A couple weeks ago, tomatoes went off the shelves in groceries and off the plates in restaurants after being connected to a salmonella outbreak. It’s not the tomatoes themselves that are infected, it’s the processing plants where they’re packed, or turned into other products that are causing the problems. The outbreak continues, the FDA continues to flounder, and Sarah and I can only wonder: why aren’t more people talking about locally grown and packed produce that not only tastes better, but is more likely safer (and certainly easier to control in the event of a problem like salmonella)? I realize not everywhere in the country is great for tomato growing (we’re spoiled here in Maryland–throw tomato seeds on the ground and wait), but there are plenty of hydroponic and potted plant options if your soil isn’t conducive.
Meg’s short list of solutions to the tomato crisis:
1. Shop farmers markets or locally grown sections in your grocery for regional tomatoes
2. Grow your own
3. Be the person that creates the Tomato of the Month club
4. Buy lesser processed tomatoes (like those still on the vine)
5. Write the FDA and encourage more regionalized produce inspection processes, like the ones the USDA has for meat processing plants
6. Vive la difference: take this moment of doubt as an opportunity to try other veg. I’m a fan of peaches for similar texture and tart. Try a peach, swiss, turkey burger with lots of pepper, and red onions (if onions are your thing). Fruit is pretty awesome in salads, and makes a wicked salsa when you combine it with the right herbs.
Behold, my friends, foodtube.net. It’s a foodie video aggregation site that gathers the best of cooking how to, restaurant reviews and other food fun from across the web. Fantastic!
I’m overjoyed that my fellow foodie is coming home with me for Thanksgiving. Complete with frilly guest room, the grand tour of Hampton, VA, and more than likely a couple embarrassing stories, it’s going to be a hell of a time. That aside, what’s the real purpose of Thanksgiving: dinner and thanks for it.
So what are we making?
Right now, it’s unclear whether or not we’re making turkey breasts or the whole bird. I have a small family; there will only be seven us with Sarah. So, the fun is in the sides and dessert.
My family, like so many families, is pretty attached to traditional Thanksgiving food so we can’t go too wild. But here’s what I have in mind so far:
Goes like this:
3 Granny Smith Apples
1 bunch celery
¾ cup of caramelized pecans (roast pecans in butter and brown sugar)
Dressing:
¼ cup of lemon juice
1 tbs traditional country French mustard
1 tbs maple syrup
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Slice the apples into thin slices, chop celery and throw in the pecans. Add the dressing. Toss well. Serve immediately.
5. I’m hoping to try one of our beloved Mark Bittman’s gravy recipes. I roasted a duck last weekend (and foolishly failed to take tissues) and tried to make gravy, but failed. I should’ve consulted a recipe, ha!
6. Frozen brussels sprouts, buttered, salted and peppered.
7. I am contemplating making biscuits, but it might not be in the cards.
8. Somebody should tell us how to make stuffing. Please?
I made a new discovery today: Google Recipe Search! It’s got drop down menus to select ingredients, cuisine, course, number of servings, language and it looks like it has all my favorite recipe sights indexed. Outstanding!
Beets are great. I’m talking about the vegi here not the cartoon band (not that I don’t love the band or anything else related to Doug for that matter). They’re good for you and tasty and easy to prepare. Plus they’re awfully pretty. For some reason I can’t explain I haven’t cooked beets at home for several years but last night I was feeling inspired and, having bought the last bunch that the Giant offered, I roasted myself some beets. It’s remarkably easy; all you do is wash some beats, drizzle them with oil and wrap them in a layer or two of aluminum foil. Pop ‘em in a 425° oven for 45 minutes to an hour or until tender, remove and let cool. When they’re cool, just peel the beets (this is an easy but messy task and should be done over the sink) and either slice them or cut them into wedges. Now what does one do with such goodness? I’m glad so you asked! Read the rest of this entry »
Some folks give Hump Day a bad rap. Personally, it’s one of my favorites. By the time Wednesday is over, you’re closer to the weekend than not. The Anacostia Farmer’s Market is open. But most importantly, the Washington Post and New York Times dining and food sections come out. Between the two: the most fun I can have with $1.35. I have the option to read them online, but I won’t. It’s a totally ritualistic thing for me to go down to Trover on the Hill and buy my papers. Like St. Exupery says, “Il faut des rites.”
In other news, I made salt and pepper salmon, tomato and mozerella salad, and Boyfriend Mashed Potatos last night. Cassie (of pizza fame) sent me a pasta sauce recipe this morning:
“All you do is slice up one fennel bulb and one shallot. Saute those in olive oil for a few minutes then add a pinch of sugar, 1.25 cups of tomato sauce and 1t. oregano. Simmer on low heat for 10-12 minutes and then toss with 8 oz. penne and serve with crumbled bleu cheese on top. It was fantastic and fantastically simple.” I think I’ll try it next week!
Today, I’m considering going to the Bed, Bath and Beyond after work for a citrus juicer thing on a stick. You know, those wooden ones? But, I could just as easily go home and make curry. We’ll see.
For those of you who don’t know (and you should all know) last Saturday marked both Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby. As a girl who grew up far from the world of horse racing and is about as white as a girl can be, I’m not really into the holidays themselves (is the Derby a holiday?) but I am quite fond of the consumables associated with them. Cinco de Mayo of course means Mexican food and margaritas and Derby day can’t be celebrated without mint juleps and a healthy dose of southern fried fare. As this last sentence summed up a large part of the category “Sarah’s favorite foods,” I was presented with a bit of a dilemma: do I opt for enchiladas and margaritas or juleps and grits? Read the rest of this entry »
In cooking, as in life, necessity is indeed the mother of invention. I have two oddly prohibitive factors at work in my kitchen right now:
1. My fridge can’t seem to hold a temperature for more than 24 hours. My food is either near frozen or spoiling instantly.
2. Last Saturday, I was boiling some yucca to take to a friend’s place for pre-dinner starchy goodness (pictures to come). I removed the pot from the burner, drained the yucca, and was bagging it, when I accidentally set the plastic bag down on the not quite cool burner, meaning that I now have a thin coating on my left front that I’m not sure how to remedy.
Last night I found myself wanting some kind of Mexican pico salad type thing and pan-fried tuna with lime. In a perfect world, I would have included spinach (but I don’t buy greens anymore because they spoil on me) and rice (but I didn’t want to use the other front burner). I was worried I was going to end up mixing a gross hodge podge of leftovers, taking a bite, and waiting for breakfast the next day. Instead, my creation look a bit like this, and it was delicious:
1/2 tomato
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
garlic (I think maybe 1/2 clove? Leftover from… something)
cilantro
juice of 1 lime
black beans
chick peas
white shoe peg corn
probably 3 big spoonfuls of plain yogurt
Texas Pete, 5-10 shakes of the bottle
Mix all that up, lay your tuna grilled in lime and cilantro on top, give it a couple shakes of cumin, and enjoy. I certainly did. Took me about 10 minutes total.
A couple weeks ago, tomatoes went off the shelves in groceries and off the plates in restaurants after being connected to a salmonella outbreak. It’s not the tomatoes themselves that are infected, it’s the processing plants where they’re packed, or turned into other products that are causing the problems. The outbreak continues, the FDA continues to flounder, and Sarah and I can only wonder: why aren’t more people talking about locally grown and packed produce that not only tastes better, but is more likely safer (and certainly easier to control in the event of a problem like salmonella)? I realize not everywhere in the country is great for tomato growing (we’re spoiled here in Maryland–throw tomato seeds on the ground and wait), but there are plenty of hydroponic and potted plant options if your soil isn’t conducive. 
