Nightofthecookers
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10-11-18 p1-16_Layout 1 11/17/10 8:19 PM Page 1 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume EE, Number 23 November 18, 2010 GENERAL MEETING Nightof the Cookers REPORT Members taste food and wine at Coop’s first-ever cooking contest. Are Coop By Thomas Matthews s 6 o’clock approached on Large aluminum pans filled The Bounty of the Coop Members the Aa cool October evening, with steaming food arrived The event was designed to dozens of people gathered on from the basement kitchen. be a culinary showcase and a the steps of the Brooklyn At one table, Eduardo Gonza- cooking competition. Nine Society for Ethical Culture, lez was hanging a Peruvian Coop members prepared Retiring Types? across from Prospect Park. flag. Across the room, Ed their own recipes and each “They’re spilling onto the Erdos was displaying books dish was matched with a By Gayle Forman sidewalk! It’s nearly 6! We and products from Hungary. complementary beverage have to open the doors,” A string quartet was warming (wine, beer or non-alcoholic t was all about FTOP at the age 65 if they have 20 years of someone called from the up. Then, for a moment, punch). The goal: to bring IPark Slope Food Coop’s service. Fitz proposed allow- doorway. everyone gathered together. people together for an October 26th General Meet- ing members to retire at 60 if “Not yet! We need a couple “There’s a lot of hungry evening of good eating and ing, with one proposal to they have 30 years of service. more minutes!” came the people out there,” said a companionship. The underly- abandon some scheduling As Fitz explained, “I’ve response from the main member of the steering com- ing mission was to showcase rules and another to expand been a member since 1978. room. mittee that had been prepar- the bounty the Coop offers, the Coop retirement age. The I’m a freelancer, currently on Inside the old mansion, a ing for this moment since the and the diversity of cuisine it meeting, which was held in FTOP. It’s difficult. I get kicked team of Coop cooks, FTOP event was conceived in supports and inspires. the Congregation Beth Elo- off FTOP. Being over 60, I’m volunteers and Fun-Raising March. [Disclosure: This The dishes embodied him Social Hall in Park Slope, getting tired. I think the Coop Committee members were reporter was a member of the influences from Peru, Hun- was chaired by Imani Q’ryn should give people who’ve scrambling to put the last committee.] “But remember, gary, Morocco, India, Korea with Samantha Natov acting been in the Coop longer the touches on “Cooking in Har- we’re here to have fun. Talk and Jamaica. Three included as secretary and Ann Monroe ability to retire.” mony,” the Park Slope Food with people, share your food, meat, one fish and five were sitting at the chair table. There was mixed reaction Coop’s first-ever culinary tell your stories. There’s plen- vegetarian (including a raw, FTOP stands for Future to Fitz’s proposals. A few cookoff, featuring member- ty for everyone. You’ve all vegan lasagna). All the ingre- Time Off Program, the flexible members wondered about prepared dishes. worked hard, and it’s going to dients (save for a few exotic work system in which mem- data. How would expanding Ice rattled into buckets. be great. Okay? Ready? Jason, spices) came from the Coop bers opt out of working on reg- the age guidelines affect the Sterno cans burst into flame. open the doors!” (and were donated for the ular squads and instead work Coop, not just now but in the event). [Recipes for all the irregular schedules, often fill- future when more of our dishes, along with the shop- ing in on understaffed squads boomers hit retirement age? ping lists used to create to bank work credits. Fitz did not have the data but them, are available at psfc- General Coordinator Jess fun.wordpress.com.] Retirement Policy Robinson said only a rela- Megan Devir and her hus- FTOP first came up in Tracy tively small number of peo- band Yuichi Seki, members Fitz’s proposal to expand the ple qualify for the current since 2004, prepared chorizo Coop’s retirement policy. Cur- retirement benefit: 323 peo- dogs with grilled kale caesar rently, members can retire at CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 salad. They were paired with a pumpkin ale brewed in upstate New York. Megan Next General Meeting on November 30 said, “What made me decide The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held on the to enter was the voice of last Tuesday of each month.* The next General Meeting will be on PHOTO BY CLARICE KJERULFF PHOTO Allen Zimmerman, ringing in Tuesday, November 30, at 7:00 p.m. at the Congregation Beth Elo- Grace Cho’s winning dish: Bibimbap Reinvented. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 him Temple House (Garfield Temple), 274 Garfield Place. The agenda is in this Gazette and available as a flyer in the entryway of the Coop. For more information about the GM and about Coop governance, please see the center of this issue. Fri, Nov 19 • The Very Good Coffeehouse: * Exceptions for December will be posted. Swing Street Orchestra 7:30 p.m. Coop Thu, Dec 2 • Food Class: Fermented Foods 7:30 p.m. IN THIS ISSUE Fri, Dec 3 • Film: Reporter 7:30 p.m. Event Sat, Dec 4 • Food Drive to Benefit CAMBA 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Good Eating . 6 Letters to the Editor . 8 Coop Hours, Coffeehouse . 10 Highlights Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue. GM Agenda, Mission Statement, Workslot Needs, Coop Calendar . 11 Classified Ads, Community Calendar . 14 10-11-18 p1-16_Layout 1 11/17/10 8:19 PM Page 2 2 November 18, 2010 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY Night of the Cookers its for their participation). relax and compare notes. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 And some continued work- At one table, five people ing even during the event. had accumulated about 30 my ears, regaling us all at Yuichi set up a grill in the back small plates of food, glasses some General Meeting about garden to cook the chorizo for in front of everyone. Sara, how many hundreds (thou- his dish, so that it would be who joined in 2009, had sands? zillions?) of pounds of fresh and hot. “I love to grill,” come with friends from her kale the Coop went through he said. “But I think I’ve had shopping squad. “We’ve tried each week. This is what made enough for a while.” pretty much everything,” she it for us—that the ingredi- said. “We love the pairings. ents in the dish were so rep- Eating, Drinking, That pumpkin ale is terrific. resentative of what’s great Talking, Voting We also really appreciate the about the Coop—the whole The Coop coordinators seasonal aspect of the event.” wheat buns, the chorizo decided to limit ticket sales Vita, an FTOP member sausage from a nearby farm, MAJORS BY DALIENNE PHOTO to 130. The price for adults since 2005, was in charge of a and yes, the kale! And the Waiting for the results of the culinary cookoff. with alcohol was $20; adults station that presented a pumpkin ale was such a without alcohol, $15; chil- selection of Coop cheeses knock-out even on its own, so ipants, I didn’t think twice.” bap a thousand times. Oth- dren, $5. The tickets sold out paired with a keg of Red Hook seasonal, and also the per- That initial impulse led to ers were unfamiliar with two weeks before the date. Winery Merlot 2008, made fect match for our kale and a serious commitment. Korean cuisine. I also asked Most of the attendees were from fruit grown by James- chorizo dogs.” Once accepted as finalists, kids to try it. By the end, I Coop members, but a num- port Vineyards on Long the cooks faced a long road knew I had something that ber of non-members also Island’s North Fork, donated The Cooks and of planning and preparation pleased a wide variety of attended. Adding in the by Angel’s Share, a Brooklyn- Their Dishes before reaching the point of palates and still embodied cooks and the volunteers, based company. “Everyone is The nine cooks took their serving their food at the the spirit of bibimbap.” about 175 people attended. having fun,” he said, “and first steps toward the event event. Grace estimated that she The event’s initial half- they are so knowledgeable back in May and June, when Grace M. Cho, a member spent 40 hours preparing the hour was chaotic, as the about the wine. There’s lots they submitted their dishes since 2004, served a version dish. Other cooks’ estimates crowd surged into the build- of talking and learning.” to the steering committee of Korean bibimbap. “I ranged from a low of six ing even as the cooks were Two other wines were for evaluation. None are developed this recipe hours to a high of 48 (all putting the finishing touch- donated by Bruce Schneider, professional chefs, but specifically for the event,” received four FTOP shift cred- es on their dishes. But when a winemaker, importer and many had some formal she said. “I grew up eating the initial rush was Coop member. “I present my training or experience. my mother’s Western- over and it became wines at a lot of events Teri Gorbea, a member inflected Korean cooking, so clear that there around the country but as a since 2002, is writing two in that sense, it was inspired would be plenty of Coop member it was extra cookbooks for people with by my background as a Kore- food and drink for special to do one in my own food intolerances, and her an American of mixed race.