Only An Almond Bean

First Cooking Post: Tres Leches Cupcakes

2012-02-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

With some encouragement from friends, I decided to start mixing in some cooking posts with all the other food, nutrition, policy, business stuff I post.

For my husband's birthday I made tres leches cupcakes. Yes, that yummy gooey creamy cake in little individually wrapped packages of bliss. Fun and frivolous all around!

I poked around on line to find a recipe but could only find "full sized" cake recipes, not cupcake recipes. I was a little nervous because it just seems logical, given the country's on-going obsession with cupcakes, that some food blogger out there would have posted on tres leches cupcakes. Unable to find such a post, I assume I am one of the first!

I settled on The Pioneer Woman's recipe for tres leches cake. I thought that beating the egg whites and then folding them in would make for a lighter, more fluffy cake able to absorb the maximum amount of cream!

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

1 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
5 whole eggs (separated)
1 c. sugar (divided)
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 c. whole milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 c. heavy cream

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 18 cupcake molds and line the molds with foil cupcake liners. (I believe that if you use all paper ones they will get too soggy and fall apart when you pour on the cream.)

Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and gently stir until combined.

Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.

Fold the egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared cupcake pan; filling each cup about 3/4 full.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Rotate pans halfway through for even browning. Completely cool the cupcakes on a wire rack.

After cup cakes are cool, combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. Pierce the surface of each cupcake with a sharp implement (fork, toothpick, or knife) several times. Slowly drizzle the mixture over all the cupcakes. Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for at least 30 minutes.

To ice the cupcakes, whip 2 cups of heavy cream with 1/4 cup of sifted powder sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until thick and spreadable.

Spread or pipe the whipped cream on the cupcakes. Decorate with rainbow sprinkles.

WARNING: You may need spoons to eat these spong-soaked cupcakes.

Celebrate the Chinese New Year

2012-01-23T06:39:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Happy 4710! It's Chinese New Year and it's the year of the dragon. Chinese New Year is celebrated all over Asia and follows a lunar calendar. As with most holidays, there are special foods associated with New Year.

Oranges denote happiness, good luck, and abundance.
Noodles because of their long and winding ways represent life and longevity.
Fish represent abundance.

I like this one-pot chicken dish from Ming Tsai. I guess it's dated since its from 2010, but it is simple and that wins big in my book! If you are looking for some more great Chinese New Year recipes check out Jaden Hair's Steamy Kitchen blog post stocked full of festive recipes.

And of course, if you're in Boston and you don't want to cook, check out Bon Me for some light, affordable, and downright delicious fare!

Kids Do Not Eat Like Adults

2012-01-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

Kid Friendly Bento Box Lunch

A small, preliminary study out of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab indicates that children are not small adults when it comes to food. Children do not find the same food presentations appealing that adults do. Children liked the upper limit of colors offered in the study on their plates (six colors) and they liked plates with the entree positioned at the bottom. Adults on the other hand, liked three colors of food on their plates with the entree positioned in the middle.

It makes me think that those school lunch ladies were onto something with those segmented light green trays.

Here is an LA Times article on the research:

Kids prefer variety of foods and colors on their plates - latimes.com

Here is Cornell University's Press Release. (It includes a link to the full published article.): Kids prefer lots of choices and colors on their plates - Cornell Chronicle Online

Nicaragua

2012-01-05T07:10:00.001-08:00

My husband and I arrived in Nicaragua early Christmas morning. Christmas here is similar in some ways. People decorate with lights & we could hear a big mass going on in the middle of the afternoon. However, unlike the 24/7 Denny's culture in the US most places we're closed today..

Although not much was open today, we did discover the wonderful fresh juices that can be served as smoothies for a morning treat or with "ron" which we believe to be rum.

We found some legit coffee. Coffee is grown in Nicaragua but because Nescafé is cheaper, the real thing can be hard to find.

Arepas are everywhere we scored some on the street that were served in banana leaves. For 5 cords (about 25 cents US) this salty treat is a great mid--day snack.

Tomorrow we are excited to try a bakery that has pies & tres leches cake. We are also going to taxi out to a lively restaurant that is frequented by locals & has "ron" on every table. I think Ron & I will have some good times in the coming weeks!

The Farm Bill

2011-12-01T06:51:00.001-08:00

First off I cannot believe this is my first post about the Farm Bill! What is wrong with me? How can I claim to be exploring the intersection of food, agriculture, and society without a post about the largest piece of legislation in the US that affects all of us -- our food, our communities, and our farms?

The Farm Bill is a huge piece of omnibus legislation that is passed roughly every 5 years since 1933. Seriously, this bill covers it all. From emergency feeding and food assistance programs (think food stamps now referred to as SNAP) to farmland conservation (growing buffers around streams, allowing wetlands to be wetlands) to subsides (market supports for corn and soy) to agricultural research (land-grant universities) to food aid to other countries – you get the picture. It covers much more than policies that effect farms as the name wrongly implies.

I am going to do a monthly post on the Farm Bill to do my part to engage people in food policy. Each post will tackle one little piece of the legislation and give a quick update on what’s happening with the 2012 Farm Bill.

So, stay tuned for more to come on how this one piece of federal policy really and truly impacts all of our lives.

Visual Data - Dairy Farming in New England

2011-11-22T10:56:00.000-08:00

As a part of my final project in graduate school, I made a google gadget using dairy farming data from the U.S. Agricultural Census. Unfortunately I was unable to get the gadget to both function and appear normally on my blog so I have a little picture of it here and a link for you to check it out: http://www.google.com/ig/modules/motionchart.xml

Note how many variables you are able to play around with here. The color and size of the dots that move over time in addition to the x and y axis variables.

I am interested to hear what you think of this. Does the story in the number represent your understanding of dairy farms? Why do you think the numbers look like this? How crazy is the price fluctuation of milk? Please leave your comments and thoughts here.

The Hiatus is Over

2011-11-15T08:16:00.000-08:00

I am sorry I haven't published on this blog in over a year. I've been busy starting a small food business in Boston called Bon Me. It's a bright yellow gourmet food truck that sets up shop around the city and sells gourmet Vietnamese inspired food. It was a lot of fun getting the business up and running. There is something deeply satisfying about serving people delicious, healthy, and affordable food on the run.

I am moving out of an active role with the business and I will be moving my focus back to the nexus of food, agriculture, and society. Luckily Bon Me is in good hands and will continue to serve up toasty sandwiches in Boston and beyond!

Steven Colbert Testifies Before Congress on Immigrant Farm Labor

2010-09-28T13:14:00.001-07:00

Food Safety -- What is the big deal?

2010-09-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

Ever since the Salmonella outbreak in eggs, which resulted in the recall of 380 million eggs (according to the industry), the media, advocacy groups, farmers, and consumers have all been in a tizzy over food safety. I don't intend to belittle the media furry over food safety. It is utterly unacceptable that 380 million eggs must be recalled in an industrialized nation in the 21st century. We have the knowledge, infrastructure, and resources to do better.

I was going to write a couple paragraphs about how the current food safety system came into being, but as I started reviewing my notes from grad school and recalling all the federal agencies involved (USDA, FDA, EPA) I realized I could write a short book. Therefore, I will refer my curious readers to the National Agriculture Law Center's write-up on the topic of food safety at: http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/overviews/foodsafety.html It is well worth the read!

The food safety debate is always a heated one with differing groups angling for a specific outcome. Here are a few of the dominate voices you hear time and again. Be it spinach, eggs, orange juice, or tainted hamburgers.

"Industrial agriculture" is the culprit and "organic farms" are the saviors.
Food safety has improved greatly but it doesn't appear that way because detection technology and the rapid exchange of information has inflated small incidents into national scandals.
The government should not interfere with businesses. Regulations are a slippery slope and if we start regulating everything down to the last grain of rice -- we might not be too happy.
A massive overhaul of the entire system is required either by creating a new food safety entity in the federal government or by giving clear jurisdiction in this area to one of the current agencies.
Each piece of the supply chain must be held accountable through a tracking system of RFID chips or bar codes.

It is the last one that I will give some discussion to as it is a reasonable step that could be taken immediately and could have a dramatic impact on food safety. Stephen Jannise of Software Advice has a nice piece with a nice piece with a great illustration on food safety recalls that you can read on the Distribution Blog. As Jannise suggests in his post, we have this great technology for tracking -- why not use it to create a safer food system?

The major concern, and the agriculture and food industry unify on, is cost. One way around this is to create a grant program or pool that small farms and businesses can dip into in order to make the technology upgrades required. Or have the phase in time line long enough that producers and businesses can budget for the upgrades and pass the cost on to consumers. Either way consumers will pay for the technology upgrades either through taxes or through an increased cost in food. Consumers are the main group benefiting from the technology upgrades and therefor we should pay for it.

The benefits are tangible. Small additives will be traceable back to the source cutting down the investigation time and putting a stop to the flow of adulterated food. Fewer people will become ill due to contaminated food. The culprits will be easily identified.

Communication between different segments of the supply chain will improve. Companies, organizations, and farms will be able to track their inventory more accurately -- both in quantity and in quality. This will reduce overhead expenses and help farmers and distributors find markets for their products immediately. The data resulting from such technology will illustrate important trends in our food system, such as the traits of companies have the most recalls (big, small, location, industry, etc.) and how far our food travels.

Understanding the food system better will bring about a safer and a more efficient system.

Dollar Oysters in Boston

2010-09-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

View Dollar Oysters in Boston in a larger map

Boston suffers an unmentionable burden of not being allowed to discount alcohol. Yes, that's right, there are no happy hours in this coastal city. However, restaurateurs are creative people and have figured out they can lure people to their bars and restaurants with $1 oysters. I am a huge supporter of this as oysters are a local and traditional delicacy here.

This summer, while I search for a job and enjoy all the city as to offer on a budget I figured I would try as many of these $1 oyster specials as I could. I welcome you to join me and share notes on your favorits or send me new places to try! You can see the days/times if you follow this link to the google map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117532295176256093681.00048a531f8ddf38730be&ll=42.378836,-71.084633&spn=0.074309,0.109348&z=13

Weekend Entertainment: The First Cooking Shows

2010-08-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

Have you ever fantasized about having your own cooking show? Do you think you have what it takes to effortlessly whip up fantastical creations in the kitchen? Here is a nice article and montogue that puts into perspective how much cooking shows have changed over the years. Some might say "evolved" but there is something too perfect about the way Ina Garten, Rachel Ray, and Giada cook. By making cooking look so simple and effortless, I am sure there are many a burgeoning home chef who have been put off by the fact that it took them more than 30 minutes to make Rachel Ray's recipe and found Ina Gartner's dishes impossible without a multi-million dollar kitchen and fully stocked pantry.

Old-school cooking shows kept it real. Even the professionals have mishaps in the kitchen. They don't all drink $40 bottles of wine and effortlessly un-mold puddings. These qualities make cooking much more accessible to the home chef. Unfortunately, I doubt the Food Network will ever air a bloopers show, however entertaining and inspiring it might be. The Food Network is in the business of "food porn." That is to say, representing only the best and most beautiful sides of cooking.

Here is a little weekend entertainment courtesy of the blog Grub Street:

The Messy, Imperfect Days of Early Cooking Shows

ABC Night Line Covers 'Table to Roof' Restaurant in NYC

2010-08-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

I loved seeing this video clip because I've heard a lot about these urban ag entrepreneurs who are using hydroponics to grow food in a clean, efficient, and environmental way. The load, or weight, of a soil based garden on a roof is immense making it out of the question for many buildings. Hydroponics offers an solution. However, return on investment for a set up like Chef John Mooney has in this clip has got to be incredibly long-term. I suppose it all depends on how much he is charging for a salad. If a small dinner salad costs $20 the ROI might be pretty good. However, I don't see this technology taking off en mass until the start-up costs come down. I think one of those "trees" costs about $500, or so I read in a Q & A with Chef Mooney. The average building owner is not going to invest thousands and thousands of dollars into a computerized hydroponic garden that needs to be maintained and monitored. I guess that is where these roof top farmer entrepreneurs come in!

Why I Do What I Do

2010-08-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

This video pretty much sums up why I do what I do. There are two points from Jamie Oliver's TED talk in February that really spoke to me. One, the food environment depicted as the triad of school, main street, and home. All of these areas are in desperate need of help. Of improved food offerings, better transparency, education, and training about food. Two, the deliberate use of "food" instead of "nutrition" throughout the video. I would have to watch the video a few more times to be sure, but I don't think Jamie ever uses the word "nutrition." This makes his talk more accessible and real. Nutrition is a science, it's complex, and for most people it is obtuse. Food however is something we crave, we encounter daily, and we understand. Food and food education refers to not just science and food components but to culture, history, traditions, and whole foods. The use of "food" throughout the talk brings these issues into the realm of everyday. (You may notice discussions about vitamin D do not quite have this same effect.)

What spoke to you? What inspires you about Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution?

Road to Wellness Info-Graphic

2010-07-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

I love maps and info-graphics. Really anyway to make information more visual, accessible, and easy to understand. If you can make it artistic or fun -- even better! The Hartman Group put out a really interesting info-graphic on the history of wellness. Who knew that the low carb diet started back in 1825? Check it out: http://www.hartman-group.com/hartbeat/infographic-the-road-to-wellness/full-size

Ultra Supreme Italian Food Shopping Experience Coming to the US

2010-07-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

For all of you readers of the New York Times Dinning and Wine section, this is old news to you: Eataly is coming to the US! Mario Batali, the redheaded Italian-American chef, is curating the culinary side of Eataly in New York along with his business partners Joe and Lidia Bastianich.

I had the pleasure of experiencing Eataly in Turin, Italy while attending Terra Madre in the fall of 2008. Although many food enthusiasts find it overwhelming, compared to the Salone del Gusto, Eataly seemed very manageable to me. To give American's some reference to the kind of food experience Eataly provides -- think Whole Foods on steroids. The prepared food options put the deli section at any American grocery store (including Wegmans) to shame. In the Turin store there are a number of eateries from coffee and pastries to beer, whine, and sausages.

The selection of food is what I found to be the most overwhelming. Rather than offering customers a variety of price, quality, and quantity of a given category; Eataly carries only the best brands. Eataly caters to the gastronome for which price is not an obstacle and who have never in their lives ever bought mayonnaise. (I am pretty sure that this target customer base only make their own aoli.)

If you thought the quality of produce at Whole Foods was the next best thing to an early morning farmer's market, Eataly has it beat. Partnering with Slow Food, the store has an entire section highlighting food that are protected by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity and marketed through their program, the Presidia. These are varieties of beans, grains, and vegetables that have sustained communities around the world that are on the verge of extinction. Presidia also preserves traditional food production techniques such as regional cheeses, jams, honey, bread and the like. The rest of the store offers the finest Italy has to offer, which is to say old-world quality that is difficult to find in the US.

It will be interesting to see how Eataly is received by Americans. Granted, New Yorkers definitely know how to appreciate their food but I find it hard to imagine there are enough foodies willing to pay premium prices for pizza or wine in a cafeteria style atmosphere. It was definitely prudent of the Eataly New York planners to include a white tablecloth steakhouse restaurant that takes reservations. From my experience, that is much more New York's style.

For a more refined review of Eataly, check out Corby Kummer's article, "The Supermarket of the Future," in The Atlantic Magazine: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2007/05/the-supermarket-of-the-future/5787/

Good Food: What can airports learn from food carts?

2010-07-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

Video from Men's Health

Airplane food gets a lot of attention. Back when they served meals to coach passengers, it was all about how gross the over cooked, foil clad meals where. Now, you’re lucky if your flight will sell you an $8 cheese and cracker tray. People complained, 9/11 happened, and now there’s hardly an edible morsel to be found on a domestic coach flight. I never questioned airplane food since I can only imagine how difficult it is to cook 4,000 feet up in the air. What really perplexes me is airport food.

How is it that you cannot find a good, inexpensive, and quick meal in an airport in the United States? (This may be an international phenomenon, I don’t know.) I am perpetually upset when I find out my flight is delayed, but not quite enough to leave the airport so I am left wondering the terminals looking to eat.

My options typically include an assortment of national fast-food chains that serve burgers, hot dogs, and pizza; sports bars with over priced drinks and pub food; and snack food from the Hudson’s Newsstands which include trail mix, chips, candy, and granola bars. Usually there is a local fast-food chain that is selling something a little unique. This is usually what I end up eating after mulling over my options. For example, in O’Hare you can get a Chicago-style hot dog and in Houston you can find pulled pork sandwiches. They’re never quite as good as what you can find outside the airport. Nothing is fresh, and nothing is made with care.

Why are airports -- so close to major cities and teaming with people -- unable to provide weary and bored travelers something delicious, something fresh, something unique? If I ran an airport I would want travelers wondering my terminals to experience the best that my region has to offer. Many travelers, especially the international ones, may only be there for layover and not actually leave the airport. Their exposure to American culture may come from their 4-hour layover in Atlanta. The way things stand now, it’s no wonder the US has a poor food reputation internationally!

And then, last Friday, it came to me -- food carts! I had just come from dinner with friends at the food carts on SE 12th and Hawthorne Street in Portland, OR. These tiny shacks (with 1 to 3 people working in them) are producing delicious, interesting, casual fair that is sometimes but not usually healthy! I would love to be able to buy a wood-oven baked spinach and mushroom pizza and cucumber & tomato salad at an airport for $12. At the food carts on 12th and Hawthorn, you have your choice of crispy Belgium fries with dozens of interesting dipping sauces, deep-fried pies, crepes with both savory and sweet fillings, shrimp po'boy sandwiches, the list goes on. These quasi-restaurateurs have learned how to make an interesting and relatively diverse menu that can be served, literally, out of a shed equipped with electricity and a sink. The diversity that the food carts are unable to offer their customers is created by the clustering effect. At 12th and Hawthorne, the formerly vacant has a little something for everyone, including French, Italian, Mexican and Southern food.

Maybe some of these entrepreneurs could share their “best practices” with airport food vendors. Many of the challenges and opportunities seem similar. They both have limited space, as a group of vendors they both need to offer variety, their clientele is looking for something quick and delicious, they both need to meet the county health inspection requirements, and both fill a strange place in the food service industry between restaurant and drive-through.

So, here’s to more collaboration for better airport food!

For more Portland food cart information:

Yelp reviews of food carts at 12th & Hawthorne
Great article in Oregon Business about the food cart industry
A cool shorter video on Portland food carts produced by the New York Times Frugal Traveler
A very official looking website Food Carts Portland Oregon has all the info hungry customer could want
Food Cartology, a report authored by the City of Portland and graduate students at Portland State's College of Urban Planning, that discusses the business case and policy requirements for food carts

Sweet Summer Strawberries

2010-07-13T05:38:00.000-07:00

Well, for those of you in New England, I hope you were quick enough to grab a few strawberries before the early heat-wave brought the season to an end! I missed it, but I am looking forward to raspberries, which are my favorite!

Every strawberry season brings a new bout of concern for me and my sustainable agriculture buddies . . . are organic strawberries really organic? How far were my strawberries shipped? Who picked them? These are all legitimate concerns, but not all will be addressed here today.

Today is about a new pesticide that was approved by California's Department of Pesticide Regulation called methyl iodide or Iodomethane. Sounds yummy right? Methyl iodide is coming into replace methyl bromide which was banned by the Montreal Protocol due to it's ozone destroying properties. Sustainable ag and organic groups are asserting that methyl iodide is dangerous to human health, fear it will contaminate water supplies, and want it banned. Conventional strawberry farmers (as opposed to organic strawberry farmers) see it as necessary to strawberry production. Methyl bromide is banned so they should be allowed to use the next available broad-spectum fumigant available, methyl iodide.

The reality is that this is a very complicated issue driven by politics on both sides and a consumer base that loves eating inexpensive strawberries year-round. Case in point:

There are some pesticide free strawberry farming techniques out there, but they still require regular crop rotations and a less intense operation than most strawberry farmers are accustomed too. (For more information you can check out the UC Davis Sustainable Agriculture website or the ATTRA page on sustainable strawberry production.)
California produces 86% of U.S. fresh and frozen strawberries. The nearly 2 billion pound crop is valued at approximately $2.1 by USDA. This is no small number when you consider the financial woes of California right now.
Many of the strawberry farms boarder densely populated areas making pesticide drift a legitimate concern. The cities of Salinas and Watsonville produce over half of California's strawberry crop.
Both methyl bromide and methyl iodide are mixed with another broad spectrum fumigant, chloropicrin. Chlorocicrin was originally developed for chemical warfare but is now used as a fumigant and nematicide. Of course it is important to remember that dose matters in this situation and other chemicals that are lethal in high doses such as warfarin can be used for good in the heart medication Coumadin.

I think that we consumers need to continue to vote with our forks. We need to stop eating the obese, hard, tasteless strawberries. The gastronomist in all of us is gagging. The organic farming folks need to stop scaring mothers about pesticides and keep advocating for farming that does not necessitate that a farmer grow only strawberries practically year-round in order to make a living (aka: monocroping). The scare tactics are cheapening the cause plus you sound paranoid when you don't trust the EPA's toxicologists.

Now that I've opened Pandora's strawberry production box . . . what do you do? I myself advocate for eating strawberries in season (they need less pesticides if they are grown when mother nature intended) and try to find out who the farmer is and what his beliefs are on using pesticides. Ask questions, become an engaged consumer, get to know your farmer and your food!

The Importance of Soil

2010-06-23T05:19:00.000-07:00

We Need Compost! from Kertis Creative on Vimeo.

Summer Solstice

2010-06-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

Today is the longest day of the year, the summer solstice. The power of the sun to create life was revered in many ancient cultures and celebrated on the solstice. Here are some interesting food related facts about midsummer or solstice that I found on the website www.chiff.com:

Pagans called the Midsummer moon the "Honey Moon" for the mead made from fermented honey that was part of wedding ceremonies performed at the Summer Solstice.
Ancient Pagans celebrated Midsummer with bonfires, when couples would leap through the flames, believing their crops would grow as high as the couples were able to jump.
Midsummer was thought to be a time of magic, when evil spirits were said to appear. To thwart them, Pagans often wore protective garlands of herbs and flowers. One of the most powerful of them was a plant called 'chase-devil', which is known today as St. John's Wort and still used by modern herbalists as a mood stabilizer.

If you are interested in learning more about seasonal eating and food traditions I have to recommend the book Full Moon Feasts: Food and the Hunger of Connection by Jessica Prentice. The chapter related to the current moon cycle is called the "Mead Moon" and discusses the use of honey to make fermented drinks in different cultures around the world, the use of alcohol in religious ceremonies, and some recipes (including one to make your own honey mead).

Souk al Tayab

2010-06-12T06:41:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day in Lebanon and I went to Souk al Tayeb, the countries only western-style farmers' market. I have to say I was pretty impressed! There were people selling all sorts of delicious fresh, canned, dried, and cooked food. We bought jibni saaj (cheese wrap) from our friends from the Aakar region. (We stayed at their women-run eco-lodge outside Hermel in northern Lebanon last week.)

At the farmer's market I saw, smelled, and tasted:

Cherries, lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, carrots, grapefruit, bananas, berries
Bread, cakes, cookies, saaj, fatayer
Dried herbs, spices, beans, milk
Fresh cheeses and milk
Honey
Flowers and potted plants

Sipping on fresh carrot juice and taking in the scene, I could almost picture myself back in the Berkeley farmers' market (minus the buzz of French and Arabic in the background).

The market is the work of the food writer Kamal Mouzawak. Producers pay $25 each Saturday to bring their wares to the market. Souk al Tayeb provides tents, which are a must in the hot Mediterranean sun, tables, and of course lots of very nice marketing and outreach for the market.

The market itself definitely caters to upper-class Beiruties and expats looking not only for fresh and organic food but also for a deeper connecting to where their food comes from. They come to taste traditionally prepared preserves, talk to the farmers, and to feel a connection to the earth and nature that one cannot really find within the hectic confines of the city.

(Photos to come.)

Race, Class, & Gender in the Sustainable Food Movement

2010-06-09T23:57:00.000-07:00

I just came across a great posting on the blog, Racalicious. The author, Janani Balasubramanian seems to hit the nail on the head: the sustainable food movement appeals to the white and privileged American class through it's role models and language.

Balasubramanian points Michael Pollen's male-centric concept of food culture erosion in the United States. She writes, "Pollan and others situate the current state of American consumption in a patriarchal paradigm." I have to say, after hearing Pollen speak and reading his articles and books, I came away with the same impression. Although probably not intentional, he seems to pin the blame for the lack of cooking skills in the U.S. on women rather than applauding their ascend into the public worker sphere.

These issues of race, class, and gender have irked me for a while and it's nice to see someone write so eloquently about it. However, as a solutions oriented person, I would like to see some step that I can take to start shifting the identity of the movement.

(Cross-posted on NEFOOD and Culinate)

What is nutritious?

2010-05-06T08:30:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I've officially decided that knowing what is nutritious food requires an advanced degree in nutrition and possibly food science. While in New Orleans for the American Planning Association conference I came across this great poster in the French Quarter. In case you were worried, apparently Po'boy sandwiches are nutritious! If you read the fine print you will see that the po'boy recipes analyzed here have no cheese, mayo, or even fried fish of any sort. Essentially is is a dry subway sandwich or hoagie depending upon which northern region you're from.

Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People

2010-05-03T07:04:00.001-07:00

Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People picked up on how important food is and the people who make sure we're all getting nutritious, clean, safe, and affordable food. The former head of my department, and adviser for my first year of graduate school, Kathleen Merrigan made the cut! (As did the food writer, Michael Pollen.) Merrigan and Pollen are in the category of "Thinkers" which just goes to show how complex our food system is. Merrigan is honored not only for her ability to fully comprehend the complexities of the food system, but also for her political savvy to navigate the web of relationships that bring us the food we eat. Appropriately, Dan Barber, a food-advocate chef, wrote the piece on her.

National Nutrition Month: Nutrition from the Ground Up

2010-03-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

Guess what?! It's National Nutrition Month. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) organizes a National Nutrition Month each March. This year's theme is "Nutrition from the Ground Up." To me, this slogan asks us to take the whole food environment into the picture of nutrition. From the nutrients and quality of the soil to the availability and freshness of the food found in your neighborhood. From the health of the workers picking the fresh fruits and vegetables essential to a health diet to the impact that administering non-therapeutic levels of antibiotics in livestock has on human health. The time for taking a more holistic view of nutrition has come. It is time to look at "Nutrition from the Ground Up."

Unfortunately, the ADA website for National Nutrition Month has no information related to this broader definition of nutrition. But do not despair -- there are people trying to change that. Like the ADA practice group "Hunger and Environmental Nutrition" known by the acronym, HEN. (Interestingly, when I tried to link back to the ADA website from the HEN website the link was not working . . . . Is the group sending a subtle message that they wish to distance themselves from the ADA?)

Two registered dietitians (RD) that I know of that share my view of a more holistic definition of nutrition are Ashley Copaart, RD and nearly MS, is the author of the blog "Ethicurean Ideal" and writer on Park Wilde, PhD's blog "U.S. Food Policy". Ashley is also a member of HEN.

The other RD, MS who embraces a ground up perspective on nutrition is Melinda Hemmelgarn. She has a wonderful radio program on the topic that you can listen to/download called "KOPN Food Slueth." I am sure there are more out there, but these two have been quite vocal about their position and applaud them for that!

Local Fresh Food in Hospital Cafeteria

2010-02-24T10:51:00.001-08:00

I just came across an article about a hospital in Montana that is sourcing local, fresh food for their cafeteria. This is related to my earlier post on Fanny Farmer about putting nutritious and appetizing food into hospitals. Granted, it's mainly staff that frequent the cafeteria, but they deserve good food too!

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