Haiti, Wine Country, Chefs and Total Losers

Back at the keyboard.. there is so much life-crap to deal with, I think we tend to forget about ourselves, and what makes us happy. So here I am again, typing away.. trying like hell to figure out what exactly- does- makes me happy. Interesting word happy.. because I know one thing that does not make me happy, a happy meal. How is it that words like happy, organic and natural get so misused? Well, that's another blog post now, isn't it!

Staying on track, I stopped blogging about Haiti, because I fell into a pitiful slump. You know the one.. Oh poor me, my life is so hard, and nobody will help me slump. All the while batting our eyes like thumper's cute little bunny crush.

It goes a little something like this:

Bitchen Brain storming sessions
Total moments of elation while planning
Dreaming
Visualizing Wycliff at our dinners
Scoring hella cool venues
Cooking with amazing chefs
Drinking estate wines...

Then we put our plans into action... and SLAM. Doors were shut, partners vanished, chefs not available; a LOT of general non interest; and don't you just know it.. it didn't happen as easy or fabulously as we pictured.

HA! Big FAT Ha!

I was expecting rose petals, champagne and fairy dust damn it. Come on.. we are doing a friggen good thing here, where the hell did everyone go? I'll tell you where they all went- to the land of pass the ball. Oh no, don't hold it and run with it.. pass it.. fast!

Then I realized just how wrong I was. Why am I doing this, who am I doing this for and exactly what are MY intentions. Or should I say, who's intentions do I really have at heart. Hmm.. that one will stop you faster then a roach faced with Raid.

So, we are two months out, our kick off dinner for 150 guests at South Coast Winery, is this Saturday evening, and only 30 bloody tickets have sold. TALK ABOUT having the wind taken out of your sail. But just maybe that needed to happen, for me to get a grip, and pull my head out of you know where.

I admit I panicked, blamed others, and drove myself into a stressful fit over how to fix it or solve the lack of ticket sales issue. My daughter (gigi who is 7) was quick to reminded me to take deep breaths, and to just turn it around (which is a way bitchen move my girl and I do when things are not going great.. we hug and spin in circles until we laugh, then we pronounce a new day). I took her 'aged' wisdom to heart, and stood back to take a look at what was happening, and how all the players were participating. It was clear, we were doing it for ourselves, not the kids. Worse yet, we allowed the blame game to happen, pointing fingers, leaving snotty messages and shooting off pissy emails to one another.

So in a moment of clarity, I pulled the plug and brought us all to a halt. We started this small grass roots effort.. because of children in need- not just Haiti, but for children world wide. From our backyard to Equatorial Guinea. Yet our big ass ego's got in the way of what started as a beautiful gesture of kindness for others.

It was simple, we either forge together as a team, and move ahead with grace, passion and integrity, or we say goodnight Alice. We collectively made the decision to move forward, regardless of ticket sales. I for one, feel that the handful of guests that will be around the table Saturday, will be there for one reason- to give to others that need it more then anyone of us. Yes, they get to dig into some serious grub, and drink sensational wines.. but they signed up because they new what the evening was to entail. Giving.

My personal goal and mission is to raise awareness and $ through artisan dinners over the next.. who knows how long.. and screw dates and calenders anyway.. the goal is to gather people around the table and engage them. Serving local wholesome slow food, paired with locally made wines, craft beers and small coffee roasters. Because small local purveyors do it better and with more passion then most. Then, just then.. we have the conversations of this table! These meals, these artists, bring people together, and through the convivial bread breaking moments, we can, as a community, as neighbors.. create awareness and effect change!

Sometimes its good to fail, so you can get back up and do it right.

Be blessed in your journeys.. and EAT good food, lest we forget this is a food blog.

Ms. Delyte

Meryl Streep Mentions Slow Food on The Colbert Report

Insane weekend at the bistro. Probable fed over 1000... superfooderific!
'Small Bytes Bistro' at Leonesse Cellars is truly not to be missed.. come get saucy with us!

But what is so much cooler (and saucier) is the grand dutchess of the silver screen. Mrs. Meryl Streep, mentions the Slow Food Movement while on The Colbert Report. Check it out foodies..

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Meryl Streep
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Meryl Streep

A Chef, Slow Food, Gardens and our Kids

The power to shine, to stand out and make a difference in this world, is within each of us. I see that time and time again working with food- from planting to cooking- with under privileged kids. And if you stop for a second and take the time to re-read that last sentence, what the 'F' is under privileged supposed to mean to orphaned kids? Kids don't really care, or at least until they get into their later years in school and the material/commercial nature of our populace lays into them for not being worthy enough.

The thing about doing food and working in the garden, is that the food and the garden can give 2 shits about how much money you have. Food, like any art form, is a beautiful form of expression, and can take kids to another world. Building gardens with our communities youth and teaching kids how to cook is rockin'. The input, the design, the exploration, science, poetry that comes out of the garden, and out of the pan, speaks volumes to the soul. If not just to the palate.

The point of this blog.. don't let others opinion's count so much that you stop interacting in your hearts desires. Life's distraction can keep us away from the most natural thing we humans should be doing.. growing food, sharing our skills and wisdom with our youth, and being loving nurturing souls.

The conversations in the garden, the heritage and tradition that swims through each planting of a seed, from the hand of a babe, brings us all one step closer to each other. What beauty we nurture, how profound the food we grow. How fortunate what we in this country have the 'Privilege' to eat! Doesn't everyone deserve the right to good food and a loving mentor!

Go.. build a garden, take out your water guzzling grass, reach out to our kids in need, and make a seed of a difference!

sweet soil ladies and gents.. get off your bums and on your knees!

Ms. Delyte

So. Cal Chef in our Slow Food Garden

Went to Hillcrest Academy yesterday, to harvest from our 9 garden beds. I am the garden "beeatch"or liaison if you will. Myself and Anna Little are the school momma's, committed to educating our wee sprouts about food, where it comes from, how its grown etc.

I love the look on a kids face when they discover that carrots come from a plant that grows in the ground, and not from a container at the store! Seriously.. wowza! I won't even get into the reactions when the 6th graders found out that there was poop in the compost. I was explaining what nutrients food needs to grow, when one of the kids refused to put his hands back in the dirt. So I ate some (dirt), thinking it would relieve his mind a bit. It didn't, he puked, in MY GARDEN. So I used it for mulch.. No.. just kidding, but it did end that class with a lot of "eeeww, that was so gross" comments.

We built these 9 raised garden beds in October, and all our little baby seedlings made it through the crazy 32 degree weather we got hit with in December. Sage Mtn. Farms donated the organic seedlings! The garden is friggin' gorgeous.. I often play hooky -from the catering kitchen- ending up in the garden digging in the dirt. Here are some pic's.. POINT OF TODAYS BLOG- Grow your own food, rip out some grass, build a raised box, it is NOT rocket science, it is sooo easy.

Once its in, the maintenance is a breeze, and when you go to cocktail parties or dinner function, you are the coolest guest there, for bringing food you grew! (great pick up lines- "hey, I grow my own food, wanna see my garden, by moonlight!") HA!

Go For It.. get dirty!

Agricultural Biodiversity Threatened?

On March 11 a new documentary was aired on French television (ARTE – French-German cultural tv channel) by French journalist and film maker Marie-Monique Robin, The World According to Monsanto - A documentary that you won’t see on American television. The gigantic biotech corporation Monsanto is threatening to destroy agricultural biodiversity as we know it.

Check out the video when you have 45 minutes, The World According to Monsanto.

As a mama, a chef, and a slow food leader I urge all foodies to take a stand to protect our very precious, yummy and endangered Food system. Stand up, throw bad food at bad people & just say NO!

Slow Food Chef Works on Her Cooking Show

Sitting in the editing room with Pallas Weber (coolest editor evvvver), Sarah George and two farting dogs. We are going through the final cut of the 8 minute teaser of "Delyte's Green Table" which will be a 30 minute show, when the dogs just start letting loose. What the hell is up with dogs and their flagellants.. don't they know to excuse themselves!! What a great trick to teach dogs, then we could all brag, "my dog has better manners then your", "no, my dog has better manners". HA!

OK, so back to the show... we will be posting the teaser on U-Tube later this week. It is a very exciting moment for us, here at Delyte's, because we have been working on this concept for 2 years. We are all very excited! To dream an idea into reality is a very cool thing.

The show is about simple, local & affordable foods (aka SLA) and lest I forget.. the convivial aspect of breaking bread, sharing the joys of the table & bringing family/friends together. Because that what is really all about!

Go to Temecula Valley Slow Food for local info or national info.