Category: foodstuff

foodstuff

Dukan sees where food + politics/Econ/society mix

Article in the UK Guardian about the Dukan Diet. Addresses obesity as culture, obesity as economic model, obesity as product of economic growth (and capitalism’s mktg + advertising)

“the economic model of the west is based on obesity” — food companies, pharma.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2012/jan/07/saturday-interview-pierre-dukan-diet

Later he says, “[US and UK] are addicted to sweetness.” differing cultures — on food, meals, flavors.

Later, “obesity … corresponds with economic growth. You can see it in China now. A lot of processed food with sugar, salt and fat combined with advertising and marketing. People don’t move so much.”

pending: Enough for me and the wasps.

God, I do love this place. I am back here, the last Sunday in August. Hurricane Irene cancelled my Megabus ride between Washington DC and Durham, but provided the opportunity for friends in DC to escape the tropical storm by driving south and sleeping in the hermitage until the media-traumatizing storm blew up the coastline. On Sunday, the skies were clear, not a cloud in the sky. They had all been sucked up in the vortex of what was Irene.

Down here Mebane, I stood in the orchard picking apples. I gathered figs off of the every growing fig bush. The first time I pulled a fig straight from a branch was for a group, who were some of the first guests to visit the Stone House in the Fall 2007.

The first time I harvested — well, actually gleaned — apples had been a few summers’ prior when Tahz asked me to grab apples. The first batch were for a blue bucket, the second batch were tossed into a wheelbarrow. The blue bucket apples had spots, dimples and blemishes on their skin yet enough apple for the fruit to be pressed with the apple press. The wheelbarrow where apples that were to soft and mushy, or so marked up that they were unedible to the discerning eye of a Stone House guest in the kitchen.

What I most remember about being under the apple trees was the buzz of hundreds of wasps. I so freaked myself out of the oodles of wasps that it took me a minute to realize. The wasps didn’t care about me. There was so much apple to be eaten that the wasps paid me no mind as I picked up apples from the ground and off of branches and placed them in the bucket and wheelbarrow. I went from gently laying them in the two containers to tossing them three feet. The wasps, still didn’t care about me. I had concocted a narrative that they were going to sting me.

Yes, the donut Top Ten

Mike had told me of the Chinese Food + Donut shop just above the BART station. It was such a distinct storefront that I figured that it would be an easy pick-up location. Sure enough, I was a few minutes early so I picked up two donuts. There are so many flavors and are so tasty that I always buy donuts in two or more.

1. the flavors are expansive — glazed, cake glazed, cinnamon, bavarian creme, maple/chocolate, chocolate/chocolate (aka Double Trouble).
2. portability — As a small and compact single item, you can walk or run with a donut whether it is in a brown paper bag, napkin or sheet of wax paper. It won’t break or crumble. It only gives way when you bite into it.
3. they were GrandpaDick-approved — One thing that my grandpa and I could agree on was how fabulous a donut was in the morning. He ate them until he passed at 90.
4. you know how well they go with coffee?
5. cake donut density —
6. supporting small business — donuts are produced and distributed by small-scale producers. There are the corporate chains owned in the northeast, owned by Carlisly Group. But most donut shops are independently owned or franchisees like Daylight Donuts (in NM and CO) and Winchells.
7. foodie is getting hip to the donut — vegan.
8. even grocery store varieties are fabulous — King Soopers and Safeway offer a delicious chocolate glazed.
9. the hole in the middle — makes for unique design, and a memorable eating experience. And everybody likes Os for their symmetry and signifying completion.
10. sweet goodness — i finish my donuts relishing the sweet sugary flavors.
Finally, I’ve got my parameters. I do not do sprinkles (and it has nothing to do with their racist histoircal name of jimmies). Nor do i do Krispy Kreme. For the record, Krispy Kreme is not a donut. It is a sugar cube since it cdissolves on your tongue. A donut requires teeth and chewing, neither of which is required for the fast food fad and stock market bubble of the late ’90s. Good riddance.

resolutions for here/now

I stopped with the new years’ resolutions habit years ago. It was when I started to getting frustrated with the self-imposed expectations of the gym 7 times a week. Both my own proclamations of such, and those of others, were self-punishment. But, I’m back into resolutions. Thanks to Carlos Vega. Who’s remixed the resolution by having the same one each year: to see more movies.

Since imitation is the highest form of flattery, I’ma mimic the C.Vega resolution by trebling it:

My new years resolutions for 2011 (as of today, Nov 23rd) are:

  1. yes, to see more movies,
  2. to drink more coffee,
  3. to drink more beer,
  4. to cook more new meals — from both recipes and inspiration.

(h/t JVF)

What i’ve learned this weekend

I have been in New Mexico for 49 hours. Through experiential learning, I have learned the following:
1. making pizza on a grill,
2. differentiating walking by using the back of my legs, rather than the sides.
3. how laughter and humor can be used to mask discomfort. That making silly jokes in response to “what do you need?” reveals fear, grappling.

Simple french pressin’

I need my frech press back. No need for the plug-me-in cuisinart coffee maker that grinds beans loudly before dripping water over them. It took me 20 minutes this morning to figure out what the damn beep-beep-beep sound was for. By that time, I had foregone coffee while making eggs and quesadillas for breakfast. Midway through my second (mini-) tortilla, i noticed a part of the contraption sitting next to the sink that was causing the electric feedback. Once that was in, coffee making, the electric kind, was back on track.

I look forward to the days of grinding beans by hand, boiling water (either stovetop, or I’m ready for an electric kettle), and the satisfaction of pouring near boiling water over the ground beans.

As wikipedia states, “A French press … is a simple coffee brewing device.”
Yes, bring back the simplicity of this delectable morning routine.