Editor’s Note: Jeanne Hodesh, Edible Manhattan’s editorial assistant, also runs the fantastic weekly food newsletter and event round-up called Local Gourmands. We like getting her letters so much, we asked if we could share them here going forward. Be sure to check out her list of upcoming events after the letter–they’re also on our calendar to the right–and if you’d like to sign up to get these in your in-box, go to localgourmands.com.

Dear Local Gourmands,

The line stretched to the back of the bar at K&M on Saturday for the BK Farmyards Pie Cook-off cum fundraiser.  Bakers from around the borough toted homemade masterpieces draped gingerly with dish clothes, protected by vintage cake carriers, nestled into nifty wire travel racks. I’d woken up thinking about pie and hadn’t stopped for ten hours straight– the end result was an improvised creation I called the Happy Hour Pie– apples drunk with a honey/whisky/butter glaze over a layer of goat cheese. Pie, as it turns out, makes a terrific bar snack.

My roommate made a killer pear and cardamom pie, my friend Noah carefully crafted a pie of chocolate and sweet potato swirled together. The watering hole that was once a pierogi plant was packed to the hilt, bloggers video taped themselves as they got on line to submit their entries, documentary makers filmed the event organizers as they counted  wads of cash from the supporters/eaters that streamed through the door.

The crowd tried to play it off like this was just for fun, but an intense undercurrent of competition was palpable. Ten hours, two Greenmarkets, a call to my mother, and an afternoon cocktail to calm me down had gone into my pie alone.  Sixty-two similar stories showed up–all bakers who have made their way (along with their recipes) to Brooklyn from hometowns around the country.  Variations on Southern cream pies, Midwestern summer berry pies, blue ribbon county fair pies were lined up for thoughtful inspection.

As we waited for the judges to do their jobs, stories of grandmothers and Thanksgivings past filled the room.  The music blared, the beer flowed freely, and eventually the crowd dove in.  I’m sorry if you missed it–the results were tremendous. Best of all, BK Farmyards, the folks who brought us together, raised some serious dough, and I’m not talking about crust. The organization that aims to bring communities together by creating  farms out of urban spaces push an educational agenda that includes eating seasonally, growing food locally, storing and preparing food, species biodiversity, and food democracy: “We aim to build a local food network that enhances the health of our culture, our people, and our environment.” You can still donate funds to help out with the creation of their 1-acre farm at the High School for Public Service that’ll be coming up this spring.

All best,

Jeanne

Tickets, $40

Edible Manhattan and Brooklyn hosts their first annual cocktail party at Almond restaurant on 22nd St. Six local restaurants will pair food with six cocktails, including one made with the amazing local Tuthilltown hooch, another created with Rhum J.M. from Martinique, a beery quaff made with Heartland Brewery’s new keg series, a grapey mixer with Wolffer Estate Vineyards verjus, a concoction mixed with Dallis Coffee elixir, and more. Space is limited, so purchase tix now.  Enter the code “cocktail” and the hosts will include a one-year subscription to Edible Manhattan for free.

Tuesday, January 26, 6-9

155 Varick St.

The local chapter of Slow Food celebrates it’s first monthly cocktail meeting of the year at City Winery.  Get together with like-minded local foodies who appreciate the “Slow” movement to talk about ideas and projects for the year ahead. For this evening of revelry City Winery will be extending their “Crush Hour” special: $15 for a carafe and $5 for a glass or tasting flight of any house-made tap wine.

Tuesday, February 16, 6:30-8pm

Rooftop farmer and founder of Growing Chefs, Annie Novak, leads a series of classes at the Brooklyn Kitchen Labs on how to start your own edible urban garden.  Over the course of four class sessions she’ll guide students through the necessary winter-time tasks, seed ordering, and plot preparation to make way for a successful growing season ahead.  Sign up now as this course is sure to sell out fast!

Thursday, February 18, 6:30pm

Reservations required, purchase tickets here

The Museum of the City of New York, in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance and Mississippi Development Authority/Division of Tourism, will host a discussion focusing on how The Great Migration transformed the culinary culture of the North. Leading the discussion are Jessica Harris, author of a forthcoming history of African-American foodways, and one of the 50 founders of the Southern Foodways Alliance. In 2007, she took leave from Queens College (where she is a full professor) to assume the Ray Charles Chair at Dillard University in New Orleans. And Ted Lee, one of the James Beard award-winning Charleston Lee brothers. Ted, along with his brother, Matt Lee, is at work on a book of essays about New York City food culture. The work will certainly examine the influence that South Carolina natives have had on New York, but at its core, the book will be a celebration of the multicultural delights of our nation’s culinary capitol. John T Edge will moderate the discussion.

Sunday, February 28, 8:30am-6pm

Teacher’s College, Columbia University

The great thing about the off season (as it were) is that it gives us all a little down time (or at least time indoors) to plot and plan for the year ahead.  Take part in Just Food’s annual CSA in NYC Conference on February 28 to converse with farmers, food activists, and advocates from around the city and state to talk about how to start a CSA, how to strengthen the one you are a part of, issues facing regional farmers, and how we can all maximize our roles in the movement to increase access to locally grown food throughout the city.