Josephine's Feast

Josephine’s Feast! Wins Good Food Award 2013

What do you get when you bring the best artisan food producers in the USA into one room? The Good Food Awards, which marked it’s third year on January 18, 2013.  Held at the San Francisco Ferry Building, the event is sponsored by The Seedling Project and was hosted by Alice Waters. And I am so very proud to say that Josephine’s Feast! was announced as a winner  in the Preserves Category for our Hand Foraged Wild Beach Plum Preserves.

This national award recognizes the highest level of achievement in producing artisan products that are both delicious and produced in a responsible manner using local and sustainable ingredients. 1,366 entries from 49 states were blind-tasted resulting in 100 winners across 9 categories. The complete list can be found on the Good Food Awards website.

The Awards Ceremony is a Black Tie Gala often referred to as the “Oscars of  Food”.  The Wall Street Journal columnist Kitty Greenwald remarked, “the Awards Ceremony puts a spotlight on people who are working hard to keep a pulse on what’s happening around the country…it means an exciting future for young entrepreneurs and for food quality nationally.”

The gala featured tastings of the winners food and dishes envisioned by 10 local chefs, including Sarah and Evan Rich of Rich Table, Comstock Saloon’s Carlo Espinas, Bill Corbett of The Absinthe Group, Trevor Ogden of Chambers and Slanted Door alum Grace Nguyen of Asian Box.  Josephine’s Feast! Hand Foraged Wild Beach Plum was chosen by Chef Carlo Espinas of the Comstock Saloon for a Wild Beach Plum and Rye  Whisky Cured Gravlax with Picked Creme Fraische.

It was a delicious evening, or rather a Delicious Revolution as Alice Waters would say.  The beauty of the event was that like-minded producers were able to come out of their kitchens, smokehouses and roasting rooms and share their craft.  We had the opportunity to speak with other food crafters and taste all the winners – which was no easy feat!  Some of my personal favorites are listed below:

Vanilla Bean Salted Caramels –Her Coconess Confections  , California.

Shelly is my new BFF and insists she was put on this earth to feed the world.  Her caramels are outstanding and her Bittersweet Nibby Rocky Road ain’t bad either.

Black Sesame Brittle –Sweetdragon Baking Company , California

At Sweetdragon the Black Sesame Brittle is awsome and her New Crop Pistacio Brittle is also off the charts – in fact my brother and I almost got into a fight over the last piece

Tarragon Cherries  – Cold Water Canyon Provisions , California

Rondo makes preserves from his mother recipes  The pickled cherries were divine!  The perfect pairing with a marscapone cheese or alongside roasted duck.

Japanese Pickle & Arame Kimchee  – The Cultured Pickle Shop , California

June Taylor sent me to meet Alex, “Their Kombucha is outstanding”, and on that I was greated with the smell of fermenting krauts.  The Pumpkin Kimchee is my favorite along with a Red Beet Kombucha.

Borselino Salami  – La Quercia , Iowa

Kathy Eckhouse is an inspiration to anyone who handcrafts artisinal food.  A gifted cook and mother, she and her husband Herb have built a business based on the good food and respect for all.  I have been buying their proscuitto at Dean and Deluca for years but never realized how great they really are.

House Ham  – The Meat Hook Brooklyn , NYC

Now this is ham!

Wild Thimbleberry Jam  – American Spoon , Michigan

Larry makes a perfect wild preserve.  Just lovely.

As for us, we would just like to thank all the people who bought our Wild Beach Plum Preserve in September and October before there was any awards or recognition. You bought it because you tasted it and you liked it, and it just goes to show you certainly have great taste!