The Culinary Scoop

Launches Black Sheep Accelerator To Help Founders Of Color Raise Investment Capital

Launched by Atlanta based MC & Dope Coffee CEO Creative Mike The Rapper, Dope Coffee is the hot startup coffee brand taking the nation by storm in the wake of Black Lives Matter protest. After dropping the Black Jesus EP “Revolution for Black Lives”, Creative Mike hit the startup world by storm first winning the PG Shark Tank $7,500 Pitch Competition in Houston Texas on January 9th before the COVID-19 pandemic ensued. Unrelenting, Creative Mike pressed ahead with Dope Coffee doing an impossible feat for founders of color, attracting outside capital.

Emerging from the COVID -19 pandemic, GTFO It’s Vegan launches to bring plant-based vegan groceries right to your doorstep

During these unprecedented times, emerging from a Covid-19 pandemic that has impacted the world, people remain concerned about visiting their once frequented grocery store. Many have turned to online shopping, yet often discover products are not available, or shipping times extend out weeks or even months. 

The pandemic has also wreaked havoc on the meat, pork, and poultry industries with thousands of meat processing employees testing positive with the virus, shuttering meat packing plants.  Even more concerning, many breeding farms have had to euthanize their pigs, chickens, and cattle due to slaughterhouse closures and reductions in demand as our country remains closed. 

The negative public opinion now focused on the meat industry has further fueled an already rapidly growing plant-based industry.  According to data from the Good Food Institute and the Plant Based Foods Association, U.S. retail sales of plant-based foods significantly outpaced overall grocery sales in the past year, surging 11% to $4.5 billion; plant-based eating has become a mainstream movement led by rapid growth in meat and dairy alternative sales.

Lineup Includes Cooking Demos, Wine Tastings, and Special Appearances Featuring Martha Stewart, Jacques Pépin, Ayesha Curry, Kwame Onwuachi, Stephanie Izard and JJ Johnson

Event to raise funds and awareness for charities

Meredith Corporation’s (NYSE: MDP: Meredith.com) FOOD & WINE will host its first-ever FOOD & WINE Classic at Home virtual event on Thursday, July 23 beginning at 4 p.m. EDT at www.foodandwine.com/ClassicAtHome and featuring all-star talent including Martha Stewart, Jacques Pépin, Ayesha Curry, JJ Johnson, Stephanie Izard and Kwame Onwuachi. Emcee’d by FOOD & WINE Culinary Director at Large Justin Chapple, the event will also include wine tastings led by FOOD & WINE Executive Wine Editor Ray Isle and FOOD & WINE Contributor Anthony Giglio, and a beer tasting led by Garrett Oliver.

In partnership with Palo Santo restaurant in Brooklyn, NY, MOFAD invites you to an online evening of cooking and quaffing with Chef Coby Farrow and Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster Garrett Oliver. Inspired by his travels around the world, Chef Coby has created a three-course menu that he will teach as part of a virtual cooking demonstration. Each dish has been perfectly paired with a beer selected by Brewmaster Garrett Oliver. During the program, you’ll learn about Chef Coby’s travels and experiences as a chef and you’ll hear Garrett Oliver speak about the beers he selected for the evening.

If you live in the NYC area (all 5 boroughs) you can purchase an ingredient box that contains all of the items you’ll need to cook the three-course menu at home plus the three beers chosen by Garrett Oliver. The box will be delivered by Palo Santo on July 8th, the day of the event.

Jhaelynn Elam is the founder and CEO of Sizije, a travel company whose mission is to empower the modern-day traveler through global communities and culturally curated experiences. The Sizije team wants to be a resource by providing unique and immersive traveling experiences.

Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, for as long as she can remember, food has been the thread of her life. Jhaelynn is a successful Food and Sensory Scientist with degrees from Tuskegee University and The Ohio State University. Additionally, her passion and career in food have afforded her opportunities to travel places she could have only dreamed of as a kid.

It is Official-Ripe Is Closed!

As if the challenge of being closed during the “pandemic” wasn’t enough, we were forced to once again close our doors temporarily due to a
major kitchen fire.

The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with this new devastating blow, has been the hardest time we have ever faced in Ripe’s 17-year history. We have survived blackouts, major storms, flooding and other difficulties, but this latest one-two punch has truly knocked us to the pavement of harsh reality.

However, we remain steadfast, and my hope is that with your help we will be able to write success stories again in the very near future. YOUR PURCHASE OF A DIGITAL GIFT CARD TODAY will help make that a reality sooner rather than later which you can forward to friends and family as a gift or give as a food bank for someone in need or use yourself when we re-open our doors.

As we navigate the many hurdles of the rebuilding process, we are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received from patrons and the city agencies of Mount Vernon and surrounding areas, and hope that you will join them with investing in our future.

We are filled with hope for the upcoming reconstruction and have a renewed resolve to get Ripe back on its feet as soon as possible!

Please continue to follow us on social media for updates and sign up for our newsletter at https://www.riperestaurant.com.

The winemaking state of Oregon now boasts 21 unique American Viticultural Areas (AVAs)

With the recent addition of Tualatin Hills and the Laurelwood District AVAs, the state of Oregon is now home to 21 federally recognized winegrowing regions. The regions, called American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), offer unique winemaking conditions thanks to a combination of widely varied physical geology and climate.

Both areas are situated in the northern Willamette Valley and were granted approval on June 3rd. Local wineries had petitioned the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) years earlier for the additions to the wine country map, citing distinctive features like soil type and elevation, which in turn lead to distinctive wines. They join fellow Oregon AVAs including Eola-Amity Hills, Umpqua Valley and The Rocks Districts of Milton-Freewater and more, adding to the state’s eclectic winegrowing landscape. The expansive Willamette Valley now totals ten AVAs.