Dija Know… Joe’s Restaurant Newsletter -123 February 2016
– Sheila (archives available at JoesDining.com)
Love is timeless. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Roland is working on a special prix fixe Valentine’s weekend menu. He is going to make it easy for you to celebrate with your special Valentine (eat in or take out) by offering the Menu on the 12th, 13th & 14th of February. The menu will be out a few days before Valentine’s. Reservations might be a good idea.
The works of 3 new artists now grace our walls. In the Red Room are artist-enhanced shovels whose sales support The New Deal Preservation Association. Along the ramp are the works of retired Renaissance man Mike Michuta. Mike has travelled the world, was a cross-country GreyHound driver for many years, served in our military and has a classical music collection to rival anyone’s. Young Ross Soleil Palmer’s colorful works bespeak a bright and sunny mind bursting out of, and unrestricted by, what some might consider a handicapped body. We are honored to have this intriguing mix of works! Take a look around. All are for sale.
For decades there has been so much focus on the psychoactive properties of marijuana that we have lost sight of its extraordinarily useful sister plant, industrial hemp, which you could smoke until the cows come home with not the hint of a “high”. This issue has been so charged with emotion, polarized opinion, moral indignation, generational rebellion and political leverage and profiteering that we have lost the history and the truth about this plant, cannabis. You may be aware, we at Joe’s have advocated strongly since 2014 for the legalization of hemp – growing it and developing its applications (a mind-blowing list of very profitable uses with no downside). My special interest in hemp is the potent healing properties of CBD*, one of many cannabinoids derived from industrial hemp. The governor provided the stumbling block last year, the bill having handily passed House and Senate. I can only speculate that it was her ignorance of the distinction between marijuana and industrial hemp that gave rise to her veto. [BTW, if you are unclear of the difference, as I was until just a few years ago, please pick up my flyer on the subject.] Today, as I write, we again await Governor Martinez’ decision on the current SB3 the intent of which is “to bring New Mexico into compliance with federal law”… “to grow industrial hemp for research and development purposes, including agricultural, agronomic, ecological, processing, sales and marketing research.” I hate to be a negative Nelly, but missing the 2015 window for NM to move forward with hemp, has put us once again at a colossal economic disadvantage trailing behind more progressive (the true meaning of the word, people, not the political association, please) and economically visionary states. At least 27 states have laws in place related to industrial hemp. NM does not, yet. Want to know more? Doug Fine, a NM goat rancher, is an expert, writing prodigiously and travelling widely to educate on the subject. BTW, Joe’s cooks with hemp seeds, most notably in our Morning Glory muffin.
* One local source of CBD: Gina Lucero RN http://thecbdboutique.com
We are beyond the holiday season now, but Joe’s Red Room is always perfect for meetings and parties. It seats 32 comfortably.
❤ What is it about Valentine’s and chocolate? They seem to be inseparable. Joe’s fresh dark French chocolate truffles are a perfect gift for any and all of your loved ones, especially when gift boxed in our 4 or 6 truffle boxes. Mocha or hazelnut? We will also make fresh chocolate-covered strawberries! Ask your waiter.
Since it’s still early in the New Year, and many of our resolutions revolve around exercise, may I remind you of something I shared a few years ago? It is the easiest fastest laziest method I have found (. . . so far*!) to keep one’s body moving and all muscle groups exercised. It’s called a vibration plate. The one we have is made in TX by Live Vibe, but there are many good brands. It is especially perfect for those who may be injured, handicapped, frail or simply find it difficult to exercise in a regular and traditional manner. You can do a full workout on it or merely stand on it or sit on it; and everything you do on it is amplified and therefore amplifies the benefits to your muscles and other body systems. My belief is that of all the components of good health**, exercise is the most important and yet the most omitted. So I hope this removes most of the objections and barriers you may have to regular exercise. Your quality of life and health depend on it.
* I’ve found something that tops even my vibe machine. More on that later.
** Contributors to good health: exercise, good food, clean safe water, family, friends, community, laughter, spiritual practice, good work, music, creative outlet, animals, pets and nature. What have I missed?
DiJa Know – GMO labeling. Campbell Soup Co. announced it will label—in plain English, in plain view—all of its products that contain GMO ingredients. That’s a big deal. It’s a big deal because it’s a 180° turnaround. Campbells was formerly opposed to GMO labeling laws. It’s a big deal because the company says it will follow through on its labeling promise, regardless of what slimy (my word) legislation is passed in DC. It’s a big deal because in addition, Campbell’s stated it now supports a mandatory national GMO labeling law. And it’s a big deal because it sticks it to Monsanto who falsely claims that labeling will be way too costly for food manufactures and consumers. Campbell’s on the contrary, says labeling costs are negligible and won’t affect prices at the checkout counter. This is all bad news for Monsanto and Big Food. Yay, Campbells!
Tuesday night tradition at Joe’s –Spaghetti and Chianti Night. $29.95 for two will get you Caesar Salad, Spaghetti with homemade Bolognese and a great ½ ltr of Chianti. Wadda deal! The Bolognese sauce is made with our grass-fed-and-finished regional beef.
I was shocked to read Dr. Mercola’s article revealing that Monsanto and Merck are two of the many corporate sponsors of WebMD and as such influence the information put out to readers. WebMD is the top visited health site on the Internet. Millions who think they are getting impartial medical answers trust it. Instead advertorials on WebMD are supplied by their sponsors and passed off as legitimate medical journalism. WebMD is nothing more than a publicly traded corporation, a whore for its sponsors and a profit machine for its shareholders. Where’s the truth in that?! I feel duped! Read more: Mercola.com January 19, 2016. Dr. Mercola’s piece goes much deeper that what I have said here. Suffice it to say, WebMD is on my manure list. And never will I trust site again.
DiJa Know probiotics are a huge contributing factor to brain health? Recent health research is giving more and more credence to the old adage, “you are what you eat.” And I’ll add, you are what you absorb and you can absorb only if your gut is populated with the right strains of pre and pro-biotics. Several foods can help and one of my German husband’s favorite is sauerkraut – very good for the gut! More on probiotics and the brain later.
Don’t Miss the 4th Annual New Mexico Food & Farms Day Feb 3rd at the State Capitol. New Mexico has a vibrant food and farming culture that is significant to our rural economy and provides employment opportunities on farm; in direct, wholesale, and retail opportunities; in food processing, distribution and value-added businesses.
Why are we at Joe’s so annoyingly persistent about this “buy local” stuff? Many factors 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 reach is long – from designing the (GMO) seeds to planting, fertilizing, 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. Santa Fe is fortunate to have one of the very best Farmers Markets in the nation. Here at Joe’s we 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, $60,000. Each year since 2012 we have far exceeded $100,000 per annum (over 30% of our purchases).
Land, economy, health – inseparable.
Joe’s gives you $10. What’s the catch? Well the way we figure it, if you cut out the middleman by NOT using a credit card, we can give that back to you and then some. Using a credit card costs the retail merchant about 3-5% and extra time & paperwork. Now let’s be real – in today’s world one cannot function without a credit card, but there are still (legal) alternatives that reduce our dependency on the Big Banks and actually save us all 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! Yup your $100 gift card will actually buy you $110 worth of meals at Joe’s.
Giggles – Couple Sex
8-year-old Emily heads out to the garden to find her grandpa. Finding him, she asks “Grandpa, what’s couple sex?” Grandpa thinks, well if she’s old enough to ask the question, she’s old enough to get a straight answer. He proceeds to explain human reproduction in proper anatomical terms. Emily’s eyes widen and her little mouth drops open. Grandpa then says, “Why did you ask, honey?” “Well grandma said lunch’ll be ready in a couple secs.”
Joe’s Dining
2801 Rodeo Rd (at Zia Rd) Santa Fe, NM 87507
505-471-3800 www.JoesDining.com
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter