In Good Taste

Where Does My Food Come From? Thoughts on Food Inc.

 

As I write this post I've just finished watching Food Inc. The documentary is somewhat of an expose on the underbelly of the food industry, a modern day The Jungle. As food is something that is important to me I took the movie seriously but even the scenes of chickens being mass-slaughtered in factories didn't drive me to the edge of vegetarianism.

What did shock me? Veggie Libel Laws. In some US states, you can be convicted on felony charges for criticizing certain food industries. 

Legalese aside, the film primarily discusses how the government has become dominated by industries (ie: the corn industry) that it's meant to be regulated. Scenes depict ethical and unethical farming practices and liken the food supply chain to factory-line production. 

After watching the movie, which tends to blame large corporations for some of the widespread crises in food production today, such as food borne illness and obesity, my takeaway was how important to pay attention not only to what you're eating, but where it comes from. 

The Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge (Week 16) Kaiser Rolls

I'm going to come right out and say this. I think that New York food is overrated.

Well, let's take a step back and start from the beginning. I made Kaiser Rolls, the sixteenth bread in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge, recently. They were a nice change from my usual whole grain sandwich bread, but what I enjoyed most about eating them was realizing that the big, crusty, sesame-seed encrusted rolls seemed so New York.

I might have bittersweet feelings towards my city, but I suppose that New York food is not all overrated. The Big Apple, is, after all, home to some of the best restaurants in the world. The problem is, most of those great restaurants are tucked away in Soho, hiding in the West Village, so that out-of-towners often miss them in lieu of places like bustling pizza and pasta joints like Carmine's or the famous that is the Second Avenue Deli.

It's not that any of these places are bad, but when I'm in a new city, I like to wander off the beaten path and look for hidden gems that I haven't read about in the guidebooks. Places that the locals know and love.

How I Start My Morning: Coffee 101

Internet, I have a confession. I haven't been completely honest with you about something and I think it's time that I come clean. I talk to you here a few times each week about the food I'm cooking and eating. I share a lot of my kitchen with you: from the contents of my fridge to my inability to refuse anything that has the words "chocolate" and "chip" in the same sentence.

My confession is that I start every morning with a cup or seven of coffee. Though I rarely mention it here, one of the public relations clients that I work on is a very well-known coffee company (I'm not going to spell it out for you). Since I started my job a year ago, I've learned more about my go-to morning beverage than I could ever imagine.

I've learned about coffee farming practices and the different varietals of coffee beans. I know that Arabica beans are the highest quality available and finally know, once and for all, the difference between a latte and a cappuccino (the amount of foam). And here's a good one: Espresso? Not a bean. Espresso is many things: a beverage, a roast, a blend, an ingredient - but when you're drinking your afternoon latte, the espresso in it is from the same source as the coffee you brewed at home that morning.

When I was talking to my friend John last week, he mentioned that he didn't know the difference between most of the coffee beverages at his local coffee shop. So I showed him this handy chart that I found (someone at work forwarded it on - but I can't for the life of me remember why/when/from where).

Now, you'll never again stare at the menu board in your favorite coffee shop wondering what exactly is an Americano?

Are you a coffee drinker? What's your favorite basic coffee beverage?

A Table for Two...Or Seven...

All of us have been there. You're at a birthday dinner for a friend of a friend of a friend. Wine is flowing, shots are being passed around the so-long-that-you-can't see-the-person-on-the-other-end table and your friends are goading you to order that extra side of truffle fries because "it's a special occasion." And then, someone pulls out the bill and announces that since everyone is chipping in for the birthday girl, each person owes, oh, a quarter of a million dollars. And it IS a special occasion. It's a goodbye party for your bank account.

Courtesy of flickr

When I first moved to New York City it was alarming to me that three chunks of cantalope from a deli salad bar could run close to $10 and boxes of cereal were upwards of six. My utilities were higher than they'd ever been at my college apartment in central Pennsylvania and suddenly, a whole paycheck of my entry-level salary didn't even cover my rent. Though I realize the importance of a savings account, the one thing I've never hesitated to indulge in is dining out.

That's not to say I frequent Jean-George and Per-Se on a regular basis ever. It means that if I'm going out with friends for a night of good food and libations, I want to enjoy the evening and not spend it figuring out whose salad cost nine dollars and whose cost seven and where to carry the one when I add the tip.

Of course, unless you are living in a cave, you know that times are tough right now and a lot of people are pinching pennies where they once threw caution to the wind. I saw post on Yahoo! Shine originally from Epicurious that questioned whether frugal eating is acceptable in uncertain economic times.

The author expressed her desire to split entrees and mentioned that she often feels as though waiters are discouraging to patrons who want to share meals. I can see where the author is coming from, being a young professional who is watching both her budget as well as her weight. Most restaurants offer portions that supply more than enough food for two people - and it can be easier on your hips to share your spaghetti carbonara.

However, I can also see the perspective of the waiter, who is earning a living off your appetite and your friend, who might not really want to share his or her meal. Personally, when I go out to eat or drink, I'm not ordering the most expensive items on the menu and I won't choose a fifteen dollar cocktail every time - but once in awhile, especially in a dismal economy, when surrounded by bad news, I see no reason not to treat yourself if you can do so reasonably. When I go out with friends, especially friends with whom I'm comfortable, I like to split the check in half. Even if my dish was $4.86 less, or she drank .47 cents more wine than I did, it will all even out in the end.

If I'm going to enjoy myself, I'm happy to pay for high-quality and if it comes down to it, would prefer to dine out less frequently and be able to treat myself when I do.

What are your feelings on frugality in restaurants? Yay? Nay? Do you like to split the check to the penny or is your motto to "share and share alike?"

New Uses for Old Gadgets

My tiny kitchen might be my favorite room in the house, but it's not exactly a metropolis of culinary tools. Until the day that I somehow stumble upon a million dollars, or even $149.99, I've become a little creative with my chopping, blending, pulsing, dicing and cutting when cooking meals or baking from scratch.

 I'm well stocked with the basics - pots, pans, knives and plenty of Tupperware containers for leftovers - but when it comes to heavy food prep, I have to be scrappy. I've found that even without a wide variety of kitchen gadgets to choose from I can make good use of the few tricks I do have up my sleeve. For example: you need to slice herbs, but the sharp-sharp knife is in the dishwasher. No herb mincer in your arsenal? No problem. Pull double duty with a pizza slicer!

   

What are the kitchen gadgets that you can't live without? Alternatively, what kitchen gadgets do you have that just aren't worth the cabinet space they monopolize?