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Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (Ep. 4): 'Jamie Vs. Radio Rod'
Of course the show is corny, scripted, over-the-top - one does not have to be a critic to realize that. It also has an urgent message and many touching moments and the potential to change the eating habits of many people. It is easy to quibble with details of the show but one needs to remember that the particular genre ("reality" show) must package some sort of "dramatic" arc into a very truncated time frame for a problem that is complex and long-term. I like watching this show no matter how many madcap vignettes will occur and I am eager to find out whether anything has changed at all (I think it will have!).
Coffee Walking Tours in Seattle
I lost interest after reading "peppermint mocha" - Yikes!
Serious Cheese: Tough Economy Hits the King of Cheese
If you consider the prices charged by food stores in Europe and the US for Parmigiano Reggiano (between $25-$65 a kilo, depending on quality and age), you know that the producers, especially small ones with traditional production methods, are not getting a fair price. The amount of second rate, plastic wrapped Parmigiano sold in this country at premium prices is staggering, while the artisans in Emilia are going broke. Hard to believe and sad.
I don't know whether a one-time cash infusion by the Italian government will solve this (systemic) problem, a better way would be for informed consumers to ask for quality (sometimes even organically produced) Parmigiano and pay accordingly. Maybe we need a "Fair Trade" movement for artisanal cheese producers, not just for coffee farmers.
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Cheese and Beer Go Together Better
"Cheese and Beer Go Together Better" - Garrett Oliver has been saying this for over 10 year - listen people!!!
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (Ep. 4): 'Jamie Vs. Radio Rod'
Of course the show is corny, scripted, over-the-top - one does not have to be a critic to realize that. It also has an urgent message and many touching moments and the potential to change the eating habits of many people. It is easy to quibble with details of the show but one needs to remember that the particular genre ("reality" show) must package some sort of "dramatic" arc into a very truncated time frame for a problem that is complex and long-term. I like watching this show no matter how many madcap vignettes will occur and I am eager to find out whether anything has changed at all (I think it will have!).
Coffee Walking Tours in Seattle
I lost interest after reading "peppermint mocha" - Yikes!
Serious Cheese: Tough Economy Hits the King of Cheese
If you consider the prices charged by food stores in Europe and the US for Parmigiano Reggiano (between $25-$65 a kilo, depending on quality and age), you know that the producers, especially small ones with traditional production methods, are not getting a fair price. The amount of second rate, plastic wrapped Parmigiano sold in this country at premium prices is staggering, while the artisans in Emilia are going broke. Hard to believe and sad.
I don't know whether a one-time cash infusion by the Italian government will solve this (systemic) problem, a better way would be for informed consumers to ask for quality (sometimes even organically produced) Parmigiano and pay accordingly. Maybe we need a "Fair Trade" movement for artisanal cheese producers, not just for coffee farmers.
Weekend Book Giveaway: 'The Wine Snob's Dictionary'
fresh cut filet mignon
Fernet Branca: A Better Bitter?
Fernet Branca is indeed the best amaro I know. Almost all others are just too sweet and cloying compared to the austere bitterness of Fernet. Whenever I do not feel too well, Fernet Branca is the the drink of choice to settle an upset stomach.
In Argentina, it is indeed ubiquitous and a fine after dinner choice (after a huge steak).
Martha Tries Philly Cheesesteak for First Time, Prefers Geno's to Pat's
I would never ever go to Geno's - not because the steaks there are particularly bad but because of the stupid, racist "Order in English" policy. Nearby Pat's is better anyway.
If it has to be cheesesteak, then at least go to John's (Roast Pork) on 14 Snyder Ave. - that is where I take out-of-towners who succumbed to the Philly cheese steak mystique and can't leave town without having tried one.
In Memory of Robert Steinberg, Scharffen Berger Chocolate Co-Founder
I was saddened to hear the news of Robert Steinberg's untimely death. I had the good fortune of meeting Mr. Steinberg in Turin, Italy, a couple times. Dr. Steinberg showed what great passion combined with solid knowledge about chocolate can achieve - how many chocolatiers are now following, on a small and larger scale, his example. Chocolate lovers across this country owe him a large debt.
Endangered Foods: How Do We Save Them?
Saving endangered food species is also the struggle to maintain biodiversity, as well as a rich variety of tastes. The maximizing of "yield" is the great fetish of commodity food production - a focus on monoculture (corn, soy, wheat), most often GMOs that heavily depend on oil (pesticides, fertilizers) and subsidies. This type of industrial agriculture destroys the diversity of crops farmers traditionally grew and is non-sustainable (the destruction of soil calls for ever greater amounts of chemical fertilizer). The so-called "endangered foods" - many of them are legumes grown by native Americans - can improve local diets and prevent many of the run-away health problems caused by industrial foods. Yes, many of these foods are fragile but they are not meant to travel 3000 miles and have a shelf-life of 10 weeks or more. They are key to a local agriculture that will be the livelihood of farmers, not corporations. Regarding now rare breeds, this means yes, we need to eat them to save them.
Stone Barns Wonders if You'd Like to See Where Your Meat Comes From
One of the big problems, alluded to in the article, is that there are fewer and fewer places where local farms can have their animals butchered. We need local abattoirs to aid farmers who raise animals and Dan Barber is simply doing something that is very important if a diverse and dynamic local farm economy is to succeed. Overregulation has concentrated the slaughtering of farm animals with huge meat processors, often hundreds of miles away. Local and state agricultural organizations should support small-scale slaughterhouses. That would help the farmers and also the animals.
In most parts of the world, the killing of animals for meat is much more in the open. I respect people who become vegetarians because they are against killing animals and I think that carnivores (and that includes me) should not think of meat as a supermarket packet but as an animal killed for our eating pleasure (or needs).
What Are Your Recipe Deal Breakers?
Excellent posts. The other day, I printed out Michael Laiskonis The "Egg" recipe (it sounded great) - then I read that I would need a "one-pint foam canister" and "gas cartridges." Definitely a deal breaker - even though I would have gladly done the three-in-one long recipe.
Dunkin Donuts Pulls Rachael Ray Ad Due to Arab-Looking Scarf
Wow, what a great victory over Dunkin by "Americans opposed to Islamic jihad and its apologists." This inane episode would be most comical if those right-wing bellowers were not constantly appeased by companies afraid of any controversy, no matter how contrived and ridiculous.
Love Those Goose Livers: Philadelphia's Best Foie Gras
@Dee711
I appreciate your spirited response in defense of stopping gavage (force feeding) of ducks/geese. In objective studies, this practice was shown to be detrimental to the health of the birds, leading to early death and active avoidance of the feeding practice by ducks and geese.
While the overall results of this practice are negative, the report of the European Union's Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare on Welfare Aspects of the Production of Foie Gras in Ducks and Geese stated that "there is no 'conclusive' scientific evidence on the aversive nature of force feeding", and that evidence of injury is "small." "The EU committee examined several experiments carried out by INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique) to detect pain or distress by looking at blood hormones, and found that no definite conclusions can be drawn from these studies." (quoted from wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foie_gras_controversy).
I accept that I am ignorant and possibly a glutton but I also DO empathize with non-human creatures (as a middle-sized mammal, I do not trumpet human exceptionalism too much) and am a proponent of raising animals humanely. For that last reason, I feel that fighting the cruelty of gigantic feed lots, horrific pig farms, and torturous chicken pens is a more urgent cause than the fixation on gavage and foie gras. Just an opinion. Does this mean that I lack "empathy for the suffering of animals"? I do not.
Best of luck in your fight for animal rights.
Love Those Goose Livers: Philadelphia's Best Foie Gras
Chasgoose does not make a long, rambling argument but gives an excellent refutation of the many false arguments used by anti foie gras activists. The visceral opposition to force-feeding does indeed come more from anthropomorphizing ducks (and not knowing a thing about duck physiology).
The Chicago ban has been reversed - the original "ban" was smuggled into a larger bill by an anti foie gras zealot and most who voted for the "ban" did not know about it until after the vote. After much deserved ridicule, the dumb stunt was finally reversed (as if in cities like Chicago and Philadelphia, such a measure even deserves to be among the first 10,000 items on the city's agenda).
Snapshots from Italy: Eataly Torino
The article describes the immense variety of fine Italian foods well and Eataly (indeed a horrible name!) is the prime showcase for these high quality delights. That such food comes at a price is a given (taking into account the production methods, rarity, and uniqueness of many food items sold there). It is unfortunate that the article ends with the lame lament "bring money. Lots and lots of money" - believe me, eating and drinking well at Eataly can be far less expensive than at Batali restaurants.
As for expensive seafood - I have eaten expensive fish dishes in France and Italy (in the Euro 50s range) and they were worth every cent. It is unfortunate that pristine, wild-caught fish and seafood is so expensive now but overfishing and the destruction of the oceans are playing a big part in that equation.
Cherries by the Bottle
A great Kirsch eaux-de-vie is not easy to produce - a stringent protocol of production must be observed, from the quality of the fruit to the small-batch distilling practices. I am partial to Kirsch vieux from the Swiss producer MORAND but there are many small and large producers of outstanding Kirsch. A glass after dinner is the perfect digestive (but so is a glass of Williams pear, apricot, quince, various plums, or any fine fruit carefully transformed into eaux-de-vie).
Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 9: Vacation Eating
I was so eager to list at least a couple of excellent restaurants in Lisbon (see above) that forgot to mention how much I identify with Ed trying to eat at every great place on his list when going to a new town. I do the same thing, be it great food towns like Paris, San Francisco, Chicago, Rome, Hong Kong, Tokyo, or wherever. I compulsively eat lunch and dinner every day at a good restaurant, leaving me totally satiated after three or four days and fighting with my wife who had the good idea (as it always turns out after a few days of no-holds-barred-eating) of "pacing" ourselves (one big meal, smaller venues for the rest of the day). Well, I am a very slow learner, since I just made lunch/dinner reservations in Atlanta for three days in a row when I will be there in early April.
Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 9: Vacation Eating
There are a couple ambitious chefs in Lisbon - like the chef at "Eleven" - Joachim Koerper - whose dishes are creative and light. The restaurant is beautifully designed with a great view (www.restauranteleven.com). I would also recommend A Travessa (in an old convent from the 17th century). The seafood is excellent, the rabbit in red wine sauce too (www.atravessa.com).
The Best of Philly's BYOBs
The above list of BYOB places in Philly definitely needs to be amended, so let me just add a few of the excellent restaurants where I ate over the last two weeks:
Marigold Kitchen - now serving great updated "southern" cuisine under new chef Erin O'Shea.
www.marigoldkitchenbyob.com
Matyson Restaurant
continues to serve excellent food after departure of original owners
www.matyson.com
Bistro 7
Innovative, reliable, incredible prix-fix until Thursday. I was especially impressed by perfect saffran risotto (just try to find a good risotto anywhere).
www.bistro7restaurant.com
Django
The new owner/chef had big shoes to fill and does so (mostly) with a successful mixture of old favorites and new offerings.
www.djangobyob.com
This list could be extended by another dozen places or so. If you like taqueria style Mexican food, please try the excellent Taco Riendo restaurant (1301 N 5th St).
Remember to bring your favorite wines/beers - there are no corkage fees in any of these places and some even have decent stemware.
Why Tomatoes Suck
"only in the summer" - there, you have the answer in the short post. I have long given up buying "fresh" tomatoes out of season, I rather use a good canned variety (San Marzano come to mind). Color is no criterion (those Dutch greenhouse tasteless wonders are beautiful color-wise). So wait for the season, when, as TikPundit notes about his Italian experience, you can buy in bulk and make sauce or can for the long winter month.
Trader Joe's Torture: What one thing do you have to buy?
Blenheim dried apricots, dried mango, nuts.
There is also plenty of crap at TJ's - jams full of corn syrup and worse.
A Cheese for the Season: Vacherin Mont d'Or
Truly one of the great cheeses of the world. Its availability is limited and seasonal. In first rate cheese shops, you might want to ask for Rolf Beeler's Försterkäse, a cheese that is very close to Vacherin Mont d'Or.
The French side tends to make the cheese from raw milk, on the Swiss side, thermalized milk is used. Purists don't accept cheese made this way as a true lait cru cheese.
In any case, your money is well spent on this unique delicacy.
My Ten Most Memorable Bites of 2007 (Outside New York): What Are Yours?
The French Toast at North Pond in Chicago. Bruce Sherman's restaurant offers incredible brunch dishes, great way to end the year.
As for Geno's steaks - after Joey Vento's "This is America, please order In English." sign, I am never going there again (besides, Geno's simply cannot compete with John's Roast Pork or Tony Luke's). Yeah, Joey, this is America, and no one has to patronize a joint owned by a stupid bigot!
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"Cheese and Beer Go Together Better" - Garrett Oliver has been saying this for over 10 year - listen people!!!