Sunday, June 17, 2012

Meet Your Makers: Mina Kolahi of Grace & I




Grace&I was established by Mina & her business partner, true foodies at heart devoted to sharing extraordinary gourmet products handcrafted to perfection in small batches. They love to create new exciting, enticing, and delightful products for other fellow foodies.

Tell us about your product/company/service.
True culinary Artisans devoted to small batch originals. Our distinct touch is infused in creating extraordinary collections of Fruit+Nut Press boards, Turshi Condiments, and Seasonal Preserves; all of which are made with predominately locally-sourced ingredients and our promise to sharing naturally-healthy gourmet foods. We are committed to maintaining our mark of sophistication and exclusivity. Similarly, we have incorporated high standards as a business with Green Certification and dedicated supporters of Local Farms+Markets and those raising awareness about living well & eating organic.

I am most proud of our dedication to create, our excitement to share, and our genuine promise to excellence, both in product and in service. I love the mixing of historical tradition+innovative passion together to create outside-the-box unique products. The best part is sharing them with others, followed by a smile and "Ooh WoW, Ooh that was Awesome! You got to try this." And again shared with others.


What do you hope to accomplish through providing quality products?
A lasting memory. A connection.


Do you personally know the farmers that produce your products?
We know most of the local farmers and/or farms where we select our produce from, some of which we hand select the fruit ourselves! One of the growers we work with from the Santa Monica Farmer's Market is Scott Farms from Tulare, CA (Organic varieties of plums for our Plum+Barberry Turshi, Organic Plum Preserve, and we dehydrate slices of the plums for the Fruit+Nut Press). Another is Peacock Farms -Peppers and Mixed Baby Eggplants for our Roasted Eggplant Turshi and products that have peppers. We also use organic carrots, celery, cauliflower, and herbs from local growers at Jaime Farms of Ontario, CA. Organic apples from Fair Hills Farm of Santa Ynez. Organic figs based on what we can find from Garcia Organic Farm in Fallbrook, CA. Several fruits are not native to the United States and are not grown locally yet, we always do our best to source the best and freshest selection.


Is there anyone else on your “team”?
The golden touch of my mother, the meticulous detail of our devoted Artisan, the innovative hands of our Le Cordon Bleu chef, and growing team of highly skilled crew.


How often do you come out with new products? Are you working on anything new?
Creating new products comes through inspiration, through an experience that sparks a dedication. We are excitedly working on a new Fruit+Nut Press Collection which we can't wait to debut in 2013.....it's totally awesome!


How did you get into this “line of business”?
Food has always been, is, and always will be a central part of our family.

What did you do before this
Designing men's clothing.


What was the spark that led you to working with food?
It was in a single moment. A moment when I felt the incredible potential of creativity, the underlying presence of tradition, and the sweetness of sharing it with others, all at the same time.

Where do you find the inspiration for the products/flavors you select for your portfolio?
My mother. She has a golden touch like none other. She has taught me every taste I have known since birth. There are certain moments, certain aromatic foods and particular flavors that bring memories of home, of laughter, of love, of grace.

What do you see as the biggest benefit (s) you offer to your retailers and consumers?
Truth. The beauty and uniqueness of what you see is truly what you experience when eaten or shared with others.

Of all the millions of food products you could have specialized in, why these?
Because each is truly a work of art. Handcrafted to perfection. Each uniquely memorable when shared and unforgettable when experienced.


Sunday, June 3, 2012

Meet Your Makers: Quince & Apple Preserves




Quince and Apple makes small-batch artisan preserves and have recently released a new line of craft cocktail syrups. The preserves are meant to pair with cheese and other foods, so they’re not too sweet and usually have a savory element. The tart cherry grenadine syrup is delicious in cocktails and drinks. They balance tart and sweet and are a great companion to all sorts of quality spirits.



Who is on your “team”?


Until about 9 months ago, Quince and Apple had just been Clare, my wife and business partner, and me (Matt). We did everything from mopping the floors to balancing the books. But now we have 3 awesome employees, two in the kitchen and one in the warehouse. It’s been a transition, but it’s fun to have other people on the team.



How often do you come out with new products? Are you working on anything new?


New products come out as they’re ready. We are very careful only to release preserves that we feel are perfect. This means we spend a lot of time tweaking and adjusting our recipes before we’re totally happy with them, but the results are worth it! We just launched a new line of craft cocktails syrups with the debut of our first flavor, Tart Cherry Grenadine. Look for more syrup flavors in the coming months!



What did you want to do as a kid, "when you grew up"?


I wanted to be a chemist, actually. That was until I discovered in school that it involved a lot more math and chemistry knowledge than I wanted to learn. But, looking back, I think being a chef was really the right fit for me, I just didn’t know I could mess around with food instead of lab experiments! Clare wanted to be an entrepreneur. She was always starting businesses with her childhood best friend, like a summer camp for neighborhood kids. We’re the perfect match!



Of all the millions of food products you could have specialized in, why these?


I grew up making preserves. I was born in Evanston, actually, and the house we lived in had currant bushes in the back yard. Every summer we would pick the currants and make currant jam. And then, in college I studied abroad in London for a semester and discovered that they serve preserves with all sorts of savory dishes, as well as with the traditional toast and pastries. I was hooked and that’s why we make preserves that are both excellent with breakfast and a cheese tray. Making syrups was a natural extension, because they’re very similar to preserves. Plus, people are doing very cool things with craft cocktails these days, so it’s fun to be a part of that creative scene.



What is your favorite part of this job?


I love working with my hands everyday. It gives me a real sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. I also really enjoy coming up with new combinations of flavors to work into preserves. The experimentation, trial and error and constant tinkering I get to do when working on new products is so much fun. Most importantly, Clare and I love working together. It’s so satisfying for us both to contribute our different skills and build something cool that really represents who we are!