To Market to Food Market

17th Street Market

Everytime I go to 17th Street Market, I wish that I had a chef whispering in my ear telling me how to prepare the many different produce items available.

Slow Food Tucson read my thoughts because on Sunday November 8, that’s exactly what will happen. 17th Street Market presents an international cooking class featuring Chef Allen Yap from Neo of Melaka, a Malaysian restaurant, and Chef Ryan Jarrell from Vila Thai.  (Psst, Vila Thai is my favorite Thai restaurant in Tucson.)

The event begins with a tour of the 17th Street Market by the chefs as they unlock the mystery of  ingredients used in these two Southeast Asian cuisines, followed by a cooking class and lunch. Beverages will include non-alcoholic drinks from around the world and bottled water. 

Attendees receive a 10% discount on all items purchased at the market after lunch. The culinary fun starts at 11:30 a.m. and lunch will be served at 2 p.m. 17th Street Market is located at 840 E. 17th Street. The cost is $40 for Slow Food Tucson members and $50 for non members for class and lunch. Please RSVP by October 31.

the marketplace opens October 26

Chef Albert Hall and his wife Lila Yamashiro, owners of Acacia at St. Philip’s Plaza, are opening “the Marketplace” at Acacia which is located directly north of the restaurant in St. Philip’s Plaza. The new market will offer affordably priced quick service meals and snacks for the River/Campbell neighborhood and beyond.

A limited seating area for approximately 15 people will include a community table and a few intimate tables. As at Acacia, many items will be housemade by the talented kitchen staff from Acacia using local and sustainable products when possible.

Breakfast offerings will feature a changing array of assorted fresh baked pastries plus breakfast burritos and hearty breakfast sandwiches served on house baked English muffins. Other breakfast delights will include the full line of Ausperitea products served iced, hot and/or blended; freshly squeezed juices; and coffee and espresso drinks made in the European tradition using locally roasted Arbuckle’s Coffee. This is sure to become a favorite neighborhood place to read the morning paper over a great cup of coffee and peruse the Farmer’s Markets in the Plaza on the weekends.

Lunch items will be available daily from 11 a.m. A selection of hoagies, muffaletti, paninis, Euro sandwiches, healthy salads and wholesome soups will be offered.

An enticing array of ready-to-grill prime steaks and seafood as well as prepared complete dinners (including salad and dessert) that only require minimal preparation i.e. heating, will be available from 3 to 6 p.m. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free items will always here and special orders welcomed.

The retail area of the store offers gourmet and hard to find culinary goods as well as some of the special seasonings and ingredients used in the creation of the award winning cuisine at Acacia.

Located at 4340 N. Campbell, Suite 107, The Marketplace at Acacia will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. offering breakfast, lunch and dinner items to go. The Marketplace will also offer full service catering, monthly tasting events, and more. Chef Hall’s cooking classes, scheduled to resume in the fall, will take place in the store. Phone: 520-232-0124.

Sample wine during The RumRunner celebration

Tucson food market news

 

 

Fry’s Sweepstakes
Who wouldn’t want to win free gas and groceries for a year? Warning, if you’re doing this at work, turn the sound off because it comes on really loud. Hey, if anyone wins because you saw it here – come back and let me know. You owe me a tank of gas!

Book Signing at 17th Street Market
On Saturday August 29, from noon to 3 p.m. local author Kate Mathis will be signing copies of her newly released novel Living Lies. Says Sue Giles, Editor in Chief, Tucson Lifestyle Magazine, “This mystery thriller has it all–suspense, intrigue, and romance.  You’ll root for undercover operative Melannie Ward as she tackles professional and personal crises while living a lie. Kudos to first time author Kathe Mathis.”  The 17th Street Market/The United Nations for Foodies is located in the Armory Park Artist Warehouse District at 810 East 17th Street, between Broadway and 22nd St., off of Euclid.  A map can be found on the website or call for directions, 792-2588.

RumRunner Celebration and Sale
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been two years since The RumRunner/Dish moved over to their new location. So to celebrate – on Sunday, August 30, from noon to 6 p.m. practically everything in the store will be on sale – 20 percent off. Yep, that’s all wines including limited releases, spirits, beer, liqueurs, gourmet cheeses and products. You can also enjoy a sampling of cheese, olives, gourmet products, unusually flavored chocolates (bacon-flavored chocolate, anyone?), and of course, wine tasting. Wine tasting is from 2 to 4 p.m. Support a local business and come browse and shop. RumRunner is located at 3131 E. First Street (slightly east of Country Club Drive); 326-0121. 

More Food Bites
–Food City has fire roasted Hatch chile in all stores.
–Wine tasting is coming soon to Trader Joe’s locations.
–How much sugar is too much sugar?

Please send your food market and farmers market news to eat.tucson AT yahoo.com

Celebrate locally grown food-Santa Cruz Heritage Alliance

 As part of its goal to promote local and place-based foods, the Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance published a guide to the local food producers and vendors in the Santa Cruz Valley and southeastern Arizona.  The guide, titled Local & Heritage Foods Directory: A guide to producers, grocers, restaurants and farmers’ markets throughout the Santa Cruz Valley and southeastern Arizona, is now available.
 
The directory is the first of its kind for southern Arizona and will connect all levels of the local food supply chain, from farmers to restaurants to food enthusiasts, making it easier to buy and sell diverse, fresh foods. Also included in the directory is background information about local heritage foods, such as mesquite meal, prickly pear and tepary beans; locations and schedules of regional farmers markets and a seasonal availability chart for the Santa Cruz Valley .
 
“The heritage foodways, farming and ranching practices of the Santa Cruz Valley are eclectic, building on many cultural influences and  improvisations pioneered by innovators here in our midst,” says Gary Paul Nabhan, Ph.D., co-founder of Tucson-based Native Seeds/SEARCH and Research Social Scientist with the Southwest Center at the University of Arizona .  “The goal of the Heritage Alliance is not to freeze them in time, label and license them, but to let them live, breathe and mutate through time in response to human needs and ecological necessities.”
 
The directory is available for free online or may be purchased for $5 through the Heritage Alliance. Soon a print copy of the directory will be available at Maynards Market but it’s not there yet. You can also stop by the Tucson office located in the Historic “Y” on the corner of 5th Avenue @ University; please call  520.429.1394 first to ensure that someone is available.

Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance members will receive a free directory.  Membership information is also available on the Heritage Alliance website.
 
The directory was made possible by a generous grant from the Tohono O’odham Nation, and is a project of the proposed Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area.

(Please note: The online directory uses .swf (shockwave flash) and I was unable to turn the pages. I may need to install a more recent flash app. Sigh. Let me know if it works for you. I’m going to buy a print directory so I can have as a reference and keep it in my glove compartment.)

On the first Friday of every month through September, anybody and everybody can shop at the Food Conspiracy Co-op and receive 10 percent off your entire purchase. 

The Food Conspiracy Co-op calls this Anti Depression Fridays for a relief of your economic blues.

Anybody can shop there at any time but usually the discount only applies to Co-op members.

The discount happens all day but from 6 to 8 p.m. enjoy live music and free food at first Friday fiesta which is also part of the eat local kick-off party.  

More 10% discount days are August 7 and September 4.

The Food Conspiracy Co-op is located at 412 N. Fourth Ave (purple/pink storefront); 624-4821.

I have a love hate relationship with Trader Joe’s.

What’s not to love? I love the vast variety, the fast and courteous service, the free Fearless Flyer publication, the samples, the flowers especially those blooming daffodils for $1.29, three-buck Chuck, the 99-cent greeting cards, the opportunity to win a $25 gift card by using recyclable bags, the loud rock-n-roll music. Trader Joe’s has always been innovative.

But what I hate or maybe that’s too strong of a word, let’s say what I dislike is the vast variety.  Yes, I know I just said I love it but sometimes it gets to be overwhelming.

Have you noticed how many cereals there are? Just talking granola – consider with almonds, with three nut clusters, with maple flavoring, with dried fruit, plus the ten kinds of oatmeal and five kinds of shredded wheat. There are even two kinds of cereal with chocolate chunks. Life (not the cereal) used to be so simple – with one kind of oatmeal, cornflakes, and Cheerios.

Something else I don’t like is the downsizing of the packaging while the price remains the same. Take for instance, toilet paper which used to be ten rolls and is now eight rolls for the same price. And worse than the toilet paper are the paper towels which have shrunk to half their size per sheet so basically, less in size means more to use.

End of rant.

The Trader Joe’s on Campbell/Limberlost applied for a liquor license. While TJ’s in Calif., all sell liquor; this will be the first Tucson location to do so.

On another note, Trader Joe’s Summer Guide 2009 is out and it’s a mini compendium of food product facts.

A 15-ounce bag of sweet potato frites costs $2.29. Dr. Andrew Weil recently posted in his newsletter five veggies that we should be eating for optimum health. Sweet potatoes were listed as a rich source in vitamin C and beta carotene and being low glycemic. 

Please send your food markets and farmers markets news to eat.tucson@yahoo.com