Autumn Vineyard (© Rachell Coe | Dreamstime.com)
Oregonians are known to be wine lovers and the state’s wineries are giving them and wine drinkers everywhere plenty of fine wine to love. Those wineries are highly regarded for their Pinot Noirs, a grape variety that is difficult to cultivate, but when in the right hands it produces some of the finest wines in the world.
Winetasters John Brecher and Dottie Gaiter of the Wall Street Journal have just taken a taste of the state of Oregon’s Pinot Noirs and they were not disappointed. The article recalls that just three years ago they “cautioned that many good Oregon Pinots were very hard to find and that most were pricey.” Thankfully, that is no longer the case. There are now about 400 wineries and 17,000 acres of vineyards in Oregon.
It’s not just the amount of wine the state is producing that impresses. The tasters for the Journal have “been fascinated with the growth, not just in size but in quality.” The writers offer that high praise after a decade of sampling and their recent research was impressively thorough. The two tasters note that there are now good Oregon Pinots for $20 or less and for this article they bought 50 bottles after setting a price limit of $60.
The article is accompanied by a listing of eight favorites, “The Dow Jones Oregon Pinot Noir Index.” Most are from wineries in the Willamette Valley, but there’s one from the Rogue Valley as well. They write, “These are great with all kinds of food, from roast chicken to lamb, and would be a lovely accompaniment to your Thanksgiving dinner.”
How much will a good bottle of Oregon Pinot set you back? Good news, two of the picks were priced at less than $20 a bottle and there was one at $29.99.
If you’d like to read the Wall Street Journal article cited above go to: The State of Oregon Pinot
To learn more about Oregon's fine wines & exploring the state's beautiful wine country go to: Oregon Wine Center
Fresh Guacamole (© Photographer: Graça Victoria | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
These are anxious times with household budgets tightening, unemployment on the rise, and financial markets struggling to stabilize. In response, Real Age has published a list of seven foods believed to reduce anxiety.
Berries of all kinds, guacamole, mixed nuts, oranges, asparagus, chai tea, and dark chocolate made the Real Age list. With each food they provide an explanation as to how these foods reduce stress levels. Healthy amounts of vitamin C, E, B vitamins, and folic acid are all said to having calming effects. How you eat them counts, no hoovering down the berries like candy. Chai tea doesn’t do the job with nutrients, but as a warm aromatic drink it is “a super soother.” (Real Age recommends decaf.)
As for dark chocolate, Real Age says:
Okay, there's nothing in it that relieves stress, but when only chocolate will do, reach for the dark, sultry kind that's at least 70% cocoa. You figure if the antioxidant flavonoids in it are potent enough to fight cancer and heart disease, they've got to be able to temper tension's effects.
If you’d like to read the Real Age article as published by Yahoo! and cited above go to: 7 Foods That Fight Anxiety
If you’d like to try some fantastic Fair Trade, dark chocolate from Theo in Seattle, our favorite chocolate maker, click on either of the following:
Organic Chocolate from Ghana's Cacao (84%)
Organic Chocolate from the Ivory Coast's Cacao (74%)
For an excellent guacamole recipe go to: Super (Guacamole) Bowl Sunday
Farmers Market Pumpkins (photo by Mary K. Baird, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The Fall Harvest is in full swing across the northern states with seasonal produce on display at markets and farm stands. This recipe is the creation of Vermont Organic Valley dairy farmer Amy Forgues and makes a classic seasonal soup. With cooler winds beginning to blow a bowl of her hearty pumpkin soup is just the thing to keep you warm and healthy.
Organic Valley is a farmer-owned coop that says, “We think it's a simple truth. The earth's most delicious, most healthful foods are made when farmers work in harmony with nature.” The organization started with seven farmers forming an organic cooperative in 1988. Today, more than 1,200 family farms are members and their high standards shine through in their delicious, award-winning, certified organic foods.
As always, try and get the freshest veggies you can find at your local farm stand or farmers market!
Ingredients
• 2 Tablespoons Organic Valley Salted Butter
• 1/4 Cup green bell pepper (diced)
• 1 Small onion (peeled and chopped)
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1 Teaspoon sea salt
• 2 Cups canned pumpkin*
• 2 Cups Organic Valley Whole Milk
• 2 Cups chicken stock (or substitute vegetable stock)
• Dash thyme (crumbled)
• Dash nutmeg
• 1 Tablespoon parsley (chopped)
Preparation
1. In a large kettle, over medium low heat, melt butter, then add: green pepper and onion, saute until soft. Sprinkle flour and sea salt over the top to thicken.
2. Then add pumpkin, milk, chicken stock, herbs and spices to taste. Cook until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.
3. Enjoy! For thanksgiving this soup is nice served in baked jack-be-little pumpkins
Copyright by Organic Valley Family of Farms ©
*There's some question as to whether fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin is better. Many say that either choice will produce a very different tasting soup. If you substitute fresh pumpkins for canned make sure the fresh is well drained & pureed Smaller pumpkins tend to be sweeter than the big ones. To do a little online research on this, copy & paste "canned pumpkin vs fresh pumpkin" into a search box and you'll find lots of advice.
To visit the web site of the farmers' coop go to: Organic Valley Family of Farms
To view all the recipes on the American Feast web site go to: American Feast's Recipe Collection
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Salmon Nigiri Sushi (photo by Michael Connors, courtesy of morguefile.com)
About 70 sushi restaurants have opened in Dallas over the past two years, bringing the city’s total to 300, according to the Dallas Morning News, “a clear sign that North Texans' tastes are changing.”
The development is attributed to diners’ perception that sushi is a delicious and healthy choice, “taking the place of salty chips and greasy burgers for some Dallas diners.” The article goes on to say that, “New sushi restaurant owners said sales are so good that they're ready to open new locations.”
If you’d like to read the Dallas Morning News article cited above go to: Sushi's catching on in Dallas-Fort Worth, say restaurateurs, suppliers
Dallas Farmers Market (photo by Doug Ferber)
Don't you want to know where your food comes from? You can find out at your local Farmers Market. Stacey Caldwell, President of the Dallas Farmers Market Friends, a non-profit organization benefiting the Dallas Farmers Market, says that if you want quality, fresh produce, Dallas Farmers Market is the place and so is your local farmers market. In this 4-part interview, Stacey tells American Feast's Doug Ferber how her market has evolved over the years, and why it is important to your community that you support local and regional farmers.
To listen to Part 1 of the podcast interview click: here
To listen to Part 2 of the podcast interview click: here
To listen to Part 3 of the podcast interview click: here
To listen to Part 4 of the podcast interview click: here.
Visit the Dallas Farmers Market Friends home page at www.dfmfriends.org.
Cook’s Tools (photo by Anna Kirsten Dickie, courtesy of morguefile.com)
TheFreeDictionary.com says a foodie is “A person who has an ardent or refined interest in food; a gourmet.” That may be concise and accurate, but we came across a definition we thought got more to the spirit of the matter on Foodies.com:
On the curriculum vitae of a foodie, "eating" is listed as a hobby. The foodie lives to eat, and to eat to live is definitive boredom. A true foodie clings to all things culinary. From soup to nuts, a foodie seeks out the fun stuff about fine fare, along with the arcane, the academic, the in-depth, and the latest. To find the perfect cheese or the best macaroon recipe is life's work.
We also found Foodies.com to be a great place to pick up some “All American recipes
from the nation's melting pot” that almost any home cook should find well within his or her abilities.
If you’d like to visit the web site cited above go to: Foodies.com
Hannah Kaminsky's Vegan Cheesecake (photo courtesy of Boston Vegetarian Society)
If you love great food that’s good for your health and the heath of our planet, get yourself to the 13th Annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival on Saturday, November 1st, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center at 1350 Tremont Street. The longest-running event of its kind in the country, the Festival offers Free admission, Free food sampling, and Free parking!
Fantastic Food, Fun & Learning
With 120 exhibitors, the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival is a full day of fun, good food, and learning! It is a chance to explore and taste free samples of a great variety of delicious and natural vegetarian foods, talk to food exhibitors from all over the country, learn about the latest veggie products, and shop for special "show priced" bargains. There’s also fun with nonfood exhibitors such as a producer of high-fashion, animal-friendly women's dress shoes. Book and cookbook publishers, educational exhibits on protecting animals and the environment, and a children's activity center will round out the day.
Stellar Speakers & Cooking Demonstrations
The Festival also offers a stellar lineup of top national speakers and superb chefs. They will bring cutting edge nutrition information as well as the how-to's of delicious plant-based eating in presentations that are lively and often hilarious as well. The talented chefs will teach mouth-watering dishes and share kitchen tips, while other experts will speak on living in harmony with animals and the environment.
The Festival's national speakers:
• Sarah Kramer, hip British Columbian author of the cookbook "La Dolce Vegan!" and coauthor of "How It All Vegan!" and "The Garden of Vegan". Her latest book is "Vegan à Go-Go: A Cookbook & Survival Manual for Vegans on the Road".
• Hannah Kaminsky, 19-year old author of the cookbook "My Sweet Vegan" and the Bittersweet Blog, is passionate about dessert. She will give a cooking demo of some of her dairy- and egg-free desserts that will rock your world.
• jae steele, registered holistic nutritionist from Canada, and author of "Get It Ripe: A Fresh Take on Vegan Cooking and Living". In this cooking demo jae will teach whole foods breakfasts and lunches that will keep you energized for the day.
• Danielle Nierenberg, Senior Fellow with the Worldwatch Institute, expert on animal agriculture's impact on the environment and climate change.
• T. Colin Campbell, world-famous nutritional biochemist, author of "The China Study", leader of the renowned Cornell, Oxford, China study on how diet effects health. Topic: "Understanding the Scientific Evidence for a Plant-Based Diet"
• Michael Greger, MD, packs a ton of vegan nutrition information in a hilarious package. His talk, "The Latest in Human Nutrition-2008," will present cutting-edge nutrition research of the last 12 months in a lively style.
• Karen Dawn, author of "Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals", and creator of the animal advocacy media listserv DawnWatch, counts celebrities and critters among her personal friends in advancing the animal cause.
Delicious! (photo courtesy of Boston Vegetarian Society)
Sponsored by Boston Vegetarian Society
The sponsoring organization, the Boston Vegetarian Society, is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization. The organization seeks to make a better world for people, animals, and the earth through advancing a healthful vegetarian diet and a compassionate ethic. It provides education, encouragement, and community support for vegetarians and for anyone wishing to learn more about a healthy, environmentally friendly and humane way of life.
To get more info on the Festival and learn more about the sponsoring organization go to: Boston Vegetarian Society
Weight Control ((photo by Clara Natoli, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Reuters has reported that “People who eat quickly until full are three times more likely to be overweight, a problem exacerbated by the availability of fast food and the decline of orderly dining habits.”
The findings were made by Hiroyasu Iso and colleagues at Japan’s Osaka University and published in the British Medical Journal. According to Reuters, “They cited as causes both the availability of cheap food in big portions and habits like watching television while eating.”
The problem is becoming increasingly international as well. The Reuters article says, “The World Health Organization classifies around 400 million people as obese, 20 million of them under the age of five. The condition raises the risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart problems.” The epidemic of obesity continues to spread in the United States, with more than 25% of Americans classified as obese by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
The Osaka University study found that parents should encourage children prone to obesity “to eat slowly and in calm surroundings.”
If you’d like to read the Reuters article cited above go to: Speedy eaters seen likelier to get fat
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Water Pour (© Photographer: Tracy Hebden | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
A study has found that bottled water contains many of the same contaminants as tap water. A report from the Associated Press states, “The findings challenge the popular impression — and marketing pitch — that bottled water is purer than tap water, the researchers say.”
Some time back we published an item on the trend toward serving tap water at some of America’s finest restaurants, including Incanto in San Francisco, Poggio in Sausalito, and Chez Panisse in Berkeley. Chez Panise now serves house-made sparkling water. The owners and chefs of many fine restaurants have decided that since bottled water requires great amounts of fossil fuels for production, packaging, and transportation, tap water is the sustainable choice.
The AP article quotes Jane Houlihan, an environmental engineer who co-authored the study, as saying, "In some cases, it appears bottled water is no less polluted than tap water and, at 1,900 times the cost, consumers should expect better.” According to the article, “The researchers recommend that people worried about water contaminants drink tap water with a carbon filter.”
One particular finding reported by AP was particularly disturbing:
The researchers also said the Wal-Mart brand was five times California's limit for one particular chlorine byproduct, bromodichloromethane. The environmental group wants Wal-Mart to label its bottles in California with a warning because the chlorine-based contaminants have been linked with cancer. It has filed a notice of intent to sue.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Shannon Frederick said the company was "puzzled" by the findings because testing by suppliers and another lab had detected no "reportable amounts" of such contaminants. She said Wal-Mart would investigate further but defended the quality of its bottled water.
If you’d like to read the AP article cited above as published by Yahoo! Green go to: Bottled water has contaminants too, study finds
Almond Blossoms (photo by Derek Benjamin Lilly, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Eating almonds significantly decreased levels of oxidative stress in a group of male and female volunteers with elevated cholesterol. It is widely believed that oxidative stress greatly increases the risk of poor cardiovascular health. The study was conducted by scientists funded by the Agricultural Research Service, the Almond Board of California, and the Canada Research Chair Endowment.
According to an article on the study from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service:
While this study helps to show the antioxidant benefit of eating almonds, further research is needed to shed light on the individual contributions of vitamin E and polyphenolic constituents, such as flavonoids, found in almonds and other tree nuts. The study did not demonstrate a minimum amount of dietary almonds that would result in a biological effect.
If you’d like to read the USDA article cited above go to: Antioxidant Effects from Eating Almonds
100% Pure Organic Cotton Apron (photo by Rick Tango)
These sturdily attractive American Feast Cooking Aprons come in the naturally beautiful coloring of 100% pure organic cotton with embroidery done in navy blue organic thread.
Organically grown cotton is a beneficial, caring choice - for you & our planet. Conventionally-grown cotton occupies only 3% of the world's farmland, but uses 25% of the world's chemical pesticides. Most pesticides were originally developed as toxic nerve agents during World War II; so it's no wonder they have been linked to Parkinson's disease & many cancers.
American Feast had these aprons made with the most eco-friendly organic cotton we could find. And we wanted our aprons made in accordance with strict Fair Trade practices. To get what we wanted we worked with Hae Now, a family business with an office in the beautiful San Francisco Bay area. The folks at Hae Now take pride in their clothing & it shows! Premium stitching, classic styling & superior quality make an attractive, durable product that has a lower eco-impact over its lifespan. They recognize that quality & durability are also measures of environmental friendliness!
Hae Now goes to extraordinary lengths to deliver clothing both eco-friendly & labor friendly. Hae Now's eco-friendly practices have been certified by Skal of the Netherlands. The company's Fair Trade practices have been recognized by Oxfam-Benelux & Amnesty International. We're also pleased to report that they use the most eco-friendly transportation mode: the ocean-liner!
If you'd like to purchase an organic apron for yourself or as a sustainable gift for someone special go to: 100% Organic Cotton Cooking Apron
7 Apples (photo by Álvaro Daniel González Lamarque, courtesy of morguefile.com)
A visit to the local supermarket and the farmers market made it clear that we remain in the thick of America’s apple harvest season. Both markets are bursting with a wonderful variety of fresh apples, not to mention newly-pressed, mouth-watering cider.
The continued abundance has us once again turning for apple recipe ideas to Melissa Murphy’s wonderful book, “The Sweet Melissa Baking Book.” Melissa is the founder of one of New York City’s most cherished neighborhood bakeries. She writes in her book, “Apple crumbles are one of the easiest desserts to put together. Just peel and slice the apples, mix the pecan crumble ingredients together and sprinkle them over the top, and pop the crumble into the oven.”
Next time you find yourself in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn we highly recommend you pay a visit to her award-winning Sweet Melissa’s Patisseries at 276 Court Street. Just the aroma makes the visit worthwhile. Follow Melissa’s guidance for this recipe and everyone in your house will savor the aroma while it bakes!
Ingredients
For the Apple Orchard Filling
• 7 Large tart apples (roughly 3 pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch slices (a combination of Macouns, McIntoch, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smiths is great!)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
For the Pecan Crumble
• 3/4 Cup pecan pieces
• 3/4 Cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 Cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 Cup Teaspoon salt
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 Teaspoon ground allspice
• 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Preparation
Before you start, position a rack in the bottom third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 10-inch deep-dish baking dish or 2-quart ovenproof casserole. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
To Make the Filling
1. In a large bowl, stir together the apples and lemon juice. Sprinkle the sugar, cinnamon, and flour over the apples, and stir to combine.
2. Pour the apples into the baking dish.
To Make the Crumble
1. In a large bowl, stir together the pecans, flour, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. Stir in the melted butter.
2. Spread the crumble over the apples.
To Complete the Crumble
1. Place the baking dish on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling and thick.
2. Remove to a wire rack to cool before serving. Serve warm with whipped cream.
Some final words from Melissa, “Fruit crumbles are best eaten the day they are baked, but they do keep better in the refrigerator than pies (no crust!) They can last up to 2 days. Wrap with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Unwrap to warm in the oven or microwave for 30 seconds before serving.”
If you’d like to purchase a copy of Melissa Murphy’s delightful book go to: The Sweet Melissa Baking Book
To view a previous post on Melissa's book go to: The Sweet Melissa Baking Book Review
To purchase some premium baking pecans got to: Bakers Bounty! Fancy Large Premium Black Walnuts & Native Pecan Halves
Creole Chicken (photo by Rick Tango)
iExplore has announced their list of Top Ten Culinary Destinations in the world as determined by their Adventure Travel Consultants. Seasoned foodie travelers will not be surprised to learn that San Francisco and New Orleans made the cut.
New Orleans was actually the top pick. Here's what iExplore had to say about the Big Easy, "Food in New Orleans is a way of life and a big part of the city's charm. Any visit here will mean getting your mouth around dishes such as catfish, jambalaya, gumbo and more." As for the City by the Bay, "San Francisco is the restaurant capital of the country and awash in culinary riches."
Having had the chance to sample the culinary creation of both of cities we can only say that the folks at iExplore made two delicious choices.
If you'd like to view the full list of iExplore's selected destinations go to: Top Ten Culinary Destinations
Wheat & Sky (photo by Cheryl Rankin, courtesy of morguefile.com)
For years the U.S. has enjoyed the world’s cheapest food and borne the world's the highest medical costs. Now, rising prices for food and fuel, along with environmental concerns, are making America's need for a healthier and more sustainable food system ever more urgent
This past weekend the New York Times devoted its Sunday magazine section to the subject of food. It included an excellent piece from author Michael Pollan. Here’s part of what he wrote about the current state of affairs:
Whenever farmers clear land for crops and till the soil, large quantities of carbon are released into the air. But the 20th-century industrialization of agriculture has increased the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the food system by an order of magnitude; chemical fertilizers (made from natural gas), pesticides (made from petroleum), farm machinery, modern food processing and packaging and transportation have together transformed a system that in 1940 produced 2.3 calories of food energy for every calorie of fossil-fuel energy it used into one that now takes 10 calories of fossil-fuel energy to produce a single calorie of modern supermarket food.
Mr. Pollan points out that the situation is all the more absurd since “...every calorie we eat is ultimately the product of photosynthesis — a process based on making food energy from sunshine. There is hope and possibility in that simple fact.”
The article is a call to action for the next President of the United States. The days of cheap food in America may have come to an end as fuel prices have soared and made industrial farming far less cost efficient. Regardless of whether the industrial system can bring back inexpensive food, its intensive use of fossil fuels pose a threat to the health of people and the planet. Pollan also writes that food is a national security issue. A country that must import much of its food is “…not only at the mercy of global commodity markets but of other governments as well.”
Mr.Pollan lays out some long term policy goals for bringing about much needed change, including “…a transition to a new solar-food economy” and “well-designed polyculture systems” explained in some detail.
If you’d like to read the New York Times article cited above go to: Farmer in Chief
If you'd like to purchase one of Michael Pollan's excellent books exploring the American food system go to:
1. "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" by Michael Pollan
2. "Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals" by Michael Pollan
Fresh & Easy Solar Roof. (PRNewsFoto/Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market)
Grocer's 500,000 sq ft, $13 million solar installation proves its value
Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has announced the solar panel installation at its California distribution center is providing nearly three quarters of the facility's energy. In a time of rising energy costs, solar power is helping ease the grocer's energy bills, and helping keep Fresh & Easy's prices affordable.
At 500,000 square feet, the solar panel installation is the size of five football fields and is considered to be one of the largest roof-mounted solar installations in North America. The installation was a $13 million investment for the company. Since March, the solar panels have provided enough energy to power over 300 typical homes, 4,200 televisions or 10,000 light bulbs for a year.
“We try to be thoughtful in how we operate as a business, including being considerate about our impact on the environment. It only seems natural for us to use California's remarkable sunshine to power our distribution center," said Fresh & Easy CEO Tim Mason. "At times, the meter at the facility even runs backward because we are producing so much solar energy."
According to Southern California Edison's Savings by Design, Fresh & Easy stores use about 30% less energy than a typical supermarket. The company is a pilot member of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) volume certification program, recycles or reuses all its display and shipping materials, and voluntarily discloses its greenhouse gas emissions.
About Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market
At roughly 10,000 square feet, Fresh & Easy markets are smaller than the typical supermarket to give customers a faster, easier shopping experience. In addition to fresh, prepared meals and produce, Fresh & Easy offers favorite national brand products and household items. Fresh & Easy currently has 90 stores open in Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada.
If you’d like to read the press release on which this item was based go to: Sun Generates Nearly 75% of Power at Fresh & Easy Distribution Center
Family at Dinner, ca. 1942 (photo by John Collier, courtesy of Library of Congress)
Home cooking is gaining in popularity as American families look to cut down on the amount they spend on restaurant meals. Cooking shouldn’t be just another chore, like mopping floors. Preparing meals at home can be a fun way to bring family and friends together. The nice thing about having friends and family over for dinner is that you can socialize after the meal without having to leave a restaurant and make your way somewhere else. Mix in some specialty foods and you can serve a meal to remember!
Experimnent with Recipes
You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to serve meals that will wow your guests, just keep it simple. Use fresh ingredients from a farmers market and good quality oils and vinegars. Look up some recipes and view them as guidelines rather than rigid commands to follow. Play around with the ingredients and spices. Eliminate and/or add some to create a dish that you find delicious and doesn’t eat up a lot of your time. You can use ingredients like tapenades and ambrosias as side dishes to add to the variety of flavors in a meal with little effort. Buy a good chutney to a make a plate of bread and artisanal cheese more memorable. Applewood smoked hams and smoked pheasant are full of flavor and can be simply warmed or served at room temperature.
We think you’ll find that creating a dish at least as satisfying as your last restaurant meal is not so great a challenge. We’ve also found that cooking classes are not only a good place to pick up culinary tips, but they’re a heck of a lot of fun as we mix with fellow home cooks.
Cook at Home for Good Health
Then there are the health aspects. Cooking at home lets you choose ingredients that are full of nutrients and free of pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones. Kids are more ready to eat healthier foods when they were the ones who added them to a dish or salad. Families who dine together suffer less obesity. Eating isn’t only about getting the calories and nutrients you need to stay alive. Sharing an enjoyable meal together is a bonding experience that draws families and friends closer together. Serving great food to people you care about is a terrific way to lift your own spirits.
Pots & Pans
If you’re ready to step up the time you spend in the kitchen you might want to check out what’s new in pots and pans. Manufacturers have been busy of late and some of their new offerings are pretty impressive. For one thing you can now cook without undue worry about your food sticking or the reputed dangers of Teflon. Harold McGee of the New York Times has just taken a thoughful look at a number of these new products and authored a fine piece on his findings.
If you’d like to read Mr. McGee’s article in the New York Times go to: What’s Hot, What’s Not, in Pots and Pans
To purchase some especially fine olive oils, vinegars, tapenades, ambrosias, chutneys, artisanal cheeses, applewood smoked hams and smoked pheasant go to:
1. Oils & Vinegars
2. Ambrosias, Tapenades & Pickled Vegetables
3. Jams, Jellies, Chutneys, Fruit Butters & Fruit Sauces
4. Artisanal & Crafted Cheeses
5. Ham
6. Applewood Smoked Whole Pheasant
Glass of Milk (photo by Carlos Paes, courtesy of morguefile.com)
After an industrial chemical used in baby formula sickened tens of thousands of children in China, the Chinese government is taking steps to improve the safety of dairy products. An article in the Wall Street Journal says, “China is posting inspectors to monitor dairy companies and imposing rules to improve accountability among milk suppliers, as it moves to restore consumer confidence in the industry.” But, " It's unclear how long this intense supervision will last."
Many American consumers are already wary of food products imported from China and elsewhere after scares about honey, seafood, food additives, and pet food made headlines. As the U.S. Federal Drug Administration points out, "Countries that export to the U.S. do not currently provide FDA with assurance that foods coming to this country are safe."
Fortunately, there are good options for the health-conscious when it comes to purchasing dairy products. American producers, such as the cooperative of farmers at Organic Valley, offer organic milk and other natural dairy products. The proliferation of artisanal cheesemakers over recent years has made many fine cheeses available that are safely crafted outside the industrial food system.
If you’d like to read the Wall Street Journal article cited above go to: China Bolsters Dairy-Supply Oversight In Effort to Rebound From Scandal (WSJ subscription required)
Portland Skyline at Night (© Patricia Betts | Dreamstime.com)
Amidst all the worrisome recent news we can all use a little comforting. Fortunately for folks in Portland, Oregon there are great comfort foods to sooth the nerves and please the palate.
OregonLive.com has surveyed Portland’s eateries and come up with a selection of the best of the local comfort foods. And a mouth-watering selection it is! The Chocolate Mousse at Navarre is described as “Rich but lighter than a cloud. Soft but thick and more intense than Christian Bale.” The Banana Pudding at Belly Timber is said to be “Sweet, simple, honest -- and awesome.”
The article on OregonLive.com made seven delicious selections in all, and they’ve got us ready to pay a tasting visit to the place called America’s greenest city. We’re more than ready to take their advice: “Spoon in!”
If you’d like to read the OregonLive.com article cited above go to: Portland's sweetest comfort food
Fun for All at the Festival (photo courtesy of Kona Coffee Cultural Festival)
"Kona Coffee Tradition of Excellence"
Join in the community celebration of Kona's gourmet brew at the 38th Annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival on Hawaii’s Big Island, beginning Friday, November 7th and ending Sunday, November 16th. Enjoy nearly 50 Festival events including contests, tastings, ethnic foods, two parades, a scholarship pageant, farm tours, art exhibits, an outdoor concert and more!
The award-winning Cultural Festival celebrates a 180-year-old tradition of the annual Kona coffee harvest. Kona coffee is carefully hand-picked to ensure each coffee cherry is ripe and ready for the perfect cup of Kona. Many Kona farmers can lay claim to being fifth generation coffee farmers, continuing the tradition and honoring their heritage with every harvest. Visitors can take tours of working and historical Kona coffee farms, mills and roasting operations.
At the annual Kona Coffee Cupping Competition Festival-goers can view judges selecting the very best Kona coffee and sample the coffee themselves, while learning from tasting experts how to critique a high-quality brew. The Kona Coffee Art Exhibit will feature a selection of paintings depicting views of the Kona coffee lifestyle, and the Kona Coffee Culinary Invitational will give talented Big Island chefs chefs the opportunity to enter their most robust creations using world-famous Kona coffee.
Kona Beans (photo courtesy of Kona Coffee Cultural Festival)
Ever attempted to pick coffee? Test your skills at the Kona Coffee Picking Contest on Sunday, November 9th in a timed competition for both beginners and masters. You can see forever from the slopes of this picture perfect coffee farm, but watch carefully when the seasoned pickers compete. Truly astonishing speed and skill. Cash prizes, entertainment and refreshments are all part of the fun.
For a full schedule of events and further info visit the Festival’s official web site: Kona Coffee Cultural Festival
Yale Campus (photo by Kevin Rosseel, courtesy of morguefile.com)
We’ve published several items about student demand for sustainable food sweeping through America’s colleges. The demand is so great that meeting it has become integral to attracting the best and brightest students. In New Haven, Connecticut the Yale Sustainable Food Project is working to meet the challenge. The YSFP aims to "nourish a culture in which the interwoven pleasures of growing, cooking, and sharing food become an integral part of each student's experience at Yale."
According to Yale University’s web site students lined up for organic entrees when given “the opportunity to dine at any of the colleges for a month.” Today, “students across campus can eat a few local, sustainably produced food items each day in their own dining halls.” Those food items include, “Fresh greens from South Glastonbury, CT, apples and pears from an orchard in Meriden, CT, and naturally raised beef from the New England Livestock Alliance.”
If you’d like to visit Yale’s web site to learn more about the university’s sustainable food efforts go to: Yale Office of Sustainability
To view previous posts on the topic click on any of the following:
1. Sustainable Campuses
2. Rensselaer's Terra Cafe Dishes Up Local and Organic Foods
3. American College Students Want Sustainable Food
4. Sustainability Takes Hold on Boston Area Campuses
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
Fresh Apples (photo by Scott M. Liddel, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Apples abound in America this time of year. Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, and McIntosh are just some of the most popular of the 2,500 known varieties of apples grown in the United States. What to do when faced with such abundance? Make preserves of course.
For a little instruction on how to do that we turned to Melissa Murphy’s wonderful book, “The Sweet Melissa Baking Book.” Melissa is the founder of one of New York City’s most cherished neighborhood bakeries. Next time you find yourself in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn we highly recommend you pay a visit to her award-winning Sweet Melissa’s Patisseries at 276 Court Street. Just the aroma makes the visit worthwhile and it’s a wonderful place to go for a date!
Melissa likes to use the Granny Smith apple as a natural source of pectin. She writes in her book that “you can play around with the ingredients as much as you like, but use this recipe as a guide.” She also cautions about something she learned from experience, “taking on too much fruit!” Try to limit yourself to 10 pounds of fruit or less. This is a simple recipe that can be a lot of fun and leave you with delicious treats for some time to come.
Ingredients for About 1 Quart
• 8 Cups peeled & sliced fruit of your choice, e/g pears. peaches, etc. (2 dry quarts)
• 2 Cups peeled & cubed Granny Smith apples (2 to 3 apples cut into ¼ to ½–inch pieces)
• 2 Cups sugar
• ¼ Cup fresh lemon and/or orange juice
• 2 Tablespoons freshly grated citrus zest
Preparation
1. In an 8-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the fruit, apples, sugar, juice, and zest. Cook until the mixture reaches 212 degrees F on a candy thermometer, stirring often to prevent scorching. You may mash the fruit slightly with a potato masher, if necessary. Once the preserves have reached 212 degrees F, continue to cook for 30 minutes more, stirring often, until thick. You can check the consistency by placing a dollop on a plate and setting it in the freezer until just cool. If it is runny, continue cooking; if it is thick, you’re good to go.
2. Can the fruit in clean canning jars as directed by the manufacturer, or cool to room temperature, tightly cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 6 months.
If you’d like to purchase a copy of Melissa Murphy’s delightful book go to: The Sweet Melissa Baking Book
To view a previous post on Melissa's book go to: The Sweet Melissa Baking Book Review
Solar Panels (© Maxfx | Dreamstime.com)
Our friend Annie Carmichael of the Vote Solar Initiative is in celebratory spirits and the message she’s just sent has got us ready to uncork the bubbly. She wrote to tell us the U.S. Congress has just passed a long-term extension of the solar investment tax credit and the President has signed the bill into law.
We’re thrilled because we believe clean, renewable energy is the key to a more secure, prosperous and healthier future for ourselves and generations to come. In her message Annie wrote:
It's been a long road and we want to thank each of you for adding your voice to this campaign; the consistent public pressure saved this credit. We also want to give props to the hard working folks at the Solar Energy Industry Association who walked the halls of Congress day in and day out for two years rallying support for this vital tax credit. Thanks to all of you over 440,000 jobs will be created in the solar field in the next 8 years, and over $232 billion of investment will be pumped into our economy. Now that's economic stimulus.
To visit the web site of Annie’s hardworking organization go to: The Vote Solar Initiative
To view previous posts on the topic of solar energy go to:
1. Going Solar & Getting Credit
2. Inspiring Sustainable Living
3. California Is Leading the Way on Solar Power
4. Congress Approves Taxing Big Oil to Support Alternative Energy
Grape Vines in Sonoma, CA (photo by David Ellis, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Vintners in America’s number one wine producing state want to open more wine tasting rooms, but local residents are concerned that throngs of intoxicated tourists will crowd their communities.
Some of California’s small wine makers envision selling individual bottles for as much as $20 in cozy tasting rooms, moving up to 5,000 cases of wine a year without special permits. The Associated Press reports that officials in San Diego County have already passed legislation that would allow them to do just that, but opponents have threatened to sue. The opposition is “arguing the county had not adequately studied the affects on traffic and the environment.”
According to the AP report published by Yahoo!, “The number of visitors to California wineries has nearly doubled from about 11 million in 1998 to almost 20 million in 2006, the latest year for which statistics are available from the Wine Institute, a trade group.”
Small vintners see the tasting rooms as an opportunity to bring in much needed revenue and more broadly market their wines inexpensively. Residents fear “tipsy tourists weaving through their quiet communities, possibly putting locals at risk while increasing traffic congestion and noise.”
If you’d like to read the Associated Press article cited above go to: Calif. vintners push to open wine tasting rooms
Farm Fresh Produce (photo by Kevin Connors, courtesy of morguefile.com)
It’s more challenging for a restaurant to serve farm fresh food than use large distributors, but as an Associated Press report observes, doing so “allows customers to know where their food is coming from.” The AP article published by Yahoo! describes Founding Farmers, a new restaurant in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood near The White House in Washington, D.C.
According to the restaurant’s web site, Founding Farmers is dedicated to serving “the goodness and incredible flavors of fresh Farm-to-Table American inspired true food and drink.”
The farm-to-table movement includes restaurants buying from family farmers and occasional dinners prepared and served at a farm. Founding Farmers is unique in that it is the first of two restaurants developed with $6 million from a collective of North Dakota farmers. They “believe that everyone benefits by all of us knowing more about the source of our food and its journey from seed to harvest to table.”
The AP says the restaurant’s management also aims to be "Washington's greenest restaurant." It “was built to comply with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a third-party certification for the design, construction and operation of green buildings.”
If you’d like to read the Associated Press article cited above go to: Farmers bet 'green' eatery will catch on
To visit the web site of Founding Farmers restaurant go to: Welcome to Founding Farmers
For more information on the concept and the firm that developed and managed the concept visit: Vucurevich Simons Advisory Group
|
 
CARTOON BANK SAVINGS:
10% OFF COUPON
|
