Food Blog:
Cook In.
Eat Out.
Miss Tenacity.
New Mexico.
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Tuesday, August 31
Love food, eat food, love to eat....
I've recently found a website with an amazing amount of information on healthy foods. Its called "World's Healthiest Foods", and the founder has a non-profit organization to proliferate the data. Hence, all the content on the website is free, and I think there's also an option to pay to have customized plans drawn up for you.
But its all that free data that is so useful - from their list of healthiest foods, to the nutrients that they consider crucial and why, and extremely detailed analysis of the composition of many whole foods. Its an obsessive's dream. *grin*
Thanks for the website, George!
Time posted: 11:37 [permalink]
Monday, August 30
Let's get Political, political!
I didn't cook much over the weekend, just a big batch of Caldo Verde to take to work this weekend. I of course took liberties with the recipe, not because I wanted to but because I was missing 2 crucial ingredients: potatoes and chorizo. Ooops.
Here's my modified version, "Caldo Verde-esqe"
1/2 yellow onion
5 cloves garlic
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 cups chicken stock
1oz pancetta, diced finely or sliced, pan fried
1 bunch kale, chiffonaded
Salt & pepper to taste
Sweat the onions in a little olive oil, then add the garlic. Cook very gently until they are tender and fragrant. Add the chicken stock and rice and cook the whole thing about a half hour. Puree the soup, then add more water to the desired consistency. Add the pancetta and the kale and cook for just a few minutes more. Serve!
POLITICS:
Disturbingly, all of a sudden I've noticed that the 2 State Legislative elections for my district are COMPLETELY UNOPPOSED. That's, um, interesting....
Here's a great information link via the NY Times for all elections in the state of New Mexico: NM State Elections.
Don't forget the general info about being a New Mexico elected official: salary, requirements, etc.
More food news will come, I promise!
Time posted: 08:45 [permalink]
Thursday, August 26
Happy Anniversary to the Banana Split
That's right, yesterday (I missed it!) was the 100th birthday of the banana split.
From the AP story:
"The way Greubel sees it, the proper banana split is built on a foundation of a banana sliced stem to stern. The next layer consists of a scoop of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream, topped with pineapple pieces, chocolate sauce and strawberry sauce. Then comes the whipped cream, chopped nuts and three cherries -- although Greubel's restaurants replace one of the cherries for an American flag."
Time posted: 08:32 [permalink]
Wednesday, August 25
Pro-Loading, again
After I go on one of my "PB&J Eating Tours", I need to protein load for 5 days or so afterwards to help repair my poor shriveling muscles.
Here's my latest take on one of my favorite brunch sludges:
1 cup pre-cooked oats (steel cut or groats)
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 T peanut butter (no, I haven't gotten sick of it yet)
Nuke the oats until hot, stir in the PB until it melts and is distributed, then add the CC and nuke just a little more so that when you stir to make your sludge its the right eating temperature.
Breakdown - 350 cal; 21g pro - 10g fat - 33g carb.
Time posted: 12:56 [permalink]
Monday, August 23
Back in the Saddle
Well, my weekend was disastrous - how 'bout ya'll?
In any case, I will be visiting the Farmer's Market tomorrow morning to re-stock my kitchen with fresh veg, AND on Wednesday do not forget to head over to Bound To Be Read for a cooking demo with the awesome proprietor of Maximito's:
A Cook Among the Books -- Chef Eddie Stern from Maximito's Restaurant will give a Mexican cooking demonstration at 7 p.m. (San Mateo and Academy, 828-3500). Stern will show you how to make shrimp Veracruz, mahi mahi with cilantro cream sauce and sautéed vegetables.
Time posted: 09:27 [permalink]
Friday, August 20
Weekend Away....
I won't be posting again until I return from the wilds of Leadville, Colorado on Monday. While I am here I am staying at the best hostel I have ever been to. When hotels in touristy mining towns are $59 for a Super 8, paying $15 a night for a bunk bed and and extra $5 for an all you can eat breakfast, in a lovely-friendly-hospitable environment such as the Leadville Hostel.... well, its just heavenly.
But I can tell you what I will be eating this weekend: PB&J. Lots and lots of PB&J. And Red Bulls. Its power-food, when I need it most.
Wish me luck.
Time posted: 16:34 [permalink]
Tuesday, August 17
Trader Joe's, the field trip
Took a little field trip today after work to the new Trader Joe's in Santa Fe. It was, as predicted, rather crowded. Also, it was smaller than I expected, even though I had been warned that TJ's are pretty small compared to your usual supermarket.
The weird thing about the place is that its kind of like a cross between the best parts of Food Hole and/or Sow Yer Oats with Wal-Mart. That is, they have lots of high-quality foofy food like organic veg, fresh meats, gourmet trail mix, etc. But its actually very cheap. Here are some examples off the top of my head:
Feta: $4/lb
Crystallized Ginger: $2/lb
Frozen Ahi Tuna Steaks: $4/lb
Balance Bars: $.89
Yogurt: $2/quart
This happens because TJ's finds the items they want to carry, and then contract with a food manufacturer to provide it at a low price under Trader Joe's brandname. So 90% of the stuff in the store is TJ's brand, and it seems to be similar if not the same stuff as other high-end store brands, but even cheaper.
So it seems to be a good place to stock up on some of the things that they have really slashed prices on, but its also a place where you can buy nearly everything you need; they have bread, meat, veg, fruit, dry goods, canned food, etc.
The verdict? I'd go back, and bring my cooler and ice packs, but not immediately. Maybe the crowds will thin out over time....
Time posted: 21:41 [permalink]
Tomato Cuke Goddess Salad
Here's a quick photo of my lunch today, a cucumber (green & lemon varieties) and tomato (heirloom) salad, topped with cottage cheese and homemade green goddess dressing. I started doing the cottage cheese thing in my chunky veg salads after the last time I was out of feta - it seemed to work alright. Next time I do a proper greek salad though of course I will use feta....
Time posted: 21:36 [permalink]
Monday, August 16
Zucchini Crab Soup
Zucchini Crab Bisque/Chowder/etc - adapted from AllRecipes
(makes about 7-8 cups worth)
2c boiling veg stock
2c water or so
3 large zukes (nearly a pound each), sliced
1 shallot, chopped
2 scallions, chopped + 1tsp chopped green scallion for garnish
1 T butter
1/2 lb crab or imitation crab
Saute the shallot & scallions in the butter. Add the veg stock and the zucchinis - the stock should just about cover the veg, if needed, add some water. On low heat, simmer this for about 10 minutes, then add half the crab meat and simmer for a few more minutes.
Puree to desired consistency, adding water if needed. Season to taste with salt & pepper, then add the rest of the crab meat and allow it to cook through (a few minutes or so). Serve garnished with a few scallion rings.
Time posted: 09:58 [permalink]
Sunday, August 15
Weekend Cook-fest
Most weekends when I'm not out of town, I spend one whole day mostly cooking. It relaxes me, sets me up for lunch food for the next work week, and I generally learn and/or try something new. I am a strange example of a cook since I have rarely made the same dish twice - once I get it exactly (or mostly) right, why do it again? There's so many more recipes out there to try, ya know?
In that spirit, here are some photos of recent items I have made, some entirely new, some reminiscent of other items I have prepared. Recipes should follow in the next few days.
Lentil Salad (with cremini, fresh black-eyed peas, mint, and egg):
Zucchini Brownie/muffins (made marginally more healthy with oat flour and flax seeds):
3 Heirloom Tomato Salad w/ Fresh Tapenade:
Zucchini Crab Bisque:
Does this all absolve me from the lingering guilt over having a wee bit too much ice cream after dinner tonight? Hmmm, I hope so. *grin*
Time posted: 21:05 [permalink]
Friday, August 13
Tenacious Mourning
Julia Child has died in her sleep at the age of 91.
Time posted: 09:37 [permalink]
Wednesday, August 11
Jellies, Peppers, and Green Chile Pizza
Yesterday I went out to lunch with JN. He chose Buster's Route 66 in Nob Hill. I had been there once for breakfast and was satisfied but not impressed; I now hear that's a common sentiment. Lunch, however, is far better. Their sandwiches are outstanding - I had a the Europa: roasted red pepper, onion and provolone toasted plate, and JN had Pavo: cream cheese, cranberry spread, turkey breast and cheddar. We both also had side salads which were simple and tasty, and we got out of there for about $20, though in retrospect I think I didn't tip enough. I hate when I do that. Anyway, its a great lunch joint (and if you still want breakfast you can order it anytime), and they actively encourage substitutions and whatever you want to do to your order. I highly recommend it, though still not quite as much as Cheese & Coffee. Gotta get back there....
Later in the afternoon I swung by SushiGig, schmoozed a little (ok, a *tiny* bit - I didn't even get any business cards), and then decided I was starving so headed back to the Yeep to ideally find a big trough of pho to stick my face into. On the way to the vehicle, I passed NY Pizza Dept, and recalled that I had passable food there once but had been determined to give it another go after hearing that their thin-crust Neopolitan style pie was outstanding. To make a long story short, it IS. I paid a scant $2.50 for a slice with 2 toppings and it was the perfect dinner. Crust was lightly charred, thin as paperboard, and stiff, not floppy. It had a slight chew, but not much discernable flavor. Perhaps the green chiles were overwhelming my palate.
Dreams of pho squashed, I headed home and decided to make a new kind of jelly. I experimented with Jellies a few months ago, and I think there's really something to be said for a cold and sweet treat that packs all of about 50 calories for a pint's worth of it. Obviously its no Haagen-Daz, but the customizing options are glorious (that and HD is 1000-1400 calories per pint - yes, you read that right). This time I flavored the gelatin with Ginger Peach tea, a small spoonful each of ginger and blackberry preserves, and of course some sweetener. Pick yer poison, but to make the number I mentioned earlier bear fruit, you've gotta use Splenda. Tonight I will see how it turned out, but small samplings while it was being mixed held promise.
Time posted: 11:51 [permalink]
Monday, August 9
Navel-gazing
Food writing seems to have surged in the last few years - not writing about food, per se, but rather writing about the philosophy/history/practice/theory of EATING.
Some of these articles are pure fluff, and some are genuinely fascinating and revelatory.
To start, true fluff (like reading a Chick-mag):
Economics of Obesity, by Inas Rashad. Relates quitting smoking with rise in food consumption and ultimately, fatness.
Here's some moderate fluff (not an unenjoyable read, but one that leaves you with the same sense as after you've read a Time magazine cover to cover):
The Great Neurotic Art, by Steven Shapin. This discusses the ebb and flow of the acceptability of willpower as the primary dieting tool.
For contrast, a little more substance (now we're in New Yorker territory):
The Way We Eat Now, by Craig Lambert. How the difference between diets 100+ years ago and now is likely causing the 'obesity crisis'.
Even the fluff is relative - I'd rather read food-fluff than hear about sporting events, the ozone layer, or latest trends in $3000 handbags. Your mileage may vary...
Time posted: 08:53 [permalink]
Sunday, August 8
A few photos
This is the booty I got at the farmer's market last week:
...and this is a hot & sour soup that I made about 2 weeks ago when I was feeling like I hadn't had my quota of fish sauce for the month:
Time posted: 20:46 [permalink]
Friday, August 6
The Five "S" Supper
Soba, Scallions, Scallops, Soy Sauce, Sesame Seeds (also basil, sesame oil, chile oil):
Time posted: 14:18 [permalink]
Wednesday, August 4
Freezer Dinner
Not feeling overly ambitious last night I whipped up a freezer meal:
1 baggie pre-cooked (by me!) cubed chicken (6oz); sauteed with:
1 cup chicken stock
1 garlic clove, crushed
1T green curry paste
1T each coconut milk & half/half
cornstarch to thicken
Then warm up:
1 baggie pre-cooked brown rice (1 cup), with thai spice seasoning added
Serve with:
1. fresh green beans, sauteed in bacon fat, chicken stock, garlic, and 1 yellow hot pepper
2. thin sliced zucchini and yellow squash, steamed.
This was definitely one of those meals that sounds more impressive than it ended up looking. Plating left something to be desired, but everything was pretty tasty (except the beans, which were a tad overcooked). No leftovers.
Time posted: 10:44 [permalink]
Tuesday, August 3
Pre-Lunch
As my pre-lunch today (probably going to go out for Vietnamese for lunch) I really wanted to have a nice watermelon/feta salad. I have some leftover chunked watermelon from a party, and swung by the store this morning to get feta.
Bad idea, buying feta in a grocery store. I've had the shrink-wrapped monstrosities before, and it was either that or getting "pre-crumbled" tubs for $4 for 6oz. Eesh. At a local farm store, its $4 per pound (and its GOOD)!
So... didn't get any feta at all. I did, however, get a few tubs of my preferred snacking goop: cottage cheese. I wondered if adding more salt to it and then tossing it with the watermelon would work, or even be edible.
As it turns out, its edible, starting to verge on "not bad at all". Added a lot of sea salt & fresh ground pepper, and also a dollop of green goddess dressing (homemade). The combo tastes just fine together, although the texture needs something - I think the cottage cheese is a little squishy compared to feta. Overall, not a terribly disappointing experiment. And its low-cal, high protein to boot.
Time posted: 11:34 [permalink]
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CONTACT ME: tenacity -at- gmail.com
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