Blue Marble Ice Cream

Ten years ago, Jennie Dundas and Alexis Gallivan, opened Blue Marble Ice Cream in Brooklyn. Their products are entirely organic, made from only high quality ingredients, and absolutely no hormones, antibiotics, harmful pesticides and artificial additives. Manufacturing in New York with ethical and sustainable practices is crucial to this woman-run company.

We got to tag along as Jennie, CEO of Blue Marble Ice Cream, and Susan Jo, Ice Cream Chef, went about their normal routine. Join us this week as we talk ice cream and show you around their facilities in Industry City, a historic industrial complex built in the 1800s.

“We have been committed from the beginning to creating what we call “elemental ice cream” — this is traditional flavors, created with integrity.  We believe that if you use the absolute highest quality ingredients, folks will taste the difference — and they do!” Jennie Dundas, CEO of Blue Marble Ice Cream

“After going to art school in LA, I moved to NYC for an internship at an art magazine, hoping for a career in art publishing. I worked some restaurant jobs on the side (front of house), and unknowingly started to fall in love with the food industry culture. The magazine eventually folded, and after a series of unfulfilling admin jobs, I looked back to my love of food and working with my hands for a new path. I enrolled in night courses at the French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Center) while working for a fashion company, and after graduation, quit my office job to work in kitchens. I worked at some really great restaurants for some amazing chefs for 6 years. Last year I decided I wanted to take a step back from the hustle of restaurant kitchens for various personal reasons. I saw an ad for a part-time ice cream maker at Blue Marble, and thought it sounded perfect.  And it was!  My role quickly shifted from ice cream maker to Ice Cream Chef.” -Susan Jo, Ice Cream Chef at Blue Marble Ice Cream

Ever wonder what a day in the life of an Ice Cream Chef is like? Susan Jo gives us a step by step look at her job:

1. Get changed into work clothes and grab a coffee.
2. Consult my production list for the day + decide on a music playlist.
3. Fill out production sheets (includes recipes and quantities that will be produced).
4. Assemble and sanitize the Emery Thompson (ice cream machine)
5. Build the (ice cream) tubs, if necessary.
6. Load up my speed rack with ingredients.
7. Scale/mix a batch, pour it into the machine.  While it’s spinning, get my next round scaled and ready.
8. Extract the ice cream. Repeat steps 6 – 8 until everything’s finished.
9. Break down the machine, wash the dishes, clean down my station and the kitchen.
10. Go up to the office to process the data for the day’s production.
11. Go home and dream up new flavors!

Ice Cream Chef, Susan Jo, building an ice cream tub

“For anyone looking to get into not necessarily ice cream, but any type of kitchen work: before you go dropping out of school, or quitting your day job, or enrolling in an expensive culinary school–try it out. Actually go work in a kitchen. Get a stage, or an apprenticeship, and see if it’s really for you. It’s not what a lot of people think it’s going to be, and it’s certainly not for everyone.” -Susan Jo, Ice Cream Chef

“My favorite flavors are in line with our ‘less is more’ philosophy.  Give me a great Vanilla, Nitro Cold Brew Coffee, or Green Tea – they need no mix ins because the quality of dairy and lower sweetness level make them as dreamy as a great classic gelato.” -Jennie Dundas, CEO of Blue Marble Ice Cream

“Nobody can really be sad eating ice cream, can they?” -Susan Jo, Ice Cream Chef 

Ship Blue Marble Ice Cream straight to your front door here.

The Women of The Cook and Her Farmer

Romney Steele grew up in the restaurant business. Her grandparents founded the iconic Nepenthe Restaurant on Highway One in Big Sur, California, surrounded by nature and sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. It’s not just about food for Romney or her family. It’s about gathering around the table, sharing a meal and stories, uniting people with different backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. Where good food is served, magical things happen.

Romney’s upbringing inspired her to open her own restaurant in the historic Swans Market in Old Oakland. The Cook and Her Farmer is a cafe, oyster and wine bar. She runs the business with her partner and farmer, Steven Day, and her children. Her daughter, Nicoya, normally Romney’s right hand at work, is preparing for her first child. But until then you can find her shucking oysters with the crew.

Romney feels a maternal bond with her staff as well. The cafe is community focused, bringing in young people from the area and giving them an opportunity to learn the trade and hopefully much more. DeMaris Sanagu has been a part of the team since day one. She started fresh out of high school as a dishwasher and a second language learner. Now she runs the kitchen during the day time. Proving once again, that where good food is served, people are united, and what once seemed impossible is within reach.

You can pick up a copy of one of Romney’s books here: My Nepenthe and Plum Gorgeous. Or follow along with us on instagram.

All Hail Mom

Just in case you missed this beautiful Mother’s Day video, take a second to watch it now. We should celebrate Mom year-round after all.

The Women of OUR Detroit

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OUR Detroit, an entirely woman run vodka distillery, found its home in an abandoned liquor store. What was once an eye sore in the neighborhood, untrusting with barred windows and forgotten for many years, has been transformed to a transparent business with arms wide open to the community. It’s the new local hangout where you’re a friend as soon as you step through the door.

This relationship based mentality goes beyond hanging out at the bar, it transcends to their products as well. Our Detroit sources from local farms to make seasonal cocktails with their signature spirit. This openness and connectivity with the surrounding area creates a mood that people don’t typically associate with the city of Detroit. Many may be shocked by how supportive the community is among businesses and artisans alike. It’s a trait I’ve yet to see anywhere else.

“Historically the spirit industry has always been dominated by men. There are a lot of barriers of entry to get into the industry as a women like a number of fields. Specifically, with distilling it is heavy on the chemistry side and academically girls are often deemed not to be good at science and math. Obviously, this is changing and it’s really awesome for us to have a distillery manger that has such a chemistry/science heavy background we get to utilize in a really unique way. We hope to be role models for young women who are looking to get into the field and in general further awareness for women owned small business ownership.

We are excited to be able to put a new spin on things. We love the challenge of changing the face of what the spirit industry look like. This is just the beginning and it’s not just beards and boys anymore, the landscape is shifting and we’re really excited to be a part of that.” —Kate Bordine

Cheers to women who distill!

Glass Artist Ona Magaro

In a time when men outnumber women in films 3 to 1 on screen, unequal pay based on gender still unfairly affects females on a day to day basis, and social media and advertising outlets are repeatedly beating women down with unrealistic and often times contradictory expectations about beauty, health, and happiness; it’s time we stand together and let out stories and experiences bring about an era of change. Let’s applaud the women who are out there defying stereotypes and pushing forward in careers and fields where they are outnumbered. From one woman’s triumph shared to another’s inspiration spurred, small changes will amount to larger ones that can eventually redefine what it means to be a working woman.

Ona Magaro’s glass creations and her life story are quite the achievements to admire. She has turned her passion into a thriving business. After years of fine-tuning her craft, her work is breathtaking and unlike any I’ve seen. Take a look at the glass sculpture Ona created for us, from start to finish. She envisions the body of a bird by utilizing the simplicity of a single color and an elongated curve, free flowing and elegant. But don’t let the airy nature of her art fool you. It’s hard work, requiring a tremendous amount of physical strength and a heaping load of creativity. Her advice to anyone hoping to follow in her footsteps is to study marketing, accounting, and writing to build a successful business around the artistic talent.

As Oscar Wilde would say, we live in a world where “life imitating art” is an everyday occurrence. May Ona’s art and experiences be something that young women can look up to and hope to emulate as they grow and discover what path they’ll pursue. When I asked Ona what she wanted to teach her children about the arts, and how she hoped her work will affect the way they interpret the world around them, her simple response is what I hope to share with you, “That anything is possible.”

Ona’s workwear: Carhartt Women’s Long-Sleeve Signature T-Shirt, Women’s Series 1889 Slim Double-Front Dungaree, & C-Grip Knuckler Glove

last photo above taken by Jessie Moore