politically-charged food rant

Okay, so generally I use this space for talking about food in the sense of recipes, ingredients, meals, etc. But I feel like there's an important food-related issue out there that I need to address. So this is going to be a bit of departure.

I'm not sure how many of you keep up with news relating to food and the food industry, but I kind of have to as part of my job. Every day I spend at least an hour reading between four and ten food industry news letters. These cover everything from new products, store openings, hirings and promotions of industry execs, government news (i.e. the Farm Bill, FDA regs, etc.) and pretty much any news that would be of interest to the food retail industry. Over the last week, one story has stood out both for its incredibly disheartening content and for its ever-growing magnitude.

Last week the USDA ordered a recall of 37 million pounds of beef distributed by Hallmark Meat Packing (a partner of Westland Meat). The meat was recalled because it came from "non-ambulatory" cows. Federal regulations require that animals that cannot walk off the truck to slaughter be separated from the rest and a veterinarian must euthanize them and then they should be tested. This is because the inability to walk is a symptom of BSE (also known as mad cow disease). Apparently employees at Hallmark were using forklifts, high pressure hoses, electric shocks, and chains to push, roll, prod, and drag these animals to slaughter.

This week the recall was expanded to include 143 million pounds of beef - the largest recall in US history. Federal authorities have said that most of the meat was probably already eaten - by schoolchildren. Westland was a major supplier to the federal school lunch program. The government says that there is little to no risk of adverse health effects from the beef in question, since most of it has already been consumed. Not that such statements make anyone feel any better. In fact, it definitely raises an important question.

Why did we learn about these violations - which are now believed to go back as far as two years - from a video (warning, this video is extremely graphic and disturbing) made by an undercover investigator and supplied to the Humane Society of the United States???

Slaughter facilities are supposed to be regularly inspected by the federal government. Which means that this was either not happening or the inspectors were turning a blind eye to these incredibly horrific violations of ethical animal treatment and federal law. There have been enough recall issues in the last year to give FDA, USDA, and our entire food safety and defense system a pretty visible black eye. However, this is among the worst because it highlights a blatant failure of federal oversight.

What's more, it's not as though things will be getting better. Despite bipartisan pressure, the Bush administration has only approved "modest" increases in the budget for food safety - most of which will be consumed by pay raises for department employees and nearly half of which won't even be available to the agencies until July. While it may not seem as much of a banner issue as Iraq, the economy, or universal health coverage, I hope that candidates will start devoting more time to detailing a plan for protecting our food and attempting to create a system that will instill some sort of trust and confidence in the food supply.

While I'm not a vegetarian, I don't eat a lot of meat and I generally try to stick with organic (although that term in and of itself is laden with controversy). However, a great number of people don't stick to the guidelines I do and I feel that, while there are a number of problems the slaughter industry, consumers should at least be able to feel confident that their food is safe - regardless of their individual ethical choices.

Hopefully the government gets on the same page and becomes truly invested in creating a food supply that Americans can feel good about.

an ode to avocado (also: random musings on what do do with them)

So I've raved about my adored avocado already (I'm also an avid advocate of alliteration). But I thought it was time to go all out and dedicate a post entirely to this amazing fruit. It should be noted however, that when I refer to an avocado, I am, of course, referring to the Hass avocado, which is the most commonly cultivated in America and also the best tasting. For information on the nutritional content, selection, and storage of avocados, you can check out this helpful article.

Okay, so once you've got your ripe avocados, there are about a billion things you can do with them. In a previous post, I talked about the crucial role of avocado in one of my favorite salads of all time. My grandmother used to eat half an avocado - right out of the skin - as part of her afternoon snack when I was a child (these are the kind of random memories I'll always cherish about my family). You could even make avocado gelato. So obviously, there's a wide range of choices. What follows below are my three favorite ways to eat and enjoy the alligator pear.



#1: BLAT

So lots of people are familiar with the concept of a BLT. It's a simple sandwich with bacon, lettuce, tomato, a light spread of mayo, usually on toasted white bread. Which is all well and good. However, while skiing in Colorado with my family, my mom and I discovered a variation on the classic that would forever change my view of the sandwich.

Avocado is delicious on lots of sandwiches but there is something about the salty bacon, the juicy ripe tomatoes and crisp lettuce that goes so perfectly with the richness of avocado. To provide a recipe for this sandwich would even be overkill. I like mine one of two ways. The classic version involves two strips of bacon, a few slices of red or yellow heirloom tomato, fresh Bibb lettuce, and sliced avocado all on toasted sourdough (no mayo needed). The slightly healthier (slightly because you still have bacon and avocado) version involves substituting crunchy sprouts for the lettuce and using a nutty 7 grain bread.

Simple, superb, and satisfying.

#2: Salmon with Avocado and Sesame Soy Dressing

I have to confess that I'm kind of enamored with salmon. I'm not a total carnivore (I maybe eat meat at 5-6 of my 21 meals in a given week) and I generally end up eating chicken more than anything else. This isn't because I dislike meat in general or red meat specifically. I would consider the lamb at 1789 my favorite meal in the city. However, that said, I eat a lot of vegetables, pasta, and rice at home. So when I want to break out of the box but still stay healthy and light, I go to salmon. There are a lot of different was to prepare salmon but one of my favorites is to bake it and top it with some amazing flavors. And as anyone who's a fan of sushi knows, salmon and avocado play well together.

For this dish, I make a simple dressing of toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice, and some grated fresh ginger. Then I brush a little of the dressing on salmon filets and bake them till they are done. While the salmon is baking, I toast some sesame seeds in a skillet over low heat and slice an avocado. I add the sesame seeds and avocado to the remaining dressing and toss lightly and put it in the fridge to chill. Once the salmon is done I top each filet with some of the avocado and dressing and it's ready. The rich creamy avocado and the bright dressing work perfectly with the simply prepared salmon.

#3: Guacamole

In my opinion, any discussion of avocado preparation would be incomplete without guacamole. There are a number of different ways to prepare guacamole. Some people add cilantro, tomato, sour cream, jalapeno, and etc. I for one am pretty picky when it comes to my guacamole. I hate guac with tomatoes in it. This is an abomination in my eyes as part of the appeal of good guacamole is the rich green color. Below is my favorite recipe.

2 ripe Hass avocados, halved, pitted and removed from skins
1/4 - 1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime (lemon works too I suppose)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mash to desired smoothness. Eat and enjoy.


So there you have it, my three favorite ways to eat an avocado. I know that I will be counting down the days until the full glory of avocado season is upon us.

Bon appetit!

book report: the omnivore's dilemma

According to the United Nations, "Literacy is Freedom" and this is apparently the decade in which we are supposed to enjoy that freedom (what happens to literacy after 2012, I don't know). Apparently, reading even made it into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In short, reading is good. So with that in mind, I've decided that perhaps it's time to do my part and promote a little reading...about food of course.

Now while not all of the books I read for pleasure are about food, a good number of them are and those are the ones I'll be focusing on in this space (mostly because to review a book about the 1919 Paris Peace Conference or the First Angevin Dynasty on a blog about food would be very bizarre). So without further ado, I present the first edition of The Wannabe Chef Book Report. First on the list of books is Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals.




I must admit, I'm a bit late on reviewing this book. The Washington Post was all over this one back in April 2006 and the rest of the known world soon followed. This book became one of many rallying points for the Local Food Movement and also helped to broaden the focus of health-conscious critics beyond just fat, carbs, and sugar and to turn a critical eye towards fats, carbs, and sugars that come in over-processed, ultra-refined forms. So with all the press and all the discussion, I figured it was finally time that I read the book for myself.

As someone that was already familiar with the organic movement, the local movement, and the slow food movement, a lot of the basic concepts in the book were not new or ground-breaking for me. Processed food = bad. Natural food = good. And to be honest, I don't think a lot of people were unaware of these concepts. However, what makes The Omnivore's Dilemma unique is the detail in which Pollan examines each of the food chains he discusses and the personal way in which he engages with the books central question: "What should I eat?"

Too often, books or articles demonizing industrial food have a teachy, preachy air to them. They are full of facts and exhortations. Pollan (thankfully) eschews this method of engaging with his subject matter and instead the book becomes about his own personal attempt to understand, contextualize, and come to terms with the three different food chains he identifies: industrial, pastoral (organic/natural), and personal (local). And the best moments in the book are those times when he describes, in deeply personal detail, his own confrontation with the questions facing the modern eater.

In one chapter he explains his own personal experience slaughtering chickens and in another his feelings about hunting an animal for food. In both instances, the depth of his own personal struggle with the ethics involved makes him, and the book, extremely poignant. Another instance has him explaining how he tried to come to grips with his own feelings about the moral nature of eating meat while reading an important treatise on vegetarianism over a steak dinner and later he recounts his own mental back-and-forth on the rational behind meat-eating. It is the extremely personal portions of the book like the above examples that I found most compelling.

Finally, the end of the book provides an exhortation not to avoid industrial food and become total-local eaters who grow, hunt, and forage for our own meals but rather to become accustomed to the idea of thinking about our food. Not just what to eat but the path it traveled before arriving at our tables, the ethical implications of its production and consumption, and the meaning created by the experience of preparing and partaking in it. He does not encourage readers to never eat another industrial meal but rather to eat all meals with an understanding of them and their context.

For foodies (or anyone who thinks of eating as an intensely personal and provocative experience) this is a must-read. For anyone else, it's an interesting examination of a part of life that many take for granted.

new home, same blog

Well, it was time to find a new home for my blog. Given that squarespace's monthly fee was a bit much and given that I wasn't blogging all that often, I decided to take things to a new, free home.

I've already put up some of my favorite posts from the old site and this week I'll be working to put together some new posts now that I have more time on my hands for such things. I appreciate the patience with all the old posts and I promise new stuff is on the way - I know all 3 of my readers must be excited!

Bon Appetit!

vegelicious (archive from old site, originally posted 10/24/07)

So it's been a while since this event occurred but I figured it's never to late to post it. This summer (late July to be exact) my mom came to visit and, as always, we spent time cooking. It started with a trip to the Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market where I was simply overwhelmed by the amazing display of food. There were cheeses, breads, seafood, meats, honey, herbs, fruit, and oh the vegetables. I have never seen such an abundance of incredibly fresh gorgeous vegetables. Mom and I decided that our dinner that night would be a feast of vegetables. The centerpiece would be a sort of updated take on ratatouille. We decided to roast eggplant, zucchini, torpedo onions, baby squash, and heirloom cherry tomatoes separately and then combine them all with herbs and olive oil. It turned out really well. I didn't get pictures of the finished product (too busy eating!), I have decided to include the pictures I do have. Cooking with Mom was a lot of fun and it's always nice to be reminded that a truly satisfying meal need not include meat.

Mom in the kitchen prepping some of our veggies

Eggplant coated with olive oil and ready to be roasted

Torpedo onions, tossed in thyme, kosher salt, and olive oil, roasting in the oven

Heirloom cherry tomatoes being sauteed in olive oil and white wine

deviled eggs v. 2.0 (archived from old site, originally posted 7/23/07)

There are some foods that are so common they become inextricably linked to a particular recipe, preparation method, or list of ingredients. Nearly (the nearly was added for Jamie) everyone I know has a deviled egg recipe. Nearly all of these recipes have at least 4 things in common: hard boiled egg yolks, mayonnaise, mustard, and paprika. Some add relish, some add sugar, some use yellow mustard, some dijon, but basically that's the recipe.

However, while doing some scouting on Epicurous.com for a picnic I was going to, I came across a recipe for deviled eggs that was completely different. And that got me thinking about possible variations on the deviled egg. So, with a dozen and a half eggs in my fridge and a Sunday afternoon to kill, I set about re-inventing the deviled egg.

Tarragon Shallot (left) Lemon Dill (right)

The pictures, unfortunately, were taken with my phone and therefore aren't quite as good as I would hope for, but they'll have to do until I can make these again and re-photograph them. The ones on the left are a Tarragon Shallot variation and the ones on the right are Lemon Dill. Run downs on how to make both follow below. If you're interested in how to make the perfect boiled egg, Elise at Simply Recipes (love her name and her site!) has a great run down on how to do it.

Tarragon Shallot Deviled Eggs

Take 6 hard boiled eggs, slice in half (lengthwise) and remove the yolks into a bowl. Set the whites aside. In the bowl, mash the egg yolks and mix in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard, 4 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon, 1 teaspoon minced capers, and 2 teaspoons minced shallot that has been lightly sauteed (until just barely translucent) in about a tablespoon of olive oil. Combine, add salt and pepper to taste and scoop the yolk mixture into the egg halves. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes to an hour and serve.

Lemon Dill Deviled Eggs

Take 6 hard boiled eggs, slice in half (lengthwise) and remove the yolks into a bowl. Set the whites aside. In the bowl, mash the egg yolks and mix in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of Meyer Lemon oil (if you don't have this just use another tablespoon of olive oil), 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, the zest of one lemon, 2 teaspoons minced fresh dill, 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard, and 1 teaspoon minced shallot (I used raw shallot instead of sauteed because the bite of the raw shallot went well with the tangy lemon and dill). Combine, add salt and pepper to taste and scoop the yolk mixture into the egg halves. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes to an hour and serve.

So there you have it, deviled eggs, gone upscale. Both recipes are fantastic and take one of the best known picnic foods/hors d'oeuvres and dress it up a bit. It's a great way to bring a little something special to your next party or picnic.

the perfect summer salad (archived from old site, originally posted 5/29/07)

So I have a confession to make. I am obsessed with salads. I feel I must clarify two things: first, I'm not obsessed with salads in the weird "I like to go out for dinner, order a salad, and pick at it so people won't think I'm a cow" way. Second, when I say salad, I don't mean some bland concotion of lots of iceberg lettuce, flavorless tomatoes, boxed croutons, random other veggies, and ranch dressing. I am obsessed with interesting, flavorful and, most importantly, filling salads. Which is why I don't order salads as a meal in restuarants (except for really good restaurants...but then who goes there to get a salad?) anymore. I have found that, most restaurants (Chili's, Applebee's, Friday's, etc...I'm looking right at you) tend to give me a salad that is a LOT of lettuce, a random assortment of vegetables most of which have no flavor, a dressing that is either too overpowering or too dull, and some tasteless grilled chicken (and I mean tasteless in the lacking of flavor sense, not in the Lindsey Lohan sense).

So faced with a new committment to eating healthier and working out, I have decided that I need to reclaim the salad. It is possible to make a salad that can be a meal in and of itself and won't leave me searching the cupboards for a bag of chips or scavenging through the freezer for a hidden pint of Haagen-Dazs. I think that I should be able to feel both full AND guilt-free after a meal. Also, salads are just so great for dinner in the summer because they just feel refreshing. Cool ingredients and bold flavors are perfect on hot nights with cold beer or, even better, a bottle of my newest obsession: dry rosé wine.

All of that is well and good, but how exactly does one create the perfect salad? Well, I think I've stumbled upon a recipe and it starts from the bottom up. The greens in a salad are very important. Most people don't think so because they think lettuce has no flavor. And that's true, iceberg lettuce has no flavor. But there's a whole world of greens out there and they all can bring something wonderful to the party. My perfect salad starts with a 50-50 mix of organic baby greens and organic baby arugula. I then add a small amount of my favorite vinaigrette. Emphasis on "small amount". The purpose of adding the dressing isn't to flavor the entire salad. It's to lightly the coat the greens with a small amount of flavor. The rest of the ingredients will have plenty of their own flavor.

Now that we've got a base, it's time to move on to the rest of the cast. First up, the protein. If you read the previous post, you know that I've become somewhat smitten with a tequila-marinated chicken recipe as of late. I like to grill a few of the chicken breasts at a time and then save them for use later in the week. I use about one half of a chicken breast, sliced relatively thin, for this salad. So far with just the chicken and the greens we've got a flavorul and yummy salad. But, of course, I am only getting started.

Because this salad is my perfect summer salad, I feel like having some summer veggies is critical. One thing I adore about the start of summer is that it is corn season. Fresh sweet white corn is available everywhere and it is cheap. Serisouly cheap. Like eight ears for $2 at Whole Foods kind of cheap. Yum. So I took an ear of corn and (after shucking and cleaning) I placed it in a foil-lined roasting dish in a 450-degree oven for about 20 minutes (turning once halfway through). This makes the corn a bit softer, but it's still got some crispness and it's incredibly sweet. Once the corn is done roasting I take it out, run it under cool water until I can handle it and then cut the ears off the cob. I put about half an ear of the corn on my salad and save the rest for later (that's the great thing about this salad - you can prepare the ingredients early in the week and then save them in the fridge and throw it together in a few minutes).

So far we have greens, dressing, chicken, and corn. But there's still more to come. I like to roast some red and yellow bell peppers and then put a few strips of roasted pepper on top of the salad. Then I add a few of the super-sweet and very cute grape tomatoes. I could stop there and have a decent salad, but the next two ingredients are my favorites.

The first of the favorite ingredients is goat cheese. I could eat goat cheese plain. I love the tangy, creamy flavor. And it goes amazingly well in this salad. A lot of the flavors in the salad are spicy, smoky, and sweet. The rich and tangy goat cheese adds a special note all its own. However, if you're not a goat cheese person, you could also use bleu cheese or feta.

And finally, I add one of my favorite foods of all time: avocado. I am utterly and completely devoted to avocado. I will eat pretty much anything if there is avocado in it. When I go to a restaurant and see a dish that contains avocado on the menu, it automatically moves into the list of things I'm considering to order. And it moves high up. I truly think that the avocado was God's gift to food. I would probably be able to more easily give up steak than I would avocado. So now that we're in avocado season and I can find good, ripe, Hass avocados, I have to include it in my salad. I slice one half of an avocado and place it on my salad as the ultimate finishing touch (since avocado browns once cut, I usually add it right before I'm ready to eat and I wrap the other half tightly in plastic wrap and then put it in a zip-top bag and place it in the fridge).

And there you have it. The only salad I'll ever need to make and one of my all-time favorite summer meals.

marinade madness (archived from old site, originally posted 5/28/07)

So lately I've been attempting to eat a bit better. I've started working out every day and when you're working out, you tend to crave foods that won't undo all that hard work. One of the best ways to accomplish that is by eating a lots of fruits, veggies, and lean protein. This is normally the point where I would expound on the greatness that is fish. But one unfortunate side effect of living up here is that I am no longer able to get fresh, amazing seafood for insanely low prices. When I lived in Florida, grouper was about $11 a pound. Here, it's about $18-20 a pound. Which makes it a bit out of my price range for everyday meals. So, I've come to rely on that other great source of lean protein: chicken.

The problem with white meat chicken is that, unlike fish, beef or lamb, it has very little flavor of its own. But that's not a problem if you happen to have a recipe for one of the greatest marinades ever. Fortunately, I know just such a recipe.

The other weekend T and I were going to a barbecue at a friend's house and she brought some chicken over to his place the night before and so we needed a marinade. Fueled by the large quantities of wine ($15 wine tastings are awesome), we decided to throw something together. And the resulting concotion was soooo amazing that I decided I needed to recreate it for myself. My version isn't exactly the same as the one T and I made. That's because we were several glasses into a bottle of rose at that time and so I wasn't really keeping track. But what follows below is a close approximation.

2-3 cloves minced garlic (about 1 tablespoon)
1/3 cup (packed) cilantro, chopped
1 large or 2 small jalapenos minced (seeds and ribs included)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup tequila
2 limes zested and juiced (optional)

Once I've whisked the ingredients together in a bowl, I pour it in a gallon size plastic bag, add the chicken, and then let the magic begin. The recipe above is to make enough marinade for about 3-4 chicken breasts. I generally try to let them marinate for at least 2 hours but overnight is even better. Then I throw them on the grill (grill pan that is...stupid apartment not letting me have a grill) and they are ready.

As for serving suggestions, this chicken is great as the main attraction in a meal, it's excellent in tacos or fajitas, or is great in a salad. And I happen to have used this chicken in one of the greatest salads ever. So that's the topic of my next post: how to make the most amazing salad for a perfet summer dinner.

fried green tomatoes (archived from old site, originally posted 5/8/07)

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I have to say that it's primarly because I've been busy and have been having issues with loading pictures. And what's a food blog without pictures of the delectable dishes??

But since I'm no longer having massive issues trying to host my pics online, I have decided to post on a meal I actually made two weeks ago, the Sunday after my birthday. One of the great things about your birthday is that you can justify a number of things: excessive numbers of drinks, buying new dresses, and cooking your very favorite foods no matter how messy, impractical, or fattening they may be. It was in that spirit that I decided my dinner the Sunday after my birthday would be a collection of things that I loved and had been craving. So I started with an appetizer of steamed artichokes with meyer lemon mayonnaise. Yum. Then I had a salad of arugula topped with avocado, crumbled bacon, and gorgonzola and tossed in a light vinaigrette. Also yum. But the real show-stopper was what tonight's post is dedicated to: fried green tomates.

So I'm sure most people outside the south are only familiar with fried green tomatoes because of the movie of the same name. However, they are a real food item and they are one of my absolute favorite southern foods. I don't get to eat them often. This is largely because it's hard to find green tomatoes up here and because they can be kind of messy (like most fried foods). But they are a food that I think most people would find surprisingly delicious. They have a tangy flavor and the golden crispy breading mixes well with the acidity of the tomatoes. I like to use them as a base or surprise in a number of dishes. One of my favorites is to top fried green tomatoes with lump crabmeat and rich hollandaise sauce. It's absolutely amazing.

But this time I decided to keep it plain and simple. I found green heirloom tomatoes at Whole Foods and after rinsing them, I chopped them into slices that were about ¹/₃ to ¹/₂ inch thick. My tomatoes were not perfectly round so I didn't have round slices, I had quarter- to half-circle slices.

Everyone has a different method of making fried green tomatoes. Some use bread crumbs, some use corn meal. Some use egg as the "glue" to hold the breading on, some use batter. I have tried it a number of different ways and have found my favorite. It is by no means the only way. But it is tasty. After the tomatoes are sliced, I pat the slices dry and dredge them in flour that has been mixed with salt and pepper . I then dip them in a batter that is a combination of buttermilk, flour, and a good amount of cayenne pepper. Once they are battered I coat them with Japanese-style panko breadcrumbs. I like the panko because it creates a very crunchy crust that doesn't get soggy from the batter and doesn't soak up too much oil.

Once that's done, I place them into a cast iron skillet (I'm sure at some point I will have a post dedicated entirely to my cast iron skillet...it's that important to me) with about a half an inch of oil over medium-high heat. You can use any oil that deals well with high heat, I like peanut or safflower but canola works too. I fry them until they are golden brown on each side and then transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels while I finish the rest of the slices.

I try to serve them as close to immediately as possible. If you aren't serving immediately or have a particularly large amount and don't want the first batch to get cold, you can place them on a baking rack over a cookie sheet and keep them in a 200-degree oven. But they really are best served fresh and hot. As for how to serve them, I like them plain but some people serve them with lemon wedges or with remoulade sauce for dipping. As mentioned above, you can also use them as part of a more elaborate dish. How you choose to enjoy them is up to you but I would encourage everyone who has never had one to give them a go at least once.

Enjoy, y'all!