lperry

^ Good lord. And to think. I was happy to read about the new veggie burgers and salads.

Another - I have a half hour to cook - dinner last night. Whole wheat penne with pan roasted asparagus, locatelli cheese, and balsamic vinegar to top Yali pear for dessert

A single bowl dinner: Whole wheat penne with broccoli raab (sautéed in EVOO and garlic), feta cheese and pine nuts with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar I'm still working with pasta as recommended by Bittman in a Minimalist column - at least twice as much veg as pasta. So for this dish, it was a big bunch of broccolini, maybe a pound and a half before cooking, and a cup of dried pasta for the both of us. It worked out perfectly for two people.

I'm there with you. Especially now that it is all starting to make perfect sense. Why does the creamiest macaroni and cheese start with a bechamel? Why is there a pinch of cornstarch in cheese fondue? Why doesn't yogurt curdle when you cook it in Indian dishes that contain potatoes? I'll now file this information away with all the other things I wish I had figured out a really long time ago.

This is fascinating. If the hypothesis in the link is correct, any starch (corn, potato, wheat, water chestnut etc.) should have the same effect on any protein that might clump. Or for that matter, even if the hypothesis is incorrect, it will still probably work for reasons unknown. What an excellent tip! And a good way to use up all those weird flours I've got in the cabinet. Thank you, Zora!

This idea may sound odd, but when I was a grad student, some of the students from New Mexico used roasted chiles to top pizza. I don't know if this invention was theirs or not, but I do remember that it tasted pretty good. I am amazed as well. I'm going to spend way too much time trying to figure out why that works. Last night: Soba noodles and julienned carrots in a peanut sauce Shanghai cabbage spiced with Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning. This worked really well for some inexplicable reason.

Someone in the White House understands the importance of symbolism. Either that or the next cause is environmentally safe oxygen bleach... This morning in the Times: A nice piece that discusses big policy issues (child health, global warming etc.) linked to food production. I think they did a good job of covering both proponents and opponents. I, for one, am cheering for the underdogs. Link

This weekend: spring onions, bibb and butterhead lettuces, arugula, cress, carrots, and parsley. If I post it here it will guarantee I'll get out there and plant. Does anyone have suggestions for growing Charentais melons?

I must have been blinded by my ideals.

If bags of iceberg and fresh meat are progress, why is this bad? Every journey begins with a single step. If Michelle Obama is bringing more attention to the issues, more power to her. Why call it "calamari?" What's wrong with "squid?" Happy eating!

^Maybe the movements have a PR problem if their goals are being interpreted as an all-or-nothing lifestyle. I think they are more interested in sparking debate and encouraging people to think about their food. For a myriad of reasons, food habits are very difficult to change, and I think it's wonderful that someone is out there lighting a candle instead of simply cursing the darkness. There is a nice editorial in the Times this morning that is relevant to this discussion, I think. The writer is concerned about access to fresh produce in poor, urban areas. Link here. I find the trend very positive. Would this issue have appeared in the paper if there was not a White House garden planned? Probably not. This is progress. Baby steps, yes, but progress toward the eventual goal of everyone having access to fresh food.

Tonight: Korean soybean sprout salad Edamame and whole wheat penne in a peanut/lime/soy dressing

^Maybe I worded things poorly. I don't think anyone expects everyone to grow and put up all their food anymore unless that is something they wish to do. One of the benefits of adopting agriculture is that some people in our society get to do things other than produce their food. However, for the record, some of us actually enjoy the "drudgery" of canning and preserving as my freezer and cupboards will attest. It is not difficult, just time consuming, and we all choose how best to use our spare time. For me, canning brings back memories of staying up late shelling, blanching, and bagging peas and butterbeans, or spending the weekend shucking and scraping corn, or putting up pint after pint of jelly and jam. Each time I take a jar out of the pantry, I see fruit and sugar, but also wonderful times spent with my family. It gives me both comfort and pleasure. On the other hand, there's not enough money in this world to make me want to be a media consultant. I'm happy to allow someone else that particular task. As to the articles cited above, it seems to me that the point that is trying to be made by both programs are that many people have lost sight of where food comes from and what constitutes healthful food. If you learn that food plants grow better in good soil, maybe you will want to take care of the soil. If you see how much work goes into producing plant foods, maybe you will respect and support the farmer. If you eat a freshly picked vegetable and taste how wonderful it is, maybe you will spend a little more time in the produce section of the grocery store to the betterment of your health. I think these are some of the values, among many others, that a White House garden and Alice Waters' programs help foster. How can that be bad for the country?

Something that struck me is that people now consider fresh from the farm food to be something that is only available to the rich. My money-poor but fresh food-rich farming ancestors would find this turn interesting, I think. My favorite quote from my late Grandmother was a comment she made to a produce manager who was explaining to her and my mother how fresh the squash in the store were. "I leave the likes of that in the field." This from a woman who raised five children on an income that ranged from miniscule to nonexistent. Elitist? I don't think so. Just the standards of someone who spent her entire life eating straight from the field. I'm proud that she passed those standards on to me, and I plant a garden not because we can't afford to buy food, but because what I grow tastes better than what I can buy. It also connects me to my past, and for about $20 worth of seeds for the year, that's a small price to pay for all I receive in return. I realize that not everyone has a place to grow food, and the difference is often urban vs. suburban or rural, but as city community gardens sprout up and children are taught in school how to grow plants, things may change. I really hope they do.

Yikes! I knew I had been traumatized by those damn rocks, but I didn't realize how much. Now I'm having Spinal Tap flashbacks...

Healthy would then refer to the process of eating, as in, "the eating is not ill, it is healthy." Although I suppose the food itself might be enjoying excellent health up until the point it is eaten. Food or eating habits that are healthful will impart good health upon the eater thus rendering the person healthy. As for Alice Waters, I love her Chez Panisse Pasta and Vegetable books. I'm all for her cause. I am currently nursing aching muscles where I didn't know I had muscles, all from double digging a 4" x 8" lettuce bed Wednesday afternoon. Three or four more to go in a sunnier part of the yard for the plants that want the heat. Home grown food is so satisfying.

I can practically walk to that store, and now I have another reason to shop there. I've been wanting some young ginger for pickling, so if anyone sees it, I would love a heads up.

Mr. lperry wants to lose 20 pounds, so I am lightening up dinner more than usual. Night before last: Mixed green salad Roasted fingerling potatoes with chipotle sauce Last night: Waldorf salad with dried cranberries in a cinnamon and nutmeg spiced dressing Beer/soda bread with walnuts and dried cranberries (made with 1/2 whole wheat flour) For me, about 1/3 of a cookie that fell in a timely manner from Mr. lperry's jacket (we do what we can )

One of those weird clean out dinners: Sun dried tomato and herbed goat cheese quesadillas on chipotle tortillas A green salad with baked tofu marinated in a honey ginger sauce If you put enough time between the two, they kind of worked together...

And SFW at Potomac Yards pays off! Both Ting *and* D&G ginger beer just one aisle across from where I buy dried beans all the time. (Doh!) Nice day for a dark and stormy.

I am intrigued by the possibility of whisk-less polenta. When you cool this is it thick enough to slice and pan fry?

I love blues, possibly a side effect of growing up with a stilton aficionado. I'll look for the Cashel next time I head to Costco (thanks for the recommendation), and I'll recommend the Billy Blue goat cheese from Cheesetique. It has a nice tang to it that worked really well in a salad with walnuts and a sherry vinaigrette.

Roquefort on toast. Mmmmmmmm.

^ Over-watering is a different animal than watering when the plant is wilted. If you water herbs when they don't appear to be suffering from water stress, you will lose a lot of the flavor by effectively diluting the essential oils in the plant. You get more plant, but less mintiness (for lack of a better word). The same thing happens with hot pepper crops in wet, rainy years - you make your dish and wonder where the heat is. A dry year, however, will give you that nice burn.

Good to know. I've got lettuce seeds and onion sets, and i thought I had to wait until April.