Planning Committee Meeting
Chez Braumoeller
Sunday, January 18, 11 a.m.
Last year’s events were, in a word, inspirational. Our membership grew in ways that surprised our peers in other convivia, and we were thrilled at the can-do spirit that we found at all of our events. Our Flying J dinner was a heartwarming success largely because just about everyone chipped in in one way or another. By the end of the year, members were even planning and organizing events, and we had the pleasure of (mostly) just being along for the ride!
These are the people we want on our Planning Committee. If you could see yourself planning and organizing an event, come to our house for a light brunch and a discussion of the coming year.
Drop us a line to RSVP
Get the idea of Kraft singles out of your head! America has a lot to offer when it comes to artisanal cheeses. And we'll taste our way through some of the best. Join us at Katzinger’s Delicatessen for an education into American cheesemaking. The workshop will be co-taught by Arlene, a Slow Food Columbus member and soon to be cheese apprentice, and Wendy, a self-described cheesemonger and manager of Katzinger’s retail and specialty foods. They will lead us through Cheddar, Blue, Washed Rind, Natural Rind and Bloomy Rind cheeses. We'll learn how ordinary milk—combined with just the right amount of science and magic—is transformed into the cheeses that have been loved and savored throughout history. To complement the cheeses, Arlene and Wendy chose a couple of beers from Columbus’ own Elevator brew pub. They will also have answers to many of our most difficult cheesy questions: Is the rind edible? How do I arrange a good cheese plate? Which cheeses should I use for cooking/baking? What is so “slow food” about cheese anyway?
Katzinger's will be offering a 20% discount on all retail items (including cheese) purchased the night of the tasting. Space is limited to 30 people, so act now and make your reservations!
Taste Workshop: American Artisanal Cheese
Katzinger’s Delicatessen
Tuesday, February 24, 7:00 p.m.
$20 member / $25 nonmember + processing fee
To celebrate the first anniversary of the founding of a Slow Food convivium in Columbus, Slow Food member Kent Rigsby has offered to host a dinner for us at his consistently top-rated restaurant, Rigsby’s Kitchen. As an homage to Slow Food’s Italian roots, it will be a classic Italian five course wine dinner emphasizing the cuisine of Sardinia, consisting of antipasti, primi, secondi, formaggi, and dolce (handmade Seadas—a rare treat!) Each course will be paired with a different wine for a unique opportunity so try an array of dynamic flavors. Antonella Mancini, whose Sardinian wine will be one of the features of the evening, will be in attendance to discuss her wines. Come join us at Rigsby's for an evening of taste, tradition and fun!
Note that seating is limited and, to avoid confusion, reservations can only be made via our online service; please do not contact Rigsby’s for reservations.
Slow Food Columbus Anniversary Dinner: Traditions of Sardinia
Rigsby’s Kitchen
Monday, March 2, 7:00 p.m.
$55 member / $65 nonmember + tax, gratuity, & processing fee
Make a Reservation
View the menu
We know that you will enjoy our spring fundraiser: a traditional Cuban Pig Roast, cooked in a “China Box” with traditional Cuban accompaniments, all celebrated in the rustic environment of the McPeek Lodge in Granville, Ohio.
Slow Food Columbus has been planning for almost a year to recreate this traditional Cuban “Celebration of the Pig.” The China Box is so named because it was first introduced to Cuban culture by a Chinese traveler. It slowly cooks a whole pig marinated in Cuban flavors producing an extraordinarily juicy and savory dish that literally falls from the bone and all the charm of a whole pig roast from any culture. Columbus Barbeque guru and pig man extraordinaire Rick Malir from City BBQ will be offering his considerable skills to prepare a masterpiece.
We will start with ceviche, consisting of seafood provided by Angelo Edwards of The Fish Guys, and Cuban salsa and chips donated by John “CaJohn” Hard, both of the North Market. Our antibiotic-free, Ohio-raised guest of honor will be accompanied by four traditional Cuban sides, prepared and generously donated by Chef Kevin Caskey at Banana Bean Café, and another generous donation of the Cuban bread you love from Starliner Diner. The ceviche and sides will be made, in part, with produce donated by the Greener Grocer at the North Market. A special offering donated by Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams should match the food and be the perfect finish.
So that you have just what you like to quench your thirst, we invite you to bring your favorite beverages and something from which to imbibe. We have compiled some suggested wine and beverage pairings, as well as a list of local suppliers, for your convenience.
Come Join the Party!
Purchase tickets
View the Menu
Read about Pairings
View a Map of the Site
with Local Hotels/B&Bs
Morel Hunt at Flying J Farm
Flying J Farm
5329 Van Fossen Road, Johnstown
Saturday, April 25, 9 a.m.
No cost; members only
Slow Food member Dick Jensen of Flying J Farm in Johnstown will be leading a hunt for the elusive morel mushroom on his farm at noon on Saturday, April 25. By special invitation, members of Slow Food can arrive early and try their luck at tracking down the famously furtive fungus.
Bring a mesh bag (to redistribute the spores), and be prepared to donate half of your yield to Dick as a courtesy. Those who wish to do so may bring a dish and stay at the farm for a mushroom-themed potluck beginning at 4 p.m.; details can be found under the Events tab on the Flying J website.
And novices, take note: Nothing is as unworthy of your trust as a foodie in a forest full of morels. Don’t reveal your spots... and watch your back. You’ve been warned.
Slow Wine at the Vine
The Twisted Vine
1816 West Fifth Avenue, Columbus
Wednesday, July 15, 6-9 p.m.
Our semi-sort of-kind of-regular Slow Wine events have proven to be popular both with members and with nonmembers who just feel like dropping by, having a glass of wine, and finding out more about Slow Food in a casual environment.
Celebrate summer by joining us for Slow Wine at The Twisted Vine in Grandview, where wine will be poured by the glass or by the bottle with a $5 corkage fee. This month’s flights will pay tribute to the movement’s goals by highlighting delicious wines that are also organic and/or sustainable.
So whether you’re a member or just curious, come by the Vine, join us for a glass of wine, and get to know more about what we do.
One of the most remarkable changes in Columbus, as well as in the country more generally, in the past decade has been the growth in interest in food and food-related issues. This interest has led to a focus on the improvement of all levels of the American food system — improving access to good, clean, and fair food; promoting local agriculture; practicing sustainability; eradicating hunger; improving the quality of school meals and children’s health.
Many of these goals are pursued, with different degrees of emphasis, by nonprofits and organizations like Simply Living, Local Matters, Slow Food, the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, the American Community Gardening Association, and others. Working separately, they accomplish remarkable things.
Working together, they could accomplish even more.
That is why we at Slow Food Columbus have launched the Food Organizations Database Project—an attempt to gather contact information and mission statements about food-related organizations in the mid-Ohio region into a single database that will be available for everyone’s use. And that is why, this fall, we will invite representatives of those groups to join us at a Local Food Summit at the North Market, where we will share information about our plans and projects for the coming year and to discuss the possibilities for collaboration in an informal setting.
There is no application form for the Food Summit; any relevant organization listed in the database that chooses to be contacted with more information about the Summit will hear from us.
Slow Food — Athens Summer Fiesta and Siesta
Athens, OH and environs
Saturday-Sunday, June 20-21
Pricing à la carte; $5 nonmember event fee
Join Slow Food Columbus as the Snails Slide South again for a full weekend in Athens.
We will meet up at the Athens Farmers Market at 10 a.m. on Saturday June 20th to sample the 40-plus Slow Food-friendly market vendors. Many of these folks sell their products to Columbus markets and restaurants now you can go local with these locavores. As a bonus, we will be visiting during the market’s Berry Bake-Off, so even more goodies with be available for hungry Slow Foodies. At 10:30 a.m., we will meet at the Market Information sign to speak with Sarah Conley-Ballew (in yellow vest), the head Manager of the Farmer's Market .
Our next stop will be at 1:00 p.m. for the grand tour of Snowville Creamery. (Webmaster’s note: Look carefully at the text, folks... our web links are subtle, some people miss ‘em, and there are a lot here....)
At 3:30 p.m., we will arrive at Integration Acres to meet with Chris and learn about produce, pawpaws and goats.
At 7:00, we will return to Athens for dinner at Zoe. We will be dining on a five-course meal sourced from many of the vendors we saw in the morning. Tickets are limited to 26 people at $35 per person all-inclusive [reservations closed]; wineglasses will be provided for BYOB.
After dinner we will take a break to explore Athens at night. Some people might return to Columbus while others may stay in town. We have also been invited to camp out for free at the farm of Warren Taylor from Snowville Creamery. (Please let us know if you opt for this camping option).
On Sunday, we sleep in a bit, then at 10 a.m. we meet at Jana’s Soul Food Café for brunch made with bunch of local produce and products. Tickets are limited to 26 souls for this event as well, at $15.50 all-inclusive [reservations closed].
Around noon, we will carpool to Sassafras Farms for a tour. Our farm tour host asks that we carpool and limit the number of cars to 5 total, so we will try to partner up at Jana's or another site in Athens before heading to the farm. Our host will be Ed Perkins, the dean of all things organic in Athens and former OEFFA (Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association) President.
Afterward, we head back to Athens. At 3:00, we wrap up the weekend in the Cantina at Casa Nueva. We will hear from Leslie Schaller about “Casa” past, present and future. Leslie also works for Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet), which coordinates the Athens Food Ventures Center, which has fueled may successful food purveyors in the area.
Please contact Slow Food member Jim Ellison for information on lodging, field trips and additional places to eat.
Food and Ohio Wine Festival
The North Market
Saturday, July 11, 11-12 a.m.
Free
When the North Market announced a festival organized around Ohio food and wine, we thought, “Those are two of our favorite things—we should definitely be there!” But since we’re not North Market vendors, we don’t have a stall, and since we don’t actually have anything to sell, we don’t really qualify for a table. “Perhaps you could cook something,” suggested Mary Martineau, the Market’s Director of Marketing and resident vintage Vespa goddess.
Why, yes. Yes, we can.
Drop by the Ohio Proud Kitchen at the North Market between 11 a.m. and noon on Saturday and sample a little bit of what we’ll have on offer. We’ll also be available to talk about Slow Food’s programs, the Columbus convivium, and what we have in store for the coming year.
