Two Best Flavors of Dum-dums

So good, they're almost Japanese-worthy facsimiles of pleasurably acid fruit flavor.

Our Daily Bread

A documentary film by Nikolaus Geyrhalter. Yes, a German film - all incidental dialogue is in German, but that makes it even better. It's scenes from industrial food production, and I can only assume that Germany has a much cleaner slaughterhouse system than America. Really, they hose everything down with jet-powered suds at the end of the day1? Amazing. Slaughterhouses state-side would never allow a camera into the kill booth, would never allow a camera to film piglets being castrated, etc.

The film gains in gruesome technological power as it goes along, but it's beautifully shot and riveting to watch. Almost tranquil, alien scenes in the hydroponic greenhouses. And I love/hate the machine that distributes exactly the right number of live chicks into shipping boxes. Watch out for the salmon vacuum and the poultry vacuum. I highly recommend this movie. Our Daily Bread.

Yes, watching it did make me want to slide more to the vegetarian side of the spectrum. Glad I push for free-range organic eggs every time, even if they're not really clucking and scratching on lush pasture...at least they can walk around a little. Better than a cage. I hope.

Great movie. Everyone should see it. I like how no comment is made on the images delivered. It's just a slice of day-to-day industrial production, and it leaves the viewer to make his or her own comments. Extremely thought-provoking.

Collards and Omelets

A very good combination. The non-stick wok from my mom is rapidly becoming my favorite pan for most things. Fast, high heat! My omelet took two organic eggs, a splash of skim organic milk, a little canola oil, a good handful of steamed sliced collard greens, and a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese. Plus a little cayenne. Really nice. I even figured out how to fold it over and serve. Cooked through, with just enough gooey cheese. Very tasty. Toast was wheat, with a garlic-sage-balsamic white bean spread.

Now enjoying some Earl Grey with a splash of milk. A super breakfast.

Paleo vs. Meditteranean

Of course I can't remember what author recently wrote about the "diseases of civilization," and how those diseases can be related back to cereal grains and agriculture. Make a projection in your head, and we are dying of obesity-related diseases at an alarming rate due to our reliance on cereal grains as our major source of calories. CORN. WHEAT. And now soy, of course, but that is a whole other story of easy protein and phytoestrogens.

So in the era of Atkins and low-carb diets, the high-carbohydrate Mediterranean diet and the low-carb, high-protein Paleolithic diet clash with each other. New trend, new trend! But then, hunting and foraging are very relative to location, no? In the Arctic, there are no trees for fuel, so you are going to preserve those dried musk oxen patties until the last possible moment. Indigenous people of the Arctic ate meat raw, sliced right off the carcass. Seal sushi. Whale sushi. Plus fish and berries and eggs, of course - easier to gather and cook those in summer time. But then, you had American Indians on the New England coast fishing, eating oysters, growing strawberries, corn, and squash, and simmering venison stew with wild rice and herbs. And then you had plains Indians subsisting on the famed "buffalo" - they're bison! Bison! And then there are people whose diets revolve around breadfruit, or manioc, or plantains, or RICE, or SOY, or vegetables. It just depends on the geographic and climatic dice you roll.

So a paleolithic diet is impossible to define. It all goes back to eating whole foods, simple foods, and not too much food. We should eat food, as Michael Pollan wrote, that our great great grandmothers would recognize as food. Or was that our Indian great grandmothers?

Poke, anyone? Ramps? How about a paw-paw. Purslane? Lamb's quarters, otherwise known as goosefoot. Sorrel. Lots of things to eat that have fallen out of favor or simply out of common knowledge. If you can get any of these greens without a liberal application of weedkiller, consider yourself lucky. And well-fed? I'm personally still looking for purslane that hasn't been peed on by a thousand dogs. The search could take a while. Meanwhile, I can eat cattails and day lilies.

A fine article on NutritionData.com, weighing the pro's and con's of Paleo vs. Meditteranean.

My life is a long line of purees.

Tonight, I made more cream of tomato soup. With less salt! Stellar. Also, white bean dip with sage, otherwise known as Tuscan Hummus. Silky and delicious, featuring olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic, and a ridiculous amount of fresh garlic. Flu, stay away. Now I am making an acorn squash in the microwave. And then I may prepare some Brazilian-style collard greens with canola oil and garlic.

My steamed green beans were not so pretty this time, but still taste sweet. I guess they're a little bit tough and faded. Is this what happens to late summer beans? Still happy to have them, though.

Some very new and shiny Royal Gala apples at the Co-op. Excitement. Apples are my new dessert. Also, the wonderful and slightly expensive Packham pears. Looking forward to Clementines and better Navel oranges. I would enjoy some fresh figs right about now. Or papaya and lime and strawberries? Omg, FRUIT SALAD.

In the Lindsey Executive Suite, a seasonal fruit salad is currently being served with a fine cheese selection and multigrain toast triangles. Choose from a rotating selection of warm and cold savory salads. Sample tofu six ways at the hot buffet station! Add Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey to finish your meal with style.

There is a luxurious dining area for up to six, a large screen television with video game consoles, leather armchairs with overstuffed ottomans, and a thick futon bed with deep pillow top. For when you're too tired - or amorous - to continue eating! Simulated flickering, crackling, warmth-exuding fireplace to keep Fido safe and content on the hearth. Enjoy the faux polar bear rug with a friend. Mini-bar inside the replica 19th Century world globe! When you're well-rested, access the private gym with weight machines and virtual reality treadmills, as well as free weights. Jillian Michaels with a flat-top and Roman Centurion outfit is complimentary.

Your VIP Pass also gets you time on the matching set of heated suede beanbags for tired people and weary pups. Follow that up with a dip in our canine-friendly jacuzzi. Bison and carrot dog biscuits gratis, of course. Estate lawns and Chihuahua Stables open to Rover 24/7.

The temperature on the ground is 52 degrees Farenheit. Looks like lovely weather, folks. Thanks for flying with us today, and we hope you fly Lindsey Airways again soon.

Food News

But first, I added sharp cheddar cheese to my broccoli potato puree, accented with herbes de provence. Really, really good. Added a tangy richness to the soup. I know, broccoli and potatoes and cheese are practically a holy trinity. I was overwhelmed by the angelic cheddar choirs, I guess.

Now for the news: Gourmet Magazine has a clever online slideshow of Oscar-inspired cocktails. For instance, he Meryl Streep (Persecco, Benedictine, and Goldschlager - for all those Oscar statuettes), and the Angelina Jolie (single malt scotch, elderflower liqueur). Hot stuff. I also like the Kate Winslet, the Sean Penn, and the Mickey Rourke cocktails.


Next, do you know about the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck in NYC? A guy bought an ice cream truck, and decided to let it all hang out with a giant rainbow ice cream cone on top of the truck. Lots of exotic ice cream toppings, like sea salt, balsamic vinegar, cardamom, and cayenne. And tshirts, of course, that are selling out almost faster than the ice cream. Check out the blog, don't forget to check twitter for location updates. I haven't gotten Big Gay ice cream yet, but I plan on it.

I had another link about pasta and eggplant puree, but you know what? I closed the page already. Tough.

Verdant Mystery

This is some candy or "dessert" available at one of the Chinatown banh mi shops. I love the color. I must find out what it tastes like - or, does anyone already know?? I like to think of it as Grass-flavored Candy. But who can say.

Exciting Food For The Week

Okay, maybe it's not that exciting. It's variations on some of my favorite meal ingredients: spaghetti squash, eggplant sauteed with sesame oil, lacinato kale with garlic, frozen/squeezed out tofu, udon noodles and cukes in spicy rice vinegar dressing, and cream of tomato soup.

The soup was exciting. I wanted to make a more traditional tomato soup, but I couldn't find an old-fashioned recipe calling for tomatoes (in lieu of tomato paste or canned tomatoes), and dammit I wanted a low-sodium soup. So I went for cream of tomato soup, which involved a roux and several cups of skim milk, and five vine-ripened Co-op tomatoes, and a bay leaf. And baking soda, to keep the milk from curdling! So, with the salted butter and the baking soda and the pinch of salt, I'm not sure it's low-sodium anymore. But I had good intentions.

Anyway, I pureed the soup in my food processor instead of straining it, and I like the thicker texture this way. It's quite nice. I added two pureed roasted red peppers to intensify the color. And I find that it's very tasty with some chunks of the sesame eggplant thrown in.

How many species of the nightshade family can I eat altogether (without poisoning myself)? Hmm.

Yes, eggplant sauteed with sesame oil, and then steamed until completely tender, is one of my favorite things. Goes great on top of the spaghetti squash, or with my sauteed kale, or with my soup. Love the eggplant.

Kale - after not eating kale for a few weeks - is a revelation. Brisk, bitter, green, but also a little sweet and tender. Lacinato kale is the best, and IMHO should be subsidized by the government as a very nutritious and hardy food for The People. Honestly. Collards and kale are so tasty when steamed.

In other news, I'm thinking of doing an ice cream cake roll for my birthday. A maple walnut filling? With a sort of molasses/spice exterior? Still thinking.

Salt Lessons

I need to say something about salt. Because I'm bloated and parched and everything tastes too salty. I need to tell you what I've learned about salt since my beef stew affair.

But first, remember that salt is a preservative, and has been used as such for thousands of years. Also, it strengthens flavors when used in moderation. Okay, tips to avoid redundant salting and sodium overload:

1. Never add salt to a broth made of bouillion.

2. Never add salt to anything featuring cheese as a primary or secondary ingredient.

3. Never add salt or soy sauce to the water for boiling udon noodles. Do add a pinch of salt to water used for boiling Italian-style pasta.

4. Look for low-sodium soups, sauces, and broths (you can adjust the salt level to your liking).

5. In a soup emergency, you can add potatoes and carrots to an over-salted soup; they will absorb some of the salt.

6. Girls, avoid salt before and during your period to cut down on water retention and bloating.

7. Grocery store breads often have a lot of added sodium, for whatever mysterious reason. Beware.

8. Nutritional yeast, nori flakes, and sesame seeds can all be used to heighten flavor without adding too much salt to food.

9. Never add salt to a canned or boxed soup.

10. Do add a pinch of salt to water used for poaching chicken or fish. A pinch of salt also works well when pan-searing steaks or poultry. Just a pinch, though.

11. Taste you food before adding salt and pepper. Seriously. Seasoning your food before tasting it is an insult to the chef.

Considering Beef Stew

Yes, it's not usually my style. But I've had such poor experiences with packaged chicken of late. And the stew beef was looking very fresh and bright red and inexpensive at the co-op...so I decided to try it. Just this once. One package stretched out for the whole week is a fine investment of $4.00 and change.

Vegetable bouillion cubes are also a fine investment. I bought some for about three bucks, and two cubes went into my giant pot involving 4 cups of water, 3 large red potatoes (taters absorb salt when cooking, just like pasta), and several large carrots, chopped. I could have used less than two cubes of bouillion, but the stew is fine as is. In future, I could have used one and a half cubes.

I guess I'm shocked at the ease of making a stew. One and a half hours of simmering chunks of stew beef (previously browned in a tablespoon of oil, with a tablespoon of flour sifted over it, and a generous amount of crumbled rosemary), and then 30 more minutes simmering after one adds the potatoes and carrots. Root veggies are tender but not falling apart. Great flavors! I didn't have to stir or anything. It just simmered away, I added things, I kept the lid on, and I used a regular pot. Not a slow-cooker, not a pressure-cooker. Just a big pot with a snug lid.

So. Easy! Very comforting food, I'm pleased to report. A secret: my favorite part of beef stew is actually the tender savory carrots. Thus I am particularly delighted at the quality and doneness of my rabbit food. Perfection. I feel so...American.

edit: You're right, I forgot to add the barley!

Because A Rice Cooker Isn't Just For Rice

Having been well pleased with steamed wheat berries from my rice cooker, I decided to try some pearled barley. (In this case, "pearled" means that the grain has had its outer bran layer removed, so it's not quite a whole grain anymore. But close.) Plus, all they had at the co-op was bulk pearled barley. So I bought a little, thinking about adding it to a beef stew.

But of course I always buy too much bulk grain at the co-op. And since the mornings have become too chilly for cold cereal, I decided to make my pearled barley into a hot breakfast. So I steamed a cup in my rice cooker, with 1 cup of grain requiring between 1.5 and 2 cups of water. I like more texture to my grains, so I keep it at around 1.5 cups of water.

When it was cooked and cooled, I removed a little so I could add it to a stew. Then I added some brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger powder to the remainder. Lots of ginger powder! Then I pulsed this in my food processor for a bit - I wanted to break the barley down into smaller pieces, more like a hot cereal.

And it came out beautifully, I must say. Cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar and barley is a great combination. Would be excellent with walnut pieces, too. I'm eating a little bowl of it with some milk added. Has a good mouth-feel to it, still a little chewy.

Incidentally, barley is the grain ingredient in beer and many kinds of whiskey. Also a large part of farm animal feed. It's like barley goes hand in hand with civilization or something.