Food recalls and the FDA

Now, if this article about the recent foodborne illness outbreak traced to Nestle cookie dough doesn’t send a shiver down your spine, I don’t know what will.  The FDA, who is charged with protecting us food consumers through inspections, was denied access to records related to pest control and complaint logs by Nestle.  What causes the shivers for me is not that they denied them access, but this fact here:

FDA spokeswoman Stephanie Kwisnek said the Glendale, Calif.-based unit of Switzerland-based Nestle SA had the right to do so (deny access).  “Companies have the right to make conditions on what they will or will not permit during an inspection," she said. "Some companies have a policy that they outline for the investigator at the beginning of an inspection."

Hmm.  So, we’ve got 69 people sick with EColi and Nestle gets to call the shots?  I guess they don’t really – I mean the FDA can go and get legal intervention to force them to comply.  In the meantime, how much food gets produced out of the plant and shipped to consumers?  Nestle’s defense?  Their actions are “standard within the food industry”.  There goes that shiver again.

Oh, and a bunch of beef was recalled today too for potential EColi contamination.  The fun never stops.

I know the fun has kind of gone out of the blog in the last week.  Stay tuned – cocktail recipes will reappear, I assure you.

Meridith

Farmers making a difference

An inspiring article about farmers making a difference in our country.  Unfortunately, none of these farms are near us here in San Diego, but one does distribute through Whole Foods in Southern California.  Inspiring nonetheless.

Bought my first batch of grass fed beef today at Homegrown Meats in La Jolla.  Hubby had some ground beef (they gave me some as a “sample” to try) for dinner and pronounced it delicious.  Flank steak up next.

Meridith

Food Inc – the Food Geek review

The philosophy of Food Geek is to encourage kids and their parents to cook and eat a wide variety of wholesome, real food.  Not necessarily low fat or low calorie, but REAL.  Food as unprocessed as possible, using ingredients that are fresh and as close to nature as we can get.  This is a serious challenge.  Our lives have become engineered to be jam packed with work, kids’ activities, social obligations and other things that keep us eating on the go.  We are looking for things that are quick and easy to access.  Sitting down to a home cooked meal, eating together as a family is not the norm anymore.  Convenience products are everywhere. 

Us Food Geekers have long argued that the reason that people are eating so much crap has more to do with a societal disconnection than it does with the food.  We have created lives that are filled with “stuff”, whether material or just a use of time, and have gotten pretty far removed from one another.  What’s happened with our food is due to a lack of connection to each other, to animals, to nature, to our food, and to our bodies.  (Here's an early blog entry that goes into more detail about my perspective on the disconnect = food relationship.)

I was thrilled when I heard about the release of the movie Food Inc.  The people behind it, Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma), are people I respect.  They are Americans who have done their part to try and educate us about what we are really eating.  They are trying to spread the message that there is a cost – socially, environmentally, and physically to most of what we are putting into our bodies these days.  They simply lay out the evidence of how our food industry works and let us take it from there.

I had some apprehension about seeing the movie because I was prepared for some horrifying images of animal slaughter showing inhumane treatment of animals with unsanitary conditions.  I was prepared that the outcome for me of seeing the film would be adopting a vegetarian, or maybe even vegan diet and never looking back.  What happened was really something more profound and complicated.  The images were disturbing, but not for the reasons I expected.  I was stunned by just a plain old lack of respect and connection in the system – to the animals, to each other, and to the work environment.  I now find myself……suspicious and questioning everything.

Suspicious sounds dramatic and loaded with fear, but really it has to do with an awakening.  I shop organic, I buy free range chicken, I avoid high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils…..but is that really enough?  Where is that food really coming from and how the heck did it get to my plate?  Has it been genetically engineered to withstand pesticides?  Has there been an ammonia filler added to it to prevent me from getting EColi?  Has it been fed a diet of stuff it’s not used to eating to get it fatter faster?

The undercurrent of the movie and one that I guess I knew intellectually but needed to have laid out for me in a darkened movie theatre is that our food supply is truly a business.  Production of beef, pork, and chicken are controlled by just a small number of companies.  The vast majority of soybean production (and genetically modified soybeans at that) is controlled by just one company.  McDonald’s is the number one purchaser of beef, pork, and potatoes in the United States.  All of these companies are for-profit operations.  You do the math.

Producing food has become an enterprise of cheaper and faster.  Animals are raised in an environment that is just unnatural – both from the food they eat and the conditions they live in.  These decisions have consequences that are significant to our health and safety.  In contrast, I found myself breathless at the profiles of the family farmers who are treating their animals with care – feeding them what they are naturally supposed to be eating, giving them room to roam, treating them with basic respect, and then slaughtering them in a more humane fashion.  I found myself smiling in the movie theatre and exhaling….”wow”. 

I could blog paragraph after paragraph about the movie and I would still not do it justice.  If you have the opportunity to see it, you must.  It was life affirming and changing for me.   I didn’t find myself frightened or sobered as much as validated.  I have to continue to focus our eating on a wide variety of minimally processed foods, including the “right” animal products.

For me personally going forward, I am only going to eat grass fed, or pastured meats.  I will continue to buy organic when I can, read labels, buy from my local CSA and farmers’ markets, and invest in our kids by teaching them that real food tastes good and is fun. 

Some links to learn more:

The movie's official website

10 things we can do to change our food system

Sources for pastured meat in San Diego

Nationwide resource for pastured meat and dairy

Video of interview with Eric Schlosser

Michael Pollan on Bill Maher's show

Interview with Robert Kenner

It seems overwhelming, but change takes just one family at a time, one meal at a time.  Vote for change with your food dollars every time you eat.  It will happen.

It took me five attempts to blog about this movie – it’s chock of so much important information that it’s been hard to organize my thoughts.  It’s been forefront in my mind since I saw it two days ago.  You’ll probably be hearing more from me about it in the coming days as I work it over in my brain.  Go see it.  Please.

Meridith

Bacon & Chocolate

Yes, these two things go together.  No, they really do.  Vosges (a specialty chocolate company) makes a chocolate bar with bacon in it that is pretty darn good.  The reason this is relevant is that my mom and I were trying to come up with an appropriate dessert for Father’s Day and decided that we had to figure out a way to incorporate bacon.  She had found a recipe for bacon brownies.  Can’t go wrong with that, right?  Well, the recipe was pretty straightforward but used margarine which I am just not down with.  I’m an unsalted butter gal, through and through.  So, we wondered what would happen if we just took our regular brownie recipe and added a bunch of chopped, cooked bacon to it.  The answer is – eh.  It really didn’t add anything flavor wise and really didn’t add anything to the texture either – kind of chewy nubs.  Doesn’t that sound delicious!  So, I can’t recommend that experiment.  That said, the basic brownie recipe we use is pretty rad, so here you go:

Collin’s Best Brownies

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 large eggs
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups walnuts, chopped coarse

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a 9 inch square baking pan.
2. In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt chocolates and butter, stirring.  Remove bowl from heat.  Cool chocolate mixture.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and whisk in chocolate mixture.  Add flour and salt and stir until combined well.  Stir in nuts and spread batter in pan.
4. Smooth top and bake on middle rack in oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering.  Cool on rack and cut into squares.

Our quest for a bacon related dessert marches on.  Any suggestions?

Meridith

The Perfect Refrigerator

An interesting new article from the Eat This, Not That people.  This one is called “The Perfect Refrigerator” and I learned a couple of new things from it.

The best fruit - Red Delicious Apples (1 medium apple) has 95 calories and 4 grams fiber.  The surprising fact is that USDA researchers found that Red Delicious apples have a higher antioxidant capacity than other apples.  Who knew?

And here’s one that blew my mind…..the best milk comes from a chocolate cow!  Organic Valley Chocolate LowFat Milk (1 cup) has 160 calories and 9 grams protein.  But here’s the best part - researchers found that not only does milk do a better job rehydrating the body than water or sports drinks but that chocolate milk repairs muscles 40 percent faster than plain milk.  So, once I decide to start exercising regularly, I will have an excuse to drink some chocolate milk!

One other thing they talk about in the article is the best fruit spread.  I know a lot of us moms out there are turning out pb&j like it’s going out of style.  You have to be very, very careful with the jellies and jams, even the “premium” brands.  Almost all use high fructose corn syrup as the sweetener.  I buy all fruit spreads, but they are quite expensive.  I found an organic strawberry pomegranate spread at Costco that tastes great and doesn’t have any of that junk in it.  $7 for a giant jar.

Despite my giant jar of fruit spread, the cold box in my house is looking a little sparse.  Looks like I better get shopping.

Meridith

Lovely Lemon Bars

There was a request for the lemon bar recipe I use – I could have sworn that I blogged it earlier but was unsuccessful at tracking it down, so here goes.  I am a Lemon Bar snob and these pass my test.  I insist that they be the perfect mix of sweet and tart with a crust that is buttery and flaky.  These are just that.  Perfect finish for a barbeque meal featuring smoky flavors and washed down with a wheat ale beer.  Enjoy.

Lemon Bars
(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Crust:
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons salted butter (cold, cut into cubes)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Topping:
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9 by 13 baking pan.
2. For the crust, combine flour, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a food processor.  Process to combine.  Add butter to processor and process until mixture is pale yellow and resembles a coarse meal.  Pour crust mixture into baking dish, pressing down with your fingers to evenly cover bottom of pan, pressing firmly at the edges to seal.
3. Transfer crust to freezer and freeze for 30 minutes.  Transfer to oven and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the topping.  In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and flour.  Stir in the lemon juice, milk, and salt until well combined.  Set aside.
5. Remove baking pan from oven.  Allow pan to sit for five minutes.  Stir topping and pour into warm crust.  Return pan to oven and bake until topping is just set, but not browned, about 20 to 25 minutes. 
6. Transfer baking pan to a wire rack to cool completely.  Serve immediately or wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

A few tricks (i.e., learn from my mistakes) – freeze the butter for 20 minutes or so before adding to dry ingredients for the crust.  I’ve found it makes for a flakier crust if the butter is super cold when you start.  Second, do not pour the topping on the crust directly out of the oven.  Let it set for a five minutes first, otherwise the topping will instantaneously cook around the edges as soon as it hits the screaming hot pan.  You’ll have an uneven topping as far as consistency goes.  And third, do not attempt to cut the bars until they are at room temperature.  They will be a gooey mess if you try to cut them while still hot.  It will take 90 minutes (at least) for them to cool to room temperature.  Cook them before dinner, cook dinner, eat dinner, clean up….and then have some perfect lemon bars for dessert.  Sprinkle them with confectioners’ sugar if you like.  Killer dessert designed to impress.

Meridith

Top Chef Masters, week 2

Straight from Bravo…..

Tonight on Top Chef Masters, the chefs are operating on an extremely tight budget and must create the perfect amuse bouche using only what they can find in a vending machine (a la Top Chef season 2). Master chefs Wylie Dufresne, Suzanne Tracht, Graham Elliot Bowles and Elizabeth Falkner find themselves “lost” as they are challenged to make a meal inspired by the hit TV show, using ingredients such as fish, wild boar, fresh fruits, and other island specialties. "Lost" co-creators, executive producers and writers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof guest star, and one chef moves on to the Champions Round.

What a treat for Lost fans :) -- check out these previews:

http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef-masters/videos/vending-machine-amuse-bouche

http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef-masters/videos/lost-supper

http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef-masters/videos/humor-and-whimsy

I’m rooting for Wylie Dufresne.  No reason other than saying his name makes me happy.

More on Food Inc.

It’s opening in San Diego this coming Friday – it will be playing at Flower Hill in Del Mar and Hillcrest cinemas.  This is an important film that we all, especially us parents, need to see.  Knowledge is power right?

Newsweek interview with Michael Pollan

Cinematical movie review

Official movie website

Chai Tea Ice Cream

Hopefully you saw my previous post about my afternoon making Indian Chai Tea with my friend Paula.  I have made it a few times at home thanks to Paula keeping me supplied with green tea and masala.  I’m hooked.  The first time I had her tea, I was convinced that it would be the perfect base for an ice cream.  It was rich, flavorful, and a bit spicy thanks to the ginger and masala.  I thought it had the perfect flavors for a refreshing ice cream.  So, I finally tried it today and the end result did not disappoint.  So, here’s the recipe in case you want to try it out.  This recipe is a Philadelphia style recipe, requiring no eggs and therefore no custard.  If you need more info on making ice cream, check out this entry about making ice cream from scratch.

MP’s Chai Tea Ice Cream

4 cups half and half
5 stalks green tea, snipped into 2 inch pieces
10 mint leaves
1 rounded tablespoon black tea
3/4 teaspoon tea masala (see this post for ingredient info)
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons grated ginger
6 tablespoons sugar

(You’ll note that the ratios of masala, ginger, and sugar are higher than in the hot tea.  Generally speaking, when things are served cold, they require more seasoning.  I wanted to be sure that the chai tea flavor would come through and not be lost in the fat of the half and half.  Fat helps to transmit flavor as well, but I wanted to make sure it had enough “oomph”.)

1. Add half and half to a saucepan over medium heat.  Add green tea, mint leaves, black tea, masala, cardamom, ginger, and sugar.
2. Bring to a simmer – do not boil.  Reduce heat and allow flavors to come together.  Remove from heat.
3. Strain liquid using a fine mesh strainer, discarding solids.  Bring to room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator until cold or overnight.
4. Once chilled, place in an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

I’m thinking this would be awesome with some crushed gingersnaps, crystallized ginger, or even a rich chocolate sauce.  You could mix the gingersnaps in, but don’t do it until the very end of processing to keep it from getting mushy.

Meridith

Top Chef Masters - Second course

Got an e-mail from the digital marketing group for the show and Bravo. They sent me the links to the show previews. Just in case you can’t wait until tonight. Enjoy!

Top Chef Masters

Tonight.  Bravo TV.  10pm.  Watch it.  Website here.

Archi’s Acres

At the Hillcrest Farmers’ Market yesterday, we saw a produce booth marked “Archi’s Acres”.  A former Marine, Colin Archipley (cool first name by the way) and his wife have started a program that provides veterans job training in the agriculture industry.  Their programs are targeted to disabled veterans and those who want to return to the agricultural industry after their military careers.  Veterans are trained in farm management, hydroponic growing, grove management, and greenhouse maintenance.  Their program is also on gaining life skills and transitioning to the demands of civilian life.

What they are doing is pretty inspirational.  Check out their website here. 

Meridith

Food Allergies 101

This article is from June’s American Culinary Federation’s Chef & Child Foundation.  It gives an overview of the most common food allergies from a restaurant owner’s perspective.  Some of the info is a bit obscure, but I thought it did a nice job of doing “Food Allergies for Dummies”.   For those with young kids, I think it’s helpful to understand the ramifications and pitfalls that affect so many families.

Meridith

Pluots

What the heck is a pluot?  Well, I was asking myself the same thing last week.  My July Bon Appétit magazine showed up and there was an entire article on pluots.  I perused it but didn’t give it much thought.  Actually, my inner dialogue went something more like this:  “Another Bon Appétit article or recipe with ingredients that can’t be found by normal people anywhere at anytime”.  The other inner dialogue I generally have about Bon Appétit magazine is that the recipes are so complicated and have so many ingredients that I get irritated just reading them.  I have skills and I have cooked some complicated things, but I really don’t want to do it in my home on any sort of regular basis.  So, unlike another famous magazine, I read it for the pictures and not so much for the articles.

Fast forward to yesterday – took the family to the Hillcrest Farmers’ Market.  For you local San Diegans, if you have never been to this market, you must go check it out.  Info on the market is here.  It’s on Sunday mornings from 9am to 2pm in the parking lot of the Hillcrest DMV.  There are plenty of free samples, but you don’t leave there feeling like your guts will explode like the Costco samples meal can cause. 

Surprisingly, all of the market’s produce stands had pluots yesterday.  After getting a sample, we decided we had to bring some home.  So, what is a pluot?  A pluot is a hybrid of 75% plum and 25% apricot.  It has the texture and flavor of a plum, with more sweetness and less acidity.  They come in different colors and varieties – the ones we saw at the market yesterday were deep purple with darker flesh.  Here’s what it looks like on the outside:

Pluots have a pretty short availability window – most come from California and are available in June and July, depending on the variety.

They are delicious to just eat out of hand.  I prefer these to plums as they have less tartness and are more sweet.  Their sweetness lends to pair them with salty meats and cheeses (think proscuitto and mozzarella) as well as smoked meats like duck.  They also make great cobblers, tarts, or ice cream toppings.  And as you would expect from Food Geek, they make great cocktails!  Remember this recipe for the strawberry prosecco cocktail?  Substitute chopped pluots for the strawberries and you are ready to go.

Here’s the link to the July Bon Appétit recipes that feature pluots.  I’m just the messenger – don’t grumble at me when you see the recipe notes that the items can be found at a “specialty Portuguese African Thai Market”.  Okay, maybe I made that part up.  But it sure feels that way.

Smoked Duck & Pluot Salad

Pluot Pinwheel Tart

Pluot Jam

So go find those pluots while you still can.  Hurry up or you’ll be out of luck until next June.

Meridith

Watching What We Eat

Here’s a book recommendation for those of you who are interested in food TV and its evolution.  It’s all outlined in this book called Watching What We Eat: The Evolution of Television Cooking Shows.  The reviews appear to be favorable however the author seems to have a soft spot for Rachael Ray.  I will try not to dismiss the book based on that fact alone.  Julia Child on the cover more than balances that out. 

Meridith

Limoncello

Limoncello is a delicious, tart, sweet liqueur that is perfect for summer.  And as one of our blog commenters mentioned, it goes great in a cocktail with Prosecco.  I have made limoncello before and the stuff you make at home is far superior (in my humbe opinion) to that stuff you can buy in the store.  The stuff in the store has been sitting around on the shelf where the homemade stuff tastes fresh and like summer.

This is the recipe I use – I don’t remember where I got the original recipe, so I can’t credit it, but here goes.  Oh, and if you are going to use it with Prosecco, the suggested ratio would be 2 parts Prosecco to 1 part limoncello.

Limoncello
(makes 2 quarts)

11 lemons
3 cups simple syrup (see my recipe and notes on this here)
1 bottle 160-proof vodka or everclear (see note) 

1. Peel strips of lemon zest from lemons using a serrated vegetable peeler or zester (just the yellow stuff – the white is bitter).  Reserve lemons for another use (how about juicing them for fresh lemon juice for another cocktail?).  Put zest and vodka in an airtight container.  Let stand at room temperature for at least two days and up to one week.
2. Stir simple syrup into vodka mixture.  Refrigerate in an airtight container 1 day.
3. Before serving, pour through a large sieve into a serving vessel and discard zest.  Limoncello can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three months.

Note about the booze: the higher alcohol content of everclear is best – it extracts the oils from the lemon zest better than lower alcohol content vodkas, but use vodka if you can’t get the everclear.  The everclear also has an advantage as it does not impart any flavor, allowing the lemon flavors to stand on their own.

While limoncello has its origins in Italy, try it with some spicy Indian food or barbeque.  Summer rocks and this is a reason why.  I’m hungry.

Meridith

It’s National Doughnut Day

Now, is it Doughnut or Donut?  It appears that Doughnut is the “proper” spelling, but I’m going with donut for the duration.  Less keystrokes, more time for eating.

My son Collin loves donuts.  For a while there, donuts were the key to his ability to do anything that we wanted him to do.  “I’d love to go to preschool Mom, but we have to stop by the donut shop on the way”.  “Mom, can we go to Krispy Kreme (except he called it something that sounded like Krusty Krab) before we go to run the errands we need to run?”  That boy loves donuts.  Now going to the car wash appears to be his location of cooperation, but whatever.

Anyway, I have never personally made donuts.  Which makes no sense since Collin loves them so much.  So, now I’m motivated to give it a try.  Here’s a basic recipe I found – it’s pretty straightforward except for the frying part.  You need a heavy pot and a thermometer to do this properly.  This recipe does not use yeast, so you will end up with a denser, more cake like donut. 

Sugar Donuts
(from epicurious.com)

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup well shaken buttermilk (use the leftover buttermilk for mashed potatoes – awesome!!!)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
12 cups vegetable oil

1. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.  Whisk together 1 cup sugar, buttermilk, butter, and eggs in another bowl, then add to flour and stir until a dough forms.  Dough will be sticky.  (You could also do this in the KitchenAid with the dough hook.  Kids love the dough hook, especially if you chase them around the house with it like a deranged pirate – or so I’ve heard).
2. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and knead gently 8 times. Flour dough and a rolling pin, then roll out dough into a 12-inch round (about 1/3 inch thick).  Cut out as many donuts as possible with a floured, 3-inch donut cutter and transfer to lightly floured baking sheets.  Gather scraps, reroll, and cut more donuts in the same manner.  (If you don’t have a donut cutter, use a 1 1/4 (approximately) inch round cookie cutter and you’ll get donut holes instead.  Still delicious.)
3. Heat oil in a heavy pot until thermometer registers 375 degrees.  Working in batches, slide donuts into oil and fry.  Once each donut floats to the surface, turn over and fry for 50 seconds and then turn again and fry for 50 seconds more.  Transfer to paper towels and drain.   Cool slightly and dredge in remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar.  (You can spike this sugar with cinnamon if you like).

Word on the street is that Krispy Kreme is giving away free donuts today and that Dunkin Donuts is giving one away with the purchase of a beverage.  So, go forth and donut.  This may be enough to get Collin away from the car wash.

Meridith

Mr. Fast Food Nation

Here’s Eric Schlosser who wrote Fast Food Nation and is one of the producers of the Food Inc. movie.  The interview is high on Colbert humor and a little light on substance, but still worth checking out.  Fascinating stuff.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Eric Schlosser
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Keyboard Cat

Strawberry Alarm Clock

Well, this post does involve strawberries, but I titled it Strawberry Alarm Clock just because I think it sounds funny.  What kind of band name is that anyway?  It was the 60s, so I guess that explains it.

This month’s Bon Appetit had what looks like a great recipe for a summer cocktail featuring Prosecco, one of my favorites.  I’ve declared my love for it previously.  Check out this blog entry for details.  Before I lay the recipe on you, a quick cocktail primer.  A lot of cocktail drinks call for something called simple syrup.  Do a google search and you’ll find many emotional and heated debates about simple syrup ratios and methods, but I have it on good authority that mine is right!   My simple syrup is equal parts water and sugar, heated to a boil and then cooled.  I make several cups at a time in the summer and store it in the fridge so that I always have some handy.  It will last in the fridge for weeks.  It works as a base for a lot of martinis and fruit based drinks.  Perfect for summer!

The Strawberry Muddle
(From Bon Appetit)

1/2 cup simple syrup
1 1/2 cups chopped hulled* strawberries
6 thin lemon slices
Ice cubes
1 750-ml bottle Prosecco, chilled

Divide strawberries among six 6 to 8 ounce glasses.  Add one tablespoon simple syrup to each and mash with handle of a wooden spoon or muddler.  Add lemon slice to each and mash to release flavor.  Add several ice cubes to each glass.  Fill with Prosecco.  Do not stir.  You want to the ice cubes to hold down the fruit and keep the drink cold.

*We talked about the term “hulled” once before.  If you need a refresher, go here and read the strawberry pie recipe.

This sweet, fruity drink would be awesome paired with some good old classic barbeque, light asian foods, or cold seafood dishes.

Meridith

Michael Pollan making the rounds

This is turning into the Michael Pollan fan site, but I guess there are worse things.  He was on Bill Maher Friday night talking about his book, the movie Food Inc, and the state of food today.  Brilliant.

Meridith

Book suggestion

I found this book when I was wandering through Barnes & Noble last weekend.  As usual, I was just window shopping and then my wallet was $100 lighter….oops. 

The book is called “What We Eat When We Eat Alone: Stories and 100 Recipes” and it’s charming.  Who knows if the recipes are any good, but I can certainly relate to the title alone.  We all have things that we like to eat only when we are by ourselves, right?  C’mon, fess up. 

I love this editorial review on Amazon – "Just when you thought there was nothing conceivably new to write about food, (the authors) have devised a truly intimate, startling, funny, and genuinely subversive book. What We Eat When We Eat Alone is like peeping through a one-way mirror into the life of others. Not only what we eat, but how we eat it (spreading newsprint over one's chest to eat in bed) fills this entertaining book with enough fun and good ideas to keep you turning page after page. Even though the chapter 'Men and Their Meat' is not what you think it might be, you will be missing a rare treat if you don't buy and read this book."

Sounds like the perfect thing to read – while you’re eating something alone no less.

Meridith