While fast food may be cheap and convenient, it can never beat the flavor, quality, and experience of slow food. Joel’s Place recently had the honor of hosting an exquisite and educational Slow Food event for the NextGen Organization of Women Corporate Directors (NOWCD). Our attendees supped on beautiful dishes alongside an enlightening talk by guest speakers Chit Juan and Beth Romualdez, who delved into the importance of Slow Food and the Ark of Taste.
Developed in Italy in response to the rise of fast food, the Slow Food movement aims to preserve local food cultures and traditions; it believes in growing and buying ingredients locally, preparing food with care, and eating with appreciation for a meal made with love across seasons of labor and generations of tradition.
Another important topic discussed was the Ark of Taste: a range of small-scale quality products threatened by industrial agriculture, environmental degradation, and homogenization; and a program focused on preserving the edible biodiversity of our planet. These products are incredibly valuable to human health, our planet, and our ecosystems, and yet are at risk of extinction.
While guests immerse themselves in these topics, Joel’s Place served a superb Slow Food menu to truly emphasize the unparalleled quality of food made with care and intention.
Guests were first served with two choices of leafy green dishes: Pakô Salad, which is fiddlehead fern, salted egg whites, and succulent cherry tomatoes, drizzled over with a salted egg yolk dressing; and Farro Salad, a hearty dish of ancient grains cooked with a brunoise of zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, and onions, tossed in a lemon vinaigrette dressing. The bright and clear Stars Brut Nature Reserva 2020 made a perfect complement to the clean flavors of these starters.
As part of the main course, Joel’s Place gave a nod to Slow Food’s Italian roots with the Creamy Risotto with Guanciale Bits. Luxurious and indulgent, it combines the rich flavors of Italian cured pork with the creamy texture of a classic risotto, expertly flavored with white wine. Rounding off the main course were skewers made with grilled Secreto, a prized cut of Iberian pork, simply yet tastefully seasoned with pepper, Tibuok Salt, and Sugpo Asin. Glasses of Zenato Rose San Benette 2020 went around, adding to the richness of this spread with its red fruit notes.
The event ended on a sweet yet zesty note with a slice of Calamansi Tart. This light and tangy pastry, topped with candied calamansi peels, paired beautifully with Moselland Clean Slate Riesling 2021 in their subtle sweetness and refreshing citrus likeness.
Joel’s Place constantly strives to honor food culture and traditions in the exceptional cuisines we carry, our gastronomic celebrations, down to our daily craft in the kitchen. Learn and experience more culinary wonders in our following events. Subscribe to our newsletter, The List, to stay updated on our next delicious adventure.
