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The Essence of Olive Oil - A benefit for Alternatives in Motion 4 Feburary 2010 ~ Alternatives in Motion ~ Northside ~ Photography by: Tim Motley Drive north on Coit Avenue long enough and it dead-ends into a non-descript industrial building on Matilda St; smack-dab in the middle of a residential area next to parks: Coit & Belnap. When we received directions to Matilda Street, there was still confusion about where it was -- even after going there we had to Google it to recap the directions for this write-up. Out of the way, but so close to everything, this building houses Alternatives in Motion, a non-profit group providing wheel- and power-chairs to those in need. Matt Chapman, of Alternatives in Motion, stated, "We receive donated chairs from all over the mid-west and work to refurbish them. We believe everyone who needs a wheelchair should have access to one." A board member of Alternatives in Motion invited GRSD to swing by their offices for an event. On a clear, but cold, Thursday evening in February Alternatives in Motion held the event called "The Essence of Olive Oil; an Olive Oil and Food Pairing Experience" ... an Olive Oil Experience? We pulled up to the old building in our staff vehicle -- a 4Runner, appropriate for winter driving -- and were surprised to be greeted by two young men directing traffic and instructing people where to park; it looked as though they communicated with each other through ear-pieces; hi-tech for this out-of-the way locale... what were we in for -- this is, after all, an Olive Oil Experience? The techie parking lot was not the only surprise; inside we found a renowned Italian chef creating dinner and a wide variety of wines and beers selected by Amy Ruis, of Art of the Table (on Wealthy near Union), to pair with the foods and oils. Oh, but wait, we are getting ahead of ourselves. What, EXACTLY, is an Olive Oil Experience? Think wine tasting, but with olive oils from all over Europe. The general thought going into the evening was, "we're going to dip bread in oil and taste it..." We were wrong. Imagine picking up a fine Merlot, swirling it in a glass, checking the texture, looking at its legs, smelling the bouquet. Now, take a small sip, roll the wine around on your tongue, gap your lips and inhale some air to move across the liquid in your mouth and bring out the full flavor. Finally swallow, searching for the notes -- the spices, the peppers, the oaky barrel fullness... you know the drill. NOW, imagine those exact same steps, but with olive oil. Correct. No bread. Our Olive Oil Experience was led by Field Reichardt, importer of the world"s finest gourmet olive oils. With each step of the tasting, Reichardt reminded us of the similarities between this night and a Wine Taste Experience. However, Reichardt did say the one thing that was on everyone's mind, "Nobody sits at home on a Friday night with their friends and does an olive oil tasting... it is not going to be the most pleasant experience." He was right, the peppers and bitter flavors of the oils proved to be what he called "one cough or two." The taste of olive sliding down your throat was not the most enjoyable, but the knowledge gained was worth the unpleasantries. The oil tasting was followed by a gourmet meal prepared by Michelin rated Chef Maria Christina Rinaudi of Italy. Rinaudi is the head chef at Ristorante Le Torri in Peidmonte, Italy; she is in Grand Rapids as a visiting professor for the GVSU Hospitality & Tourism Management department. Each course of the meal used one of the Olive Oils from the tasting; she opened with bruschetta and salad with goat cheese and chicken, followed by penne all'arrabbiata complimented with risotto with asparagus. The main course was Milanese di pollo (breaded chicken steak) paired with grilled mixed vegetables. Rinaudi topped off the evening with pears poached in red wine sauce. The evening came together as a fund- and awareness-raising event for Alternatives in Motion. AIM's mission is to provide mobility through wheelchairs to individuals who do not qualify for other forms of assistance or financial aid. On average, AIM provides 100 wheelchairs each year. For more information on Alternatives in Motion visit www.alternativesinmotion.org.
Check out the GALLERY! 4 Feburary 2010 ~ Alternatives in Motion ~ Northside ~ 
Photography by: Tim Motley. All rights reserved. To inquire about images, please visit his website www.motleycatstudio.com |
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