Sorry folks, I have slipped off track once again. Normally I would blog at least every few days and due to family issues, I have not. My father was in the hospital for two months and has since come back home, and gone back into the hospital, and come back again last night. Gracious neighbors and family have brought dinners over intermittently so my mother and I don't have to cook while we take care of him. Not to mention, having a 13 and a 1/2 month old in the house who recently learned how to walk and throw Nutri-Grain Bars across the room is not uncomplicating the situation by any means. I'm definitely not making excuses (I hate excuses), I just wanted to let you all know why I dropped the ball yet again! Please bear with me and I will try to squeeze in some fun cooking here very, very shortly!!!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Foodie Books: "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
This has been on my Goodreads.com to-read shelf for a long while now and I'm interested to see if any of you have read it, and if so, what your thoughts are on it. I have pasted a link to the book itself directly at the bottom of the synopsis. Please leave any comments regarding your feelings toward this or any of Michael Pollan's books so that the rest of us foodie readers can know what to expect!
"The bestselling author of The Botany of Desire explores the ecology of eating to unveil why we consume what we consume in the twenty-first century.
"What should we have for dinner?" To one degree or another this simple question assails any creature faced with a wide choice of things to eat. Anthropologists call it the omnivore's dilemma. Choosing from among the countless potential foods nature offers, humans have had to learn what is safe, and what isn't-which mushrooms should be avoided, for example, and which berries we can enjoy. Today, as America confronts what can only be described as a national eating disorder, the omnivore's dilemma has returned with an atavistic vengeance. The cornucopia of the modern American supermarket and fast-food outlet has thrown us back on a bewildering landscape where we once again have to worry about which of those tasty-looking morsels might kill us. At the same time we're realizing that our food choices also have profound implications for the health of our environment. The Omnivore's Dilemma is bestselling author Michael Pollan's brilliant and eye-opening exploration of these little-known but vitally important dimensions of eating in America.
Pollan has divided The Omnivore's Dilemma into three parts, one for each of the food chains that sustain us: industrialized food, alternative or "organic" food, and food people obtain by dint of their own hunting, gathering, or gardening. Pollan follows each food chain literally from the ground up to the table, emphasizing our dynamic coevolutionary relationship with the species we depend on. He concludes each section by sitting down to a meal--at McDonald's, at home with his family sharing a dinner from Whole Foods, and in a revolutionary "beyond organic" farm in Virginia. For each meal he traces the provenance of everything consumed, revealing the hidden components we unwittingly ingest and explaining how our taste for particular foods reflects our environmental and biological inheritance.
We are indeed what we eat-and what we eat remakes the world. A society of voracious and increasingly confused omnivores, we are just beginning to recognize the profound consequences of the simplest everyday food choices, both for ourselves and for the natural world. The Omnivore's Dilemma is a long-overdue book and one that will become known for bringing a completely fresh perspective to a question as ordinary and yet momentous as What shall we have for dinner?"
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Foodie Music: Do You Like Waffles?
I doubt this category will go very far since I'm unsure how many songs there actually are about food or beverages. Of course, you can always turn any song into one about food by simply being the kitchen goddess (or complete dork) that you are by substituting cooking terms where the usual lyric should be. Here is an example I made up in the tune of James Taylor's "Fire and Rain:"
"Oh, I've seen fire and cellophane,
I've seen pots and pans on the stove just catch a'flame,
I've seen lonely times when I tossed it down the drain,
But I always thought that you'd eat it again."
But at any rate, here is the ridiculous video I found yesterday as I was searching for "Peanut Butter Jelly Time." I introduce to you "Do You Like Waffles?" by Parry Gripp.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tools of the Trade
First and most importantly, bring your sense of humor. This is the most important weapon in your arsenal. There will be black smoke triggering fire detectors, there will be ruined utensils and kitchenware, time will be wasted, energy will be spent, and you may have hallucinations of dollar signs floating out of the window alongside the billows of black smoke. Not to worry. The few times you do botch your family's meal it may seem to you like tragedy has struck, but in reality they're secretly rejoicing because now it is pizza delivery night. You will be harder on yourself than they will ever be, so relax and enjoy your pizza.
I also believe that every woman and man should own a sassy apron. For women, this can be a direct reflection of your personality and there are plenty of designs and styles out there to choose from. Men are a bit more simple and will probably appreciate one of the kind that make it look like they are a woman with big boobs when they tie it around their neck. A "Kiss the Cook" apron is always nice as well. If your husband or boyfriend is cooking in the kitchen while wearing and apron (or cooking at all), this is a man that deserves kisses. Lots of them.
As far as cooking for yourself and the fam, no special utensils are necessary whatsoever. Measuring spoons, measuring cups, mixing bowls, large and small pots and pans with lids, stirring devices, baking sheets, the basics. If anything, you can improvise and substitute with other common household items if some utensils are unavailable. As you will see in future posts, I have frequently used cans of Rave hairspray and dental floss...
Cooking for baby only requires a few more odds and ends, but nothing you probably don't already have. You will definitely need a food processor. It doesn't have to be a Baby Bullet, although I have wanted one for as long as I have been making baby food from scratch. It cuts out a few minor steps and has a pretty nifty dating system on the lids of the bowls and cups. Alas, I am a giganto procrastinator and never treated myself to this cool little gadget. You have undoubtedly already purchased some basic Gerber First Foods like squash, peas, green beans, pears, etc. for on-the-go situations and those evenings when not even cooking can turn that frown upside down. Save those jars and lids, every single one! Next, you will need labels. I use Multiuse Labels, Print & Write Removable ones from Staples. They are laser/inkjet compatible as well, although if you are taking the time to print out your baby food labels then you have way too much free time. And that's coming from me, so that's pretty sad.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
You Are What You Eat, And I Eat A Lot Of Fruit And Nuts
I feel more comfortable in the kitchen than in any other room. For me it is where I can be an artist, take out aggression, practice aromatherapy, find solace in the methodical chopping and slicing, be silly with my daughter, make a mess, reflect on days past, envision tomorrow, come to conclusions, or simply live in the moment. There is something gratifying in that every ingredient, every stir, and every degree of temperature plays an important role in a very tangible and satisfying (or not so satisfying) outcome. Maybe it's a control thing. The end result is in my hands and I have the power to steer it in any direction I wish. This is the part where I could become annoyingly philosophical and compare the many ingredients in a meal to "success being the sum of small efforts in yourself and society" or some such nonsense, but let's cut the crap. I love to eat. I love to try new things. I love my daughter. I love that she's an infant and everything she tries is new. Cooking is a way to incorporate all of these things, and at the end of the day I feel cleansed.
I hope that you all enjoy and actively participate in my and Piper's gastrointestinal escapades. I will include adult food recipes, baby food recipes, tips, shortcuts, step-by-step instructions with pictures, and let's not forget personal reflections. This is a blog after all. You will read them, and you will like it.