I went wandering about Beijing yesterday. Amongst other things, figured out the subways, which were quite clean and easy to navigate. I also visited the street market and both saw and ate several kinds of food on a stick. The olympics were thrilling…the women’s long jump and Usain Bolt were amazing to see in person, as were the pole vaulters. Today we went to the Great Wall: 4,000 miles long, centuries to build…one feels very small visiting there. I feel very safe visiting China, and would reccomend a trip here if you ever have the opportunity.

I’m here in China on a trip with Coca-Cola. We stopped in Hong Kong on the way, which was much more than I had imagined in many ways. It is very mountainous, with huge skycrapers everywhere, yet beautiful all the same. I think it has to be the world center of capitalism…I’ve never seen such a concentration of wealth.

Whenever I travel I eat local. No burgers and omelettes for me in China, although they are available in the hotels. Breakfast has been Dim sum, dumplings of all sorts imaginable, with the interior of each a pleasant surprise of flavor. I had Peking duck three times in Hong Kong. I didn’t find too many unusual (from a Western perspecive) foods. But I was only there 2 1/2 days.

Beijing is an entirely different story. In some ways, it’s like being on another planet. We just arrived yesterday, and we toured stores today and saw all sorts of seafood I’d never heard of, weird fruits, and even more unfamiliar veggies. Saw black chickens, microscopic shrimp, live eels, salt cured eggs steeped in strong tea, mountains of rice…and duck of every sort. The people have been very gracious and welcoming, responding with quick smiles to my few words of Mandarin. The children are so cute. They really giggle when a big funny looking Westerner like me greats them with a “nee-haw.” Looking forward to more adventure tommorow including a trip to the Olympics. I’ll keep you posted…

Each September, a group of us from DLM, along with some family, friends, and even one of our suppliers, make our annual trek to a golf resort in Harrodsburg, Ky. Three days, 54 grueling holes of golf each day!  Dinner usually consists of mediocre food at sports bars or pizza houses. Last year, a few of us went a day early, and I remembered seeing some gas grills by the pool virtually unused. So I brought along a variety of our store made sausages for our first nights’ dinner. As the aroma wafted up all floors of the resort, quite a few Texas Hold’em games were interrupted by shouts of “Hey, what smells so good?” and “How much for one of those brats?” and many other good comments. I would have loved to share, but unfortunately only had enough to feed my fellow hungry hackers.

As we told the story to the rest of our group when they caught up to us the next day, we started kicking around ideas about what to bring to grill on the next trip. DLM Specialty Burgers, Coleman steaks, salmon - we could go on and on. So when we get ready to pack up our golf equipment next month for the trip, we’ll also have a shopping list of items to get from DLM the night before we leave.

 Good friends, great food, nice pale ale, sharing stories of a few great golf shots, and lots of laughs over many errant shots. I can’t think of a better way to spend a late summer evening. Fore!

What a fabulous time of the year to Eat Local! I think I really jumped on the bandwagon after shopping our first ever Farmer’s Market two weeks ago at our Washington Square store. Nearly every meal I prepare at home now includes locally grown produce. I think the dish that I prepared last night may have been the best yet. I blanched green and yellow beans and combined them with seeded, chopped homegrown tomatoes, some thinly sliced red onion, then lightly dressed this combination with a vinaigrette of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper. I can’t wait to make it again!

I had the pleasure of participating yesterday in the charitable auction in memory of Todd Nikolai.  Thank you to Todd Templin for organizing the event, and for everyone who attended.  It was a great success for a wonderful cause.

My new favorite dessert that you simply MUST try before the peaches are gone, is the Prima Peach Party Pillow.  It is lightly sweet pastry cream layered with whipped cream and Prima Sweet peaches sandwiched between 2 crispy palmiers. (croissant dough twisted and sprinkled with sugar and baked crisp) I tried this for the first time this morning and it was fantastic!  They are made fresh every day in our pastry shop.  If you love the peaches, you have to try this one before it is gone!

Produce Manager Teresa Dambrowski just came waltzing across the sales floor at Springboro with a large plate of homegrown tomatoes with mozzarella. Two ladies and I just tasted them.  Teresa took red and yellow homegrown tomatoes, coarsely chopped, along with fresh DLM Mozzarella cut into pieces the same size. She added torn fresh basil, seasoned with fresh ground pepper, sea salt, and tossed it all with Vera Jane’s olive oil.  We went ga-ga over the flavor…How can a dish be this simple and this healthy, not to mention outrageously tasty?  Reminds me of eating in Italy, where good, simple ingredients are enjoyed in season. Mamma mia!

You can’t pick up a magazine or turn on a morning talk show that doesn’t frequently include an article or segment on “Healthy Snacking”. I can’t resist reading or listening to them, however I am nearly always disappointed with the content. Often they are reviewing the latest “100 calorie snack packs”, bags full of empty calories. Consider the purpose of snacking. The goal is to keep our blood sugar levels more costant between meals. Our ability to concentrate and our energy level are directly affected by our blood sugar. So the next time you have a snack attack why not reach for Real Food instead of a bag of refined carbohydrates? 99.9% of the items in the Produce Department are naturally 100 calories or less per serving. Think apple, banana, peach, pear, orange, carrots, grapes, berries; you get the idea. Other great snacking options include hummus, low-fat yogurt, or a handful of nuts. In addition to helping maintain your blood sugar level you’ll get the bonus of adding vital nutrients to your diet.

I’ve been using Keys MetaCare lotion a lot this summer and I hear I’m not the only one.  C.A. Diltz, the leader of our DLM Gluten-Free Food Lovers’ Club talked about it at the last meeting.  She uses it for itchy spots she gets due to reactions to gluten.  One of the attendees purchased some that day and e-mailed C.A. to tell her how much she loves the product.  She said she put it on a bug bite and it stopped itching immediately.  It’s also good for people and their pets to repel those pesty insects.  Recently I used it on a burn on my arm (those curling irons are vicious!) and the pain went away.     All Keys products are chemical-free.  For more information, check out their website - www.Keys-Soap.com or stop by and see us in the Healthy Living department.

Many think of Spring as the season for wonderful dry Rosé, however I believe we are just beginning the best Rosé season of all— mid to late summer. Home grown tomatoes, basil, and our DLM  Homemade Mozzarella  paired with most any fresh vegetable from the garden or our Produce department and a great piece of fish cooked to perfection (or Hill Family Farm chicken if you prefer), a shaded patio, and cold glass of Rosé, and you have a perfect seasonal combination!

 Verget du Sud 2007 Vin de Pays Vaucluse Rosé de Syrah
Jean-Marie always does a fantastic job with rosé. A true thirst quencher, it is loaded with raspberry fruit, intermixed with candied lemons and white pepper on the palate. $12

 Domaine de Noiré 2007 Chinon Rosé
Jean-Max Manceau works wonders with Cabernet Franc from Chinon. This pink, tank-raised Cabernet Franc is loaded with red fruits and orange zest. $16

 Château Roquefort Rosé 2007 Corail Côtes de Provence
Raimond Villeneuve and his team have realized their Provence appellation is best for rosé, and it is now the focus of the winery. Sporting a new label from years past, this blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah is extremely bright with juicy red fruits and a touch of briny ocean breeze. $16

 Domaine Lafond 2007 Tavel
Primarily Grenanche, Cinsault, and Syrah, this wine is bursting with fresh strawberry and raspberry fruits and a slight exotic spice to the dry finish. $18

 Mas du Gourgonnier 2007 Rosé
Extremely limited in quantities, this beauty is a pink blend of Grenache Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Ugni Blanc, and is full of ripe red fruits with hints of ginger and tangerine. $18