. I manage several business Twitter accounts, so when it comes to my own, I'm less inclined to sit on the porch and stay a while. I'm also going to close down my Foursquare account. If anyone was looking for me there, they'd have to fumble around in the pitch black.

Meanwhile, I'm upping the wattage on my LinkedIn page, adding some disco ball sparkle to my Facebook page, and I intend to string Christmas lights on my website at www.juliannewill.com. Shoot me a note at julianne@juliannewill.com if you'd like to hang out with me over at my home on Facebook. I'll not only leave the light on, I'll make you a plate of cookies, too.

Because it's important to make the guests you've invited feel welcome. If you build a social media site, keep it up. Go make Tom Bodett proud.

Moving dollars to turn on a dime

2010-09-15T10:00:00.002-04:00

What are you going to be doing six weeks from right now?

Not sure? What about six months from right now?

You wouldn't be the only one with a blank look and an empty calendar.

Consumers and clients increasingly are making decisions at the last minute. An uncertain economy and instant Internet availability have trained us all to wait and see--if we can afford it, if we need it, if we can get a better deal.

But how do you influence a decision that is based on a changing climate when you have to allocate marketing dollars to craft your message way in advance?

You don't.

In this video, Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz clearly articulates--from a media-buying perspective--why his company is moving ad dollars to social media. And he describes why in the context of a changing economic and social climate that I believe is only going to accelerate, making social media even more imperative for businesses to embrace.

Watch the video and consider the implications for your own business.

Consider how quickly deadlines change that could affect your clients' operations and their need for your products or services.

Consider how fast your customers' personal economic situations change, compressing their buying and selling decisions on major purchases from years or months to weeks or days.

Consider how they make plans for the weekend: Are they laying it all out on a calendar for the month, or are they responding to events and options they spot that Thursday or Friday on Facebook and Twitter?

Then consider how you want to tailor your message to these decision-making processes. Don't you want your message to reflect the same set of factors that are influencing your customers' decisions? Of course!

So if your customers' decisions are the result of assessing factors compressed into just a few weeks, days or hours, don't you want to have the flexibility to tailor your message to the same window of factors within weeks, days or even hours?

Social media turns on a dime. Increasingly, client and consumer spending does, too. Just ask Mr. Katz. Have you booked your Christmas ski vacation yet?

Thank you to Michael Gass, whom I follow on Twitter, for bringing this video to my attention.

Who Really Knows?

2010-08-25T20:14:00.000-04:00

The difference between “who” and “whom” confuses many a writer or speaker. Knowing when to use which can be complicated. But an editor friend years ago offered an oh-so-easy way to check your choice.

When you get to the “who” or “whom” part of your sentence, insert a pronoun and see whether the subjective or objective works. Take the prepositional phrase “for whom the bell tolls,” for example. Turn the sentence around to put in the masculine pronoun: “the bell tolls for him.” Notice both “whom” and “him” end in “m”?

That objective pronoun, “him,” is clearly correct when compared with the subjective pronoun, “he.” Could the bell really toll for he?

Now, as you know, “him” and “her” go together (as opposed to “him” and “she”), right? So if you think maybe you should use “whom,” try the sentence with “him” (or “her”) and see whether it works.

Here’s an example requiring “who.”

“The girl who cleaned up the kitchen yesterday may be excused today.”

Why do you use “who” here? Because the pronoun taking the place of “the girl” would be “she.” “She cleaned up the kitchen yesterday.” It’s subjective—the pronoun is the subject of the sentence. “She” goes with “he,” and there is no “m,” so there is no “”whom.”

Of course, then we get into a discussion about when to use “who” rather than “that.” I’ll explain that on my blog one day for those who are unsure. Of course, my editing services are always available for those to whom this remains a mystery.

Like math, only I actually get it

2010-08-17T10:49:00.000-04:00

Copy editing is lot like math, I think, without all those pesky numbers.

I was recently hired to copy edit a new magazine out of Florida. As I made my way through the files, I remembered how much I like copy editing and why.

It's largely black-and-white. There are clear rules for grammar, punctuation and word usage. (Thank you, Associated Press Stylebook.) I don't have to think long and hard about how to say something concisely and creatively, as I do when I am writing. Rather, there is one right way to do things...little thought required.

I find this soothing. Simple. Cathartic. I enjoy diving into a story and setting everything right. I know how to fix it. If I'm not sure about a fact, I look it up. (Thank you, Google.) I love to put end punctuation in its proper place when it's used with quotation marks. I love the challenge of turning a sentence around when I spot a dangling modifier. I love to correct improper uses of "that," "who" or "whom."

Most of all, I love the satisfaction that comes from looking at the final product and knowing that it's clean--much like the feeling I enjoy after tackling the kitchen with Lysol and paper towels post-baking project.

I struggle mightily with math. Somehow, I don't seem to come up with the right answer very often. But give me words, and I can organize them, punctuate them, use them according to the rules. I can make things right. (Thank you, perfectionism.) It all adds up to very satisfying work.

Marcia made me do it

2010-08-10T09:20:00.000-04:00

I am guilty as charged.

I am the painter whose walls at home are nicked and chipped. I am the landscaper whose yard is overrun by weeds. I am the chef who eats a frozen dinner every night.

I am a social media consultant for full-time clients by day and freelance clients by night who never updates her own social media sites. After being witty and engaging and sharing all my best stuff on behalf of my clients 24-7, I find myself without the compulsion to say it again on behalf of myself.

But then my dear friend Marcia decided to launch a blog and came to me for advice. To answer her questions, I had to re-examine my own blog, set up long ago in a seeming fog. I needed to retrace my steps and explore new paths to blogger success based on developments I've learned in my growing social media practice. So here I am, blogging again after many months of slacking, after tweaking and testing and refreshing Spellabella. Instead of dropping the link from my email signature line, I might actually give 'em something to talk about, to quote an old Bonnie Raitt song.

Marcia, thanks for challenging my complacency. I am most happy when figuring things out, and performing surgery on the guts of my Blogger site while feeding vitamins to the SEO beast has been a happy challenge. Be sure to read Marcia's excellent work, by the way, on one of my favorite topics: nutrition. She is listed in my brand-spankin' new blogroll.

And watch for further updates here. I'm writing for the Chicago Sun-Times again, a story on buying specialty foods in Chicago. I'm also working on a profile of one of the world's most famous Napa winemakers for Sommelier Journal. I promise to post these and more, artfully identified with keywords and tabs and linked to from my Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts.

Marcia, thank you for wonderful lunches, even better conversation and the motivation to revive this blog. Now we're cookin' with gas.

In Shape Column: Professional resolve

2010-01-22T14:22:00.001-05:00

Published in Fort Wayne Magazine in January 2010

There’s something poetic about the fact that New Year’s resolutions come on the heels of heavy holiday feasting and New Year’s Eve debauchery.

At this time of year, it’s a little easier to feel motivated to live right. After days of cheesy potatoes and spiked cider and cookies and late nights and stress and excessive spending and a little pecan pie a la mode to take the edge off, you almost want to go to bed at 9 o’clock and wake up to chopped fruit and a jump rope.

While the memory of your last leftover ham-and-cheese sandwich is fresh in your mind and the urge to burn it off is strong, consider the New Year’s resolutions of the pros—the health professionals, that is, who make a living helping us live better.

They may have the expertise to identify healthy choices and firsthand experience with the opposite results, but that doesn’t mean they’re not always working to improve their own lifestyles.

Dr. Mark O’Shaughnessy, a cardiologist at Fort Wayne Cardiology, is board certified in both internal medicine and cardiovascular disease. He’s also a marathon runner. His resolution?

“To decrease my exercise (running) to only five days a week and to cross-train more,” he says. “Also, to stop keeping a running log, which is pretty addictive. I typically run more than I should.”

Not many of us can say that. Dr. O’Shaughnessy suggests that newbies simply add some exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes every day to their own lists of resolutions.

Marsha Worthington, a cardiology nurse for Fort Wayne Cardiology and torchbearer for America on the Move in Northeast Indiana, also suggested a resolution for the community at large: “Establish a new habit to meet your friends for an ‘exercise and talk’ vs. an ‘eat and talk’ time together,” she says. “Look for ways daily to put into practice eating less and moving more!”

Marsha has set some goals of her own, too: “To eat in response to hunger and to walk daily despite the weather,” she says.

Sally Scheumann, a nurse in St. Joseph Hospital’s wound clinic, has a weatherproof plan for 2010. “I’ve decided to dust off my Pilates DVDs and get back into a regular routine of completing those workouts,” Sally says. Her daughter Carley has decided to join Sally on her journey as coach and inspirational motivator.

Steve Smith, general manager and CEO of Allied Physicians Inc., says his first resolution is a carryover from 2009: Have more fun! And Steve does, he says, every day.

His second goal is to “read something every month other than business, economics, legal or the news—to read for pleasure instead of need-to-know.”

Steve’s resolution to read more is shared by my mom, Susan Will, a registered nurse. Mom is also aiming to sleep more, all part of her resolve to “make time for myself,” she says. I have a hard time believing this possible, knowing how my mom goes all the time, but I do hope she’s successful.

My mother also plans to exercise more and eat healthier, both of which she does well already. Biggest on her list? “I have to let go of what I can’t control,” she says, to stop worrying about things she can’t change.

Me, I’m kind of right there too. I started being diligent about sleep this year and returned to my gym-and-salads habits. I ran my first 4-mile race, and I hope to run further in the future.

But to achieve those goals and any others, I first need to let go of my need to do it all. Focus on priorities. Direct my energies. I have to give up on the idea of two or three simultaneous ventures on top of my single-mom-with-a-full-time-job lifestyle. I have to stop feeling like a failure for abandoning chase in so many directions; instead, I’m trying to feel a sense of achievement for successfully pursuing a few.

Key to the success of these resolutions and yours? Constant re-evaluation. Make a Valentine’s Day resolution. And an Easter resolution. A Fourth of July resolution. Fulfill, expand, contract or readjust your goals.

When those resolutions become routines, you’ll make room in your life to accommodate a little debauchery, spiked cider, stress and cheesy potatoes. After all, everyone likes a few cookies now and then—even health professionals.

GOOD TASTE
If you resolve to feed your family better in 2010, pack up the crew and head to the free Fueling Your Family event, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. January 23 in the Macy’s wing of Glenbrook Square. There will be stage demos, including “Are You Smarter than Your Grocery Cart?” and “Kids in the Kitchen.” And there will be interactive learning centers from America on the Move, Fort Wayne Cardiology, Lutheran Hospital, YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne, Parkview Hospital, the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fred Toenges Shoes, Fort Wayne Community Schools, Consulting & Counseling Services and more.

Before Sonoma was Known: An Interview with Chef John Ash

2010-01-22T14:13:00.003-05:00

Published in Sommelier Journal in December 2009

Chef John Ash has come to stand for many things. Known as the founder of wine-country cuisine, he began pairing food and wine in the early 1980s at his Santa Rosa restaurant, John Ash & Co. He was one of the first advocates of eating locally and seasonally. Growing up on a ranch in Colorado with his grandparents, he experienced the practice out of necessity. When Ash left an advertising and product-development job with Del Monte in California in 1976 to attend culinary school in France, he discovered the same philosophy in the daily markets. That experience made him aware of the irony of eating canned vegetables in the middle of summer while surrounded by Sonoma’s agricultural bounty.

Ash had been employing his bachelor’s degree in art from Arizona State University as a freelance medical illustrator and his culinary experience as a part-time caterer when he partnered with Don Baumhefner and Merry Edwards to open a restaurant called Russian River Vineyards in the late 1970s. John Ash & Co., which remains a destination for wine-country diners today, was born in 1980.

Ash has gone on to many other endeavors. His first book, American Game Cooking (Aris Books, 1991), was a contemporary look at heritage American foods; From the Earth to the Table: John Ash’s Wine Country Cuisine was named the Julia Child Cookbook of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals when it was first released in 1995 (a revised and expanded edition was published by Chronicle Books in 2007); and John Ash Cooking One On One: Private Lessons in Simple, Contemporary Food from a Master Teacher (Clarkson Potter, 2004) won a 2005 James Beard Foundation Award.

Ash has co-hosted a Sonoma radio program, “The Good Food Hour,” with Steve Garner every Saturday since 1987. An occasional contributor to various newspapers and magazines, he has also been featured on the Food Network. He was the culinary director for Fetzer and Bonterra vineyards and is still on the faculty of the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif. He is often on the road as well, speaking to various groups and teaching both home and professional cooks.

His latest venture is Sauvignon Republic, a winemaking operation dedicated to revealing terroir through Sauvignon Blancs from different corners of the globe. Ash has three partners—John Buechsenstein, Paul Dolan, and Tom Meyer—each a food-and-wine force in his own right. Their first release, in 2003, was from Russian River Valley; next was Marlborough, New Zealand, in 2004, followed by Stellenbosch, South Africa, in 2005. Potter Valley from Mendocino, Calif., was added in 2007.

Ash is passionate about Sauvignon Blanc, but it was a Charles Krug Chenin Blanc, consumed with a simple summer lunch at a friend’s house, that first inspired him to explore the world of wine. His career has been devoted to sharing that same experience of great food, great wine, and great company—all enhanced by proximity and context. We met at Bistro 29, a little restaurant in downtown Santa Rosa, where the owner came out and greeted him. We shared a flatbread crêpe and some hot tea and talked in a corner near a window, over the din of a party that came in for a late lunch.

Excerpted from Sommelier Journal

Beverage Programs Go Green

2010-01-22T14:05:00.004-05:00

published in Sommelier Journal in June 2009

It is Alberto Gonzalez’s firm belief that a commitment to the ecological type of green can bring in the financial type of green.

In fact, he’s put his money where his mouth is—as have the customers who have flocked to his GustOrganics restaurant in New York City since its opening in early 2008. It’s the first certified-organic restaurant in New York state and the first in the country to use 100% USDA-certified-organic ingredients. In November, Gonzalez added a bar, also the first to be USDA-certified organic.

A former business consultant, Gonzalez moved to the United States from Buenos Aires in 2006 with zero restaurant experience. On business trips to New York, he discovered that it was difficult to find high-quality food at a price he could afford. “I realized that New Yorkers in general do not have the pleasure of enjoying organic foods in the city,” he recalls. “Also, it was disgusting to me to see the amount of garbage that restaurants generate and the tremendous impact the restaurant industry has on the environment, so I thought, ‘This is a good opportunity to thrive by starting up a really responsible business that thinks of the people first, the environment second, and lastly, profits.’”

His commitment is emphatic: all the drinks are free of chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, and genetically modified organisms. In addition, GustOrganics uses no artificial ingredients or enhancers, most of its catering and delivery packaging is biodegradable within 90 days, its power is largely wind-generated, and 70% of its daytime light comes from the sun. Unfortunately, recycling programs and eco-friendly packaging tend to be much more costly than traditional disposal and disposables. “Most of the practices that make sense to people in terms of health and the environment cost much more money,” Gonzalez says. “We do not translate our higher costs to our prices, because our vision is to bring organics and sustainability into the mainstream. We are leveraging GustOrganics in some volume of sales that we hope to achieve very soon. It is very challenging from a financial side, but rewarding for the human side of the equation.”

That idealism, says Darren Tristano, executive vice president of the food-industry research-and-consulting firm Technomic, is necessary if restaurateurs hope to make green initiatives work in the current economic climate, when margins are already tight. “They can go green if it saves them green,” Tristano says. But Technomic research shows that while consumers now expect and prefer green initiatives, they will not pay more to support them; guests view such efforts as part of a restaurant’s cost of doing business.

Even in today’s economy, some operations are being nudged along by the green movement. The InterContinental Hotel in Chicago got a big push at the end of 2007, when a meeting planner from the West Coast issued a three-page list of environmental standards the hotel would have to meet to land that business. “The market, especially in Chicago, is very, very demanding about green initiatives,” says Tamas Vago, food and beverage director at the InterContinental. “And of course, California is always one step ahead of things, so it’s pretty much coming from there. Lots of meeting planners coming from the West Coast to the Midwest are putting down the rules, requiring us to produce something more green. That was great, because two years ago, if you would have asked me, ‘What does green mean for you?’ I could not really say.”

See the rest of this story online at Sommelier Journal or on my website at www.juliannewill.com.

Getting on and doing it

2009-11-02T21:48:00.001-05:00

“Successful people aren’t born that way. They become successful by establishing the habit of doing things unsuccessful people don’t like to do. The successful people don’t always like these things themselves; they just get on and do them.” Author Unknown

I don’t remember how I came across this quote recently. But substitute “fit” for “successful,” and I finally have a response to several comments I’ve heard consistently over the years, purely out of the blue:

It must be nice to eat whatever you want.

Well, I could never look like you.

Oh please, like it matters for you.

I’m usually caught too off-guard to respond at the time. But I’ve decided to address these comments with some myth-dispelling and sincere, positive, hopefully helpful tips. Because it’s not genetic magic, it’s not vanity, and it’s not any big secret. Being healthy is a passion, a value, a priority, a mental necessity and a lot of hard work.

First, no one can eat whatever she wants. I don’t. Regular readers will remember when I had my metabolism tested at Lutheran Hospital for a previous column, and I learned I can only eat 1290 calories per day—even on days when I work out—if I want to maintain my weight. If I want to lose a few pounds, I must eat less. If I eat more, I gain. We’re all in the same boat.

Count your calories—all of them. I keep a log of every bite that goes into my mouth on weekdays—including sticks of gum (Extra Polar Ice, 5 calories). Flip through years’ worth of my day planners to see what I ate on a Tuesday in September of 2005. I look up the calories of the things I put into my salad, and I count out cherry tomatoes and baby carrot sticks (7 baby carrots, 35 calories). I use measuring cups and a kitchen scale.

Beyond my kitchen, I read calorie counts on online menus before I go out. I avoid going out to dinner on weeknights. I avoid alcohol during the week. I count that little piece of broken cookie I ate off the plate in the break room. Every calorie counts; it’s always surprising when you add them up.

Exercise most days of the week, even when you don’t feel like it. I go to the YMCA after work every day, even when I am tired, even when it is cold, even when I think I might be coming down with something, even when I don’t feel like it. Like everyone else, I don’t have huge chunks of time, so I break it up—every morning, I do sit-ups beside my bed as soon as I wake up, along with leg lifts or pushups.

I exercise even on vacation. I have gone running all over the world. I pack workout clothes and use the hotel gym. I pack a bathing suit and jog in the hotel swimming pool. And you know, it’s not the worst part of my trip. Going for a run is a wonderful way to see a new place. Exercising helps undo the sluggishness of a bad diet or a long plane ride.

You do have the time. I work full time. I freelance part-time. I maintain a house. I am a single mother. I work out and eat healthy. Sometimes it’s not a lot; if I have just 15 minutes in which to work out, I run 1.5 miles. I figure something is better than nothing.

I share my lifestyle with my daughter. She’s old enough now to run or walk with me and to join me at the gym; in fact, she just finished her first 5K this fall. When she was little, I only went to gyms that had child care. If I couldn’t get to the gym, we would dance fast and silly in the living room.

It does matter. I wish I were a person who could eat whatever she wants and never work out and still be slim and strong and feel great. But I don’t know anyone who can do that. True story: I maintained the same body-fat composition for five years—I had it measured in the same way, at the same place, under the same conditions every six months. Then my life fell apart, I didn’t get to the gym, I didn’t eat well, and my body fat increased by 5 percentage points in six months.

I wasn’t worried about the fact that my pants didn’t fit as much as I worried about the fact that my body was so far out of whack from what was normal for me. I worried that I had lost the strength for which I had worked so hard. I worried that an important part of my self-identity—that of a strong, healthy, positive person—was slipping away. I have been eating this way and exercising this way since college. Missing a week is a big deal.

Just as anyone who has done something they love forever—playing in a band, taking part in a bowling league—I missed my friends at the gym. I missed the relief that working out provided from stress. I missed the essence of me that is motivated and dedicated and feels calm and positive and optimistic when I eat super-healthy foods that nourish my body after I’ve pushed it to its limits.

Eating right and working out is not vanity. And being in shape is not easy. I make a choice every day—many times a day—to “get on and do them,” as the quote says.

I don’t judge others, either, for the choices they make, or the things they do or don’t do. I write this column out of love for a subject I study voraciously, and out of a sincere desire to share with others the awesomeness that I’ve experienced from vegetables and a workout schedule.

If you choose to go home rather than go for a run; if you choose to eat spaghetti rather than spaghetti squash; if your choices are different than mine, I would never volunteer a word—in fact, I likely would not notice!

But if you ever want to ask, I would be happy to share my learning, my passion, my enthusiasm, my grocery list, my weight bench! In fact, I am studying and testing to be a certified fitness instructor; if I pass this fall, I hope to teach young people the basics of safe, lifelong cardiovascular and resistance training techniques. I would be thrilled to help anyone who asks develop the passion and the well-being I’ve found.

Sure, you’ll see me eating an ice cream cone on the weekends (maybe two) or having a glass of wine (maybe two). And parent-teacher conferences after work plus some serious seventh-grade homework might make working out impossible some days. I do have a life. I just try to make healthy choices a major part of it.

As the quote says, I don’t always like these things myself. It can be hard. But it’s just a matter of establishing the habit. If there is any secret, it is this: The feeling of well-being is worth it.

Bad foods gone good

2009-09-30T20:13:00.002-04:00

published in Fort Wayne Monthly magazine, October 2009

The All Things Organic trade show, held annually at McCormick Place in Chicago, might be the world’s healthiest binge.

There, a huge expo room is lined with row upon row of booths offering the newest and greatest in organic and functional food and drink. There are samples to the left, samples to the right, everything from salad dressing and tofu to vodka and cookies.

The sheer quantity and diversity can stymie even a dedicated journalistic effort such as mine to sample everything for you, my faithful readers. But I forged on this year, armed with bottled water, an iron will and a forgiving waistband.

Four hours later, I felt the distinct need to lie down. It was worth every Tums, however: I discovered four products that might typically be considered off-limits, but here have at least some small redeeming health value. From my shopping bag of brochures and my chocolate-stained notes, these treasures:

Toats cookies are good for you. And the environment. And your dog. And your horse.

The makers of Toats are seriously green. They repurposed a horse barn in Virginia for their manufacturing facility. Their biscuits are packaged in biodegradable cellophane bags inside 100 percent post-consumer-use recycled boxes, which are printed with vegetable inks by an American printer who uses only solar energy. Even their shipping boxes are 100 percent post-consumer-use cardboard.

They only use vegetable-based cleaners at their facility, silica-based baking sheets and low volatile organic compound paint.

They donate a percentage of their profits to a shelter for abused women and another percentage to an animal rescue league.

Finally, they make cookies that are vegan, free of wheat, eggs or dairy. Toats have protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates and omega-3s. They have zero grams of transfats and are 99 percent certified organic.

Toats cookies are good for people. Or dogs. Or horses. Toats’ manufacturers encourage consumers to “simplify their cookie jar” with a universal people-dog-horse treat.

To be honest, Toats kind of tasted like an organic dog biscuit I sampled last year. (Hey, it had cinnamon and imported flours and protein and vitamins and in general better ingredients than my average energy bar off the shelf. It promised a shiny coat, too.)

But it certainly wasn’t bad. In fact, I probably could get used to it. Especially if I had a dog. Or a horse. And I can at least feel good about the ink on the packaging. See www.toatsorganic.com for pictures of cute puppy dogs and pretty horses and to request that the cookies be sold locally.

It can be Chardonnay, it can be organic, and it can still be delicious.

Back in the day, you could make good wine, or you could make organic wine. Inconsistencies in winemaking for the sake of an organic label made choosing a bottle from the shelf at the co-op risky business.

Things have changed dramatically with advances in and interest in organic winemaking. Frey Vineyards in Medocino is one of the oldest and best, with an array of organic and biodynamic wines. (Write me at julianne@juliannewill.com if you want to know more about biodynamics.)

Among their selection is Chardonnay, not usually my favorite grape. Here, however, it has no sour-milk aftertaste. Frey has managed to make an oaked California Chardonnay (albeit in French barrels) that is buttery, creamy, rich, smooth, soft…and organic.

The health benefits of wine, when drunk in moderation, are well-documented. Even better when that wine is organic, not to mention incredibly good. It gives the Spanish toast “salud” (to your health!) true meaning.

Find a friend in another state without Indiana’s ridiculous shipping restrictions, then visit http://freywine.stores.yahoo.net/orch20.html to place an order. Or drive to Chicago with an empty trunk and visit Sam’s or Binny’s.

And that organic Chardonnay is the bomb with organic smoked salmon pate.

Especially when that pate is from All Things Organic show “Best New Product” winner The Organic Smokehouse.

The buttery, oaked richness of Frey Chardonnay perfectly complements the buttery oaked richness of this organic smoked salmon pate. This is not a health food, but it is made of healthy things, including organic whole milk crème fraiche, lemon and pepper. Eat a little and know that the omega-3 fatty acids in the salmon are improving your brain’s performance. It’s smart to have a little pate and Chardonnay at the end of the day!

Though based in the UK, The Organic Smokehouse can take your order online at www.organicsmokehouse.com/pages/productcategory.aspx?intContentID=5, and UPS will deliver your treat as early as the next day.

Omega-3s don’t always taste like fish. They can also taste like candy.

So do calcium and probiotics, when you get them via Gimme chocolates. This new line of functional candies uses only all-natural products—no artificial colors or sweeteners or fake anything. Each is a crispy rice ball wrapped in milk or dark chocolate. There are no crazy aftertastes, just awesome candy goodness.

You’d never know you (or your kids) were getting 50 percent of your daily recommended allowance of calcium via TruCal, made from real milk; or 350 mg of omega-3 fatty acids; or 1 billion active probiotic cultures. You’d just know you wanted more.

Find Gimme Calcium, Gimme Omega 3 and Gimme Probiotics right now only at www.healthysnackstore.com/index.php?page=display&id=414 and hope they come to a store near you.

More than hope for such awesomeness at a store near you, ask at a store near you. Fresh Market was not very receptive to suggestions when I tried, but you might talk to the manager at your local Scott's/Kroger or check with the Three Rivers Co-op. If enough people want to buy, they might try. And we can always dream of a downtown Whole Foods, who could bring all these delicious treats and more. Fresh sushi, meringues … you could write your own all-things-organic story of discovery. Just remember the notebook, the bottle of water and the forgiving waistband.

2009-09-29T21:19:00.002-04:00

published in Fort Wayne Monthly magazine September 2009

This month is the Fort-4-Fitness health fair, half-marathon and 4-mile run. Does seeing a mass of humanity lace up shoes and hit the streets make you feel inspired? Intimidated? Slightly guilty in a “I should try that” kind of way?

I checked “yes” on all three, so I checked with local runner, coach and writer Brett Hess for answers to my deepest fears and biggest excuses. I would rather lift weights for four hours, but look for me in the 4-mile run. I’m starting small and going slow, yet I’m determined to jog across the finish (even if there is some walking involved in getting there).

Read on for Brett’s advice to this speed-challenged novice and leave intimidation in the dust.

Tell me about your running experience: Why did you get started? When and how? Why are you an expert?

I started running in 1979 at age 14. I was entering ninth grade at Harding High School, I was 4-foot-9, and I weighed just 76 pounds. But I loved sports, and we had a very good cross country program. I was the 22nd-best runner on a team of 22 runners, but my coach, Larry Yant, told me if I would just run five days a week the next summer, I would improve greatly.

So I entered a big race to motivate me: the Hooks/33 Fort Wayne Marathon. I finished in 3 hours, 52 minutes. By the end of the next cross country season, I was the sixth-best runner on the team!

I went on to run for Indiana Wesleyan University, where I won several all-conference and all-district honors.

In 2000 I got back into running seriously through Team in Training, a Leukemia & Lymphoma fundraising effort, first as a participant, then a mentor and finally a coach for two years.

I was a nationally certified run/walk coach for a few years before serving as a volunteer assistant coach for the Maple Creek Middle School cross country program near Huntertown.

Since 2000 I have had a weekly running column in The News-Sentinel and have covered area high school cross country. I write a weekly column for CBS College Sports about major college cross country and track. I’ve also had features published in Marathon & Beyond and Running Times, two national running publications.

I’ve qualified for and completed every Boston Marathon from 2001 through 2008. I’m not in much of a competition phase right now but continue to train.

I think I should run more because it's really hard for me, and if it's really hard, my body is burning more fuel. What other benefits does running impart?

It does burn serious calories, so it will help you get into shape quickly. But you should ease into it by alternating running and walking: running for three minutes, walking for one minute.

Running on softer surfaces lessens the impact and helps build strength in your feet, ankles, hips and lower back. I recommend running on grass or trails—unless you have bad ankles.

Running does a lot of great things for the human body. It strengthens the heart, increases your metabolism, builds your lower extremities.

How does one begin to run? Aside from that one-foot-in-front-of-the-other business.

It is about the shoes. The wrong shoes can derail you very quickly, either through injury or unneeded pain. In Fort Wayne, we have two great places: Three Rivers Running Company and Toenges. Both have very knowledgeable staff and great shoe choices for all types of runners.

If you are being treated for any sort of health condition, you should see a sports doctor before sprinting out the door. And starting out with a run/walk ratio is best. A lot of runners started out as walkers who slowly switched over.

There are several coaching options, most of which you can learn about by visiting Three Rivers Running Company or Toenges. Both places sponsor group runs where you can meet others with your current fitness level. You don’t have to do it alone.

How quickly might one expect to progress?

Let your body be your guide. Some are more natural at running than others. This is a marathon, not a sprint, so to speak. Take it slow and steady but be very consistent. It’s not good to push it too hard early or you may end up injured.

Where are some places to run when it's cold, dark, raining, snowing, dangerously hot and humid or otherwise impossible outside? I recognize this includes most of the year here in northeast Indiana.

Treadmill running is a great invention. I wouldn’t recommend running in the elements until you become experienced with running. You really have to learn how to read your own body. I don’t really like the banked indoor tracks, because it can create an uneven running path and result in unnecessary knee, hip and ankle ailments.

What training opportunities exist in Fort Wayne for someone who wants to learn good form and/or learn to race?

First, the Fort Wayne Track Club provides many services or will help you hook up with all sorts of coaches and training groups. Visit www.fwtc.org. Also, see the people at the two shoe stores I’ve already mentioned.

What are some quit-running signs? If my knee feel wonky one day, should I shake it off and try again tomorrow, or should I buy crutches and milk my coworkers for sympathy?

You can have discomfort, and you can have soreness, but pain is serious. As a rule of thumb: Soreness or discomfort for a day or two is okay. Any longer than that, it’s something to pay attention to. If it lasts a week, something is probably wrong.

Ice is a natural healer. For sore muscles or tendons, ice the area within five minutes of finishing your run.

What gets you unstuck when you hit a plateau? Or just a really big hill?

If you want different results, you need different training. It’s good to keep it fresh by mixing up training cycles and training days. For example: If you run 4 miles every day at an eight-minute-per-mile pace, slow down a little and run 5 miles at a nine-minute pace one day before trying to run a seven-minute pace for 3 miles the next day.

What words of advice would you give to someone who is thinking about running more and signed herself up for a race even though she doesn't have a lot of time nor the inclination to run much.

Get a friend, get a coach or join a training group. You can’t do it on your own.

Who inspires you to run?

Over the years I've been inspired by a lot of things: self-improvement, building self-worth, competition, health. But why I run now is to be an example to my children. I want them to know that running is like life: You will get out of it what you put into it. And in that rare instance that you don’t, you’ll learn that life isn’t always fair.

Stolen

2009-08-26T00:33:00.001-04:00

A black KHS Urban X bike was stolen from the garage of a home in the Shores of Rock Creek neighborhood between 2 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. Monday, August 24.

This was a very special Christmas present for a little girl who didn’t get anything else from her out-of-work mom in December 2008.

It’s a 2008 model with matte black finish, fenders, a rack, kickstand and metal rivets on the seat. It’s a commuter bike with 26” wheels. The serial number is U803207358. It was bought in Chicago when we lived there.

Also stolen from the garage was a 30 GB black iPod with video screen and about 1,500 songs. The front casing was scratched. Serial number 8M720BZWV9M. The Griffin Road Trip iPod car adapter in which it was mounted was also stolen.

We would simply like these things returned, no questions asked. Most importantly, we’d like to recover the bike. Please call 260-410-1819 if you have any information. Thank you.

Stir fry your vitamins

2009-08-10T21:03:00.001-04:00

Your prescription for health includes the local farmers’ markets.

July is a great time of year to go to the lake, enjoy an outdoor concert, ride a bike, fight cancer, lower your blood pressure, increase your mental agility, shed fat and improve your cardiovascular health.

Summer weather brings all kinds of great things, including a bounty of fresh organic produce. Fruits and vegetables are bustin’ out all over at this time of year. They’re the original chewable vitamins.

And even if you don’t have a garden of your own, you can enjoy the fruits of organic labor, thanks to the city’s three major farmers’ markets. More than a social event with good music, the Barr Street Farmers’ Market, the South Side Farmers’ Market and the new Historic West Main Farmers’ Market can help you get your healthy on.

Just what kinds of things are prime for picking now? According to our friends at the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the Purdue University Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, July is the season for a rainbow of powerhouses in Indiana.

They’re classified by color at the Produce for Better Health Foundation, which leads the national “Fruits & Veggies—More Matters” initiative (formerly “5 A Day”). We’ve conveniently cross-referenced their cream of the crop with the list from the state and Purdue identifying what you might buy in July in Indiana:

White
White, tan and brown fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of phytochemicals. They can help maintain heart health, hold healthy cholesterol levels steady and keep cancer risks low. In July, look for:

White peaches
Mushrooms
Onions
White corn

Blue and Purple
Dark fruits and vegetables have phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and phenolics, which may offer antioxidant and anti-aging benefits. They help maintain a lower risk of some cancers, urinary tract health, memory function and health as you age. At this time of year, seek out:

Blackberries
Blueberries
Purple grapes
Plums
Purple cabbage
Eggplant

Green
Green fruits and vegetables have powerful phytochemicals such as lutein and indoles. They can help maintain a lower risk of some cancers, good vision, and strong bones and teeth. In July in Indiana, look for these green machines:

Green apples
Green grapes
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Green beans
Green cabbage
Green pepper
Zucchini

Orange and Yellow
Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C as well as carotenoids and bioflavonoids that can help maintain a healthy heart, vision and immune system and a lesser risk of some cancers. A sunny July selection might include:

Yellow apples
Cantaloupe
Peaches
Yellow beets
Carrots
Yellow peppers
Yellow summer squash
Sweet corn
Yellow tomatoes

Red
Phytochemicals in the red family, including lycopene and anthocyanins, are a boon for heart health, memory function, a lower risk of some cancers and urinary tract health. Look for these saucy foods now:

Red apples
Cherries
Red grapes
Raspberries
Strawberries
Watermelon
Beets
Red peppers
Tomatoes

The greens of beets and carrot juice also are great for potassium. Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cantaloupe, sweet peppers, tomato juice and strawberries weigh in with lots of vitamin C. Cantaloupe, carrots and sweet peppers provide plenty of vitamin A.

There are many recipes in cookbooks and online to help you make the most of this super-healthy summer freshness. But my favorite is the easiest, bar none: Wash everything. Chop everything. Heat a pan. Put everything in the pan. Stir it around until it’s slightly tender. Top with herbs, spray butter, spray dressing or a drizzle of olive oil. Eat.

Approach unfamiliar produce like you would a wine tasting. Wash it. Cut it apart. Peel two sections. Leave the skin on two others. Cook a piece with peel and a piece without. Put the cooked and raw on a plate. Smell them all. Taste them all, mindfully. Decide how you like the vegetable or fruit best and how it might fit into a future meal.

This is how my daughter and I learned why quince is often made into jam. We also discovered that we love bok choy cooked or not and that celery root changes flavor when cooked. Salads are so much more interesting with mystery vegetables buried inside.

Even if you have to bury your zucchini in Texas chocolate sheet cake (my mom has great recipe for this), eat July’s bounty often. At the lake, at an outdoor concert, before or after a bike ride. It makes getting healthy as welcome as any summer tradition.

If You Go
South Side Farmers’ Market
3300 Warsaw St.
7a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays

Barr Street Farmers' Market
corner of Wayne and Barr streets
8 a.m.-noon Saturdays

Historic West Main Farmers’ Market
1936 W. Main St.
3-8 p.m. Fridays

Sources
www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/benefits/nutrient_guide.html
www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=12-35-45-00
www.in.gov/isda/files/Harvest_Calander.pdf

Published in Fort Wayne Monthly magazine, July 2009

A little granola, a lot nutty. Are you with me?

2009-06-16T20:12:00.002-04:00

Those who know me know I'm a little granola. I prefer to walk, carry my own bags into the store and recycle. I buy organics, including organic cleaners and Soap Nuts, and I shop at Global Girlfriend. I garden a little, and I have an electric mower. I rode my bike and took my backpack to the Green City Market in Chicago regularly.

So it may be no surprise to know that my latest story takes my interest in the world of food and beverages and puts a green spin on it. See the story in Sommelier Journal magazine here.

But I may be slightly nutty, too. In addition to recently offering my time toward the Barr Street Farmers' Market (because I believe in farmers' markets passionately) and to Aboite New Trails (because I believe in shopping/dining/exercising/meeting my neighbors without starting the car to go a mile), I am considering being an organizer for a Slow Food communitywide program culminating in a city potluck to draw attention to the need for real food in school lunch programs.

I also have a house, a full-time job, a daughter, no spouse and regular freelance assignments. I enjoy sleeping and working out once in a while.

Am I nutty? Am I alone, or is there someone who wants to spearhead this crusade and let me take on only as much as I can pretend to manage? Fellow fruitcakes welcome!

Would you pay for mystery meat?

2009-06-02T11:01:00.002-04:00

I launched a crusade two years ago to improve my daughter's school lunch. Each meal at her school contained enough fat, calories and sodium to nearly exceed an entire day's recommended maximum, according to guidelines set by the American Heart Association and other organizations.

I had a plan. It included the services of an organic chef who had taken the helm of a nearby public school's kitchen; a curriculum component using fruits and vegetables to learn about sociology, world studies and math; even recipes and family notes for the school newsletter.

It got nowhere, I'm sad to report. But perhaps if it came with some financial incentives, it might have been more successful. Why not take a lesson from this school in England? I would have loved to have walked down the block for a fresh, healthy lunch with my daughter, fellow parents, neighbors and the community at large (though I would suggest turkey burgers instead of sausages):

"A school in Wittersham, England, has opened its lunch cafeteria to the public to meet financial needs. In response to rising food and operating costs and declining sales, Wittersham Primary School has decided to turn the cafeteria into something akin to a restaurant. The school is charging about $4 for a three-course meal. Menu items include sausages with Yorkshire pudding; beef fajitas; ham, pepper and
sweetcorn pizza; and roast turkey with stuffing and gravy. (UPI.com 5/9/09; Foodservice.com 5/13/09)"

Brazil--Endlessly Fascinating

2009-05-25T15:29:00.003-04:00

Yes, I published a third story two months ago from my September trip to Brazil. Each was very different: One, a travel piece for the Chicago Sun-Times. The second, a story for wine professionals in Sommelier Journal. The third, this piece in a consumer magazine in the south, Grape Anticipation.

I find little is known about Brazil, but many are curious. I'm happy to share; I've never met warmer people than those from my South American adventures.

This weekend I was welcomed to join a group hosted by Apex Brasil, the country's international trade organization, at the Indianapolis 500. Again, those here from Brazil and its neighbors were gracious and bright. This BRIC country has much going for it; one of its greatest assets, in my limited experience, is its people.

Read my story here.

Like my first kiss

2009-03-17T23:11:00.002-04:00

OK, so I have to admit, I have a real admiration for Michael Nagrant's writing style. I've never met the man, but his turns of phrase are works of art. So when he said my work was good and agreed to publish something of mine, I was a wee giddy, like a schoolgirl receiving her first furtive smooch on the cheek at the playground.

My piece on Chef Efrain's underground supper club went live today. Check it out, y'all. I might never wash this cheek again...

As I went to the ladies’ room, I really felt like I should pick up a dish towel.

That’s what I do when I pass through my friends’ kitchen. I stop and wash a few dishes with them, amid protests that I’m a guest and should relax. I scrub a baking sheet, throw a few things in the dishwasher, then continue on to the ladies’ room, or to the deck to hang with the smokers, or to the counter to throw back more wine and figs and Gouda. They throw one helluva elegant dinner party. I want to come back. I pick up a dish towel.

So why not dry at Clandestino, the underground supper club artfully and laboriously constructed by Chef Efrain Cuevas in secret spaces around Chicago once a month or so? I was clearly hanging with friends. They threw quite the dinner party. I want to come back.

It goes down like that at Clandestino. Guests are not buying butternut ravioli and sitting in their favorite leather banquette. They are buying whatever Efrain—an engineer by degree, a chef self-taught and schooled by friends—decides to make that evening, served in a space of his choosing. Guests commit their $75 before knowing the menu or the venue; they find out one or two days before. Sure, allergens and religions can be accommodated, but picky eaters should take their credit cards to Applebee’s.

Yes, you say, my friends don’t offer me a menu with seven entrée choices, but they don’t charge me to come over, either. So, I say, are your friends serving you appetizers on Saran-clad naked models?

Chef Efrain Cuevas Efrain did once, an idea he imported from Ghetto Gourmet, the underground club where he first volunteered in Oakland, Calif. I’ve eaten off more uncertain surfaces, though I admit that gracefully plucking food from certain spaces might be difficult logistically. With Clandestino, the dinner always includes an experience. Themes from that night’s artists, performers or dining space often are translated into the menu in unique ways. Our own experience was less flesh, more sugar: Chocolate truck centerpieces carrying yellow roses reflected the trucks that bounced around on the canvases in the artist’s studio in which we dined.

This does not mean that only men wearing meggings and women in metallic blush are admitted. Guests are greeted and made to feel at home right at the unmarked door. Their bottles—it’s BYOB—are opened quickly. No need for the pocket corkscrew. Casual servers in T’s and jeans roam with appetizers—in our case a crispy wafer of grated Grana Padano filled with goat cheese mousse and chives, aka extra-rich chips and dip. The wait staff doesn’t whisper in hushed tones; guests are privy to the need for more spoons or chairs.

Of course, just as at any dinner party, guests loiter near the kitchen, sneaking peeks at the food as the staff works in a corner of the large studio. Hipsters, average Joes and someone’s grandparents checked out the artist’s canvases and the tools of his trade, including a Craftsman table saw. (Sadly, not used for any slicing of pork or bread.)

We could smell dinner: an antipasto of fresh bass, frisée, Tuscano beans and caper mustardo; an insalata of fresh greens, that Grana Padano again and vinaigrette; a primi of papardelle with a rabbit and wild mushroom ragu and bitter greens; a secondi of lonza al latte con finnochio (milk-braised pork shoulder with fennel gratin, on crostini); and the dolce, a beautiful cassata Italienne.

And we could see the team sweating. The hustle and heat was in plain view, especially to anyone who first wedged her way past the evening’s guest chef, Michael Goss (executive chef at the Zodiac Room in Neiman Marcus), plating dishes on a folding table, then squeezed between the young girls working the stove in the galley kitchen and a nice guy washing dishes to get to the ladies’ room. I felt guilty as I passed the dish towel.

At Clandestino, courses come when they are ready. Efrain welcomed the group, and the artist discussed his work. There was plenty of time to polish off everyone’s bottle of wine. No waste at our table.

Maybe it was seeing the staff—some volunteers—doing their feverish dance with hot plates in tight spaces that led guests to overlook any foibles that might raise eyebrows at a white-cloth establishment. Maybe it was the comfortable, humble warmth with which Efrain and crew treated everyone that put even the most skittish diner at ease. Maybe it was because Efrain’s food training came from family and friends. Maybe it was the secret-handshake atmosphere, the dark corner outside and the last-minute directions that led to instant bonding among guests.

Whatever it was, something superseded even the simple but delicious food. Something led guests to threaten to lick their dessert plates and to snap apart the trucks and devour hunks of molded chocolate with abandon, to lean back in their chairs until Efrain had to pack the seats up. It wasn’t just the wine….not entirely, anyway.

At the end of the night, while Efrain loaded tables into a minivan and the dishwasher did his last dish, guests loitered, making plans for the evening’s next stop or wrapping up conversations about Italian dipping sauces or the hazards of dining with young children. If we had been made to feel any more at home, Efrain would have had to find pillows for a big slumber party and serve brunch in the morning.

Perhaps an underground B&B, Efrain? I’ll dry dishes for great French toast.
www.hungrymag.com/2009/03/16/checking-out-clandestino/

And it's really fun to say

2009-03-13T01:37:00.004-04:00

I got an email out of the blue last week: Hey, I heard you're a wine writer. Wanna come to a wine dinner?

Was that a rhetorical question?

The really out-of-the-blue part, however, was the featured wine: Walla Walla wine, which is really really fun to say. In fact, I wanna wanna go somewhere with that, but I'm sure I'm the only one who would be amused.

Anyway, this dinner was a particularly effective one in my case, because I knew nothing about Walla Walla wines. Not even where the Walla Walla appellation is, exactly. I could describe for you the vineyards of Brazil, or the major parts of Spain, even offer a fair summation of the wineries on the west coast of Michigan. I could drive you anywhere in Chicago. But where, oh where, was Walla Walla?

As it turns out, about four hours southeast of Seattle, draped across lower Washington and upper Oregon. Increasingly most wineries are in Washington, and most vineyards are in Oregon. Though they've been growing grapes in the region since the 1850s, there wasn't much to see there about 10 years ago, I'm told. Today there are three universities primarily to train the enologists, the viticulturalists and all those hospitality management students who run the restaurants and bed and breakfasts that have sprung up. An AVA since 1984, it's only been a destination recently.

I wish it were mine. Kim, sales manager at L'Ecole, described a utopia of bike paths, quaint stores, great food, amazing scenery, earthy people and really good wine in abundance. I tried subtly to quiz her about job opportunities. Of course, I'm still waiting for Benziger in Sonoma to ring me up and ask me to raise their lambs and vegetables and prune their vines and pour in their tasting room.

I was entirely charmed by the description of the region, and I just might feel the same about the wines. One in particular, a NxNW Cabernet, had a green pepper note that I liked. It hit me in the Rhone-Franc-barnyard-basement funk place I like so well. But tasting was a bit confusing--the servers had a habit of pouring out of order, compounding the fact that the names of the wines were strung together on one line on the menu. I was never quite sure which was which--que Syrah is this, and this, and this? After passed appetizers, four big courses and about 20 wines, it all starts to run together.

A good reason to go visit, no?

My particular pleasure at this dinner--and in my work in general--was meeting the collective bunch. The winemaker Jean-Francois from Pepper Bridge, the ebullient Kim, saucy Heather from NxNW, our fabulous host Jenn, and a few foodie celebs, including Tom MacDonald of the Bluebird and Webster Wine Bar, and our chef, Randy Zweiban. It was a treat to sample the best of his elegant new restaurant, Province, and to absorb and take part in the really delicious conversation all around.

I may say that I'm in it for the wine and the food. But I don't think even drinking some great Paso with a box of Vosges truffles would do it for me if I were alone in my apartment. I'm in it for the people and places equally, if not more. The people are generally intelligent, outgoing and totally in love with what they're doing. So I really really wanna wanna wander Walla Walla. Kim invited me. She said you should come too. I have a map now...

Happily apple-y

2009-03-05T11:35:00.002-05:00

"Taste this," Hamid urged, as I stood beside the bar at the May Street Market last week.

I didn't know what it was, and he wasn't telling, but that's never stopped me from trying something before. So I did what I always do with something new: I smelled it.

Hamid Benna, the somewhat-new general manager of that warm-but-yet-sleek restaurant on West Grand, had been offering me sips all evening of unusual wines, many atypical for their varietal but all inexpensive, delicious and served with a great story about their origins.

This, however, was like no wine I knew. It was clear to green, but without the sparkle of a Sauvignon Blanc. The nose made me think of honeydew melons. I took a guess: "Sake?"

"No," Hamid smiled, "Just taste."

I was stumped. On the palate, I tasted green fruit again, but with some sugar. I was stuck on the sake I had a few weeks back, a non-sparkling but chilled variety. It certainly wasn't any grape I knew.

I smelled again, clueless. "It's apple," Hamid revealed.

Yes! I get it--green apples and green melons...their scents sometimes confuse me in wine. (OK, many scents still confuse me in wine. I'm learning an entirely new vocabulary: My eyes see letters and know a word, but can my nose detect scents and know a word? Not yet.)

Hamid has brought in an apple wine from Michigan--unusual on an upscale, contemporary American restaurant's wine list--as a point of distinction and a way to support local growers.

And kudos to him for doing so. While it would not be my first choice to drink alone, I think it would be lovely paired with an heirloom apple salad in the summertime, using the same local apples. Or, as Hamid suggested, a blue cheese. It would complement apple butter on a croissant, or a thick cheddar on crackers.

May Street Market just released its new spring menu, with prices adjusted downward to reflect the dark economy but ingredients adjusted to reflect the light flavors of hope and a new season. I look forward to returning to try more of Hamid's adventurous selections with Chef Alex's new dishes ... and maybe a little apple wine under a warm sun.

Talkin' 'bout my girls

2009-02-23T19:56:00.003-05:00

Fort Wayne Monthly, February 2009

BY JULIANNE WILL

Ah, Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air. Also on the air are countless advertisements for roses and diamonds and chocolate, featuring fairy-tale couples holding hands. It would all be so touching if it didn’t make you want to gag.

Yes, the holiday of hearts and flowers is marketed toward couples, and single people who buy into it can feel like “L” is not for “love” but for “loser.” Despite what advertisers would have you believe, however, you are still cool and worthy even if you don’t receive a sugar-laden box of assorted chocolate joy from your guy on Valentine’s Day.

In fact, you have lots to celebrate on that special day, including the sistas with whom you kick it most other Saturdays. Let this not be day of hiding at home or lamenting your lovelorn life: Love the ones you’re with.

Here are three very different ways to celebrate the day with the people in your life who won’t let you settle for Mr. Date-You-Till-He-Finishes-School-Gets-a-Job-and-Dumps-You. Let’s hear it for the girls.

Read on...

A French spa in Brazil's Italian wine country

2008-12-29T18:20:00.002-05:00

Wine away at Villa Europa's Spa Do Vinho in Brazil

December 28, 2008
BY JULIANNE WILL

It wasn't the cushioned wooden lounge chair, the thick robe, the citrus-infused water or the soaking pool looking out on the rolling green countryside that truly spoke of relaxation.

No, it was only when I discovered that all of the magazines were in Portuguese that I finally shut off my head and indulged in the unique sensory experiences offered by a French spa in the heart of Italian wine country in southern Brazil.

Read my full story in the Chicago Sun-Times at
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/travel/1348208,TRA-News-brazil28.article

A delish little treat

2008-12-17T09:55:00.000-05:00

Sweet on students
CALLEBAUT America's 1st Chocolate Academy is not for dilettantes

December 17, 2008
BY JULIANNE WILL

Tomoko Ichikawa's husband went one better than a box of chocolates for their 10th anniversary. Matt Mayfield bought his wife the chance to make chocolate with some of the world's foremost experts.

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/food/1333251,FOO-News-callebaut17.article

My latest story for the Chicago Sun-Times

2008-12-03T11:15:00.000-05:00

Recipe for good health

BEAT THE COLD Go for color, variety in diet to boost immune system
December 3, 2008

BY JULIANNE WILL

The person in front of you at the ATM just managed to sneeze all over her hands and every button on the machine. The man behind you on the train has coughed since he got on at Grand. It's beginning to look a lot like cold and flu season.

But a 10-day relationship with a box of tissues does not have to be inevitable.

Read more...

http://www.suntimes.com/food/1310402,FOO-News-cold03.stng

Google’s Top 100 Wine Blogs

2008-11-21T12:32:00.002-05:00

The blog for which I write, Just Grapes, is No. 47 among thousands!

Google’s Top 100 Wine Blogs

Posted using ShareThis

A Healthy Idea, Bar None

2008-11-21T11:58:00.000-05:00

Jonathan Miller's wife, Jennifer, really hates raisins in her protein bars.

They're not really Jonathan's thing, either. He prefers dried cherries. He also wants his bar to get him going in the morning, give him sustained energy, pack a lot of fiber and offer enough protein to tide him over until lunch.

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/food/1286459,FOO-News-proteinbar19.article

Find love over a glass and an onion

2008-11-20T12:13:00.001-05:00

Find love over a glass and an onion

Posted using ShareThis

Why the buzz over Beaujolais?

2008-11-19T11:44:00.001-05:00

Why the buzz over Beaujolais?

Posted using ShareThis

Wine Spectator loves it; we have it

2008-11-14T09:44:00.001-05:00

Wine Spectator loves it; we have it

Posted using ShareThis

My latest article for Sommelier Journal!

2008-11-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

http://www.sommelierjournal.com/articles/article.aspx?year=2008&month=11&articlenum=30

SOMMELIER SPOTLIGHT Eno at the InterContinental, Chicago Julianne Will Julianne Will passed the introductory level of the Court of Master Sommeliers last summer. She left a career in marketing and publishing this spring to pursue freelance writing full time, covering food, wine, fitness, travel, and other subjects. She has also authored or co-authored four best-selling Catholic children’s books. She lives in Chicago and can be reached through her website, www.julianne
Eno’s four women sommeliers—young, dynamic, and enthusiastic—could easily pass for a group of college co-eds.
But spend five minutes with any of them, and each exhibits a level of knowledge and professionalism far above what someone could pick up from a weekend waitressing job. “That’s one thing that I think we deal with on a daily basis,” says Jennifer Bingham, wine director at Eno. “A lot of people ask us if we’re in school.” But the four are pleased to set the record straight. “Everyone who works here,” Bingham says, “wants wine to be their career.”
Eno, located in the InterContinental on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, is the first in a series of wine bars, now expanding across the country, that specialize in cheese and chocolate. The female sommeliers here divide up the duties: Bingham is the wine director, along with Scott Harney; Mary Krol is wine manager/event planner; Shara Bauer is wine manager/chocolate buyer; and Kristin Turner is wine manager/cheese buyer. Each has both the work experience and formal education to inform her role.
Bingham, 26 and an Ohio native, earned her bachelor’s degree at Ohio Wesleyan University, studying sociology and business. During a semester abroad in Australia, she toured the Hunter, Yarra, and Barossa valleys, where her interest in wine was piqued. When she got home, she started working part-time at a wine shop. After college, Bingham moved west, taking a job in 2004 at high-end retailer Knightsbridge Wine Shoppe, in the Chicago suburb of Northbrook. Soon after, she was hired as wine buyer for the boutique Que Syrah Fine Wines in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. She left for Eno to gain experience on the service side, joining the restaurant shortly after it opened in December 2006.
Along the way, she studied. Bingham passed Wine Fundamentals I and II through the International Sommelier Guild in spring 2006, and she passed the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Certified Sommelier exam in April 2007. She took a break from further classes to plan for her September 2008 wedding in northern Michigan.
Krol, 33, grew up in Rolling Meadows, a northwest suburb of Chicago. She attended Harper College part-time for three years, studying English and creative writing. Her interest in wine actually did begin with a waitressing job in college, at Gino’s East Pizza, then part of the Lettuce Entertain You group. Her pay and benefits were so good that Krol stayed with the restaurant group when she moved to the city in 1998, transferring to Shaw’s Crab House.
She befriended the wine steward and started taking classes, including a certification in wine fundamentals through Allied Domecq. In 2002, she signed up for a winemaking apprenticeship at Pacific Star Winery in Fort Bragg, Calif. Krol completed Wine Fundamentals I and II and the six-month, intensive Sommelier Diploma Course through the International Sommelier Guild; she is currently preparing for her two-day final exam. At Shaw’s, she was eventually asked to assist with the wine program, which she did until moving to Eno in 2007.
Bauer, 31, grew up in the Chicago restaurant business. Her grandfather owned a restaurant for 40 years; her dad, a longtime restaurant general manager, is now a headhunter in the industry; and her mother is a corporate trainer for Weber Grill Restaurants. From high school on, Bauer worked in fine dining, beginning as a server and later tending bar.
She studied psychology and English at the University of Iowa, but after meeting sommelier Belinda Chang, then with Chicago’s Cenitare restaurants and now the wine director for The Modern in New York, Bauer realized that wine could be both a passion and a career—and not just for men. She passed Wine Fundamentals I and II in the winter of 2007, and joined Eno that summer. In April 2008, she became a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers; now, she’s decided to pursue Master Sommelier status.
A talented baker with a sweet tooth, Bauer crafts her chocolate list with an informed palate. At the moment, she’s excited about pairing a white-chocolate-strawberry truffle with the M. Lawrence Brut Rosé Cuvée Eno, a sparkling wine from Michigan.
Turner, 29, moved to Chicago from Indiana to attend Loyola University, double-majoring in cognitive psychology and vocal performance with a minor in neuroscience. She, too, worked her way through college with restaurant jobs, serving at The Club at Chicago Symphony Center, the Garden Restaurant at the Art Institute of Chicago, and Sam’s Wines and Spirits. On those jobs, she discovered her love for pairing food and wine.
Turner stayed at Sam’s for two years after graduation, then started at Eno in December 2006. She has passed Wine Fundamentals I and II; after her November wedding, she plans to concentrate on becoming certified through the Court of Master Sommeliers and to pursue Wine & Spirit Education Trust studies.
Turner also loves to cook; her cheese expertise is fueled by her personal interest in food. Each woman has her own area of expertise in wine as well. With 700 wines listed at any time and new ones always coming in, Krol says, if there’s a wine on the list that a sommelier is unsure about, “there’s someone you can always turn to.” The four also meet once a month for training and discussion. “We’ll each be assigned anywhere from four to six wines,” Turner says, “and we do all the research we possibly can and present it to each other. Which really helps, because then we all see the labels of the wines that we actually do carry, so in case we’re not here to meet with the wine reps, we can still get a good handle on it.”
All four sommeliers are on the floor during service hours, so they have to conduct most of their research into new wines, cheeses, and chocolates—not to mention tasting and ordering—on their own time. Wine buying for Bingham is “even more challenging,” says Bauer, “because we do try to find stuff that you can’t find anywhere else. We want stuff that we have to tell people about.”
Bauer uses five chocolatiers, primarily from the Midwest, for her handmade and hand-dipped sweets, from all-natural, Fair Trade ingredients. Even the gift boxes are biodegradable. “We have to explain why this costs $5,” she says with a laugh, holding a truffle.
“We kind of moved away from the big European names to small, Midwestern, artisan cheeses and chocolates,” says Turner. “We buy direct from the cheese farm whenever we can. Tourists on Michigan Avenue really like that.” She’s been known to get up early after a late shift just to be the first to meet a particular cheese provider at the Green City Farmer’s Market in Lincoln Park. She also surfs the Internet early in the morning, she says, “finding those super-small cheese farms that no one else has on their lists. It’s definitely a lifestyle.”
Although Eno prides itself on seeking out exclusive products, it tries to make them as accessible as possible. “We have so many bottles that are priced so reasonably that people who wouldn’t normally take the risk of getting a bottle, can,” says Krol. “That’s what we try to do—bring it on a level that’s super-casual. It doesn’t need to be intimidating. We’re just very laid-back.”
“For someone who knows nothing about wine, cheese, or chocolate,” Turner adds, “they can come in and have all these experiences and be educated on all the products.” Those experiences include parties ranging from classroom-style tastings to lavish cocktail hours with stations. “We can be as in-depth as they want,” Krol says. “They love that there are all sommeliers there, and they can really impress their friends.”
That all four sommeliers are female still surprises and impresses guests, who often assume the women won’t know what they’re talking about. But that’s starting to change. “It’s an up-and-coming career choice for women,” says Bingham. “When we go to trade tastings, we are always the minority, for sure.” But she and the others are noticing more and more women in their classes. In fact, the number of women who applied for their Eno positions was noticeably greater than in the past, according to Harney.
Kathleen Lewis, executive director of the Court of Master Sommeliers for the past 11 years, has also observed the trend. Though there are just 14 women among the 96 current Master Sommeliers in the American chapter, the ratio of women to men has been increasing. And the growth is even greater at the Certified and Advanced levels, Lewis says, which will eventually be reflected in the Master ranks.
The four sommeliers at Eno find strength in numbers. “We’re always teaching each other,” Krol says. “It’s nice that we’ll all be able to open a bottle and talk about it. You’re working with people who all have the same passion for it.” They clearly have a lot of fun, too. Almost like a group of college co-eds.
Eno InterContinental Chicago 505 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 321-8738 www.enowinerooms.com
Continue the discussion in the forum: http://www.sommelierjournal.com/forum/topics.aspx?ID=112

Chef’s memories captured in Champagne bubbles

2008-11-13T10:12:00.001-05:00

Chef’s memories captured in Champagne bubbles

Posted using ShareThis

Tannins are oh-so-tacky

2008-11-12T10:06:00.001-05:00

Tannins are oh-so-tacky

Posted using ShareThis

2008-11-07T02:26:00.001-05:00

The real:
I've this creeping
Suspicion that things here are not as they seem
Reassure me
Why do I feel as if I'm in too deep?
Now I've been praying
For some way to show them
I'm not what they see
Yes, I have done wrong
But what I did I thought needed be done
I swear
Oh, Unholy day
If I leave now
I might get away
Oh, but this weighs on me
As heavy as stone and as blue as I go
I was just wondering if you'd come along
Hold up my head when my head won't hold on
I'll do the same if the same's what you want
But if not I'll go
I will go alone
I'm a long way
From that fool's mistake
And now forever pay
No, run I will run and I'll be ok

I was just wondering if you'd come along
Hold up my head when my head won't hold on
I'll do the same if the same's what you want
But if not I'll go
I will go alone
I go a long way
To bury the past for I don't want to pay
Oh, how I wish this
To turn back the clock and do over again
Now I'm just wondering if you'd come along
Hold up my head when my head won't hold on
I'll do the same if the same's what you want
But if not I'll go
I will go alone
I need so
To stay in your arms, see you smile, hold you close
And oh it weighs on me
As heavy as stone and of bone chilling cold
I was just wondering if you'd come along
Tell me you will.

And the really wish:
Sunday morning rain is falling
Steal some covers share some skin
Clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable
You twist to fit the mold that I am in
But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do
And I would gladly hit the road get up and go if I knew
That someday it would bring me back to you
That someday it would bring me back to you
That may be all I need
In darkness she is all I see
Come and rest your bones with me
Driving slow on sunday morning
And I never want to leave
Fingers trace your every outline
Paint a picture with my hands
Back and forth we sway like branches in a storm
Change the weather still together when it ends
That may be all I need
In darkness she is all I see
Come and rest your bones with me
Driving slow on sunday morning
And I never want to leave
But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do
Sunday morning rain is falling and I'm calling out to you
Singing someday it'll bring me back to you
Find a way to bring myself home to you
And you may not know
That may be all I need
In darkness she is all I see
Come and rest your bones with me
Driving slow?

At least Palin wine is a bargain

2008-10-23T11:21:00.001-04:00

At least Palin wine is a bargain

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: A freelancer\'s credibility is a critical asset

2008-10-22T13:18:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: A freelancer's credibility is a critical asset

Posted using ShareThis

You’ve heard of corked wine, but baked?

2008-10-22T00:13:00.001-04:00

You’ve heard of corked wine, but baked?

Posted using ShareThis

My red wines are feeling feverish

2008-10-20T14:24:00.001-04:00

My red wines are feeling feverish

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: Time is money ... but how much? Rating freelancing

2008-10-20T12:51:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: Time is money ... but how much? Rating freelancing

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: Tips for top rewards when YOU are your boss

2008-10-16T16:31:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: Tips for top rewards when YOU are your boss

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: Can freelancers pin down floating holidays?

2008-10-14T21:43:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: Can freelancers pin down floating holidays?

Posted using ShareThis

Drink up with The Juice

2008-10-14T21:00:00.001-04:00

Drink up with The Juice

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: Business cards on the cheap--but don\'t flip them over

2008-10-13T23:16:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: Business cards on the cheap--but don't flip them over

Posted using ShareThis

Getting a swirlie: Why take your wine for a spin?

2008-10-13T22:26:00.001-04:00

Getting a swirlie: Why take your wine for a spin?

Posted using ShareThis

Sofitel Chef Martial Noguier bids au revoir to summer wines

2008-10-09T20:37:00.001-04:00

Sofitel Chef Martial Noguier bids au revoir to summer wines

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: Chain me to the chair, please

2008-10-08T23:20:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: Chain me to the chair, please

Posted using ShareThis

A wine for your party or your sprinkled doughnut

2008-10-07T20:42:00.001-04:00

A wine for your party or your sprinkled doughnut

Posted using ShareThis

Terroir: The key to finding your favorite wines

2008-10-06T21:59:00.001-04:00

Terroir: The key to finding your favorite wines

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: A peek at the wacky world of freelance work needs

2008-10-06T09:52:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: A peek at the wacky world of freelance work needs

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: Writing: Better than owning a Porsche?

2008-10-03T11:53:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: Writing: Better than owning a Porsche?

Posted using ShareThis

Estate bottled–Not the same as home brew!

2008-10-02T20:39:00.001-04:00

Estate bottled–Not the same as home brew!

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: Best tips for a great story pitch

2008-10-01T11:18:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: Best tips for a great story pitch

Posted using ShareThis

Grand cru: It even sounds impressive

2008-09-30T21:27:00.001-04:00

Grand cru: It even sounds impressive

Posted using ShareThis

Warm up from the inside

2008-09-30T13:08:00.001-04:00

Warm up from the inside

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: Living on fool\'s gold

2008-09-29T14:27:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: Living on fool's gold

Posted using ShareThis

Something old, something new

2008-09-26T01:13:00.001-04:00

Something old, something new

Posted using ShareThis

Wine is my passport

2008-09-24T23:25:00.001-04:00

Wine is my passport

Posted using ShareThis

Juicy green wine news

2008-09-24T23:24:00.001-04:00

Juicy green wine news

Posted using ShareThis

Visa in hand, off to Brazil

2008-09-20T01:12:00.002-04:00

This is why I'm going: Copy the link below, paste it into your browser, go to the "Wines from Brazil brings international journalists..." news item, click on it and translate it via Google. I am so, so flipping excited!http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A//www.guiabento.com.br&langpair=pten&hl=pt-BR&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=/language_tools

Wine that tastes like chicken

2008-09-19T00:20:00.002-04:00

Wine that tastes like chicken

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: Get your foot in YouTube\'s door for shot at journalism career

2008-09-17T21:49:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: Get your foot in YouTube's door for shot at journalism career

Posted using ShareThis

There Is a Doctor in the House

2008-09-17T09:04:00.001-04:00

There Is a Doctor in the House

Posted using ShareThis

Your wine rack is looking a little chilly

2008-09-15T19:39:00.001-04:00

Your wine rack is looking a little chilly

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: When it\'s \"whom\" you know

2008-09-14T23:39:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: When it's "whom" you know

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: Union in the loosest sense a fit for freelancers

2008-09-12T13:40:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: Union in the loosest sense a fit for freelancers

Posted using ShareThis

Buy a hairdryer and a Chianti

2008-09-11T20:29:00.001-04:00

Buy a hairdryer and a Chianti

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: Layoff lemonade

2008-09-10T16:45:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: Layoff lemonade

Posted using ShareThis

Makes screwing around with a cork easier

2008-09-10T00:24:00.001-04:00

Makes screwing around with a cork easier

Posted using ShareThis

Is there any clear reason for red and white glasses?

2008-09-08T22:33:00.001-04:00

Is there any clear reason for red and white glasses?

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: Is credibility a consensus vote?

2008-09-08T21:45:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: Is credibility a consensus vote?

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: Newspapers lean, but web fat with soft-news opportunity

2008-09-05T14:45:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: Newspapers lean, but web fat with soft-news opportunity

Posted using ShareThis

Wine demand flourishes; will supply wither?

2008-09-04T18:26:00.001-04:00

Wine demand flourishes; will supply wither?

Posted using ShareThis

My latest story for the Chicago Sun-Times

2008-09-04T17:31:00.001-04:00

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/food/1141369,FOO-News-night03.article

My latest article for Sommelier Journal

2008-09-04T17:22:00.001-04:00

http://www.sommelierjournal.com/articles/article.aspx?year=2008&month=09&articlenum=32

Freelance Writing Examiner: Making cents of words

2008-09-03T10:16:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: Making cents of words

Posted using ShareThis

Freelance Writing Examiner: Off the high dive without water wings

2008-09-02T17:27:00.001-04:00

Freelance Writing Examiner: Off the high dive without water wings

Posted using ShareThis

A sigh of relief for breathable glass

2008-09-02T16:22:00.001-04:00

A sigh of relief for breathable glass

Posted using ShareThis

Hints of Barbie, with a note of GI Joe

2008-09-01T23:09:00.001-04:00

Hints of Barbie, with a note of GI Joe

Posted using ShareThis

A very sexy couple

2008-08-28T19:29:00.001-04:00

A very sexy couple

Posted using ShareThis

You won’t know until you try it

2008-08-28T19:27:00.001-04:00

You won’t know until you try it

Posted using ShareThis

Go high-low with a wine/dog combo

2008-08-28T19:26:00.001-04:00

Go high-low with a wine/dog combo

Posted using ShareThis

Movin' on up

2008-08-22T20:29:00.003-04:00

Yes, moving day approacheth, and I'm up to my shoulders in boxes. I promise to write--with some great news!--as soon as my computer is up and running in its new home. Sure wish I could do that whole nose-wiggle thing like Samantha. But I can't even whistle very well...

How great thou art

2008-08-18T20:46:00.003-04:00

Is it sacrilegious to refer to a hymn in an ode to wine writing? I do approach the topic with all due reverence.

Last week I got to go down to Michigan Avenue to meet four totally amazing female sommeliers who work at Eno in the Intercontinental, a new bar that serves just wine, cheese and chocolate. What could be better? Why, sampling, of course! An afternoon with smart, funny women giving me the best combinations of wine with cheese and wine with chocolate that I have ever tasted. (Their chocolates are $5 each, if that tells you anything. Per truffle or square.) Divine.

Then, on Friday, I was invited to a luncheon downtown with a distributor and a winemaker/master sommelier from Australia. Huge plates of fresh lobster and other shellfish for our whites; pasta (or salmon for me) and then cheese plates for our reds. Great conversation with two cool people who also live here and work for the distribution company.

We all agreed that we have awesome jobs. I mean, I could be sitting in shareholder's meetings writing about profit predictions, right? How lucky I was to "fall victim" to the economy and be laid off. How lucky I was that writing worked out, even though I was sure it never would. How much I encourage all of you, my dear few readers, to pursue whatever passion you have right now with the unwavering belief that it will work out.

And if your nerves start to fail, a little glass of wine will do ya.

Everywhere's not there

2008-08-12T23:30:00.002-04:00

I'm sure at some point (OK, many points) I mentioned Everywhere Magazine to you. A novel concept for content--members of the community post their original travel material (photos, stories, essays, reviews) to their profiles on travel website everywheremag.com, and the publishers pluck the best for a monthly print magazine.

I was excited to be a part because the content there seemed a notch above your typical user-generated sites. It also proved a great outlet for my travel pieces and an opportunity to engage in a community.

The oh-so-personable editors sent me a little gift last week: They wrote to tell me they are going to publish not one, not two, but FOUR of my items in their next print magazine: My story about the Trump Hotel. My story about Malaga. Two photos from Malaga. Did I mention they even pay for the material they publish in their print magazine?

And you know how much I want to be a travel/food/wine writer someday, emphasis on growing the travel part. A crucial element of my nefarious plan to eat and drink my way around the world and be paid for it.

But I was saddened to read that the lovely magazine bearing my work will be the publishers' last. The online community will live on, but the print component will cease production because of costs. Certainly I didn't have any eggs in this basket--what recognition I received on their blog and in their print product was gravy. I did, however, really enjoy the vibe the editors exuded in their missives and their newsletters and their suggestions for upcoming topics. They were--are--just really cool people, from what I could read, and I liked their direction.

Here's to hoping the Everywhere folks will crop up again somewhere...

Holy miracles of publishing, Batman! It's the cover!

2008-08-08T10:06:00.003-04:00

It might be a first--me at a loss for words.

I was so, so, so honored and thrilled to have the chance to write a story this spring for Sommelier Journal, a national wine professionals' magazine.

And after I turned in my first story, they asked if I'd be willing to write two more. So they weren't just being nice the first time or horribly disappointed with my work! I was a bit giddy.

Then I got the email that the August issue is out, the one in which my first story for them (on biodynamic and organic wines) would debut. I clicked through with breath that was baited ... and nearly fainted.

The cover! I was the cover story!

I wanted to weep. Instead, I had some wine. And called my mom and dad.

The print version isn't out yet, but you can see it online here. Oh happy day. I might need some more wine to celebrate.

And just as an aside, I might share with you the quirky story of how I came to be writing for Sommelier Journal. I had just quit my job without any plan for another and, at rock bottom, decided to give freelancing a go. I had nothing to lose, right?

Desperately seeking work, I spent days and nights trolling job boards and websites dedicated to publishing jobs.

Somewhere, I saw an ad seeking an assistant editor for a new wine magazine out of Denver. I used to live in Denver, I still have family there, and I will someday move back. Why not now, I thought? I applied.

I got a very nice note saying that Sommelier Journal had received many, many applications from fine individuals, but I was not selected for the position. Bummer, I thought. I looked at the email, I hit reply, and I said, "Thank you so much for taking the time to write and tell me. But I'm a professional freelance writer who has gone through the introductory level of the Court of Master Sommeliers. I'd be an ideal contributor to your magazine in that way, I believe." And I hit send, sure it would go off into a no-reply black hole.

Lo and behold, some days later I had a nice response from the nice editor, who said, "Sure. Send us a story pitch."

I had just done a story for the newspaper here about a talk on organic and biodynamic wine at a local wine shop. But it was a short story, purposefully simple for a general consumer with the attention span of a gnat with a Blackberry. I had far, far too much information and far too many contacts to include. I suggested I write for Sommelier Journal an industry-focused story on the topic. Another shock--they said yes.

I was off and running, doing a slew of interviews with everyone I had ever met in my wine studies last year or at tastings since (don't give me your business card unless you're willing to be contacted out of the blue a year later for a story), agonizing over every word because this was for a national magazine, and it goes to people who know way more about wine than I do. The story consumed my life for a while.

But what reward. And I have to give kudos to the editor, who so beautifully wove my sidebar material into the story. Some editors do not read my work before they publish it. Some give it a cursory glance. Some pick it apart until it's just a fragmented shell of itself. But Sommelier Journal's editors used a fine needle to weave together any loose threads for a story that was mine, but better.

There were lots of dark days six months ago when my career blew up and I bailed out. But since, I've had many highlights to give me courage to believe this might work out. This might be one of the brightest.

Say what?

2008-08-06T12:21:00.001-04:00

Today the Chicago Sun-Times published my story on the word "sommelier" on the cover of the food section, along with a sidebar containing wine recommendations from some sommeliers, plus a man-on-the-street deal I did asking random people if they'd ever seen/heard of the word.

Check it out!

A lament from the freak who subscribes to two newspapers

2008-07-31T18:16:00.003-04:00

A friend from the newspaper industry recently shared a link with many of us who used to or continue to work in the business. (He, too, is now freelancing full time.) Follow the link to find a compelling conversation among newspaper experts on the state of the industry. It's nearly as mournful as I felt it was. I'm not sure it makes me feel better to know that newspaper experts are as fearful as I am for the loss of truth and justice.

One comment in particular seemed to sum up my thoughts (though I wouldn't blame the Clinton administration for segmentation and consolidation):

"And I think that the crisis that is hitting newspapers across the country, which we’ve just detailed, is at its core, because—is a kind of realization and is a kind of panic that newsprint is dying, at least the large big dailies. We’ll still get those sort of free dailies they hand out on the metro, designed to be read in twenty minutes, which are essentially advertising rags with virtually no reporting. But the large newspapers are dying, and the internet is not going to replace them. They are not going to make that transfer from newsprint to the internet. And that is what is the crisis. And I think that the crisis is one that is severe not only for the newsgathering industry, but for our democracy as a whole.

"There’s been a terrible corruption, of course, of the newsgathering industry, in large part because—courtesy, thanks to the Clinton administration, we now have five corporations essentially controlling everything that we read, see, hear and ultimately think. And then, of course, that fusion of entertainment and news is one that has been completely—has been devastating to those of us who care about impartial and honest newsgathering.

"So, you know, what we’re seeing is people retreating into sort of these intellectual ghettos in the internet, where people—where very little reporting is done. I mean, I think if you look at the blogosphere, it’s very clear that there’s a parasitic quality. They feed off of the wire services and the newspapers, which probably account for about 80 percent of all newsgathering. When that’s gone, we are just going to descend into kind of packaging and partisanship and propaganda. And what my deepest fear is, that the future of news will end up looking like the Drudge Report."

I have written long-winded blogs previously about the dearth of job opportunities these days for people perfectly willing to be paid in peanuts and promises just for the opportunity to shine a light in the dark corners of business and government and such, so I'll spare you my rant.

Just share with me a moment of silence, if you will.

It couldn't be said better, me thinks

2008-07-31T10:05:00.003-04:00

This below is from ShapeFit, an online newsletter I receive once a week. Sometimes the writing is pretty awful, though there's usually a sound tip to be had.

But today's article was about as solid a summary of good nutrition as I've ever seen. Kudos to author Lisa Andrews. It includes all the fundamental things I've ever read and encourages moderation and variety above any extremism. Not too much detail, but enough to help one live in great health till senility sets in and one starts preferring cat food:

"Carbohydrates have gotten a bad rep these past few years due to various fad diets, when in reality- it's what our bodies need most. Carbohydrates fuel our brain and muscles, and without them, we can't function properly.

"However, the type of carbohydrate you choose can impact your blood sugar and insulin levels, which can enhance or impair your health.

"Carbohydrates are made up of glucose molecules and come in two flavors; simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are a form of sugar and are broken down and used for energy quickly in the body. These sugars include fructose (from fruit and honey), lactose (from milk) and sucrose, which is table sugar. Some simple carbohydrates can raise blood sugar quickly, which can be detrimental to good health. Although fruit is made up of simple sugars, it contains fiber, which may aid in the prevention and treatment of several chronic diseases.

"Refined carbohydrates are typically high in simple sugar. These include regular soft drinks, cakes, cookies, pies, candy and other desserts and should be limited or avoided in our diets. These foods also tend to be high in trans and saturated fat- two types that raise blood cholesterol and may have other detrimental effects on health.

"Complex carbohydrates are made up of several chains of glucose molecules, and therefore, take longer for the body to digest and utilize. Complex carbohydrates include whole grains (such as whole wheat bread or bran cereal), legumes, vegetables and beans. Other whole grains include oatmeal, quinoa, whole wheat pasta and brown rice. Although white bread, white rice, commercial pasta, and crackers are 'complex', they can raise blood sugar quickly, which can impair good health. When choosing complex carbohydrates, whole grains are healthier than refined because they are in higher in fiber, zinc, vitamin E and other nutrients. They also have a lower Glycemic Index.

"The Glycemic Index (GI) is a method of measuring how quickly and to what extent a carbohydrate raises blood sugar. Carbohydrates that are broken down quickly have a high GI, and the blood glucose curve is high. Carbohydrates that are slowly digested have a low GI, and the blood glucose curve is low.

The GI Index Range is:
Low GI = 55 or less
Moderate GI = 56-69
High GI = 70 or higher

"It may be wise to limit foods with a high GI (over 70) due to their impact on blood sugar and insulin levels. Increased insulin levels have been linked with diabetes and heart disease. Foods with a high GI include white bread, white rice, white potatoes, and processed snack foods crackers, and desserts. Some fruits and vegetables may have higher glycemic indices than others. Whole grains, pasta and fruits have a moderate GI, whereas legumes and dairy products have the lowest.

"Potential Benefits of Eating a Low GI Diet:

Improved insulin sensitivity
Improved blood sugar and diabetes control
Weight reduction
Cholesterol reduction
Provide satiety- reduce hunger between meals

"Tips to Choosing Low GI Foods:

Eat plenty of vegetables, but limit potatoes, corn, beets and carrots.
Choose non-tropical whole fruit in place of juice. Limit bananas, watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple and other tropical fruit.
Select unsweetened dairy products, such as plain yogurt, over sweetened varieties.
Eat balanced meals which include lean protein, whole grains and healthful fat.
Add beans, barley, brown rice, long grain rice, oats, whole wheat pasta and quinoa to your diet and limit intake of couscous, corn, potatoes and short grain white rice.
Choose oat-based cereals that contain more soluble fiber such as steel cut oats over corn, rice and enriched wheat-based cereals.
Enjoy nuts, seeds or low fat cheese over refined snacks such as candy, sweets, chips, and crackers

"Whichever carbohydrates you choose in your diet, keep in mind their effect on your blood sugar and overall health. A lower glycemic index diet may be just what the doctor ordered."
By Lisa Andrews

The long and winding road

2008-07-31T00:06:00.002-04:00

For someone who walks so fast that her friends and daughter have to skip to keep up, I sure have been meandering and ambling a lot. By that I mean my commentary here. I've strayed from friendly grammar tips and talk of freelancing to a confession of eating butterscotch chips out of the bag at my mom and dad's house.

But that's food, right? So it kinda counts? Because I have a lot of food-related freelance assignments? Maybe?

Maybe I can get back on track. Or pick a track. For the moment, I'll regale you with a fascinating list of the things I have been working on. Because I've been working like I walk: fast.

The end is in sight for the project requiring me to find, read and rewrite divorce statutes for all 50 states plus DC and Puerto Rico. Digging through these since late March, I'm now down to the final five and giddy with progress. I was clocking two-a-day while at my parents' house last week, and these little boogers can take five hours apiece. They were not my only responsibility, either. Hence the need for butterscotch chips.

I wonder whether this media outlet will offer me another project after I'm through rewriting the law? It's been lucrative by sheer volume, though sometimes mind-numbing. What I can do with lucrative, however--eat, rent a home, pay for a car--is pretty exciting.

I just went to Indianapolis on Saturday to tour Scholars Inn and conduct interviews for a restaurant spotlight story for Sommelier Journal, my second assignment for them. I had to crank it out for a Tuesday deadline; fortunately, this one came out of my head and onto the screen more easily than some.

And I'm very pleased to report I have a third assignment in the works; in August, I'll do a sommelier spotlight story on four female (aka rare) sommeliers all working together at the Intercontinental Hotel here. Sommelier Journal is a national magazine and well-respected. They pay like a national, respected outlet, too. So I'm quite happy and honored to be entrusted with these assignments.

A few other little things have fallen into my lap like hot potatoes (more food):

A friend of a friend is opening a retail location in the Loop for her to-die-for gourmet cupcakes. I was thrilled to be hired to write her grand opening press release... and to sample several of her blissfully wonderful products.

I continue to write bits and pieces for a mortgage firm via my ad agency client, including a persuasive direct-mail letter, staff biographies for their website and the first in a series of informational mortgage stories that they're posting to their site.

We're now in the process of implementing some of the steps I suggested in the marketing plan I wrote this spring for a private school client. This goes in fits and starts, but I came away from our meetings last week with several self-directed action steps in an effort to have more starts than fits.

The designer with whom I partner for another client happened to land a project for a podiatrist. They hired him to produce a brochure about their practice and new clinic; I got to write the copy for what will be one of their first marketing pieces. Perhaps this is a foot in the door? (Sorry, bad pun. I got to use lots of fun word play in this project, but I did try to avoid such silly-but-tempting cliches...)

I just finished some extra work for a story I did for the Sun-Times. The initial piece, in which I interviewed three sommeliers to see what kind of reaction they get when they tell people "I'm a sommelier," was expanded to a cover feature. So I was able to submit the wine recommendations I solicited from the sommeliers. And even more fun, I got to indulge my man-on-the-street idea to ask random people whether they had ever seen the word or had a clue what it meant. Watch for a link to that August 6 story.

I've also been dropping things onto my profile at EverywhereMag.com, though I have much more intended for that site, as well as a pile of things to add to my own website. I'm very slow with HTML, so it's a chore I dread, and it will have to wait till next week, when I've polished off the last of the divorce law summaries and written about something (ideas, please?) for my Fort Wayne Monthly fitness column.

Finally, I was asked to submit a proposal to blog for a wine shop here. The owner and I have met a few times, and I've pulled together a ton of ideas as well as a few sample entries; after this investment of time, I pray it's a go. It will be a lot of work, but I tried to keep the bid as low as possible so the owner didn't choke on his Cabernet when he opened the email. Soon, I may be meandering and rambling for someone else!

And now, off to bed, because it's once again nearly midnight, and after working morning, noon and midnight every day for the past week and a half (weekends, too), I've promised myself I will get back to the beach tomorrow before my Vitamin D deficiency kicks in and I go all postal on someone.

Variety is the vice of life

2008-07-27T19:05:00.002-04:00

I just returned from a week at my parents' house in Fort Wayne, where I spent each day working from the time I woke until midnight, only stopping then because I felt it rude to risk waking my parents with my bedtime routine even later.

My mother and father are just two these days, but they have food to feed our former family of five, plus probably the sum total of sorry saps I've dated (a staggering number).

Restless and bored as I was by rewriting state statutes, I found many opportunities to cruise the large pantry, various cabinets, fridge, freezer and chest freezer in the garage. A veritable smorgasbord of possibilities.

My mom, a testament to willpower, is able to keep chocolate bars and nut bars and butterscotch chips and such around for years, till they turn funky colors.

Me? I never let them suffer such bitter ends. In my hands (and mouth) they are quickly savored, consumed with gusto and fervor. In mass quantities. Wouldn't want any treats to feel left out now, would we?

The thing is, I know this will make me feel bad, mentally and physically. I know I'll feel bloated and embarrassed and icky. But I was born with a craving for variety in everything. It's why I always try a new restaurant. Never see a movie twice. Live in a huge city. Travel extensively. My appetite for variety is voracious.

And at my mom and dad's, I can indulge in a flavor safari. Things I would never keep in my own home, exotic and extravagant and wonderful foods like lasagna and ice cream, are just waiting to be discovered, devoured. I rove from a taste of hummus on mushrooms to a single tortilla chip to a handful of honey-roasted peanuts to a Chips Ahoy cookie, a revolving and evolving food carousel.

After a week of this grazing, slightly dizzy and sick and fat, I'm back at home, where the cans of diet soda far outnumber any other food-like item in refrigerator or pantry. I'm only so low in food-like items, though, because I love, love, love my fruits and vegetables, and I ate them all before I left for a week, fearing rot. No funky colors here.

Today I'm happy, eager to return to daily salads and fruit, the occasional Egg Beater with Mrs. Dash, or cottage cheese with curry, or Boca Burger with agave ketchup thrown in for protein. Light Dannon yogurt and Kashi Go Lean with black coffee and water for breakfast. I feel fresher already just imagining it.

Here, my variety is peaches vs. nectarines vs. strawberries vs. mangoes. Zucchini vs. yellow squash vs. tomatoes vs. carrots vs. broccoli. Will I steam my veggies before I put them on the salad? Spinach or romaine hearts or arugula? Balsamic vinaigrette or horseradish? Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi or Diet Sprite or Diet A&W?

Alcoholics stay away from booze. Addicts stay away from addicted friends. I don't want to stay away from my mom and dad, but I sure am glad I'm back in control of my edible surroundings.

The high price of fabulousness

2008-07-26T09:26:00.002-04:00

My adopted city has proven to be pricey on a national and even worldwide scale, according to an article in Forbes:

6. Chicago, Ill. (This means it is the sixth most expensive place to live in the United States.)
World Rank: 84
The Midwest's biggest business hub, Chicago is the only non-coastal city on our list. The third-most populous city in the U.S., the town serves as a stopover for executives between New York and Los Angeles. Chicago's costs come from housing demand and an ever-growing tourism industry. In 2007, 46.3 million people visited Chicago and spent $11.5 billion, according to the city's tourism commission.

The good news today for me? The attorney review period is over, and I have sold my condo. Soon, I will be renting for $675 less a month. No, my rent is far, far more than $675 a month--that is just how much I will save vs. owning. Not to mention something like $3500 in annual property taxes for 680 square feet of real estate and the costs of fixing a furnace or replacing cabinets when water shoots through the kitchen wall.

So I will trade central air for window units and free laundry for coin-operated, but I will gain a bit more space, both in terms of square footage and in my budget. We move in mid-August. The really great parts? (There are two.) It is just down the block from our condo, so Mia will only walk a block to school. And the landlord is gutting the bath and kitchen, sanding the floors, hanging drywall and installing new windows. Compared with the rotten dumps I saw for the same price, this will feel like a palace.

I did lose between $10,000 and $15,000 of my very precious down-payment savings in the sale. Everyone says that in this market, that's not so bad, though through my lens (which is as narrow as my budget), it seems like $10,000 worth of travel, or free time that I wouldn't have had to work, or college tuition...

But I guess real estate is like gambling, and on my previous three houses, I broke even or came out a bit ahead. You win some, you lose some, I suppose. And you gotta know when to fold 'em, walk away from the table when the deal is done, right?

Heartache

2008-07-16T12:07:00.002-04:00

A post by my friend Cathy on "that perfect song of each summer" brought back many fond memories: Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard on my 16th birthday at Canal Days in New Haven; UB40's Red, Red Wine, dancing as I washed dishes late at night at Dairy Queen, the fan blowing hot air and bubbles; Bell Biv Devoe in my Honda as we cruised Shoaff Park.

But nothing is more summer for me than Will Smith's Summertime. As I posted my comment on her blog, I looked up the YouTube video. Pardon me while I dry my eyes; I watched with a goofy, swollen-hearted smile, overcome with nostalgia.

Eat, drink and be merry, merry full

2008-07-16T11:41:00.002-04:00

Chicago's food scene rocks. The diversity of prices, atmospheres, ethnicities, cuisines, locations and styles married with the passion exhibited by diners and chefs alike makes it a superb place to be a food and wine writer.

But I'm still relatively new here, only anticipating my second anniversary as a Chicagoan in October, so I was thrilled to see this respectful yet vibrant discussion of what is truly unique about Chicago food. Some establishments have come and gone since being posted, but there is a goldmine here worth sampling. And going back for seconds.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/372986

A little dose of confidence

2008-07-10T18:39:00.002-04:00

You may recall my anguish over a story I published on Everywhere Magazine that offended a reader. I've had a bit of confidence restored since the editors contacted me to feature me on the website's blog.

I was flattered, to say the least, and do not think I'm quite as spiffy as Laurel says, but it did make me feel that I should at least try, try again and not abandon my dream. I really should work on that pitch to Budget Travel for a feature on Brazil...

As a small aside to my friends who read this, I at last seem to have sold my condo. The inspection last night was the final hurdle, I believe; pending attorney review, I will close at the end of August. And while I'm taking a major financial blow with this offer, at least I will soon begin to pay less a month for housing. (No, it's still nowhere within the realm of imagination compared with Indiana prices, but it's a bit better by Chicago standards.) And I'll not be responsible for repairs manually or financially, making me even more footloose and fancy free.

Some good news all around! I think this justifies my wine consumption of last night and my expected wine consumption tonight, tomorrow and Saturday as well. (Need I remind you that it is summer in Chicago, and we do not slow down here for one blessed sunny minute?)

Not to eat this dead horse, but...

2008-07-07T09:09:00.002-04:00

I've again come across the phrase "American food." It came up on a discussion board called Chowhound dedicated to all things food in Chicago. A visitor from Canada was looking for the best. A few locals responded with multiple suggestions, including references to our thriving ethnic regions serving wonderful authentic food from first-generation immigrants.

(Chicago really is a patchwork quilt of very proudly distinct neighborhoods, including many where this Midwestern-bred Caucasian girl would be a minority.)

The Canadian writer kindly rejected the ethnic suggestions, saying these were available in Canada, too, and settled on the best hot dog selections instead.

So perhaps "American food" can be a catch-all descriptor for the types of foods one can find across our country, in every city or town, widely available and roughly standard, given some regional variations? (Chicagoans are loathe to put ketchup on hot dogs, for instance.) The types of foods eaten by the masses, even if some indulge infrequently? Is it wrong to write a characterization of American food then, if it seems to be an understood category?

I've seen Korean food described as pungent, Vietnamese as light, Italian as heavy. And I've eaten plently of light and pungent Italian. Yet I didn't reject the overall characterization of that class of food, the shorthand approach. Is that stereotypical? Or simply necessary, especially when food is not the point of that particular missive?

I promise I'm done with this line of thinking. Especially because I'm now craving a Vietnamese roll, with crunchy julienned vegetables, enoki mushrooms and thin slices of lean beef visible through the paper-thin wrapper, the fresh taste of mint or lime leaf singing on my tongue...

What is American food?

2008-07-03T10:38:00.003-04:00

After the ruckus over my comments about Spanish food, I've been paying more attention to characterizations of food.

Interestingly, there was a story in today's newspaper about local chefs who are proud to be American and presenting American food. The story went on to describe their recipes based on food basic to the parts of the country from which they come (a Hawaiian chef using pineapple, a Southern chef making fried chicken, another chef citing comfort food, two of the three emphasizing good, fresh raw ingredients).

Another story on a blog showed the results of a poll in which people identified hamburgers as the most American food (beating even apple pie). So even in a country as much a melting pot as the United States, there is something that can be characterized as American food.

I wonder: Could someone visiting the States and sampling quintessential "American food" (no Thai spots, sushi joints, Italian restaurants or taco stands, though we in America tend to embrace them as our own, too) safely categorize it? Sum it up? If we can agree that mac and cheese and hamburgers represent American food, could someone say that American food is heavy or fattening (haute cuisine aside)?

Impenetrable skin

2008-07-02T10:03:00.003-04:00

I've been awake at night for weeks now feeling icky about a person who took issue with one of my stories.

I posted two pieces about Barcelona on Everywhere. They were touristy, happy accounts of my great trip. I introduced them with a short, one-paragraph explanation of the fact that Catalonia is different from the rest of Spain--primarily just so people would know why you use different words to order your coffee there vs. Madrid.

I described the region as proud and independent, in a forced marriage with the rest of Spain. In this, I meant that culturally, Catalonia has long resisted being engulfed in Spain and sought to keep its own culture and identity and language.

Apparently this insulted a man in Spain, who believed I was referring to the political and governmental structure and got it wrong. I tried to explain myself at first, but he persisted, citing the Spanish constitution even, and growing more vehement.

I pointed out that I was hardly original in this brief descriptor of the region as proud and independent. In fact, I pointed him to a page by a very well-known writer of travel books who took the idea far further.

This just further enraged the man, who started finding fault with other parts of my story, asking who the hell I am to write about things when I don't know anything. He even created a page on the Everywhere site and linked to my story, saying I was publishing opinion as fact.

The more I tried to defend my story, citing all the research I had done to come up with these initial bits of information and explaining that most of it was opinion as an account of my experiences, the more vicious his attacks and comments. Even eliminating the offending sentences did not placate him.

This upset me. I never write with the intention of causing insult, and if I do so unintentionally, I'm happy to correct it. But here, there seemed to be an entire misunderstanding of semantics and description. His own messages were full of misused words and misspellings. Though he says he is a historian in Spain, clearly his English is not perfect. I could attribute it to that.

Worse was the forcefulness of the attacks. It was not a friendly dialogue, but simply an attack.

At one point in a sidebar, I mentioned that people commonly think Spanish food will be spicy, like Mexican. He said the idea made him laugh--who would think that? But in fact, it is a fairly common misconception in my experience. Clearly, from his point of view in Spain, he believes the world knows much more (and cares much more) about Spain than it really does--at least here in the Midwest.

He also was infuriated by my comment that much of Spanish food is fried or soaked in oil. That's just tourist food, he said. But I was writing as a tourist, for tourists. I was not eating at the high-concept haute cuisine expensive restaurants where there are new techniques and ingredients. In fact, in Madrid, I stayed with people who lived there, and I ate with them. We ate at corner taverns in their neighborhood, not tourist spots. And the food was fried or soaked in oil. You can find dynamic chefs anywhere in the world, but when you talk about fried chicken Down South, you aren't talking about the panko-and-rosemary breaded chicken pops in scented walnut oil. You're talking about the juicy goodness you pick up on the corner. That's Southern food indicative of the region. As the stuff on the corner in Barcelona is Spanish food indicative of the region. It's not all Spanish food, no, but indicative of the region.

My attempts to explain the point of the story went on, with nasty comments from him piling up on my page, until finally I realized: This is not a debate over fact. This is a matter of nationalist pride and a sense of superior, more cosmopolitan knowledge. He will never understand the subtle semantics or US perspective, and his level of anger had gone beyond reason. With that, I finally had some peace. I pulled my stories off the site and let it go.

The next day, much to my surprise, the editors of the site contacted me personally. They were looking for my stories because they liked them and wanted to publish them for pay in the print edition!

I explained what happened. And I learned that the editors had encountered a lot of fuss over Catalonia from various sides, that it's been a sensitive topic for many. They also asked me to resubmit my work, because they still wanted to use part of it. I was thrilled and honored. After removing all the statements that so inflamed that reader, I sent it along.

The whole thing left me questioning my work. It's a bit like being on stage: My words go out for the whole world to read, love, hate, misinterpret or ignore. There are a host of bloggers who make comments about every food story in the Chicago newspapers each week. I always cringe when I go look, though so far it's not been too cringe-inducing for my stuff.

I know it's a matter of growing a thicker skin, though I also am very aware that I need to be certain of fact and cautious of statement. My writing is not crime reporting, just-the-inarguable-facts ma'am. It's subjective, opinion-based, soft news. It has to be entertaining, yet dead-on.

This incident left me questioning how much I want to do this. It was only after the response of the editors yesterday that I felt encouraged to hold on to my dream of travel writing. I know Anthony Bourdain must take a lot of flak for his strong, sometimes visceral and blunt statements, though having watched his show, read his book, researched his background for a story and met the guy, it's clear he has a tremendous respect for other cultures.

I chalk it up to the fact that I'm still learning. Yes, I may be 36 and far from a rookie in the world of work, but at last count, I've also held 17 different positions since high school, so I've been the new guy a lot. I hope to do this for a long, long time, and I anticipate some hard lessons along the way. Without a boss to bounce ideas off of or a company to hide behind when my work is attacked, it's just me, and I'm vulnerable. So I'm sure I'll have to toughen my hide a lot over the years... and be sure I can defend every word that comes out of my fingertips.

Back in the saddle

2008-07-01T09:26:00.006-04:00

I have been sadly neglectful of this space, though for the happiest of reasons: Miss Mia and I have been living Chicago fully during the two weeks between the end of the school year and the start of her five weeks in Indiana.

Chicago in the winter is just about the worst place to be ever. Even indoor attractions such as museums are daunting excursions because they require trudging through five feet of snow blowing so hard your eyelashes come out and then freeze to the tears streaming down your frostbitten cheeks.

Chicago in the summer is glorious heaven. People from the outside look in and wonder why we're all so giddy, cramming street festivals for cheap sangria, enduring sand blowing into our ears for the pleasure of a square foot on North Avenue Beach, and dining next to six lanes of smog-spewing cabs and Mercedes just to eat outside.

Well, we've paid our dues. We need to store this sunshine like a squirrel with a nut, because we know that come late January, we'll be wishing for an ocean cruise or a big bottle of Welbutrin.

We can sleep another time. It's summer in Chicago, and we're darn sure not going to waste a partly cloudy with a chance of lake contamination minute.

So Mia and I made several trips to the beach. We rode our bikes (on the sidewalks!) all over the 'hood. We went to the Chicago History Museum; the Notebaert Nature Museum; the Museum of Contemporary Art; the Art Institute; the Field Museum; the Green City Farmers' Market; the Lincoln Park Zoo; the Hancock Center; Summerdance in Grant Park; all our favorite little shops in Roscoe Village; onesixtyblue; Shaw's; Unitea at the W Hotel; Mercat a la Planxa; Spoon Thai; a carnival with our neighbors; the Belmont Arts and Music Fest. We had Baskin Robbins a lot. We saw Kung Fu Panda (thumbs-up). Mia walked to the station and took the El from our house to meet me downtown all by herself (talking to me on her cell phone almost the whole way). Mia took a class and got certified as a babysitter by the Red Cross. I drank a lot of Brazilian wine.

Whew! And tonight I'm going sailing.

So this morning, I'm back at it. I have to knock out a story for the Sun-Times, interview my cousin for my fitness column and return to my Florida website work. I have to get paperwork to a realtor for the possible sale of my condo. I have to stop fooling around here and GET TO WORK!

But you'll see me a little more often. Maybe. It's supposed to be nice tomorrow, perfect beach weather. ... And another friend is sailing tomorrow evening ... and the Green City Farmers' Market is tomorrow morning....

Just in case I don't get back here tomorrow, I'll leave you with this fun beach read:

http://www.goodnightbush.com/