Dija Know… Joe’s Restaurant Newsletter -82 January 2013

2013.  The Chinese year of the Snake.  It’s hard to conceive of a more eventful year than 2012.  But it takes no crystal ball to see we are headed into yet another very interesting year.  Certain characteristics are attributed to the year of the Snake and to people born in Snake years:  keen, aware, cunning, proud, vain, vicious. With traits like that you would hardly think that one would or could go over a fiscal cliff.  The good news is the cliff was averted last night (Jan 1).  The bad news is the cliff was averted on the backs of good folks like our employees and you and I.  At 11 am EST today (just in time to re-do our payroll which is due today) an email arrives from the IRS informing us that the payroll tax went from 4.2% to 6.2% – effectively vanishing $15 – $20 from each and every one of our worker’s paychecks.  A rather cunning and vicious (snake-like?) move, wouldn’t you agree?

 

No matter how you slice it or which party you support, the obscene and flagrant federal spending has at last trickled down to folks in a very real way.

 

At the beginning of the last four new years I made a resolution NOT make New Year’s resolutions.  Too much pressure, too many goals not achieved by year’s end.  But as a creature of habit I found myself once again on Dec 31st with 2012’s lists and sticky notes – one pile (very thin) of goals I had achieved, the other fat pile …well you know; and once again, determined to do better next year!  Regardless of any resolutions I’m making, there are a few things I won’t be cutting back on – coffee, chocolate and red wine.  And if you’ve resolved to cut back on these sensuous indulgences, you just may be making the wrong cuts . . .

 

Coffee, chocolate and wine are coming into their own from a nutritional perspective.  Let’s look at just one – coffee.  Now the love of coffee may be in my genes – my mother was Norwegian.  She had a coffee pot on the stove from morning to night. Once I lifted that first cup of the seductive aromatic brew to my lips, there was no turning back.  And now science tells me I no longer have to rationalize or hide my habit.  Please understand I am talking about good coffee, real coffee, preferably organic coffee meticulously produced.  Not decafe, not isolated caffeine as in energy drinks, and not doused with sweeteners.

Old warnings told us coffee would raise blood pressure, lead to heart disease, create ulcers and make you diabetic.  Recent studies keep rolling in to vindicate the “buzzy” habit of millions of people worldwide.  I mean instinctively we get it – how much of life do we miss by being in a coffee-deprived sedated and dozy state?  I for one, enjoy being alert, alive and engaged!
Most recently (April 2012) the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirms coffee can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.  There’s no space here to go deeply into any single subject and I encourage you to do your own follow-up research, but here is a quick list of the benefits of drinking coffee: protective against type 2 diabetes, significantly cuts risk of Parkinson’s, protective against Alzheimer’s, lowered risk of prostate cancer the more you drink, lowered risk of liver cancer, liver fibrosis and hepatitis C, same with kidney cancer and colon cancer, stabilizes heart arrhythmia, beneficial to pulmonary function, 20-25% lowered risk of stroke in coffee-drinking women, increased activity of at least one important gut probiotic, stabilized blood glucose levels, supports neuromotor muscular and brain function (your muscles and brain resist age atrophy).  Not convinced?  Read Dr. Mercola (mercola.com) and especially Ori Ofmekler an elite exercise guru who wrote the Warrior Diet and Unlocking the Muscle Gene.
I want to note three points here.  (1.) Choosing high quality of coffee cannot be overstated in this health context.  (2.) Caffeine alone is not what I refer to.  The science clearly affirms it is the synergy among the bioflavonoids, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and thousands of unidentified natural compounds in the glorious brew that results in all the health benefits.  Caffeine in isolation can be quite toxic.  (3.) There are exceptions to everything.  Compromised adrenals, pregnancy and allergies (possibly to molds or contaminants in poor quality coffees) are some of the reasons to consume coffee moderately or not at all.  You know your body best.

Here at Joe’s we serve Agapao organic, free trade, shade grown coffee and espresso.  It is locally roasted and distributed.  You are drinking the very best.

The Red Room is the perfect place for festive events, business networking, power breakfast meetings.  Seats 28 – 30 comfortably.  Ask Roland about large group and party discounts.

 

The 2012 Beaujolais Nouveau is almost history! At this writing, just 12 bottles left.  This year’s Beaujolais is really good, the best we’ve tasted in several years!  It has that classic light fruity easy-drinking profile that goes with everything – can’t think of more than a couple of dishes it does not complement. But remember this is a short-lived wine for 2 reasons. One, it does not lay down well – it is meant to be drunk within 2-4 months; and two, Sheila tends to drink much of it, leaving little for the rest of you.  Don’t miss out. 5.99 a glass.

Breakfast at Joe’s is a great and nourishing way to start a chilly morning.  Enhance it with a steamy Mexican hot chocolate! Yum. Every day from 7:30 to 2PM.

 

Dianne Dumas, local artist, brings her oil and acrylic paintings of New Mexico landscapes to Joe’s walls. A native New Mexican, Dianne has studied art since she was a child. She attended Mississippi Women’s University and is a graduate of Southwest School of Art.
Dianne’s works have been exhibited in numerous venues in New Mexico and Texas.

 

The next Carbon Economy Series presentation:  Daniel Mirabal & Maria Boccalandro at SFCC Jan 11-13.  To develop a new sustainable and responsible model for tourism as an important driver for economic and social development. This workshop will help everyone involved with tourism be more sustainable, adding resilience to the triple bottom line (people, planet and profit).  We will also look at the trends in the industry and apply strategies to optimize your operations. http://carboneconomyseries.com

 

Gluten free foods are improving. We now have some pretty darned good pastas and an improved pizza crust. In some cases it’s hard to tell that some of these new products are gluten free! Additionally, when Sheila decided to go gluten-free which she did for 15 months to see what certain customers were facing when eating out, Roland adapted many of Joe’s recipes to be gluten-free.  And because so many people are now GF, he arranges many of his catering dishes to be gluten free so as to make it easy for “gluten-freers” at parties and events. You may be eating gluten free here and not even know it.

Why is locally grown food so very important to Joe’s?  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 entirestewardship 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 are fortunate in Santa Fe to have a dedicated farm base producing a wonderful array of goods.  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 that increased to $60,000.  And for 2012 we expect it to exceed $100,000 representing about 50% of our food budget.
Tuesday is Spaghetti and Chianti Night at Joe’s$29.95 for two will get you Caesar Salad, Spaghetti Bolognese (made with our grass-finished local beef) and a great ½ liter of Chianti.  Wadda deal!

♥ Joe’s hand-made French chocolate truffles.  They are close to divine.  Who do you know who would love a little red bag of truffles?    $1.99 @ or 5 for $8.99
Tired of still paying for BB’s (big banks) bailouts? Tired of lining the pockets of the uber-rich Wall Street bankers? subsidizing their mega bonuses, greens fees etc? Every time we use a credit card part of that 3%-5% fee contributes to the above.  Now let’s be real – in today’s world no one can function without a cc, but there are still (legal) alternatives that can save us all money and reduce our subsidies to the BB’s.  We have a couple of suggestions: (1.) Are you on 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 “frequent diner” or gift card – when you purchase $100 gift card with cash or check, get a $10 card free!

Quote with a twist:

“Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.” — George Carlin

 

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