LiV Vodka and Rich Stabile’s Potato Field of Dreams

Long Island’s original vodka is distilled from 100 percent potatoes.

When Rich Stabile’s family summered on Long Island’s East End in the 1970s, the North Fork’s wine industry was just taking shape. But, at an early age, Rich had his eye on another iconic agricultural product – the Long Island potato.

“I was always struck that there were all these potato fields and wondered, Why isn’t anyone making vodka out here?” Rich says. The question stayed in the back of his mind for years.

Fast forward to the summer of 2009. Rich is President of Long Island Spirits and we are talking in the company’s newly-opened tasting room, located in a majestic, refurbished antique barn in the community of Baiting Hollow. Long Island's only state-of-the-art distillery is housed on the ground floor. Visible from the back balcony is a sweeping panorama of one hundred acres of potato fields. And, the signature product sold by Long Island Spirits is LiV (rhymes with five) Vodka, distilled from 100 percent potatoes.

Rich Stabile is President of Long Island Spirits, which produces LiV Vodka.

According to Newsday, potatoes were once the dominant crop on Long Island. Records show that in 1945, there were 72,000 acres of potatoes in Nassau and Suffolk. But over time, suburban growth and unfavorable economics began to encroach. Many Long Island vineyards were actually planted on former potato fields, reviving a flagging agricultural economy. Farming has shifted to flowers and ornamental shrubs, yet even today, commodities like potatoes and duckling still retain a kind of legendary status on “the Island.”

The Long Island Spirits tasting room opened in May 2009.

Under Rich Stabile’s direction, Long Island Spirits is likely to spur a renaissance for the humble spud. He is genial and obviously passionate about his business.

“For me, the Long Island potato is such a unique commodity,” says Rich. “It’s one of the best potatoes available in the world, actually, and it’s got a perfect starch content to make vodka, so I wanted to take advantage of that.”

Long Island Spirits processes 25,000 pounds of potatoes each week.

Initially, he took a different path, working in electrical engineering, the semi-conductor industry and several start-up companies. As he traveled the world, he would visit wineries and distilleries for pleasure. The experiences stoked his entrepreneurial spirit.

“I was fascinated by distilleries because there’s year-round activity where, with a winery, there’s a flood of activity for eight weeks.”

He educated himself further, with classes at Cornell and additional training. “I really immersed myself in understanding spirits.” Soon, he’d assembled a formal business plan and partnered with a childhood friend, Dan Pollicino.

Of course, if you build it, they will come.

“We’re ecstatic with the response we’ve gotten from the market,” says Rich. Since its introduction last year, LiV is now distributed in six states with more anticipated. The vodka was named “Best in Class” at the NY Spirits Awards and was given a score of 92 by “Tasting Panel Magazine.”

Long Island Spirits is based in an exquisite renovated barn in Baiting Hollow, NY.

He walks me through the production area. There are huge sacks of tawny-skinned potatoes piled against the wall.

“We go through about 8000 pounds of potatoes a day,” he says. “It helps for sustainability out here and keeping an alternative market for potatoes.”

The potatoes are ground into a fine mash and heated with water and enzymes, which initiates the breakdown from starch to sugar. From the outset, the head distiller is always monitoring the mixture from a taste perspective. The mixture is then moved to a fermentation tank and cooled slightly.

“At that point we’ll add yeast, and that begins the process of turning the material into a potato wine, if you will. Up until this point, it’s very much the type of process you’d see in a winery.”

After several days, the mixture is transferred to the still. Rich points to two 650 liter copper stills with towers that reach to the roof of the barn.

“What makes us different is we have rectification columns, and this allows you to legally make vodka. You need to bring vodka up to over 95 percent alcohol before you can blend it down. So we do a triple distillation.”

The final bottling is completed by hand and the result is a truly unique product. “It’s got a different viscosity. Less than one percent of all vodkas are made from potatoes because it’s a much more expensive process,” he explains. “Eighty percent of a potato is water, so you’re starting out with much less of a starch-based element to begin your fermentation process.”

A bottle of LiV Vodka evokes the ocean off Long Island.

A bottle of LiV Vodka is distinctive – crisp, clean and elegant, adorned with a cool blue and white label.

“We wanted to be about what’s inside the bottle, plus we wanted to convey the image of Long Island being an island itself,” Rich explains. “So there’s actually a light blue and a dark blue transition, from the top to the bottom of the bottle, showing the depth of the ocean.”

And, if a young Rich Stabile took notice of the burgeoning Long Island wine industry, it may well have influenced his nuanced take on Long Island vodka.

“One of the first things you’ll notice that’s different is the "nose" on our vodka,” he tells me. “It has almost a citrus, floral scent to it, where a lot of other vodkas are almost ethanol. The other distinctive characteristic is the mouth feel. It’s got a buttery, almost creamy feel in the mouth. And, that viscosity is very evident. You have vanilla, anise, and some people taste banana. It’s got a very nice, soft finish with a very light burn.”

Long Islanders can be a tough audience, but they have welcomed LiV Vodka with enthusiasm. “They’re very proud that we have a world class vodka distillery here,” Rich says. “We’ve build such a strong, loyal following.”

That’s likely because Rich has created the quintessential local product. He’s managed to distill the essence of his life experiences, his talents and the agriculture and landscape of a region and capture it in a bottle of LiV Vodka. He says it’s a dream come true.

“I love getting up in the morning and coming here,” says Rich. “I love the beautiful aromas that come out of the distillery. It smells like mashed potatoes when we’re fermenting. Every day just seems to get better.”

Several signature cocktail recipes have been created using LiV Vodka and Rich says the “Hampton Classic Cocktail” evokes the essence of Long Island.

Hampton Classic Cocktail (used by permission from Long Island Spirits)

1.5 oz LiV Vodka
1.5 oz Cranberry Juice
2-3 mint leaves
½ tsp. sugar
1/3 lime

Preparation:

In a mixing glass, muddle mint, lime, and sugar. Combine with LiV Vodka and Cranberry Juice and shake with ice in a shaker. Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice, and finish with an orange peel.

Long Island Spirits is located at 2182 Sound Avenue, Baiting Hollow, NY 11933

©2009 T.W. Barritt all Rights Reserved

Foraging in Schoharie, New York and Wild Watercress Soup

Peter Pehrson dons a baseball cap, pulls on a pair of shiny black rubber boots and removes a recycled mesh potato sack from a storage cabinet. It is time to search for ingredients for dinner.

I am a complete neophyte when it comes to foraging. My innate hunter-gatherer skills consist of an aggressive “slam and shake” technique I’ve perfected when the M&Ms fail to fall out of the vending machine.

Almost anyone you meet in Peter’s community of Schoharie, New York will tell you that the area is known as the “bread basket of the American Revolution.” The soil is incredibly fertile and residents have taken great pride in what they grow for hundreds of years. The bounty of Schoharie is found, not only in the cultivated fields, but in its wild and natural places.

The place formerly known as Watercress Farm.

In literary archetype terms, Peter might be described as a wanderer or an explorer. He has lived in a tenant farmhouse on the property for three years - next to a coop of majestic Rhode Island Reds - and he seems to instinctively know the land and its resources, pointing out edible flora along the path as we walk. He leads me down a steep hill through tall grass to a crystal clear stream.

“This place was once called Watercress Farm," he tells me. He wades down into the stream, towards a lush island of vegetation. He works quickly, pulling out clumps of watercress leaves that have been nourished by the cold water. Soon the mesh bag is filled.

Peter Pehrson forages for wild watercress.

He pulls out a sprig and examines it. “Let’s make sure there are no frog eggs on this,” he says. Such are the hazards of foraging.

He offers me a bite of the watercress. The leaves have a sharp, peppery taste. The bag is bulging with greenery. Some is used to flavor a hot rice dish served at dinner that night. Once cooked, the watercress takes on a milder flavor. Some of the remaining watercress is packaged up in bags and sent home with me.

Wild watercress is quite perishable, so I work quickly. Back home in my kitchen, I cook up a large pot of Wild Watercress Soup, a brilliant emerald-green puree of watercress, potato and onion cooked in chicken broth. The soup tastes incredibly vibrant and alive, a bit like spinach and pepper, a bit like the valley of Schoharie. A good foundation recipe for watercress soup can be found here.

Peter has become a vocal advocate for local food and preserving the harvest in Schoharie. He and a dedicated group of individuals are working hard to establish a cooperative cannery in the area, where farmers and gardeners would bring their bulk produce and have it preserved in glass jars and cans. Their vision is to add value to the local economy, but also extend the life of Schoharie’s most prized resource – its locally grown produce.

Peter has done home canning for years and says that the process addresses a very basic human desire. “Everyone has a drive in them to provide for themselves,” he says. “I want enough in the winter, so that I can enjoy the summer in a jar.”

At one time, local canneries were far more common in communities. As more focus is placed on the importance of locally grown food, there is a national resurgence in home canning, and a number of local community groups are hoping to follow the lead of the team in Schoharie as they pursue their vision. You can learn more about the proposed Schoharie Co-op Cannery and their plans at their website.

©2009 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved

Three Years for Culinary Types

Once upon a time, there was food.

Food is the one narrative that connects us all. Culinary Types turns three-years-old today and it is my sincere hope that when you visit this place, you’ll encounter a tasty dish, an exceptional epicurean, an adventurous eater or a compelling chef, but most of all, a good story, seasoned just right.

To celebrate our third anniversary together, I present a tasting menu of my favorite “culinary types” from the past three years:

The Romance of Cake

Vintage Cookbooks

Summer Memories

Shopping for the Perfect Pantry Item

The Hand of Friendship, The Art of Breakfast

Heirloom Baking on Long Island

A Weekend in Cheese Boot Camp

Croissants in the French Countryside

Food & Storytelling in the Hudson Valley

A Spirited Business

Food on the Road

A Small Goat Dairy in the Heart of Long Island Wine Country

Ancestral Baking

A Kitchen Gadget Expert

The Master of Parmigiano-Reggiano

Escapade in Florence

Thanks for your support and thanks for reading!

©2009 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved

Snap, Crackle, Pop and a Restorative Broth with Soba Noodles

Restoration Farm is bursting with sweet, crisp sugar snap peas. What to do with the abundance of bright green crescents to highlight their snappy crunch that crackles with the excitement of early summer?

My solution is a broth of soba noodles and fresh summer vegetables – many from Restoration Farm - that is simmered just long enough to heat the broth without sacrificing the tantalizing crispness of those just-picked sugar snap peas that are destined to be a memory by the time the blazing summer heat arrives. Radishes add a dash of color, and slivers of fresh ginger add bite, and since the broth is barely heated, the vegetables retain their freshly picked goodness.

Broth of Soba Noodles and Snap Peas from Restoration Farm

1 handful of freshly-picked snap peas
1 garlic scape cut in slivers
3 medium radishes, sliced paper thin
1 small piece of ginger, cut in slivers
Several leaves of red lettuce, shredded
2 cups chicken broth
A dash of rice wine and a dash of soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook ¼ pack of soba noodles in boiling water about 6 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain.

Add the snap peas, garlic scapes, radish slices and ginger to the broth along with the rice wine and soy sauce. Heat until just simmering. Add the cooked soba noodles and add the lettuce last, stirring until just wilted.

©2009 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved

Street Sweets – Tailgating the Treats Truck

Sometimes, catching up with truck food is pure serendipity, like suddenly discovering an open parking space in Manhattan. Sometimes you are alerted to a truck’s “dining hours” on Twitter. And, sometimes you’re lucky to stumble upon a fleet of food trucks, parked in formation.

So it happens as Mad Me-Shell and I conclude our fine dining experience at Rickshaw Dumpling Truck. There, just “two doors” down, is the caloric-fueled Treats Truck. It’s slogan – “Not too fancy, always delicious.”

Now, if ever there were a food truck built to my personal specifications, the Treats Truck is it. Gleaming silver, with red and blue lettering - and resembling an old-fashioned bakery delivery truck - The Treats Truck is a euphoric sugar rush on wheels. In fact, the truck is named “Sugar.”

You’re probably wondering how two people can even contemplate treats when they have collectively consumed 18 dumplings and a side of noodles. It’s simple. Humans cannot live by dumplings alone. The American writer, Ernestine Ulmer perhaps put it most poetically – “Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.”

Ulmer is right. Life can be tough on the street, so thank God for the Treats Truck. A spoonful of sugar, and all that. We cue up, eyeing the treats in the bakery case window. Mad Me-Shell says she’s not hungry, but she’ll buy a treat for our colleague Zany who is slaving away at the office. Yeah, sure.

We take a moment to drool over the selection of retro and comforting treats, a sugared landscape of cookies, sprinkles and vanilla cream filling. We ask the attendant what her favorite treat is. She says she tends to go through phases, but recommends the Caramel Crème Sandwich, which is somewhat of a classic that helped establish the Treats Truck’s delectable reputation. We make our selections, which are carefully packed into clean white paper bags – just like a bakery, but you don’t have to take a number.

Throughout the afternoon we nosh on The Classic Crispy (which does actually go to Zany) and a Chocolate Chipper …

And, a Caramel Crème Sandwich, Chocolate Sandwich Cookie and Peanut Butter Sandwich with Raspberry Jam Filling …

I split up the cookies so we can do a sampling. My assistant refuses - she’s got dinner plans. But, within seconds she is in my office and we are sharing the silky and luscious Chocolate Sandwich Cookie. As, for Mad Me-Shell and her efforts to abstain – all I can say is, no willpower. How could one resist the brown sugar goodness of the caramel crème, or the delicate crumb of the plump peanut butter sandwich?

Talk about a sweet drive by!

©2009 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved

Chasing Truck Food – Rickshaw Dumpling Truck

The fascination with truck food has reached a fevered obsession. I hear rumors of a “dumpling truck” on the streets of Manhattan and immediately head for Mad Me-Shell’s office.

“We must find this mythical dumpling truck!” I insist, like some kind of addict seeking a fix.

A few quick taps on her keyboard and Mad Me-Shell produces the answer – Rickshaw Dumpling Truck at 45th Street and 6th Avenue. Their slogan – “We believe that dumplings taste better in the street.”

“How did people eat before the Internet?” muses Mad Me-Shell.

We all but sprint down 6th Avenue. During our speed walk, we have some time to reflect on the virtues of truck food. What about it, exactly, has so completely consumed us? And, why don’t we get the same kind of rush from a street cart vendor, of which there are hundreds in Manhattan?

Mad answers unequivocally. “I don’t eat street meat.”

Growing up in the suburbs, food wasn’t mobile. It came from the kitchen. Perhaps the appeal of truck food is the inherent mystery of a sparkling vehicle that magically appears on a street corner bearing food. Maybe it’s the artisanal quality of the food, made on the premises. Or, maybe it’s the low overhead, affordable prices and no need for a reservation. After all, there’s always a table available on 6th Avenue.

We turn the corner of 45th Street, and there stands the mystical, raspberry-colored Rickshaw Dumpling Truck, opened for business. It’s like encountering Shangri-La in the mist for the very first time. There are probably 20 or more smartly dressed urban professionals in line and we cue up behind them. A chalk board lists the specials of the day, and there’s a nice shade tree protecting us from the harmful rays of the sun.

Here, I must note that Rickshaw Dumpling Bar has a bricks and mortar location in the Flatiron district. The truck is kind of a mobile brand extension, for those of us who are too lazy to hop a subway downtown. If you’re not already starving, check out their website for key moments in dumpling history.

I order their signature menu item - Classic Pork & Chinese Chive Dumplings with cabbage, ginger, scallion and soy-sesame dipping sauce, as well as a side of Chili Sesame Noodle Salad. You get six hot dumplings in one of those smart white cardboard takeout boxes. Mad Me-Shell goes for broke and requests both an order of Classic Pork as well as Chicken & Thai Basil with spicy peanut dipping sauce. The whole order is wrapped up in spiffy brown paper tote bags – all the accoutrements of takeout, but with instant gratification.

We take a seat under some nearby trees. Mad offers me a taste of the Chicken & Thai. The dumplings are succulent and the peanut sauce has a smooth and spicy kick.

Mad is indeed “chopstick proficient.” I am a klutz (maybe it’s all those people on the street staring at me), but within due time I develop a “stab and lift” technique that manages to get the dumplings into my mouth.

At this point, I completely forget my table manners. “Are you sure you have room for 12 dumplings?” I ask Mad Me-Shell.

A slight chill engulfs 45th Street.

“Uh, that would be ELEVEN dumplings,” she points out, indignantly. “You ate one of mine.”

I decide to focus on my Chili Sesame Noodle Salad.

My alfresco faux pas aside, we agree that the pork dumplings are indeed a classic. And, the Chicken & Thai Basil is nothing short of high cuisine. You can see the steam rising off the plump, glossy, pillows. The dumplings are fresher, hotter, more tender and flavorful than anything I’ve consumed in a restaurant. With truck food, consumption is almost instantaneous. Your entrée never idles on a warming tray, waiting to be delivered to the table.

Clean-up is a breeze. Everything goes back into the brown paper bag and dropped in a nearby trash can. And, no haggling over the tip. The hike back to the office is helpful in suppressing any potential for a dumpling coma, so we’ve had an outstanding meal, and a little exercise.

Who needs full-service dining, anyway?

©2009 T.W. Barritt all Rights Reserved

To the Waffle Mobile, Boy Wonder!

I spot the gleaming, canary-yellow truck returning to the office from lunch one day. There sits the renowned Waffle Mobile - right in my own neighborhood. I thought it was nothing but an urban legend.

The very sight makes my pulse race. The Good Humor truck and the Book Mobile feel like prehistoric symbols of transportable goods and services. This 1968 Chevy Box truck is the real deal, bringing authentic Belgian waffles and dinges to neighborhoods all over Manhattan. Founder Thomas Degeest calls himself “Special Envoy for Wafels” with the Belgian Ministry of Culinary Affairs. The truck serves two kinds of authentic Belgian waffles. Dinges is Flemish slang for “whatchamacallits” and refers to the range of waffle toppings available.

I return to my somewhat beige office, but thoughts of the brilliantly-colored Waffle Mobile persist. It rapidly becomes an obsession, so I look for accomplices for a lunchtime expedition. I enlist Zany and Mad Me-Shell, my partners in culinary crime. "We have to go!" says Mad Me-Shell, in her typical “point-me-in-the-direction-of-the-grub attitude. Zany is more reticent. “Aren't waffles for breakfast?” she asks. We first try to explain that waffles are truly appropriate for any meal of the day, and mention the classic combination of Chicken and Waffles. Zany is horrified. This is going to take a little time...

We finally convince her not to waffle and she signs on for the excursion. On the way to lunch our colleague “Marie Antoinette” decides to tag along. It takes her a couple of minutes to tune into truck food etiquette. “Do they take credit cards?" she asks. We are now a quartet of Wafflites in search of sustenance...

We approach the vehicle. “It smells like breakfast,” Zany points out. A helpful young man in a white apron is on duty at the griddle. He smiles down at us from the window, spatula in hand, eyes wide with waffle wonder. I ask if he is the Waffle King, himself. He demurs. He is but a “Waffle King surrogate,” more of a “Waffle Nobleman.” His name is Aimar, and he graciously helps us navigate the wonderful world of waffles. There is the Brussels Wafel – the “mother of all wafels" – which is light and crispy and first served at the 1964 World’s Fair. Then there’s the Liege Wafel, which is soft and chewy. Scanning the menu board, I suspect that the truly authentic spelling of “waffle” drops one “f.” It certainly looks more authentic …

Mad Me-Shell starts with a Mini-Wafelini appetizer …

I order a sweet option - a Brussels Wafel with Strawberries, Banana and Maple Syrup …

Mad Me-Shell goes all bold and savory for her main course – a Brussels Waffle topped with a generous helping of spicy barbeque, cole slaw and a pickled cucumber. Aimar tells us the entrée is so daring it isn’t even on the menu:

Zany gets into an extended conversation with Aimar, quizzing him on the various options for dinges. She finally leaves the truck window carrying an order of Liege Waffle with Nutella, strawberries and bananas. She has made a new friend. “We’re on a first name basis,” she says. “He knows my name is Zany and I call him Waffle Man.”

We adjourn to a nearby public space to stuff our faces. Make that, “dine.” My waffle has a crisp golden exterior and a light and luscious interior. Zany has gone into a pleasant sugar shock with all that Nutella but try as she might, she is having trouble getting out of her three-meals-a-day mindset. “I feel like a little kid, like I shouldn’t be eating this for lunch,” she says. She is also a little perturbed by Mad’s barbecue selection. It just doesn’t feel right to her.

Yet, Mad Me-Shell is having a culinary epiphany, praising her barbeque entrée. She is worshiping the merger of “tart cole slaw, sweet waffle, and spicy meat.” I take a taste and immediately decide to head back to the truck for a second sitting. Aimar sees me coming and smiles. “Don’t be bashful,” he tells me.

Marie Antoinette joins me in an order of barbecue. Always health-minded, she points out that we have enjoyed a very balanced lunch that includes all the major food groups – grains and breads, fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy, and meats. Mom would be so happy to hear that.

We can’t wait for the Waffle Man’s next visit. He has brought a ray of electric-yellow sunshine into our ordinary lives. And, now, we're preoccupied with chasing truck food. We have gleefully discovered there are any number of large vehicles zigzagging across Manhattan and doling out all types of tasty morsels of food. So, the quest continues, but occasionally I'm having these strange urges to crack open an ice cold can of 10W-30 with lunch...

©2009 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved