For inspiration on how to balance life and art, take a stroll over to Molly Hays’ blog, remedial eating, where she balances raising a family with whipping up lyrical writing and delicious recipes. A mother and blogger, Molly has a signature style you may have come across in one of the articles and blog posts she’s contributed to Edible Columbus. Learn more about Molly Hays below as she talks about her relationship with blogging and food and shares some of the Columbus treasures she loves.—Leah Wolf
Leah Wolf: How did you get started with blogging?
Molly Hays: I began blogging nearly four years ago, not long after we moved to Ohio in 2009, because I’m terrible at writing letters and sending photos and wanted a way to stay in touch with friends and family back home in Seattle! I’d long admired the unique and wonderful way food blogs were able to shine a light on a meal, an ingredient or a recipe in a way that mainstream publications could not. We have such a split attitude toward food in this country, between high-flying chefs and glossy TV on the one hand, and fast food at every corner and aisles of pre-packaged meals on the other. I wanted to plow a middle ground between those two, give voice to the home cook and work out one veg at a time.
For Joe Mercurio, owner of Mercurio Produce, wine isn’t just about culture—it’s about family too. His grandfather started the business that has distributed grapes and fresh wine juice for homemade winemakers all over our community and beyond. Since then, different members of the Mercurio family have helped run the business, including Joe. Joe Mercurio has worked hard to maintain his grandfather and father’s vision and make homemade wine easier to obtain and more widely available to customers including, most recently, importing grapes and grape juice from Chile when they are out of season in California. Below, Joe shares advice for homemade wine enthusiasts.—Leah Wolf
Leah Wolf: How did you first get involved with supplying grapes to winemakers?
Joe Mercurio: The Joseph Mercurio Family has been selling wine grapes and wine juice to home winemakers and wineries for over three generations, starting with my grandfather, Mike Mercurio. Traditionally, many families made wine in the fall harvest season to have and personally enjoy throughout the year until the new fall season approached again. We are starting our 38th year of selling grapes for wine making. This is a part of our business and our culture and it is frankly something that my family feels passionately that we must continue to offer to the community. Our long-standing relationships with top producers from around the world continue to allow us to provide the best their vineyards have to offer. It is so gratifying to be able to share this with my customers in and around the state of Ohio. We were the first company in Ohio to expand from offering just fresh grapes to adding a line of premium fresh wine juice (not from concentrate).
To make it easy for our readers to find fresh, local foods, we compiled a list of some of our favorite farmers markets with their dates, times and locations. The arrival of market season is one of our favorite signs of spring. We hope to see you there!
Saturdays, 9am–Noon, April 27 to November 23
Wednesdays, 4–7pm, June 5 to August 14
Along North High Street in Clintonville, just north of Kroger. 60 + vendors, Producer-only market.
Saturdays, 9am–Noon, May to October
7227 North High Street in downtown Worthington (Worthington Inn is a good reference point.)
Central Ohio’s largest farmers market with 80+ vendors.
Saturdays, 8:30am–Noon, May to October
North Main Street in downtown Granville, between College and Broadway
30 scenic miles east of Columbus, located in a quaint town with close proximity to many local farms.
Get to Know Our Contributors: Catherine Murray of Photo Kitchen & the Portrait Shoppe
Written by Leah Wolf
If some pictures are worth a thousand words, then Catherine Murray's work is worth a thousand bites because her photos are "good enough to eat." Catherine is a freelance photographer and owner of Photo Kitchen and the Portrait Shoppe. Several of her photos have appeared in Edible Columbus, including some that have graced the covers of our magazine. Catherine transitioned from the restaurant business to the food photography business in 2002 and her creative, thoughtful photographs combine her two loves in a way that inspires others. We hope you enjoy this little snapshot of one of our many wonderful contributors. —Leah Wolf
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Leah Wolf: What made you decide to become a photographer?
Catherine Murray: Sometimes photography is about capturing existing moments, and sometimes it's about creating moments to capture. I've always known I wanted to do both.
LW: Where did you learn photography?
CM: I studied at the Ohio Institute of Photography and Technology. I loved having a graduating class of only 25 students.
LW: What do you like about food photography?
CM: Food and photos both elicit emotions and opinions, stories and memories. They're simultaneously complex and simple. Best of all, they're both sharable. Combining the two creates a wonderful common ground with any person I could ever meet.
