Dija Know… Joe’s Restaurant Newsletter -114 May 2015

Dija Know… Joe’s Restaurant Newsletter -114 May 2015

 

Still our favorite hot mama.
Happy Mothers’ Day, ladies!

 

We trust you will love the selections on our special 3-course Prix Fixe Mother’s Day menu. But if that doesn’t catch your fancy, the Brunch menu and regular menus are in effect as well. Please reserve early.

u You’ll notice some snappy colorful new paintings of chickens by local artist, Nancy Nickerson on the ramp to the Red Room. What fun! Yes all the artwork at Joe’s is by local artists and is for sale
u DiJa Know without bees, it is estimated humans would survive just 2-4 years? Would you like to know how to attract more bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators? Attend a free program at Railyard Park on May 30th 10am – noon.   Discover what the bees and other pollinators like and what to plant to attract them. More? Contact Loretta Mcgrath loremcgrath@gmail.

u This may seem an odd topic for a restaurant newsletter, but if you know us, you know how much we love our critters and how well we feed them. I would guess that many of our guests feel the same way about their pets and take exceptional care of them. Back in about 1998, I began to look into the pet (dog and cat) food industry. It was at first shocking to see exactly how low the standards were. I immediately stopped buying any commercial pet food and started baking “casseroles” for our dogs and cats. Casseroles of meat, veggies and rice. Further research and attending a seminar with a forward-thinking Vet, William Barnett DVM, took my thinking to another level regarding optimum care of our pets. I subsequently shifted to a 90 – 95% protein (meat) diet for them. I had to re-think what was truly good for them. Our dogs and cats were also hunters and as we live in the country, I had to learn to put all my “ick” and “horror” feelings aside as I saw them enjoying this completely raw and natural source of food. You know what I mean – I’m not going to name the prey. The next shift was to use this preference they had for hunting as a guide and start feeding raw meat. Oh my. They all loved it. Now I have to admit I was no more pristine with their diet than I am with mine. Every dog loves treats. Every cat loves treats and I love my treats. But it goes without saying, we have to be wise about treats. If you listen to ads about petfood, you will be misinformed. I learned from Dr. Barnett, that dogs require at least 90% protein and cats about 95% protein. That’s a lot! Look at the labels of most commercial pet foods – they come nowhere near that. Beyond the protein content, the truth about their digestive systems is that they cannot process grains, nor do they need them. Yup. That’s what I had to learn. Well the proof is in the pudding. Most Golden Retrievers live to a max of 12 years, average 10.5 years. Our Geesela was almost 16 when we decided her time had come. For more than ½ her life, she had a diet of almost pure raw meat and some supplements that I deemed necessary. Cleo did well too. She was an old girl when she came to live with us, but the same changes were evident in both dogs and were lovely to watch – better skin and coat quality, endless energy, good teeth, mobility, vitality and void of cancers that commonly plague pets these days. I understand one or two dogs is hardly a study. But if you look at the origins of cats and dogs, they are natural predators, eating raw meat and for vegetation (carbohydrates) the stomach contents of that prey. (I hope this is not a turn-off for you!) Commercial petfood was created about 60 years ago for not only the convenience of pet owners, but also(always follow the money!) for the profit of the food processing industry. “Food unfit for human consumption” was relegated for petfood. Perfect! They could use up all that rotten food, grains infested with molds and insects, and other ingredients I won’t describe here. A high percentage of grain (carbos) was included because it glued the kibble together and guess what – it was cheap. Now pet food has come a long way in the last 10 years. And I suspect that savvy food people are also savvy pet owners. There are lots of new commercially prepared petfoods that come close to optimum. Barring that, one can introduce (slowly!!!) raw meat and a bit of rice or quinoa and a few veggies for your pet. Actually good old table scraps from good quality human meals are not a bad addition at all. Try ground turkey, chicken, lamb, liver, kidneys, beef, fish. Raw bones can be carefully given. Never ever cooked bones. I always add fish oils and kelp or algae in moderation. MSM is a great additive for arthritic animals (canine, equine, feline, human). One thing to be super aware of – zylitol is great for human consumption, deadly for cats and dogs. Also chocolate can cause toxic reactions and in some young dogs, salmon is indigestible. Did you know, our domestic cats are descended from Egyptian cats who were domesticated to keep granaries free of mice? It was a perfect fit because cats did not eat the grain. It is now thought that chronic renal failure so common in cats today is because of the low moisture content and high grain content of kibble. Improvements to our pets’ diets can be slow and moderate. Everything you do will have a benefit!

Y For a sweet treat or impromptu gift for your dear ones, we now have lovely gift boxes for Joe’s melt-in-your-mouth French chocolate truffles. 4 in gift box $10, and 6 in gift box $12.50
u It’s no secret we are deeply disappointed that the industrial hemp bills stopped at the governor’s desk. And yet marijuana laws were supported. Hypocrisy? You bet. Sheila dipped her toe into the political process in getting behind the legalization of industrial hemp during the session this year. Similar to the justice system which has little to do with right and wrong, the passage of laws through our legislative system has little to do with common sense or what is good for the state. Good grief, the games that are played!

Please pick up the info flyer on the importance of industrial hemp to New Mexico agriculture and economy and see the last few newsletters in which I explore hemp’s phenomenal potential. My position is understanding the difference between marijuana and industrial hemp and the inimical growing conditions and purposes of the two is fundamental to legalizing this old patriotic crop and it’s stupendous potential for economic growth in NM. The bills are SB94 and HB 357.

Russell-Cartoon-Chia-Farmer

“After the Hemp Bill was vetoed, Elmer thought he’d try his hand at Chia Farming”
(another wry cartoon by Chef Russ)
u Sometimes, it’s the little things. There are details we employ at Joe’s to make your dining just a little more enjoyable and a little healthier. DiJa Know . . .we use sea salt in the shakers rather than table salt. Some nutrition gurus claim that because table salt is bleached of all minerals it is actually harmful for the body as it leads to water retention. Because sea salt is mineral rich it helps better regulate blood pressure, stabilizes heart beat, balances blood sugar and increases absorption of food particles leading to enhanced digestion.       Our cloth napkins are 100% cotton, rather than polyester. Why go half way?       Our sautéeing is done in ghee and/or olive oil.

Why do we keep hammering on this “buy local” theme? There are many factors that are out of our hands when it comes to our food supply. Most of what ends up on the American dinner table derives from a shockingly few giant agribusinesses. Their influence reaches from designing the (GMO) seeds to planting, harvesting, processing and shipping.

We as consumers cannot with confidence hand over the entire stewardship of our food to these few multinationals. Our passion here at Joe’s is for a local sustainable food supply –

food produced by growers who are accountable for what they grow. KYG – Know Your Grower. We are able to look our local farmer in the eye and ask him about his growing practices or even visit his operation. This gives us the confidence that we are eating food that is healthy, wholesome, non-genetically engineered, often better than organic, humanely treated and minimally processed. It is grown with a smaller energy-use footprint and transported short distances. We cannot divorce human health, the economy, ecology, personal (perhaps spiritual) satisfaction or honorable work from food. Food is fundamental. What we eat, where it
comes from, the stewardship of food animals, the nurturing and building of soils – all these factors affect us at a cellular and visceral level … whether we slow down enough to be aware of it or not. We so are fortunate in Santa Fe to have one of the very best Farmers Markets in the nation.

Here at Joe’s we do our best to offer this bounty to you, keeping dollars in the community. In the interest of transparency, in 2008 Joe’s spent $30,000 on local foods. In 2009 it increased to $60,000. Each year since 2012 we have far exceeded $100,000 per annum. During the growing season as much as 95% of our produce is locally sourced.
Land, economy, health – inseparable.

u Tired of still paying for BB’s (big banks) bailouts? Tired of lining the pockets of the uber-rich Wall Street bankers? And still no convictions? DiJa know…in 2011 a congressional audit of the Federal Reserve found that the Fed gave 16 trillion dollars from American taxpayers to bail out the “too big to fail” banks with a hefty portion of it going to CEO’s obscene bonuses. Can you imagine — had this staggering figure been re-directed to the people of the US, how different the picture could have looked today? Manufacturing starts, “shovel-ready jobs”, skills training, roads and bridges repair, national parks, education, etc. Had that been bailed out to the American people, each man woman and child would have received $50,000! Every time we use a credit card, part of that 3%-5% fee contributes to the BB’s. Now let’s be real – in today’s world you cannot function without a credit card, but there are still (legal) alternatives that reduce our dependency on the BB’s and actually save us money. We have a couple of suggestions: (1.) Joe’s Check List – If you are a “regular” and wish to pay by check, please ask your waiter to get you on the list. (2.) Joe’s own credit card/gift card – purchase a $100 gift card with cash or check or silver or gold coin, get a $10 free bonus!

 


Joe’s
2801 Rodeo Rd (at Zia Rd) Santa Fe, NM   87507
505-471-3800       www.JoesDining.com
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