Julian Crews: Bean Quest: October 2010 Archives

(Chicago, IL)  It's the land of the titans in the food industry.  And sometimes I feel like David without the slingshot.  How do you compete with the multi-billion-dollar food giants?  That's the question I ask myself most everyday, as we steer the fledgling family enterprise through the shark-infested waters of the food business.  What possessed me to dive into the specialty food business?  What does it take to compel a person to make the leap?  Fighting a battle with insurmountable odds?  Guess it's a lot of things.  But it begins with a moment of inspiration.  

It was 1999 when I had that "eureka' moment.  Interestingly enough, we were in Havana, Cuba, traveling with then Illinois Governor George Ryan.  A delegation of the top business leaders in the state were on a humanitarian mission to the island's capital city.  But no one made a secret of the main objective to foster relations with the Cuban government to boost future business prospects, when relations are normalized between the US and Cuba. 

Eating lunch with the delegation at a fancy tourist district restaurant, the moment arrived for the frijoles negros, or black beans and rice.  This popular island delicacy is a popular staple in Cuban cuisine.  The waiters brought the beans out with great pomp and ceremony.  Frijoles negros recipes are jealously guarded.  And the restaurant clearly had a lot of pride in what they assured us would be "the best black beans you've ever tasted."

But when I sampled the dish, my immediate reaction was, "this doesn't even come close to my secret family recipe," passed down from generation to generation by my Cuban ancestors.  And that's how it began.  I realized at that very moment that we (my family) had something very special in our artisan Cuban recipes.    

When I returned to Chicago, I slowly started toying with the idea of marketing the old family recipe.  In between the demands of raising a young family, I found spare time to research the market.  And over the course of many years, I talked to industry professionals to learn about the process of marketing a food product.  And the plan slowly started to come together.

So word to the wise if you're thinking about bottling an old family recipe?  It'll take you some time to do the homework, research the market and hatch your plan.  

And when you venture out among the giants, remember to bring your slingshot.        

(Chicago, IL)  Not everybody's happy about it, but Mike Quade is the new Cubs skipper.  A little known fact is the long-time minor league manager and coach is an Evanston native. 

A lot of folks wanted to see hall-of-famer Rynne Sandburg get the job.  But new Cubs owner Tom Ricketts and General Manager Ed Hendry elected to go in another direction.  

Want to learn more about the Cubs new manager?  Check out this bio on the hard-working Cubs boss.

(Glencoe, IL)  Chicago's North Shore will never be the same.  The Cubans are coming!    Starting this weekend, we're serving up our famous Black Bean Chili Cubano at the Grand Food Center in Glencoe.  In case you're keeping track, this is the second Chicago-area store to carry my Old Havana Foods.    

If you shop at the Grand (Glencoe or Winnetka), don't be surprised to see yours truly serving up samples.  We're showing you ways to cook up delcious, all natural Cuban food that's ready in minutes.  Hope to see you there.  Buen provecho!                        

(Chicago) The Citizens Utility Board says a new study suggests that Ilinois cell phone are  overpaying on their bills.   Problems like bloated minute plans and errors on your bill could be costing Illinois consumers close to $1 Billion dollars a year. 

How can you shave money off your bill?  Pre-paid calling plans are more flexible and remove the fear of overage charges.  Another thing is stop calling directory assistance.  There are FREE assistance numbers you can call, according to CUB.  Try using 1-800-Info-Fast.  Or 1-800-FREE-411.

You can call the Citizens Utility Board at 1-800-669-5556 if you have questions, or log-on to their website at www.CitizensUtilityBoard.org

(Chicago)  Love him or hate him, there was no denying the stir Rahm Emmanuel created in the South Loop Monday morning.  Arriving an hour earlier than scheduled, the former White House Chief of Staff plunged into the crowd and it wasn't long before he was engulfed by a swarm of apparent admirers, reporters and a battalion of news photographers.  

He grabbed people coming off the train, bus or joggers running by ... shaking hands ... patting them on the shoulder.  And the energy level was undeniable.  His critics might argue that it's a dark energy - with Emmanuel's well-documented propensity for strong-arm politics.  

No matter how you feel about him, it seems to me any objective person on the scene would acknowledge the enthusiam on the street (at least at Roosevelt and State).  And it was a response that seemed to cross racial and economic lines.  One by one, Black, Hispanic, White or Asian - people from every walk of life told us they're ready to vote for the former congressman.     

One reporter from CBS told me, "it's almost like a rock-star kind of feeling.  It's crazy."   Having been around Bono (and Obama in those heady days when supporters lined up a half-mile long at 5 in the morning for a Hyde Park book signing), I've got to say that the enthusiasm-level was palpable.  Call it charisma, call it star quality or perhaps it's a measure of desperation.  People are worried about the future - worried about jobs and the city's economic future.  When times are scary people look for someone with confidence.  And perhaps that's the gravitational pull to the hyper-confident Rahn Emmanuel.             

(Winnetka, IL)  In the place where they shot the famous "Home Alone" movie, people are experiencing my savory Cuban black beans.  Can you believe it?  Cuban food in Winnetka!  For many food lovers we met over the weekend, it's a new culinary adventure.  But people seemed to enjoy it.  We talked about recipes and how to prepare classic Cuban dishes.  Aye caramaba!  I've got to say it was a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon.      

Our North Shore culinary exchange was part of a Hispanic Heritage month celebration.  We introduced shoppers to Old Havana Foods.  We're on the shelf at the Grand Food Center on Green Bay road.  It was great to meet folks in the Deli section.  My family and I enjoyed talking to people about recipes and Cuba.  We took pictures, talked Bears and enjoyed tasty  samples.  Thanks to everyone for making us feel so welcome!    And "buen provecho to my new friends in Winnetka!"