The Mission 2010
One of the oldest river basins on earth, the French Broad River is a living witness to the birth and creation of an authentic American culture. Revered by native Americans, equally praised and cursed by early European settlers, it remains a vibrant and essential life source.
The French Broad valley along with the Appalachian chain through which it flows, shoulders a monumental ecosystem and cultural heritage. Predating even the dinosaurs, this region contains a diversity of life forms among the richest on the planet.
Bold, inquisitive and spirited bodies sought out this region and continue to do so. Though a great natural abundance called people to these mountains, many also met with isolation and hardship… and yet they remained.
These challenging conditions shaped a keen mountain personality but also fostered a mountain wisdom fueled by independence, self-sufficiency and innovation. Those still hold great meaning here, as creativity and a strong connection to the land endure as important shared values.
It is our goal to multiply the opportunities to connect with this noble land , revel in the diversity of this magical place and continue a sensory exploration worthy of Southern Appalachia heritage.
Mark Rosenstein
After almost 40 years of cooking and living “around the table” in the Appalachians, Mark Rosenstein could finally be considered a local, though he finds the phrase “mountain irregular” more accurate. Mark’s unwavering respect for “ a taste of place” has meant decades of searching for the essence of mountain flavor: through streams, ponds, forests and farms, often with a pocketknife and basket in hand. A socially engaged chef and businessman, his activism for local foods began in 1979. He is often credited with starting the local foods movement in Asheville and in western North Carolina.
Mark trained with Simone Beck and Madeleine Kamman and has worked in the kitchen of Roger Verge at the Michelin starred “Moulin de Mougins” in the south of France. A veteran restaurateur, Mark’s first restaurant “The Frog and Owl” quickly garnered national attention from Gourmet Magazine. His next restaurant “The Market Place” also received national press when he was listed in Food & Wine’s historic cover story ‘The First Honor Roll of American Chefs”. His press book is replete with coverage from regional and local press and in 2009 he was featured in an article in the Wall Street Journal. His book “ In Praise of Apples” which appeared in the New York Times Review of books is now in it’s third printing. Though classically trained and often teaching and touring in Burgundy, Mark’s keen reverence for the heritage and roots of Appalachia have always remained at the center of what he does.
Chef, author, photographer, closet physicist and member of the Blue Ridge Pyrotechnic Guild, Mark believes that what is important in life is best shared around the table …or hearth. His fascination with fire started early. He has cooked with wood professionally for 20 years and recently built an elaborate Allen Scott designed wood fired oven in his garden, where he teaches and holds cooking classes.
In addition to planning his next book, pursuing his keen interest in photography (which he studied while a student at the Rhode Island School of Design) Mark has just cleared land at his home in Asheville with the use of goats and has begun preparations for his first urban garden.
Alisa Hixson
Growing up in Baltimore with a food curious mother, Alisa was adept at “picking” blue crab before reaching kindergarten. Her exposure to diverse cultures exploded however when her journalist father accepted a post in Manhattan.
She developed an early interest in wine making and heading west to learn more, drove her antique 6 cylinder -Volvo on a cross country journey the same day she received her driver’s license. Once implanted in the west and eager to learn more, she bicycled from Mexico to Canada. She has worked in diverse organizations ranging from IBM to the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. Her father and his partner shared her passion for red wine and in 1984 they planted the first vineyards in the Oregon Rogue valley of what became Evans Creek Vineyards and Trium Winery.
She began her wine travels abroad hosting journalists and members of the wine trade on Press Trips to Europe and the Middle East. Her role as Director of Public Relations for fine Italian wine importer, Winebow Inc., based in New York City, had her organizing myriad details for wine tastings, gala dinners, benefits, press and trade events across the United States and in Europe.
Her next assignment moved her to the Napa Valley where she became the first Director of Media, Trade and Guest Relations for Opus One, the historic French-American joint venture, launching the grand opening of the winery and directing all of the company’s special events, managing the visitors center, culinary activities and directing media and trade relations. Her events have been written up in numerous publications, including the New York Times. Working directly with the Mondavi and Rothschild families, she became well versed in French cuisine and entertaining.
Alisa moved to France in 1994 and lived there for 15 years. She became fascinated with the history of food and the French reverence for the table, earning a degree in French Studies from the University of Burgundy in Dijon. She is especially drawn to the notion of “terroir” that specific “taste of place” that the Cistercian monks perfected, the Burgundians accept as given and the French government uphold ( via the AOC) as law.
Her consulting work in Europe has included several noted French wine firms and management posts with tourism leaders including Continental Waterways, VBT and Overseas Adventure Travel. Now after many years of discovering southern Appalachia (and thousands of frequent flyer miles ) she is delighted to live in Asheville and recently learned that her Hixson ancestors were among the earliest pioneers to settle in the south and the west. The Appalachians have long been a part of her family’s heritage and many still live in Hixson, Tennessee.
Ms. Hixson still has a home in France, holds French and American citizenship and is fluent in both languages.