Foodiacs [foo-dee-aks]-noun Slang. Definition: Those who are overly zealous and enthusiastic about eating, cooking, and fine dining.
Foodiacs.com is the gathering place for the passionate eaters of the world. We are dedicated to connecting our members with gourmet food artisans and culinary tools and experiences. These are the game-changers of the food industry. We feature one food artisan or company at a time, allowing us to highlight the story behind the product, the company, and its creator. From each food artisan, we will have one exclusive item available only for the Foodiacs community, such as gourmet goodies, high-quality kitchen tools and cookware, and even elite culinary tours and classes.
I still remember the first food that ever transformed me into a “Foodiac” as it were. That bowl of mussels steaming in a hot lemon wine sauce with artisan bread for dipping took my palate from its comfort zone of Midwestern home cooking to flavors and textures I never knew existed. Since that day a decade ago I have grown quite passionate about food and am more open to diverse flavors, textures and cultural plates. There is a whole culinary world out there that you don’t have to pay a fortune or travel to enjoy; Foodiacs let’s you bring it all home.
I was offered to try one of the products Foodiacs has currently in their store, The Back to the Roots, a grow-it-yourself box garden of pearl oyster mushrooms. Pearl Oyster Mushrooms are great for pastas, sauces, steaks, fried-up or tossed in a salad. They have a taste resembling oysters so they give a great rich flavor to meat . These are really good and to be able to make them at home is incredible! They’re pricey if you are looking to purchase them in ounces so I loved the idea that I could make these delicious silky mushrooms right in my kitchen.
The story of Back to the Roots is amazing. It started in 2009 when Nikhil Arora & Alejandro Velez were just about to complete their last semester at UC Berkeley. A professor mentioned in class that gourmet mushrooms could grow entirely on recycled coffee grounds and instead of going off into the jobs that awaited them in the corporate world, they began experimenting in the kitchen, after awhile they started gaining interest from Whole Foods & Chez Panisse and with the help of a small grant from the UC Berkeley Chancellor for social innovation, they became full-time urban mushroom farmers.
Nikhil Arora & Alejandro Velez have a working relationship with Peet’s Coffee & Tea to collect & reuse their used coffee grounds, which they are close to diverting & reusing 1 million pounds of coffee grounds this year. They have also begun collecting the waste from Hodo Soy (spent tofu / okara waste), Linden Street Brewery (spent grains & hops), and Numi Tea (expired Tea Leaves). When Back to the Roots is done with the recycled coffee grounds they package it with the remaining mushroom compost and create a blend they can sell as a Premium Soil Amendment. By doing this they are saving an incredible amount of waste that would have just went to a landfill and instead is making gourmet, delicious food at home and at schools across the country.
Their Efforts Today
- On pace in 2011 to collect, divert and reuse 1 million lbs of coffee grounds this year from Peet’s Coffee & Tea
- Help families grow over 250,000lbs of fresh food at home in 2011!
- Sustained 10 urban school & community gardens by donating BTTRs premium soil amendment
- Selling our kits at over 300 Whole Foods nationwide
This is one company out of the many that Foodiacs will be and has featured in their store. They’re passionate about where a company comes from, their story and what you as dedicated Foodiac members would enjoy. I was incredibly impressed with Back to the Roots and honored that Foodiacs gave me the chance to see first hand how amazing the product was. And just so you know, they are incredibly delicious and on a Good Grub coming soon I will be using them in a delicious recipe! So if you want to get a head start you can pick up your Back to the Roots and start growing!
And don’t forget to go read about Teaspoon Willies and Sallies Greatest Fig Jams! Join the Mailing List so you don’t miss out on upcoming Events!
Connect –
You can Connect with Foodiacs on their Facebook Page and @Foodiacs on Twitter. You can also join their Newsletter to keep up with Events.
You can connect with Back to the Roots on Facebook and at @BTTRVentures on Twitter.
Buy It –
You can Purchase the Back to the Roots Mushroom Kit on Foodiacs for $40.00.
I was given samples for the purpose of reviewing. My opinions are my own or my families and are not influenced by any form of compensation. Take it or Leave it.
