HOUSEKEPT

recipe: now is the time to eat your lawn

2010-04-28T11:24:00.005-06:00

Every spring, for the past several years, I've been telling myself: "Mark, eat the dandelions in your yard. They're so good for you and I bet they taste great. The co-op is selling them for $3.00 a bunch!" It's a fleeting thought that evaporates with the summer heat, when the dandelions morph from almost-pretty spring flora into desolate, dried-up, seed dispersing weeds. With a new baby and toddler in the house, my approach to lawn care has dropped to historically low levels, if it can be considered "care" at all. The upside is that my small city lot is, quite honestly, a dandelion farm. During times of famine, Italian schoolchildren were sent to the fields to gather wild greens, so why not harvest some from your (chemical free) yard?

This reality most certainly keeps my neighbors up at night, but they're missing out. In fact, they're likely chatting, nervously, about my lawn over a bag of pre-washed lettuce from sunny California. At this time of year, at least in MN, the dandelions are lush and tender, the flower heads just beginning to emerge. Dandelion greens are a great substitute for spinach or arugula, so you can prepare them as you would any other dark leafy green, such as chard, kale, collard green, etc. They even taste great in a salad with vinaigrette.

recipe: sautéed dandelion greens
In recent months I've resorted to increasingly minimalistic techniques to put fresh food on the table quickly, while keeping two little ones out of trouble. Consequently, this recipe doesn't break any new ground, but it will give you an idea of how easy it is to prepare utilitarian sautéed greens, which make an excellent first course, side dish, or leftover ingredient for other dishes like omelets and quiches. It's also an excuse to put down the laptop and weed your yard or garden.

Note: Like spinach, dandelion greens will wilt to a mere fraction of their initial volume, so you can cook a lot of them at once. Just make sure you have enough of the other ingredients to season them well.

Ingredients

One large bunch of trimmed, washed, and roughly chopped dandelion greens (two big fistfuls)
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
red pepper flakes (optional)
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Technique

Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a skillet. When smoking, add the garlic and optional red pepper flakes. Cook until garlic is very fragrant (but not brown), about 30 seconds.
Add the greens and stir them quickly as they wilt. Cook until greens are still bright in color, but quite tender (3-5 minutes).
Add a few splashes of balsamic vinegar (to taste), season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

*Serves 2-4 as a side dish

the mother of all potato recipes: tartiflette

2010-02-11T19:56:00.017-06:00

We all know I'm a total French food dork, especially of the rustic variety. Over the years I've found that in Minnesota it's quite easy to replicate a lot of the classics with ingredients produced close to home. This is particularly true with the hearty dishes of northern/eastern France, such as Alsace-Lorraine and Savoie (as opposed to Mediterranean climes, of which MN is not).

Tartiflette, a simple, mountain-style casserole of potatoes, bacon, and cheese, hails from eastern France, mainly the Haute-Savoie. The ingredient list appears rather plain, but the results are life affirming. Dare I say gestalt?

I first ate tartiflette while living in a broom closet of an apartment in Paris. One of my neighbors, a young, wily savoyard named Sébastien, was attempting to work in Paris as a baker but he also liked to socialize. His favorite apéritif was vodka with tabasco. Our apartment building was a government subsidized community for students and young workers, and it offered very basic accommodations - most of the apartments resembled single occupant dorm rooms, with shared kitchens and bathrooms. Lucky for me, a shared kitchen meant a lot of time chatting with Sébastien about cooking, eating, and drinking while cooking, eating, and drinking. He first mentioned this dish during an animated conversation about the food of Savoie. Several days later he surprised a few friends by cooking a heroic, multi-course meal of hometown favorites, which included Chartreuse (herbaceous, jet fuel-like booze with a great story), a wild mushroom omelette, tartiflette, ham, and some sort of syrupy cake. It was an education in cold mountain culture.
I neglected to ask Sébastien to write down his recipe, but it just so happens that Anthony Bourdain has a burly, authentic rendition of tartiflette in his Les Halles cookbook. I know, I just posted a recipe based on that book, but each winter I can't keep my oven mitts off his book. It's indispensable during the dark depths of winter, when you need some epic, kill-the-pig-yourself French comfort food. In fact, his description for this recipe consists of only one sentence: "Here's more evidence that you can never have too much cheese, bacon, or starch."

Ingredients

2.5 lbs potatoes, peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 lb slab bacon (or strips), diced
3/4 cup dry white wine (an Alsatian Riesling would work well here)
salt and pepper
1 lb wheel of Reblochon cheese*

*Note: Savoyard hackers may infiltrate and tear down my blog after reading this note, but if you can't find Reblochon, or would prefer to buy a local cheese, you could use any soft rind, Brie-style cheese. And I know, the recipe calls for a full wheel, but cheese is the cornerstone of the dish. The other ingredients are quite inexpensive, so it's definitely worth splurging on a big nasty slab of goodness.

Technique

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a paring knife. Remove from the heat, drain, and let sit until they are cool enough to handle. Dice the potatoes and set aside.
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat and add the onion. Cook over high heat for about 5 minutes, until golden brown, then add the bacon and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes and wine and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Remove the mixture from heat and place in an ovenproof dish. Place the entire wheel of cheese on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown on top and bubbling. Serve hot with buckets of white wine or beer.

*Serves 4-6 as a first course or side.

finally, a dessert recipe: clafoutis

2010-01-30T14:16:00.008-06:00

In the minimalistic spirit of many other recipes on this blog, I bring you clafoutis - easily one of my favorite desserts of all time (and the first dessert recipe on HOUSEKEPT). There are only about five ingredients, all of which you should have on hand, so make it this weekend. I had the distinct pleasure of eating copious amounts of this pudding-like dish while studying in Pau, France. My host mother was from Limousin, a rustic region of France known for cherries, porcelain, and beef. At the time I was completely unaware of this wondrous dessert; that is, until my host mother prepared two of these in late spring when cherries are in season. Essentially a baked custard-like cake, clafoutis tastes a lot like a very thick crepe mixed with fresh cherries.

Clafoutis embodies what a rustic, homemade dessert should be - the effortless combination of a few pantry staples (sugar, eggs, and flour) and ripe, seasonal fruit. Because you mix the fruit into the batter, almost any fruit will work well. Countless cookbooks contain variations on the classic cherry version, but the most common other fruits would be berries, stone fruit (peaches, nectarines), or pears. The traditional recipe calls for kirsch, a cherry-based spirit, but you could also use cognac, armagnac, bourbon, or some other digestif-type booze. Now for the recipe...

After making clafoutis from quite a few different recipes, I think Anthony Bourdain came the closest to what I ate in France (though I really should ask my host mother) in Les Halles, his manifesto of a cookbook. As a stickler, he uses weight instead of volume for the dry ingredients, but you should be able to convert these quite easily. I made it with pears recently, but the same recipe works well for a number of different fruits.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs cherries or other fruit
3 ounces booze (kirsch, cognac, etc.)
1 tbsp butter
4 oz sugar
6 eggs
4 oz flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp confectioners' sugar

Technique

Place the cherries in a bowl and toss with the kirsch. Let macerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a 9-10 inch baking dish with the butter and coat with a pinch or two of the sugar. Place the dish in the refrigerator.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk, then add the sugar and beat well to fully incorporate.
Mix in the flour and the vanilla, stirring enough so that all the ingredients are homogenous but without overworking the flour.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the cherries and their accumulated juice into the flour and egg mixture, then pull your dish out of the fridge and turn the mixture into it. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until a golden brown crust has formed on top. Also, a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean - no wet.
Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.

recipe: winter herbless pesto

2010-01-22T19:46:00.004-06:00

As you may have noticed, I haven't written nearly as much over the past few months, and the recipes I've published are quite spartan. This is because we had our second child, a boy, in October, and it's hard enough to cook something healthy, much less write about it. However, I am learning a lot about (and practicing) fast, wholesome, winter meals, such as the broiled eggs I wrote about earlier this month. Some people fall to convenience foods during such times, but I choose to strip down my cooking even more.

Yesterday I think I perfected what may be the perfect two-young-children-cold-winter-weeknight-that-you-could-still-serve-company meal: pasta with an herbless pesto sauce. One of the many challenges of cooking with small children is a sudden decrease in trips to the co-op. Combine that with a lack of fresh local produce, and one begins to find new romance in the pantry. After you make this one time you'll be able to make it blindfolded, without a recipe or planning.

Ingredients

1 pound dried pasta (whole wheat spaghetti or penne taste great with this)
1 large garlic clove
1/4 lb parmesan or other hard cheese, plus more for grating
1 heaping cup of walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
pinch of sea salt

Techinique

In the small bowl of a food processor, fitted w/ a blade attachment, combine garlic, cheese, walnuts, oregano, pepper, and salt. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Turn the food processor on and add olive oil until mixture resemles an oily paste (much like basil pesto).
Cook pasta, drain, and toss briefly with the pesto sauce. Top individual plates with grated cheese.

*Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a first course.

broil your eggs for a change

2010-01-09T10:23:00.011-06:00

The word "broiled" isn't the finest or most elegant, but the eggs that result from this recipe surely are, with very little effort. This is a great recipe for house guests, or a leisurely brunch with your mate sans children (although, kids like these eggs, too). I found this recipe in Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris cookbook, which I received as a gift from a good friend who also loves to eat. It's a very concise book that serves as a thoughtful introduction to French cooking, with an emphasis on simple, beautiful food, such as this dish.

As with most egg recipes, the key to this one is timing. The cooking times listed below work well for my oven and baking dish, but it will take you a few tries to perfect this recipe. The good news is that these eggs still taste good slightly overcooked, so don't worry if you miss the mark. It's also critical to use the best eggs you can find, since there isn't much else in the dish - 99 cent CostCo eggs will taste like 99 cents.

ingredients

8 very fresh, large eggs (organic, free range if at all possible)
1/2 garlic clove, minced with a knife (don't use a press, as it will taste too strong)
1/2 cup finely (and freshly) grated super-hard cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon fresh herbs, minced (thyme, rosemary, basil, or parsley work well)
2 tablespoons cold butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
kosher salt and black pepper
8 slices of crusty bread (toasted or warmed)

equipment

4 small gratin dishes (just large enough to hold 2 eggs) or a ceramic/glass baking dish (large enough so that 8 eggs are about 1.5 inches deep).

*I use a baking dish because I don't have gratin dishes, so the process and timing described below may not work as well for several smaller dishes.

technique

Preheat your oven using the broil setting (Note: my oven has a drawer-style broiler, below the main oven space. When I set it to broil the drawer and oven heat up, which is useful in this recipe.)
Using a fork, mix the garlic, herbs, and cheese in a small bowl until well combined.
Liberally grease the gratin dishes or baking dish with some of the butter. Pour in the cream so that it covers most of the bottom of the dish. Cut the remaining butter into small pieces and scatter these around the baking dish. Place the dish in the oven and heat until the cream begins to bubble and brown slightly around the edges, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on stove top.
Carefully crack the eggs into the dish so that the yolks remain whole. Try to keep them evenly dispersed. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and the cheese/herb/garlic mixture.
Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 5 minutes, or until the whites begin to set up but the yolks and tops of the eggs are still liquid.
Move the dish into to the broiler drawer and cook 2-4 additional minutes, or until the top has browned slightly, the eggs are somewhat firm (it's good if the whites are a bit runny), and the yolks are still soft (some yolks may be softer than others - that's ok). This is the part of the recipe that takes the most practice, as it's really a visual judgment. Keep in mind that the eggs will continue to cook in the hot dish after you remove them from the broiler, so use a knife to see how thorough they're cooked and check them again after resting on the counter top for a few minutes.
To serve, use a knife to cut eggs into sections and use a spatula to gently place them on plates with the bread on the side.

*Serves 4 people

holy f. i just read the ingredient list for Cool Whip.

2010-01-04T20:03:00.002-06:00

Well, the planets aligned and somehow I ended up with a donated tub of Kraft (owned by Phillip Morris) Cool Whip in my fridge during the holidays. I ate this amorphous whipped topping more than I care to admit during my childhood, but I never really cared to look at the ingredient list. OMFG. Not only is it long and loaded with polysyllabic chemical compounds, but the ingredients fail to include the one substance that most quickly comes to mind. Can you guess which one?

WATER, CORN SYRUP, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (COCONUT AND PALM KERNEL OILS), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, LESS THAN 2% OF SODIUM CASEINATE (FROM MILK), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, XANTHAN AND GUAR GUMS, POLYSORBATE 60, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, BETA CAROTENE (COLOR).

Cream! It seems you can have whipped cream without eating cream. Of course, they did manage to squeeze in some sodium caseinate, which is a milk-based derivative, but it seems Cool Whip exists without any naturally occurring ingredients (except water).

Mmmm... Sorbitan monostearate.

easy charcuterie: dry-cured duck breast

2009-12-15T21:12:00.010-06:00

Do you like cured hams? I like cured hams. Prosciutto, Serrano, Bayonne. Salty, sweet, funky hams. Unfortunately for the home charcutier, a good aged ham requires about a 20 pound hog leg and at least six months of time - not to mention a climate controlled drying chamber. However, one can apply the same concept to a simple boneless duck breast, either wild or farm raised. Duck meat, especially the breast, has an exquisite earthy sweetness that shines after a good curing.

Several years ago I stumbled across a very simple cured duck breast recipe in Mario Batali's Babbo cookbook. Just pat it dry, roll it in salt and spices, and hang for about 10 days. I've been waiting for a surplus of duck to use for this recipe, but I only hunt waterfowl a few days per season, so I've never had more than one or two birds to eat. This year the waterfowl hunting gods blessed me with a very fast morning, so it seemed like a good time to cure some duck. The results were quite tasty.

I'm guessing wild goose would work equally well, perhaps even better given its larger size and thickness. In fact, Hank Shaw has a tantalizing recipe for this on his fantastic wild cookery blog.

Recipe: Dry-Cured Wild Duck Breast

Ingredients

2 split wild duck breast (4 pieces)
4 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes (use less if you can't handle heat)
1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves

Technique

In a small bowl, combie the salt, pepper, sugar, red pepper flakes, and thyme. Coat the duck breast with this mixture, wrap it loosely in wax paper and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
Unwrap, wipe off most of the seasoning. Punch a small hole on one end of the breast and tie a length of twine long enough to hang from your cool basement ceiling or refrigerator shelf.
Hang the breast in a cool, dark, semi-humid place (an unfinished basement in winter works well) for 1-2 weeks, or until the breast shrinks to nearly half its original size and feels quite firm to the touch. When sliced, the breast should be wine colored and have a nice, hammy chew.

Serve the duck sliced very thin with cocktails on a salumi plate or as part of a creative first course - Mario Batali likes it with white beans.

woodcock: the other red meat.

2009-11-18T15:01:00.009-06:00

Minnesota is a blessed place for a number of reasons, including an abundance of native wildfowl. Most people have heard of ruffed grouse, but what about Scolopax Minor, the noble woodcock? I recently heard a wonderful NPR interview with Clotilde Dusoulier, a young Parisian food blogger who translated Je Sais Cuisiner, an epic French cookbook, into English. I don't yet have this book but it has since risen to the top of my personal Christmas gift list. During the interview Clotilde describes how the book was intended to help a new bride cook simple, traditional French food for her new family. Among other interesting bits, she mentions that the author included recipes for some obscure dishes, some of which include wild game, because the polite cook must know what to do with a delicious wild boar or woodcock if an uncle happens to leave one at the house. You should be so lucky.

Woodcock is perhaps the most fleeting of Midwestern delicacies. Each fall, the mysterious upland birds migrate from the Northern US (mainly the Upper Midwest and New England) and Canada to the Southern states for the winter. Native Minnesota birds can be found throughout October, but large concentrations of migratory birds are only in the state for 2-3 weeks, depending on the weather, which adds to their allure as game. Their bodies are about the same size as a quail but they have a long neck, large black eyes, and a long pointed beak designed to dig in the soil for earthworms. With a taste that loosely resembles wild duck, Woodcock are truly glorious if roasted simply in a hot oven. To fully appreciate the mystique and obsession surrounding la bécasse, particularly in Europe, I recommend reading this web page. Not surprisingly, the French are the most rabid fan club, but Woodcock also are held in high esteem in the UK.

There are a few classic preparations for woodcock, most of which are mentioned in the Larousse Gastronomique. This is a variation on one of the most typical techniques.

Ingredients

1 whole woodcock, plucked
4 tablespoons of delicious butter, softened
coarse sea salt (French grey is very good for this)
coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup of equally scarce red wine
6-8 baguette slices

Technique

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Smear the inside and outside of the bird with 2 tablespoons of the butter, making sure the breasts are well coated. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, again, inside and out.
Heat the oil in a small heavy-bottomed sauce pot over medium heat. When it begins to smoke, add the bird and brown on all sides (about 5 minutes total).
Transfer the pot to the oven and roast 10-15 minutes, or until the bird is golden brown, and the inside is hot to the touch. Important: Like duck, woodcock must be served rare or medium rare to retain its wonderful texture and flavor. The breast should be blood red when you slice it, but not cold (it's not sashimi).
Put the bird on a cutting board to rest. Pour out all but one tablespoon of the fat in the pot and heat the pot over medium flame. Deglaze the pot with the wine, making sure to scrape everything tasty off the bottom. Let the wine reduce to a light, syrupy sauce. Then remove from heat, whisk in the butter, and check the seasoning.
Pull the legs off of the bird and eat them while you finish the dish (with a fat glass of wine).
Remove the breasts from the carcass and slice them thinly. Top the baguette slices with the sliced meat, drizzle with sauce, and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.

*This makes 6-8 canapés to share, or a small meal for one.

A dish this special deserves an equally special wine. The French recommend a big, bold, dry red wine. I don't argue with them. There is even a French vineyard, Domaine de la Mordorée (Chateauneuf-du-Pape), that celebrates the elusive woodcock on its bottle labels. I drank this with a woodcock I ate last year and I won't ever be the same.

grocery wars

2009-09-22T18:50:00.001-06:00

I'd prefer to write about this epic struggle, but one can only dwell in fantasy for so long. The top business story in Sunday's St. Paul Pioneer Press, "Food Fight," details the present landscape of mainstream grocery stores in our oft named battleground state. Well written and detailed, the piece describes how grocery market share in MN has changed over the past few years, particularly in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area.

The overarching trend discussed in the article is clear: huge, extreme discount stores - mainly Walmart and Target - are attracting more and more shoppers away from Minnesota-based or regional chain stores, such as Kowalski's, Cub Foods, and Rainbow Foods. Many key issues are addressed, including unionization, loss-leaders, and extreme discounting (Walmart vs. Cub). Aside from the fact that co-ops and co-op-like stores aren't mentioned in the article, the most interesting part (for me) is the perspective offered by and about smaller grocery retailers, such as Kowalski's. Here's an excerpt:

The nine-store Kowalski's strategy is to hunker down, focus on quality and see when the economy improves, said Jim Kowalski. "We're not doing any growth right now," he said. "We don't pretend to compete in the price wars that seem to be going on."

Let's face it. There are at least as many types of grocery shoppers as there are brands of frozen pizza at Cub Foods (which was 27 last time I checked). Some people are loyal to one store, at which they buy everything. Others play hopscotch with several retailers, buying different items across multiple stores. Still others are perhaps a bit more schizophrenic, shopping at a different store depending on immediate geographic location (work, school, neighborhood) or emotional state (indulgent, frugal, or green). Such is the state of our food culture.

I am not a grocery store business expert or analyst, but I do buy a lot of food and attempt to follow these trends closely. To date, I have spent money at nearly every grocery retailer mentioned in the article, the exceptions being Aldi's/Trader Joe's and Walmart/Sam's Club. However, for the past 5 years or so, I've chosen to abandon corporate grocery stores in favor of co-ops, of which there aren't nearly enough. That's a different blog post altogether.

What if the challenge Kowalski's faces is an opportunity? A crowded market is dangerous for business as usual, so perhaps the time is right for some lasting innovation among smaller grocers. Jim Kowalski's quote acknowledges that his stores, despite their focus on "quality" (whatever that means), cedes a defeatist outlook by using expressions like "hunker down" and a lack of "growth." He claims to not "pretend to compete in the price wars," but his market share has decreased as a result of shoppers migrating to newer, bigger stores. He doesn't compete because he can't, at least not solely on the price of Brazilian orange juice concentrate, yet he would like to open additional stores.

Fundamentalist discount shoppers seek the lowest prices on food products, without much (or any) regard for the costs associated with producing, distributing, or selling those products, such as the energy (e.g. gasoline), environment (e.g. chemical pesticides), and community (e.g. wages). Smaller grocers should forget about these people. They live on a different planet or will have to soon.

Rather than use the same vocabulary and approach to growth (i.e. increasing profits, number of stores, and market share), smaller grocers should be and celebrate what the super stores are not: progressive, community-building organizations that sell healthy, fairly priced products (a lot of which are local) and create sustainable, livable jobs. If the tremendous growth of farmers' markets is any indication, there is an increasingly vocal segment of the grocery-buying public that seeks a different choice. Find them and sell them what they want. Co-ops have figured this out, so why can't the local supermarket? Such an outlook may squash a regional executive's dream of creating the next national chain store, but within a different framework, that executive no longer will be needed, and neither will the additional 5 stores he or she hoped to open. A small, efficient neighborhood store can hold a reasonable monopoly. Why must we always need more?

Here's an idea. Maybe the Kowalski's in Stillwater could sell meat, dairy, and produce from the St. Croix river valley, and the Grand Avenue store could sell products from Gardens of Eagan. Add a kick-ass bulk section and show people how to use it. If you can't compete on the price of Tyson chicken fries, then sell real chickens from Callister Farm. Think differently. Yes, these products cost more, but an educated customer understands and appreciates the quality of such products. If I want to find the lowest price on crap I will travel to the cheapest crap heap, of which there are many.

Perhaps a plant analogy is appropriate: grow and manicure a small but healthy bonsai that lives for 200 years, rather than 10,000 acres of wood-pulp aspens to be harvested en masse, or consumed by fire, in a few short decades.

reicpe: french tomato salad

2009-09-11T11:46:00.009-06:00

During the juicy splendor of late summer/early fall, insalata caprese is often the default mode of consumption for fresh slicing tomatoes. It is a truly wonderful salad. However, to add some variety to your repertoire, culturally and technique-wise, try this minimalist French version, which is more or less the same recipe that appears in Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook.

recipe: french tomato salad (salade des tomates)
*Serves 4 as a first course salad, or 6 as a side.

ingredients:

2 lbs perfectly ripened heirloom tomatoes (don't mess around)
2 shallots or one very small onion, sliced paper-thin
handful of basil or parsley leaves, cut into chiffonade
1 garlic clove, slightly smashed
very coarse sea salt (fleur de sel would shine here)
coarsely ground black pepper
strong tasting olive oil (my new favorite is Napa Valley Naturals)

technique:

Using a very sharp chef's or tomato knife (I'm not a fan of specialty knives, but this is a useful one), cut the tomatoes in half, remove the cores, and slice the halves into wedges.
Place tomatoes in a large colander (positioned over a bowl or the sink) and sprinkle with a good amount of salt (a word of caution: salt preferences vary, and you will brush some of it off later, but don't go overboard the first time you make it. You can always add more salt before serving). Let them sit at room temperature for 10-20 minutes. Water and seeds will begin to drain through the colander.
Put the sliced shallots or onions in a small bowl and sprinkle with salt. Let them sit with the tomatoes.
Remove tomato wedges from the colander, scraping any loose seeds out with your fingers, and put them in a wide, shallow serving bowl or dish. You also can brush off any large granules of salt.
Add sliced onion/shallot to the bowl, brushing off any excess salt.
Add the basil and drizzle everything with a generous amount of olive oil. Then drizzle with a smaller amount of vinegar. The key here is to minimize the amount of liquid in the salad, as you want the flavors to be intense. The tomatoes should absorb most of the oil and vinegar, and release a minimal amount of juice into the bowl.
Toss lightly with a spoon, top with black pepper, check seasonings, and serve.

reinvent your appetite: the relative value of local food

2009-09-02T14:58:00.002-06:00

Last week, the Minneapolis Star Tribune contained a short article about the cost of eating as a locavore - "Making the local food movement accessible." Written by Hayley Tsukayama, a grad student, the piece describes how the author seeks to eat more local foods but also maintain a trim grocery budget. Here's an excerpt:

"I was so excited that I forgot a key fact: I'm a single, omnivorous graduate student who normally buys groceries at Wal-Mart. And while the local produce at most farmers' markets is the same price or cheaper than at supermarkets, the meat is far more expensive. I believe that good food is worth the higher prices, but after rent and student loans it's hard to finance a foodie habit."

I'll start by saying that I'm not a big fan of the word "foodie." In a creepy way, it reminds me of the Crucible-era word "goody." Besides, it's too cute, and helps stoke the fire that enjoying high quality food is somehow elitist. By our pitiful standards of nutrition, anyone living in rural France or Italy would be a foodie - "those people make their own pesto!" As an unhealthy society, we should shun these words in favor of "healthy," "high quality," or "whole" foods, prepared from scratch (either at home or at a restaurant). Perhaps the verb "to cook" could see a renaissance.

Enough semantics. What I find interesting about this article is the frequent supposition that "going local" is simply a matter of plugging local products into the American discount "menu" and Walmart "more for less" value equation. Quite literally, we're looking at apples and oranges; or rather, locally-grown Minnesota apples (eaten in season) and dry, industrial orange-like organisms.

Eating healthy, delicious, simple food is possible at any budget. Rural, agrarian communities around the globe have demonstrated this for hundreds of years. In my opinion, one of the biggest issues is that many Americans are reluctant to adopt a healthier, more sustainable diet because it requires eating different foods and much less of certain things, such as meat.

For example, Americans eat a lot of bacon and pork chops. When you make the decision to eat local, pasture-raised pigs that are humanely treated and minimally processed (with care), it will cost more than buying a frozen mass of industrial chops from a huge company. Get over it. What this means is that you may only be able to eat pork chops once a month rather than every Wednesday. The same is true for bacon. At $1.99/pound for industrial bacon, the average person could eat bacon every morning and not go broke. Spend more on some high quality bacon and eat just a few slices on the weekend with pancakes or dice and toss it with pasta. It is time for Americans to revere high quality meat as a precious, scarce delicacy.

The same is true for other parts of the American meal. Bulk, organic oatmeal is very affordable. So is polenta. Dried pasta and rice have kept people satisfied and proud of their food culture for centuries. Remember your grandma's beef stew recipe or your aunt's green curry recipe? Perhaps it is time to rediscover these simple foods as the basics, and combine them with small amounts of more costly ingredients, such as meat, cheese, butter, milk, and olive oil. Throw some seasonal vegetables in a salad or on the side and you will enjoy a trim grocery budget, better tasting meals, and a higher quality of life. I promise.

In the author's defense, the people she interviewed suggested some novel, paradigm-shifting habits, such as eating less meat, so the article does offer some thoughtful perspective from different people who do know something about this. It also generated a number of comments - take a look.

anti-recipe: f'in simple avocado hors d'oeuvre

2009-08-21T20:07:00.008-06:00

Rule #1: Don't freak out about hosting friends or family for dinner. Your boss, priest, or Secretary of Defense? Sure. Your best friends? Non.

Rule #2: Cooking and eating are fun, so enjoy the process as well as the results.

Rule #3: Make something that is easy. This will give you more time to clean your bathroom and have an apéritif prior to your guests' arrival. Both of those things are important. This avocado dish is good practice.

I first tasted this exquisitely simple creation as a student in southern France. I know, it sounds pretentious, but as a French major it was necessary to learn grammar in person and increase my vocabulary of regional foods and drink. This included, among other adventures, spending a couple weekends at a French friend's parents' home in Landes. Seeing that I am quite a large individual, my friend's mother immediately implied that the size of my appetite must surely equal or exceed that of my physical stature. She was not mistaken.

As part of a massive late spring meal, she served avocados, halved lengthwise on small plates. She put a small amount of hot Dijon mustard in the center of each, then drizzled some balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and sprinkled some coarse sea salt and black pepper. Just looking at these made me excited. As a Minnesotan, I was not accustomed to eating many avocados, and surely not as an elegant hors d'oeuvre. Eat them with a small spoon and watch your guests drool.

What is this preparation called, you might ask? I do not know. She may have referred to them as "avocats" (avocados), because French people eat stuff like this every day. Let's give it a sophisticated name, to score you points. How about "avocados balsamiques?"

recipe: rustic tomato sauce and sausages

2009-08-15T12:20:00.010-06:00

Walking through the White Bear Avenue farmer's market last Wednesday, we found a pile of roma tomatoes for just a few dollars. The heirloom slicing tomatoes in our garden are finally starting to ripen, so it seemed appropriate to use the romas for something cooked. We don't plan meals for the week as well as we should, but in the summer it's usually easy to slap something together with whatever we buy at the market. The following day I remembered reading an easy tomato sauce recipe in Mario Batali's Molto Italiano cookbook (a favorite). This, served with some wild rice pork sausages from Pastures a Plenty and a baguette, turned out to be a great weeknight dinner that also tasted great the following day.

Mario's original sauce recipe is intended for more traditional pasta applications, and calls for canned or skinned/seeded tomatoes, so I cut a few corners to make a more rustic version with chopped whole tomatoes. It's perfect for weeknights or lazy weekends.

rustic tomato sauce and sausages
*serves 4 as a main course or 6-8 as antipasto

ingredients

about 2 pounds fresh, locally grown (important!) tomatoes, roughly chopped - if good tomatoes are not available, a high quality canned variety will work
1 onion, diced
1 cup diced carrots (1-2 large, or 4-6 small carrots)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh basil leaves, chopped fine
2-4 tablespoons of other fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley, etc.)
olive oil
hot red pepper flakes (optional)
4 large uncooked pork sausages, dried with a towel, then dredged in flour

technique

over high flame, heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil in a wide skillet until just smoking
sauté onions, garlic, and carrots until soft and translucent (8-10 minutes)
while vegetables are cooking, heat another skillet over high heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil and sear sausages on all sides until deep golden brown (8-10 minutes)
lower heat to medium, add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are very soft and everything resembles a very chunky sauce (probably 10-20 minutes)
gently lay sausages in the sauce and simmer over low heat for another 10 minutes, until sausages are cooked
after removing sausages from skillet, stir the herbs into sauce (off heat)
plate the sausages, pour some sauce on the side, and drizzle with some oil
serve with bread and a spicy dry red wine

the organic salon: a review (and $20 coupon giveaway!)

2009-07-25T12:12:00.011-06:00

I'll begin by confiding that I'm a Horst Rechelbacher admirer. As a Minnesotan, I derive a great sense of pride from knowing how fortunate we are to have such a visionary in our midst (technically, Horst lives across the St. Croix river, in Osceola, WI, but his businesses are located in MN). Furthermore, Aveda Corporate headquarters is located in Circle Pines, the suburb of my youth. If you're not too familiar with Horst or his endeavors, I recommend reading his Wikipedia entry. After selling Aveda to Estee Lauder in 1997 for an estimated $300 million, Horst focused more intensely on the fledgling Intelligent Nutrients (IN) brand, through which Horst has developed a complete line of organic health and beauty products, and more recently, a full service salon run out of the IN flagship store on Hennepin Avenue in NE Minneapolis.

Intelligent Nutrients products are truly awesome. If you like the Aveda line, but are seeking products that contain only natural plant/mineral ingredients (akin to Dr. Haushka), you will love IN (Aveda products do contain a number of harmful compounds, despite the earthy ethos of the their brand). But enough about the products, as this post is dedicated to the new salon, dubbed Intelligent Hair and Skin, which Horst claims is "the first ever USDA certified organic salon."

At this point you might ask: "So why should I care about an organic salon? I'm not going to eat the pomade." It is precisely that attitude which Horst hopes to transform. His new mantra: “What we put on our bodies should be as safe and nutritious as what goes into our bodies,” is not necessarily a new concept, but in true form, he is pushing it further into the mainstream.

If you signed up for IN email promotions earlier this year, you would have received a coupon for 30% off all of services (color, highlights, hair treatments and facial waxing) and a 20% discount on all salon products. A men's haircut starts at about $35, which is only a five dollars more than I currently pay, so this discount was clearly a deal for me.

Overall, the experience was great, easily worth more than the $35 sticker price. Upon being greeted at the door, I was offered a small glass of orange juice mixed with IN's Intellimune Oil - quite refreshing and exotic. My stylist, Catherine, appeared soon thereafter, and she led me into the small salon space, which is in the same room as the store. I'll admit, I've never had a facial treatment before (nor have I sought one), but a "mini" facial/massage is included with a haircut. Over the course of at least 15 minutes, the stylist massaged my head, and used several aromatic products to endow my mug with a "soft glow." Never again will I poke fun at such activities.

The massage/facial really was enjoyable, and left me feeling slightly euphoric upon sitting down for the haircut portion of the experience. Catherine proved adept at cutting hair quickly and stylishly. I didn't schedule the appointment with the intention of adopting a radically new style, the visit was more of a trim, but it was a great cut nonetheless. No gimmicks or overly earnest suggestions, just a quiet, relaxing haircut.

In writing this, I'm not trying to tell you that IN is the only place to get a great haircut - there are quite a few places where one can do that - rather, it is an experience that recognizes the many facets of wellness and well-being, such as the products with which one chooses to slather their hair or skin. These things do matter, and IN is a wonderful, locally-grown place to learn more about them.

And the giveaway? If you get a haircut at the salon, they'll give you several $20-off coupons to pass along to people you know. I have three of them left, which I'll mail to the first three readers who write a thoughtful comment below. The only requirement is that you live in MN/WI, or plan to visit Minneapolis sometime soon.

1 chicken = 4 meals - part 3

2009-07-24T19:15:00.008-06:00

By now the vivid memories of grilling your chicken have faded. Your kids loved the chicken salad sandwiches, and you enjoyed a cool, simple green salad with chicken. Yet your work with this chicken is not quite complete. More flavor awaits in the picked over carcass that is chillaxin' in your freezer.

Homemade chicken stock is a lot less work than most people think. The ingredients are pantry staples and during summer months, the only challenge is keeping your house from heating up like a kiln. My home has very poor air conditioning, so I tend to make huge batches of stock in fall/winter/spring and freeze it for use throughout the year. If that's your preference, keep a large ziplock bag your freezer to collect chicken carcasses over several months.

As with the other posts in this series, the goal is to create something delicious out of very few ingredients. In this case, squeezing several meals out of one chicken. Rather than give you a soup recipe, I'm posting my favorite risotto recipe, which is truly memorable with the addition of homemade chicken stock.

Homemade Chicken Stock
This recipe appears, almost verbatim, in Mario Batali's Molto Italiano cookbook (the best Italian cookbook I've encountered). It yields approximately 8 cups of stock.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
bones, wings, and scraps from 2-3 whole chickens (you could cut this recipe in half if you only have parts from one chicken)
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 onions, coarsely chopped
4 ribs celery
4 quarts water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 bunch parsley stems

Technique

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the chicken parts and brown all over, turning frequently. Transfer the chicken parts to a platter and reserve.
Add the carrots, onions, and celery and cook until softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot and add the water, tomato paste, peppercorns, and parsley, and stir to dislodge the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook at a low simmer for 2 hours, or until reduced by half, occasionally skimming the fat.
Remove from the heat and strain into a large bowl, pressing on the solids with the bottom of a ladle to extract all the liquid. Let cool, stirring occasionally. Cover and refrigerate. For longer term storage, pour cooled stock into 1 quart freezer bags. Layer the bags on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer.

Classic Risotto
This recipe is also the work of Mario Batali. There are thousands of risotto recipes you could try, but why waste your time - this one is the best. Serve it with a salad for a light meal, as a smaller first course, or as a creamy bed of starchiness for a fine cut of meat. By the way, this recipe concludes our epic journey into the frugality and allure of whole-chicken cookery. I hope you enjoyed it. And if you've made any of these dishes, please post a comment!

*One recipe will yield about 4 main course portions or 6 first course portions

Ingredients

8 cups chicken stock, heated until hot
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (something you would drink - pinot grigio works well)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (or a high quality domestic equivalent, if you're a disciplined locavore)
optional: 1 teaspoon saffron threads (for authentic risotto milanese)

Technique

If using saffron, add it to the hot stock and stir to infuse.
In a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until almost smoking. Add the onion and cook until softened and translucent but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until toasted and opaque, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the wine, then add a large ladleful of the stock and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue stirring and adding the stock a ladleful at a time, waiting until the liquid is absorbed each time before adding more, until the rice is tender and creamy yet still a little al dente, about 20 minutes (you may have a little stock left over).
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and Parmagiano until well mixed. Divide risotto among four warmed plates, and serve with additional Parmagiano.

Photo credit: JaseMan on flickr

1 chicken = 4 meals - part two

2009-07-22T09:48:00.008-06:00

So let's say you've just finished eating a whole grilled chicken. Basking in the glow of your satiated friends, and a couple bottles of Portuguese Alentejo red, don't forget that your work with this chicken is not yet complete. Rather than throw that gnarly-looking carcass in the garbage, wrap it up and put it in the refrigerator for use in one of the following two recipes. Even though you've removed the breasts and legs, that carcass contains a lot of small, tasty morsels of chicken that work perfectly in other dishes. The wings work particularly well for this, if you didn't eat them when the chicken was grilled.

There are certainly more than two ways to incorporate leftover chicken into another meal, but these two recipes are my favorites, are very easy to make (they use kitchen staples), and really showcase the great flavor of grilled chicken.

It requires a bit of time and patience to scrape every bit of chicken from the bones, but it's well worth the effort. Using your perfectly clean hands, pull every visible piece of meat off of the carcass and wing bones. As you pick it clean, make sure you do not include any cartilage, bone fragments, or other tough bits, as they are quite offensive in the mouth. Reserve the stripped carcass and any loose bones. Meal #4 in this series is a risotto made with homemade chicken stock, so unless you're going to use them immediately, put the bones in a freezer bag and save for a rainy day.

Meal #2: Chicken Salad Sandwiches
The individual amounts of each ingredient varies widely, depending on how much chicken you have. Fortunately, it's easy to make these according to your tastes, so combine ingredients incrementally, to make sure it has the right flavors and consistency.

Ingredients

leftover grilled chicken, chopped into small pieces
high quality mayonnaise (if you don't make your own, try Mrs. Clarks, from Iowa)
minced onion or scallions
Dijon-style mustard
fresh herbs (basil, thyme, parsley, etc.)
anything else you like (walnuts, anchovies, olives, capers, cornichons, etc.)
salt and pepper
lettuce leaves
bread slices

Technique
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix lightly to combine. Be careful not to add too much mayo and mustard too soon, as it will overpower the chicken. The result should be lightly dressed, yet stick together in a spoon.

Meal #3: Green Salad with Chicken
This is a great all purpose salad recipe, that can serve as the basis for many composed dinner salads, including the reknowned salade nicoise.

Ingredients

leftover chicken, chopped into small pieces
fresh field greens or lettuces
parmesan shavings (use a vegetable peeler)
walnuts
olive oil
red wine vinegar
dijon mustard
1 garlic clove
sea salt
pepper

Technique

Make the vinegrette dressing. The exact proportion of vinegar to oil varies according to the type of vinegar used, and your own palate, but a general rule is 2 parts vinegar to 1 part oil. Smash the garlic clove with your hand or a chef's knife and place in a small cup/bowl. Add a small amount of red wine vinegar and set aside for 15-30 minutes. Then add 1 teaspoon mustard and whisk vigorously. Then slowly drizzle olive oil into vinegar (while whisking quickly) until desired consistence/taste is achieved. Set aside. (Note: you may need to increase the amounts if you're planning to server this salad to more than just a few people).
Dress the salad. Tear greens into small pieces and place into a large salad bowl. Pour half of the dressing over the greens and toss with salad tongs. Taste some of salad to determine how much more dressing you'll need. An overdressed salad can be soggy and overly acidic, so it helps to add the dressing in two rounds.
Pile the dressed greens on plates, and top with chicken, nuts, and parmesan shavings. Grind some pepper and sea salt over the finished salad. Serve with some big hunks of crusty bread for a filling weeknight meal or leisurely weekend lunch.

These recipes are a gateway to stress-free, simple meals that hardly require a recipe or a lot of time. Make them once and you can throw this blog post away forever (but forward it to a friend first). These meals emphasize my approach to cooking for a busy family (mine) - repurposing the leftovers from previous meals by simply adding a few quality ingredients found in most kitchens. The trick is to buy the best ingredients you can afford, as such simple meals will not hide the blandness of industrial chicken or junky vinegar.

Photo credit: protohiro on flickr

1 chicken = 4 meals - part one

2009-07-14T20:36:00.008-06:00

For centuries, rural cooks have recognized the utility, versatility, and caloric value of eating the whole chicken. While it may seem convenient to buy packaged chicken parts (thighs, breasts, etc.) individually, purchasing a whole chicken is far more economical, and can save you valuable time by serving as the basis for several meals. The economics are quite simple: boneless, free range chicken breasts can run $7-$8 per pound at a co-op or grocery store, but a whole chicken may cost as little as $3 per pound from the same producer, and farmers' market vendors in your area may be selling chickens for even less. If you pay $12 for a 4 pound chicken, you get breasts, legs/thighs, wings, and a carcass for making stock (for only $4 more than just buying the breasts). As an added benefit, whole chickens are "handled" less by the processor, which likely means a lower risk of contamination, and you know all of the parts are from the same healthy-looking bird.

Separating a chicken at home is quite easy, and after you do it a few times it will be second nature. Many food writers have written about how to squeeze several meals out of one chicken, but given the number of tight pocketbooks out there, it seems appropriate to provide another variation on the theme. Here we go.

Meal #1: whole grilled chicken
July in Minnesota is hot, so in the summer I recommend grilling your whole chicken to capitalize on warm sunshine, and keep the heat out of your kitchen. My favorite grilled chicken recipe is "alla diavola," a simple Italian version with lots of garlic and red pepper flakes. I posted this recipe back in June of 2007, but I've pasted it below because I love it that much. Make it! During cooler seasons, meal #1 could be a simple roast chicken, or even a rotisserie chicken purchased from a quality take out place. The recipe below serves 4 people, but will leave little chicken leftover for meal #2. If you have a larger grill, it is possible to prepare 2 chickens, so that is a possibility if you have company or a larger family, and still want leftovers. After eating your grilled chicken, reserve the carcass and any remaining pieces to use in meal #2, which I'll write about in the next post.

*Note: this is an easy recipe to make, but since you have to brine the chicken, I recommend making it for an early weekend dinner. You could skip the brine with good results, but the brine adds another level of juiciness that is worth the extra step.

Chicken and Brine:

2 medium garlic heads
3 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 cup salt
1 whole chicken (3-4 pounds), butterflied and pounded (see below)

Garlic-Pepper Oil

4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil

Other

vegetable oil for grill grate
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for garnish

1. TO BUTTERFLY CHICKEN
Use kitchen shears to cut through bones on either side of backbone (see picture in this sequence), then remove and discard backbone. Flip chicken over and use heel of your hand to flatten breastbone. Cover chicken with paper towels to protect skin, then pound flat using meat pounder or rubber mallet.

*Note: This may seem tedious the first time you do it, but you'll get much quicker after making this recipe a few times.

2. TO BRINE THE CHICKEN
Combine garlic heads, bay leaves, and salt in gallon-size zipper lock bag; press out air and seal bag. Using rubber mallet or meat pounder, pound mixture until garlic cloves are crushed; transfer mixture to large container or stockpot and stir in 2 quarts cold water until salt is dissolved. Immerse chicken in brine and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 2 hours.

3. FOR THE GARLIC-PEPPER OIL
While chicken is brining, heat garlic, black pepper, pepper flakes, and oil in small saucepan over medium heat until garlic is fragrant and sizzling and mixture registers about 200 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, about 40 minutes. Measure 2 tablespoons garlic-pepper oil into 2 small bowls and set aside.

4. TO FLAVOR THE CHICKEN
Remove chicken from brine and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Loosen the skin around the breast and thighs. Apply two tablespoons of the pepper oil underneath the loosened skin.

5. TO GRILL THE CHICKEN
Ignite about 6 quarts (1 large chimney, or about 6 pounds) charcoal briquettes and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash, about 20 minutes. Empty coals into grill and bank half of coals on either side of grill, leaving midsection of grill free of coals. Position grill grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush. Lightly dip small wad paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe grill grate. Position chicken skin-side down on grill grate over area with no coals; cover grill and fully open lid vents.

6. TO SERVE
Cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees, 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board; let rest 10 minutes. Carve chicken into four pieces, drizzle with remaining pepper oil and garnish with lemon wedges.

*Serve with a bold, spicy red wine, such as those coming from Portugal at the moment (watch this for ideas).
*For a quick side, place some fresh vegetables over the coal banks on each side of the grill during last 10 minutes of cooking.
*This recipe appeared in its entirety in the July/August 2003 issue of Cooks Illustrated

Photo credit: Machine is Organic on flickr

are you eating muesli, the ultimate summer breakfast?

2009-07-02T21:17:00.006-06:00

My wife found a delicious recipe for meusli, a euro-type breakfast, in a cookbook you may not know about. Feeding the Whole Family: Cooking with Whole Foods, by Cynthia Lair, is a very accessible collection of recipes emphasizing simple meals with healthful, seasonal ingredients (parents may remember Cynthia as a food writer/editor for Mothering Magazine). Don't confuse muesli with Mueslix, the dorky brand of Kellogg's cereal from the 80s. Real muesli is a simple breakfast of rolled oats (or other grains) and any combination of nuts and dried/fresh fruit. It's basically granola that hasn't been toasted. There are two styles: dry and soaked. In the dry version, muesli is eaten as is, with milk or yogurt. In the soaked version, the muesli is first allowed to sit in hot water or juice for a few hours or even overnight. Both are delicious, but we were intrigued by the soaked version as it produces a filling breakfast that can stand in for oatmeal in the summer. Despite the use of boiling water in the recipe below, the texture of soaked muesli is not the same as oatmeal. Give it a try this summer. It will keep your mornings sane and your kitchen cool.

Orange Hazelnut Muesli

Prep time: 10 minutes (excluding overnight soaking)

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats or rolled barley (or some of both)
1/3 cup hazelnuts, chopped
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups boiling water
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Optional toppings: sliced fruit, berries, raisins, plain yogurt w/ honey

Technique

Place oats, hazelnuts, raisins, cinnamon, and sea salt in mixing bowl. Pour boiling water over mixture and stir. Add orange juice to mixture and stir again. Cover bowl with plate or cloth and allow moisture to soften grains 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Top apple, pear, berries, and/or yogurt.

*Makes 4 servings

a few thoughts on the cookie dough recall

2009-06-24T20:55:00.010-06:00

It is a national story, but I read about the recent Nestle cookie dough recall as a local article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Six Minnesotans, between 2 and 18 years of age, became quite ill from eating raw dough. This is disturbing on many levels, and it seems food recalls are simply part of "what happens." Is anyone outraged? At some point people do eat at their own risk, but as a society we can surely do more to prevent the spread of tainted food. I imagine that warnings printed on labels often do little to prevent people from eating certain foods raw, and despite manufacturers' and public health officials' official concerns, people enjoy eating cookie dough. They also enjoy runny eggs, rare steaks, and bloody hamburgers. Even steak tartare has enjoyed a renaissance as of late. If sourced and handled appropriately, many allegedly dangerous foods can be safely enjoyed in a raw or lightly cooked state. Mass-produced, industrial tubs of dough do not belong on this list, but their existence influences how people, including public officials, view the honest, homemade variety.

It begs the question: how could there be such a huge market for manufactured cookie dough? Please tell me. The concept is absurd, but an insipidly clever marketing idea. Busy people, who apparently don't have enough time to measure more than four ingredients, can purchase this dough-like substance, press or cut it into shapes, and convince themselves that they are, in fact, baking. It's akin to serving microwave bacon. I have tears in my eyes.

Real cookie dough is a wonderful thing. The alchemical marriage of flour, butter, sugar, and chocolate chips is truly potent, an ethereal mix to be honored in its own right. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies are wantonly desired by children and adults across this great country, and they are one of the few truly notable American foodstuffs. We don't have many. Must we desecrate them through food engineering and negligent mass production?

We have all heard the warnings. Do not eat raw eggs. Do not eat cookie dough, because it contains raw eggs. When was the last time you heard of someone dying from a raw egg that contained e. coli bacteria? I encourage you to read the Wikipedia entry for this bacterium, as it appears poop is the typical culprit. Yes, poop. Salmonella is most often the bacterium associated with raw eggs, so it is unclear how e. coli made its way into Nestle's cookie dough, but we could take a wild guess. Public health experts and Nestlé officials: please post a comment. I also recommend reading this article from the Today Show, which describes how e. coli is most often found in raw meat or unwashed fruits and vegetables.

What bothers me the most is the MN Dept of Public Health's first quote in the aforementioned article:

Health officials warned that eating any kind of raw dough creates potential for illness. "Cookie dough, whether purchased in a tub from the store or made at home from scratch, should not be eaten raw," said Carlota Medus, a foodborne-illness epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health.

Rather than push Nestle to explain how such contaminants could enter their supply chain, our public servants simply cover Nestle's ass by implying that consumers may have brought this upon themselves by eating raw cookie dough. What a joke. If you care to make your own cookie dough, from the best ingredients you can find (organic butter, organic sugar, organic eggs, and chocolate chips), and store them properly, it seems the risk of contamination is very low, perhaps even nonexistent. Maybe I'm missing something here, but my family regularly eats sunny-side-up eggs, and spoonfulls of raw cookie dough. We have never been ill. My pregnant wife eats these things.

The warnings exist to cover the lowest common denominator, the lowest quality (but cheapest!) ingredients one could possibly procure from a discount, big box grocer. But even then it's probably a low risk. Only when our dough is manufactured on a massive scale, by assembly line workers with bad habits, is there such a risk. If your grandma doesn't wash her hands, your family may get ill. If the "dough mixing technician" at the Nestle plant doesn't wash his hands, an entire city may puke its guts out, literally.

I'll leave you with the list of ingredients for one of the recalled products: "Ultimates Peanut Butter Cups, Chips & Chocolate Chunks bar." I've highlighted the nasty/processed/synthetic ingredients in red, if e. coli isn't enought to stop you. Bon appetit!

INGREDIENTS: BLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), SUGAR, MARGARINE (PALM OIL, WATER, SUNFLOWER OIL, HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, SALT, VEGETABLE MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN, SODIUM BENZOATE, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, BETA CAROTENE COLOR, VITAMIN A PALMITATE ADDED), NESTLE SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHUNKS (SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE [SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, COCOA BUTTER, MILKFAT, SOY LECITHIN, VANILLIN - AN ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, NATURAL FLAV0R]), PEANUT BUTTER FLAVORED MORSELS (SUGAR, PALM KERNEL OIL, PEANUTS, PEANUT FLOUR, LACTOSE, WHEY [FROM MILK], MILKFAT, NONFAT MILK, SODIUM CASEINATE [FROM MILK], BUTTERMILK, HYDROGENATED PALM OIL, SALT, SOY LECITHIN, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS), PEANUT BUTTER CUPS (SUGAR, PALM KERNEL OIL, PEANUT FLOUR, NONFAT MILK, PEANUT BUTTER [PEANUTS, SALT, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED PALM OIL], PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED PALM OIL, SALT, COCONUT OIL, COLOR ADDED [RED 40 LAKE, YELLOW 5 LAKE AND BLUE 2 LAKE], SOY LECITHIN, TBHQ, CITRIC ACID), WATER, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, MOLASSES, EGGS, EGG YOLKS, BAKING SODA, SALT, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, VANILLA EXTRACT, VANILLIN - AN ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR

P.S. The voluntary recall includes 43 varieties of cookie dough sold by Nestle. You can access nutritional information about each of them at Nestle's wonderful cookie dough site: http://www.verybestbaking.com/. Don't event get me started on the ridiculousness of that name. Very best indeed.

the humble frittata

2009-06-18T21:05:00.001-06:00

Peasant cooking at it's best, many cookbook authors and magazine writers have touted the simplicity of this Italian staple. Nearly identical to the Spanish tortilla, the frittata is the ideal vehicle to dispose of leftover vegetables and other items languishing in your fridge. It is also an ideal summer meal, as it requires just a few minutes in the broiler and tastes great the following day, even served cool or at room temperature. Many variations exist, but core elements include sauteed vegetables, cheese and/or cream, and at least six eggs. The recipe below is a hybrid of several recipes that is easy to prepare and works well for me. I've listed some suggested ingredients but this dish is so flexible that I strongly encourage using nearly any ingredient that would taste good with eggs. Bacon is quite tasty, as well as leftover roast turkey or chicken.

Ingredients

6-8 eggs, depending on the size of your skillet and appetite
1/2 cup milk or cream
1/2 onion
1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered (or other vegetables)
2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs (parsley, basil, or thyme)
1 cup grated cheese (parmesan, mozzarella, or chevre work well)
4 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper

Equipment

large, well seasoned cast iron or stainless steel skillet (you could use nonstick but I don't recommend it because of new research regarding toxins) - make sure the skillet has a metal handle, as it will go in the broiler
oven with a broiler

Technique

Preheat your broiler. Heat two tablespoons of oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is nearly smoking, add the onions and mushrooms. Sauté them until the mushrooms have released their juices and the liquid has evaporated from the pan (10-15 minutes).
In a large bowl, combine eggs, cream/milk, and herbs. Beat vigorously with a whisk or fork for several minutes (this will make the frittata fluffy).
Lower the heat to low, stir in remaining olive oil, and pour the egg mixture in the skillet. Lightly stir eggs to incorporate sautéed vegetables.
Once the eggs at the bottom have started to firm up, add the cheese and fold it into the egg mixture that is still liquid.
Put the skillet in the broiler and cook for 3-6 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the eggs are no longer runny (but do not overcook).
Remove from broiler, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and slice into wedges.
Drizzle with additional olive oil if desired.

*Serves 4 as a main event or 6 as a first course

another way to make potatoes on the grill

2009-06-15T21:08:00.004-06:00

Fried potatoes are delicious and fast, but the thought of heating up the kitchen on a punishingly hot day makes me want to vomit, seriously. Some of you might remember that last summer I posted a recipe for roasted potatoes on the grill. While that version is delicious in its own right, the indirect grilling method requires at least 30 minutes to fully cook the potatoes. In an effort to create a more weeknight friendly version, I developed another recipe inspired by a recent Mark Bittman article about grilling over wood coals, in which he describes how one of his friends uses a cast iron griddle to sear foods over hot coals.

I applied this technique to quartered new potatoes, and the results exceeded my expectations. A screaming hot skillet, combined with the ambient heat from a covered grill, resulted in potatoes that were crispy on the outside, creamy within, and subtly infused with smoky goodness.

ingredients

2.5 pounds small red new potatoes, quartered or cut into 1 inch pieces (I'm sure other small potatoes would work well)
8 large garlic cloves
high quality olive oil (4 tbsp)
sea salt
black pepper

equipment

large cast iron skillet
a round metal tray, tin foil, or something that will loosely cover the skillet
charcoal grill

technique

Ignite a full chimney of charcoal.
While charcoal is heating, pour olive oil into cast iron skillet.
Once coals are hot, pour them in a thick layer over 1/2 of the grill. Place the skillet on the grill grate, cover, and heat until oil is smoking.
Add potatoes, loosely cover the skillet, and cover the grill.
Cook for 10 minutes, then check potatoes for browning.
If the bottom sides are golden brown, flip potatoes with a spatula to brown remaining sides, and add garlic cloves. Cook 10-15 minutes longer.
Once potatoes are brown and crispy, remove from heat, toss w/ salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

*Serves 4 people.
*Cooking time is highly variable based on the amount of coals used, type of skillet, etc., but this is a good guide.

france post #3: blessed be the macro, and french flowers

2009-06-12T12:41:00.006-06:00

As described in previous posts , we visited France in April, during a cool, wet part of the spring when many flowers begin to bloom. I combed through our photos and created this set of colorful snapshots, many of which were taken by my wife with our Canon Elph digital camera using the macro setting. We've found this setting to be quite powerful for taking cool close up shots of flowers, insects, food, basically anything you want to preserve with an extreme zoom.

this year's garden

2009-06-05T11:51:00.005-06:00

My tiny plot has come a long way. When we moved into our small city home in 2005, there was a small rectangular garden containing poor, sandy soil and not much else. The first year we planted some tomatoes and a few herbs - with very little compost - and it fared pretty well. After a couple of such low intensity efforts, I decided to expand the garden by widening and lengthening the rectangle, nearly doubling the available space. We also started composting religiously, and the ROI was immediate - we could now grow numerous tomato plants, hot and mild peppers, eggplant, herbs, lettuces, green beans, and even some green cabbages on the shady side of the plot. I've also learned to do a bit of planning in early spring, to map out when I'll put each plant type in the ground.

By most accounts, the average "frost-free" date in the St. Paul area is May 15th. Since there are many hearty vegetables that can withstand a frost or two, I decided to get a handful of plants in the ground during the first week in May. These include:

leeks (4)
swiss chard (4)
arugula (4)
red lettuce (4)
broccoli (4)

In addition to these seedlings, four heirloom green leaf lettuces sprouted in the garden during this same week - apparently from seeds that I planted last summer. Very cool.

During the third week of May I planted a host of warm weather veggies, including some heirloom tomatoes and peppers.

Tomatoes:

"Northern Light" tomato (2): a fast growing, cold weather tomato that bears fruit in a mere 55 days (instead of 75-95 days for most types)
"Dad’s Sunset" tomato (2): a very large, meaty variety.
"Zapotec Pleated" tomato (1): a medium sized variety with irregularly shaped fruit.
"Marizol Purple" tomato (1): an old German heirloom that is well suited to cooler climates.

Peppers:

"Hungarian Paprika" pepper (2): the classic mild red pepper from central Europe.
"Georgia Flame" hot pepper (2): a small red face-melter.
"Purple Marconi" sweet pepper (2): a small Italian heirloom variety.

Others:

Japanese eggplant (2): the long, striped purple and white eggplant.
White cauliflower (2)
Sweet basil (2)
Rosemary (1)
Mother of Thyme (1): a broad leaf variety.

Wow. That's a total of 40 plants, and doesn't include my garden perennials: rhubarb, chives, and two clumps of asparagus (still too young). That's almost 300% more than the 15 plants I watered exactly two years ago. I think the only remaining plants to install are some green beans that I plan to string up along the back side of the garden.

Sadly, I still haven't been organized enough to grow all of my plants from seeds indoors, which is a huge goal of mine. Maybe next year... But I do plan to seed a midsummer round of lettuce and cabbages, which will serve as a late season harvest in September and October.

good enough for grandpa: the case for whole milk

2009-06-01T14:28:00.010-06:00

I live in a dairy state. To exist in Minnesota without an ice-cold bottle of milk in the fridge is sacrilege. For reasons of both pride and locavoracity, I am saddened by the "big milk" industry's shift away from the Midwest to California, currently the largest milk producing state (with a marketing campaign to match). Our vineyards need some work, but can we at least buy milk from Minnesota or Wisconsin? There are many small, organic producers selling delicious whole milk in our fine communities - try Crystal Ball or Castle Rock.

Despite our milk maid roots, it is always a bummer to discover that most people in this green pasture of a state prefer skim or 1% milk. We should know better, and exhibit better taste. For years we have been led to believe, by this industry and our own federal government, that low fat milk is better for us. Our fat phobic culture has skimmed the flavor and nutrition from the milk we drink, in a misguided effort to be healthy. I mean, what the fuck is non-dairy creamer, really? The thought of this junk made me so mad I looked up the manufacturing process and found some info here. No sir, it is not soy milk.

Now the facts. In the words of Nina Planck, author of Real Food for Mother and Baby:

Whole milk is what is called a complete food, because each ingredient plays its part. Without the fat, you can't digest the protein or absorb the calcium.

The body needs saturated fat in particular (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat can't do the job) to take in the calcium that makes bones strong. Milk fat also contains glycosphingolipids, which are fats that encourage cell metabolism and growth and fight gastrointestinal infections.

The all-important vitamins A and D are found in the fat. Historically, whole milk and butter were the best sources of these vitamins in the American diet, which had up to 10 times more of both vitamins than modern industrial diets. In skim and low-fat milk, the vitamins are removed along with the fat, so dairies add synthetic A and D. But Vitamins A and D are fat-soluble; that means they cannot be absorbed into the body unless they're taken in with fat. Thus, even fortified skim and low-fat milk are not nearly as beneficial as the real thing.

To debunk your own low fat milk myths, I encourage you to read two excellent articles about the undisputed health benefits of whole milk, as well as the virtues of its raw, farm fresh form. Nature intended it this way.

Whole Milk is Best, by Nina Planck
This article, which appeared in the New York Times, offers a factual look at the benefits of unadulterated milk, and New York City's efforts to promoted low fat milk in low income communities.

I should note that I found a link to this article on the website for Kopplin's Coffee shop in St. Paul, MN. The owner of this fine shop believes in local, organic whole milk so much he refuses to serve low fat milk in any of this coffee drinks.

Should This Milk Be Legal?
Another NYT piece, this article discusses the growing trend of drinking raw cow's milk. Oh no!

photo: jenny downing on flickr

MN first state to ban toxins in baby bottles and sippy cups

2009-05-30T12:23:00.005-06:00

The June issue of the Minnesota Women's Press contains a news brief about a very progressive piece of legislation, the Toxic Free Kids Act, that was recently signed into law. From the article:

"After Jan. 1, 2011, parents will know that regardless of what store you are in, the baby bottles and 'sippy' cups will be BPA (bisphenol A)-Free," said Rep. Karen Clark (DFL Minneapolis), chief author of the House Bill. Sen. Sandy Rummel (DFL-White Bear Lake) was the chief author of the Senate version. More than 200 studies of BPA have found that low-dose exposure is linked to heart disease, caner, neurological impairments and reproductive problems.

To read a detailed news release about the legislation, visit Healthy Legacy, a MN-based public health coalition. You can also follow them on twitter.

Photo: Randy Son Of Robert on flickr

La Vida Locavore: A must-read blog

2009-05-21T11:04:00.002-06:00

Mark Bittman just tweeted a very provocative link from La Vida Locavore, a food politics blog, which yesterday featured a great post about what children in different countries eat through school lunch programs, and the USA's pitiful excuse for state-sanctioned nutrition.

I haven't read this blog before, but it appears to be one worth visiting.

From the site:
La Vida Locavore is the blog for anyone whose crazy life includes planting, growing, weeding, fertilizing, raising, picking, harvesting, processing, cooking, baking, making, serving, buying, selling, distributing, transporting, composting, organizing around, lobbying about, writing about, thinking about, talking about, playing with, and eating food!

france post #2: in search of "truite fario"

2009-05-11T14:53:00.007-06:00

I don't think I've mentioned it before on this blog, but I am an avid angler, with a particularly fondness for fish that eat flies. The village of Plaisance, France, where we spent the first part of our recent vacation, is situated on a small, cold stream that cuts through the limestone laden valley (in the Haut Languedoc region of the country). It is called "Le Bouissou." My former coworker, Edie, who lent us her townhouse for the week, mentioned that there were trout in the river, so, prior to leaving for France, I eagerly packed my short 3 weight rod and a small box of dry flies.

The weekend we arrived it was cold and rainy, and several scouting trips to the stream yielded no more than a few minnow sightings. However, on day three the sun came out and I did manage to find a few small trout sipping tiny may flies near the main bridge in town. The sunny, warm weather held, so the following afternoon I headed upstream from Plaisance to a promising run near the village soccer field. It was a postcard perfect afternoon of angling. Big may flies started hatching as soon as I assembled my rod, so it took no more than three or four casts to land my first fish, a small rainbow - no doubt imported from American stocks (rainbows are not native to Europe, just as brown trout are not native to US waters). I later caught three chunky brown trout - truites farios in French - in the same run. I celebrated with an obligatory cold Leffe beer.
Before packing up for dinner, an old French fly fisherman started fishing the run below me, and once we made eye contact he walked up the bank to ask how the fishing was. Upon seeing the cold, whiteness of my Minnesota legs, and uninsulated Chaco sandals, he proceeded to ask me "Bonjour, mais où sont tes waders? (Hello. Where are you waders?)" I explained that I was traveling from abroad and didn't have the space in my luggage to bring more than a rod, reel, and some flies. He chuckled and wished me a "un après-midi chaud" (a warm afternoon).

France is full of fishermen, and the French fish with their stomaches, even though a hand may be holding the rod. This is commendable, as it appears more French anglers are looking to fool a few trout for dinner, rather than catch and release every fish in the river, so any fixation they have around "numbers" has not been apparent to me. Also, France has managed to preserve a large number of beautiful trout streams, most of which hold good populations of native brown trout. Many people in the US find hard to believe. It seems there is a common misconception that the French countryside is overly grazed and domesticated. While farms and herd animals are ubiquitous across the provinces, there are some expansive pockets of wilderness, a lot of which is located in or near the Pyrenees. In fact, a wild boar hunter was killed last year near Plaisance while tracking a large wounded male. It attacked him before he could drop it, and its teeth severed a femoral artery. The hunter bled out before officials could find him. A wild place indeed.

Check out this this photo set for more fishing pix from the trip.

P.S. I would have included a recipe for grilled trout had I kept one for the table. The fact of the matter is, I decided to fish sans permet, as the short-term, out-of-country licences were not available until May 1, and an annual non-resident licence costs about $90 - mon dieu! For that reason I decided to release the small number of trout I did hook. I'll be sure to post a trout recipe this summer, as I have big plans to catch dinner in Wisconsin in coming weeks.

france post #1: our daily bread

2009-05-04T13:11:00.012-06:00

It seems appropriate for the first post of this series to detail a journey, and a small one at that. In all but the most cosmopolitan U.S. cities, American communities have rid themselves of neighborhood bakeries, at which families used to procure the fresh bread needed for the day, and possibly breakfast the following day. Sadly, the Wonder and Brownberry loaves that now grace American breadboxes travel many miles from their industrial ovens of origin to big box super markets, and as such, they must survive longer than pure, artisanal bread.

Truly fresh, wholesome bread (sans preservatives) has an extremely brief shelf life, perhaps 36 hours at most. As a rule, most French people see this as a right and privilege, rather than an inconvenience. Even in the smallest villages, such as Plaisance (population maybe 75), where we stayed during our recent vacation, residents have access to fresh bread and croissants. Rather than try to support a full time bakery in this small hamlet, the city has a delivery agreement with a bakery in a neighboring town. To buy bread each day, residents must place an order at the town foyer which is like a general store/cafe/bar that is open most days from 9 am until about 8 pm. If you place your order before the foyer closes, your bread will be available for pick up the following morning.

The small row house where we stayed is located up the hill from the main part of the village. While the house is accessible by car through a winding, switchback access road, the shortest route into town is a fantastical path that cuts between various houses and their ethereal backyard gardens. I recorded the following video to capture our daily ritual of hiking down the path each morning to pick up fresh baguettes, croissants, and the occasional pain au chocolat. Imagine walking this path with your toddler daughter, and her delight as you stroll past blooming flowers, local "doggies," to be greeted by the kind man at the foyer who insists on squeezing her cheeks and giving her a madeleine. I am not kidding. People live this way in Plaisance. What are we to do?

I have an idea: let's demand our daily bread by starting delivery programs in our neighborhoods. And in the American spirit of "low prices" we should learn from our French friends and ask for high quality bread at a fair price - most large baguettes in France cost about 75 cents. Again, daily bread is the hard earned right of civilized people, not the unique privilege of a few fancy-pants who enjoy "French bread."

If you'd like to see some pictures of the village, I created a photo set on flickr documenting our Easter weekend.

there is du bon fromage in the U.S.

2009-05-03T21:23:00.006-06:00

I have France on the brain. Today I outlined a series of blog posts to document our trip - vegetable markets, butcher shops, fishing, foie gras - but before writing those I must proclaim how satisfying it is to return home and find a truly delicious raw milk cheese fabricated à l'ancien, in Vermont.
What a specimen! It's a slice of Jasper Hill Farm's "Winnimere Mini," a raw cow's milk, soft rind cheese. You table's cheese course deserves nothing less. The taste is truly unique, of Vermont terroir, but if I had to, I would compare to a Saint Nectaire crossed with a French Munster.

By geographic principle, I am committed to buying artisanal cheeses made in the US; however, many of the better cheeses are typically much more expensive than the majority of French and Italian imports, and they often have less flavor and overall panache. This small slice of Winnimere set me back $4.50, which I feel is a very fair price given the exceptional quality of the cheese - in fact, many less deserving cheeses are sold for much more. Save some fuel costs and buy a big piece of this for your next dinner party.

back home, with some tales to tell

2009-04-29T06:00:00.006-06:00

Quel voyage. I am pleased to write that my wife, daughter, and I arrived safely home from France yesterday afternoon. After 10 days in a small village in Languedoc, and 7 days in Paris, it was an epic trip with an emphasis on exploring the local food culture, cooking, and eating. My jet-lagged daughter beckons at the moment, but I am planning to write a series of posts about the experience.

This is "Scuffy" the snail, saying hello to my daughter after visiting our kitchen window. Scuffy was not eaten.

slow and easy food: hot-smoked pork chops

2009-04-06T09:00:00.001-06:00

In case you don't follow my dorky tweets about food, you should, because Saturday I posted my first ever live-tweeted recipe and cooking session (see chronology and photos): smoked pork chops! These are so easy, and the flavor will detonate your taste buds. Not surprisingly, it's quite difficult to capture ingredient lists and measurements in 140 characters, so I've posted the full recipe here.

ingredients:

4 thick cut, free range, well marbled pork chops from a local farm (MN-folk should try Pastures a Plenty or Prairie Pride), about 8 oz per chop
1/2 gallon cold tap water
3/4 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp pink curing salt (to buy)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and slightly smashed
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp ground black pepper
wood smoking chips (apple wood, hickory, etc.), soaked in warm water

to brine chops:

In a large, non-reactive bowl, place water and pork chops
Run about 1-2 cups of very hot tap water into a smaller bowl
Add kosher salt, sugar, curing salt, and garlic to hot water in small bowl. Stir with a fork until salt and sugar is dissolved.
Pour this mixture into the large bowl and refrigerate for 4-12 hours.
When ready to cook, remove chops from brine and pat dry.

to smoke chops:

Mix remaining spices in a small bowl and apply to all sides of pork chops. Let chops sit on the counter for 30-60 minutes to come to room temperature.
Light about 1/3 of a chimney starter loaded with charcoal briquettes (wood/lump charcoal burns too hot/fast for smoking).
Bank coals on one side of your grill, put the wood chips on top (ideally in a smoker box or wrapped in a foil packet), and place a small pan on the bottom of the grill opposite the coals.
Place pork chops on the grate opposite the coals. Cover and begin smoking.
After about 1 hour, add 10 unlit charcoal bricks to the top of the pile. Cover and continue smoking.
Chops will be ready approximately 1-2 hours later, depending on the temperature inside and outside of the grill. They should be a dark red-orange w/ and be very tender (slight charring on the edges is ok, too).
Rest chops for 5 minutes before serving.

*Serves 4 people

These go really well with a strong beer, some fried or roasted potatoes, and a green salad. Sauerkraut is also an excellent choice, especially in winter.

bulldog update: still no word from the owner!

2009-04-03T14:38:00.004-06:00

Nearly one month has passed since I emailed the Bulldog's owner regarding my inquiry, mainly why they were serving lower-quality meats, and a generally less-appetizing menu, in St. Paul. I guess they really don't care about what their patrons think. In fact, someone recently commented on my post that "Bad food is one thing, but a server who asks, 'What do you want me to do with it?' when you tell her your food is bad-- while standing with her hand on her hip as your dreck sits in front of you-- is icing on the cake."

Also, shortly after writing that post I realized that I forgot to mention the Bulldog Uptown and its menu. Sadly, it appears they're serving a similar menu to the Lowertown location. Patrons revolt!

a bit of self promotion

2009-04-01T20:03:00.004-06:00

Well, this is a blog about my own gastronomic travails, so perhaps self promotion is a moot point. Today I launched a small website to promote "holterhaus," my marketing business. Read the about page for more info, but basically I provide integrated communications services for businesses and other organizations large and small. I especially like to work with companies of the progressive/sustainable/green kind, so please let me know if I can be of assistance. It's probably obvious, but I am particularly adept at interactive-related marketing endeavors, including social media.
P.S. This is not an April Fool's joke. Seriously.

white house breaks ground on a kitchen garden!

2009-03-23T14:01:00.005-06:00

This is exciting. In classic savvy PR fashion, the White House blog today featured a post (w/ pics) about a groundbreaking ceremony for the first family's new vegetable garden. This event is significant for obvious reasons related to the promotion of healthy, sustainable eating and living (as well as frugality and self reliance), but it also highlights the fact that this is likely the first such garden to exist on White House grounds, at least in recent times. Let's hope they don't use those heirloom tomatoes to top a dubya-style frozen hamburger.

From the post:

"This is a big day. We've been talking it since the day we moved in," said the First Lady as she and two dozen local students broke ground on the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn of the White House. Those students will be involved in the garden as it develops and grows, producing delicious, healthy vegetables to be cooked in the White House Kitchen and given to Miriam's Kitchen, which serves the homeless in Washington, DC.

Fashion note: It was a bad decision for Mrs. Obama to wear patent leather boots in the garden. I think some wellies and trousers would have been more appropriate (and fashion-forward).

the season's first burger: an essay

2009-03-23T08:50:00.007-06:00

All of this blogging about other people's cheeseburgers left me feeling eager to grill some of my own. That, combined with a stretch of warm spring weather and the specific nature of my wife's pregnancy cravings, meant that the ceremonial first-burger-of-the-season would be grilled on Friday. Much to my dismay, what started as a fantasy week of balmy spring weather quickly turned cold, rainy, and straight-up medieval by Friday afternoon. I did not care. With a Summit Maibock in hand, I donned a raincoat and proceeded to load the chimney and brush the grate.

Americans love cheeseburgers. However, our sterile, Walmartian culture has completely fucked up this simple pleasure. In fact, you might say the standard American burger is FUBAR. We have ruined the hamburger patty. We have stripped the cheese of a soul. We have reduced the toppings to bland, watery, and/or chemical soaked afterthoughts. What remains is a previously sickly, previously frozen, previously in a CAFO sandwich-type-thing that is hardly fit for consumption by American pets. I mean that. I seriously mean that. And I'll stop my rant there. You read this blog because you already grind your own grass-fed beauties, right?

Time travel is possible. When you grind your own high quality, grass fed beef you will experience the delicacy enjoyed by many of our grandparents before the convenience age. When you choose to assemble a cheeseburger from the simplest, best ingredients that you can possibly find (within your local food economy), the utilitarian cheesburger is transformed into something truly sublime. Even the French have acknowledged the perfection of a grilled cheeseburger.

The only special equipment you need is a basic meat grinder - I use the Kitchen-Aid grinder attachment, but a manual countertop grinder also works well, and will earn you respect from your bad-ass grandfather.

Does your gray, industrial, frozen patty look like this? I think not. So buy some respectable beef and grind your own damn burgers. It will expand your mind.

Ingredients for a burger that transcends time, space, and industrial food culture:

2 lbs chuck roast, from grass fed cows raised by a small local producer (I really like Thousand Hills)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
kosher or sea salt, to taste

Technique:

Put your grinder components and two large mixing bowls in the freezer
Trim the beef to remove any tough connective tissue or large pieces of fat (but don't be too surgical or you'll risk grinding meat that's too lean - grass fed beef has very little fat to begin with)
Cut trimmed beef into one inch chunks
In one of the mixing bowls, combine meat with black pepper and salt
Grind meat mixture through the small die into the other chilled bowl
Pour Worcestshire sauce and olive oil into bowl, mix with a wooden spoon until liquids are incorporated (do not over-mix)
Chill the meat in your refrigerator for 15 minutes to keep the meat cold (this is critical) - this is a good time to light the grill
Using your hands, form the meat into 4 equal patties. Each should be about 1 inch think. Press your fingertips into the center of each patty to make them slightly concave (this helps them cook evenly and hold their shape)
Grill over very hot coals until an instant-read thermometer registers 125 degrees (for medium rare). Too squeamish for medium rare? You're missing out. Buying good beef and grinding it yourself means you can eat a correctly grilled burger without fear.

*makes 4 celebration-sized grilled hamburger patties

P.S. Spring and Fall are fleeting portions of the grilling season because the mild outdoor temperatures permit the home chef to prepare some elements of the meal on the grill and some in the kitchen. This is especially important for homemade cheeseburgers and french fries. I do not own a deep fryer (sadly), but my wife and I have learned how to make addictive oven fries using a recipe from Cooks Illustrated. I'll feature our version of that recipe in an upcoming post.

extremely fast food: new "pizza vending machine" unveiled in italy

2009-03-18T18:40:00.003-06:00

Redefining the concept of convenience food, an Italian business man has just introduced a new vending machine that creates hot pizzas in about three minutes. The pizza-centric "Slice" blog, which is part of the Serious Eats community, posted a photo and additional information earlier this week. Read the full post here.

While Italians typically value high-quality, local ingredients, I don't expect these machines to come stocked with artisanal mozzarella and seasonal, heirloom tomatoes. My advice: buy a slice from a local vendor, which also supports a several local jobs, rather than pumping money into this mass-produced, slightly depressing concept.

buy hydroponic. lettuce.

2009-03-16T11:51:00.004-06:00

I've had it. I'm not going to buy lettuce from California any more. Picture this: A small head of green lettuce grows in the dirt for many weeks. The lettuce, which is about 95% water, is then picked, washed, and placed in a huge box with hundreds of other heads. The box is placed on a semi trailer with many other boxes of lettuce. The truck drives from some town in California's central valley to St. Paul, MN, where some dude unloads it into the storage room of a grocery store, and someone else puts it in the produce section. Then someone drives to the store to buy it, they return home, and they put it in their refrigerator, where it may wilt before it is ever eaten. This head of lettuce, which, don't forget, is frickin' 95% water, just traveled over 2,000 miles to meet this basic "need." Does that make any sense? It's akin to growing bottles of water iand shipping them thousands of miles to be consumed by someone who already has water. Yes, we do that, too.For that very reason, northern food economies should support more greenhouse and hydroponic produce growers. From May to October, farmer's markets and co-ops carry an excellent assortment of locally grown, outdoor lettuces and leafy greens, but these are clearly not an option in cold months. Hydroponically grown lettuce, by contrast, is extremely versatile because it simply depends on a warm greenhouse and adequate water and nutrients (we have plenty of both in MN, and not so much in CA).

LaBore Farms, a small hydroponic lettuce producer in Faribault, MN recently started selling some value-priced greens at area co-ops and natural foods stores. At approximately $2.99 per bag, these greens are delicious, nutritious and they keep longer in your refrigerator because they only travel about 50 miles to a St. Paul store, vs. the epic transcontinental journey described above. Read more about hydroponic agriculture.

the stray bulldog: st. paul diners beware!

2009-03-11T12:30:00.003-06:00

Like any blogger I keep an ongoing list of potential post topics, which includes recipes I've used, products I like, and restaurants that are worth writing about, for better or worse. Around the time of the RNC in 2008, rumors began to circulate about a Bulldog opening in St. Paul. Most people I talked to were enthusiastic, as the Bulldog NE has been a huge hit across the river, offering the well-needed combination of a unique beer list and thoughtfully prepared bar food, emphasizing high quality ingredients such as humanely raised Midwest Wagyu beef - more about this later. As a St. Paul resident, blogging about the new location was a no-brainer, as such a bar doesn't really exist in this city (the Muddy Pig comes close for beer, but the food doesn't hold a candle to Bulldog NE).

Anyone who has eaten at the Bulldog NE knows that their burgers are special. As explained on the menu, all burgers are made from pasture-raised Wagyu cattle, which the restaurant grinds in their own kitchen. The result is an expertly prepared cheeseburger, cooked to your preference (where medium rare is actually a rich, juicy pink). At first glance, the Bulldog Lowertown's menu appears very similar, right down to the different types of burgers served. The selections are not a carbon copy of the NE location, but they're arranged similarly.

I've eaten at the Bulldog Lowertown three times now, and overall, I would say the experience was fairly good. The beer list is unrivaled and the tater tots are the definition of munchies. In fact, after eating there the first time I was excited to write a celebratory post describing how this bar is a beacon of hope in the rather bleak downtown St. Paul scene. What ruined that sentiment was not an incident of poor service (though one should read the yelp reviews for Bulldog Lowertown), or singularly bad meal. Rather, I am completely disappointed in the owner's decision to serve lower quality food to the good people of St. Paul, particularly with their burgers. The second time I visited the bar for dinner I took a closer look at the menu, mainly because I didn't recall seeing the word "wagyu" printed anywhere - just the words "100% angus," (words that carries very little meaning these days - MN readers will remember this story).

To gain some clarity around why the menus are different, I placed a call at each restaurant (NE and Lowertown) to ask about the beef they serve, mainly what type it is, where they get it, and why...

Bulldog NE
The woman who answered the phone, who is likely a server, was very friendly and receptive to my question. She confidently explained that the NE location only serves special Wagyu beef from cattle raised in the midwest, which are grass-fed and humanely treated (although not certified organic to her knowledge). All beef is sourced from a small company in South St. Paul called Swanson [no website found], and it is ground in-house at the Bulldog.

She also mentioned that their menu is different from Lowertown; in fact, she said their menu was much more "high end," featuring better ingredients and different recipes. I am not surprised. I have eaten at Bulldog NE several times now and the food has always been solid, with a subtle gourmet edge. If this server's respectful, knowledgeable response is any indication of the restaurant's overall dedication to serving good food, then Bulldog NE should be high on the list of any locavore looking for a sustainable burger and fries, among other good things.

Bulldog Lowertown
In stark contrast, the Lowertown server who picked up the phone initially could not recall where their beef is from, and seemed slightly annoyed by my simple question. However, several seconds later she remembered that "oh yeah, it's angus," which is printed on the menu - so much for knowing more than the customer. When I asked where it came from and if the animals were treated well (such as free range, grass fed, organic, etc.) she asked me to hold so she could ask someone else. It turns out they buy their beef from Shumacher's, a MN-based meat wholesaler, and she didn't "think" it was free range or grass fed, nor did she know anything else about it. She did say that one of their burgers, "The Lowertown" is made with grass fed beef - apparently they use a special blend of meat, sundried tomatoes, etc. that I'm assuming they buy as frozen patties Why else would they only serve one burger that's grass fed? It boggles the mind. Well, perhaps they don't care about differentiating their food from every other thoughtless burger joint around town.

Ok, this post has run on for too long, so I'll sum this up. As a St. Paul resident, I am truly dismayed that the owner of both restaurants has veiled lower quality food under the same brand name in my city. If I decide to eat at any Bulldog again, it will surely be NE because I do care about what I eat and will spend my dollars at a restaurant that cares - in fact, I'm even willing to pay a bit more. Also, I am a marketer by profession, so I understand the need to tailor your offerings to the specific community you intend to serve; however, some brands may not be elastic enough to support too much variation in product quality or service. Quality and consistency are king. I hope St. Paul diners catch on quickly.

P.S. I have emailed the owner directly to ask why they've taken this approach to the St. Paul restaurant. I'll let you know what I hear, if anything...

saucisson update: fully cured and edible! (sort of)

2009-02-18T12:10:00.005-06:00

At long last, I decided to eat one of my saucissons. In my last update I decided to let them cure a bit longer to make sure the interior of the sausage was fully cured. The big day was last Wednesday - I've been so busy with work and a toddler daughter that I haven't been able to post about it yet.

The good news is that the saucissons are fully cured (no raw meat in the middle), but as feared, I think the outside cured too fast given the low humidity level in my basement during the month of January. The resulting saucisson is edible, as I ate several pieces and did not puke or die, but the interior does have a slightly brownish tint which indicates that the exterior dried too fast (this is visible in the photo above). I don't think the interior rotted, because it doesn't smell bad, but I do think it wasn't able to dry evenly because the exterior cured too fast. As a result the saucisson has an off taste which isn't exactly delicious.

Rest assured, I will purchase a humidifier and give it another try. In Minnesota humidity levels are higher in the spring, which should also help. We shall overcome.

great article in Star Tribune about local food trends

2009-01-31T13:10:00.004-06:00

In case you missed it, earlier this month the Star Tribune's Nancy Ngo published a great article on food trends for 2009. Among other more trivial bits, such as speculation about Peru becoming the next hip food culture for Americans, the article does highlight some key trends related to home cooking and eating sustainably.

For several authorities, it's a deliberate, unapologetic return to home cooking. In its January issue, Food & Wine magazine names home cooking as the biggest food trend of the year, with an emphasis on retooled comfort food classics, entertaining on a budget and "exotic" recipes made easy.

The National Restaurant Association calls it philosophy-driven choices, this continuing trend toward "green" eating in its many permutations. And the chefs expect to see much more of it. In fact, local produce ranked No. 1 in the What's Hot survey. Nine in 10 chefs said demand for locally grown menu items would increase, along with demand for sustainable seafood, organic produce and free-range meats.

saucisson update: going to wait a few more days

2009-01-30T09:28:00.003-06:00

I went down to the cellar last night to check on the salumi and I think they still need some more time. We're well past the three week mark, but when I squeeze them there's still a little too much resistance on the thicker parts. I'll check again on Sunday - be prepared.

cabbage soup deserves more respect

2009-01-28T14:27:00.003-06:00

When was the last time you ate a bowl of cabbage soup that wasn't borscht? Let's face it: green cabbage isn't sexy. Radicchio is cool because it's small and pretty, and you don't have to say the word cabbage when discussing it. Napa cabbage is a touch more sophisticated because it reminds one of verdant green valleys of vineyards. But ubiquitous green cabbage, my friends, often evokes images of damp medieval huts and grubby serfs, or the funky humid smell that often accompanies over-cooked, mushy renditions of cabbage that misrepresent the beauty and utility of this particular vegetable.

Cabbage soup, in particular, can be extra stinky, so it is often avoided to prevent its unique odors from permeating your house, children, and belongings.

Forget what you just read and try the soup recipe below. It smells great and demonstrates the many reasons one should respect and cherish the simplicity of green/white cabbage, such as:

It tastes great when prepared properly, whether cooked as soup, braised as a side dish, shredded for a salad (think coleslaw), or cured as sauerkraut;
Cabbage is perhaps one of the cheapest vegetables available (often selling for 99 cents per pound or less!);
It stores very well in the refrigerator - I harvested the cabbage for the soup in the picture from my garden in early November and didn't eat them until January - they were simply wrapped in plastic in my crisper);
Cabbage is one of the few local vegetables that is available midwinter in Minnesota and other northern states.

This recipe serves 6 as first course or 4 as a main dish.

ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1 large green or white cabbage, cored and sliced very thin
3/4 cup white wine
3 large potatoes, coarsely chopped
2 onions, coarsely chopped
a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
6 thick slices of fresh pork belly (or 1 cup cubed bacon or ham)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper

technique

Heat 5 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy dutch oven or soup pot. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes, until softened but not colored. Add the white wine, potatoes, onions, and nutmeg and pour in enough water to cover. Add the pork and bring to a boil, then lower the heat, and simmer gently for about 1 hour, until the meat is tender.
Remove the meat with a slotted spoon. Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat the remaining oil in a small skillet. Add the garlic and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, unti it is just beginning to color. If necessary, reheat the soup over low heat to keep hot.
Serve hot in bowls with a swirl of cream and the garlic chips. If using pork belly, place one piece in each bowl or upon a piece of toasted bread. If using ham or bacon, divide evenly among each bowl.

This is a very hearty soup that easily works as dinner with some good bread and a big beer or glass of dry white wine.

Note: I adapted this recipe from Pork & Sons, which I wrote about earlier this week.

Pork & Sons: a superb cookbook and tribute to the noble pig

2009-01-25T15:05:00.004-06:00

For Christmas my wife granted me a copy of Pork & Sons by Stephane Reynaud, a third generation "pork devotee" and butcher/charcutier. If you haven't heard about this book, it is a whimsical French cookbook that also documents the fascinating world of artisanal hog farming, butchering, and charcuterie in France through words and photography. First published in French in 2005, it has been available in English since 2007.

Aside from containing some truly authentic recipes for rural French food (each of which contains pork in some form, of course), this book reinforces the notion that eating meat in an ethical, sustainable fashion does, in fact, assert and celebrate the inherent dignity of animals raised for food. It also exposes, in a succinct and beatiful fashion, the quiet reverence French farmers, butchers, and charcutiers have for the animals they raise, process, and eat. Something most Americans have either forgotten or never known.

"It is fortunate that the standardization of flavor in today's food industry has not yet reached the Ardeche region, where tradition mounts a good defense."

So far I have only cooked one recipe from the book, a delicious take on cabbage soup, but I am anxious to try many more. I'll post the cabbage soup recipe this week, as further proof that you should own this book.

saucisson update: nearly cured!

2009-01-25T14:03:00.002-06:00

Just a brief post to let you know that I checked on my saucissons last night and I believe the smallest of the three is nearly cured, with the others shortly behind. As I wrote on Wednesday, the inside of the saucisson was still raw when I sliced one of them (they also felt a little squishy when squeezed). It is still way too friggin' cold and dry, which has kept my basement humidity levels way below the optimum 60-70% range, but it appears the saucissons are drying all the way through without rotting. Tomorrow represents the 21st day of curing, which falls within the timeline recommended by Brian Polcyn and Michael Ruhlman, so I'm planning to perform a slice test midweek - just to be safe...

saucisson update: on the operating table

2009-01-22T17:52:00.000-06:00

I just could not wait any longer. As I wrote on Sunday, the saucissons reached the 35% mark for overall weight loss. This was good and bad news, as it means they might be dry enough to eat, but they also reached that weight in only 14 days (rather than 18-21 per the traditional curing instructions). I have four saucissons hanging, so I decided to slice one to determine their dryness and edibility. They were a little squishy when I squeezed them, which indicated that they may still be a little raw on the interior, but there's only one way to find out. Upon slicing the end off one of them, it was clear that the interior was a little raw. It's very subtle, but in the photograph you can see a slight color variation between the outer third (crimson) and the inside (orange). The good news is that it doesn't appear to be spoiled - it smells like salami.

I hung this one back up to dry for another week. Stay tuned...

edible twin cities: the locovore's local publication

2009-01-19T12:06:00.005-06:00

In case you haven't seen it yet, Edible Twin Cities is a newer quarterly publication dedicated to "celebrating the abundance of local foods, season by season" in the region. Printed copies are available for free at many coffee shops, grocery stores, and other business, but you can also have it delivered to your door for $28.00 per year.

So far I've only looked at one issue, but it seems like something any locovore would enjoy reading.

From the website:

Our mission is to transform the way residents of the greater Twin Cities area shop for, cook, eat, and appreciate the food that is grown in our region. Through our publications and website, we connect consumers with local growers, retailers, chefs, and food artisans, enabling those relationships to grow and thrive in mutually beneficial, healthy and economically viable ways. Edible Twin Cities is for those who are interested in:

•	Learning more about what's available in the greater Twin Cities area in terms of restaurants, farmers' markets, food events and festivals; informative and entertaining books to read and wonderful products to try.
•	Eating delicious, well-prepared seasonal foods
•	Getting to know the people who grow, produce, cook and sell those foods

saucisson update: 244 grams, 35% shrinkage :)

2009-01-18T22:21:00.004-06:00

14 days have passed since I first hung these babies out to dry. Can you believe it? I'll bet you've been dying to know. If you read my last saucisson update (and chances are, you didn't), you would know that last week I was somewhat concerned about the rate at which my saucissons secs have been drying. I'm still battling some serious humidity issues, which were compounded by some antarctic temps in MN during the past couple of weeks (as low as -22 F with practically no humidity). Also, the week was very busy for me, so I wasn't able to weigh them until today. I'm glad I did. In my last post (seven days ago), I explained that one of the saucissons weighed 285 grams - today it weighed 244 grams, only 41 grams less. This means that it now weighs approximately 35% less than it did on day one. Not bad.

The recipe said the total curing time should take 18-21 days, I'm going to hold out for a few more days before slicing - just to be safe. Cross your fingers...

god has given us a reason to visit New Brighton: Barley John's Brew Pub

2009-01-15T19:48:00.002-06:00

I have a feeling this may be the only blog post I write about the staid grid work of county roads, strip malls, and crusty suburbia that is New Brighton, MN. OK, there are two reasons to visit this city: 1) buy some kickin' frames at the truly exceptional Spectacle Shoppe (caution: website is brutal); and 2) drink some tasty microbrews and eat at Barley John's Brew Pub. Set one foot inside this small, cozy nook of a bar/restaurant and the effects are not unlike that of entering a worm hole, or a tear in the space time continuum. Here are the facts:

I'm there right now. They have a solid wifi connection and a sturdy pine bar, which I'm using to craft this post.
I'm drinking their seasonal Schwarzbier, a traditional, German-style black lager. It will change your life, and give you good reason to reconsider your outlook on New Brighton.
You can buy growlers.
They have good food. I just polished off a stuffed, roasted portobella mushroom appetizer (half price @ $4.00 during happy hour) and my pizza is in the oven. They serve palette-bending personal-sized pizzas here, including quality ingredients atop a homemade, cracker crust.
They have at least 5 of their own beers on tap at any time, and a host of purposefully chosen "guest taps," such as Tripel Karmeliet and Three Philosophers.
The staff are friendly, and they wear cool black shirts and ties. They also have tatoos and earrings, which makes them tuff.

Here's a map of how to get there. I'll be here until by battery dies, or longer if the barman has an extra outlet.

saucisson update: 285 grams and shrinking :(

2009-01-11T21:20:00.005-06:00

So exactly one week has passed since I first hung my first four saucissons secs to dry-cure in the basement. To track my products' progress, I decided to weigh them weekly to determine doneness - a fully cured sausage will lose about 30% of its weight over the course of several weeks (the number of which is dependent on the sausage's size, and the humidity and temperature of the space in which it hangs).

According to the recipe, a smaller link should cure over the course of 18-21 days, meaning it should weight approximately 30% less than it did prior to hanging. I was a little concerned to see that my sausages have nearly lost this amount after only 7 days. The sausage pictured above weighed 380 grams one week ago, and it now weighs 285 grams - 25%. I had a feeling this might happen, as I haven't been able to raise the humidity in the room high enough. With help from a small cool mist humidfier, I was able to bring it up to 55-60%, but it should really be between 60-70% for best results. The biggest risk in this scenario is that the exterior of the sausage may dry/harden too soon, which could trap moisture inside the link, causing it to spoil. To add insult to injury, there's really no way to tell if a saucisson has spoiled without cutting into it.

Given these stats, I'll likely cut into one of these sometime this week, since the 30% mark will arrive soon. I'm already researching a better humidifier. Stay tuned.

want to read more about traditional dry-curing?

2009-01-07T10:01:00.003-06:00

While looking through a folder of old recipes and and other junk, I found a printed copy of a great article on dry-curing that appeared in the New York Times in May of 2006 (and now that they offer their complete archives, free of charge, I can pass along the link). Entitled, "Dry Cured Sausages: Kissed by Air, Never by Fire," the article documents how this traditional method of food preservation is fading away in the US, particularly due to increasingly restrictive FDA regulations. From the article:

"I would rather go out of business, like all those other guys, than ruin my product by freezing it or cooking it or irradiating it," Mr. Buzzio said.

In case you missed it, my last post details my first foray into dry-curing - the sausages are aging in my basement at the moment.

the gamble: hang $25 of organic pork in your basement

2009-01-05T23:35:00.011-06:00

As you might recall, I professed my love of charcuterie to the blogosphere back in June, with a post about making fresh bratwurst for my daughter's first birthday party. Since that first experiment with DIY sausage making, I knew it would simply be a matter of time before I ventured into the realm of dry-curing raw pork, traditional style. I don't have the space to go into great detail on the subject, but it's a fairly simple process with a few, very consequential, nuances. You grind some pork, mix it with some salt and others seasonings, stuff it in casings, and hang it somewhere for anywhere from a few days to six months or more. The nuances are few but critical: absolute cleanliness in all aspects of preparation, the pork has to remain cold during each step of assembly (to retain the right texture), and the dry-curing area must be 60 degrees F with about 60-70% humidity. If it works, a harmless white mold will grow on the exterior of the sausage, which prevents the growth of harmful microbes and contributes to the end result's distinctive flavor. Cool!

I embarked on my first dry-curing effort - a traditional French "saucisson sec" - over the holidays, when I had some extra time to prepare a decent curing area and procure the right ingredients. I've posted the recipe below. Anyone interested in at least learning about these ancient foods should buy one of my favorite books: Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing, by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn. In addition to compiling an exhaustive collection of great recipes, they offer detailed descriptions of the required techniques, safety precautions, and equipment.

I took the above photo tonight, after hanging my saucissons to dry in an unfinished corner of my basement. I'm using a humidifier to keep the right amount of moisture in the air (Minnesota has very dry winters). Theoretically, they won't be ready to eat for at least 3 weeks, so I'll try to post an update and photo each week to track their progress.

ingredients:

4.5 lbs organic boneless pork shoulder, diced (only boutique hog will work here)
8 ounces pork belly or back fat, diced
3 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
1.5 tbsp sugar
1 tsp curing salt (which contains sodium nitrite, to prevent botulism growth)
1 tbsp minced garlic
12 feet hog casings or 3 feet of hog middles, soaked in tepid water for at least 30 minutes and rinsed

technique:

Grind the pork and fat through the large die into a bowl set in ice.
Combine the meat with the remaining ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on the lowest speed until the ingredients are evenly combined, about 1 minute.
Stuff the mixture into the casings and twist into 12-inch links. Prick the casings all over with a sterile pin or needle to remove any air pockets and facilitate drying.
Hang the sausage (ideally at 60 degrees F with 60-70% humidity) until it feels completely stiff throughout and/or it has lost 30 percent of its weight, 18-20 days for links, a month or more for large sausages.

think of kale, especially when it's -5 outside

2008-12-29T13:15:00.002-06:00

I think about kale a lot, perhaps too much. It's an underrated vegetable for sure, and its resilience to cold and frost deserves some serious respect. I took this picture about six weeks ago in mid-November. By that time, St. Paul, MN experienced two frosts and one snow storm (when I took this picture). I harvested it the same day, to make sure we did not push our luck.

If you live in Minnesota, you know that gardens typically do not support life into November, with the exception of a few lucky pumpkins or squash. I planted this purple lacinato kale, an Italian heirloom variety, in late summer in preparation for a fall harvest, since it's always exciting to have a few things to eat after the August/September vegetable rampage. The other day it was -5 at 12:00 pm. It's amazing to think that only one month and a half has passed since eating the last gift from the garden. These thoughts keep me warm during the arctic months.

I've posted my favorite kale recipe below. Tuck it away for next season. Now, if you live in the Upper Midwest and you want to cheat, you could buy some California kale, which is in season right now, but it certainly won't be the same as brushing the snow off your own crop.

This recipe serves 4 as a side dish.

ingredients

2 large bunches of kale, trimmed of tough stems
1 head of garlic
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
ground black pepper
sea salt
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

technique

heat the oven to 375 degrees
wrap the garlic in foil and roast for 45 min to 1 hour - garlic should be soft and golden brown. set on the counter to cool.
while garlic is roasting, bring a large pot of water to boil and add a big pinch of sea salt.
put the kale in the pot and blanch for 3-4 minutes, until thickest part of leaves is tender (but not mushy!).
remove kale from pot, put it in a colander, and run cold water over it until it's very cool to the touch.
using a clean dish towel, squeeze all of the water out of the kale, then pull the individual leaves apart.
when garlic has cooled, slice the top of the head using a sharp serrated knife and squeeze garlic into a small bowl (it should be nice and pasty at this point). add a pinch of salt and black pepper.
heat two tablespoons of oil in a small skillet. when the oil is hot, add the red pepper flakes and garlic, stirring constantly for 1 minute to keep them from burning.
add the kale and saute for 3-4 minutes until hot. remove from heat and stir in a splash of vinegar and another pinch of sea salt. Serve hot or luke warm.

depression = polenta and fried eggs

2008-12-21T20:25:00.004-06:00

If my last recipe wasn't thrifty enough for you, then hold on, because this is about as cheap as one can possibly eat. Everyone is saying that the economy will only get worse, so enjoy potato leek soup while you can - it may soon be a luxury.

Every so often, our family faces an empty refrigerator, and just when we're about to order pizza or consider going out, we go back to this recipe as an extremely simple, delicious meal from pantry staples. Polenta, or grits if you live below the Mason-Dixon, are a true blessing to the weeknight chef. Otherwise known as coarsely ground cornmeal, polenta is available at any grocery store, and many co-ops offer it in their bulk sections. It keeps in your pantry indefinitely, so it's an item every home chef should have on hand. Also, if you live in the Midwest, polenta is often ground from local corn - a good way to continue eating locally during the cold winter months.

Aside from olive oil and parmesan cheese, the only other ingredients you'll need are eggs. At around $3.00 per dozen, organic eggs are perhaps the cheapest source of animal protein available to the frugal locavore. You could save money buying conventional, manufactured eggs, but once you learn about the conditions in which those birds live, you'll be happy to shell out an extra dollar for some ethical, quality product. Besides, if you eat eggs as a way to cut down on the amount of meat you buy, spending a little extra should not be a big deal.

I saw this specific recipe in the NYT's Dining section, which is an excellent source for simple meal ideas (especially the Mark Bittman articles). Serve it with a salad or some sauteed greens for a complete, balanced meal.

This recipe serves 4 people.

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups low-sodium broth or water
1 1/2 cups polenta (not quick-cooking), coarse corn meal or corn grits
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste
1 1-ounce chunk or 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 large eggs
Coarse sea salt for garnish.

Technique:

In a large pot, bring broth or water to a simmer. Stir in the polenta and salt. Simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened to taste, 10 to 20 minutes. Stir in butter and pepper; cover pot to keep warm.
Using a vegetable peeler, slice cheese into slivers, or grate it on largest holes of a box grater.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil until very hot. Fry 4 eggs until edges are crispy and yolks still runny. Repeat with remaining oil and eggs.
Pile polenta into 4 bowls and top with cheese and then fried eggs. Garnish with sea salt and more pepper and serve.

recession = potato leek soup

2008-12-15T11:48:00.003-06:00

During a recession, many people look critically at their grocery bill as an opportunity to cut costs. This is a good idea, as long as you don't sacrifice healthy, seasonal, high-quality products for mass produced items at a lower cost. Rather than use the economy as an excuse to stop shopping at the co-op, perhaps you should rethink exactly what you're buying, and how you're preparing it. For example, you could eat less meat, or purchase seasonal produce that typically costs less than off-season delicacies (such as strawberries in January, which you shouldn't be buying in the first place). If you live in northern climes, your choices will be limited, but the payoff is huge, both economically and emotionally.

If a bull market is steak and lobster, then a bear market is potatoes and leeks, preferably in the form of soup. With a dollop of butter or sour cream, and some good bread, this soup is a filling winter meal that costs less than a six pack.

Millions of people have survived on the potato alone. If you have access to water and some onions or leeks, a whole world of flavor awaits. This recipe appears on the first page of Julia Child's epic "Mastering The Art of French Cooking," and with good reason. The simple combination of inexpensive, seasonal vegetables embodies the frugality of peasant cooking without sacrificing flavor. More importantly, excluding salt and water, this recipe only has two ingredients. It is the easiest soup recipe I've ever made. Anyone can and should make homemade soup. No excuses.

This recipe serves 6 people.

ingredients:

1 lb peeled potatoes, thinly sliced (any variety will do, but I like Yukon Golds)
1 lb thinly sliced leeks, or sweet onions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2 quarts water
1 TB salt

optional:

3 TB butter
3 TB minced parsley or chives

technique:

bring water to boil in a large soup pot
add salt and vegetables, bring to boil
lower heat and simmer, partially, covered for 40-50 minutes
turn off heat, and using a potato masher or empty beer/wine bottle, puree the vegetables in the pot by pressing them against the bottom of the pot (this is much easier than it sounds)
if using butter and herbs, stir them in and serve immediately. a dollop of sour cream on top also works well.

i just have to write about shish

2008-12-09T21:17:00.016-06:00

On this busy section of St. Paul's Grand Avenue, a very wise man has reinvented Middle Eastern cuisine in the Midwest. This cozy, sleek little restaurant, simply known as Shish, not only has a solid menu of freshly prepared Middle Eastern staples, but it has managed to produce these dishes using a lot of natural, local ingredients.

With our toddler in tow, my wife and I stumbled into Shish this evening for a quick meal. This was my first time eating there, but my wife had been to Shish once before and was anxious to return.

We spent at least five minutes combing the large menu to make a selection, but the lure of freshly made falafel sandwiches proved too strong. I was particularly eager to try Shish's falafel, as one of my preferred vendors is another St. Paul gem, Abu Nader.

After placing our order, I noticed a sign on the wall promoting an "organic hamburger" special. Despite a recent surge in popularity, it is awfully difficult to locate organic meats in Minnesota restaurants, especially in less formal eateries. I then asked one of the employees if all of their meats were organic or free range, and was told "hold on, I'll ask the manager."

A friendly, excited-looking man appeared, and boldly told us that they only use organic ground beef, and all of their other meats are procured from sustainably minded, local producers. The manager then said "Wait here. I will show you the ground beef." He vanished into the kitchen and returned holding a package of Dakota Beef, which appears to be a reputable Midwest producer of organic beef.

The manager then said: "We buy only high quality meats from local producers, because people come here for the food, and we want to give them the good stuff." Right on.

Needless to say, our falafel sandwhiches were superb, tasting of all the good stuff this little restaurant has so carefully sourced for its patrons. I don't think they have an official website, but you can find basic info about the restaurant here. And if you have seen their site, please post the url here.

Shish
1668 Grand Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105
651.690.2212

Update 07/08/09: Shish now has a website.

the locovore's holiday

2008-11-30T22:07:00.009-06:00

Thanksgiving is the food holiday. Christmas and Easter have their hams, and Halloween its candy, but none of the other major U.S. holidays are as explicitly tied to the stomach as Thanksgiving. After all, the image that appears in most people's minds is a feast at which the pilgrims give thanks to native Americans for their generosity in helping the new Americans survive the harsh winters of their new found home. It also celebrates the riches of the fall harvest, which is perhaps the most exciting part of the holiday to gastronomes. So not surprisingly, Thanksgiving is an exceptional opportunity to build a menu of local foods from area farmers and artisans. Even in northern climes, Thanksgiving typically arrives during the very tail end of the fall produce season, and many farmers' markets hold special market days on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

What's more, holidays are great excuses to break from routine and seek out some truly unique food items. This makes Thanksgiving an excellent time of year to expand your local food knowledge and cooking repertoire, even if you don't consider yourself a rabid locovore. To give you some examples of how one family decided to spend their Thanksgiving dollars and calories, I've posted our menu below, which we served to 10 family members. We didn't purchase every ingredient from in-state sources (in our case Minnesota), but we did try to design a menu that used as many local products as possible, given our particular climate. I've listed each menu item and the origins of its major components below, as well as any relevant links.

aperitifs
Summit Winter Ale (Minnesota)
Schell's Pilsner (Minnesota)
Vinho verde (Portugal)

hors d'oeuvres
potato chips (Old Dutch, Minnesota)
assorted pickled peppers (our garden)
dry-cured salami (Volpi, Missouri)
marinated olives (Spain)

roasted beet salad
organic gold beets (Wisconsin)
Sartori parmesan-style cheese (Wisconsin)
organic radicchio (California)
olive oil (Italy)
balsamic vinegar (Italy)
organic walnuts (unknown)

stuffed turkey breast with prunes
organic, free-range turkey breast (Farm on Wheels, Minnesota)
organic pork shoulder (Farm on Wheels, Minnesota)
pancetta (Italy)
bread crumbs (old bread from New French Bakery, Minnesota)
parmesan-style cheese (Sartori, Wisconsin)
organic rosemary (Rockspring Farm, Wisconsin)
organic sage (Rockspring Farm, Wisconsin)

acorn squash risotto
acorn squash (Minnesota)
onions (Wisconsin)
organic butter (Organic Valley, Wisconsin)
parmesan-style cheese (Sartori, Wisconsin)
arborio rice (Italy)
olive oil (Italy)

sauteed brussel sprouts with pancetta
brussel sprouts (Minnesota)
organic rosemary (Rockspring Farm, Wisconsin)
pancetta (Italy)

bread
baguettes (New French Bakery, Minnesota)

wine
Yali Cabernet-Carmenere (Argentina)

apple tart
harolson apples (Minnesota)
flour (Minnesota)
organic butter (Organic Valley, Wisconsin)
organic cream (Organic Valley, Wisconsin)
organic eggs (Crystal Ball Farms, Wisconsin)
Cognac (France)

a sustainable strip club?

2008-11-21T20:06:00.023-06:00

I'll start this post by saying that this is the first review of St. Paul's most important new restaurant, The Strip Club, that will not include commentary regarding the clever/cheeky nature of said establishment's name. Love it or hate it, it's what the forward-thinking owners of this beacon decided to call it, and I think we have more important topics to discuss, such as the vittles served within. It should also be noted that the chef and owners are fervent supporters of local foodstuffs, so practically everything served at the place is highly seasonal and grown by local farmers.

I'll keep this small but filling. My wife and I visited The Strip Club for the first time for our fifth wedding anniversary. As young parents, and resident East Siders, we don't leave the house for a fancy date as often as we would like, so this outing carried significance beyond the value of a mere wedding anniversary. That said, we entered the fine old building with only one preconceived rule: "eat and drink whatever you want."

The evening digested as follows.

apperetif #1:
old fashioned - just like grandpa's
moscow mule - refreshing, yet predictable

first course:
foie gras* - this local version of the French classic changed my life
french fries - absolutely perfect

*I'll admit, not all foie gras production is ethical or appetizing, but the Gasset family in Caledonia, MN demonstrates a respectful practice of this ancient technique.

apperetif #2:
old fashioned - no comment
moscow mule - no comment

second course:
grilled caesar salad - warm, crisp, and smoky, this salad redefines entree
spinach, beet, and goat cheese salad - simple and seasonal, a must-order

main course:
bone-in ribeye - an intimidatingly sized portion of the best grass-fed beef. hallucinatory.
NY strip steak (the restaurant's namesake) with blue cheese and scallions - exactly what it should be. a juicy, meaty, thick steak, cooked perfectly (rare to medium rare)

wine:
I don't remember, but it was f'in good.

dessert:
flourless dark chocalate tart (we split it) - not unlike crack/cocaine
some-port-from-Washington - a triumph. the perfect pairing for an illicit dessert

coffee:
single espresso - as it should be

To save you the trouble, I scoured the interwebs to date and collected the most prominent reviews of the Strip Club to date. However, this list does not include the reviews written by The Pioneer Press and Mpls|St. Paul Magazine, who still think it's ok to hide their "archived content."

Star Tribune review
City Pages Dish review
City Pages blog mention
Maria Energia (East Side St. Paul-based green blogger)
Aaron Landry (MN food bloger)

I also found some patron-generated photos on flickr.

simple provisions: a convenient way to buy the basics

2008-10-26T21:55:00.002-06:00

Remember how grandma used to fondly recall the gentle clink of glass milk bottles on the porch? And the peace of mind achieved by knowing that your basic dairy, egg, and bread needs will be met every other week, without having to get in the car? Chances are, some thoughtful person in your geographic locale may be delivering farm fresh products to your neighborhood for a fair price. If you live in the Twin Cities, and enjoy buying high quality, local products from farmers directly, I urge you to try Simple Provisions. Started up by Carter Beck, a Stillwater, MN resident and locavore extraordinaire, Simple Provisions fills a much needed gap in any sustainably-minded family's food procurement model by delivering a select number of basic products, including milk, butter, eggs, bread, steaks/chops, coffee, and even some produce items.

The model is simple: set up an account via email, deposit some money into it via PayPal, and create a "standing order" of the items you want to receive on a regular basis. Our family has recieved milk, butter, eggs, and bread for nearly 6 months now, and the delivery is now a major event.

From the website:

Simple Provisions is a home delivery service featuring organic milk in returnable glass bottles and other local, sustainable and organic farm products. Weekly delivery to homes in and around the St. Croix Valley, Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Simple Provisions customers enjoy a direct and vital link to local land stewards who practice sustainable, ecological farming. A Simple Provisions delivery serves as a complement to purchases from the local farmers' market or CSA memberships.

harvest your own free range, organic, heirloom chickens

2008-10-07T11:34:00.011-06:00

As a stomach driven individual, one of the more fulfilling ways to eat is to participate in each step of the process: harvest, preparation, and cooking. Gardeners know this. Mushroom foragers know this. And yes, hunters know this. I'm saddened by the tension that often exists between people who selectively harvest wild raspberries, and the people who selectively harvest the birds that eat those berries. Hunting is one of my passions, as it's an excellent way to spend time with friends/family, get some exercise, and possibly procure some delicious table fare.

In my home state, Minnesota, we have a plentiful (yet shrinking) amount of wild, open space that supports a massive amount of edible plants and animals. For those of you not familiar with the ruffed grouse, it's basically a wild chicken that lives in new growth forests in the northern United States and Canada. Like other chicken-type birds, ruffed grouse obtain most of their food by searching the forest floor for berries, nuts, tree buds, clover, and other tasty bits. Because they spend the majority of their day on the ground (rather than in the air), their meat and flavor resembles that of a free range, domesticated chicken - white and juicy.

For a long time, Europeans and Americans have understood and respected the utilization of wild food sources, but as lifestyles continue to shift away from local food sources, the perceived importance of ethical, sustainable, hunting practices is waning. This is not to say we should all build our own sod huts and eat only what we kill; rather, it's a matter of revisiting concepts like hunting as part of a broader, sustainable eating culture and philosophy.

To further pique your interest, here's a recipe for the next grouse you procure (either through the sights of your 20 gauge, or the freezer of a friend).

ingredients:

one whole grouse (plucked*, with feet and head removed)
2 tbsp high quality butter (softened)
1 tbsp olive oil
coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 bottle of bold, mildly expensive red wine (how many grouse do you shoot?)
one small shallot, minced

A note about plucking wild game: Many people think it's a huge hassle to pluck their game birds, so they skin them. Don't follow their advice - when you remove the skin prior to cooking, you remove the fat (the flavor!) and expose the normally juicy meat to intense heat. Plucking is easy work if you plan ahead. Once the bird is shot, field dress it normally, and find a cool, dark, sheltered location, such as a root cellar, basement, garage, shed, or old refrigerator. Using a piece of string, hang the bird by its feet and let age for 24-36 hours. The secret is simple: soon after the bird is shot, it cools and rigor mortis stiffens the birds muscles, including those that hold the feathers in. By aging the bird, the muscles loosen again, and they can be pulled out with ease. Don't whine. Just trust me.

technique:

preheat your oven to 400 degrees
wash and dry the bird and make sure you've removed any remaining shot (tweezers work well)
smear one tablespoon of the butter all over the bird (inside and out); repeat with the salt and pepper
find a small, heavy bottomed, ovenproof sauce pan or skillet that will hold the bird(s), heat it over medium/high flame, and add the olive oil
once the oil is hot, sear the bird on all sides using a tongs - should be golden brown when you're done (4-6 minutes)
put the pan in the oven and roast for 15-30 minutes (until internal temparature reaches 150 degrees - this is wild game, not some sickly factory bird, so don't worry)
once the bird is ready, put it on a small serving plate and loosely cover with foil
put the pan back on the stove and toss in the minced shallot, saute over low heat for 1 minute (don't burn the f'in shallots!)
add 1/4 cup of the red wine and reduce until the remaining liquid has thickened and resembles a light syrup.
off heat, stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter. then carve the bird and drizzle with the sauce.
pour and drink the remaining wine with elegant-yet-woodsy confidence.

*serves 1 tired, accomplished hunter, or two normal people (as a first course)

sow the seeds: support local agriculture longer, more often

2008-09-22T10:06:00.001-06:00

I recently read about how Minnesota's own Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy launched "Sow the Seeds," a fund to support sustainable food systems. According to the website, STS "fosters sustainable food systems in the Upper Midwest," and, it appears one of the main ways they do this is through grants and other tools to help small farms produce good food, longer.

From the website:

Imagine serving lush local tomatoes at your next Thanksgiving dinner. How about locally grown strawberries on Memorial Day? Sow the Seeds (STS) wants to make these dreams a reality by helping area farmers develop a longer growing season, and, in the process, create a more vibrant and diverse local food system.

STS is launching the "Local Longer" campaign to help make the local produce season longer for farmers and for shoppers who love local food. By enabling farmers to plant earlier in the Spring and harvest later in the Fall, season extension can help farm businesses grow and the supply of locally grown fruits and vegetables expand.

from animal, vegetable, miracle: agricultural plant diversity

2008-09-19T14:46:00.001-06:00

Headed to the grocery store today? Read this beforehand:

[from page 49 of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle] According to Indian crop ecologist Vandana Shiva, humans have eaten some 80,000 plant species in our history. After recent precipitous changes, three-quarters of all human food now comes from just eight species, with the field quickly narrowing down to genetically modified corn, soy, and canola.

diets are not sustainable

2008-09-17T19:48:00.004-06:00

Finally, a short, compelling article from the NY Times outlining the current shift from fad, deprivation-style diets to sensible, seasonal meals - that are also enjoyable. Imagine that!

Here's a gem:

The market research firm NPD Group gets a glimpse of national eating habits through the food diaries it has collected from 5,000 consumers since 1980. The percentage of those consumers who are on a diet is lower than at any time since information on dieting was first collected in 1985. At the peak in 1990, 39 percent of the women and 29 percent of the men were dieting. Today, that number has dropped to 26 percent of women and 16 percent of men.

And another:

[...] there are other indicators of a shift in eating habits. In May, the market research firm Information Resources reported that 53 percent of consumers say they are cooking from scratch more than they did just six months ago, in part, no doubt, because of the rising cost of prepared foods.

Sales of organic foods have surged, and the number of farmers’ markets has more than doubled since the mid-1990s.

fast food promotions for hospitals are not sustainable

2008-09-10T22:42:00.005-06:00

While walking down the street the other day, I noticed a shameless promotion painted on the window of a national fast food franchise, which is located right next to a major children's hospital.

Yes, the sign says: "Ask about our clinic and hospital discounts." Enough said.

a sustainable state fair?

2008-09-08T11:30:00.001-06:00

As Minnesotans well know, our state fair just came and went, signaling the end of summer and the beginning of autumn (exciting!). While strolling through the fairgrounds with family, I snapped a few photos of things that represented, even in a subtle way, some of the more sustainable habits of fair organizers and fair-goers.

The two main concert stages (Heritage Square and International Bazaar) are sponsored by local breweries. Heritage Square (my favorite) is supported by Schell's beer, the second oldest family-owned brewery in the US, and Summit sponsors the other stage. There's also the infamous "Leinie Lodge" stage, sponsored by the seemingly local Leinenkugels company in Chippewa Falls, WI, but most people don't know that the beer is actually owned by SAB-Miller (South African Brewing), a multinational beer juggernaut.

I was pleased to learn that the hot dogs hidden within the classic Pronto Pup (the original corn dog) are proudly made by a small sausage company from Wisconsin. Sadly I don't remember the name of the company.

The always busy grilled corn-on-the-cob stand now features a large compost bin sponsored by Eureka Recycling. This is quite significant, as the stand sells thousands of cobs per day, which likely adds up to hundreds of pounds of compostable waste. Most people I saw eating corn put their chewed cobs in the huge, butter soaked bin.

Lastly, many of the cheese curd stands feature cheese from Wisconsin and Minnesota. Have you ever seen a sight more beatiful than a crispy, golden, freshly fried curd?

animal, vegetable, miracle cont'd: book review

2008-09-02T21:40:00.002-06:00

As you may have read in a previous post, I'm in the midst of reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver. I just discovered that an energy blogger friend of mine, Maria Surma Manka, wrote a detailed review of the book as a post on the Green Options blog. Enjoy.

recipe: eggplant parmigiana on the grill

2008-08-30T10:53:00.007-06:00

The haphazard success I achieved making roasted potatoes on the grill has inspired further experimentation with using a charcoal grill as an oven. As mentioned last time, baking/roasting food on the grill, in place of your indoor oven, keeps your house cool during the hot months. It also maximizes the amount of heat you actually use from your coals, since the most common use of charcoal is high heat, short term, flash-grilling for steaks, sausages, vegetables, etc. It's surprising how long a briquette will generate heat, so put that energy to good use by slow-cooking something before you flip the burgers.

How it happened: yesterday I realized there was a bag of slender, pale-purple eggplants sitting in my fridge, just waiting for a simple summer preparation. My brain immediately leaped to a seductive recipe for eggplant parmigiana in one of my favorite Italian cookbooks, for which the ingredients and technique just begged for smoky hot coals. Moreover, it's not comfortable or convenient to set up a chaise longue in the kitchen, so do yourself a favor and bake this on the grill while soaking up some shade.

Ingredients:

2 pounds eggplant (any variety), sliced into 1" disks
2 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes (good ones)
1 bunch basil leaves
4 cloves garlic (slightly crushed)
.5 lbs fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (don't even think about the green can from Kraft. if you live in the midwest, try Sartori Parmesan from WI - it's a local alternative to the real stuff from Italy)
olive oil
salt
pepper

Technique:

Start a full chimney-load of charcoal.
While coals heat up, coat the bottom of a deep-sided baking pan (brownie pan works well) with about 2 tbsp olive oil.
Layer eggplant slices in an orderly fashion across the bottom of the pan - you may need to or three layers to fit all the eggplant. Grind some pepper over the top and drizzle with some more oil. Stuff the garlic cloves randomly into the eggplant layers.
When coals are hot, deposit them on one side of the grill, making a tidy-looking pile (you may need to use some tongs).
Set the baking pan on the grill grate directly over the coals. Cover grill, open vents, and let it cook for about 12-15 minutes.
Remove grill cover and check the color of the eggplant, it should take on a light brown color at this point (if it still looks raw you'll want to leave it on for another 5-10 minutes). You should also use a tongs to check one of the bottom slices, to make sure they're not burning.
Once the eggplant has browned slightly, remove it from the grill and add another 10-15 charcoal briquettes to the existing pile (this is important, as it keeps the grill hot).
Layer the basil leaves on top of the eggplant. Then pour the diced tomatoes over the basil. Then add the mozzarella and parmesan.
Put the pan back on the grill, but on the cool side. Cover grill and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Make sure you don't peek at the dish too early, because each time you lift the cover you release the heat from your grill.
While patiently waiting for cheese to melt, prepare the remaining elements of your meal, which you can cook over the hot side of the grill once the eggplant is done - you should have plenty of heat left in the coals.
Congratulate yourself on yet another rustic, yet elegant, grilling victory.

must read: animal, vegetable, miracle

2008-08-28T13:00:00.004-06:00

For my 29th birthday my very thoughtful wife gave me a book I had wanted for some time: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by the esteemed Barbara Kingsolver. I'm now plowing through the chapters and the content is exceeding expectations.

Based on the three chapters I've read so far, the book mainly focuses on Ms. Kingsolver's experience moving to a farm in Virginia to reconnect with the land and create a lifestyle out of eating locally produced food, exclusively. The prose is very smooth, and it exudes the right combination of personal anecdotes and hardhitting facts about the broken American food economy/culture. Here's just a small taste:

All the world's farms currently produce enough food to make every person on the globe fat. Even though 800 million people are chronically underfed (6 will die of hunger-related causes while you read this), it's because they lack money and opportunity, not because food is unavailable in their countries. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that current food production can sustain world food needs even for the 8 billion people who are projected to inhabit the planet in 2030. This will hold even with anticipated increases in meat consumption, and without adding genetically modified crops. [page 18]

So where does all this food go, you ask? According to Kingsolver, "most of it becomes animal feed for meat consumption, or the ingredients of processed foods for wealthier consumers who are already getting plenty of calories." You can add the production of ethanol to the mix, too. Think twice about that bag of Tostitos.

I'll try to share some other tidbits as I move through the book - stay tuned...

light your grill sustainably

2008-08-20T15:16:00.002-06:00

I know it's obvious to veteran charcoal grill-masters, but I'm consistently shocked by people who ask: "what is that metal thing?"

I'll keep this short: avoid the use of nasty charcoal fluid. It smells awful and isn't good for your food or body. Instead, purchase an inexpensive chimney-starter (pictured), which uses old newspaper to start coals for cooking. Enough said.

There are several schools of thought debating the correct way to use this device, but here's a process that works for me every time:

locate two full pages from your daily newspaper (or your neighbor's)
crumple up one sheet and place it in the underside of your starter
fill the top with charcoal, place on grill grate
light paper and let it burn off completely
load the second piece of newspaper into the bottom
light paper and let it burn off - your coals should be emitting some smoke and heat at this point
drink 1-3 beers while waiting for coals to heat up (15-30 minutes, depending on the weather and amount of charcoal used)

co-ops go social media

2008-08-14T16:23:00.003-06:00

While visiting Seward Co-op in Minneapolis today, I read some info about a great initiative happening right now. The "Eat Local America" challenge is a month-long event to promote and celebrate local food. Anyone who's interested in feeding their inner locovore should check it out, and it also seems like a great way to introduce friends, family, etc. to supporting local producers. To highlight participants' activities, the organizers are showcasing personal blogs and other cool content.

From the website:

This summer, you can kick-start your quest to eat more local by joining the “Eat Local America” challenge, presented by co-op grocers nationwide. This national challenge celebrates and supports the growing interest and passion to eat (mostly) locally grown or produced food - inviting individuals to try to consume 80 percent of their diets (or 4 out of every 5 meals) to local foods for a select amount of time during the summer months.

recipe: roasted potatoes on the grill

2008-08-03T11:24:00.007-06:00

In a rare moment of clairvoyance, I invented this recipe in an effort to enjoy roasted potatoes without turning on the oven. Root vegetables taste great (and are inexpensive) year around, but it can be a challenge to prepare them during the summer, as the kitchen can become a real sweat lodge. I've listed the ingredients and technique below, but you'll quickly realize that a cave person likely came to the same conclusion. This recipe begs for variation and experimentation. Go wild.

Ingredients:

2.5 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces (I used Yukon golds, but any variety should be fine)
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic, lightly smashed
chopped leaves of one rosemary sprig
olive oil
black pepper
kosher salt

Technique:

Light a chimney-load of briquettes. While the coals are heating up, locate a deep, heavy roasting pan (see picture) that can handle high heat.
Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil - this will keep the potatoes from sticking
Combine all of the ingredients in the pan, drizzle with more oil, and toss to evenly distribute oil, herbs, salt, and pepper. Cover it with tin foil.
Once charcoal is ready, dump it onto one side of your grill - make sure it's relatively flat and not heaped in a pile.
Place the pan on the grill grate directly over the coals and cover grill. Let it cook for 10-15 minutes. The goal of this step is to fry the potatoes, so you should hear a sizzling sound after a few minutes of cooking.
Check the potatoes by lifting the tin foil - if the bottom layer is browning, use a spatula to toss them. Replace foil and continue frying for 5-10 more minutes.
Have a drink.
Once you get a nice brown color on most of the potatoes, slide the pan to the cool side of the grill - cook, covered, for at least another 10-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fully roasted and tender.
Have another drink, and enjoy your effortless grilling mastery.

There are several beautiful elements to this recipe, the main one being that you don't really have to pay close attention to it (as long as you know when they're browned and not burned). And you can leave the pan on the cool side of the grill for quite a while, which is especially helpful if you're going to use the hot coals for the rest of your meal, be it vegetables, hamburgers, sausages, etc.

looking for a relaxing way to burn off sustainable eats?

2008-07-25T05:40:00.007-06:00

Ride your bike through Swede Hollow Park in St. Paul. Arguably the most scenic, historic, shady, pleasantly downhill stretch of paved bike path in the Twin Cities, the trail through this park (if you ride from north to south) is perfect. The path is part of the Bruce Vento Regional Trail, which weaves its way through most of St. Paul's East Side. In addition to a picturesque valley of trees and limestone, you will pass the old Hamm's Brewery and ride through a very unique railroad tunnel.

For those of you who don't know the history of the park - check this out.

(photo credit: kaitschott)

rotten tomatoes

2008-07-19T14:13:00.006-06:00

Today's St. Paul Pioneer Press contained two national wire stories about the current salmonella scare surrounding tomatoes and other fresh produce. The first, "Growers: Tomato probe flawed" (McClatchy), outlines the tension between farmers and the Food and Drug Administration. The second, "Fear of tainted food growing, poll indicates" (Associated Press), describes the results of a new Associated Press-Ipsos poll about changes in eating and buying habits during the past six months.

They're both worth reading, but I wanted to call attention to a few passages from the second article, which outlines the current level of fear permeating the marketplace:

While the poll found that three in four people remain confident about the overall safety of food, 46 percent said they were worried they might get sick from eating contaminated products. The same percentage said that because of safety warnings, they have avoided items they normally would have purchased.

Wow. If the poll is accurate, basically half of the country is worried about the safety of the food they eat. Sadly, if you look at in a different way, the least processed foods (fresh vegetables) are perhaps most at risk for contamination in our current industrial food production system, since you can't pasteurize, reconstitute, or preserve them as you can a box of dried macaroni and cheese or a mass-produced hot dog.

To put this in a broader context, the article also states that "In addition to the salmonella outbreak, this year has seen the largest ground beef recall in history, raising consumer concerns reflected in the poll." Do you remember the beef recall? It's easy to forget amidst the deluge of tainted products.

Furthermore, the article suggests that most people would support increased regulation of produce production and distribution, but that's only a small piece of the puzzle. The broader issue is the increasing distance, mechanization, and general over-complication of our mainstream agricultural system, all of which is driven by the race for lower food prices. For example, does someone in Duluth, Minnesota really need Peruvian asparagus in September?

(photo credit: [177] on Flickr Creative Commons)

recipe: classic german bratwurst

2008-07-10T18:31:00.006-06:00

As promised, I'm posting an abbreviated version of the brats we grilled up for my daughter's b-day. I've pulled the ingredient list and steps from the book I mentioned previously, Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlmann & Brian Polcyn, which contains some additional tips and details.

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder butt, diced (if you're in MN, buy from Prairie Pride or Farm on Wheels from the St. Paul Farmers' Market)
1 pound lean veal shoulder, diced (could also use venison or beef)
1 pound pork belly or back fat, diced
3 tbsp kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground white pepper (or black, if you don't have white)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg (very important - check out Penzey's)
2 large cold eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup ice-cold heavy cream
10 feet hog casings, soaked in tepid water for at least 30 minutes and rinsed (I get my from Kramarzcuk's in Minneapolis).

Process:

Combine all the ingredients except the eggs and cream and toss well to distribute seasonings. Chill in a bowl until ready to grind.
Grind the mixture through the small die into a bowl set in ice (note: I use the Kitchen-Aid food grinder attachment, which is an excellent tool, but you could also use an old-school manual grinder).
Using the paddle attachment of a standing mixer (or a strong wooden spoon if mixing by hand), mix on low speed (or stir) for 1 minute. Add the eggs and cream, start the mixer on low, and then increase the speed to medium and mix until the cream and eggs are uniformly incorporated and the sausage appears sticky, about a minute longer. Saute a small portion of the sausage and taste; adjust the seasoning if necessary. (Refrigerate the sausage mixture while you do this.)
Stuff the sausage into the hog casings. Twist into 6-inch links. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook. (note: I use the Kitchen-Aid sausage stuffer attachment, which doesn't work very well).
Gently saute, roast, or grill the sausage to an internal temperature of 150 degrees. Yes, do not overcook your sausage. You bought the best all-natural meat, correct?

Try it. You will never look at Johnsonville the same way, if you even choose to look at them.

farm on wheels: high-quality, affordable, organic meats

2008-06-30T16:10:00.005-06:00

Just wanted to hack out a quick post to highlight the delicious offferings of Farm On Wheels, a popular St. Paul Farmers' Market vendor offering the best in organic beef, poultry, pork and I believe, lamb. I recenlty purchased a one pound sirloin steak (grass fed) for $6.50, which feeds two, and it was simply delicious seared to medium rare in a very hot cast iron skillet (or charcoal grill).

Who can compete with $5.99 per pound for sustainable (and juicy) steak? I'll soon wish I could run my car on grass fed beef.

can't find tasty, all natural sausage? make your own

2008-06-29T14:16:00.002-06:00

For Christmas my parents gave me a book I've wanted for some time: Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing. Anyone interested in making sausages, among other juicy things, at home would die for this book. I've only made a few recipes thus far, but I've already read the whole thing cover-to-cover. From duck confit to chorizo, these dudes tackle it all.

For my daughter's first birthday, I decided to make a huge batch of traditional German bratwurst for the party we planned. I'll try to post an abbreviated version of the recipe, but you may just have to purchase your own copy. Check out the flickr photo set for more pix from this session...

Wow: The average mother of a child under 15 spends more on fast food every year than on books, music, movies and video games combined

2008-06-03T11:56:00.008-06:00

From the NYT:

Fast Food's Portion of Parent's Dollars

two tools to help you find seasonal, local food

2008-06-03T09:55:00.003-06:00

I recently found two web sites that any locovore should consult when trying to locate sustainably produced, seasonal, local foods.

Epicurious Seasonal Ingredient Map
Very slick online map that displays foods grown in US by month and state. For instance, Minnesotans should be eating asparagus, raspberries, and rhubarb in June.
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/seasonalingredientmap

Local Harvest
This is a social networking-type site for small food producers, farmers markets, and CSAs. Each of these groups can create profiles about their company and products, which is aggregated on a US map via Google Maps. Users can then locate producers in a specific area.
http://www.localharvest.org/

attack of the genetically engineered sugar beets

2008-05-16T10:37:00.004-06:00

The Organic Consumers Association, a great watchdog/advocacy group for sustainable foods, recently issued an alert about the US governments approval of genetically engineered sugar beets:

"Since half of the granulated sugar in the U.S. comes from sugar beets, a move towards biotech beets marks a dramatic alteration of the U.S. food supply. These sugars, along with GE corn and soy, are found in many conventional food products, so consumers will be exposed to genetically engineered ingredients in just about every non-organic multiple-ingredient product they purchase."

I recommended using their email petition to take action now (located on the same page).

gourmet boutique brasserie cafe bistro factory farm

2008-05-04T21:01:00.005-06:00

In yet another contaminated food situation, Target has issued a recall for beef, pork, and poultry produced by one of its suppliers, Gourmet Boutique in Queens, New York. The Pioneer Press covered the story in an article today, which mentions that the meat was recalled due to the possible presence of listeria.

Using perhaps the most oxymoronic name a mass-produced food manufacturer could have, there are all sorts of flowery messages on their website, including:

"We start with the finest and freshest Grade "A" meats and vegetables which are received daily from local produce and meat markets." Yeah... Sure...

There should be laws against completely inaccurate company names, as there's nothing "gourmet" or "boutique" about the listeria found in frozen burritos at big box grocery chains.

Adding insult to injury, according to the website they specialize in "Home Meal Replacements." Creepy.

the beef

2008-05-04T20:52:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to drop a quick note saying I purchased some grass-fed beef round steak from Thousand Hills Cattle Co. yesterday. We grilled those babies up this afternoon and I must say, they were ultra tasty medium rare, with just a coating of salt and fresh ground black pepper.

I believe this is the same beef served at the East Side's new gastronomic darling, The Strip Club. I'm embarrassed that I haven't been there yet, but expect a full review as soon as possible.

from NPR: more supermarkets selling local produce

2007-07-27T12:40:00.000-06:00

To follow up on my previous post "number of farmers markets more than doubles", I'm posting a link to a great NPR segment I heard this morning. Their story, "Supermarkets Tout Fresh, Local Offerings," outlines how some large grocery chains are sourcing more of their produce locally, from smaller producers.

This is great news for everyone, and especially for people who don't live close to a farmers' market. I wonder what the cost difference is between local produce sold at grocery stores versus farmers' markets? I would bet that, on average, most produce at farmers' markets costs less per pound than what they're selling at the big stores. I hope stories like this can help more people consider their local greenmarket as a viable, economical alternative to grocery stores (at least for meat and produce), rather than just a quaint diversion during the summer months. For us, the local markets have been critical in helping us stay within our $60 per week grocery budget.

helpful site for reviewing skin/cosmetic products

2007-07-19T08:25:00.000-06:00

Stay-At-Home-Mom would like to pass along a great link for anyone concerned with the toxicity of everyday skin care products and cosmetics. The Skin Deep database is a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products brought to you by researchers at the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization.

According to their site, "Skin Deep pairs ingredients in nearly 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind."

This isn't exactly a resource specific to single-income families, but the information contained in this database will definitely help you evaluate whether or not you should be using certain products, which could save you money.

the cost of staying home? $1 million, but don't worry - it's worth it

2007-07-17T09:06:00.000-06:00

Good morning. MSN Money recently posted a fairly balanced article about the economic costs of being a stay at home mom. Here's an excerpt:

Now, can you afford this? Your initial response, and the response of many two-income couples, might be no. But two incomes can be deceiving. You earn more, but you also probably spend more. When you look at what many SAHM Web sites call “the cost of work” -- what you pay in travel, wardrobe and eating out more frequently, plus the cost of child care -- your salary may not be the big asset you thought it was. Add to that the fact that your income is taxed at a higher rate thanks to that marriage penalty, and you might be dismayed to see what your second income (or his, if it's the smaller one) boils down to.

number of farmers markets more than doubles

2007-07-14T09:38:00.000-06:00

A friend recently told me that the present number of farmers markets in the US is more than double the number in the early 1990s. I did a brief search and found a great chart from the USDA detailing the growth of markets from 1994 to 2006. It's quite impressive. I was at our local market this morning and it was absolutely packed, so the growth is definitely believable.

This trend is very reassuring. Once you've started shopping at the farmer's market, it's hard to imagine buying meat and produce from anywhere else - at least during the summer.

The USDA site also has page where you can find a market in your state and city.

recipe: steamed potatoes with butter and green onions

2007-07-01T20:48:00.001-06:00

This is so easy it's a joke.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of baby potatoes (yukon gold or red)
4 green onions (or 3 spring onions), thinly sliced
4 tbsp quality butter
kosher salt
black pepper

Preparation:

1. Wash potatoes and, using a steamer insert or other contraption, steam them in a large pot for 8-10 minutes until tender (don't overcook, they should still be firm and the skins intact).

2. Drain potatoes and place in the now empty/dry pot. Slice them in half and toss with the butter to evenly coat each piece of potato. Mix in the green onions and salt/pepper. Serve hot, luke warm or room temperature.

*They reheat well, so feel free to make enough to have leftovers.

*No recipe source? Nope. This is a HOUSEKEPT original, sucka. Who cares if it only contains 3 ingredients? I don't. And you'll love us for it.

a week of cheap meals: friday, saturday

2007-06-30T20:20:00.001-06:00

Well, the week ended and overall I feel pretty good about what we ate and how much it cost. On Friday I intended to use the baby yukon gold potatoes we bought as a side for a simple meal of boiled bratwurst and salad, but the week proved exhausting for the whole family, so I caved in and bought two monster burritos from the street vendor who often parks his mobile burrito kitchen about two blocks from my house. They were friggin' good, but his prices have gone up (from $6 to $7 for one burrito). I guess you pay for convenience.

As expected, we cooked the brats and potatoes this afternoon for an early dinner. I still had three spring onions left, so I steamed the potatoes whole and tossed them with butter and sliced onions. I'll post the recipe asap.

recipe: spaghetti with tomatoes, chives and basil

2007-06-29T08:26:00.001-06:00

*Serves 4 (dinner portions) or 8 (first course portions)
*I copied this recipe from Mario Batali's "The Babbo Cookbook."

Ingredients:

kosher salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 pounds small tomatoes (the best you can find in season)
1 bunch chives, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 bunch basil leaves, finely shredded with a knife
black pepper
kosher salt
2 pounds spaghetti
optional: leftover zucchini or other summer vegetables

Preparation:

1. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt.

2. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Lower the heat to medium-high and add the garlic cloves. Cook for 2 minutes, or until softened and slightly browned. Add the tomatoes, chives and basil and cook over high heat until the tomatoes are just beginning to burst. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water according to package directions until it is tender yet al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the tomatoes. Toss over high heat for 1 minute, then divide evenly among four warmed pasta bowls and serve immediately.

a week of cheap meals: wednesday, thursday

2007-06-28T21:32:00.001-06:00

Pasta offers another simple way for single income families to eat well. While the traditionally American "spaghetti with jarred tomato sauce and hamburger" is tasty enough, and very inexpensive, pasta also can be a great vehicle for leftovers or random vegetables hiding around the kitchen. Despite the recent trend away from pasta and other "high carb" foods, it's important to remember that dried pasta, in moderation, is a cost-effective way to eat well on a tight budget. This makes sense, as the Italian countryside is not a particularly wealthy place - people eat pasta because it is inexpensive, has a long shelf life, can be used with an infinite number of sauces and, least important, it tastes great.

For dinner on Wednesday, I cooked a simple spaghetti recipe starring the tomatoes we purchased at the farmer's market, some leftover grilled zucchini and herbs from the garden. The end result was a super-cheap meal for two, with ample leftovers to serve as dinner on Thursday.

I'll post the recipe shortly.

a week of cheap meals: tuesday

2007-06-26T22:12:00.001-06:00

With the chicken totally gone, we chose to cook the pork steaks on Tuesday. To be honest, I haven't cooked this cut of pork before, but I was eager to try it given its very low cost - we bought three for $6.00 at the farmer's market.

Regrettably, the recipe we used did not turn out as delicious as I had hoped. A few months ago Mark Bittman, who I trust and respect as a food writer and recipe author, featured a recipe for pork steaks braised in red wine. The recipe was so simple there didn't appear to be much room for error; however, the meat was bland and the sauce was overly acidic. For that reason I won't post the recipe here. It was a bummer, but we choked it down for the sake of our budget... Next time I'll try steaks from a another producer and use a different recipe.

a week of cheap meals: monday

2007-06-26T21:50:00.001-06:00

Since only two members of our family eat solid food at this point, we decided to use the leftover chicken to make a dinner salad topped with sliced grilled chicken. It's essentially the same salad and dressing as the previously posted green salad with egg and bacon, except with chicken. Feel free to top it with other goodies, such as olives, capers, cheese, pickled peppers or anything else you have around.

We typically eat a salad like this once per week, as a way to stretch the budget and use any leftovers well suited to salad. At first glance, many people (especially men) don't consider a salad to be an adequate meal, but with the right amount of tasty protein, it can be very delicious, filling and healthy. Such salads have the added benefit of requiring zero cooking, so you don't have to heat up your kitchen on warm summer nights or hot afternoons.

recipe: charcoal grilled chicken alla diavola

2007-06-25T18:30:00.001-06:00

*Serves 4
*This is an easy recipe to make, but since you have to brine the chicken, I recommend making it for an early weekend dinner.

Before lighting coals, make sure that the grill is cleaned of residual ash from previous use; if left in the bottom, residual ash catches fat drippings and causes flare-ups that can singe the chicken. For this recipe, we prefer the even, slower heat generated by charcoal briquettes over faster-burning hardwood charcoal.

Chicken and Brine:

2 medium garlic heads
3 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 cup salt
1 whole chicken (3-4 pounds), butterflied and pounded (see below)

Garlic-Pepper Oil

4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil

Other

vegetable oil for grill grate
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for garnish

1. TO BUTTERFLY CHICKEN
Use kitchen shears to cut through bones on either side of backbone, then remove and discard backbone. Flip chicken over and use heel of your hand to flatten breastbone. Cover chicken with paper towels to protect skin, then pound flat using meat pounder or rubber mallet.

*Note: This may seem tedious the first time you do it, but you'll get much quicker after making this recipe a few times.

2. TO BRINE THE CHICKEN
Combine garlic heads, bay leaves, and salt in gallon-size zipper lock bag; press out air and seal bag. Using rubber mallet or meat pounder, pound mixture until garlic cloves are crushed; transfer mixture to large container or stockpot and stir in 2 quarts cold water until salt is dissolved. Immerse chicken in brine and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 2 hours.

3. FOR THE GARLIC-PEPPER OIL
While chicken is brining, heat garlic, black pepper, pepper flakes, and oil in small saucepan over medium heat until garlic is fragrant and sizzling and mixture registers about 200 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, about 40 minutes. Measure 2 tablespoons garlic-pepper oil into 2 small bowls and set aside.

4. TO FLAVOR THE CHICKEN
Remove chicken from brine and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Loosen the skin around the breast and thighs. Apply two tablespoons of the pepper oil underneath the loosened skin.

5. TO GRILL THE CHICKEN
Ignite about 6 quarts (1 large chimney, or about 6 pounds) charcoal briquettes and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash, about 20 minutes. Empty coals into grill and bank half of coals on either side of grill, leaving midsection of grill free of coals. Position grill grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush. Lightly dip small wad paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe grill grate. Position chicken skin-side down on grill grate over area with no coals; cover grill and fully open lid vents.

6. TO SERVE
Cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees, 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board; let rest 10 minutes. Carve chicken into four pieces, drizzle with remaining pepper oil and garnish with lemon wedges.
*For a quick side, place some fresh vegetables over the coal banks on each side of the grill during last 10 minutes of cooking.
*This recipe appeared in its entirety in the July/August 2003 issue of Cooks Illustrated

a week of cheap meals: sunday

2007-06-24T22:12:00.001-06:00

Inspired by the pile of produce and fresh meat we brought home from the farmer's market, I decided to put our $32 worth to the test. Could we eat for an entire week using what we purchased, plus a few pantry items? I believe so. The next several posts document exactly what we ate on each particular day of the week, and how we prepared it.

SUNDAY
We tend to cook our biggest meal of the on this day, so I decided to put the chicken and zucchini on the grill, Italian style.

What we ate/drank:

Chicken alla Diavola (spicy devil chicken)
You're really missing out if you haven't ever grilled a whole chicken before. It's such a bargain, the meat stays incredibly moist and you can use the leftover scraps to top a green salad or to make chicken salad. Also, you can use the carcass to make delicious chicken stock. Recipe to follow....

Grilled Baby Zucchini
This is too friggin' good and easy. Just slice them length wise (1/2 inch slices), brush with olive oil and grill until lightly charred...

Baguette
You can warm this up on the grill.

Red Wine
Have you heard of Tisdale? This stuff is a godsend. At about $2.50 per bottle, you'd think it'd be dumpster juice, but this stuff is actually palatable. When asked to guess how much Tisdale costs after tasting it, several of our friends thought it was worth perhaps 8 or 10 dollars. Strange enough, the Tisdale winemakers don't have a web site that I can find, but a quick Google search did pull a few online wine shop sites that sell it. The cabernet is particularly good.

We intended to have strawberries with whip cream for dessert, but we decided to save it for later in the week... Stay tuned for recipes from the week.

recipe: green salad with egg and bacon

2007-06-24T13:34:00.001-06:00

We were starving upon returning home from the market, so I made one of my favorite salads with some the the items we purchased. Eating a "main course" salad is an excellent way to eat healthy and save money, and this one makes a great weekend lunch or a light dinner.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
4 strips of bacon (or 4-6 oz slab bacon)
lettuce
parmesan cheese (or any other firm white cheese)
olive oil
red wine vinegar
dijon mustard
1 garlic clove
coarse salt (kosher or sea)
pepper

Directions:
Wash, trim and tear the lettuce into small pieces. Dice the bacon into small pieces and fry in a small nonstick frying pan until crisp - place bacon in a small bowl and wipe out pan.

While bacon is cooking, make the dressing:
Smash the garlic clove with your hand or a chef's knife and place in a small cup/bowl. Add one ounce of red wine vinegar and set aside for 15-30 minutes. Then add 1 teaspoon mustard and whisk vigorously. Then slowly drizzle olive oil into vinegar (while whisking quickly) until desired consistence/taste is achieved. Set aside.

Fry the eggs:
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and heat until shimmering. Crack both eggs into the pan and fry until the whites are cooked, but the yolks are still runny. Remove pan from heat.

Assemble the salad:
Divide the greens evenly between two dinner plates. Drizzle some dressing on each salad and use two forks to toss (important). Top each plate with bacon pieces and one egg. Crack pepper and sprinkle salt over each salad. Using a vegetable peeler, shave a little bit of cheese over each plate. Eat.

*Makes 2 servings
*Serve with a glass of red wine and bread for a complete meal.

a trip to the market

2007-06-24T12:41:00.000-06:00

Where we live, prime season for Farmer's market shoppping begins in about mid-May and ends in late September. You can shop there year around, but the shopping during the fall/winter is typically limited to meat, cheese, eggs, squash, potatoes and onions. We visited the market this morning and were pleased to see so many delicious vegetables and other products at a relatively low cost. Since implementing our new grocery budget ($60.00 per week), we've aimed to spend about $20-$30 at the farmers market, and spend the remaining cash at the grocery store for milk, dry goods and other less perishable items. We were out of town last weekend, so we spent the entire budget at the supermarket.

Today's trip was fairly typical. Before leaving the house, I spent a few minutes trying to plan out our meals for the week, which makes shopping at the market a little easier (it's tempting to buy too much, since it all looks so fresh and good). With $40 cash in hand, we purchased the following (see picture):

4 lb free-range chicken ($8.86)
3 sirloin pork steaks ($6.16)
dozen eggs ($3.00)
1# baby zucchini/squash ($2.00)
1 bunch spring onions ($1.00)
huge bag of mixed lettuce ($2.00)
1# plum tomatoes ($3.00)
3# baby yukon gold potatoes ($3.00)
1# strawberries ($4.00)

Total cost: $32.02

Now, I haven't yet done an empirical price comparison of farmer's market produce vs. the supermarket, but many of the farmer's market products are obviously a better deal. If money were no object, I would prefer to buy organic/natural/free range products exclusively, but at the supermarket this is typically cost-prohibitive. That said, I feel such products are a for the most part a better deal at the farmer's market, and there's the added benefit of buying from local producers (rather than agribusiness).

The main challenge to shopping/eating this way is you have less choice and unpredictable supply, so you have to be willing to create meals based on what's available, rather than what, exactly, you prefer or want to cook. I prefer this approach because I have to make less decisions about what to buy - they're made for me by the season and growing conditions. This takes a while to get used to, but I believe it's the most practical/frugal way to cook, especially for the single-income family, and your family learns more about where food comes from and when.

The best example of a good deal at the farmer's market is chicken. The fresh, free-range bird I bought today was killed just a few days ago and it cost about $2.25 per pound for a total cost of $8.86. By contrast, I saw an organic free range chicken at the supermarket last week for $18.00 ($4.50 per pound!). This represents exactly double the cost of the farmer's market chicken. Enough said. I'll be back again next week - it's a no-brainer.

recipe: corn chowder

2007-06-20T20:17:00.001-06:00

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced6 shallots (or 1 small onion), chopped
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, roasted (over a stove flame), peeled, seeded and minced
2 cups chicken stock (if not homemade, use Swanson organic)
6 cups corn kernels (frozen or fresh)
pinch of salt
2 cups cream
chopped cilantro (for garnish)
sour cream (for garnish)

Directions:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan and saute the garlic and shallots until tender. Stir in the jalapeno pepper and cook a minute longer.

Add the stock and corn to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Using a potato masher, mash the soup to soften and break up the corn mixture. Season with salt and add the cream. Reheat thoroughly but do not allow the soup to come to a boil. Serve hot topped with cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.

*makes 4 dinner servings
*for a complete meal, serve with good bread and a simple green salad vinagrette

Source:
Martha Stewart Living Cookbook

shopping update: actual cost of groceries

2007-06-19T16:11:00.001-06:00

We just returned from the store and I am pleased to report that we actually spent less on our groceries than predicted. The following table shows the estimated cost of each item (from my last post) next to the actual price. Note: We omitted the cherries since they now seem to be out of season and were cost prohibitive.

item	est. cost	actual cost
head of lettuce	$2.00	$2.00
Mushrooms	$2.00	$1.76
eggs (2 dozen)	$4.00	$3.20
limes (2)	$1.00	$0.60
garlic (1 head)	$0.50	$0.34
bananas (6)	$1.50	$1.20
shallots (5)	$2.00	$1.12
cilantro	$1.00	$1.29
celery	$1.50	$1.49
tortillas	$2.00	$2.69
milk (gallon)	$4.00	$3.89
sour cream	$2.00	$2.45
natural peanut butter	$4.00	$2.79
sandwich bread (2)	$4.00	$4.00
baguettes (2)	$4.00	$4.49

Total cost	$35.50	$33.31

We also purchased a few additional items:

tortilla chips		$3.00
greek olives		$5.49
melons		$5.86

This brings our adjusted total cost to $47.66, which is well below our allotted $60. This is good news, as I'd like to swing by the farmer's market for a few items this weekend.

Honestly, I was a bit worried about hitting our budget, but our experience today leaves me further convinced that you (whether a single-income family or not) can make wholesome, nutritious dinners on a tight budget.

That's all for now. I'm going to celebrate our sensible grocery run by making the corn chowder I mentioned last night. I'll post the recipe and some pictures later tonight.

the challenge: one week of groceries for $60 or less

2007-06-18T21:36:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow we're due for a small trip to the grocery store. I've put together a short list of items that, in combination with what's already in our pantry and fridge, should get us through the week. As mentioned in an earlier post, our grocery budget is $60.00 per week for our family of three. Even though our baby is only weeks old and doesn't eat solid food, I still count her because the breast milk she eats is a result of the same grocery budget. While we've been on this budget for a few weeks, the new baby hasn't allowed for much of a routine (and Stay-At-Home Mom just stopped receiving paychecks). As a result, we haven't exactly made sure we're eating within budget until now. I hope to keep closer tabs on this as the weeks pass.

Since I can't accurately list the cost of each item on the grocery list, I've taken a good guess and will post the actual costs when I return tomorrow. Should be a good test of cost estimation and perceived value....

head of lettuce - $2
mushrooms - $2
eggs (2 dozen) - $4
limes (2) - $1
garlic (1 head) - $.50
bananas (6) - $1.50
cherries (1 #) - $4.00
shallots (5) - $2.00
cilantro - $1.00
celery - $1.50
tortillas - $2.00
milk (gallon) - $4.00
sour cream - $2.00
natural peanut butter - $4.00
sandwich bread (2 loaves) - $4.00
baguettes (2) - $4.00

Total: $39.50

I'm hoping to make three big meals this week, with enough leftovers to cover most of the week's lunches and dinners. Here's what I'm planning to cook:

white corn chowder (2 dinners)
ground turkey burritos (2 dinners)
egg salad sandwiches (3 lunches)

I'll post the recipes as I make each meal. Stay tuned.

save money: ride a bike

2007-06-18T16:36:00.000-06:00

Riding bicycles is an easy way for the single-income family to save money. Lately I've been trying to learn more about fixed gear cycling, and I came across an interesting blog by a bike shop called Cars R' Coffins, which featured a great post and pictures about moving your household possesions without the use of gasoline or motors.....

Here's a photo from the Cars R' Coffins blog:

URL: http://crccoffeebar.blogspot.com/2007/05/leave-moving-van-at-home.html

grow your food

2007-06-13T21:50:00.001-06:00

Given our new, poorer existence, I promised myself I would try to grow a small vegetable patch to supplement our produce supply and reduce grocery spending for at least one month (likely August). I've wanted to do this for some time, but haven't been able to make it a habit, which seems to be the key.

Coincidentally, we received a $25 gift certificate to a local greenhouse, so I decided to dedicate all of it to seedling vegetable plants. Starting your own plants from seed is definitely the most cost effective way to garden, but since I know next to nothing about gardening I thought it would be smart to start with some healthy plants grown under expert care.

As is, the space I have set aside for vegetables isn't much, but if this goes well, I'd like to expand the operation and include a wider variety of plants and a more graduated harvest. Rather than have too many vegetables in August, I've heard it's possible to plant different things at times, which results in a more steady supply of produce over a longer period.

Anyhoo, here's what I decided to plant:

(2) "beefmaster" tomato
(2) japanese eggplant
(6) sweet banana pepper
(1) hot red chile
(1) butternut squash
(1) rosemary
(1) mint
(1) basil

In addition to the new plants, I also have an existing chive patch and a small head of rhubarb. And I intended to have some lettuces, but the greenhouse didn't have any. Maybe I'll find some elsewhere... I also should mention that I tried to plant things that tend to be expensive at the grocery store - I'd rather not waste time with potatoes, onions, etc. since they usually cost less than $2 per pound.

Like I said before, it's not much, but I'm hoping the crop will help with a few meals, and, more importantly, inspire me to crank it up next spring. I'll keep adding pictures and updates as things progress, as well as some recipes from the resulting meals. So far so good. In fact, my red chile plant just sprouted a few tiny pepper/bud things (they come out of the flowers)...

HOUSEKEPT

recipe: now is the time to eat your lawn

the mother of all potato recipes: tartiflette

finally, a dessert recipe: clafoutis

recipe: winter herbless pesto

broil your eggs for a change

holy f. i just read the ingredient list for Cool Whip.

easy charcuterie: dry-cured duck breast

woodcock: the other red meat.

grocery wars

reicpe: french tomato salad

reinvent your appetite: the relative value of local food

anti-recipe: f'in simple avocado hors d'oeuvre

recipe: rustic tomato sauce and sausages

the organic salon: a review (and $20 coupon giveaway!)

1 chicken = 4 meals - part 3

1 chicken = 4 meals - part two

1 chicken = 4 meals - part one

are you eating muesli, the ultimate summer breakfast?

a few thoughts on the cookie dough recall

the humble frittata

another way to make potatoes on the grill

france post #3: blessed be the macro, and french flowers

more great reading about milk

this year's garden

good enough for grandpa: the case for whole milk

MN first state to ban toxins in baby bottles and sippy cups

La Vida Locavore: A must-read blog

france post #2: in search of "truite fario"

france post #1: our daily bread

there is du bon fromage in the U.S.

back home, with some tales to tell

slow and easy food: hot-smoked pork chops

bulldog update: still no word from the owner!

a bit of self promotion

white house breaks ground on a kitchen garden!

the season's first burger: an essay

extremely fast food: new "pizza vending machine" unveiled in italy

buy hydroponic. lettuce.

the stray bulldog: st. paul diners beware!

saucisson update: fully cured and edible! (sort of)

great article in Star Tribune about local food trends

saucisson update: going to wait a few more days

cabbage soup deserves more respect

Pork & Sons: a superb cookbook and tribute to the noble pig

saucisson update: nearly cured!

saucisson update: on the operating table

edible twin cities: the locovore's local publication

saucisson update: 244 grams, 35% shrinkage :)

god has given us a reason to visit New Brighton: Barley John's Brew Pub

saucisson update: 285 grams and shrinking :(

want to read more about traditional dry-curing?

the gamble: hang $25 of organic pork in your basement

think of kale, especially when it's -5 outside

depression = polenta and fried eggs

recession = potato leek soup

i just have to write about shish

the locovore's holiday

a sustainable strip club?

simple provisions: a convenient way to buy the basics

harvest your own free range, organic, heirloom chickens

sow the seeds: support local agriculture longer, more often

from animal, vegetable, miracle: agricultural plant diversity

diets are not sustainable

fast food promotions for hospitals are not sustainable

a sustainable state fair?

animal, vegetable, miracle cont'd: book review

recipe: eggplant parmigiana on the grill

must read: animal, vegetable, miracle

light your grill sustainably

co-ops go social media

recipe: roasted potatoes on the grill

looking for a relaxing way to burn off sustainable eats?

rotten tomatoes

recipe: classic german bratwurst

farm on wheels: high-quality, affordable, organic meats

can't find tasty, all natural sausage? make your own

Wow: The average mother of a child under 15 spends more on fast food every year than on books, music, movies and video games combined

two tools to help you find seasonal, local food

attack of the genetically engineered sugar beets