“Serious fun for hungry minds” is the slogan for this weekend’s upstate gathering, which in our humble opinion, seems pretty accurate. The lovely folks at Cook n’ Scribble will host LongHouse Food Revival 2013 on a historic dairy farm in Rensselaerville, NY, on September 7 and 8. The annual event will bring together food thought leaders, writers, bloggers, producers, chefs and emerging voices to stretch the boundaries of how food stories are told, as well as what bellies can hold.
This year, LongHouse is exploring what they are calling the “Saffron Diaspora.” They will begin by studying the spice trail at its ancient origin in Mesopotamia, as well as identifying the major trading outposts in Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Africa, Indonesia and the Caribbean. They will then discuss the cultures, ethnicities, religions, ingredients, dishes and stories that were carried from those ports to the United States.
On Saturday night, the LongHouse Kitchen will test recipes provided by cooks, authors and chefs from Indonesia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Turkey, Iran and the Caribbean as part of the Live Fire Feast. Think saffron martinis, spit-roasted goat, jeweled rice, vibrant vegetable mezze and fresh-from-the-oven flatbread. The ambience will only be enhanced with a performances by Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project and others.
On Sunday, guests can expect the first annual Food Flea, or a country fair and marketplace for ideas and innovation. At Food Flea, the spirit of conviviality and can-do rule. The event will feature a barn full of display tables that are hosted by leading companies, non-profits, publishers and producers. Alongside a farmers market, there will also be panels of experts who will discuss personal branding and food start-ups.
Lastly, guests will be joined by Los Angeles Times food critic Jonathan Gold, writer and cookbook author Naomi Duguid, blogger, editor and author of Poor Man’s Feast Elissa Altman, the doyenne of Persian cuisine Najmieh Batmanglij, as well as chair of the New York University Food Studies Program Krishnendu Ray, the poet and food writer Carolyn Forché, the spice trader Behroush “The Saffron King” Sharifi and film director Bobby LuPone.
For more information about tickets (for the entire event, only Saturday’s Live Fire Feast, or only the Sunday Food Flea), you can visit the event’s website, or call 518.320.0447. Apparently there are discounts for those who carpool, so if interested in learning more, get in touch.
Come early and stay late for what is set to be a savory and stimulating weekend!
