Month: October 2010

Why It’s a Good Idea to Smoke Your Own Fish

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Uh, oh, the FDA is recalling Haifa Smoked Fish, due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Consumers most likely to be affected are those who bought the company’s smoked fish in greater New York, New Jersey and Illinios. Oy!

If you love smoked fish (and who doesn’t), fire up the grill and smoke it yourself. It’s easy, and we tell you how in our recipes for Hot-Smoked Sablefish and Hot-Smoked Arctic Char with Mixed Greens and Golden Beets. Even better, the fish will be sustainably sourced.

Where there’s smoke, there’s flavor!

Spiced Pork Roast

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This dish is supremely delish with Roasted Winter Veggies. Choosing heritage pork will mean even more flavor. I love leftovers in a sandwich slathered with mustard and dotted with Spicy-Sweet Pickled Cucumbers.

spice-roast-pork-recipe3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground fennel
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
2-1/2 pound boneless pork loin roast

Pound garlic to a paste in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt and grind of pepper. Add thyme and fennel and continue to pound to a paste. Mix in remaining spices and 1 tablespoon olive oil and rub all over pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight).

Preheat oven to 400. Rub pork with an additional pinch of salt.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sear pork on all sides, about 3-5 minutes total, and transfer pan to oven. Roast for 25-35 minutes, until a thermometer poked into the thickest part reads 150.

Remove from oven to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Serves 6

Win a Free Copy of “The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook”!

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As you know, we’re big fans of Kim O’Donnel’s groovy new title, The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes Carnivores Will Devour (Lifelong Books).

This week, we’re giving away a free copy of The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook!

It’s filled with 52 hearty, bold-flavored menus–enough of a year’s worth of Meatless Monday feasts!–that will appeal to vegetarians and carnivores alike. You’ll find mouthwatering fare like Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Whipped Feta and Thai-Style Red Curry Tempeh with a make-your-own curry.

But, friends, you have to play to win this meatless must-read.

So here’s the deal. Only NOURISH Evolution members are eligible to win, so now’s the time to join if you haven’t already! Then, head on over to the Thursday Giveaway group in our community area and leave a comment to be entered to win (important: be sure you’re signed in to NOURISH Evolution so we can find you).

Lia will announce the winner in next Friday’s Friday Digest!

Happy cooking, peeps!

Our Autumn in Italy Menu

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Making your menu plans for the upcoming weekend? We’ve pulled together a great Italian-flavored repast that will take the chill off a nippy fall evening:

NOURISH Evolution’s Autumn in Italy Menu

To start:

Whip up a batch of our uber-easy Go-To Vinaigrette and toss with fresh arugula. Add a little shaving of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and the salad is ready! (Double the vinaigrette so you’ll have extra to dress salads next week.)

Main event:

I made Ginny’s fabulous Short Rib and Cremini Ragu last Sunday, and it’s already a fave in our household. Super flavor and falling-off-the-bone tender meat make this a fall classic. Serve it over Lia’s Creamy Corn Polenta…mmmm!

On the side:

Spicy Sauteed Rainbow Chard with Golden Raisins is a speedy, colorful side that will round out the plate.

For dessert:

This is a substantial meal, so you don’t want anything too heavy for dessert. Jackie’s Chocolate Orange Pistachio Biscotti are a just-right sweet finish.

To pour:

An Italian red is the way to go here. Try a Chianti, Barbera or Sangiovese, which will be delicious in the short ribs and with them.

Fair Trade Supports the People Who Produce Our Food

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I’ve been hearing the phrase, “You vote with your fork three times a day,” a lot lately. And it’s true. Whenever you choose organic fare, you’re casting a consumer vote for sustainable, organic agriculture over the petrochemical agroindustrial empire. When you buy grass-fed, certified-humane beef or pasture-raised local eggs, you’re supporting livestock that’s raised on a natural diet and under humane conditions.

That “vote” also applies to the people who produce our food, and that’s where the idea of fair trade comes in. Fair Trade USA has designated October Fair Trade Month. Fair Trade USA is a nonprofit organization and the U.S. member of Fair Trade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), which offers third-party fair-trade certification for goods produced in developing nations. The idea is to support people through trade, not aid.

Fair Trade USA licenses its Fair Trade Certified (FTC) logo for use by American companies on products that have FTC ingredients. One example is Ben & Jerry’s, which uses FTC ingredients (vanilla, cocoa, sugar and coffee) in some of its flavors; they’ve committed to becoming entirely FTC by 2013.

So what does that mean when I buy my canister of FTC, shade-grown, French roast coffee? I know:

  • The farmers have received a fair price for their goods.
  • They have safe working conditions.
  • They trade directly with importers to avoid paying extra fees to middlemen
  • Crops are cultivated sustainably. Although FLO doesn’t mandate organic practices, they encourage sustainable agriculture that’s chemical- and GMO-free. If farmers do go organic, they fetch premium prices for their certified-organic goods.
  • Farmers and workers decide democratically how to invest their profits, which typically go to community and business development.

Along with cocoa, sugar and bananas, coffee is the most common fair-trade certified product. That’s a good thing, since coffee is the No. 2 import into the U.S., behind petrol (sorry, there’s no fair-grade gas). But there are many other fair-trade items to look for: quinoa from Bolivia, olive oil from Palestine, wine from South America, plus spices, tea, whole fruits and vegetables, rice and nuts.

These items turn up in a number of familiar FTC products, including gourmet chocolate, of course. You can find FTC coffee at Starbucks and Wal-Mart, or buy fair-trade spirits made with  FTC quinoa, Goji berries and coffee.

You might pay a small premium for fair-trade food. For instance, a 12-ounce container of fair-trade coffee might cost 50 cents to $1 more than its conventional cousin. But I’ve also found gourmet fair-trade chocolate that costs less than its competitors.

While Fair Trade USA’s FTC logo is the most ubiquitous, there are other fair-trade labels out there. Whole Foods has its own Whole Trade program and label, for which they partner with Fair Trade USA, as well as the Swiss-based Fair for Life IMO Social Responsibility & Fair Trade and the Rainforest Alliance, which focuses on improving the lives of the world’s rain-forest residents through sustainable agriculture, tourism, forestry and other programs.

And other third-party-certified fair trade programs are being developed. One is the Certified Fair Labor Practices & Community Benefits program. It offers fee-based certification for small family farmers to large-scale producers and applies throughout the supply chain. Applicants will also have to be certified organic.

“It can be done anywhere in the world, including the U.S.,” says Neil Blomquist, of the consulting firm Sustainable Solutions. There certainly are North American agricultural workers who need fair-labor support as much as farm workers in developing nations.

Ultimately, Blomquist notes, all the organizations that support fair trade share the same goal: to make fair food widely available and affordable so it’s a smart everyday choice for all consumers.

Fair-Trade Chocolate Earthquake Cookies

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I made a version of these addictive chocolate cookies in culinary school. Rolling the dough in two kinds of sugar creates a crackled appearance when the cookies spread as they bake. Since chocolate is the main ingredient, they’re an ideal way to showcase an artisanal product like Fair Trade-Certified chocolate.

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Need more Valentine’s Day inspiration? Check out these recipes from our friends at Food Bloggers Los Angeles:

FBLA Chocolate Party 2014 Recipe and Resource Links

Desserts

Savory Dishes

Champagne/Sparkling Wine Recommendations

  • Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava ($7 “but tastes like $20+”) — Andrew Wilder of Eating Rules
  • NV Presto Prosecco Brut ($10-$12), a “price performer” — Alison Ashton of NOURISH Evolution
  • Brut Roederer Estate Mixed Vintage ($20) — Jennifer Daskevich of A Little Gourmet Everyday
  • Colbert Eco Brut (sugar-free organic sparkling wine; $25) — Caren Magill of The Fit Habit
  • Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvée ($10.99). “When serving mimosas there is no need to buy expensive bubbly, but naturally you don’t want to serve your guests headache-inducing sparkling wines or champagne either. The Brut Cuvée is Barefoot’s most traditional bubbly and tastes of green apple and jasmine with hints of kiwi and peach flavors which bubble up for a crisp finish and, in my opinion, make a delightful Mimosa,” said Priscilla Willis of She’s Cookin’.

 

Is Your Kitchen Health-Department Clean?

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Would your kitchen pass a health inspection? Probably not, but a refrigerator thermometer ensures your food is chilled properly.

When the swanky Getty Center opened in Los Angeles in 1997, I remember the ‘ “C” health grade on the center’s several restaurants was as remarkable as the stunning Richard Meier architecture and Robert Irwin gardens.

Californians have always expected restaurants to prominently display heath department letter ratings. And we expect them to be “A” grades, whether it’s a celebrity chef’s namesake eatery or a humble taqueria.

Now the New York City health department has adopted letter grades for restaurants, and humorist Henry Alford wanted to see if his home kitchen would pass muster. So he invited a health department inspector in and documented the results in “Would Your Kitchen Pass Inspection?” for The New York Times.

In a word, no, his kitchen didn’t pass inspection, despite scrubbing the place top to bottom. And yours probably wouldn’t either.

That’s because restaurant health codes are designed to safeguard the public’s health from mishandled food. Restaurants are required to do things like have a separate sink for washing your hands (Alford was docked points for using his kitchen sink for this),  not allowing animals to roam in the kitchen (his cat decided to make an appearance during the inspector’s visit) and not keeping his dish towel in a bucket of sanitizer.

But even the forthcoming Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 are likely to address food safety to some extent in an effort to ensure people don’t poison themselves once they bring food home from the store. At least 50 pages of the Dietary Guidelines’ Advisory Committee’s recommendations were devoted to food safety issues, including educating consumers about how to store, handle and cook food.

Most of it’s common sense. Among the basics:

  • Clean hands and surfaces frequently. The health inspector advised Alford to wash his hands in the bathroom sink–a step, frankly, few busy home cooks are likely to follow.
  • Separate to avoid cross-contamination. That means not using the same knife and cutting board that you just used to cut up a raw chicken to chop veggies.
  • Cook foods to the proper temperature. Alford’s inspector docked him a few points for not having a working meat thermometer.
  • Chill by refrigerating or freezing foods promptly. Alford lost the lion’s share of his points for keeping his fridge and freezer too warm. To make sure your fridge and freezer are at the right temperatures (40 F or colder for the refrigerator/0 F or lower for the freezer), invest in a thermometer. You can find a fridge thermometer at most supermarkets.

For details on these and other food-safety tips, check out the Partnership for Food Safety Education’s Fight Bac! website.

Vermiculture: 1 Woman + 1,000 Worms = Smart Composting

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Of all the animals, the worm has played the most important part in the world’s history.–Charles Darwin

Ever since learning that food scraps in landfills turn into methane gas–one of the leading pollutants responsible for global warming–I’ve been on a tear to figure out how to compost in my apartment.

My research pointed to one answer, and a most unfortunate new word: vermicomposting. I was pretty grossed out even saying it. For me, it evoked images of voracious rats chomping through fetid food waste.

In reality, it’s the process by which worms eat garbage and transform it into rich fertilizer, which can then be returned to the Earth.

Okay, that’s beautiful. But still, the idea of hundreds of slimy, dirty worms noshing my food scraps in my own home gave me the creeps.

Yet the more I researched, the more it made sense. Worm bins are compact (16 x 23 x 19 inches), so they’re a perfect choice for small-space living. Also, worms turn garbage into compost in three months, as opposed to a year with garden composting. Worm castings (or poop) and tea (worm pee) are a rich source of nitrogen, making them an excellent organic fertilizer. Properly maintained, the worm bin won’t smell. (If it starts to stink, then you’ve got a problem: either it’s too wet, too dry or too full.)

Here’s how to start your own worm ranch:

Find a home for the worms. The City of Santa Monica, Calif., where I live, subsidizes composting containers. So, for $33, I picked up my cute lil’ worm bin, which even had a name: Wriggly Wranch. Check with your municipality for a similar deal.

With a sleek, black modernist architectural design, the Wranch offers Red Wrigglers the finest in contemporary living.  It fits perfectly on my tiny back porch. The worms can tolerate temperatures between 50-90 degrees F. If it gets colder or hotter, they’ll have to be inside. Keep your worm bin out of direct sunlight.

Round up some worms. There are several species, but one of the only kind that will work in the bin are called Red Wrigglers. Several companies will airmail Red Wrigglers to your door for about $25 a pound. Leaving such a huge carbon footprint in my effort to recycle seemed absurd, so I put an ad up on Freecycle and got immediately got seven or eight responses. Worm farmers are a supportive bunch, it turns out. You can also buy them from your local nursery.

It takes about 1,000 worms (1 pound) to get started. You could start with fewer, but it will take patience to let the little guys multiply into a population big enough to handle large quantities of food scraps.

Make the bed. To create the bedding for the worms, the Wranch provides a block of coconut coir.  We spread the coir in the bin and then dumped our little recyclers in.  I’ve never been so excited to open a can of worms.  (Sorry, had to make that joke.)

Feed them properly. Worms thrive on a diet of fruit and vegetable scraps (except citrus rinds), coffee grounds, crushed egg shells, nut shells and even stale bread. They don’t like any animal products (meat or dairy), fats (including vegetable oil) or rotting food.

It took a week or two for our worms to really start eating.  After a couple months, the population was big enough that they could handle a pound of food a day! The trick is to put food scraps in the food processor so that they’re already broken down for the worms.

I eat the food, they eat my garbage and then it all goes back to the earth.  Nature’s perfect, closed-looped systems never cease to amaze me!

Evangeline Heath is a freelance writer based in Santa Monica. She documents her adventures in yard-sharing and urban homesteading in her blog FarmApartment. Her last post for NOURISH Evolution was about yard-sharing.

Roasted Beet Wedges with Champagne Vinegar

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This roasted beet recipe is the real deal. “Roasting” beets often calls for wrapping them in foil, baking them until tender and then peeling them. That’s a fine method, but it really steams the beets rather than roasts them. In this recipe, you’ll peel them  first, toss them with oil and vinegar, and roast them at high heat so they caramelize. Serve them warm as a side dish (they’re delicious with salmon or Arctic char) or cold to augment a tossed green salad. We call for baby beets, but any size or variety will work beautifully in this recipe.

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Love beets? Try these recipes:

 

Short Rib and Cremini Ragu

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If you love fork-tender ragu, add short ribs to your repertoire. Back home in Missoula, Montana, on the search for local meat, I met Scott Barger of Mannix Brothers’ Grass Finished Beef, a fifth-generation cattle rancher in the Blackfoot Valley. He said that cuts like short ribs often end up going into their ground beef, simply because folks don’t know how to use them. Like many tougher cuts, short ribs require a longer cooking time for the connective tissues to melt. When they do, the meat becomes fall-apart tender, infusing the sauce with an incredible richness. This ragu can be served two ways: with the rib portions intact over our Creamy Corn Polenta, or you can remove the ribs from the sauce, and once cool enough to handle, shred the meat, discarding bones and excess fat. Toss the meat sauce with a long pasta noodle like fettuccine or tagliatelle.

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