FOOD GRAFFITI [Part 1]

Eating Off the Walls with Friends [ Here we feature a local “foodie” that we have gotten to know and think is pretty darn interesting.]

This is Don [Part 1]  

I think I can speak for all local small businesses that are lucky enough to know Don and Stephanie Vaughan, we TRULY appreciate them! They came to my first little shop, Culinary Market, in 2008. They were the first to shop when we opened ZZest Market in October 2009. It's been a pleasure to get to know them over the years. I'll be eternally grateful for the support they have given me, from Facebook likes to voting for all our ZZest Best of Chef Battles, and now Food Union. They totally "get" what I'm doing. Some of you may have seen Don’s unique and fun food photos and recipes on Facebook. It made perfect sense to feature Don as our first, Eating of the Wall with Friends!

LZ: How did you ever find me in the beginning? Or any of us small under the radar businesses? 

DV: I first found you at your little shop next to the Redwood Room in the old bakery building. As a journalist by trade (photojournalist, to be exact), I'm a very curious person. Also, I prefer to buy local as much as I can. Besides better products (for the most part), I enjoy meeting new people and learning their stories. Everyone has a story. 

LZ: Yes, they do have stories. It’s so much fun to dig in and devour them!

LZ: Where did you grow up?

DV: I was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois.

LZ:Oh, gosh, we had a restaurant in Bloomington, Il. We traveled I-90 and passed Rockford. It was a long trip. We actually grew to dislike it immensely. However, one bright note, we stopped at a bakery/catering /lunch spot in Rockford a couple of times. That had great soups and sandwiches. We did stop once at the restaurant by the big clock though I don't recall the name.

DV: If you remember the name of the bakery/catering/lunch spot, I'm sure I would recognize it. The first place that comes to mind is Mary's Market. 

LZ: Ah yes, it was Mary’s Market! 

DV: The Clock Tower Resort was very well known. It has since been demolished. I believe the location is going to become a Hard Rock Casino. 

LZ: Oh no… that's too bad. 

LZ: I’m pretty excited to learn more about what you are eating. But, first a bit of background. Where did you meet Stephanie? 

DV: Stephanie and I met in her hometown of Streator, Illinois, at the daily newspaper in Streator that we both worked for. What was the name of the restaurant in Bloomington?

LZ: *sigh* Henry Wellington of Bloomington. It only survived a couple of years. Bloomington is a tough crowd. 

DV: The state of Illinois is interesting. The northern part is entirely different from the South and changes in between. Stephanie grew up just a little north of Bloomington and went there often. I have family in central Illinois. As a kid, we drove through Bloomington often. In June, we adopted our Newfoundland, Ila, from McLean just outside of Bloomington.

Ila, what a beauty.

LZ: Oh, perfect, the dogs! Before I jump into the "meat" of the questions, tell me a bit about your current dogs and The Alliance of Therapy Dogs. 

DV: Doing therapy dog work was Stephanie's and my first big dream come true. ATD is a national therapy dog organization that we have been involved with for almost 20 years. We both started out as registered therapy dog handlers with ATD. About 10 years ago, I became a tester/observer. Five years ago, I was elected to their board of directors.This past July, I was elected vice president.

LZ: Are Ila and Henry going to be therapy dogs? 

DV: That’s the plan! We need to have a relationship with them for at least six months before considering testing them for their therapy dog certification. December 7 marked six months with Ila, our Newfoundland. We do believe she has what it takes to become a therapy dog. She is a sweetheart. She just needs to work on a few things before we test her. As for Henry, our Olde English Bulldogge, we adopted him on Halloween this year. Thus, we still have a few months before testing him. We also believe he has what it takes to be a therapy dog. He's a charmer.

Hey there, Henry!

LZ: Well, here we go. Have you always been drawn to food and cooking?  

DV: When I think back, yes, I cooked as a kid.

LZ: Me too! What’s the first thing you remember making? Did it work out? 

DV: Cornflake Chicken. It did work. I made it often.

LZ: OH! A signature dish! Mine was English Muffin Pizza.

LZ: What is your favorite thing to cook now? 

DV: I love anything I can eat with my hands (sandwiches, tacos, pizza) or in a bowl (rice, noodles, soup). As for something specific, I love trying new things.

LZ: Trying new things; this is where it gets interesting, yay. 

DV: Stephanie and I are known for being pretty adventurous with food. When we lived in Mantorville, the neighbor kids referred to me as the bison testicle guy.

LZ: What? 

DV: Our friends used to have a bison farm. So we usually would have a "pair" in the freezer.The neighbor boy and his sister invited Steph and me to lunch at school one day. We had barely stepped into the school, and a teacher walked and said, "You must be the testicle guy."

LZ: I know you have a great story with an adventurous item you made into soup. Let's have it. 

DV: As a joke, the bison farmer gave me a bison penis. But, also knew I would do something with it. I decided to make an Asian-inspired soup with bison penis, lemongrass, garlic, five-spice, sriracha, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar, beef broth, cilantro, daikon, Thai basil, green onions, and bean sprouts. I don't remember the recipe exactly. It was just over 10 years ago. Surprisingly, it turned out great - one of the best soups I have ever made. We had a couple over to enjoy the adventure with us. We had shared several meals together, including camel. After the dinner, the gentleman of the couple commented that he had always enjoyed the meals I had made. However, before coming over, he was convinced this would be the first one he didn't care for. Much to his surprise, he enjoyed the soup, and it was delicious!

The Soup.

LZ: Do you have a favorite cookbook? 

DV: I do. It's Better Homes and Gardens New Junior Cook Book. It was a Christmas gift from my mom in 1983. She signed and dated the inside cover to her favorite cook. I'm surprised that it hasn't fallen apart yet. I used it a lot as a kid. It has the cornflake chicken recipe in it.

LZ: Oh my gosh, awesome. I'd kill for my Bisquick cookbook!

LZ: How about a favorite cuisine? 

DV: As for a favorite cuisine, I might lean Asian. I love sushi, Thai, and Vietnamese.

LZ: Ah yes, that makes sense; the penis went in the Asian flavor direction then. After that is there anything you don't like? 

DV: The list is very small. There are definitely things I like more than others, but there are very few things that I won't eat. Most of the things I like, especially from a meat standpoint, are probably cuts most Americans don't eat often. I prefer more of the "off" cuts - cheeks, tongue, oxtail. I'm good with raw - carpaccio, sushi/sashimi, oysters.

LZ: 3 things always in your fridge?

DV: A variety of condiments, juice, and Vita cheese.

LZ: What is Vita Cheese?

DV: For years, our dogs would take any pills straight up. A few years ago, we had a rescue Neapolitan mastiff, Vita. Vita Sophia, to be exact. She had an impressive gag reflex and would spit a pill across the room. However, if you buried it in soft cheese, she would happily take it. Ever since we always put a little cheese on our dogs' pills to send them down the hatch. When the tub of cheese is getting low, "Vita" cheese goes on the shopping list. It will always be "Vita" cheese.

LZ: Awesome ok, most memorable meal/dish? 

DV: It was a duck dish I had in Galena, Illinois, a little over 20 years ago - that was the first time I told my wife I loved her.

LZ: Aww, that is a wonderful memory. I love this.

DV: Me, too! I do have one other memorable meal.  

LZ: Let's hear!

DV: Several years ago, there was a small African/Caribbean market across the street from Hunan Garden.Back then, it wasn't typical for a white guy to wander into the store. As I noted before, I'm curious. I love checking out new markets. One day, I noticed the small shop and stopped. As I was walking around, I could tell that I was being watched (not in a bad way). Finally, a very polite gentleman walked up and asked if I was African. I said, "No." He walked away, and I kept shopping. A few moments later, he came back and asked if my wife was (she wasn't with me). Nope. He then asked me what I was doing in the shop. I explained that I noticed the shop, enjoyed trying new foods, and was curious. He thought it was pretty cool. I found out later that he was the owner. During a later visit, the owner was there, as well as a friend of his having lunch. As I was shopping he came and found me. He explained that he was just sitting down for lunch and that I must join him. They were having cow foot soup. It was great! It truly warmed my heart that he asked me to join him. He knew that many people would turn their noses up to what he was eating. However, he trusted that I would not. It was an honor that he would share with me.

LZ: just silently mulling over if I would try the soup…

DV: One last story, I was a photojournalist and photo editor at a daily newspaper in DeKalb, Illinois, when the September 11 attacks occurred. The first Ramadan following the attacks, I was assigned to photograph the breaking of their fast at the local mosque. I was excited about the assignment. However, I was very curious to see how things would go given the times. It would also be my first time going to the mosque. In general, I was welcomed with open arms. However, the biggest surprise was that the elders asked me to break fast with them.

Given that I'm not Muslim, it, too, was an honor. After breaking fast by eating dates, all of the men went to the basement for a VERY large meal. They insisted that I also join them for this meal. Sitting and sharing a meal with the elders is one of my favorite experiences during my time working in daily newspapers.

LZ: Wow, what an amazing experience, thanks for sharing. 

LZ: I’m betting you watch Food Shows. Do you have a favorite? 

DV: I’m not sure that I have an exact favorite. Stephanie and I enjoyed Bourdain. We're also fond of Andrew Zimmern and Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives. Thus, we enjoy the travel food shows. It probably has something to do with the fact that we like to travel and try local and new foods.

LZ: If you haven’t you MUST watch Ugly Delicious with David Chang. There is just so much more to food than just eating it. There are 2 seasons, and I am rewatching it right now. On a fluffier note, I know what you'll be making if you are ever invited to Beat Bobbly Flay. Cornflake Chicken!

LZ: It’s time for your weird food union. 

DV: Sauerkraut on pizza. It might be my favorite pizza ingredient.

LZ: You’re kidding? When Jerry and I were dating, we went to Waldos Pizza every Sunday. One of our favorite pizzas was sauerkraut and Canadian bacon!

LZ: We are kindred cooking spirits. Except for some of the meat choices. Thank you, Don this was very fun.

DV: Haha, my pleasure. 

LZ- We gave Don a few FUn ingredients to see what he thought (and as a big Thank You for sharing!). He made some great STUFF. Plus he gave us his review! We will share that in a second blog post. Guess what? you too could purchase THE Don Box!