Leena Eats

Gastro Friday: Pissky-Diabetic Urine Turned into Fine, Single Malt Whisky

Leena — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:00:06 +0000

James Gilpin is a designer and researcher with type I diabetes who decided to start a project called Gilpin Family Whisky, where he processes the sugar-rich urine of elderly diabetes patients into high-end, single malt whisky. Sound weird? More on pissky after the jump. Although the whisky will be sold in small amounts, it is [...]

Amuse bouche: Camel on a stick

Leena — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:00:16 +0000

The Minnesota State Fair featured something a bit more daring than mashed potatoes on a stick this year….camel on a stick. A local resident who is from Somalia introduced his version of camel kebabs to expose locals to some of his favorite food, what he calls the meat of kings. The camel meat was imported [...]

Amuse bouche: Who got my milkshake drunk?

Leena — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:00:25 +0000

Alcoholic milkshakes are one the latest trends among adults, say a recent NY Times Dining article. Flavors are as tame as Cereal Milk White Russian, as delicious as salty pistachio with butterscotch schnapps, and as crazy as barbecue-sauce ice cream with pineapple juice, honey syrup and cayenne-spiced tequila. Source: Sept. 7, 2010 NY Times article [...]

Leena Eats: Bakesale Betty’s Fried Chicken Sandwich, Pays For It Later, And Vows to Do It Again

Leena — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:00:20 +0000

I’ve heard about it since I moved here 10 months ago. I’ve seen the massive lines daily outside the shop. And finally…I got to taste the famous Bakesale Betty’s fried chicken sandwich. What’s so great about it? Find out and peep more food porn after the jump. Reasons why this sandwich rocks: 1. It is [...]

Amuse bouche: Peanut Butter and Corn Flakes from a Super Religious, Enema-loving Spa Owner?

Leena — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:00:04 +0000

In the late 1800s, John Kellogg Harvey, a Seventh Day Adventist that practiced spiritual vegetarianism, opened Battle Creek Sanitarium, a health spa that featured enemas a-plenty, exercise and a special diet. That diet included peanut butter, which Kellogg invented and promoted as a replacement for regular butter (picture sandwiches with mayo and peanut butter, tomato [...]

Amuse bouche: Early U.S. vegetarianism and S’mores-What do they have to do with each other?

Leena — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:00:29 +0000

Many health food movements in the U.S. were inspired by vegetarianism. In the late 1700s-early 1800s, a minister by the name of Sylvester Graham decided to dedicate himself to promoting healthy eating and God by preaching the gospel of vegetarianism around the country. His biggest development was a high bran flour called graham, which was [...]

Amuse bouche: History of Health Food in America=foods with embellished and unproven health claims

Leena — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:00:02 +0000

Reasons for applying these untrue health claims on certain foods? Promoting public health, capitalist profit and divine inspiration. Source: The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, pp.592-93. ************** Amuse Bouche: Noun. Etymology: French: literally, entertains the mouth. A small, complimentary appetizer served at the beginning of a meal to awaken the taste buds. [...]

Leena Bakes: Chewy Granola Bars– Suck It, Quaker Oats Man.

Leena — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:00:58 +0000

When I was a kid, my mom used to pack Quaker Oats chewy granola bars in my lunch for a treat. Stuffed with chocolate or dried fruit bits, these bars were highly coveted in the lunch room because they tasted like candy and had a good trade value. I’m talking Twinkies, Hostess Cupcakes, real prime [...]

Gastro Friday: The Great American Salad Bar Project

Leena — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:00:09 +0000

I was first introduced to Chef Ann Cooper while working as a social media coordinator for The Healthy Schools Campaign, a great non profit committed to creating healthy school lunches in the country. I was helping promote the reauthorization of the childhood nutrition act in 2009, and Chef Ann contributed to our blogging project, sharing [...]

Amuse bouche: Roger Ebert’s Rice Cooker Cookbook

Leena — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:47:09 +0000

After losing his lower jaw to cancer, Roger Ebert had to stop eating, but he didn’t stop cooking. Even though he takes most of his meals through a tube in his stomach, Ebert recently published a cookbook about an old obsession of his: using a rice cooker. Source: August 31, 2010 NY Times article ***************** [...]