Food For Thought: Summer 2024
“Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.”—AUGUSTE ESCOFFIER
OVER A DECADE AGO, we met while teaching culinary arts at a traditional brick-and-mortar school. While working together, we had many conversations about how culinary education could be taught in a way that was more reflective of the industry and relevant to the students. Somewhere around 2015, we had an “epiphany”: apprenticeship delivered in a modern way to meet today’s fast-paced world. That got us thinking: Why not start a virtual apprenticeship program at a working restaurant? Students could earn an income while working in an operational restaurant and attend classes online with quality faculty members delivering knowledge they would need for a long-lasting career. From this revelation, Soil2Service was born, and in 2019 Detroit Institute of Gastronomy was launched.
Soil2Service purchased this magazine in 2020 to increase the incredible knowledge of the local food scene in Southeast Michigan. Now, the next phase of development has begun. Epiphany–Nain Rouge Kitchen opened in late spring as the for-profit entity of Soil2Service. This pioneering concept is not merely about the hospitality experience of its guests; it’s a holistic approach to enriching our community through food education.
Located in Midtown Detroit, Epiphany–Nain Rouge Kitchen thrives on a dual mission: to achieve financial viability while fostering significant social betterment. It’s a restaurant where each dish served supports multiple noble causes, from the utilization of local agriculture to providing invaluable workforce development for an industry and individuals in need.
The bond between a community and its cuisine is intrinsic. Gaining insight into our food, its cultivation, and the path it traverses to reach our tables cultivates a profound respect for our food industry. As we begin the summer months in Michigan, this issue spotlights expertise of our region’s top chefs and food experts, including some tricks and tips for grilling along with some delicious ideas for consuming protein from plants. We continue to celebrate the culture of the area with some stories on industry leaders from South Asia as they craft cuisine from their homelands.
This summer, unwind with some events at The Congregation and be on the lookout for a non-alcoholic cocktail, which have become more popular both among those who are looking to forgo alcohol altogether and among the merely “sober curious.” Also in this issue, Detroit’s top culinary talents have influenced and inspired the lives of many aspiring chefs, and we tell the story of how the area’s culinary giants came to be. And learn about the ever-growing challenge of raising animals and gardening in the city while thinking globally with your choice of shopping bag.
The pages of edibleWOW magazine, with its educational emphasis and delicious recipes, are reaching an ever-growing audience who are eager to learn, taste and share the broad spectrum of flavors that our world has to offer.
We cordially invite you to partake in this savory revolution. By patronizing social enterprise restaurants and the sponsors of this magazine, you are not merely indulging in a delicious meal—you are investing in the vitality and affluence of our community that fosters well-being and advocates for a society rooted in fairness and opportunity.
Cheers to the Southeast Michigan food scene!
—JOHN PIAZZA AND JEREMY ABBEY
