Green, Clean & Dirty

The Daily Green lists 15 foods worth buying organic

(This is based on the amount of pesticides found on representative samples of this type of food, as well as the food's tendency to retain chemicals it comes into contact with.)

1. Meat
2. Milk
3. Coffee
4. Celery
5. Peaches
6. Strawberries
7. Apples
8. Blueberries "one of the dirtiest berries on the market"
9. Nectarines
10. Bell Peppers
11. Spinach
12. Kale
13. Cherries
14. Potatoes
15. Grapes

-and 15 clean foods you don't need to buy organic

1. Onion
2. Avocados
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet Peas
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papaya
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomatoes
15. Sweet Potatoes

(Their UI sucks so hard, I'm listing the items for easy reference. You want the whys and methodology, you'll have to endure their stupid slide show)

(H/t Newsweek)

You Can Have My Pasta When You Pry It From My Cold, Dead Hands

Scientific American is obviously in league with the devil - as it is saying terrible things about my beloved carbs:

“If you reduce saturated fat and replace it with high glycemic-index carbohydrates, you may not only not get benefits—you might actually produce harm,” Ludwig argues. The next time you eat a piece of buttered toast, he says, consider that “butter is actually the more healthful component.”

Did he really just say that?

Oh, yes he did.

Blasphemer!!!

File Under "Well, duh..."

(Via The Consumerist)

Science Says High-Fructose Corn Syrup Is Pretty Much The Worst Thing Ever

"Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn't true, at least under the conditions of our tests," said psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. "When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they're becoming obese -- every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don't see this; they don't all gain extra weight."

Steak + Gobs of Salt = Good Steak?

This just seems totally weird - but (like putting vodka in pie crust) something I totally need to try.

Steak Recipe: Massively salt your steaks 15 min – 1 hour before grilling.

Notice that I didn’t say, “sprinkle liberally” or even “season generously.” I’m talking about literally coating your meat until you can’t see red. It should resemble a salt lick.

Read the whole thing at Steamy Kitchen. Freaky.

Still, wouldn't hurt to try. I mean, it says start with cheap steak, right?

(H/t Good blog)

Case study in E. Coli, or "Why hamburgers should scare you"

(Via trainreq)

The NYT relates the literally gut-wrenching story of Stephanie Smith, who was paralyzed after eating a hamburger contaminated by E. Coli bacteria.

All due respect Ms. Smith, the worst bit isn't her situation - it's the what her situation brought to light.

The offending burger in question, creatively labeled "American Chef's Selection Angus Beef Patties" was made by food giant Cargill using ingredients "from slaughterhouses in Nebraska, Texas and Uruguay, and from a South Dakota company that processes fatty trimmings and treats them with ammonia to kill bacteria."

The article revels in the contrast between what is commonly thought of as ground beef (beef put into a grinder and ground) and what goes into a product that is sold under the label "ground beef."

Here's what went into Ms. Smith's burger:

• From Nebraska: a 50/50 mix of beef trimmings and fat.
• From Texas and Uruguay: leaner trimmings meant to offset the higher fat content of other ingredients; and
• From South Dakota: a product that starts with 50-70% fat, which is spun off in a centrifuge and treated with ammonia

The article then lets the other shoe fall:

To finish off [Ms.] Smiths’ ground beef, Cargill added bread crumbs and spices, fashioned it into patties, froze them and packed them 18 to a carton.

The listed ingredients revealed little of how the meat was made. There was just one meat product listed: “Beef.”

Owch.

SO more organic than you

(Via GOOD blog)

Jerad is a food fundamentalist who has labored to create the purest BLT in the world.

(Also, it's arguably the most self-absorbed BLT as well. Even so - I'd totally eat it.)

Why are we confused about food?

In 2007, Kellog spent $32.8 Million just to advertise Cheez-Its.
-Marion Nestle

Marion Nestle giving a great speech on the food industry, food policy, our limited understanding of both - and how we got here.

Her theme isn't exactly a revelation - but then, when so much money is spent to distract us - it's almost thrilling to watch an informed and entertaining re-introduction to what would otherwise be obvious to all.

Great stuff.

She references a report by the IOM on the marketing of food to children. Also worth a look.

(H/t Good Experience)

If it's selling, we will sell it (or something that looks like it)

It wasn't so long ago the nation was mad for Kona coffee. Grown on the slopes of Hawai'i's mountains, drawing flavor from the rich, volcanic soil.

Blah, blah, blah...

People loved the exotic mystic - and the flavor wasn't bad either. Demand soared, and supply followed. Suddenly, Kona coffee was everywhere.

And then someone did the math on how much coffee was getting sold as Kona coffee - and how much acreage actually grew Kona coffee. They came a rather obvious conclusion: 2,000 measly acres in Hawaii simply could not grow that much Kona coffee.

The suppliers saw what was selling, and rushed to sell product that looked like the real article.

They've been doin' it since forever.

According to WaPo's Jane Black, they've done it with heirloom tomatoes as well.

Call me persnickety, but someone needs to take a stand here: "Heirloom" is not synonymous with "good."

...

In a 2007 article in the journal Sociologia Ruralis, Jennifer Jordan examined the pressing question of why a growing number of consumers had acquired a taste for $7-a-pound "bug-eaten, calloused, mottled and splitting tomatoes that may or may not taste good."

The answer, Jordan concluded, was that heirloom tomatoes had evolved into a "marker of distinction." The lumpy, imperfect fruit had become a kind of mascot for the good-food movement that is against industrial agriculture's embrace of pesticides, against the development of genetically modified foods, in favor of preserving small farms and in support of local and seasonal food.

...

Heirlooms' popularity took a toll on their taste, however. As farmers and supermarkets realized they could extract high prices for heirlooms, they increased production. And, in some cases, quality fell; hence the gorgeous but mealy and bland heirloom I bought last week.

Black states that she's having a quiet revolt against heirlooms. I think that's a bit much - but it's good of her to point out that heirlooms can be mass-produced pieces of crap, too.

Like the chef in the article says "If a tomato tastes good, it's a good tomato. Nothing else matters."

Corn IS trying to kill us...

Although it seems that Snapple is trying to fight back:

Snapple replaces corn syrup with real sugar


The old ingredient list for Lemon Snapple Iced Tea: “water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, tea, natural flavors.” Calories: 200. The new ingredient list: “filtered water, sugar, citric acid, tea, natural flavors.” Calories: 160.

(H/t Cool blog)

This just in: Pot stickers = crack

A Co-worker from Singapore brought in a huge bin of 'em for New Years.

Happy Year of the Ox.

I feel like a pig.

Ow.

Emergency Pasta

The other day I did something I haven't done in about two months.

I cooked dinner in the kitchen:

The kitchen... she is done!!    Ahhhhhhhh...

Wasn't even much of a meal - but weeks of deprivation made it taste a lot better. E and the boy were the first ones to use the kitchen for real. They made pumpkin muffins, something the boy has been jonesing for for awhile.

They were pretty solid, too. Our new oven is a double oven - so you can just heat up this small oven to bake things. Seems to heat up faster. Slick.

For the first dinner, I went with what's at hand. I call this recipie Emergency Pasta, because the ingredients last damn near forever - so you can always have it ready to go in case, well - in case you need dinner in a hurry.

It's also a rolling recipie - meaning very little needs to be prepared en masse. Most stuff goes in in a series. So you put something in the pan and while it's cooking - you prep the next ingredient.

Emergency Pasta - Puttanesca

2 tablespoons of olive oil (I just pour until I coat the bottom of the pan)

2 oz anchovies, chopped (You can skip chopping these, they will just take a bit longer to dissolve in the oil)

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

28 oz can of imported tomatoes. (There may be a good domestic brand, but I'm not willing to spend the money to find it. Buy Italian)

Splash of dry red wine

6 black olives, pitted and sliced

6 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

1 lb pasta (spaghetti, spaghetti rigatti, or linguine)

1-2 tablespoons of capers

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

1. Pour the olive oil into a saucepan on medium heat
2. Dump the anchovy oil into the pan and then chop up the anchovies and put them in as well.
3. After the anchovies have dissolved into the oil, add the garlic and be ready to add the tomatoes after 30 seconds.
4. Add the tomatoes, wine and let the pan simmer for at least 20 minutes (until the sauce reduces and thickens)
5. Salt and pepper the tomatoes (go easy on the salt, you put in some anchovies - remember?)
6. Chop the olives, measure out the capers and oregano and put them in a cup
7. Start the pasta water
8. Salt the water
9. About the time the pasta water's rolling, the sauce should be reducing nicely.
10. Boil the pasta, add the olives, capers and oregano to the saucepan
11. Grate the cheese
12. When the noodles are done, turn the sauce off.
13. Drain the pasta
14. Combine the pasta & sauce, mix well
15. Dump the Parmesan over the top 
16. Eat

No bells, no whistles - just a nice easy meal.

Ahhhhhh.

Late edit: I added garlic to the recipe. One of those things you throw in without thinking, but should probably write down.

The Empire of Corn

I’m pretty late to the party on this one, but I’ve finally started reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan.

My initial reaction can be summed up as:

Quietly, inexorably, corn is trying to kill you.

Seriously.

Mr. Pollan points out that modern agribusiness in America has labored mightily to increase crop yields of corn, and they’ve succeeded beyond our ancestor’s wildest imaginings. The result is a massive glut of corn that exceeds what people and livestock could normally eat.

The solution? Agribusiness proposes that people and livestock begin to eat abnormally.

What is surprising to me is how totally they have succeeded.

As was pointed out to me by my brother in law not too long ago: “Go ahead, try and avoid consuming a corn based product. It’s practically impossible in this country.”

The really jarring observation in the book (so far, I’m barely halfway through it) is the way Mr. Pollan turns the notion of the “French Paradox” upside down.

As in, “the French eat fatty food all the time, why are their rates for obesity and heart disease not on par with ours?”

Pollan points out that plenty of other countries illustrate this same characteristic, and pointedly says: “What is happening is more of an American paradox.”

Something is wrong with the way food is made in America. The idea that beef cattle are made to eat an unnatural diet of corn isn’t all that alarming – until you realize what this diet is doing to them, and that we are eating meat from these animals. BSE never made me very nervous, but Mr. Pollan definitely got my attention.

There is more of the book to go, and there is still room for Mr. Pollan to turn out to be another well-intended alarmist who is missing key facts, but I’m serious – if you haven’t read this book – go to a bookstore and read the first few chapters or download the free sample (PDF) and skip to the section on Industrial Corn.

You’ll freak. It’s The Jungle for our times.

First they get better health care than us, now this

The World’s Best Candy Bars? English, of Course

Makes a body want to emigrate...

Athens

In my past life, I used to hit a certain gyro shop at least once a week. Sometimes twice. Sometimes twice in two days. This place had zero ambiance, (what we used to call a “sobriety floor”) and big gyros.

Me like gyro, me like gyro a lot.

Many a booze-fueled crawl ended with me staring up at the gyro guy and blurting out the only word I could manage:

GyroFriesDew!

Which is to say “I would like a gyro sandwich, French fries, and a medium Mountain Dew.”

Mountain Dew was required – initially to wake up, but later it was pretty much tradition.

I went to this place so often that (like a lot of places I go, even now) the guy behind the counter would order for me. I’d always get the same number of napkins (five), the same number of ketchup containers (three) before sitting down to soak up the Tzatziky-goodness that is Gyro.

I'm salivating just thinking about it.

Then – calamity! – the place got a makeover, the gyros got smaller, and (worse) college ended. I’ve been back, a few times, but the place isn’t what it once was. Plus, they changed the ketchup, dammit. Sweet ketchup? Who the hell wants that on their fries?

I’ve filled the gap by trying out the gyro places in other cities. My friend, G is blessed to live in a city with two (count them, two!) world class gyros establishments within striking distance. Last March Madness – I think I went for Gyros on two of the three days I was in town.

My town isn’t quite like that – on my regular commute, I drive past perhaps the worst gyro place on the planet (when I don’t go back, it has to suck. The gyros at our corporate cafeteria contain what would charitably call “lamb nuggets,” and I’ve eaten them at least a half dozen times).

On the normal homeward leg of our many out of town trips this year, we’ve been driving past a sign for a gyro shop. Our usual arrival time of Sunday evening, the fact that the kids are with, plus the fact that E pretty much hates gyros – meant that all the attention I could give this shop was a hearty, “Hey look! A gyro shop!”
It’s on the way north side of town and (in the way that I do) I’d noticed the sign, but never really figured out where the shop actually was. So, last week I finally figure out that this place is within lunch hour striking distance and – dammit – I want a gyro.

Turns out, the place is in a gas station. You walk into a convenience mark and the back counter is serving gyros.

Zero ambiance.

I try not to get too excited. Walking up, I see the guy behind the counter – it’s the guy from my old gyro place! He’s here! He’s here!

Ok, ok, calm down.

I take a risk. Without even looking at the menu I carefully say, “Gyro. Fries. Dew?”
Guy doesn’t blink. Hits a button on the register, holds out his hand for cash and barks over one shoulder:

GyroFriesDew!

Huzzah! Huzzah! Angels and ministers of grace-

Wait, wait, wait. Gotta eat the thing first, right? All this could be window dressing for yet another disappointment, right?

They give me the gyro. No drink. Here, they make you get your own beverage.
I get my ketchup, my napkins and then grab a seat between the cough medicine and the restrooms.

Man, if any of these customers were drunk, this would be perfect.

I start with the fries. They’re splattered all over the sandwich (as they should be) and I grab a few and make with the ketchup.

It’s the right stuff. Not sweetened ketchup, but ketchup. Moment of truth… the Gyro rocks. Tzatziki aplenty and lamb in those bizarre shavings just like I remember, only messier (I’m out of practice, so sue me). I resist the urge to have a second one and vow to return next week.

-and perhaps the week after that as well.

Ahhh, nostalgia.

Whole lotta Muffuletta

A local deli has arguably the best Muffuletta I've had in the Midwest. Being a Muffuletta, it's about the size of a small car. On impulse (read "avoiding my desk") I went out and picked one up.

I love this place. The first time I was there, the guy made the Muffuletta and was so happy with it that - I kid you not - he photographed it before he gave it to me. Must have put it in his advertising materials. Gotta like a guy who takes that kind of pride in his work.

So I order mine and he drops it down on the counter with an impressive 'whump!' I look up at him, "Now that's a sandwich!" He just grinned. A pound and a half of ham, genoa salami, and provalone, topped with the holy sacrement known as olive relish. Oh yeah....

Well, I ate it. Damn near all of it. And while it was eye-rollingly good. I'm starting to realize (for the bazillionth time) that sometimes, too much of a good thing is truly too much. Now here I am at work trying to stay on task, when all I want to do is find a large sofa and pass out.

Foolish, foolish mortal... Do not anger the gods of the Muffuletta, for they will hurt you...