Goodbye Starbucks, Hello Peet's

photo by Antoinne Rimes

It's over!  I have said so long to Starbucks' coffee.  We grew apart awhile ago and only recently did I try to salvage the relationship. I want to say it's not them but me, but it's really them.  Or, I should say it's because of Peet's coffee that I no longer care for Starbucks' coffee anymore. 

I was so into Starbucks.  I had their coffee everyday like clockwork.  A venti cappuccino with two packets of Splendawas my order.  I was there so much the baristas didn't ask me for my drink order anymore.  They would say, " …and anything to eat?" 

I was Norm and Starbucks was my Cheers. 

Then, it, crashed into my life.  I don't know if it was the longing for something new, or the feeling that I just could not go on being unhappy and feeling like there was something missing from my daily brew.  I knew I was stepping over a line that most never cross, but I needed to feel whole.  

I needed to know that there was no other option out there that I was letting slip by because I was comfortable where I was at. 

That's how I was seduced over to the dark, intense flavor of Peet's coffee.  Like some exotic beauty with luscious lips and curvy hips, Peet's coffee-soul kissed me away from the frumpy girl next door: Starbucks. 

Starbucks coffee is like being kissed on the cheek at the family reunion by the pretty cousin you have a crush on, and Peet's coffee is like being French kissed by a naked Rosario Dawson on a deserted strip of beach in the Caribbean.  I could never go back once I tasted the deep roasted flavor of Peet's slightly bitter brew.  

After one sip of Peet's coffee, Starbucks' coffee seemed like a warm beverage for children.  There was no depth of flavor, no hint of far off lands and foreign cultures like there was in every sip of Peet's lovely brew.  Starbucks' coffee simply lay there and expected me to be happy that I was with it… no effort, no passion, only hype.  While Peet's coffee would grab me, feel me up, and then kiss me, as if it was saying, "Hello, baby, I really missed you."

In time, I went hard core and started getting my small cappuccino dry with four packets of Splenda.  The sweet taste of Splenda melded with the bitter taste of Peet's coffee, transforming my drink into and exciting mélange of flavor and seduction.  I tasted dark chocolate with cherry overtones, and the sweet bitterness of dark treacle.  

This coffee…this woman, dark and lovely is my mistress.  She is my passion, my obsession, and my muse.  I am merely existing in-between the times when I have her and when I do not. 

Good bye, Starbucks… pretty, dull cousin.  Hello my dark beauty, my love.

What we've been reading... 3/29/2009

• Crock Pot Pot Roast « The Crepes of Wrath
• Which Wine do You Order? - A Poll
• 7-up chicken recipe | crock pot chicken recipes
• The Flavr Savr Arrives
• Photograzing: Tags: cupcakes
• Noble Pig: Get Your Fat Pants Out...You Might Need Them
• Almond Lemon Chicken - All Recipes
• Dad's Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe | Simply Recipes
• butternut squash manicotti Recipe
• Pot Roast with Vegetables Recipe : Tyler Florence : Food Network
• Incredible Pot Roast in the Crock Pot
• Taste Buds & Blossoms: Shredded pork taco's (in the crockpot) with southwestern slaw

Asparagus Soup

photo by Dave Koch

This simple and easy asparagus soup can be whipped up in about a half an hour.  Its richness comes from infusing the chicken stock with the woody ends that normally get discarded.  I use milk instead of cream to keep it light and so as not to overpower the deep flavor of the vegetables.  Along with some crudité, some buttered toast, or a salad, this is a main course.

Serves 2 

• 1 bundle of asparagus (about 1.5 lbs.)
• 1/2 a yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 oz. butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
• 2 cups milk (we used 2%)
• The juice of one lemon, about 1 tablespoon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cut off the tough woody ends of the asparagus and put into a small pot with the chicken stock and bring to boil.  Allow to boil for at least 15 minutes to infuse the stock with flavor.

In the meantime, chop the rest of the asparagus into 1 inch pieces.  Heat up a large pot with the butter and olive oil.  Sauté the onions, garlic, celery, and asparagus and add the red chili pepper flakes.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Allow to cook until all the veggies are soft, about 5 minutes.

Remove woody asparagus ends from small pot and throw away.  Pour the asparagus infused chicken stock into the large pot with the sautéed vegetables.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

Puree mixture with an immersion blender right in the pot.  In lieu of an immersion blender, a regular blender of food processor can be used.  After it is rendered completely smooth, add the milk and lemon juice.  Stir well, and taste.  Add more salt and black pepper if necessary.

Garnish with a dollop of yogurt, a drizzle of your very best olive oil, and a few almond slivers.

Enjoy!

Linoleic Acid, Aggression, Depression, and Cardiovascular Mortality

photo by youcansleepwhenyouredead

I've been reading Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto and to say the book is excelent would be to describe the Golden Gate Bridge "nice."  It is a true manifesto and a call to action.  Although much of the research he details in the book is still in progress - and often controvercial, it opens your eyes to contemporary theories in nutritionism.

Some of these theories revolve around omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids; both of which are unsaturated.  What has been known for a long time in the scientific comminity is just beginning to gain press, that "not all fats are created equal."  The American Heart Association even has a page on their website for children called Meet the Fats, going into the differences between Trans, Saturated, Poly- and Mono- unsaturated.

The media have made popular the evidence that omega-3's may have a link to possibly limit the risk of heart disease.  People have been supplementing omega-3's in their diet (usually in the form of fish oil) for many years and more recently, it seems that flax seed is getting put into practically everything.

What Pollan and much of the researchers he cites are starting to divulge is the idea that omega-3 suppliments alone may not account for improved cardiovascular health.  There is evidence to suggest that what is more important than an increase in omega-3 is a proper ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 (called n-6 and n-3 for short).  This ideal ratio of n-6 to n-3 is hypothesized to be between 1:1 and 4:1.

What makes this difficult is that the typical American diet is overwhelmed with government subsidized corn and soy.  The oils of which carry n-6 to n-3 ratios of 46:1 and 7:1 respectively.  What's even more alarming Pollan states that, "Nine percent of the calories in the American diet today come from a single omega-6 fatty acid: linoleic acid, most of it from soybean oil" (In Defense of Food page 131) 

That's a profound thought.  Consider this, if true, of all the compounds humans can consume, digest, and extract energy from... 9% of the energy in the typical American diet comes from this single molecule.  We are omnivorous and benefit from a varied diet.

Linoleic acid

According to the Omega-3 wiki, "Typical Western diets provide ratios of between 10:1 and 30:1" and they list the ratios of n-6 to n-3 of some common cooking oils:

• Corn 46:1
• Soybean 7:1
• Olive between 3:1 and  13:1
• Canola 2:1
• Sunflower (no n−3)
• Grapeseed (almost no n−3)
• Cottonseed (almost no n−3)
• Peanut (no n−3)
• Flax 1:3

They continue:

It should be noted that olive, peanut and canola oils consist of approximately 80%  monounsaturated fatty acids, (i.e. neither n−6 nor n−3) meaning that they contain relatively small amounts of n−3 and n−6 fatty acids. Consequently, the n−6 to n−3 ratios for these oils (i.e. olive, canola and peanut oils) are not as significant as they are for corn, soybean and sunflower oils.

What compounds our consumption of omega-6's is that livestock and poultry feed in this country is largely made up of corn and soy as well.  A project completed at Cal State Chico showed that grain-fed beef had a ratio of 4:1 (n-6 to n-3) vs. grass fed beef which was about 2:1.  Ergo, there are even more n-6's making their way into our diets than one might be natural because they are coming from not only plant but animal sources.  

This shift in our entire ecosystem from one based on leaves to one that is based on seeds (corn, soy, olive, peanut, etc.) is pivotal in Pollan's manifest.  It tipped the ratios of fatty acids far towards the omega-6 side, but he also states it, "helps account for the flood of refined carbohydrates in the modern diet and the draught of so many micronutrients and the surfeit of total calories."

Joseph Hibbeln, a prominent researcher at the National Institute of Health, has done extensive research on how these compounds effect our health - and specifically our mental health.  He believes that much of our society's reliance on anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen are to quell the effects of too much omega-6 fatty acids in our diet.

In April 2006, Hibbeln (et al) published an article called Omega-3 fatty acid deficiencies in neurodevelopment, aggression and autonomic dysregulation: Opportunities for intervention - concluding the Summary with, "Ensuring optimal intakes of omega-3 fatty acids during early development and adulthood shows considerable promise in preventing aggression and hostility."

In December 2006, Hibbeln (et al) published another article called Omega-3 fatty acids: evidence basis for treatment and future research in psychiatry.  They suggest, "EPA and DHA [two specific omega-3 fatty acids] appear to have negligible risks and some potential benefit in major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder..."

From In Defense of Food, Pollan quotes Hibbeln:

"The increases in world [omega-6] consumption over the past century may be considered a very large uncontrolled experiment that may have contributed to increased societal burdens of aggression, depression, and cardiovascular mortality."

...I feel like eating a bowl of oatmeal now.

Salmon Burgers with Roasted Asparagus & Crispy Penne

Salmon Burgers with Roasted Asparagus & Crispy Penne photo by Matt Haas

This meal shouldn't take more than 30 minutes from start to finish.  If it does, it means your kind of a hack.  That's ok.  Keep practicing and you'll be whipping up meals like this in no time.  
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 Trident Brand Salmon Burgers (available at Costco, as well as Smart & Final if you don't have the card!).  Any brand will do, but these are the best I've ever tasted, by far.

20 Asparagus Spears

1.5 C Uncooked Penne (whole wheat, if that's your thing. Yes, it's my thing)

Spices from the Pantry: Lemon Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper, Dried Oregano, Salt, Pepper, Seasoning Salt)

Parmesean Cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F  

1: Boil water for the penne (don't forget to salt it)

2: While the water boils, prep & peel the asparagus (first snap the asparagus 1-2 inches from the non-fancy end. Then peel the bottom 2/3's of each spear, which gives the asparagus a much more tender texture and reduces the cooking time a little. Skip the peeling part if you are lazy)

photo by Matt Haas

3: Arrange the asparagus spears on a roasting pan and brush with a little olive oil and season with Salt & Pepper. Roast in the oven for about 10 minutes, until tender but al dente.

4: Drop the pasta in the boiling water and cook until done (8-10 minutes)

5: While the pasta and asparagus cooks, lightly season the salmon burgers with lemon pepper or seasoning salt and cook 4 minutes per side in a hot skillet. 

6: While the pasta and burgers are cooking (don't forget to use timers, people), heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in another skillet.

photo by Matt Haas

7: When the pasta is done, drain and add to the hot pan with olive oil. While it gets crispy on the bottom, season generously with dried oregano, red pepper flakes, seasoning salt, pepper and parm. Toss then let it continue to crisp while the burgers and asparagus finish cooking.

8: Plate and enjoy!    

Notes: If you've never roasted asparagus before, this is by far the best way to cook it. Roasting it caramelizes the natural sugars and the end result is heavenly.

I switched to whole wheat pasta 2 years ago and haven't looked back, especially for this dish. I think you can buy salmon burgers in a variety of places, but the Trident brand is killer. If you don't use this brand and this dish flops, don't blame me.

Finally, as far as the seasoning salt, I use Jamaica Me Crazy brand from Seattle. My mother-in-law brings it to us in bulk and it's the best. I'm sure there are other brands out there that are almost as good.

Chocolate Cookies with White Chocolate Chips and Macadamia Nuts

photo by Dave Koch

Adapted from Ina Garten's Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies from her book Barefoot Contessa Parties!  I cut the recipe in half (because it makes 40 cookies) and instead of putting all the white chocolate chips in, I used half macadamia nuts from our friend's tree on the Big Island of Hawaii...

You can just buy some macadaima nuts from the store if you don't know anyone with their own tree.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, well packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 large eggs
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup macadamia nuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Add the vanilla, then the eggs until incorporated well. Stop the mixer, add the cocoa continue. 

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt into another bowl. Slowly add the dry sifted ingredients to chocolate batter with the mixer on low. Stop the mixer, pour in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips, and mix again briefly.

Drop about a tablespoon of dough for each cookie on a baking sheet with a Silpat (or lined with parchment paper).

With your fingers, press down each cookie slightly and top with a few more white chocolate chips.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool a few minutes on the pan as they will still be a little soft.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Mini Taco Duo: Chicken with Pineapple Mango Salsa and Spicy Chipotle Beef

photo by Loren Tama

8 large flour tortillas (corn would be nice, but hard to find in London)
Salt and pepper
Cut the tortillas into smaller rounds using a metal ring or a sturdy water glass.  

For the chicken
1 small roasted chicken 
1 cup (about 3/4 of a whole) ripe pineapple, diced into 1/4 inch cubes
1 cup (about 1 large fruit) ripe mango, diced into 1/4 inch cubes
1 yellow onion, diced
Cilantro, de-stemmed and coarsely chopped to yield about 1/4 cup loosely packed
Juice of 2 limes
1 jalapeno, cut into thin rounds

Remove the skin from the chicken and pull the meat off into bite-sized shreds.  Season liberally with salt and pepper and mix the meat with your hands to evenly distribute the seasoning and to mix the dark and white meat.  Set aside.  

Gently combine the pineapple, mango, onion, cilantro, and lime juice.  To assemble the tacos, place a small amount of chicken on each mini tortilla followed by a small spoonful of the salsa.  Set one slice of jalapeno on top of each.

For the beef
1/2 lb ground beef
Taco seasonings: chile powder, cumin, paprika, onion powder, oregano, bay, etc...use your imagination
5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 medium red onion, diced
2 8-oz cans chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

Sweat the onion in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the beef, stirring occasionally and breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula.  When the meat starts to brown, add garlic and seasonings, stirring to combine.  Add the chipotle peppers and adobo from the can, again stirring to combine. 

Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and drain the meat mixture.  Remove any chipotle peppers that have not broken up, and any bay leaves if used, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to rest at room temperature until the mixture can be handled by hand.  

To assemble the tacos, place a small amount of the beef mixture in the middle of a mini tortilla and sprinkle with shredded cheese.  

Keep the assembled tacos in the fridge before serving.  You can make them up to 8 hours in advance, but longer storage may lead to sogginess.  Head the beef tacos in the microwave prior to serving; the chicken tacos are delicious cold. 

Yields about 50 miniature tacos.

Padma Lakshmi and Me

photo by Antoinne Rimes

I had that Padma Lakshmi dream again...

The one where she comes to San Francisco, and I accidentally meet her in the street. She is alone and looks scared and confused.  She asks me where she can get a really good apple fritter, and I tell her I know of a secret place where happiness is deep fried dough drenched in a sugary glaze.

She looks at me with tears in her eyes and asks me if she can kiss me.   I tell her yes.  We kiss, and we head off to this little place in the Tenderloin I know of that makes the best apple fritters in the city.

Imagine an apple fritter the same hue as Padma’s skin, and as sweet as a kiss from her luscious lips.  That’s the eighth happiness, the happiness of deep fried and sugary things.  It is the $1.45 Nirvana.

The Nirvana that requires no mountain climbing or chanting, only the desire to receive peace.   That is what it must be like to kiss Padma Lakshmi…nirvana.  Padma is my fantasy, but that apple fritter is available for a buck forty-five every day.

Emotional eating, maybe, but I am aware. I limit myself to one awesome, deliciousness every month, or I would never have a shot at the real thing.  Padma, I await you. Come to me.

Update on 2009-04-01 01:27 by Dave Koch

For all of those who have emailed about the location of this luscious fritter, it is from Gateway Croissant in San Francisco on the corner of Larkin and Golden Gate.

Real California Milk Happy Cow Auditions

This is one of the funniest ads I've ever seen.

Vote for Soo here.  

What we've been reading... 3/22/2009

• HowStuffWorks "Which is greener, gas or electric cooking?"
• That Coffee's Rotten
• Duck Fart Recipe by - CHOW
• Jamaican Veggie Patties Recipe - 101 Cookbooks
• "This is A-5 Kobe beef..." - FlyerTalk Forums
• becoming a foodie
• evil chef mom: Elote Salad
• Noble Pig: When the Moon Hits the Sky...
• Saffron Chicken and Chickpea Stew Recipe : : Food Network
• Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe @ CDKitchen.com :: it's what's cooking online!
• Pork Enchilada Recipe with delicious Verde sour cream sauce
• Market Matters- March Mung Madness | Sippity Sup
• In-N-Out Secret Menu Revealed! (MyFolsom.com)

Ode to My Stove - "Old Yeller"

photo by Dave Koch

Sweet aromas waft through the abode
emanating from the P7 stove.
The repertoire of cuisine is quite eclectic
that is prepared with my General Electric.

Sometimes I wish I cooked with gas
but those "grass is greener" feelings pass
when I look at Old Yeller's glowing range
I admire electric's superior heat exchange.

Sensation, something she may be lacking,
but her results are lip-smacking.
Mustard yellow, with no uncertainty,
was much the fad in 1970.

Through her veins runs pure electricity
Her beauty lies in her simplicity.
My pushbutton heating options are five
WM - LO - 3 - 2 - HI

Latte Art

photo by Dave Koch

Sorry to all those barista who procrastinated but registration for the Milrock Free Pour Latte Art Championship is closed.  Held at the trade show Coffee Fest, the event is considered the Super Bowl for over achieving barista everywhere.  This year Coffee Fest will be in Las Vegas and, appropriately enough, in Seattle. 

Seattle of course topping the 2008 Caffeinated Cities Survey for coffee consumption in the US, with 59% of respondent consuming it daily.

OK I was only trying to scare you, registration for Las Vegas is still open, but Seattle really is closed.  So start taking pictures of your latte art because you need to submit two photo examples with your entry form.  

There is a lot at stake here with the $5,000 grand prize, bragging rights, and glory.  You may even end up on the Food Network with Guy Fieri or on the cover of Barista Magazine.  So get practicing.

From Coffee Fest, the rules of engagement are as follows:

"Contestants will be given five minutes to prepare the work area, adjust grind etc. Following the five minute preperation [sic] time, contestants will be given five minutes to produce as many as three different free-pour lattes.

At the completion of the five minutes or three free pour lattes, the drinks will be judged based upon : esthetic beauty & balance > 1-25pts., color infusion > 1-25pts., definition > 1 25pts., and creativity > 1-15pts.

No additives other than the espresso and milk may be used in this competition. The drink receiving the highest score from the judges will be used as the contestants submission."

Here are some great examples of what these artists can do with steamed milk and espresso...

photo by jonas_l

photo by ~ggvic~

photo by thebrady

photo by strikeseason

photo by lorisrandom

photo by tavallai

photo by ChrisB_in_SEA

photo by tonx

photo by amanky

I think the one that says, "U Suc" is my favorite.

Which one is yours?

Kombucha Success!

Since my earlier attempt at making Kombucha from scratch was a total failure, I ordered a scoby online.  This makes sense to me because virtually all things fermented are started with leftovers from the last batch; think sourdough, brewers yeast, and vinegar.  From generation to generation, these "starters" were passed on.  The exception being Lambic, which is traditionally allowed spontaneous fermentation, but that's another story...

What arrived was a 1 inch thick gelatinous mass called a scoby (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast).  It may have cost me $10 after shipping and handling.  I brewed up a gallon of tea with 7 Lipton Original tea bags and a cup of sugar.  I waited for it to cool to room temperature so that the heat does not harm the scoby, and I dropped it into a 1 gallon glass jar.

I covered it with some cloth (or you could also use a coffee filter) and secured it well with a rubberband.  Within a few days, a new, much thinner scoby began to form on the surface.  After about two weeks I used a straw to push aside the new scoby and tasted it like a bartender, capping the straw with my finger.

Once it was ready I strained it into a pitcher.  With the pitcher it was easier able to pour into sanitized stopper-top beer bottles using a funnel .  If you like your kombucha sweeter, don't let it ferment as long - the longer you let it go, the more sugar is converted into acetic acid (vinegar).

I used the stopper-tops because they are less likely to explode if too much pressure builds inside (see the bottle above, like the brands Grolsch or Fischer).  With a standard bottle cap, supposedly this can occur, or the caps shoot off making kombucha geysers in your cabinet.

Another week in the bottle allows the kombucha to carbonate itself naturally (like Krausening beer).  The result is a slightly sweet and tangy carbonated iced tea.  There is nothing similar to compare it too, kombucha really is in a category of its own.

In my second batch, I experimented by adding the juice of a large ginger root.  I shreded the whole root with a microplane (there's no need to even peel it), picked it up with a clean hand and squeezed the juice out.  Holy schniekies, this is the way to go!  Granted, I'm a ginger-freak who never leaves any left at the sushi bar, but this is an invigorating drink.  Ginger kombucha comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I'm going to try upping the sugar this next round in order to make something even more tart.  I'm going to add more tea as well.  The current recipe is very good and quite refreshing, but I desire something with a little more umph.  I'm also going to experiment with different additions, herbs, spices, etc. in the coming weeks.  Maybe mint next!

Making Kombucha from a purchased scoby is incredibly easy - just keep everything sterile.  I use an industrial strength, iodine-based sanitizer, but you could also use a diluted bleach solution.  Before you begin, I suggest that you read the following websites very carefully - and take notes:

Kombucha and Vinegar Making - by Dominic N Anfiteatro

Making Kombucha  Mushroom Tea - by The Happy Herbalist

How to Make Kombucha - by Seeds of Health

A Simple Saint Patrick’s Day Meal: Shepherd’s Pie and Magner’s Irish Cider

I am honoring the Patron Saint of Rustic Food and Booze: Good Old Saint Patrick. Tonight in his honor, I am making one of my all-time favorite peasant dishes, Shepherd’s Pie.

Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made from ground leftover lamb, mixed with veggies, topped with mashed potatoes and browned to perfection under the broiler. Since I didn’t have leg of lamb for dinner last night, I’m using lean ground beef mixed with pan roasted veggies and topped with silky mashed russet potatoes.

This is a peasant dish that is really hard to mess up. Cook with good ingredients and a little skill and you’ll end up with a hearty and delicious meal. Feel free to add peas and/or mushrooms, which are pretty traditional. My wife isn’t a fan of peas, so I’ve chosen to omit them; and I normally would have used mushrooms sautéed with the mirepoix, but I forgot.

Ingredients:

• 4 Russet Potatoes
• Half a stick of Butter
• Less than 1 cup Half & Half
• Salt
• 2 LBS. Ground Meat
• 1 Yellow Onion, medium dice
• 2 LG Carrots, medium dice
• Olive Oil
• Fresh Herbs (I’m using thyme and oregano from my garden), chopped fine
• ½ Cup Worstershire Sauce
• 1-2 Cups Red Wine

1: Make your mashed potatoes- clean and wash the potatoes, cut and half and cook in cold water over high heat until very tender. I cook the potatoes in very large chunks, which results in a less water logged spud.

2: Using a ricer, rice the potatoes smooth and add half & half, butter, salt and pepper until silky smooth and well seasoned. If you don’t have ricer, mash with a regular masher. The ricer gives the finished product a silky texture that I love.

 

3: Cook the onions and carrots in olive oil until nicely browned. You want a nice carmelization on the mirepoix for best flavor. Once the veggies are golden, add the meat, Worcestershire sauce and red wine and cook for about 20 minutes, mixing well and reducing the cooking liquid until you have a rich, meaty stew. Remove from heat and put in an oven-proof roasting dish. For this amount of pie, I like to use a deep 9” x 9” dish.

4: Preheat your oven to Broil.  Top with mash potatoes and cook in the broiler until golden. Serve with a nice green salad and a glass or Magner’s Hard Irish Cider on ice and enjoy!

5: Éirinn go brách!

 

Eating While Travelling

I just got back from a business trip and although I'm not the healthiest eater to begin with (I eat whatever looks good) things go downhill when I'm on the road.  The fact is, when you're in novel surroundings you don't know where to pick up a healthy bite - and that gets compounded by the truth that when you take clients out to entertain, you don't end up going out for salad.

Ever since the airlines stopped providing meals, I've been eating so much better on the plane.  I bring my own sandwich, mayo and everything.  The poor airlines were ridiculed for their food anyway, I can't understand why they're now condemned for stopping food service.  Now, you get what you want because you brought it.

At least most airlines provide snack boxes for a nominal charge if you're famished.  It's not like they're charging to use the bathroom or anything crazy like that... Wait wait, what?  (from ABC7 Chicago) "The CEO of Ryanair says he has asked engineers at Boeing to design bathrooms with doors that open and close only if you swipe a credit card."

Yuck.

Continuing on, besides bringing my own sandwich on the plane, I often carry a bag of nuts.  Crunchy, salty, and protein rich - nuts satiate very well.  I also always have some sugar-free gum on hand also to keep my breath in check.  101 Cookbooks recommends not only nuts but in their article Healty Eating While Travelling, they also suggest:

• "I pack three apples and a pound of nuts or toasted pumpkin seeds"
• Just add water products
• pack a camping stove [this may be pushing it]

From Wikihow, there's How to Cook Food in a Hotel Room which suggestions such as:

• Make oatmeal in the coffee maker (like Alton Brown!)

•  Cook bacon with the iron
• Use the iron as a hotplate for eggs
• Prepare soft-boiled eggs in the coffee maker
• Prepare ramen noodles in the coffee maker
• Make a grilled cheese sandwich using the iron
• Use the iron as a skillet/grill
• Use the coffee maker as a vegetable steamer
• Make instant rice in the coffee maker
• Make sauce in the coffee maker

I found another article about eating while travelling that I think takes it a little too far.  We'll keep them anonymous.  They recommend:

• Stick to fruits that can be peeled immediately before eating.
• Cooked vegetables are safe, but avoid salads.
• Drink only bottled water.  Avoid tap water and ice cubes in risky regions.
• Teeth should be brushed with bottled water.
• Don't eat unpasteurized dairy products such as milk or cheese.
• No matter how tempting, avoid street vendors.

Hmm.

Exotic fruits are one of life's grandest and most primeval pleasures.  There is nothing more fantastic than a fruit you have never eaten before.  Abstaining from unpasteurized dairy products?  A life without cheese is a life not worth living.  Avoid street vendors?  You've got to be crazy!  That is the essence of a culture's cuisine!

In my opinion, finding something nutritious to eat can be an adventure!

I shifted gears a little here from "dining on the road" to "dining on a road" but I have two tips I want to share.  Granted, I may have an iron stomach - but these are my cardinal rules I stick to while dining "a la cart" (street vendors, get it?):

"If the place is busy, people are not dropping dead from dining here."

"If you are unsure about the food, don't fill up on it."

Two reasons.  One, this allows your stomach acid to dispose of many of the harmful bacteria before they enter your lower intestine.  Two, if there's "bad" stuff, you consume less of it.

Chicken Cacciatore with Roasted Herb Potatoes

Chicken Cacciatore with Roasted Herb Potatoes

Chicken Cacciatore is traditionally made with a whole cut up chicken, bone-on. I adapted this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis, but I used boneless breast meat only, added some vegetables, and omitted the capers.

Chicken Cacciatore

• 4 chicken breasts (boneless, skin-on)
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 pound cremini or white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 (28-ounce) can of diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth (reduced sodium is best)
• 1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 1/3 cup basil, chiffonade
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place flour in bowl or shallow pan. Sprinkle chicken breast with salt and pepper, plus add about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to flour. Lightly coat each chicken with flour mixture.

In a large saute pan or dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add chicken breast to pan and sear until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan and transfer to plate.

If pan is dry add another teaspoon of oil, then add chopped onion and bell pepper to pan and saute for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic to pan and continue to saute vegetables until soft. Season with additional salt, pepper, and the dried italian seasoning.

Add wine, being sure to scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan, and reduce by half. Add tomatoes with their juices and the chicken broth. Let sauce come up to a simmer, then place chicken back into the pan along with any juices. Allow sauce to continue a simmer until chicken has cooked through, about 20-30 minutes.

Once chicken is cooked, remove from sauce and transfer to platter. If sauce is too thin, continue to simmer on medium-high heat until it thickens. Stir in olives and basil and spoon sauce over chicken. Garnish with some additional basil and mozzarella (if using). Serve with roasted herb potatoes.



Roasted Herb Potatoes

• 2 pounds small white or red potatoes
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Wash and dry potatoes, then cut in half or quarters, depending on the size. Remove thyme and rosemary leaves from stem and finely chop. Place potatoes in large bowl, add olive oil to coat, add fresh herbs, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Toss ingredients well and pour on to a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through and beginning to brown. Toss potatoes half-way during cooking so they do not stick to the pan. Serve warm.

Serves 4-5

Mister Mustard

I am always on the lookout for a great hot sauce, or superior hot mustard. Strolling through the Winter Fancy Food Showcase in San Francisco, California in January, I discovered THE hot mustard. The name is simple and to the point: Mr. Mustard-Hot.

Mister Mustard-Hot has the brain numbing, sinus-clearing experience lovers of hot mustard crave, but it also has a great taste which brings out the sweetness in meats, and adds a nice kick to sauces. I put it on roast chicken, bacon, and red leaf lettuce, all sandwiched between toasted sour dough bread, lacquered with really good mayo.

I drop the mustard on the meat in little dollops so that when I press the sandwich together the mustard spreads out unevenly, giving me nice pockets of mustard, or no mustard in each bite. I like this teasing of my taste buds, hide-and-go-seek for the spicy bite.

Mr. Mustard-Hot puts those chi-chi French Dijon mustards to shame.

If you can find Mr. Mustard-Hot in your city, or anywhere else, buy it.  I promise you once you have tasted Mr. Mustard-Hot you will throw away that other stuff you call hot mustard.

What We've Been Reading... 3/15/2009

eat me, delicious: Fresh Pear and Curry Pasta

Discovering the Fifth Taste at Umami Burger in Los Angeles | A Hamburger Today

Foodessentials » Blog Archive » Regular Soft Drinks – What to look for?

What is your dream destination for a foodie vacation in Europe? - Poll - Foodbuzz

We [Heart] Food

Beef Lo Mein - Chinese Noodle Recipes - Recipe for Beef Lo Mein

Calzone - Allrecipes

Pink dolphin appears in US lake - Telegraph

The Real Happy Meal: Avoiding Endangered Foods

Unusual Explanations for the Obesity Epidemic

AAAS - AAAS News Release

Chocolate Lover or Broccoli Hater? Answer's on the Tip of Your Tongue - The New York Times

Food Related Ig Nobel Prizes

 photo by jeff dlouhy

The Ig Nobel Prizes are a parody of the Nobel Prizes - awarded each year by the scientific humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research.  They began in 1991 as a way to draw attention to projects "that cannot, or should not, be reproduced."  It is a humorous event each October on Harvard's campus and the awards are handed out by genuine Nobel Laureates.

I went through the list of past winners and culled out the food related awards.  If I put my mind to it, maybe I could win an Ig Nobel Prize too:

2008

NUTRITION PRIZE. Massimiliano Zampini of the University of Trento, Italy and Charles Spence of Oxford University, UK,  for electronically modifying the sound of a potato chip to make the person chewing the chip believe it to be crisper and fresher than it really is. 

CHEMISTRY PRIZE. Sharee A. Umpierre of the University of Puerto Rico, Joseph A. Hill of The Fertility Centers of New England (USA), Deborah J. Anderson of Boston University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School (USA), for discovering that Coca-Cola is an effective spermicide, and to Chuang-Ye Hong of Taipei Medical University (Taiwan), C.C. Shieh, P. Wu, and B.N. Chiang (all of Taiwan) for discovering that it is not.

2007

CHEMISTRY: Mayu Yamamoto of the International Medical Center of Japan, for developing a way to extract vanillin -- vanilla fragrance and flavoring -- from cow dung.
PRESS NOTE: Toscanini's Ice Cream, the finest ice cream shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts, created a new ice cream flavor in honor of Mayu Yamamoto, and introduced it at the Ig Nobel ceremony. The flavor is called "Yum-a-Moto Vanilla Twist." 

NUTRITION: Brian Wansink of Cornell University (from our article Is The 'Joy of Cooking' Fattening Us Up?), for exploring the seemingly boundless appetites of human beings, by feeding them with a self-refilling, bottomless bowl of soup.

2006

NUTRITION: Wasmia Al-Houty of Kuwait University and Faten Al-Mussalam of the Kuwait Environment Public Authority, for showing that dung beetles are finicky eaters.

PHYSICS: Basile Audoly and Sebastien Neukirch of the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, in Paris, for their insights into why, when you bend dry spaghetti, it often breaks into more than two pieces.

CHEMISTRY: Antonio Mulet, José Javier Benedito and José Bon of the University of Valencia, Spain, and Carmen Rosselló of the University of Illes Balears, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain,  for their study "Ultrasonic Velocity in Cheddar Cheese as Affected by Temperature."

BIOLOGY: Bart Knols and Ruurd de Jong of Wageningen Agricultural University for showing that the female malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae is attracted equally to the smell of limburger cheese and to the smell of human feet.

2005

CHEMISTRY: Edward Cussler of the University of Minnesota and Brian Gettelfinger of the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin, for conducting a careful experiment to settle the longstanding scientific question: can people swim faster in syrup or in water?

NUTRITION: Dr. Yoshiro Nakamats of Tokyo, Japan, for photographing and retrospectively analyzing every meal he has consumed during a period of 34 years (and counting).

2004

PUBLIC HEALTH
Jillian Clarke of the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, and then Howard University, for investigating the scientific validity of the Five-Second Rule about whether it's safe to eat food that's been dropped on the floor.

2003

PHYSICS
Jack Harvey, John Culvenor, Warren Payne, Steve Cowley, Michael Lawrance, David Stuart, and Robyn Williams of Australia, for their irresistible report "An Analysis of the Forces Required to Drag Sheep over Various Surfaces."

BIOLOGY
C.W. Moeliker, of Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam, the Netherlands, for documenting the first scientifically recorded case of homosexual necrophilia in the mallard duck.

2002

PHYSICS
Arnd Leike of the University of Munich, for demonstrating that beer froth obeys the mathematical Law of Exponential Decay. 

2001

MEDICINE
Peter Barss of McGill University, for his impactful medical report "Injuries Due to Falling Coconuts." 

BIOLOGY
Buck Weimer of Pueblo, Colorado for inventing Under-Ease, airtight underwear with a replaceable charcoal filter that removes bad-smelling gases before they escape.

2000

LITERATURE
Jasmuheen (formerly known as Ellen Greve) of Australia, first lady of Breatharianism, for her book "Living on Light," which explains that although some people do eat food, they don't ever really need to.

1999

SOCIOLOGY
Steve Penfold, of York University in Toronto, for doing his PhD thesis on the sociology of Canadian donut shops.

PHYSICS
Dr. Len Fisher of Bath, England and Sydney, Australia for calculating the optimal way to dunk a biscuit.
...and...
Professor Jean-Marc Vanden-Broeck of the University of East Anglia, England, and Belgium, for calculating how to make a teapot spout that does not drip.

LITERATURE
The British Standards Institution for its six-page specification (BS-6008) of the proper way to make a cup of tea.

BIOLOGY
Dr. Paul Bosland, director of The Chile Pepper Institute, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, for breeding a spiceless jalapeno chile pepper.

1998

BIOLOGY
Peter Fong of Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for contributing to the happiness of clams by giving them Prozac.

1997

BIOLOGY
T. Yagyu and his colleagues from the University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland, from Kansai Medical University in Osaka, Japan, and from Neuroscience Technology Research in Prague, Czech Republic, for measuring people's brainwave patterns while they chewed different flavors of gum.

METEOROLOGY
Bernard Vonnegut of the State University of Albany, for his revealing report, "Chicken Plucking as Measure of Tornado Wind Speed."

1996

BIOLOGY
Anders Barheim and Hogne Sandvik of the University of Bergen, Norway, for their tasty and tasteful report, "Effect of Ale, Garlic, and Soured Cream on the Appetite of Leeches."

PHYSICS
Robert Matthews of Aston University, England, for his studies of Murphy's Law, and especially for demonstrating that toast often falls on the buttered side.

CHEMISTRY
George Goble of Purdue University, for his blistering world record time for igniting a barbeque grill-three seconds, using charcoal and liquid oxygen.

1995

NUTRITION
John Martinez of J. Martinez & Company in Atlanta, Georgia, for Luak Coffee, the world's most expensive coffee, which is made from coffee beans ingested and excreted by the luak (aka, the palm civet), a bobcat-like animal native to Indonesia.

PHYSICS  
D.M.R. Georget, R. Parker, and A.C. Smith, of the Institute of Food Research, Norwich, England, for their rigorous analysis of soggy breakfast cereal, published in the report entitled 'A Study of the Effects of Water Content on the Compaction Behaviour of Breakfast Cereal Flakes."

1993

CONSUMER ENGINEERING
Ron Popeil, incessant inventor and perpetual pitchman of late night television,  for redefining the industrial revolution with such devices as the Veg-O-Matic, the Pocket Fisherman, Mr. Microphone, and the Inside-the-Shell Egg Scrambler.

PEACE
The Pepsi-Cola Company of the Phillipines, suppliers of sugary hopes and dreams, for sponsoring a contest to create a millionaire, and then announcing the wrong winning number, thereby inciting and uniting 800,000 riotously expectant winners, and bringing many warring factions together for the first time in their nation's history.

PHYSICS  
Louis Kervran of France, ardent admirer of alchemy, for his conclusion that the calcium in chickens' eggshells is created by a process of cold fusion.

1992

CHEMISTRY
Ivette Bassa, constructor of colorfulcolloids, for her role in the crowning achievement of twentieth century chemistry, the synthesis of bright blue Jell-O.

NUTRITION
The utilizers of Spam, courageous consumers of canned comestib les, for 54 years of undiscriminating digestion.

1991

MEDICINE
Alan Kligerman, deviser of digestive deliverance, vanquisher of vapor, and inventor of Beano, for his pioneering work with anti- gas liquids that prevent bloat, gassiness, discomfort and
embarassment.

Starbucks Shots

photo by idogcow

I've been a frequent patron of Starbucks nearly my whole life but it wasn't too long ago that I learned that their Venti size latte (Large) only has two shots of espresso in it.  

Note:  A hot Venti beverage has only two shots.  An iced Venti does have three, but I don't think it should even be called an Iced Venti because Venti means 20 and refers to the number of ounces in the paper cup - the plastic cup for the iced Venti's is 24 ounces.  They should call it a Ventiquattro!

So for 15+ years I've been ordering my Lattes in a Venti thinking I'm getting 50% more espresso than if ordered a Grande (Medium) - but I'm not!  I'm only getting more milk!  Their hot sizes follow a 1-1-2-2 shot formula for Short - Tall - Grande - Venti (Extra Small - Small - Medium - Large).

So I'm talking to a cool barista the other day and she tells me that the 1-1-2-2 formula is different for the Americano!  Those follow a true 1-2-3-4 formula for Short - Tall - Grande - Venti.  Odd.

I confirmed this on this Starbucks Menu Chart someone put together.  The chart also points out how many different ways there are to put these drinks together - and that your average barista likely knows them.  It reads like a glossary:

Breve - Made with half and half instead of regular milk. This makes it a bit thicker, a bit sweeter, a bit more expensive and a lot more fattening.

Organic - Some stores also have organic milk available. It'll cost extra, and they may have to go looking for it, since almost no one orders it (in my area at least).

140 degrees - No, this is not the newest boy band. If you find normal drinks too hot to drink, and want to save your tastebuds from a fiery death, order your drink at a hundred and forty degrees -- this is still quite warm, but not tongue-roasting.

Kid's - By Starbucks rules, any drink that's going to be served to a child must be no hotter than 130 degrees. Keep this in mind when you go cheap and order the $1.00 kid's hot chocolate.

Digging around, I also found the Starbucks Gossip site (unofficial?).  Some of the forum topics were pretty interesting.  Mostly baristas complaining about people ordering wacky things and people complaining about getting charged differently in different places.  This is from an entry in one of the forums:

 "I have no idea how to charge a single cup of french press because I was under the impression that we charged for the whole press [in fact, my shift charged a woman for the whole press just last night].

It's frustrating. Not to mention when I charge someone correctly and a shift or manager comes up behind me, prescreen's my screen, rerings up the customer and charges them for significantly less. Thus making me feel and look like a total asshat."

I'm sticking to my Tall Americano's.