Food critic Orson Owelles on Sherpas and why you clean your plate: 'Because it's there.' Photo of Orson Owelles and risotto by Joe the Cat. Editors note: We're thick with owls and vowels this year. It was one of our resolutions for 2008: get a food critic, and make it an owl. Not only do they know their grub, they can usually be relied upon to try something different. Orson Owelles is of the Screech persuasion and lives in the vicinity of our Druid Tree. "Owl, wise and old, seeks good food." That's my credo. I'm a raptor and I know good grub. The freshness, taste, value and communal nature of a dish or a meal are on my radar. Alton Brown? We've met. Bright guy. Brownies? Cakey, please. Small Vermin? Over here! Catchy food writing plus good risotto? I've found some of that in Tampa. The Culinary Sherpas, Greg and Michelle Baker, write a food column for a nearbylargemetropolitandaily and they also run a personal chef service. They're Sherpas who blog and carry tales. Is that a Tibetan thing? Last week I flew over to that nearbylargemetropolitandaily and sampled some of their work. The Sherpas were nice enough to invite a few Flavorites to lunch, their treat, and I tagged along.
They served up risotto with mascarpone, peas and cracklin' with lavender-infused salt. My wings spread in silent applause. And then, and then ... the killer: braised chicken with carrots, onions, celery, porcini mushrooms, fennel, white wine and fresh thyme. The sauce was a reduction of the braising liquid and just a tad wicked.
That chicken was falling-off-the-bone tender. And you have to know, I love things that fall off bones.
I liked the Sherpas. They didn't bat an eye when I popped up. Not everyone is so understanding of owls at lunchtime. They expect us to appear at night, for some reason. Owls eat lunch, too.
You can find the Sherpas at their web site, Culinarysherpas.com . Note that they have a dog and a cat.
I like them even more for that.
--Orson Owelles, wise old food critic, Mr. Doodles Dog
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