Aspire’s Fall Menu Premier Party and Amy McCoy Book Signing

Sometimes we just look for an excuse to throw a party, and this was a great excuse! A few months back when planning our new fall menu we were put in touch with local blogger/cookbook writer Amy McCoy. We invited her to lunch and what walked in the door was one of the sweetest, smiliest, smart and talented women we’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with. Amy spent much of her career as a freelancer in TV Production, a far cry from the world of cookbook writing. However, her formative years were influenced by a family owned restaurant and a “no junk food allowed” upbringing. Amy’s debut book is available online and in all major bookstores, its 240 pages are brimming with colorful images (shot on the author’s back porch) and delicious recipes which will feed a family of 4 for under $15!

We invited Amy to be part of our Fall Menu Premier because the philosophies behind her cooking are so similar to ours – buy local ingredients whenever possible and keep your flavors seasonal.

The party happened on September 14th in the evening, set in Aspire’s courtyard park we offered a tasting to clients, local media, and friends. Future Affairs Productions decorated our courtyard in a Harvest theme with rocking chairs, bales of hay, pumpkins, mums, fence posts and even a scare crow. For all the images please visit our Flick page at: flickr.com/aspirerestaurant

As I mentioned before Amy McCoy is a blogger, which is where she started writing about food, you can visit her blog at: pourgirlgourmet.blogspot.com

Here is our New Fall Menu:

Entry by Emily Beauchemin

add a little “fun” to your food…okay, stop laughing at me…

Fun, as in Fungi…….
When I was a kid I REFUSED to eat them – I had convinced myself that the Mushroom was somehow the second cousin of the Leather Boot. Similar in both color and texture I was sure my parents were screwing with me when they appeared on my plate. To me at that time they also resembled ears. “Thanks mom for the leather boot ears. Clearly I did something to anger you, I’ll just go to my room…”

Flash forward a few (exact number is irrelevant) years and I am now constantly trying to find ways to cook with mushrooms. For this entry I began my search by simply typing “Mushrooms” into Google. Then I realized…what’s the point if when you EAT them you wind up on a hospital gurney or in a closet chanting senselessly to yourself. So we are going to just review the safe mushrooms.

Wikipedia says: Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. They belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground (hypogeous) or above ground (epigous) where they may be picked by hand. Edibility may be defined by criteria that include absence of poisonous effects on humans and desirable taste and aroma. By some accounts, less than 10% of all mushrooms may be edible.

Mushroom cultivation has a long history, with over twenty species commercially cultivated. Mushrooms are cultivated in at least 60 countries with China, the United States, The Netherlands, France and Poland being the top five producers (2000).

• Agaricus bisporus, also known as champignon and the button mushroom. This species also includes the portobello and crimini mushrooms.
• Auricularia polytricha or Auricularia auricula-judae (Tree ear fungus), two closely related species of jelly fungi that are commonly used in Chinese cuisine.
• Flammulina velutipes, the “winter mushroom”, also known as enokitake in Japan
• Hypsizygus tessulatus (also Hypsizygus marmoreus), called shimeji in Japanese, it is a common variety of mushroom available in most markets in Japan. Known as “Beech mushroom” in Europe.
• Lentinus edodes, also known as shiitake, oak mushroom. Lentinus edodes is largely produced in Japan, China and South Korea. Lentinus edodes accounts for 10% of world production of cultivated mushrooms. Common in Japan, China, Australia and North America.
• Pleurotus species, The oyster mushroom and king trumpet mushroom. Pleurotus mushrooms are the second most important mushrooms in production in the world, 25% of total world production of cultivated mushrooms. Pleurotus mushrooms are worldwide, China is the major producer. Several species can be grown on carbonaceous matter such as straw or newspaper. In the wild they are usually found growing on wood.
  • Pleurotus cornucopiae
  • Pleurotus eryngii
  • Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster mushroom)

• Rhizopus oligosporus – the fungal starter culture used in the production of tempeh. In tempeh the mycelia of R. oligosporus are consumed.
• Sparassis crispa – recent developments have led to this being cultivated in California.
• Tremella fuciformis (Snow fungus), another type of jelly fungus that is commonly used in Chinese cuisine.
• Tuber species, (the truffle), Truffles belong to the ascomycete grouping of fungi. The truffle fruitbodies develop underground in mycorrhizal association with certain trees e.g. oak, poplar, beech, and hazel. Being difficult to find, trained pigs or dogs are often used to sniff them out for easy harvesting.
  • Tuber aestivum (Summer or St. Jean truffle)
  • Tuber magnatum (Piemont white truffle)
  • Tuber melanosporum (Périgord truffle)
  • T.melanosporum x T.magnatum (Khanaqa truffle)
  • Terfezia sp. (Desert truffle)
• Ustilago maydis (Corn smut), a fungal pathogen of the maize plants. Also called the Mexican truffle, although not a true truffle.
• Volvariella volvacea (the “Paddy straw mushroom.”) Volvariella mushrooms account for 16% of total production of cultivated mushrooms in the world.

An Oyster Mushroom

White Button Mushrooms

Shiitake Mushroom Growing

Truffle

If you’re looking to buy mushrooms and other vegetables and fruits please see this listing of Rhode Island Farmer’s Markets CLICK HERE

Entry by Emily Beauchemin

Fresh Rhode Island…a bit of a ramble

The majority of the staff at Aspire is Rhode Island born and raised. For some it may be a love-hate relationship, the tug of war between the good and bad aspects of our state (from Politics to Weather, The Beaches to Coffee Milk) however you may feel, it is undeniable that Rhode Island has a distinct and fiercely protected identity. We are the home to many great ideas and people, past and present, we are a creativity mecca, an area so caught up in food-love that we will never let go of our traditional fare.

ie. Cabinets (the original and true milk shake), johnny cakes, a true NY System Weiner (illegal in most other states…even New York, ironically), clam cakes, our innate obsession with seafood, Dels lemonade, Clams Casino…etc.etc.etc.

Maybe it is the fact that we are a small state, it forms tight knit bonds. Everyone “knows a guy” who can help you with whatever project you need assistance with. In that way, Rhode Island is crazy about Farmers Markets. It feeds directly into our desire to help out friends and friends-of-friends. We like to buy local and eat local. Many restaurants over the past few years have also vowed to purchase local whenever it is possible. We’re not going to claim this is unique to Rhode Island, all around the world people enjoy Farmers Markets, especially chefs. But we will say that we are proud to participate in this practice, and to call this state home.

http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farmersmarkets_details.php?market=29

Entry by Emily Beauchemin