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Chủ Nhật, 30 tháng 10, 2011
California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil
California is producing some very good extra virgin olive oil, some using old European varieties of olives, harvested the old fashioned way, and--some high quality extra virgin olive oil harvested in a very modern way, for a fraction of the price. So how is possible to get high quality extra virgin olive oil at a low price? Last week I visited California Olive Ranch, the largest California olive oil producer, and learned just how they do it.
It all comes down to freshness and quantity. California Olive Ranch plants three varieties, arbequina, arbosana from Spain and koroneiki from Greece. Their olive orchards look nothing like what you may have seen in Europe. The olive trees are pruned into a hedge shape that is harvested mechanically, using a harvester specially developed for shaking the trees to get the olives off without damaging them. Less damage means better quality oil.
Here are some numbers for California Olive Ranch:
Their olive trees grow 6-8 feet high
Trees are planted 5 feet apart
There is 13 feet between each row
There are about 675 trees planted per acre
Each tree yields 7-12 pounds of olives
Only 20% of the olive is oil, 55% is water
12 harvesters run 24 hours a day during harvest season
5,000 acres are owned by the company
5,000 acres are managed by 67 farmers who have long term leases
Each truck holds 66,000 pounds of olives
Each truck is unloaded in 35 minutes
Some more facts:
The tree trimmings are mulched
The ground pits and olives, called pomace, is fed to cattle
California Olive Ranch is using bird boxes and buffer zones to minimize the use of pesticides and tests each batch of olives, and has test plots for organic olives
If you ever get a chance to ride a harvester and see the olives jiggle off the trees I highly recommend it! That I got to share the experience with blogging friends Chef John from Food Wishes, Chrystal Baker from The Duo Dishes, Aleta Watson from The Skillet Chronicles, and Jane Bonacci from The Heritage Cook made it all the more sweet!
Speaking of sweet, all exra virgin olive oil should be a balance of fruity, bitter and pungent. The best way to find your favorite, is to taste them...however...California Olive Ranch uses descriptors like intense and bold and mild to help you find one to your taste.
* If you want the freshest olive oil, known as "olio nuovo in Italy, sign up to buy California Olive Ranch's Limited Reserve.
* If you like a buttery mild oil without too much bite, look for their basic extra virgin olive oil
* If you like a fruitier variety, try the Arbequina
* The Arbosana is most complex
* The Miller's blend is bold and balanced (and a favorite of some bloggers, food writers and chefs too.)
My thanks to California Olive Ranch for inviting me up to visit during harvest and letting me sample their fresh oils!
Thứ Bảy, 29 tháng 10, 2011
The SNAP (food stamp) explosion
Every couple years, we update this dynamic interactive graphic showing how Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation changes in response to economic conditions and federal and state policies. (Thanks to graduate student Dan Hatfield for data processing in this new 2010 edition, and to Hanqi Luo and Joseph Llobrera for data processing in earlier versions).
With this Google Gadget, you can track a particular state of interest, or watch all states move together. Of course, the real drama is in the final two years.
With this Google Gadget, you can track a particular state of interest, or watch all states move together. Of course, the real drama is in the final two years.
Thứ Năm, 27 tháng 10, 2011
Farm policy and the Super Committee
It is possible -- but not certain -- that the major "Farm Bill 2012" decisions will be made sooner than expected, in November, 2011. Critics of the process are calling it the "secret Farm Bill" with "no accountability."
Everybody involved in farm policy had been expecting the next Farm Bill to pass in 2012 or 2013. However, the strange new Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction -- the "Super Committee" -- may make the important decisions very soon.
The Super Committee process is confusing. Here is my summary of the key points.
If the Super Committee succeeds, Congress promises to swallow a laxative.
As part of the recent fight over raising the debt ceiling, Congress delegated a peculiar and almost unprecedented decision option to the bi-partisan Super Committee. This committee's power comes from its option to make a recommendation before Thanksgiving on $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over ten years. If the committee succeeds in making a recommendation, Congress has agreed to give the proposal an up-or-down majority vote, with no filibusters.
If the Super Committee fails, Congress promises to swallow a poison pill.
If the Super Committee fails to make a recommendation, there will be ferocious mandatory across-the-board deficit reductions. Congress has already passed these reductions, with a conditional trigger stating that they kick in when the Super Committee fails to make a proposal.
The Super Committee process may or may not leave the Agriculture Committees out of the loop.
Out of the $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over ten years, the Super Committee is expected to take perhaps $23 billion in savings from farm subsidies and nutrition programs that are normally included in the Farm Bill. Leaders on the House and Senate Agriculture Committees are tempted to move quickly in the next two weeks on their own Farm Bill proposals, so that at least the composition of the cuts will be decided by traditional farm policy leaders rather than by the non-farm-policy people on the Super Committee. Philip Brasher reports this week that deficit hawks suspect that the traditional farm policy leaders can find a way to sneak weaker and more easily reversible cuts into the supposed $23 billion savings.
If the Farm Bill is essentially decided this month, what will it look like? It would in that case probably include cuts or elimination of direct subsidy payments (which don't depend on commodity prices). It might or might not include some traditional deficiency payments (which pay farmers only if market prices are lower than a target price), but these subsidies don't matter much right now one way or the other, because commodity prices are currently high and quite likely to stay that way for a while. The most interesting open question is whether a rushed Farm Bill will include some type of strange insurance mechanism, perhaps even more convoluted than the complex ACRE program.
What to monitor:
So here are the three decisions to watch in the next month, one of the most exceptionally intense periods of food policy decision-making I have ever witnessed.
1. Will traditional farm policy legislators in the House and Senate Agriculture Committees this month submit their own proposed Farm Bill, with about $23 billion in cuts over ten years, in time for the Super Committee to consider it?
2. Will the Super Committee exercise its option to make a highly influential deficit reduction proposal of $1.5 trillion over ten years before Thanksgiving?
3. If the Super Committee does succeed in making a proposal without Agriculture Committee input, will traditional farm policy legislators fight it, or will it represent a sort of coup-d'etat in U.S. farm policy, demoting the traditional deal-makers to bystanders?
And here is one more decision to watch in the longer run.
4. If the Super Committee does not succeed in making a proposal, how will the slower Farm Bill process in 2012 be affected by the across-the-board mandatory cuts?
Everybody involved in farm policy had been expecting the next Farm Bill to pass in 2012 or 2013. However, the strange new Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction -- the "Super Committee" -- may make the important decisions very soon.
The Super Committee process is confusing. Here is my summary of the key points.
If the Super Committee succeeds, Congress promises to swallow a laxative.
As part of the recent fight over raising the debt ceiling, Congress delegated a peculiar and almost unprecedented decision option to the bi-partisan Super Committee. This committee's power comes from its option to make a recommendation before Thanksgiving on $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over ten years. If the committee succeeds in making a recommendation, Congress has agreed to give the proposal an up-or-down majority vote, with no filibusters.
If the Super Committee fails, Congress promises to swallow a poison pill.
If the Super Committee fails to make a recommendation, there will be ferocious mandatory across-the-board deficit reductions. Congress has already passed these reductions, with a conditional trigger stating that they kick in when the Super Committee fails to make a proposal.
The Super Committee process may or may not leave the Agriculture Committees out of the loop.
Out of the $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over ten years, the Super Committee is expected to take perhaps $23 billion in savings from farm subsidies and nutrition programs that are normally included in the Farm Bill. Leaders on the House and Senate Agriculture Committees are tempted to move quickly in the next two weeks on their own Farm Bill proposals, so that at least the composition of the cuts will be decided by traditional farm policy leaders rather than by the non-farm-policy people on the Super Committee. Philip Brasher reports this week that deficit hawks suspect that the traditional farm policy leaders can find a way to sneak weaker and more easily reversible cuts into the supposed $23 billion savings.
If the Farm Bill is essentially decided this month, what will it look like? It would in that case probably include cuts or elimination of direct subsidy payments (which don't depend on commodity prices). It might or might not include some traditional deficiency payments (which pay farmers only if market prices are lower than a target price), but these subsidies don't matter much right now one way or the other, because commodity prices are currently high and quite likely to stay that way for a while. The most interesting open question is whether a rushed Farm Bill will include some type of strange insurance mechanism, perhaps even more convoluted than the complex ACRE program.
What to monitor:
So here are the three decisions to watch in the next month, one of the most exceptionally intense periods of food policy decision-making I have ever witnessed.
1. Will traditional farm policy legislators in the House and Senate Agriculture Committees this month submit their own proposed Farm Bill, with about $23 billion in cuts over ten years, in time for the Super Committee to consider it?
2. Will the Super Committee exercise its option to make a highly influential deficit reduction proposal of $1.5 trillion over ten years before Thanksgiving?
3. If the Super Committee does succeed in making a proposal without Agriculture Committee input, will traditional farm policy legislators fight it, or will it represent a sort of coup-d'etat in U.S. farm policy, demoting the traditional deal-makers to bystanders?
And here is one more decision to watch in the longer run.
4. If the Super Committee does not succeed in making a proposal, how will the slower Farm Bill process in 2012 be affected by the across-the-board mandatory cuts?
Go West! Wai‘anae, Oahu
No matter how many times you have been to Oahu, it's quite likely you have never been very far West of Honolulu, to Wai‘anae. It's not the easiest part of the island to farm because it's hot and dry, but it is where you will find some very inspiring people working hard to achieve sustainability for the land, for the food system, and for the benefit of everyone.
Eighty five percent of food in Hawaii is imported and Monsanto is now using some of the old plantations to produce genetically modified seeds. If anyone can turn the tide and bring back a more sustainable way of life, a way of life the people of Hawaii once enjoyed, it's the farmers and ranchers of Ma'o Farms, Kahumana Farms and Naked Cow Dairy. Seeing their work will give you hope for the future. They are all cultivating a deep love and respect for the land that nourishes, called 'aina in the Hawaiian language.
Ma'o Farms is a certified organic farm and education center. Ma'o produces salad greens, row crops, cooking greens, fruits and herbs. It also produces farmers! In a region plagued by homelessness, crime, obesity, drug use and unemployment they are training local young men and women to work on a farm. They are also helping to pay for their college tuition. They are farmers but see themselves as co-producers.
I walked through the fields and nibbled on the greens plucked from the ground, citrus and herbs. Everything tasted tender, sweet and vibrant. Their produce is available at farmers markets and virtually all of the best restaurants in Honolulu.
Like Ma'o Farms, Kahumana Farms also serves multiple purposes. In addition to a biodynamic farm there is a cafe, a retreat and transitional housing for families in need. They are growing all kinds of things including taro and are experimenting with herbs and plants with healing powers.
The food at the cafe is fresh from the farm, reasonably priced and delicious, served with aloha. I had some pasta with wonderful macadamia nut and basil pesto served with a piece of simply prepared fish and a green salad.
Naked Cow Dairy is run by two sisters, Sabrina and Monique, who never intended to be "cow girls" let alone cheese makers. There used to thirty dairies on the West side of the island, but when the last dairy on the island closed, they saw a need and chose to fill it. Traditionally 95% of all feed was imported, but they are working with local farmers to create silage for the cows. They have twenty Jersey, Holstein and half breeds and have been producing butter for two years, three batches per day. Whole Foods sells their butter, their cheese and yogurt goes to chefs and farmers markets.
The butter is 45-52% butterfat and very similar to European butter. It is some of the sweetest butter I ever tasted, amazingly fresh and clean tasting. Sabrina has a culinary background and has made some uniquely flavored butters including an outstanding toasted coconut version. The sisters are hoping to make feta, cream cheese, havarti maybe cheddar. But mainly, like their farmer neighbors, they are hoping to make a difference.
My thanks to the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau for hosting me on this visit
Thứ Tư, 26 tháng 10, 2011
Federal policy and the McRib
The McDonald's McRib is back in the news again. A mocking Twitter feed is under way. Now is a good time to revisit the federal government's role in this industrial concoction, a perfect symbol of a food system gone mad.
The McRib was originally developed with support from the federal government's pork checkoff program. Of all the things this federal program has accomplished over the decades, the McRib deserves mention right up front. The National Pork Board's 2006 annual report (.pdf) boasted in its first paragraph:
The pork checkoff program sometimes is mistaken for a private sector trade association. It is not. Like all the federal checkoffs, it uses the federal government's power of taxation to collect a mandatory assessment or tax from all pork producers, whether they voluntarily want to pay or not. The checkoff is managed by the National Pork Board, whose members are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture. Program oversight is provided by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. Every marketing message is approved by the federal government, with official status as "government speech."
The McRib stands for the proposition that the federal government should help the pork industry promote any product, no matter how contrary to the government's own dietary guidance efforts in the midst of an epidemic of overweight and chronic disease.
Here is the nutrition facts panel, with 450 Calories, 40% of a day's saturated fat, 37% of a day's sodium, and an overall grade of "D" from Caloriecount.
I can understand why McDonald's wants to market this kind of stuff. I am sure it is profitable. But, why can't the federal government exercise more discretion in its own choice of products for the federal checkoff programs? Isn't there anybody in the whole chain of oversight for the pork checkoff who is embarrassed to be associated with the McRib?
The McRib was originally developed with support from the federal government's pork checkoff program. Of all the things this federal program has accomplished over the decades, the McRib deserves mention right up front. The National Pork Board's 2006 annual report (.pdf) boasted in its first paragraph:
The Pork Checkoff celebrated 20 years of progress in 2006. Taking a look back and reflecting on where we are today, I am reminded of the impact that the Pork Checkoff has had on the industry, such as moving from being a net importer of pork to one of the largest exporters of pork in the world; creating new products like the very successful McRib; developing education programs such as Pork Quality Assurance™ to help producers ensure consumers of a safe, wholesome product; and repositioning pork from a second thought to top-of-mind awareness.
The pork checkoff program sometimes is mistaken for a private sector trade association. It is not. Like all the federal checkoffs, it uses the federal government's power of taxation to collect a mandatory assessment or tax from all pork producers, whether they voluntarily want to pay or not. The checkoff is managed by the National Pork Board, whose members are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture. Program oversight is provided by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. Every marketing message is approved by the federal government, with official status as "government speech."
The McRib stands for the proposition that the federal government should help the pork industry promote any product, no matter how contrary to the government's own dietary guidance efforts in the midst of an epidemic of overweight and chronic disease.
Here is the nutrition facts panel, with 450 Calories, 40% of a day's saturated fat, 37% of a day's sodium, and an overall grade of "D" from Caloriecount.
I can understand why McDonald's wants to market this kind of stuff. I am sure it is profitable. But, why can't the federal government exercise more discretion in its own choice of products for the federal checkoff programs? Isn't there anybody in the whole chain of oversight for the pork checkoff who is embarrassed to be associated with the McRib?
Thứ Ba, 25 tháng 10, 2011
Chef Alan Wong on Hawaii Cuisine
On my recent trip to Hawaii I got a chance to interview Chef Alan Wong. I just wanted to get a few quotes but I was so impressed by what he had to say I thought I'd share a bit more of the interview. His list of things to do when you visit Hawaii is really wonderful and makes me want to go back...
You were one of the founders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine now in its twentieth year. What's happening with Hawaii cuisine today?Twenty years later we have so much more product, more vegetables, more fish. It's a different ball game ingredient wise. On the Big Island there is red veal being produced, we have aquaculture--farm raised moi and kampachi even sturgeon. Local asparagus wasn't available 20 years ago there was only one cheese maker. Now, every island has at least one cheese maker.
Is eating local catching on?Yes. Everyone is getting on board. Everyone wants to support buying local. We need to support farmers. I predict even more local products and more sensitivity to buying local and a challenge to the younger chefs to take risks with cuisine.
What are your thoughts on the farmers markets, pop ups and gourmet food trucks?It's great and brings something new to people who love to eat. It's funny because the lunch wagons have been around for a long time. This idea of Korean food on a taco is not new to us! The movement has revived an idea and some people are now doing new things, gourmet things. But we grew up on plate lunch mentality.
What should visitors not miss when they come to Hawaii?They ought to hit at least one farmer's market, especially the KCC market.
To understand Hawaii, visit the Hawaii Plantation Village, go on the guided tour and you will see houses from the plantation era. To undertand local culture and food you need to understand our history, from the Polynesians, to the tall ships, the missionaries, the Portuguese whalers, sugar cane workers, then Asian immigrants. We send all our restaurant staff to the Plantation Village. We use it as a training tool.
Our soul food lies in the past. Go to a Chinese restaurant, a Korean restaurant, and a Hawaiian restaurant like Ono Hawaiian.
Take a trip to the fish auction. It's one of the last in the US and see the variety of fish we have in Hawaii.
Tamashiro fresh fish market has a wide variety of poke.
And go visit one farm!
Alan Wong will be visiting the Bay Area. Meet him in person at a book signing, cooking demo or other special event, and learn more about Hawaiian cuisine and culture. Visit www.thebluetomato.net/tastehawaiitour for more information about any of the events listed below and to purchase tickets (though most events are free).
Thursday, October 27, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – BOOK SIGNING
Omnivore Books on Food, 3885 Cesar Chavez Street
Hawaii celebrates the 20th anniversary of Hawaii Regional Cuisine this year. James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura bring the taste of the islands to Bay Area residents in a series of events. Join the fun at Omnivore Books on Food where you can talk story with Chef Alan Wong and Arnold Hiura and learn about Chef’s newest cookbook, The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong, and Arnold’s book, Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands. Experience a tasting exercise with Chef Alan, featuring ingredients brought fresh from Hawaii.
Saturday, October 29, 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – COOKING DEMONSTRATION
Ferry Building Marketplace – N. Arcade Outdoor Teaching Kitchen, 1 Ferry Building
James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura are in the Bay Area this month to share Hawaii’s unique food culture and scene with residents. See how Chef Alan transforms locally-sourced farmers market ingredients into white tablecloth fare, influenced by the flavors of simple Hawaii favorites. This event is free and open to the public.
Saturday, October 29, 12:30-1:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – BOOK SIGNING
Ferry Building Marketplace – Shop #42, 1 Ferry Building
Talk story with James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura and check out their books focusing on the unique culinary landscape of the islands – The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong and Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands. Chef and Arnold are in the Bay Area this month to share the cuisine and food culture of Hawaii. Both books are back-to-back recipients of the Hawaii Book Publishers Association’s Ka Palapala Pookela Award of Excellence in Cookbooks in 2009 and 2010, respectively. This event is free and open to the public.
Sunday, October 30, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – FOOD TASTING
Japanese Cultural Center, 1840 Sutter Street, Suite 201
Hawaii celebrates the 20th anniversary of Hawaii Regional Cuisine this year and the celebration is spreading to the Bay Area this month! Learn about the evolution of Hawaii’s culinary landscape from James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura and have the opportunity to taste Chef’s recipes in this special evening affair benefiting the Japanese Cultural Center of Northern California. Each ticket includes your choice of a copy of Chef Alan’s The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations Behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong or Arnold Hiura’s Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands, and open access to food and buffet stations. Menu will incorporate dishes from Chef’s book and Hukilau Restaurant. Tickets are $75.
Monday, October 31, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – PAU HANA MIXER
La Mar cebichería peruana, Pier 1.5 Embarcadero
Kick start your Halloween night with the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce of Northern California (HCCNC), James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura in a pau hana mixer at La Mar cebichería peruana. Enjoy pupu, drinks, and special Hawaii raffle prizes, including one for the best Halloween costume! This event is free and open to the public.
Wednesday, November 2, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – FOOD TASTING
Akiyama Wellness Center, 110 Jackson Street
Enjoy a very special and insightful lunch with James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong and Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura as they share the unique culinary landscape of the Hawaiian Islands. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, and Chef and Arnold are celebrating with several events in the Bay Area. Talk story with the two and enjoy a buffet by Hukilau Restaurant and food by Chef Alan. Each ticket includes your choice of a copy of Chef Alan’s The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations Behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong or Arnold Hiura’s Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands, beverage service, and open access to food stations. Tickets are $60.
Wednesday, November 2, 6:30-9:00 p.m.
TASTE HAWAII TOUR WITH CHEF ALAN WONG AND ARNOLD HIURA – CHEF ALAN’S BIRTHDAY BASH
Hukilau Restaurant, 230 Jackson Street
It’s James Beard Award-winning chef Alan Wong’s birthday and you are invited to join the party! Celebrate with him, Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura and more at Hukilau Restaurant for fun and of course, food! This event will feature action stations by Chef Alan and a buffet of Hawaii favorites by Hukilau Restaurant. Guests to this event will also have the chance to win a trip for two to the Hawaiian Islands to dine at an Alan Wong’s Restaurant. Each ticket includes your choice of a copy of Chef Alan’s The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations Behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong or Arnold Hiura’s Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands, hosted bar, and open access to food and buffet stations. Tickets are $75.
Thứ Hai, 24 tháng 10, 2011
Party Tips from the Jordan Halloween Bash
Jordan Winery has a philosophy of hospitality that shines in everything they do. Their wines are elegant and balanced and are amazingly food friendly. You have likely seen their chardonnay or cabernet sauvignon on restaurant menus since both are very popular with sommeliers.
At the winery are two secret weapons to creating incredible experiences, Todd and Nitsa Knoll. Todd was a chef at the Ritz-Carlton before coming to the winery where each season he creates new recipes that go up on the winery website. I got a chance to spend some time with him in his kitchen and see the way he literally sketches out his ideas before cooking. He sources the finest ingredients and can tell you things such as why the white asparagus in the US isn't as good as the white asparagus in France (because it's imported from Latin America). His wife Nitsa was also a cook at the Ritz Carlton and has a real knack for hosting events and making guests feel welcome.
The halloween parties at Jordan are legendary and I was lucky enough to attend this year. You don't have to have professionals on staff to throw a great party (though it certainly helps!). Here is what I learned are some of the keys to success:
1. Theme. A theme creates excitement. In this case the theme was True Grit and the invitation which was inside a cigar box containing a bandana, movie DVD and horseshoe created such enthusiasm that hardly a soul didn't dress up in costume. The theme was evident in the decorations, the music and even the cocktails.
4. Activities. The party had a "shooting gallery" a casino and a lounge for dancing. If that wasn't enough you could head outside to mingle with guests and enjoy the starry night.
5. Details. Because the winery is in Healdsburg there were going to be plenty of people coming from out of town. In addition to booking blocks of rooms, the winery also arranged for shuttles to take guests to and from the hotels so parking (not to mention drinking and driving) would not be a problem.
What are your tips for throwing a great party? Share them in the comments.
Thứ Năm, 20 tháng 10, 2011
Ferran Adrià & The Family Meal
Ferran Adrià is considered one of the best chefs in the world. His food at elBulli was wildly creative and influential. For better, and in some camps, for worse, he is best known as a leading proponent of the cutting edge cuisine associated with the much reviled term "molecular gastronomy." Operating like a mad scientist, he closed his restaurant for a good part of the year so he could create 150 new recipes each season. But while diners at the esteemed elBulli marveled at food made into foam and paper, the staff ate relatively simple meals.
At a sold-out lecture earlier this month, Adrià a man inextricably tied to creativity said the very word "creativity" was pretentious. Cuisine he said, can be a social tool, an instrument for peace and can change the world. In introducing his book The Family Meal about the staff meals at the restaurant, he said what he has done with this book is as avant-garde as anything in the restaurant. In person Ferran Adrià is funny, charismatic, fascinating, and frankly a bundle of contradictions. He seems to make a point of being down to earth but at times says things that are fairly outrageous.
He claimed elBulli was not just about eating but about creating "an experience" for diners. But after coming to the conclusion that "if you eat well you will cook well" Adrià focused on the meals that the staff ate at the restaurant. The goal was to serve 3 courses for a budget of 3-4 euros that were as varied as possible. His new cookbook, The Family Meal, is uniquely formatted to show you how family meals were created at elBulli. It is a guidebook for restaurants but also for home cooks. The pictorial layout of the book is brilliant and better than a lot of other books that attempt to simplify menu planning and cooking but end up complicating such as Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes.
I like the book. A lot. Perhaps surprisingly, there are plenty of good ideas for a creative cook without a thermal immersion circulator or liquid nitrogen. But if there is a weakness it is that the recipes were photographed for larger yields. Sometimes the photographs may be confusing for a home cook who does not use things like hotel pans. And while siphons and chargers may be standard equipment at elBulli, they are not likely to be found in most American households. Not yet anyway.
So what recipes inspired me? I love the simple fruit desserts, oranges with honey, olive oil and salt, pineapple with molasses and lime, strawberries in vinegar. The bread and garlic soup and the grilled lettuce hearts with mint and whole grain mustard vinaigrette both look divine. I have already made my own variation on the chicken wings with mushrooms and the barbecue spareribs. Is any of it reminiscent of what you'd eat at elBulli? No. But it's infinitely more practical (and if you really want to cook like they did at elBulli you can plunk down $49.95 for A Day at elBulli).
Agricultural economists say excise taxes for soda appear to be good policy
The new issue of Choices Magazine, the outreach publication from the agricultural economics profession, has a special policy theme on excise taxes for soda. Although there are some interesting differences across the several articles, the final article by Carlisle Ford Runge, Justin Johnson, and Carlisle Piehl Runge, sums up:
Excise Taxes Appear to Be Good Policy
Taxing soda will reduce its consumption and raise revenue; by one recent estimate a 1 cent/oz. national U.S. excise tax would cut soda calorie consumption 8-10% and raise $15 billion per year (Brownell, et al., 2009). Moreover, from a theoretical perspective, the cross-subsidization from non-consumers of soft drinks to consumers resulting from such a tax is not large, and both classes of consumers can be shown to be better off (O’Donoghue and Rabin, 2006). Even if the caloric reduction in soft drinks is offset by whole milk consumption, the nutritional and metabolic advantages of milk versus soda are clear. If such consumption is of plain, reduced-fat milk, these advantages are amplified. Finally, a 1-for-1 substitution of milk for soda on a per volume basis is unlikely, due to milk’s digestibility relative to soda. For these reasons, wide adoption of such excise taxes appears to be good policy. Even if they fail to reduce caloric intake in young people, the quality of those calories will improve.
Thứ Ba, 18 tháng 10, 2011
Where is the dairy checkoff report to Congress? (Update)
Despite a requirement in federal law to submit an annual report to Congress, the dairy checkoff program has not yet produced the report for July 2010 or July 2011, both of which are now long overdue.
Because earlier requests for a copy of the July 2010 report had been turned down by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), I filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in September for the two most recent missing reports. However, AMS turned down the request today, saying that the material was classified as "pre-decisional" and "deliberative." The AMS response said that the reports were still in USDA clearance, and that the 2010 report will be released shortly.
The Dairy Production and Stabilization Act of 1983 (.pdf) says:
I think dairy farmers and the public deserve more timely transparency in this federal program, which is vastly better funded than anything the federal government does to promote healthy eating.
Because earlier requests for a copy of the July 2010 report had been turned down by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), I filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in September for the two most recent missing reports. However, AMS turned down the request today, saying that the material was classified as "pre-decisional" and "deliberative." The AMS response said that the reports were still in USDA clearance, and that the 2010 report will be released shortly.
The Dairy Production and Stabilization Act of 1983 (.pdf) says:
Not later than July 1, 1985, and July 1 of each year after the date of enactment of this title, an annual report describing activities conducted under the dairy products promotion and research order issued under this subchapter, and accounting for the receipt and disbursement of all funds received by the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board under such order including an independent analysis of the effectiveness of the program.Likewise, USDA's Dairy Promotion and Research Order (.pdf) requires the agency:
To prepare and make public, at least annually, a report of its activities carried out and an accounting for funds received and expended.The dairy checkoff program uses the federal government's power of taxation to collect a mandatory assessment of more than $390 million per year from farmers, in order to support research, promotion, and advertising activities, such as the "Got Milk" campaign. The checkoff program promotes increased high-fat cheese consumption through support for fast food pizza marketing campaigns. The program's management corporation, Dairy Management Inc., boasts of the fast food collaborations. Notwithstanding the tension between these advertisements and healthy dietary guidance, every checkoff program message is endorsed by the federal government (in legal terminology, the advertisements must be approved as "government speech").
I think dairy farmers and the public deserve more timely transparency in this federal program, which is vastly better funded than anything the federal government does to promote healthy eating.
May 2012 workshop on the "food environment"
Colleagues in the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) and its European sister organization are organizing an upcoming workshop on food retail, food access, and the food environment. I am assisting with the local organizing for the workshop, here at Tufts.
Here is the open request for abstracts.
Here is the open request for abstracts.
Abstracts submissions are due November 1, 2011 for the Food Environment: The Effects of Context on Food Choice conference jointly organized by AAEA and EAAE. The conference will take place May 30-31, 2012 at Tufts University in Boston.
The conference is aimed at providing insights into the influence of the food environment on the quality, price, and availability of food, associated health or environmental impacts, and to uncover the impact of policies aimed at influencing the food production and choice. For more information, including abstract submission instructions, please visit the conference website.
Thứ Hai, 17 tháng 10, 2011
Chile Cheddar Bacon Waffle recipe
Dining out is one of the best favorite forms of culinary inspiration. Last weekend I went out for brunch at "Eats" on Clement Street and ordered the Waffle Bacon which was described as bacon pressed in a waffle, cheddar, Hungarian peppers and a sunny up egg. It was a wonderful combination of gooey, chewy and crisp and had many classic flavors associated with breakfast. It was definitely the sauteed peppers that tied the bacon, egg, cheese and waffle together and took the dish to the next level. I knew this was something I had to order again or better yet, try to duplicate at home.
Instead of using Hungarian peppers I took the easy route and used diced green chiles from a can. The result? Oh my. It was delicious! The truth is, a bacon waffle topped with chiles and cheese is actually quite good without the egg as well, though you can imagine how the yolk forms a lovely sauce for the bacon waffle. Sometimes more is better, and it's the excess of this recipe that makes it so satisfying. Who doesn't love bacon, cheddar or green chiles? They are my go to ingredients for making everything from eggs to soups or stews taste better.
I'm not a huge proponent of packaged foods like pancake and waffle mix, but in this case it's a good shortcut. While I often make pancakes or waffles from scratch, having a mix on hand is worthwhile. You can even make your own mix if you like. What restaurant dish will inspire my next recipe? I can't wait to find out...
Chile Cheddar Bacon Waffle
Makes one serving (multiply to serve as many as you like)
Ingredients
Waffle batter, homemade or from a mix
2 strips bacon, cooked and cut into 4 pieces
2 Tablespoons cheddar, shredded
2 Tablespoons fire roasted green chiles (such as Ortega brand)
Optional:
1 teaspoon butter or oil
1 egg
Instructions
Heat waffle iron and grease as directed. Pour in the batter and lay a piece of bacon in each quadrant. Close cover and cook until done. Meanwhile heat a small nonstick pan. Add the butter or oil and fry the egg. Meanwhile place the chiles in a microwave safe container and gently heat in the microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Place the waffle on a plate, top with the chiles, cheese and egg, if desired.
Enjoy!
Thứ Tư, 12 tháng 10, 2011
Cereal boxes from pop artist Ron English
A student points out these cereal boxes from pop artist Ron English, reportedly on a shelf in a Ralph's store. The Popaganda blog says: "Find a box, send it to Ron and he'll sign it."
Thứ Ba, 11 tháng 10, 2011
I Love Thai Cooking
Sometimes the recipes I try from food blogs work, other times they don't. On rare occasions they are so good they become "keepers" that I know I will cook again and again. The other night I made the Stir Fried Shanghai Noodles with Beef recipe from I Love Thai Cooking/Pranee's Thai Kitchen. It was very quick, easy and inexpensive to make and absolutely delicious! If you are looking for the way to make one steak serve two people, this is it.
The recipe uses some staple ingredients you probably already have on hand like soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil. I found fresh Shanghai noodles in a two pound bag at a local Asian grocery store. I used a flat iron steak instead of flank steak and Mirin in place of the rice wine or sake so I didn't add the sugar. I also added one slivered green onion at the end of cooking. I followed the instructions pretty closely so I am not going to reprint the recipe but suggest you head to Pranee's blog to find it.
Pranee's blog has mostly Thai recipes, ingredient guides and travel posts. Learn about exotic fruit like durian and vegetables like bitter melon, find recipes for unusual dishes such as Sunflower Sprout Salad with Chili-Lime Vinaigrette. It's definitely worthy of a bookmark.
Thứ Hai, 10 tháng 10, 2011
Interview with Nigel Slater
Nigel Slater is a cook and food writer from England who has written extensively for magazines and newspapers and is author of nine cookbooks. The film based on his autobiography Toast is being released in theaters in the US this month. It features a very strong cast which includes Helena Bonham Carter as his stepmother.
In anticipation of the film, I got a chance to speak with him about his autobiography, the film, his passion for gardening (the subject of his most recent book Tender) and the food writers who influenced him the most when he was growing up.
Your autobiography Toast was intimately revealing. What inspired you to write it?
I wrote the book because I wanted to record the food of the 60's and 70's, the food I ate at home, not "cheffy" food. It turned out each food had a story, it was a collection of diary entries. As a child I knew there was exciting cooking out there, but I wasn't having it. Because academically I didn't do very well, it seemed to work well to go into cooking college and it was there I discovered the pleasures of cooking and eating, that food is a good and happy thing. Sadly that discovery wasn't until I was in my dark teens. It's the germ of a love story. Young Nigel became a different person.
I was and still am a very private person, I'd never talked much about my private life. I do not know why I let it get so intimate. I stopped writing at one point and thought no one would be interested. But it was an extraordinary thing to do and it turns out a lot people do relate to it. I've protected myself by stopping the book at age 18.
Would you ever consider writing a sequel?
I don't think I would do a sequel because it would include people who are alive.
How were you involved in the making of the movie?
I wasn't going to be involved at all, but when I met the director, I realized I was going to be drawn in whether I liked it or not. I didn't get involved in the screenplay but I did go up on set and seemed to show up on the most emotional scenes. When you hear it through headphones it's so loud it really hit home. The mother dying scene was very emotional.
Which affected you more, the book or the film?
I shed tears over both the film and the book, I'm very much a book person, it's difficult to say which is more cathartic, and I realize there were things I never did. The book was most cathartic but the film was the icing on the cake.
Under the covers at night you read cookbooks by flashlight. Which cookbook authors and food writers influenced you most?
Early on I was influenced by Margaret Costa. It was sort of bistro cooking which represented something very rich. A lot of people don't know her. I certainly read, but didn't warm to Elizabeth David. I read Jane Grigson too, though some of her recipes seem a little dated today. I also enjoyed Constance Spry, she started the Cordon Bleu, her writing has an elegance to it. The first TV cook I saw was Graham Kerr who changed everything in England.
Lemon meringue pie features prominently in the book and the movie. Can you tell me more about it?
The best lemon meringue pie I ever had was my stepmother's and I never got her recipe. It's the elusive recipe that I value above all others. I've never been able to duplicate it.
In the film the food was highlighted, the colors were almost washed out and then the food was colored so it sang out. It made the food to be the star of the film. That made me very happy.
In the book you form a friendship with the gardener, did that inspire your love of gardening and the book Tender?
There was something about growing things, with the gardener, but in later years I also gardened with my father. I grew carrots and I got this gardening bug. You never forget the first time a seed you plant grows. I knew one day I wanted a garden. When I bought my house in London I turned down buying several places because there was no patch for a garden. Gardening is connected to happy and carefree moments for me. When I'm in the garden I'm disconnected, I don't even take my mobile (cell phone).
Will there be a sequel to Tender?
Yes, it will be a book on fruit.
SPOILER ALERT! Skip this if you have not read the book or don't want to know how the movie ends...
At the end of the movie you leave your stepmother and never see her again. Is that the way it really happened?
I lived with my stepmother for a few weeks and I knew she wasn't going to stay in the house. I'd escaped from the Midlands and that's where she wanted to return, it's where her family was. The idea of London was exciting. I'm amazed that I had the strength to leave. I realized that there was no hope for that relationship. In retrospect I would have loved to put things right with her.
For more on the film visit the Toast Facebook page or follow on Twitter @Toastfilm
NYC shares restaurant inspection information online
New York City last year introduced an online data utility that provides great detail about health inspections of restaurants. The application cleverly combines Google Maps with data from health inspector reports.
It has always been the case that health inspectors could shut down restaurants that failed to meet a certain threshold for adequate hygiene. The most distinctive thing about this "report card" approach is that it provides consumers with greater information about inspections that found some problems, but not enough problems to shut down the restaurant. In economic terms, this approach remedies an "information asymmetry," in which the consumer lacks some key information about food production practices.
Perhaps the most interesting thing to do on this site is to visit "advanced search" and then browse the worst-scoring restaurants that were not shut down. For example, the restaurant "La Trattoria" in the screen shot below was not closed. Here are the recorded violations:
It has always been the case that health inspectors could shut down restaurants that failed to meet a certain threshold for adequate hygiene. The most distinctive thing about this "report card" approach is that it provides consumers with greater information about inspections that found some problems, but not enough problems to shut down the restaurant. In economic terms, this approach remedies an "information asymmetry," in which the consumer lacks some key information about food production practices.
Perhaps the most interesting thing to do on this site is to visit "advanced search" and then browse the worst-scoring restaurants that were not shut down. For example, the restaurant "La Trattoria" in the screen shot below was not closed. Here are the recorded violations:
New York's effort is the latest in a series of similar innovations around the country. In the past, we described similar but lower-tech health inspection report cards in Los Angeles.
Violations recorded in the following area (s) and a Notice of Violation issued at the reinspection conducted on 09/02/2011. Tip! "Critical" violations are displayed in red.
Violation points: 79Sanitary Violations
1) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
2) Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
3) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
4) Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.
5) Toilet facility not provided for employees or for patrons when required.
6) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
7) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
8) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
9) Accurate thermometer not provided in refrigerated or hot holding equipment.
Thứ Sáu, 7 tháng 10, 2011
Why do YOU cook, Monica Bhide?
I'm not sure there is a harder working food writer than Monica Bhide. She teaches, writes magazine articles, has a syndicated newspaper column called Seasonings, and has written several cookbooks including her most recent, Modern Spice. What I like about her writing is the personal stories and her enthusiasm for using different ingredients. She's also about as big a twitteraholic as I am. Not only do I learn something new when I read her stories, articles and tweets, but I enjoy the journey.
As a child, I always felt that I had trouble relating with the world. I always felt that I did not fit in the crowd and that I could not really "connect" with people. Then one day, I discovered what I did relate to: the kitchen. I would spend hours watching my parents and my grandparents and uncles and aunts cooking but never attempted to try it myself. I think I was about 8 or 9 when I began to cook. It was an experience unlike any other. I never felt awkward or out of place in the kitchen. I never thought of cooking as hard (unlike school work!). The kitchen made me feel at peace with myself. It was around the same time that I started writing... but all the writing was private. I never shared it with anyone.
But back to cooking: As a child, there were so many things I could not do. I did not know how to swim or ride a bike or be one with the in crowd. But I knew how to bring out the best in eggplant, i knew how to sizzle cumin just right to release it's flavor and aroma, i knew how to stuff an okra with a pungent spice mix, I knew how to simmer a deep and intensely flavored lamb curry. I would go to the farmers market and pick fruits and vegetables with my dad and learned how to tell good fish from bad. And then the magic happened: when I served the food to people, they liked it. It became the source of connection with friends and family and those who came to my table. I felt like I finally had made a connection. Years later, as I cook to care and nurture my family, my writing grew up. I heard from more and more people that they connected with my words and that made them want to cook my food.
I cook because it is who I am. Cooking, for me, is a away of nurturing those around me and sharing a part of me with them. My world of writing and food makes me feel like I belong in this world and that I have a purpose and that I matter and can make a difference.
Monica Bhide is the twentieth person profiled in this series. Read more profiles.
Thứ Năm, 6 tháng 10, 2011
Sprout's October issue
The October issue of Sprout, the Friedman School's graduate student publication, has just been posted.
Sarah Gold draws on material from an International Food Information Council (IFIC) presentation at a dietetics conference to point out many merits of processed foods. Although sodium and sugar content of processed foods are mentioned in passing, a major theme of the presentation seemed to be that Americans would be malnourished without processed foods.
Sarah Gold draws on material from an International Food Information Council (IFIC) presentation at a dietetics conference to point out many merits of processed foods. Although sodium and sugar content of processed foods are mentioned in passing, a major theme of the presentation seemed to be that Americans would be malnourished without processed foods.
“This is a very confusing aspect of the debate,” says Victor Fulgoni III, PhD of Nutrition impact and speaker at the FNCE session. “Some of the discontent is fueled by some that want only local and fresh foods to be consumed. While this is a very laudable goal it is just not possible for most of Americans for either time or economic constraints,” adds Fulgoni.In another article, Rachel Perez discusses the new Harvard food plate with my colleagues Jeanne Goldberg, Tim Griffin, and me.
Sadly, only about 300 calories per day come from minimally processed foods in the American diet, according to the data presented by Fulgoni at FNCE. Not surprisingly ready-to-eat (RTE) foods make up the largest portion of calories consumed (about 600 calories) and the top RTE foods consumed include soda, candy, potato chips, and juice drinks. This did not include food eaten at restaurants.
Processed foods contribute more dietary saturated fat, sugar, and sodium than minimally processed foods. However, they also provide the largest source of fiber, B vitamins, folate, iron, and potassium for many Americans. According to the study, most American’s would not meet the daily recommendations for essential vitamins and minerals without processed foods.
Certainly no single icon—whether pyramid, or plate—can effectively portray every nutrition message, let alone change behavior.
To the casual observer, the USDA vs. Harvard plate controversy may amount to mere academic banter or wholesome collegiate competition. But for nutrition professionals, the plates offer a sobering challenge. Dishing out nutrition messages requires both appropriate policy to back food recommendations, along with clear nutrition communications.
Thứ Ba, 4 tháng 10, 2011
100 Perfect Pairings Main Dishes to Enjoy with Wines You Love
Developing new and enticing recipes that will bring out the best in a variety of wines is a challenge I relish. I have a huge collection of food and wine pairing books, not only because I am fascinated by it but also because for several years I developed recipes for MyWinesDirect, an online wine retailer. Coming up with new recipes to go with yet another Cabernet or Chardonnay required not only creativity but also a deeper understanding of how food and wine interact.
I have only written about a few of the books in my wine pairing collection because frankly, not very many of them are worth telling you about. The bible is of course What To Drink with What You Eat. It's where I go first for inspiration. But I also love the 100 Perfect Pairings books by Jill Silverman Hough. The first was 100 Perfect Pairings Small Plates to Enjoy with Wines You Love and the second out now is 100 Perfect Pairings Main Dishes to Enjoy with Wines You Love. She not only provides recipes, but really digs into how to pair and the tricks to making matches that sing.
The format of the two 100 Perfect Pairings books are the same, as is the general overview information about each wine. Each chapter features a different wine, and dishes that pair well with it. There are six white wines and six red wines (ok one is rose). They are the most common wine varieties you're likely to find. While the first book focused on small plates, the second in the series is all about main dishes. Each recipe has a tip, some insight into what makes it a good dish or a good pairing or even suggestions for how to round out the meal. On my list to try: Buttermilk Oven-Fried Chicken with Garlicky Ranch Sauce with Viognier, Chicken "Cocoa" Vin with Merlot, and Steak and Radicchio Caesar with Cabernet Sauvignon. If you are new at pairing food and wine or do it all the time, these books will be welcome additions to your cookbook collection since they function as reference books too. Jill Silverman Hough makes pairing food and wine easy and fun.
I have only written about a few of the books in my wine pairing collection because frankly, not very many of them are worth telling you about. The bible is of course What To Drink with What You Eat. It's where I go first for inspiration. But I also love the 100 Perfect Pairings books by Jill Silverman Hough. The first was 100 Perfect Pairings Small Plates to Enjoy with Wines You Love and the second out now is 100 Perfect Pairings Main Dishes to Enjoy with Wines You Love. She not only provides recipes, but really digs into how to pair and the tricks to making matches that sing.
The format of the two 100 Perfect Pairings books are the same, as is the general overview information about each wine. Each chapter features a different wine, and dishes that pair well with it. There are six white wines and six red wines (ok one is rose). They are the most common wine varieties you're likely to find. While the first book focused on small plates, the second in the series is all about main dishes. Each recipe has a tip, some insight into what makes it a good dish or a good pairing or even suggestions for how to round out the meal. On my list to try: Buttermilk Oven-Fried Chicken with Garlicky Ranch Sauce with Viognier, Chicken "Cocoa" Vin with Merlot, and Steak and Radicchio Caesar with Cabernet Sauvignon. If you are new at pairing food and wine or do it all the time, these books will be welcome additions to your cookbook collection since they function as reference books too. Jill Silverman Hough makes pairing food and wine easy and fun.
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