Small Business in a Down Economy
While maybe a little off topic, we are, nonetheless, a business. And like many other small businesses across the country, we are watching the economic “crisis” tentatively. We, unfortunately, can’t know the future. Even in good times, events can turn against any individual business. I, for one, tend toward optimism.

For now, our business continues to grow, but nothing can be taken for granted. This is a good opportunity for small businesses to refocus on their core products or services. In good times, it can be tempting to go far a field of one’s core business. Lean times require using employees wisely, talking with employees about economic realities, spending carefully and making sure you are in a stable position when the rebound begins.

I have found that the talk of the economic downturn has made us even more conscientious of the customers we have. It has made us more conscientious of waste. These efforts have to be taken on by each employee. I am fortunate to work with wonderful people, and when they understand that they are not being left out of the equation, they are willing to step up to the plate. That is an advantage that small businesses very much need to keep in mind. Our employees tend to be closer to family than employees, and in harder times, families need to pull together.

My aunt Georgia recently completed a memoir detailing her memories of our family history, a story including peace and war, prosperity and depression, life and death. One continuing thread was the strength and steady hand of my grandmother. Always working, always teaching, always going about the business of maintaining a household. As with much in life, our happiness, our prosperity, and our state of mind are in our own hands. Through good and bad, the family worked together, grew and took care of there own. These are lessons that every family and every small business should heed. For our part, here at Artisan Kitchen, we are continuing to work together, learn from one another, teach one another, and focus on the core of our business- the best food we know how to create.

For the Beginner
While people who don’t cook are great for business, they are truly missing an opportunity to participate in an activity that can be quite enjoyable, satisfying and even relaxing.
The first step is to stop treating it as another chore and start viewing it as an opportunity for personal and family growth.
Second, Start simple. Make a side dish to go with a meal you’ve purchased. If you start with a seven course meal, you are dooming yourself to failure. And while “from scratch” is an admirable desire, if you are a true beginner, buy the items that require more experience to create. You’ll save yourself frustration while building your confidence and spurring creative ideas for future projects.
Finally, take a class. WKCTC offers the A La Carte cooking series that consists of one and two night classes consisting of some demonstration classes and some hands-on classes. These offer a great opportunity to ask question and learn. Karla and I have several scheduled.


Fun First Projects
Personalize store bought items.
Marinara is a great place to start. Buy a tomato sauce you like and make some additions. Add chopped pepperoncini to spice it up. Roasted garlic is great addition. Cut the top third off of a whole garlic bulb, drizzle it with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast it for about an hour to an hour and a half until it is soft and the consistency of room temperature butter. You can add this to the marinara or spread it on toasted French bread.
Saute some portabella mushroom with olive oil, a little butter, salt and pepper and add this to the marinara. Go a little further and sauté some fresh green beans, squash and zucchini or even some fresh cut corn. Add this for a great vegetarian dish or and interesting side.

Food Trends
Fresh and local is here to stay. It just makes sense. The fresher the food, the better it is for you, the less energy it takes to get it to market and it supports the local economy. I know this is all old information. So what is new? The fact that we need to finally practice what we already know is right! Farmers’ Markets are springing up in nearly every community. A directory of Kentucky Farmers’ Markets can be found online at www.kyagr.com/marketing/farmmarket/directory.htm. A list for Southern Illinois can be found at www.agfun.com/southern_farmersmarkets.html.
Local governments often sponsors educational programs to spur interest. The McCracken County Health Department coordinates cooking demonstrations at the Farmer’s Market in downtown Paducah. Karla and I will also be doing a class this summer offering great recipes with fresh items from Paducah's Farmer's Market.



Container and Landscape Gardens
You already have pots of flowers and beds around your house for landscaping. Why not fill at least some with vegetables and Herbs? Vegetable plants and herbs can be beautiful and provide you with fresh goodies to eat.
Obvious plants to start with are basil and tomatoes. They will provide you with two things that go great together without even having to light your stove. And both work great in containers. There are beautiful heirloom varieties of tomatoes that will give your plate more interest. Basil is also available in a many varieties. There is a Purple basil whose leaves are a deep purple, and a Thai basil that has a more narrow green leaf that flowers in a deep purple. Others vary in flavor, some with hints of cinnamon and lemon.
Another plant that works great for landscaping is broccoli. These plants get up to two feet in diameter with large leathery leaves and, of course, a large center head of broccoli. Planted with a pretty purple kale (yes you can and should eat it), these two plants can make a lovely display that will satisfy both early and late in the season.
Dill is another great choice. It will get tall and whispy with a lovely burst of yellow flowers that resemble fireworks caught in mid burst. Plant the dill with zinnias and you have the makings for a butterfly garden. Swallowtails, in particular, love dill. You will loose some to the caterpillars, but my experience is that there is plenty to share.
Eggplant is another beautiful plant. It has leaves that resemble Pin Oak leaves but thicker and with a velvety white underbelly. And, of course, beautiful fruit that can come in a variety of incarnations.



While They’re Young
Your teenager may no give you the time of day, but if you have younger children, chances are they may not view helping in the kitchen as work yet. When I was young I loved to help. I don’t remember it as work at all. I didn’t necessarily do that much, but I learned a lot in the process. Things like burners are hot and knives are sharp. I also learned to boil water, stir macaroni and cheese, and mash potatoes. These were small educational victories, but it made for good parent-son time and eventually resulted in a career. There were also less obvious things I began to learn indirectly. Math is prevalent in cooking. Ingredients are constantly being measured, divided and multiplied. Recipes are a great tool for reading. The words and sentences are usually simple and you have an activity and items with which to tie their meaning.