Grocer's Get-Away to Chicago

What is a Grocer's Get-Away or a Grocer's Safari?  A group of grocers come together for the purpose of exploring grocery businesses to discover, "What they are doing right." 

Our purpose is getting new ideas and seeing what's new.  We view displays, décor, retail items, etc., to bring back and implement in our own stores. And we have utilized this knowledge in many ways over the years, everything from handi-wipes that sanitize the shopping cart handles to "How to successfully implement a Dry Aged Meat program."  

My favorite project, that utilized elements we had seen in our tours, is our World Flavors Section at Harter House on Republic Road. This back-lit shelving was one of my favorite features we brought to our World Flavors Market.

The education department, at Associated Wholesale Grocers, will usually plan two outings a year.  Our most recent trip was Chicago, July 24 to July 29, 2012.  I'd like to share  some of my experiences with you.  

We start at the Drake Hotel on the corner of Michigan and Lake Shore Drive.  Our coordinator, Marie Lewis, secured this famous hotel for our stay, which included a breakfast voucher for each morning at the Drake Bros. Restaurant. I highly recommend this elegant historic hotel.




Our first store tour Wednesday was State Street PotashMarket.  The wood signage outside and signage inside is eye appealing.  I really like the pictures on the walls of family members dating back to circa 1950.  I have some similar pictures of my dad I would love to share with our customers.  The owner, Art Potash, greets this group of  __ grocers, very happy and proud  to share his history. 

I notice heavy duty plastic juicers with the lemons and limes.  I notice on top of his cooler cases he has cooking items such as serving bowls, etc. Potash Market was 2011 Retailer of the Year and he announced it on a vinyl sign hanging in his store.   

 The deli is spectacular.  His meat case reminded me of Harter House, full service.  One unique item I liked was the whole stuffed chickens.

In the freezer is spectacular LED lighting, definitely on our Harter House to-do list. 

  I liked their comment box, "How did we do today?  We would love to know." 

Second stop was a Walgreens.
"Why?", you say.
Keep in mind this store is just off Michigan Avenue in the heart of downtown Chicago.


This two story Walgreens has a very nice lunch deli for the thousands that work in this area and visitors.  Two sushi chefs made delicious looking fresh rolls. 

Their pastry case was very impressive.  I can't help but notice the Spinach and Swiss Croissant.
This store has a 6 dispenser frozen yogurt machine
with your choice of toppings.  The liquor department has a "Virtual Bartender" machine, a touch screen providing beverage recipes.  I've seen this before, many years ago before smart phones were popular.  We liked it better then.

I notice on the walls,  Instead of "milk" & "eggs", their wall signage says, "Eat Well".

And once again, a large picture in their store front window displays an old picture of a "Walgreens Drug Store" ice cream truck. 
Lastly, I notice their  "Chicago Proud" wall art.  I love an inviting decor.  It shows a professional style and uniqueness.

Our third store was a new  Walmart Express.  Marie, why was this store on our list?  Well, they're popping up everywhere.  This store does not have any bells & whistles.  It's new.  It's clean.   It does have sky-lighting in the ceiling which offers natural lighting.  I like this feature on this sunny day.    As we leave, I notice a "Red Box" DVD rental.  I might like to have a "Red Box" to offer to my customers. 

Our fourth and final store today is Mariano's Fresh Market. 

As we enter we are greeted by a wall sign that says,
"Shop Well, Eat Well, Live Well".   Produce displays in the front windows are unique.  It looks nice.  

 I take pictures of their produce department because it's very impressive. 

 This store is lovely. 

Next we have a "Hearth Baked Pizza" section next to the "Create Your Sandwich" section.  This pizza looked Yummy.  I refrained!  

The bakery, again, was outstanding. This is a large store, with large departments and it's full with lots of variety in every department. 

I notice the cupcakes.  These are not ordinary cupcakes.  They are large works of art. 
We can do this too!! 
And, I love the "Mariano's Fresh Market" stickers on their own fresh baked items. 

Next, I'm drawn to this wonderful cheese section. I love the display case.  It's  full, with lots of variety.

  I really like the product description cards. 

 I notice cheeses, cranberries, nuts and dried fruit on the serving board, I'm sure was prepared and deli wrapped in this store. 

Their meat department is awesome.  I take lots of pictures. 

 I love the extensive sausage display. 

 

There is a variety of specialty fresh burger patties, such as Pepper Jack & Bacon Burger & Jalapeno Cheddar Pub Burger.   I could go on and on.  Basically, I really like this store.  As we prepare to exit I notice the employee uniform.  Everyone is wearing black slacks, a white shirt, and a black neck tie.  It is very sharp looking.  And lastly, I notice the baby grand piano in the front of the store.  An employee tells me that they have someone playing often, and at other times it is a player piano. 

What fun and an educational day.
Tomorrow Barbara & I get to see more!

~Shelly Kauffman

Enjoy a glass of Volante Wine

A personal endorsement.....

If you like bold and you are looking for something special, give this wine a try.

At Harter House World Flavors, our Beverage Manager, Roxann, brought in a case of Volante Wine this week. She and I both enjoy the bold red wines, so I knew when she told me she liked it, that I would too.

I was very impressed. The bottle says, “This Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is smooth- textured and rich with excellent structure and balance. It features harmonious aromas of spicy currant, black fruit, cedary oak and smoke. The elegant palate shows flavors of black cherry, bramble and cedar that segue nicely into a long focused finish with a good mix of oak complexities and supple tannins.” 13.9% by volume


I thought it was lovely. I definitely taste the toasty oak and black fruit flavors.



They only produced 510 cases of this 2005 vintage. Their website also says, “This wine is very approachable now and will cellar well.”
So now it’s a seven year old bottle.
In our higher priced wine cabinet we have two more Cabernet Sauvignon wines, both from Napa Valley as well. One is Sterling Vineyard Reserve, 2005, for $48.00. The other is a Beringer Private Reserve, 2004, for 90.00. This bottle of Volante is $18.99 and I’m wondering how comparable these 3 wines are.  Yah, it's that good!

I would definitely pair this wine with a thick cut Harter House steak. (which of course I did)

ENJOY!

Shelly
Harter House World Flavors
1500 E. Republic Road
Springfield, MO  65804

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
with Askinosie Roasted Cocoa Beans






1 c Plugra European Style Butter
1 3/4 c sugar 2 large eggs
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 c all purpose flour
1-2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoon orange zest

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Cook 2-3 minutes, whisking frequently, until butter foams and starts to turn golden brown.
Transfer butter to a large mixing bowl.
Using a mixer on medium speed, add sugar to butter and mix until well combined--about 1 minute. Beat in eggs, vanilla, baking soda and salt until well combined, about 2 minutes.
Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour until just combined.
Stir in chocolate, roasted cocoa beans and orange zest until combined.

Chill dough for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheets, spacing about an inch apart.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.
Cool 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Askinosie Chocolates and Askinosie roasted cocoa beans, as well as Plugra Butter sold at Harter House stores in Springfield and Harter House World Flavors.

Pizza Please

I met Debbie Uhrig a couple of months ago and absolutely LOVE her.
She is a "Foodie" for sure and so we had a lot in common to talk about.
Debbie is the chef and teacher at the Culinary & Craft School at Silver Dollar City in Branson. Visiting the Culinary School at Silver Dollar City is a must on my list!







The following is her most recent BLOG, and since I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE pizza, any shape or form, I just had to share this post with you.
Find out more about Debbie here; http://www.sdcculinarycraftschool.com/craftsmen-showcase/detail.aspx?id=-1


Pizza Please, April 2, 2012
The Covered Dish
Debbie Dance Uhrig
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Everyone loves pizza in all shapes and forms. With sauce or no sauce, standard mozzarella or more elite with asiago and gruyere. Whole wheat crusts, thin crusts, deep dish or the ever constant white flour crust. There's a crust, sauce and cheese to please every palate.

I thought I might give all of my readers a few tips to take the hustle bustle out of pizza night. How often do we know that we want to have pizza for supper? If you're like my family sometimes not until an hour before! The Italians will always allow their pizza dough to set for 24 hours before use. We Americans like to speed things up a bit by making it just when we need it. Let's look at some wonderful ways to have your pizza dough ready in a snap.

One thing I like to do is to roll my pizza dough out and pre bake the crusts for about 7-9 minutes at 425 degrees. Allow them to cool and freeze on end inside a large Ziploc bag. If you keep pepperoni and pre-cooked sausage on hand your pizzas will come together very quickly. You can freeze the pizza dough without pre-baking but the crusts are more fragile to handle.

If you decide to use whole wheat flour in your regular bread dough recipe here's a tip: Remember that whole wheat flour absorbs liquid at a different ratio than white flour. Peter Reinhart, the great bread guru, says to add 2 more tablespoons of the liquid for every cup of whole wheat flour in a recipe. You'll want to do the same if you use Semolina Flour in the pizza dough. Semolina is preferred by many for pizzas and pastas because of its wonderful elasticity. Semolina comes from hard durum wheat so you may need to add a tad more liquid. Also a quick note on the olive oil: The olive oil tenderizes the dough.


Let's chatter about the use of fresh vegetables on your pizza. A couple of weeks ago we ordered a take home pizza. It was the first time in months that I didn't make it myself. Ervin, my husband, and I got a supreme with lots of vegetables. The pizza looked beautiful but after my first bite I realized something was up. There were rings of pepper and onion, fresh mushrooms and slices of roma tomatoes over the top along with the meat etc. The vegetables had released so much moisture that the pizza tasted watery. It is often a good idea to sauté some of the vegetables and pat them dry before putting them on the pizza. Don't get me wrong if I do an onion, mushroom and sausage pizza I don't cook the onion and mushroom first. However when the pizza is covered with lots of vegetables some will be cooked in order to remove the access moisture.

Cheese: The most economical way to go is to use block or sliced cheese. Shredded cheese always has cellulose powder added to keep the cheese from clumping. In defense of the cellulose powder this is necessary with pre-shredded cheese. If you're making pizzas for young people stick with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. For adults you can play around with more creative avenues. Don't rule out asiago, feta, gruyere, havarti, provolone and blue cheese. You probably don't want a pizza covered with feta, but a few sprinkles would be a nice enhancement, same thing with blue cheese.

A couple of years ago I could make (one) sausage pizza for $3.85 per pizza. Now I'd have to change that up to probably $4.50 per pizza. As the kids mature you want them to hang out at your house. Stack the freezer full of pre cooked sausage and hamburger and pre made crusts. You can even cheat and instead of making your own sauces keep canned sauce on hand 24/7. Grandparents may want to make lots of 'small' pizzas so the little ones can make their own pizzas.

Pizza means family, fun and friendships. Invite the baseball team, the acteens at church, girl scouts and your neighbors for a fun night of PIZZA! Have a fun filled week!! Simply yours, The Covered Dish.










Debbie's Pizza Crust
1 (1/2 tablespoon) quick rise yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil,
1-2 tablespoons cornmeal

You can dissolve the yeast in water, but if you use quick yeast you can actually put it in dry! Add the sugar, oil and half the flour together with the yeast and water. (If you dissolve the yeast in the water the water should be 'baby bottle' warm.) Add the remainder of the flour and the salt. Knead into a ball and place in a bowl. Spray the top of the dough with vegetable spray and allow to rise. (20-30 minutes). Roll the dough out in the cornmeal and maybe a dash of flour. Spray the stone or pizza plate and continue stretching the dough to fit, trimming. This recipe will make enough dough for 2 pizzas or one large jelly roll pan. Using a fork poke holes all over the dough, this is called 'docking'. You can even purchase dockers for pizza making, but a fork still works best for me. This gets out all the air bubbles. Bake the dough in a 400 degree oven for about 7 minutes to seal the crusts. At this point you would continue making the pizza or..Allow it to cool and freeze the crust.

**Quick rise yeasts were originally invented to go be put into a recipe with the flour, not into water. When we do place them in water it will take a 2nd rise to get them going because the water actually 'dilutes' them down. We could get more scientific on this, but we'll leave it at that.

**Feel free to divide the flour in half and use part semolina to white flour.

Go Greek....Yogurt

Have you realized the benefits of Greek Yogurt?

This product is much more than just a dessert when we talk about its culinary properties. True, it may be delicious alone or with nuts, honey, sugar, fruit, cereals or jam, but we can also use it as an ingredient in cakes, pies, ice cream and desserts as all types of milk components.

We can also use it as an ingredient in many sauces: avocado, mushrooms, mint, tomato … used to flavor chicken, salads, ham, fish and shellfish, egg, raw vegetables … the limit is your imagination.

Just remember that Greek yogurt benefits your body in many ways, but mostly it just tastes great!

For those of you who are new to greek yogurt, here are some answers to some common questions:

What is Greek Yogurt?

It is basically a thick creamy and sour version of plain yogurt. Processed much like traditional yogurt with milk and yogurt cultures, but is subsequently strained via a cheesecloth to remove whey (liquid) to make it thicker.


What is so great about greek yogurt?

1) It tastes great when used correctly. Greek yogurt by itself is very sour and pungent. I think most people who say they do not like greek yogurt have simply just tried it plain. However when combined with other ingredients such as honey the sharp sour flavor is dulled and the creamy and smooth texture of the greek yogurt really comes to the forefront. So if you don't like it right off the bat, try some recipes before you swear off greek yogurt forever.

2) It is extremely versatile. Greek yogurt can be the main ingredient, made into a sauce/dip, a condiment, and as an exact replacement for sour cream. It can be enjoyed for breakfast lunch and dinner.

3) It is extremely healthy. Greek yogurt can be low in fat (depending on milkfat %), low in calories, and high in protein. It also contains live active cultures which are natural flora and are believed to help with the GI tract.

Common brands are FAGE, Oikos, Greek Gods, to name a few. Be aware that they come in different milkfat %, such as 0%, 2%, 5%, and whole. Here is what they look like.
We sell these and several other varieties at Harter House Supermarkets.







Here's a very favorite recipe of mine for a Tzatziki Sauce
-This classic sauce is used for souvlaki and gyros.


Tzatziki SauceIngedients
-1 cup Greek yogurt-1/2 lemon
-1/2 cucumber (peeled)  (I recommend an English cucumber)
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 tbsp fresh mint chopped
-1 tbsp cumin

Methods
-Place greek yogurt in serving bowl
-Grate cucmber into bowl, I prefer to use a coarse grate for a thicker feel
-Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon into bowl
-Add garlic, mint, cumin and mix together

-You can use more or less lemon, cumin, mint based on personal preference

Leap Year "Ladies' Law"

This morning I'm looking for something fun to share with you about "Leap Year".

Yes, I know this is a blog for Harter House Supermarket and should be about food, but when I found this bit of information, I really wanted to share it with you.

I know several young maidens who may want to take advantage of this time-honored tradition!


Ladies’ Law in Leap Year
by Taraya




Postcard from 1908, depicting a sneaky female catching herself a man in leap year









Are you a young maiden just wishing your man would finally pop the question? Has the handsome lad down the street caught your fancy, but seems completely oblivious to your pining affections? Not a problem, ladies! Today is leap day, which makes 2012 your lucky year.

American culture was, and still is, a stew of different traditions carried over from the homelands of dozens of cultures. One of these fabulous traditions, stemming from the British Isles, was that of the “ladies’ law” of leap year. This newspaper from February 1888 explains the rules of this female-favoring year:



















It's "ladies' law" in leap year! An 1888 newspaper gives the scoop.

Not only may a woman propose to a man in a leap year, but there’s a bonus for her if he refuses. The same article goes on to explain that any man who turns down a woman seeking marriage in a leap year must compensate her with a new silk dress. Provided, of course, that she show off a little of her scarlet petticoat, just to be sure her intentions are clear.



















A man's penalty for refusing the offer from a gentle lady

Traditionally, the material compensation for a refused proposal varied. In thirteenth-century Scotland, supposedly, the required recompense was anything from £1, to a kiss, to the previously mentioned silk gown. In Denmark, the uncooperative man must present twelve pairs of gloves. And in Finland, the disappointed lady must be given enough fabrics to make a skirt. The risk of receiveing proposals all year long was too great for some men, with such weighty fines demanded of them if they refused. So, in many cultures, the “ladies’ law” was restricted to only one twenty-four hour period: leap day.

As it finishes off, the nineteenth-century column offers one last bit of encouragement:








Take your chance while you can

…And don’t forget to wear your red petticoat!

Visiting Busiek State Park

Busiek State Park is located off Highway 65, at mile marker 27.2, between Springfield and Branson, Mo. Busiek is a state Forest and wildlife area.

We decided to hike the trails on a beautiful sunny, and relatively warm, winter day. This was not my first time to Busiek, but I had never hiked the trails before. There are maps provided at the start of the trails. The maps are extremely helpful and we got better at reading the map as we followed the trails.

We started our hike this day on the east side of highway 65. We followed the RED Trail along the creek past campsites. (Camping is allowed by permit only through the Southwest Regional Office at 417-895-6880)






The hiking trails were easy to follow. Markers or paint on trees continually marked the trail we were traveling.


Crossing the creek might have been a challenge keeping my feet dry, but the water today is not too high and I can easily walk across on rocks or tree limbs that have been placed across the creek. Of course my husband has water-proof boots and treks through the water easily holding my hand for balance as I cross on the rocks.

After we crossed the creek, the terrain got more challenging. We are headed uphill now. It is beautiful and quiet. This is SO MUCH more enjoyable than walking on a treadmill.





















When we get to the top of the hill, finally, we are amazed to find a family cemetary just outside the Busiek Park boundary area. We've hiked about 30-45 minutes, I think, to get to this point.


What a beautiful day!
Now we get to head back down the hill.




















The trail meanders across the top of the bluff And we come to a fork in the road. We aren't ready to head back yet so we take the YELLOW/RED trail to see where it leads us.



















There are other people out today. Up ahead I see two people on horseback. I love riding horses and I'm thinking now that I need to call my friend Kim Turner and ask her to please bring her horses and let's ride these trails by horseback. Oh, how ideal that would be!

We visit a bit with the two ladies on horseback and then notice that they had stopped to look through another very old cemetary. Do you find old cemetaries interesting? I find myself imaging the life they lived right here on this land a hundred years ago. James L. Dye, son of James and Mary, born 1917 and died March 6, 1920. Mary L. Dye was born 1877 And Died Feb. 27. 1920. Two-year old James died little more than a week after his mother passed. Gladys Dye born 1912, died 1913 and Glen Dye, born 1914 and died 1916, both children of Henry and Nora Dye.




























We continue walking a ways and decide it's time to take a break now. We've brought along some cheese and crackers that we purchased at Harter House Supermarket in Springfield, before we headed to Busiek and also a bottle of Colver Mead that we purchased yesterday at 7C's Winery in Walnut Grove. What is Mead wine? Simply, it is wine made from honey. Clover Mead is a sweet white wine made from Clover Honey. Clover Honey is made from bee hives in Clover Fields.





















Now we're ready to finish our hike. We're headed back down the hill. We have studied our map and we know right where we are. We are back down to the creek now. I have to cross the creek again, but I manage to cross again still keeping my feet dry.



Last thing today, before we head home, I want to see the firing range where target shooting is permitted everyday except Monday. It's been a lovely day. We've been here about 3 hours in all and I can't wait to come back and hike the trails here on the west side of Highway 65.




















Time to relax and enjoy the end to our wonderful day. We're having lamb chops with Jalapeno jelly and Irony Pinot Noir from Harter House.