CRAFT by Under My Host® Issue No. 16 Made in America: Part I | Page 142

WWW . CRAFTBYUMH . COM
whatever the venue provides if they provide stuff . He likes food , I like food , so we try stuff out . I ’ ve been fantasizing recently about a Sprinter van with a little kitchenette because I eat well when I ’ m at home . I like to cook . I haven ’ t had a steady kitchen for a really long time which is one of the main ways I make a home , but I like the idea . People I know who ’ ve made that part of their tour experience really value it . So , I think that shift needs to come into line . I eat better when I ’ m at home .
What do you like to cook when you ’ re at home ? What cuisine ?
It ’ s not even cuisine anymore . When my kids were young , I would make coq au vin and a lot of risotto just because they took a long time in the kitchen and it was time to myself that I didn ’ t feel guilty about . And there ’ s the Julia Child one-day recipe for bread , which is a good French bread . These days , my favorite stuff mostly is just whatever ’ s fresh from the farmer ’ s market . Santa Barbara has a 365-day growing season and a 52-week farmers market season , so it is all local produce . A few years ago , they added cheese and bread and a few local meat vendors . It ’ s pretty great . Sometimes there ’ s an oyster guy or mussels . So , it ’ s more like what ’ s in season , what ’ s tasting good . Get some olive oil and some shallots , and everything ’ s pretty awesome .
That ’ s great . Some places you have to kind of figure out if what you ’ re actually getting is local or not .
Yes , ours are really strict , and it ’ s local . I buy my carrots from Roots ; their carrots are amazing . They have this crispy sweetness . They ’ re so refreshing and good . BD of Earthtrine Farms has lettuces , greens , and herbs . He has an incredible herb collection . You get to know your growers . Tom Shepherd , he does all these mesclun salads and has really cool squashes . He started making pepper jams , doing a little bit of prepared stuff . Tutti Frutti ’ s has all the heirlooms . Santa Barbara is just ground zero for amazing year-round produce . It ’ s almost pornographically amazing . I love the farmer ’ s market here . We ’ ve got some great breweries here too .
Speaking of breweries , is there a spot you miss when you have to go on tour ?
Well , I drink a lot , lot less than I used to . So , it ’ s more of a special occasion thing now . Figueroa Mountain Brewery , I think they have great beers . The tasting room has a cool vibe , and it ’ s near a restaurant called The Lark that ’ s great . It has a sideline called the Lucky Penny that has flatbreads which is just a fancy way of saying pizza . You can order flatbreads and salads , and have it delivered to the tasting room at Fig Mountain . They ’ ve got kombucha on tap . I go there sometimes when I ’ m not drinking just because it ’ s great to have a kombucha , something that ’ s brewed and local . I like kombucha . It ’ s got the tiny amount of alcohol , but it ’ s so good to have something fermented . It ’ s fresh . It ’ s vital . It ’ s