Yes Irma, you were a gourmet!!!!

Gourmet refers to:

1. Someone who is a connoisseur of good food and drink.
2. Gourmet food is of the highest quality and flavor, prepared well and presented in an artful manner. 

Tonight I honor my grandmother, Irma Smith, an American original, a genuine gourmet. The above definition #1 truly encapsulates my grandmother...a connoisseur of good food and drink. A noon-time meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, field peas, fried okra and buttermilk biscuits served in her warm, North Florida kitchen was her stage and she performed daily with Tony-award winning talent! She nurtured my grandfather each day at noon as he came from the fields for sustenance so he would have energy  to endure the southern summer heat. She was a true gourmet with her good food and drink; her sweet tea was sweet enough to give you more energy than 10 "5 Hour Energy Drinks".

Definition #2, food of the highest quality and flavor. What could be more flavorful than fresh vegetables grown in her own garden? What could have more quality than hormone free chickens killed in the early morning hours, fried fresh and hot for the noon-time table? Presented in an artful manner on her Homer Laughlin dishes collected from soap detergent boxes in a 'poorer' time. Yes, Irma Smith was a true gourmet; a connoisseur of fine foods.

Please don't confuse her with the current, modern-day description of a gourmet. My husband and I enjoyed (consumed) a gourmet meal this evening. Yes, I admit I fell for the marketing term 'gourmet' when I purchased a Gourmet Slow Cooking Meal; all I had to do was add the meat! That should have been my clue...but it said, "all natural"! Can I not believe the packaging? No!  "Do not seek the treasure!!!" 

I have labored over what to call our new retail shop. Irma James Fine Foods is what I have concluded, but the Fine Foods must define her food:  simple, wholesome, healthy, nutritional, full of love and comfort! Only with your support will I be able to fulfill her legacy.

Working for Irma!

So here we are after my first full day of working for Irma...everything was checked off the to-do list and yet there is so much more to do. Just to catch you up, I had a great meeting with the builder this morning discussing shop lay-out and design, I've spoken with several distributors, spoken with the health department and left a message for the Department of Agriculture. It appears, in the state of Tennessee, a retail food shop is under the jurisdiction of the DOA and not the Health Department. I do have my list of questions ready and will call them again in the morning. Plus we are now officially an LLC, the paperwork came in the mail today! The remainder of the day and evening was spent researching potential inventory selections; I'm thinking it's time to begin sampling all the possibilities. Do I have any volunteers who might want to help with this arduous task?

Speaking of research....this weekend I'm trying a taste bud experiment. After all the feta talk earlier in the week, I started craving a fresh pear and feta salad, so while at my local mass market retail food store today, I purchased their (so called) fresh pears and some mass market feta. I'm going to put that combo head-to-head against a (local farmstead) goat cheese and (fresh local farm garden) tomato salad with aged Balsamic Vinaigrette homemade salad dressing.  The goat cheese and tomatoes were purchased last Sunday at our local market. These salads, of course, won't be served at the same meal, but I will let you know if I can really tell the difference between garden fresh and mass market. What, you think the deck is stacked? Hey, I'm just doing my 'research'!  I will also share these with family and friends, so my taste buds won't be the only judge. I will definitely post the outcome of this taste test by Monday night.

Let me know if you have a favorite recipe for the holiday weekend or if you create something new, post the recipe.

The scariest part!

Today marks another mile stone in this retail journey; understanding of course, that a mile stone to me might be a pebble in the shoe to you. But I promised I would detail this journey, so no matter how little the rock, you are going to hear about it. Today I said good-bye to every-day work in the real estate office or in other words, I said good-bye to a regular paycheck. Today marks the beginning to Irma James getting my full attention, I will continue to support my real estate team on an as-needed basis from my home office; bottom line, ready or not, Irma, here I come!

First thing in the morning I will meet with a builder and my future landlord to discuss the build out plan and design. Then it's back to the home office to call the Department of Agriculture and hopefully get a list of questions answered, check on the status of our LLC, begin setting up accounts with distributors and  finalizing our start-up inventory. Let me tell you, inventory is the hardest part! Trying to decide what the consumer wants is indeed the scariest ride of this entire trip. Every spare moment for the past five weeks I have done nothing but research and the only definitive I can come up with is Chattanooga is unique!  The Chattanooga (food) market is not Atlanta, it's not Nashville, New York or Seattle, so I am left to conclude I am on my own to determine what Chattanoogan's want in a fine food/cheese shop. So how do I decide, what spread sheet can I use to make this necessary calculation? There is none?

Here is where faith comes in. Yes, I am a woman of faith and family. Previously I've given you glimpses of my heritage but  purposefully I have not mentioned my faith. Why haven't I? Because this is not a Bible teaching or preaching blog, however, my faith is a part of who I am just as much as being Irma's granddaughter is a part of who I am. Consequently my belief system will be displayed on occasion and this is one of those occasions. You see, I need wisdom and my Bible says, "If any one lacks wisdom, let them ask!" So yes I am asking God for wisdom in every area of this venture, particularly in the area of inventory. Inventory is our biggest start-up expense and the biggest unknown; that my blogger buddies is the scariest part.

Dear Feta

Today I have had two great questions concerning cheese. The first questions asks about some varieties for the ever popular feta and watermelon salad. Here are my suggestions. If you have some favorite suggestions, just add a comment! 
Dear Feta/Watermelon
Since I'm not sure exactly what recipe your are using for your recently acquired addiction, let me offer some basic suggestions. Knowing that it is the tanginess and tartness of the feta mixed with the sweet, juicy melon that makes our taste buds do the tango here are some variations you can try:
1) add fresh mint  or fresh rosemary to your regular recipe
2) or instead of balsamic dressings, mix up a dressing of lime juice, olive oil and a pinch of Cayenne...this combo is perfect! (for me the more Cayenne, the better)
3) For a different twist, use heirloom tomatoes taking the place of half the melon; this adds another depth of flavor .
4) Or simply add 1/4 cup pitted Moroccan or other oil-cured black olives, coarsely chopped
 A great wine pairing for this tempting summer sensation is Riesling Wines from Washington;These fruity white wines have a strong body, allowing them to work well with this recipe.

Since it is the tangy/sweet combo that we all love, mix it up and try new things. We still have some pretty good looking peaches in our area, so I quickly looked up a feta/peach salad recipe to die for: Grilled Peach Salad with Feta and Honey Balsamic Glaze
 4 peaches
 1/2 cup honey
 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
 1/2 cup cashews, chopped
 5 ounces baby arugula
 Directions:  Mix honey and balsamic together and blend well. Set aside.  Halve peaches and remove pit. Slice into quarter pieces.  Place quarter pieces with one side down onto a heated grill. (I used a grill pan.)  Grill until peaches are tender and grill marks appear. Flip and repeat on opposite side.  Remove from grill and brush with glaze.  Arrange the glazed peaches on a bed of arugula. Top with chopped pecans and crumbled feta. Serve immediately.

Also, if you are wanting to try a different cheese variety, and most cheese mongers say "there is no substitute for feta". Try Goat cheeses. These days there are many different varieties of goat cheese (especially if you have access to a good local market. Goat cheese has similarities to the sheep's cheese or sheep-goat combo that makes feta. Look for a crumbly variety of goat cheese to use as a replacement for feta. The taste will be likely be milder than the taste of feta in your recipe.

Dear Mascapone,
Now, for the question of a substitute for mascapone; so sorry you live in an area where you can't find this wonderful sweet, Italian cheese. A fresh soft Italian cheese with a high butterfat content, made from cow's milk enriched with cream. Here is a fairly good substitute for mascapone:

• 1 (8 ounce) package CREAM CHEESE
• 1/4 cup HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM
• 2 1/2 tablespoons SOUR CREAM
• Combine well and use in recipes calling for Mascarpone cheese. DO NOT SUBSTITUTE LOW FAT CREAM CHEESE OR LOW FAT SOUR CREAM.

I do plan on carrying a line of imported cheese which include mascapone, so those in the area, should be able to find it for your favorite Tiramisu recipe. 

Thank you all once again for your comments and please continue to help me spread the word. Also to answer the questions concerning web and mail orders, I do plan to expand our shop for an online store, however, that will be phase two. Stay tuned for more great recipes, pairings and just plan food talk!

Who's asking???

I have to admit I haven't thought much about cheese or fine foods most of the day today, I've been putting in hours with the real estate team I work with here in Chattanooga. Yes, this is the job I do to make money and the food business is my passion. I must admit this retail food passion has been uncovered late in life as I have spent all of my career helping others fulfill their dreams and never really giving much thought about my own dreams. I have worked in an office environment my entire career; facilitating and organizing those more creative than myself. To be perfectly honest, it is very hard to step outside the office comfort zone and move into retail food and to depend on my own creativity. However, I am determined to take this step; sink or swim, win or loose, this is the path I must follow until God says STOP!

I will confess I did think about fine foods today on my 80 minutes of commute time, when I wasn't praying and planning dinner; I am still formulating plans. Ideas are swirling around in this head faster than Marcus Dupree can return a punt! (I happen to watch a ESPN film on him this past weekend, so if you don't know who he is, catch the rerun!) Here's what I know so far...I will refine and re-define my business plan on Thursday and Friday of this week, however, you will not know the specifics until opening day! That's right my friends, you have to wait to know exactly what and who Irma James is! She is in the developing stages even as I write this blog; this is so much like giving birth! Each day there is new growth, but no one can see it, yet I know this unique individual is growing inside my brain! She will emerge after much pain, blood, sweat and tears.

Once again I want to encourage you to comment on my blog. I appreciate all the Facebook comments, however, don't miss this one blessed point: when you comment on a blog you can be anonymous. No one has to know who the commenter is! Feel free to ask questions; this is better than Dear Abby and I would love to help you plan a menu, select cheeses for your cheese course or appetizer,  help you choose a wine to go with your meal.  And you can be anonymous which is the coolest part...you see, too many times the 'food experts' make us feel stupid for asking questions or for not knowing what cheese goes with what wine???? Hey, I'm no 'food expert'; I'm a girl who has been in the kitchen since the age of five, cooking along side my sweet mother, feeding six hungry men (a very picky father and five brothers who would eat anything!) My mother, by the way, is now 87 years old and still cooking for those she loves. You have never been so blessed until Reba has cooked your favorite! Doesn't matter what your favorite food is, she will cook it and cook it good! I say all of that to say, talk to me....comment, ask questions, let me know what type foods you would like to see at a local fine food shop...and no one has to know whose asking!

A trip to the Chattanooga Market

Live Bluegrass music echoed through the pavilion as farmers, craftsman and artisans from the area sold their goods. Excitement  filled the air as families bought and sold their goods for the week; young families with babies in strollers as well as senior citizens were eagerly sampling and purchasing fresh, local grown produce. What a marvelous tradition!  Dave and I returned home with farm fresh vegetables, artisan cheese and bread  plus fresh peach mango salsa and heirloom tomato salsa.O Happy Day! Now for the monumental task of making this glorious find last for the week until we can get back to the Chattanooga Market.   Make plans now to attend before the end of the season; please check out the link for a schedule of events. This is just another reason I love East Tennessee!!!

What!!! Are you crazy or something?

Just finished a wonderful dinner with two dear friends, Maggie and Barb. Thanks to you both for all your encouragement, insight and ideas concerning our new venture. And I really needed that encouragement; too many times I find I'm asking myself the question, "What are you thinking? Are you crazy, you should be getting ready for retirement, not starting a new business!" ..."and in this economy?"

With the encouragement of family and friends, it has also been a great help to have a business plan on paper, with goals and a step-by-step time line. When my husband and I first started investigating the possibilities of starting our own retail business, one of the first things we did was formulate a business plan which includes demographic studies, economic plan, business statement of purpose and various other pieces of information. We, of course, investigated the web for instructions and guidelines and found the most comprehensive information at score.org . As you can see, we have done our due diligence in the preparation stages of beginning a business, but it is the great unknown....the consumer....that scares the stuffing out of me. What does the local consumer want? Can I find the niche and meet the demand ? These are the questions that can only be answered after the time and money has been invested. This is the challenge of the retail market.