FDA Retreats: Oysters Spared

Originally posted on Third Coast Cuisine on 11-14-9.

In a startling admission the FDA acknowledged that it did not thoroughly examine the issue of Vibrio vulnificus contamination from the consumption of raw oysters. In a November 13th press release by Meghan Scott, the FDA announced that it was rescinding its planned 2011 ban on raw Gulf oysters citing that, “It is clear to the FDA from our discussions to date that there is a need to further examine both the process and timing for large and small oyster harvesters to gain access to processing facilities or equivalent controls…” This reversal comes as Democrat and Republican politicians bombarded the FDA and President Obama’s office with complaints and evidence provided by experts on food safety like chefs, restaurateurs, fishermen and food writers.

The FDA had sought to ban raw oysters from the Third Coast (but not oysters from the East or West Coasts) because of 15 deaths annually attributed to Vibrio vulnificus infection. As it turns out the number of deaths was slightly lower than 15 a year and nearly all cases involved people with disease-weakened immune systems who had consumed raw oysters against doctor’s advice. According to U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor, (D) of Bay St. Louis, MS the infection rate of Vibrio vulnificus is a paltry .00005%. Hardly the daunting threat the FDA had led people to believe.

Representative Taylor said in a strongly worded letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, “It does not make sense for the FDA to take on this new commitment.” And he was not the lone dissenting voice on Capitol Hill. Joining Representative Taylor in his contempt for the FDA’s policy was Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) who suggested that he might be inclined to cut future funding to the FDA if the issue were not rationally addressed.

Conspicuously absent from the FDA press release was the name Michael Taylor. Taylor is President Obama’s controversial appointment as an FDA consultant on food safety. It was he who first announced the ban on raw oysters from the Gulf region in a speech given last month in Manchester, N.H. The controversy over Mr. Taylor’s appointment arises from the fact that he has spent most of his professional career in the employment of agribusiness giant Monsanto, a corporation with a history in food safety that is dubious at best. Adding to the controversy is the fact that Mr. Taylor has no background in medicine or science but rather is a lawyer and career lobbyist.

Now that the imminent danger to jobs and livelihoods has been delayed the looming issue is why the FDA chose this crusade in the first place. The death of 15 people is nothing to take nonchalantly but in light of the other dangers under the FDA’s charge it seems peculiar. Approximately 873 children choke to death each year the majority on hot dogs, popcorn and candy but the FDA is not banning any of these items. 200 Americans die each year of e coli infections but the FDA has yet to address Monsanto’s genetically modified corn which has been proven as the source of every e coli incident on record.

The entire fiasco has left many wondering whether this was a “wag the dog” scenario crafted to distract the public’s attention from more pressing issues. Or could it be that the leadership of the FDA is really this incompetent?

Here is a list of other coverage of this story:

AP

LA Times

WAPT Jackson, MS

Review: The $7 a Meal Quick & Easy Cookbook

Despite what the media and politician’s (let’s face it; they are the same thing) keep saying, the economy is only getting worse.  Americans love their sequels but I don’t think the Great Depression II is one they have been looking forward to.  Never the less it is here.  The big wigs in DC may not be feeling the pinch but the rest of us are and like our predecessors we are pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps.

 

Take Chef Susan Irby (the Bikini Chef) for instance who has just published her new The $7 a Meal Quick & Easy Cookbook (Adams Media).  Irby is a cheflebrity who has cooked with the likes of Todd English and Ming Tsai and for the likes of Patrick Swayze, David Spade and Kate Segal.  But in this 332 page guide she teaches you how to cook like a celebrity chef without blowing your fiscal or time budget.

The 301 recipes found within sound expensive but are not like the Grilled, Herb-Custed Pork Chops with White Wine Sauce ($6.96), Baked Tortillas with Crab and Basil ($6.60) and London Broil with Merlot Marinade ($7 flat).  But what really sets Irby’s work apart from others is the way she gives you a basic recipe then teaches you how to elaborate on it.  Take for instance the humble omelet; first the Bikini Chef gives her basic omelet recipe then she expands on it with the Roasted Red Pepper Omelet, Vegetarian Omelet and the Golden Apple Omelet made with both Parmesan and Bleu cheeses.

Each recipe is broken down with a chart that details prep time, cook time, total cost, calories, fat, protein, cholesterol and sodium content.  The book consists of fifteen chapters thirteen of which are recipes.  The first two are purely instructional with chapter one providing information for those new to the home cooking game include a list for a properly stocked pantry and freezer while chapter two is full of tips for shopping on a budget.

The $7 a Meal Quick & Easy Cookbook is perfect for the 20-something just starting out or the family that is having to reinvent itself because of trying economic times.

Happy Gluten-free Thanksgiving

November 12, 2009
For Immediate Release

Gling Gluten-free Living Releases Thanksgiving “Menuzine”

Gluten-free dieters can build an entire Gluten-free dinner from a set of prime selections.

Vancouver, Wash., —– Gling, a Social Media startup targeting consumers in the Gluten-free community, announced today the release of its 2009 Thanksgiving Menuzine to help Gluten-free dieters build an entirely Gluten-free Thanksgiving meal.

The 2009 Thanksgiving “Menuzine” is a combined Menu of Thanksgiving dishes and original Magazine articles written by Gling writers with tips about how to build their Gluten-free meal or host Thanksgiving events.

“Thanksgiving is all about family and friends,” says Mike Lee, CEO/Founder of Gling.com, “and most people’s earliest memories come from gathering around the family dining table and eating those favorite family recipes.”

“It is a no-brainer that we work with Gluten-free dieters to help them understand how Gling can help them with what may be the biggest, most-challenging holiday meal of the year.”

Gling’s 2009 Thanksgiving Menuzine boasts a variety of favorites that many new Gluten-free dieters fear they may never eat again: Stuffing, Pies, Entrees and Desserts. Some of the more popular items on the Menuzine are the flourless Chocolate Torte, Easy Apple Pie, drop Biscuits and Sweet & Savory Stuffing. There are also drinks, coffee creamers, dips and appetizers.

In addition to dishes for every course, the Menuzine also carries content from Gling’s Gluten-free writers who speak from experience about how to create a memorable, delicious and Gluten-free Thanksgiving event.

Newcomers to Gling’s Gluten-free social community are also encouraged to add their favorite Gluten-free recipes they may use to an unrivaled Recipe Database. And because of Gling’s unrivaled dual Recipes and Foods databases, new Gluten-free dieters can research at a very detailed level.

Lee says, “Our Recipe Database automatically links recipe ingredients to that ingredient’s record in our Foods Database. This is hugely important to new Gluten-free dieters who need to research foods and ingredients to learn what they need to avoid and what is already safe.”

Glingsters, as they are fondly dubbed, are also able to browse and add Locations in their community where they shop for groceries and favorite haunts where they stop to eat a delicious Gluten-free lunch during holiday shopping.

“We are excited to be a part of the Gluten-free community,” says Lee, “and to help Gluten-free dieters truly enjoy an amazing Thanksgiving Holiday.”

Gling was launched in September 2009 and already boasts Gluten-free members in most countries around the world.

Gling, which stands for Gluten-free Living, is a Social Media startup that combines original Articles written by Gling writers, with deep food information and content. The major features of the site are its Recipes, Foods and Locations databases. All this comes in the form of a true social network complete with Tweets, Blogs, Bookmarks and a Facebook-style Home page Activity Stream.

For more information, contact Mike Lee (CEO/Founder) or Anthony Fender (Content & Marketing Coordinator) at 360.254.7010.

* When a Gling user creates a Recipe, the ingredients are links to the corresponding record for that ingredient in the Foods database. The viewer can link to that record to see any information associated with the item and a Gluten-score which indicates the safety level of the ingredient.

The Recipes and Foods database are interconnected so that Gluten-free dieters can find more than just good recipes, but also research the ingredients and any allergen information related to those ingredients. Recipes can contain traditional “ingredients” or “Food items” that a consumer buys in their grocery store. The Foods database contains both: ingredients and Food items.

Click to view Menuzine.

Diary of a Wannabe TV Chef Pt. 12

This is the latest installment in a continuing series that documents my personal quest to become the host of my own cooking show. Since this is a relatively new “career,” there are no vocational programs or community college courses to prepare me for it. From what I have seen, the two most important elements in securing such a position are passion for food and plain old dumb luck. Born with a passion for food, I set out to make my own luck.

That which does not kill us makes us stronger.

So twice now I have been the victim of cutbacks that resulted in my losing a dream job.  What’s worse, to pay the bills I am having to work as a server at one of the very corporate cookie cutter restaurants that has ruined the dining experience in this country.  Why this particular restaurant?  Because it is the most popular restaurant in the city and that means more money.  Why is it the most popular restaurant in the city?  Sure the food is bad and the management treats the customers like cattle but I love the salad and bread sticks.

So day in and day out I put on their goofy outfit.  I hock their mediocre wine and do my best to describe the trans fat laden food so that it sounds enticing.  The conventional wisdom is that you cannot describe a dish unless you taste it but this is one of the dirtiest restaurants I have ever seen.  I am genuinely apprehensive of putting anything in my mouth while at work save water from a drink-and-drop cup.  Rather than lie I sidestep:

Customer: How’s the rollatini?

Me: It’s one of our most popular specials.  There’s been talk of putting it on the menu full-time.

I am miserable.  To make matters worse by pal Wade and his TV production crew have abandoned their small screen projects (like my cooking show) in lieu of making independent movies.  It can’t possibly get any worse can it?

Apparently the answer to that question is always yes.

The recession that has been quietly building momentum becomes a tsunami.  Gas prices sky-rocket.  Many people stop dining out; those that don’t, stop tipping.  I go from making $75 – $100 a shift to making $10 but since I used to make more Uncle Sam keeps taxing me like a beast.  The paltry hourly wage that servers receive in this country ($2.13/hour) doesn’t cover their tax burden even during a good economy.

Convinced I have to get out of this crappy job I start scanning the classifieds.  Two years earlier the restaurant jobs took an entire page.  Now you can count them on one hand.  Day after day, nothing.  I am getting desperate a month goes by with no chef positions available, then two, then six.  Now I am willing to take anything to get away from stupid salad and bread sticks.

One day there is an ad for a cook at a struggling café not too far away.  On Wednesday I e-mail my resumé.  On Thursday I get a phone interview.  On Friday I get a sit down interview.  And on that Saturday I start my new job as the Executive Chef of Mars Hill Café.

Review: The Everything Cookies & Brownies Cookbook

Since a child I have been in love with the Snickerdoodle. Yeah, I know it is just a sugar cookie with cinnamon added but I love them. I would gladly give up chocolate chip and even oatmeal raisin for Snickerdoodles. Part of it is flavor but mostly it is nostalgic. They were my mother’s specialty. Everybody’s moms made chocolate chip, peanut butter and the like but only my mother made Snickerdoodles.

So naturally when I got my review copy of The Everything Cookies & Brownies Cookbook by Marye Audet (Adams Media, 2009) I turned directly to the recipe for Maple Snickerdoodles. I quickly thumbed my way to page 84. Wow! Maple syrup and maple sugar? These weren’t the Snickerdoodles my mom made, but what she intended.

Audet’s book has more than just this one recipe, in fact it has 300 recipes for any occasion. Baklava? It’s in there. Chocolate-Peanut Butter Whoopie Bars? Of course. S’Mores Brownies? Yep those too. The next time that pushy eight year old starts pushing her troop cookies on you under the threat that they’re only available once a year just turn to the Chocolate Thin Mints recipe on page 111 and show her who’s boss.

There is plenty of teaching in the book as well. A chapter on cookie baking basics gives tips and shortcuts. It also defines the different leaveners and the resulting styles of cookie derived from them. There are chapters devoted to the exotic, kid-friendly recipes and recipes for special needs cookies (gluten-free for celiacs, sugar substitutes for diabetics, egg/dairy free, etc.). If you are looking for a good “introduction to cookies” cookbook then The Everything Cookies & Brownies Cookbook is that book.

Fish Dish: Alaskan Hash

I was excited to find that my local market has started stocking Full Circle all natural, wild caught, US fish in its freezer section. I live on the Gulf Coast and can get fresh Gulf seafood but these are not indigenous fishcicles. So I have decided to share this culinary voyage with you. I won’t be providing recipes per se but instructions on how I fixed each Fish Dish.

Fish Dish: Alaskan Hash

The Finished Problem

The folks in the Last Frontier have a culture and an attitude all their own.  They take traditional corned beef hash and subsitute salmon for the brisket.  You can use your favorite hash brown recipe or follow mine.  This dish works for breakfast or dinner or lunch or after a midnight snack.

My first move was to season the filet with salt and pepper.  On a small burner I placed a small sauce pan and filled it with about an inch of water.  I took a stainless steel ramekin and sprayed it with non-stick spray.  Inside the ramekin added an egg.  I then placed the ramekin into the simmering water to poach the egg. 

On another burner I added a touch of olive oil to a medium-high pan and placed the salmon skin-side down.  A cooked it about 3 minutes on each side, medium-rare.  I moved the salmon to a side dish and added enough canola oil to cover the bottom of the pan.  To that I added about a 1/4 cup diced red onion.  A little salt and pepper and a toss or two and I was ready to add about 3/4 cup of shredded potatoes, enough to cover the bottom of the pan about 1/2″ deep.  Season the hash with salt and pepper or seasoning salt (as well as the egg) and let cook for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.  Turn and let the other side brown.

Plate the hash browns and place the salmon back in the pan just to reheat, probably less than a minute, then onto the plate.  I topped the salmon with the poached egg and cracked the yolk as a sauce for the dish.

Fish Dish: Coconut Curry Ahi Over Udon

I was excited to find that my local market has started stocking Full Circle all natural, wild caught, US fish in its freezer section.  I live on the Gulf Coast and can get fresh Gulf seafood but these are not indigenous fishcicles.  So I have decided to share this culinary voyage with you.  I won’t be providing recipes per se but instructions on how I fixed each Fish Dish. 

Fish Dish: Coconut Curry Ahi Tuna Over Udon

The Finished Product

I had my first Thai dish about 2 years ago but it has quickly become my favorite Asian cuisine.  I am in love with the sweet/hot contrast especially in the red curry coconut sauce, although I do love all of the curries.  Thai generally comes in three temperatures: hot, hotter, and holy s%@#!  I was afraid that the powerful flavor of the curry would overwhelm a more delicate fish so I chose the Ahi tuna for this recipe.

I brought 2 quarts of water to a boil and seasoned it with salt and a couple of small pieces of fresh ginger.  In the water I boiled my Udon noodles until done.  I set the Udon to the side and finely diced the ginger.  My next task was to saute onions, chilies, carrots and the ginger in a little olive oil simply seasoned with salt and pepper.  I removed the veggies and in the remaining oil I added my tuna.  I cooked the tuna just long enough to brown the side (about 2 minutes) then I turned it over.  I then added enough curry-coconut sauce to come half-way up the filet, reduced the heat and let simmer, covered, about 10 minutes.  In essence I poached the tuna in curry sauce.

The curry sauce is frighteningly easy to make.  First add a few tablespoons of canola oil to a medium-hot pan.  Next add a few tablespoons of red curry paste (available at that Asian market you’ve been wanting to go into but haven’t had a reason to yet.  You’re welcome).  Stir, heating through and then pour in a can of coconut milk.  Combine and simmer for a few minutes.  Jar and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.  NOTE: The more curry you use the hotter it will be.

Plating: Udon first, then tuna, pour the sauce over both, top with veggies and I garnished mine with almond slivers, and roughly chopped fresh basil and cilantro.  A squirt or two of freshly squeezed lime juice adds a little pop to the dish.

Fish Dish: Floribbean Mahi Mahi

I was excited to find that my local market has started stocking Full Circle all natural, wild caught, US fish in its freezer section.  I live on the Gulf Coast and can get fresh Gulf seafood but these are not indigenous fishcicles.  So I have decided to share this culinary voyage with you.  I won’t be providing recipes per se but instructions on how I fixed each Fish Dish.

Fish Dish: Floribbean Mahi Mahi with Pineapple Salsa and Puerto Rican-style Rice

The Finished Product

Wikipedia says “The essence of what makes a particular dish Floribbean is similar to many other aspects of Floridian culture: that it is heavily influenced by visitors and immigrants from all over the world, but especially from the Caribbean (with notable influence from The Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Haiti), Australia, and the American Deep South.”

I seasoned my filet on both sides with salt, pepper and Jerk spices and seared it in a skillet over medium heat with a little canola oil.  It cooked about 4 minutes on each side before a I removed it to a plate to rest.  In the remaining oil I sauteed corn, green chilies, black beans and finely diced papaya for about a minute before adding some pre-cooked brown rice.  I tossed the rice until heated through.

To top the filet I made a pineapple salsa by combining pineapple chuncks, a little papaya, onions, garlic, salt, jalapeno and cilantro and refrigerated it an hour to chill and let the flavors blend.  A few organic tortilla chips add some cruncy texture to the dish.

Fish Dish: Blackened Swordfish

I was excited to find that my local market has started stocking Full Circle all natural, wild caught, US fish in its freezer section.  I live on the Gulf Coast and can get fresh Gulf seafood but these are not indigenous fishcicles.  So I have decided to share this culinary voyage with you.  I won’t be providing recipes per se but instructions on how I fixed each Fish Dish.

The Finished Product

Fish Dish: Blackened Swordfish with Cajun Rice and Crème Fraîche Tarter Sauce.

Contrary to popular belief “blackening” food is not an age old Cajun or Creole cooking technique.  It is, however, born from the imagination of one of America’s most important chefs, Paul Prudhomme.

Blackened anything has been seen on menues across the nation ever since Chef Prudhomme made Blackened Redfish the signature dish at K Paul’s, his famous French Quarter restaurant.  The techinque is as risqué for the cook as it is for the dinner as it temps both with high heat and a touch of danger.

 The first thing you should do when attempting any blackened dish is open the closest window and turn your hood vent to HIGH.  Coat your swordfish generously with blackening seasoning (Paul Prudhomme’s is available at your grocer or make one from scratch, the recipe for mine follows).  Heat an iron skillet to medium-high to high, it should be smoking.  Although traditional technique uses clarified butter, the purpose of this is to keep the dish healthy so I used canola oil, about 3 tablespoons.  Add the swordfish; there should be LOTS of smoke.

After about 2 to 3 minutes turn your fish; it should looked nearly burnt.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.  If you are cooking on electric you may want to remove the pan from the burner for about 30 seconds until the temprature levels out.  Remove the fish to a plate.  Add finely diced onions, celery and bell pepper to the pan and saute briefly before adding brown rice.  Toss until heated through and season with a pinch more of the blackening seasoning.

The tarter sauce was easy.  I added a tablespoon of Mrs. Renfro’s Hot Chow Chow to 3 tablespoons homemade Crème Fraîche.  Using the same ratio you can add pickle relish to mayo to make a less fancy tarter sauce.

Blackening Seasoning from Third Coast Cuisine

• 6 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon each finely ground black pepper, finely ground white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, & celery salt

 Mix together and store in an airtight container.

Fish Dish: Cedar Planked Salmon

I was excited to find that my local market has started stocking Full Circle all natural, wild caught, US fish in its freezer section.  I live on the Gulf Coast and can get fresh Gulf seafood but these are not indigenous fishcicles.  So I have decided to share this culinary voyage with you.  I won’t be providing recipes per se but instructions on how I fixed each Fish Dish.

Fish Dish: cedar planked salmon with maple-bourbon glaze, steamed veggies over brown rice.

Cooking on a cedar plank is an ancient Native American technique that transcends well to the modern world.  You can place the plank on an open fire, gas grill or as I did in a 350 oven.  Soaking the plank in water for a while is required; follow the directions on the plank you buy.

The glaze was insanely easy.  I stirred a tablespoon of Maker’s Mark Bourbon into two tablespoons Grade A maple syrup (not pancake syrup, the real stuff).  I seasoned the salmon with salt and pepper and placed it onto the plank and the plank into the oven for 1o minutes.  I then brushed the glaze on the salmon and back into the oven for 5 more minutes.  I simply steamed the veggies and pre-cooked brown rice until hot (the microwave does this well) and seasoned them with salt and pepper.  I poured the leftover glaze over everything.  The maple-bourbon glaze is addictive.

As if Katrina Wasn’t Bad Enough Now the FDA is Targeting the Gulf Coast

Originally posted at Third Coast Cuisine.

Just as Third Coast communities are beginning to recover from a series of storms that decimated towns from Corpus Christie to Tampa the FDA is now imposing policy that will potentially insure the demise of the Gulf Coast oyster industry. The industry has been a part of the region longer than there has been a United States of America. In an ethically questionable and scientifically unfounded decision the FDA is banning the sale of raw Gulf oysters effective 2011. The new law does not apply to oysters harvested on the East or West Coasts.

As nutritionists, food scientists and culinary writers have repeatedly pointed out the FDA (and their bungling partners the USDA and Department of Agriculture) rarely make public policy based on fact.  Michael Taylor, the President’s hand-picked senior adviser at the Food and Drug Administration, is at the point of this latest attack on the Gulf Region.  Taylor has spent most of the last 20 years going back and forth between the FDA and agribusiness giant Monsanto.  This is a gross conflict of interest but one that has existed now through four administrations.  Both Presidents Bush, President Clinton and now President Obama have appointed multiple Monsanto executives to policy making positions in all three government agencies responsible for regulating food safety.  The situation is referred to as the Monsanto/Government Revolving Door and it has been placing the public at risk since the 1970’s. 

The chief method for the post-harvest processing treatment of oysters is irradiation - exposure to low-dose gamma radiation. In 1993 the FDA approved food irradiation despite major health concerns. They ignored the fact that lab animals consuming irradiated foods experienced premature death, mutation, reproductive problems, tumors and suppressed immune function and that irradiation creates unique radiolytic products that cause cancer and birth defects in humans. There is also irrefutable evidence that irradiation destroys the nutritional benefits of the food exposed to it. Since the process was patented by Monsanto the company stands to reap a windfall from the new policy while the potential impact on the Gulf States’ economy is $500 million annually.

FDA/Monsanto spokesman Michael Taylor feels that the new regulations on raw Gulf oysters are necessary because nearly 15 people a year die from ingesting oysters contaminated with Vibrio vulnificus.  All victims have suffered from weak immune systems caused by various diseases like AIDS and diabetes.  According to Taylor these high-risk groups are just not heeding the warnings about raw oysters which contribute to the dozen or so annual deaths.  Consequently, Monsanto’s genetically modified corn process has been identified as the primary cause of every e coli outbreak on record, an average of 200 deaths a year just in the US.  Additionally, obesity kills 400,000 Americans each year and the chief culprit, high-fructose corn syrup, is another Monsanto invention. 

For more on the FDA’s ban on raw Gulf oysters you can read the AP article written by Cain Burdeau and Phillip Rawls by clicking HERE.

Photo courtesy of Wintzell’s Oyster House, Mobile, AL.

Fish Dish: Chili-Lime Halibut

I was excited to find that my local market has started stocking Full Circle all natural, wild caught, US fish in its freezer section.  I live on the Gulf Coast and can get fresh Gulf seafood but these are not indigenous fishcicles.  So I have decided to share this culinary voyage with you.  I won’t be providing recipes per se but instructions on how I fixed each Fish Dish.

The Finished Product

Fish Dish: chili-lime halibut with chipotle brown rice pilaf.

I seasoned the halibut steaks with salt, pepper and chili powder.  I seared them in an oiled medium high sauté pan for about four minutes on each side, basting with fresh squeezed lime juice after the turn.  Once done I removed them to a plate.

For the pilaf I added half a can of chipotle white corn (with some juice) to the sauté pan along with a can of green chilies making sure to scrape up the fond in the bottom of the pan.  I then added 4 ounces of pre-cooked brown rice and tossed it in the pan until heated through and well mixed.  I squeezed a little more lime juice over both the pilaf and the halibut before serving.

Fish Dish: Grilled Salmon with Soy-Honey Glaze

I was excited to find that my local market has started stocking Full Circle all natural, wild caught, US fish in its freezer section.  I live on the Gulf Coast and can get fresh Gulf seafood but these are not indigenous fishcicles.  So I have decided to share this culinary voyage with you.  I won’t be providing recipes per se but instructions on how I fixed each Fish Dish.

Fish Dish: Grilled Salmon with Soy-Honey Glaze & Wasabi-Lemon Sauce with Sesame-Teriyaki Udon.

The Finished Product

I made the Soy-Honey glaze by combining a tablespoon or so of Soy Sauce and an equal amount of honey.  This is in essence a Teriyaki sauce.  For some heat I added a pinch of dried chili flakes.

I seasoned the salmon filets with salt & pepper and grilled them in an indoor grill (George Foreman type) until medium rare, about 4 minutes.  I then brushed the filets with the glaze and cooked another minute to seal the glaze.

For the udon just boil them in water according to directions and toss with soy-honey glaze.  The wasabi-lemon sauce was made by adding 1 tsp. wasabi paste to 1 tablespoon mayonnaise then stirring with the juice of one lemon.  I sprinkled sesame seeds for color, texture and flavor.  As you can see the finished product was very colorful and tasted great.  It was also quite healthy.

Review: The Frugal Foodie Cookbook

The world of foodie-journalists clacking away at their laptops is a tight-knit group made up of passionate and talented people.  That said, it always warms my heart to see a fellow food blogger publishing a book.  It happened for gal-pal Jaden Hair.  Heck, she’s in New York right now big-timin’ her recent release The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.  And no one has parlayed blog-to-book better than Julie Powell who added a second hyphen “to-movie” with the summer smash Julie & Julia based on her best selling book.

Also transitioning from blogger to author are the gastro power couple of Alanna Kaufman and Alex Small.  The two met in 2005 at the University of Pennsylvania where Small dazzled the pretty brunette with Bananas Flambé on their first date.  Subsequent dates (most spent cooking) soon led to the blog Two Fat Als in 2006.  Four years later Adams Media tapped the two for publication with The Frugal Foodie Cookbook.

Frugal Foodie teaches readers how to break bread without out breaking the bank with inspired recipes that average less than $7 a serving.  Gems like Roasted Tomato and Asparagus Panzanella, Apricot Brandy-Baked French Toast and Better-than-Chesapeake Crab Cakes keep the mundane at bay.  And don’t worry wayward lovers, Alex includes the recipe for his heart-stealing Bananas Flambé as well.

Kaufman and Small intertwine the recipes with brief but revealing glimpses into their lives together.  The characters of their romance do not just include prosciutto and garbanzo beans but bipedal characters like Alanna’s college roommate Jacqui who served as the inspiration for a muffin with “almost every ingredient we could imagine adding to muffins.”

Apparently the sweet tooth is a big part of their world as they dedicate four chapters to sugary treats: Muffins & Cupcakes, Cookies & Bars, Cakes & Pies and More Desserts.  There are also a number of savory-sweet dishes to chose from including an amazing number of recipes that include figs.

The Frugal Foodie Cookbook is perfect for anyone who wants to dine like a gourmet but lacks the equity.  If I had a criticism of this book it would be that I found the index a bit limited but clearly that doesn’t stop the recipes from tasting great.  It is the perfect gift for that aspiring foodie in your circle of friends.

 

 

Disclaimer to satisfy the Federal Trade Commission’s unconstitutional new law: Dear Big Brother, yes I got some stuff for free and if you click on a link I might make a little coin but don’t worry I’ll report it on my taxes just as soon as you admit there are aliens. Til then, stay your butt in DC and things need not get ugly.

When a Healthy Diet Isn’t Healthy

According to the market research firm Marketdata Enterpises Inc., Americans spend $55 billion a year on weight loss. Be it in the form of diet books, exercise equipment, health club memberships, pre-packaged meal plans or the ever elusive “magic pill” millions of Americans are trying anything to live a healthy lifestyle. And most are missing the mark, even those who appear perfectly healthy.

Why you may ask? The answer is both simple and complex. The quick and easy answer is greed. The corporations that produce those over-the-counter appetite suppressants and metabolism enhancers like hoodia, benzoyl peroxide and green tea extract prey on the same characteristic that causes most instances of obesity to begin with, sloth.

They know there is great profit to be made in selling the “magic pill” to those Americans who are convinced they can expel that spare tire without having to give up their precious drive-thru combos and channel surfing marathons. They also know (despite what they claim) that their products do not work; they’ve read the Mayo Clinic’s comprehensive study just like I have.

Those consumers are a lost cause but there are millions more out there that have been proactive by exercising, counting calories and reducing saturated fats. Their resting heart rate is under 70, their triglycerides are within acceptable parameters and their LDL’s are under 150. Yet they can’t seem to get rid of that fat roll. What gives?

This is the complex part. To write a blog post that explains all of the things wrong with our modern food system would actually constitute a book. Therefore I have collected some video information that may help you learn that truth that our government has conspired to keep from us all in the name of the simple answer, greed.  Both Bushes, Clinton and yes, even Obama have apointed Monsanto cronies to government posts that make policy for food safety.  The track record for all is heinous.

One of the lies is that skinny equals healthy.  What good are those six pack abs if your body is riddled with cancer or your circulatory system is invaded by aplastic anemia?  Oh yeah, so you can live longer and spend more of your life savings on pharmaceuticals that don’t cure anything.

The first is the movie The Future of Food.  “The Future Of Food offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.” If you are not infuriated by the revelations in the movie then you are already dead.  The Future of Food is free to watch on Hulu or right here:

The next film ties in well with The Future of Food and it’s revelations about Monsanto and their holocaustic genetically modified corn.  It is called King Corn – You are what you eat.  And according to the film no matter what you are eating, you are eating corn.  It’s not yet available to view on Hulu but you can buy it from amazon by clicking HERE.  Here’s the trailer:

 

 

The final film is Food Inc.  This movie has created quite an uproar since its release this past summer.  It has the government and their masters very nervous.  It, too, is not yet available to view on Hulu but you can also buy it from amazon by clicking HERE.  Here’s the trailer:

 

 

 

Disclaimer to satisfy the Federal Trade Commission’s unconstitutional new law: Dear Big Brother, yes I got some stuff for free and if you click on a link I might make a little coin but don’t worry I’ll report it on my taxes just as soon as you admit there are aliens. Til then, stay your butt in DC and things need not get ugly.