Food for Thought

For this week's Food for Thought, a slew of food-related articles and sites, many of which I found via the Food News Journal:

1. Smaller belly = bigger brain?  Not necessarily, but according to this story from NPR, eating meat and cooking food is what has allowed humans to grow bigger brains.  I encourage you to listen to the story, and to remember that there's a reason why we cook our food!  [NPR]

2. So how do popsicles and cakeballs fit into our evolutionary process?  Riddhi Shah concludes in this article that these kinds of fads are perhaps a byproduct of such American values as progress, open-mindedness, and entrepreneurship.  Might be a bit of a stretch, but I do agree that America does lack a concrete food tradition of its own.  The question is whether the lack of a food tradition counts as a food tradition in and of itself.  What say you, wise reader?  [Salon]

3. Michelle Obama on childhood obesity and getting kids to eat right: So, can we change the way kids think about food?  The first lady of the United States thinks we can, with the help of the Child Nutrition Bill.  [The Washington Post]

4. Speaking of American tradition, apparently we're drinking more than ever these days.  I have nothing to say, except... well, that sounds about right.  [Time]

5. And speaking of booze, I've been obsessed with this boozey blog lately.  Ever since David Flaherty did an interview with Serious Eats, I've had a huge crush on him.  It helps that I love both Hearth and Terroir, where Mr. Flaherty is the operations manager.  Check out his blog for some insight into your favorite cocktails, and the results from the 8th Annual Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans.

6. Last, but not least, this little piece from Mark Bittman.  I originally read it on his site, but it's been reposted and posted about and tweeted about up the wazoo in the 2 days since it went up, so I can't ignore it.  Basically, the famous foodie found some plastic in his soup.  Readers, outraged that anyone could not recognize Bittman, went nutty and demanded that Bittman post the name of the restaurant.  Now, this kind of thing has never happened to me before.  An occasional hair that may or may not have been mine, yes.  A bug in my salad, certainly.  But plastic?  I don't even know what I would do.  What would you have done?  Though the restaurant staff handled the situation very, very poorly, I think people are kind of overreacting.  Bottom line: there shouldn't have been anything but soup in Mark Bittman's soup, but no one was hurt.  Yes, diners deserve to know what they're getting when they enter a restaurant, but this kind of thing, if and when it happens, is rarely publicized because it's not just happening to Mark Bittman.  The level of anxiety over some plastic in Mark Bittman's soup seems disproportionate to how much people care about the actual ingredients that go into their restaurant meals.  Just sayin'.  What do you think?  [MarkBittman]

Happy Wednesday!

Tips For Staying Cool

This summer, I've been doing a lot of non-cooking.  It involves lots of throwing things into a big bowl, and not a lot of heat.  It's hot enough as it is, and lately I've been craving things that will cool me down, things that won't have me breaking a sweat in our tiny kitchen.  Oven roasting and slow cooking and braising have their time and place; this summer's just not it.  So, without further ado, how to not-cook this summer, or, my Tips For Staying Cool:

1. Have an indoor picnic: Get a baguette, throw together a caprese salad, and add some prosciutto for good measure.  Eat with your hands, sitting on the living room floor with the A/C blasting.  Make sure there's a bucket of ice and some chilled white wine within reach.

2. If you're having guests over, don't cook: Make some no-cook kebabs!  We all know there's nothing like food on a stick.  Who says you have to cook it?  Skewer some bocconcini, tomatoes, peppadew peppers, and olives and drizzle with homemade pesto.  These babies make for an impressive display, and super easy clean-up to boot.  The wonderful ladies in my book club devoured every last one of these!

3. If you must turn on the stove, make it quick: Scramble up some eggs and throw in a handful of chopped garlic scapes, all fresh from the farmers market, of course.  Or quickly saute some zucchini and corn and top with freshly sliced heirloom tomatoes.  These dishes make for a light and easy dinner, or tasty summer sides.

4. Cook without cooking: The best trick of all?  Make some ceviche and let the limes do the cooking.  Chop up some scallops, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes, throw it in a bowl or jar, cover with lime juice, and... walk away.  Take a cold shower, lay out in the sun for a bit, or call mom.  When you come back, dinner's ready!

5. Try something new: When all else fails and you just don't have the energy to even step into the kitchen, go to a new restaurant, preferably air conditioned, or get take-out.  Try something spicy - it may seem counterintuitive, but it's actually supposed to help cool you down!  I opted to try the new Xian's Famous Food that just opened on St. Mark's.  You just can't beat those spicy liang pi noodles on a hot summer night!

Happy non-cooking!

Food for Thought

Several sites this week have posted links to the National Agricultural Library's online exhibit of American food posters from World Wars I and II.  You can also see some of them on the Smithsonian's website.  This is one of my favorites:

Here's a link to the interview with the creator.

Food for Thought

A few things I've been thinking about this week:

1. Poached/Fried Eggs: Whenever I make instant ramen at home, I always add an egg to poach in the soup.  It's a wonderful addition to the ramen, and I like to think it adds just a bit of nutrition to the meal.  Lately, I've been kind of obsessed with adding poached or fried eggs to other meals as well.  Last night's dinner leftovers are easily transformed into today's breakfast (or lunch, even) with the addition of an egg on top.  I've had this conversation several times with various people, and most would agree that a fried egg is a miraculous thing.  It goes with just about anything, it's vegetarian friendly, and you can be creative with it.  Just try this recipe from Smitten Kitchen and add a poached egg to leftovers, as Deb suggests, or try this one from Serious Eats for dinner sometime this week.  Yum!

2. The Ducasse Cookpot: Read about it here.  I can't wait to experiment and come up with my own version.  I absolutely love such simple, flavorful, fuss-less cooking methods as these.

3. Composting: I've been toying with the idea for a while now, but can't seem to find a plan to make it work in my tiny urban apartment.  I can't even find a place that will take my compost, if I had any.  If anyone has any suggestions, let me know.  If you're looking for more information, here are a few articles from goodeater on the subject.

4. This heat: Yup, it's still scorching in NYC.  Here are the results from the egg experiment two weeks ago -

The egg didn't exactly fry.  It just kind of... oozed.  Melted a little.  Maybe we should have tried it on asphalt instead of the sidewalk.  I came back about 2 hours later and it had gotten smeared, but it didn't look like it had cooked any more.  Oh, well.  You'll just have to take my word for it - it's HOT!  Stay tuned for a few heat-minimizing recipes...

Happy Wednesday!

First Weekly Food Co-Op

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, a few of my coworkers and I decided to start a weekly lunch co-op in our office.  We were able to round up a decent number of people, and we started last week.  Being as excited as I was, I agreed to cook first.  Though I was nervous about what to make and whether I would have enough food, our first weekly lunch co-op turned out to be a huge success!  The food was delicious, and our first lunch together got everyone excited for the whole co-op project.

For the first co-op, I decided to make a kale and brown rice salad, with peanut sauce on the side, and grilled rosemary chicken.

If you should ever find yourself having to cook for a bunch of vegetarians and just one or two carnivores, this is the meal you should serve.  It's a flip-flop of a traditional meal: instead of a meat, it's a veggie main course, and instead of a veggie, it's a meat side.

Now none of my coworkers are vegetarians, but I think all have an appreciation for healthful, local food.  Especially if it's tasty.  And as everyone ate their lunch at our communal table on Tuesday, it seemed to me that no one missed the traditional meaty main course.

This kale salad was a big hit - simple, fresh, and slightly sweet.  It really is just the thing for a summer picnic, the perfect side for a rooftop grilling party.  It's great warm, or cold and straight out of the fridge.  It doesn't involve much cooking, so your (tiny) apartment won't get too hot while you're making it.  The peanut sauce makes it addicting - I couldn't stop eating it.  Good thing it's a salad!

Keep in mind that all of these recipes make enough for about 8 people.

Kale and Brown Rice Salad

2 cups raw brown rice, cooked
2 bunches kale, washed thoroughly, dried, and trimmed
3 large tomatoes, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
a large handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly torn or chopped
1/2 cup raisins
olive oil
salt and pepper

Cut or tear kale into pieces.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  When hot, add olive oil and garlic.  When garlic is fragrant, add kale and saute until just tender and bright green, about 5 minutes.  You'll probably have to do that in batches.  Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine rice, kale, tomatoes, basil, and raisins.  Toss with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Serve with peanut sauce (recipe below) on the side.

Grilled Rosemary Chicken
I used a grill pan on my stove in my apartment, but if you have access to a real live grill, use that!


6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
salt and pepper

Heat a grill pan over high heat.  Meanwhile, season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and rosemary, and let rest while the grill pan heats.  When the pan just begins to smoke, add chicken breasts, a few at a time without crowding the pan.  Cook chicken for about 7 minutes without moving, then flip over to cook the other side.  Cook for about 4 minutes more, until chicken is completely cooked through.  Remove chicken and set aside.  When chicken is cool enough to handle, cut diagonally and on a bias into thick slices and serve.

Peanut Sauce


1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup very hot water (I usually use boiling water that I'm using to cook pasta or vegetables)
3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or measuring cup.  Taste for seasoning, adding more peanut butter or tamari if necessary.

Food for Thought

It's 10 AM in New York City, and it is hot.  95 degrees, to be exact.  It's so hot, in fact, that this is all I can think about.

Maybe later today I'll try frying an egg on the sidewalk myself.  Let me know if you want to participate in the experiment.


Happy Wednesday!

Squash Ribbons with Tomatoes

Summer is in full swing here in New York City, and it is H-O-T.  With all of the great free events and goings-on in the city, I have found myself with little time to cook.  Weeknights have been filled with happy hours, concerts, and naps in the park.  I am even less inclined to cook on the weekends, especially in this heat.  I find myself seeking solace in the luxurious air conditioning of neighborhood restaurants and cafes, and since I'm there, well, I might as well eat something.  Hence the lack of cooking in our tiny kitchen.

One thing I have made this summer, though, is the dish that brings you this post.  When I first came across a recipe for squash ribbons, I just knew they would become part of my kitchen repertoire.  In the summer, zucchini and summer squash abound, and one can only eat so much grilled squash.  Enter squash ribbons, delicate strips of juicy squash, thin enough to substitute for pasta for a light summer meal.

Some recipes suggest that you serve squash ribbons raw, but I prefer them cooked, even if only just a bit.  I also like to sauce them with a can of chopped tomatoes, but fresh tomatoes would probably be even better.  The following recipe (if you can even call it that) is just something to get you started.  I encourage you to be creative, dear readers, as the possibilities with squash ribbons are nearly endless.

Squash Ribbons with Tomatoes

1 15 ounce can chopped tomatoes, with their juice
4 squash (I used two zucchini and two summer squash)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Clean and trim the squash.  Using a vegetable peeler, peel off the skin of each squash.  Continue to "peel" away the squash, moving in a circular direction, forming ribbons.  When you reach the center of the squash, stop peeling and discard the seeds.  Heat a skillet over medium heat.  When just hot, add olive oil.  Add squash and cook until just softened, about 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove squash from pan.  Heat the tomatoes with their juice in the same pan until just warmed through.  Top squash ribbons with the tomatoes and serve.