Food Revolution month kicks off with Robyn O'Brien

Last week SRG kicked off Food Revolution month, a series of events intended to educate and create debate and discussion within SRG about the numerous topics surrounding our food supply.

Yesterday, we were fortunate enough to be joined by Robyn O'Brien, author of The Unhealthy Truth. Robyn shared her story of starting as a food industry analyst on Wall Street, to becoming a busy mother of four who relied on familiar, processed, kid-targeted foods. When her youngest daughter developed a severe food allergy, it opened her eyes to the world of chemicals that exist in out food supply. Robyn dove in head first, applying her Wall Street-honed analytical skills to uncovering information about hormones used in meat and dairy farming, dyes and preservatives used in processed food and chemicals and genetically engineered materials used in farming.

Her discoveries not only changed her life and her family's, but they also inspired her to take a stand, educating others through her actions and empowering her to reach out to those in power to help spread the message and affect change. She is now on the forefront of this cause!

Learn more at her website - http://www.robynobrien.com

--Christie Wood

Cathryn Olchowy
Culinary Director

Looking to try a new restaurant?

Now's your chance! Denver Restaurant week (which includes numerous Boulder restaurants) is happening February 26 - March 11. A 14-day celebration of Denver's culinary scene with more than 270 restaurants offering multi-course dinners for the "Mile High" price of $52.80 for two ($26.40 for one). Make your reservations now!

For the list of participating restaurants and their menus, go to http://www.denverrestaurantweek.com/

--Cathryn Olchowy

Cathryn Olchowy
Culinary Director

DIY Valentine Gifts

As we sat down to brainstorm Valentine gifts this year, we couldn’t get our heads out of the pantry. Thinking of all the pickles and jams we’d made this year—and the chefs across the country, who in the "More is Less" mentality, are doing the same—we decided that we had all the ingredients for great last minute Valentine gifts right in our kitchens.  All we needed was a free afternoon to mix, stir, and make delicious treats. Sunday afternoon sounds ideal, so we share with you a few of our favorite DIY Valentine gift ideas.

Basil-infused Olive Oil (Feel free to substitute other herbs like cilantro or rosemary)

Chinese Five Spice Candied Nuts

Cowboy Cookie Mix in a Jar

Almond Crunch Granola

Fresh Vegetable Pickles

-- Kazia Jankowski & the Culinary Team

Kazia Jankowski
Associate Culinary Director

Breakfast Boom

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Or so the old adage goes. Whether you believe the axiom or not, the recent restaurant trend is doing its best to make it true. Breakfast has taken over the local dining scene.

Traditional dinner restaurants are opening their doors earlier. In Denver, the pizza joints Atomic Cowboy/Fat Sully’s and Basil Docs have put coffee on their menus, and each morning, they pop biscuits into their ovens so you can enjoy sausage and egg-stuffed breakfast sandwiches. The late-night bar and taco spot El Diablo also just added Mexican morning eats, like huevos and chorizo.

But the latest Denver spot to put some prestige into breakfast is Jelly. The three-week-old Capitol Hill spot serves up tasty breakfast sliders (think gourmet omelets on a mini hamburger bun), as well as sweets, like Bakti chai French toast and Corn Flake and banana pancakes. Even 5280 magazine is a fan.

Now, we just can’t wait for what’s next. In early April, Alec Schuler of Arugula and Phil Armstrong of Hush plan to open Tangerine, and when they do, Boulder will finally get its very own hip breakfast diner.

-Kazia Jankowski

Kazia Jankowski
Associate Culinary Director

Cutting Back in the New Year

Just like the rest of us, restaurants, chefs, and even food policy makers use the New Year to rethink how they're doing things. And the food world has entered 2011 with a clear message: Do more with less.

On January 1, Italy banned non-biodegradable, plastic bags.

Celebrity chef David Chang, of the Momofuku restaurant group, has declared that this year he will find domestic purveyors of soy sauce, miso, and sake.

Alice Waters, owner and chef of Chez Paniesse is putting a pretty compost bucket on her counter top so she remembers to use it all the time.

When he goes to restaurants, Bobby Flay plans to eat only three-quarters of the food he's served. That way he can enjoy and save calories.

To check out more ways the country's leading foodies are cutting back, read Oprah's line-up of chef resolutions.

-Kazia Jankowski

Kazia Jankowski
Associate Culinary Director