By Sherry Chen
They say you shouldn't speak with your mouth full, but at Taste Talks Brooklyn 2015, eating and talking about food is highly encouraged. The event, now in its third year, is part of a national series of festivals that was founded by brothers Daniel Stedman and Scott Stedman to celebrate and create a community for food enthusiasts interested in all aspects of the food industry, including farming, sourcing, cooking and media. Taste Talks connects these food enthusiasts to thought leaders and luminaries from around the world in engaging panel discussions, lively food demonstrations and one-of-a-kind experiences celebrating 'what's next' in the food industry.
Taste Talks kicked off its day-long symposium bright and early on Saturday, September 12. At check-in, attendees were greeted with complimentary bowls of cereal at the Kellogg's Cereal Bar, featuring custom bowls created by celebrity chefs Roblé Ali, Russell Jackson, and Sam Mason. I loved both Chef Roble's and Mason's cereal creations. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and these bowls gave it the respect it deserved.
People always say eat local and know where your food is from, but how do you do this when you live in a concrete city miles away from a farm? The first panel I attended, "Innovation & Creativity in Urban Farming," addressed the untapped potential of cities as centers of food production. Panelists included Dickson Despommier, a professor of Public Health and Microbiology at Columbia University; Viraj Puri, co-founder and CEO of Gotham Greens; and Paul Lightfoot, CEO of BrightFarms. Puri and Lightfoot both run companies that successfully operate commercial greenhouse centers in or nearby cities, showing that it is indeed possible to grow food on a larger scale outside of a rooftop garden. The group acknowledged that, at this time, running an economically viable urban farm is a challenge, as it's still a new venture that's capital intensive and comes with a steep learning curve, but with more success stories, it has the potential to become a meaningful food source.
I took a quick break to stop by the Chicken & Waffles brunch, which was catered by popular Brooklyn restaurateur Pies 'n' Thighs, and I washed down the delicious drumstick and strawberry waffles with a bloody mary. I was pretty full, but when I saw the staff at the La Brea Bakery food truck passing out sandwiches, I couldn't resist.
The next panel I attended was "Preserving NYC Food and Restaurant Traditions," which showcased Josh Russ Tupper of Russ & Daughters and Jake Dell of Katz's Delicatessan. The discussion was geared towards how historic restaurants such as these navigate the balance of preserving their classic recipes with the necessity of adapting to change. NYC is a city full of food trends, so how does a Russ or a Katz compete, when even tweaking a sandwich on the menu is a huge controversy? And with the advent of e-commerce and social media, what do you do when your customer base expands way beyond the locals? Both speakers acknowledged that there are some things that they've had to do differently, but ultimately nostalgia brings their customers back, and serving as the reliable neighborhood anchor is what keeps them in business.
One of the most eye-opening panels I went to was "Sustainability & The Sea", in which Leslie Barnes of Saltaire, Ben Conniff of Luke's Lobster, and Jody Meade of Fulton Fish Market discussed the challenges of sustainable fishing in this country. An interesting fact I learned was that 90% of seafood is imported in the U.S., and a lot of that fish comes from highly unregulated regions with questionable standards such as the Philippines or Southeast Asia. Never buy imported farmed fish was a key takeaway from this talk. They also addressed the misconception that wild caught is always better than farmed, which isn't always the case, as there are good farmed fish grown in regulated conditions, just as there are wild caught fish that are irresponsibly overharvested. I definitely became much more aware of the consequences of how our expectation of eating the same types of fish without regard to seasonality and availability have resulted in a less than desirable outcome for how we source for that demand.
Other panels I attended included a grits cooking demonstration by Janine Booth and Jeffrey McInnis of Root & Bone and Top Chef fame, in which I got to sample the most amazing plate of shrimp and grits, and the liveliest one of the day, "Tasting: Become an Amateur Sommelier," where Master Sommelier Michael Jordan walked us through a deductive tasting of four different wines.
All that talking works up an appetite, so it only made sense to have an All-Star BBQ on Day 2. This outdoor block party, with its good energy and Brooklyn-esque vibe, closed the festivities out on a high note. Questlove was on hand to mix some fun, old-school beats, while people lined up for tasty bites made by some noteworthy chefs such as Alex Stupak of Empellon, Justin Smillie of Upland, and Hugue Dufour of M. Wells. The grilled lobster tails from the Luke's Lobster team was in my book the best dish at the party, with the deep sea red crabs from Dufour's team coming in at a close second. The weather got a little nasty at times, but nobody could rain on this all-star parade!
To learn more about Taste Talks, visit: taste-talks.com
Photos by Ruoxi Chen.
Sherry Chen is a New York City-based food writer who never likes to have a bad food day. You can read about her food adventures at www.gabandgobble.com and can follow her on Instagram @gabandgobble.