Category Archives: How to Cook Real Food

Time to Test Your Baking Powder and Baking Soda!

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File this one under: live and learn. It was Thanksgiving afternoon and time to bust out a batch of biscuits. All went well as I cut the fat into the flour and rolled out the dough (taking care to do the trifold that ensures high-rise biscuits).

But when I pulled them out of the oven, I couldn’t help noticing they hadn’t risen as high as they have in the past. The culprit, I suspected, was past-its-prime baking powder. So I did what I should have done before the holiday and tested its effectiveness. The verdict: dead leavener.

Baking powder and baking soda are leaveners that help give baked goods height. And they tend to hang out for a long time in your pantry, but they don’t last forever, even if you store them correctly–in a cool, dry place. According to the website Joy of Baking (a great reference to bookmark), baking powder only lasts 6-12 months. (Mine had been around, oh, going on two years and, when I checked, was two months past its “best by” date. Oops.) Baking soda lasts longer, but it, too, can lose its leavening power.

Here’s how to test ’em:

Baking powder: Combine 1 teaspoon baking powder with 1/3 cup hot water. If it starts bubbling immediately, you’re good to go. If not, time to replace it. And be sure to double-check the “best by” date on the new can.

Baking soda: Mix 1/4 teaspoon soda with 2 teaspoons vinegar. It, too, should start foaming right away. Mine did.

Alphabet Soup: The Lastest News on BPA

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I recently found myself in the grocery store dithering over one of my favorite pantry staples: Canned tomatoes. I knew the canned versions come with a sidecar of bisphenol A (BPA), a substance with some serious health risks. Lia touched on those concerns when she wrote about the challenges of finding BPA-free containers for Noemi’s school lunch. And in recent months, there has been some news on the BPA front.

bpa-bisphenol-a-canWidespread use, widespread risk

BPA is an organic compound used to harden plastics for water bottles, baby bottles, the lining of canned goods and all manner of plastic goods. It leaches into water and food, and it has been used in food cans for more than 50 years. BPA is detectable in the urine of 93% of the population, according to some estimates.

The problem? BPA mimics estrogen in the body and is thought to disrupt hormone function. The President’s Cancer Panel’s recent Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk report notes that a broad range of studies have linked BPA to breast and prostate cancer, diabetes, heart disease and early puberty (which is why parents are particularly concerned about exposing their kids to the stuff). A 2008 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that adults with higher urinary levels of BPA also have higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and liver problems. Some studies even suggest it interferes with cancer treatment. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has named BPA among the “dirty dozen” endocrine disruptors to avoid.

The latest news

Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration re-evaluated BPA (after declaring it safe in 2008). The agency agreed there’s “reason for some concern” about BPA, but declared the research (most of which has been done on animals) too limited to call for an outright ban on BPA. The FDA and National Institutes of Health are funding $30 million in new research into BPA’s safety–or lack of it.

Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency is considering whether to add BPA to its Concern List of hazardous chemicals. While the EPA doesn’t have jurisdiction over BPA in food packaging, an EPA ruling would cover, for example, BPA in thermal cash register receipts that you get at the store. [UPDATE: The EPA has since declined to initiate regulatory action regarding BPA, though the agency will continue to monitor research on the effects of BPA on human health.]

While government agencies investigate BPA’s hazards, can manufacturers continue to stand by it. In April, the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) issued this statement: “CMI continues strongly to support the use of BPA epoxy coatings and believes our coatings are essential to food safety … Human exposure to BPA from can coatings is minute and poses no health risk that has been recognized by any governmental authority.”

Well, perhaps no American government agency has said outright that BPA is unsafe. But last month, Environment Canada, the Canadian version of the EPA, declared BPA toxic and is considering regulatory action that could be announced by the end of this year.

Consumer demand trumps regulation

In the meantime concerned American shoppers and consumer advocacy groups like the Environmental Working Group have prompted food manufacturers and retailers to get BPA out of our food supply. Last month, As You Sow, a nonprofit organization that promotes corporate social responsibility, and Green Century Capital Management, an investment advisory firm that advocates environmentally responsible investing, released their Seeking Safer Packaging 2010 report, which grades companies on their efforts to remove BPA from food packaging.

Hain Celestial, ConAgra and Heinz receive top marks for developing and testing BPA alternatives and starting to remove BPA from can liners;  they also have time lines for eliminating BPA use entirely. General Mills gets a B+ for transitioning BPA out of its Muir Glen canned tomato products, starting with this fall’s tomato pack.

Among retailers’ private-label canned goods evaluated in the report, Whole Foods got the top grade: D+, because although Whole Foods is transparent on its stance regarding BPA–it opposes the stuff, obviously–it’s not actively developing alternatives, according to the report. (The natural foods giant, though, does “strongly encourage” suppliers to transition to BPA-free packaging where possible.)

But using BPA-free cans isn’t new, says Sonya Ludner, senior analyst with the Environmental Working Group. She notes that Eden Organic has used BPA-free cans in the late 1990s for all its canned bean products. Eden simply asked its supplier–Ball Corp.–to use the enamel liners made from vegetable resins that it was using before the introduction of BPA. It’s a solution that works for nonacidic ingredients, but not for acidic items like tomatoes. Manufacturers also are using alternative forms of BPA-free packaging. For instance, you can buy POMI’s tomato products in aseptic boxes or Lucini’s tomatoes packed in glass jars.

As the report’ s authors note, eliminating BPA is a good business move in response to growing consumer concern. “Companies are actually moving faster than regulators in phasing out BPA,” says Emily Stone of Green Century Capital Management.

Amy Galland, As You Sow’s research director, notes that this year 32% of companies have time lines to phase out BPA from packaging, up from just 7% last year.

Ludner says consumer demand, spurred by advocacy efforts by groups like the EWG, is driving this change. “I see a ton of momentum behind this, and I’m thrilled to see some action.”

The Face of the Farmer

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The farmers’ market is not Safeway, and if you shop the same way at both places, then you’ve been missing out. Look at the fingernails of the people behind the tables at the farmers’ market: They’ve been digging in the dirt, lovingly tending the vegetables laid out before you (although, I’ll admit, they do lack certain bagging skills). What an opportunity to connect with your food–and the farmer who grows it!

face-of-the-farmerAt the farmers’ market, I’ve learned about vegetables that were entirely new to me (kohlrabi, purslane, scapes). I’ve learned about different varieties of foods I was already familiar with (you should see all the different kinds of garlic Yael grows), and I’ve even had my mind reopened to foods I’d spent most of my life detesting (peas, beets, asparagus). Yet the conversations have gone both ways. I’ve also taught farmers new ways to enjoy the vegetables they grow, and come back from my travels with new varieties for them to try. The farmers’ market has become much more to me than a place I gather ingredients for a meal; it’s become a place where I gather with my friends.

And, as with any group of friends, it’s hard not to slow down and enjoy myself when I’m amongst them, no matter how rushed or preoccupied I am. When they want to know how their pork shoulder . . . Swiss chard . . . foraged wild mushrooms turned out, it’s tough to let an agenda rule. And it’s a great reminder that these interactions—and the frame of mind they create in me—are what is so precious about the experience. The weekend’s to-do’s will still be there and they’ll get done . . . at some point.

How does all of this help instill a mindful eating practice? Just try it and you’ll see. The cozy feeling of community you feel as you walk away from the market will last all through your meal; just watch how your food takes on more life, both in the kitchen and at the table. When I slice my peach, I see the smile of Gayle from Dry Creek Peach and Produce, and it makes me smile too. When I drizzle honey over the top, I see the earnest joy on the faces of Hector’s family as they prepared to go, en masse, to Italy to represent Sonoma County at the Slow Food Terra Madre event.

Get to know the farmer who grows your food and you’ll be nurtured in a whole new way. You’ll forge a real connection to real food.

Cultivate Your Soil

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I’ve been gardening “organically” for nearly a decade now. But up until recently, I carried a narrow definition of “organic” in my head as what I wasn’t putting on my plants—no pesticides, no herbicides, no synthetic fertilizer. And while that is part of the equation, I’ve learned that organic gardening is so much more than what you don’t do; it’s about how you nurture the soil to be healthy long-term and, consequently, produce fruitful crops.

cultivate-soil-postThis isn’t revolutionary. In fact, Thomas Jefferson wrote this advice—about pesky pests—to his daughter in 1793:

“When the earth is rich, it bids defiance to droughts, yields in abundance, and of the best quality. I suspect that the insects which have harassed you have been encouraged by the feebleness of your plants, and that has been produced by the lean state of your soil.”

There’s a strong parallel here to the NOURISH Evolution approach. One of our fundamental aims is to help people get beyond thinking of healthy eating as being what we don’t eat (fat, carbs, sugar, processed, whatever) and instead take a long-term view to mindfully nurture themselves through the foods they do. And, to come full circle, a healthy garden can be one of the best ways to achieve that.

This week, consider cultivating a garden (from the soil up) as you ponder the concept that a healthy body is as much about what you put into it as what you refrain from eating.

If you’re curious about what it takes to start a garden, here’s a helpful guide from the Sonoma County iGrow program. 

Pair the Wine to Your Thanksgiving Turkey

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It’s got to be the second most popular question circulating these days (just behind, “How do I brine a turkey?”): “What wine should I serve with the Thanksgiving bird?”

You know I’m not one for hard and fast rules, but one way to pare down the choices is to pair to the flavors that predominate in your poultry. I’ve put together four mock menus of birds and fixins to illustrate how ingredients intermingle with wine—some complementing, some contrasting—and how being aware of their interplay can help you create a memorable pairing.

thanksgiving-turkey-wine-pairing

Miso and Herb Rubbed Applewood Smoked Heritage Turkey with Cider Gravy and Sweet Potato-Kale Bread Pudding + Gewurztraminer
Why?
Gewurztraminer is one of those wines everyone seems to like, even if they can’t pronounce it (ahem, Mom, it’s “guh-VOORTS-truh-MEE-nur”). Heady and floral, yet most often bone dry, it shows a surprising affinity for smoke and spice and sweet potatoes.

  • Applewood smoke: To me, a Gewurztraminer brings out the feeling of a crisp evening walk with the faint wisp of chimney smoke lingering in the air. Here, the hint of applewood smoke in the turkey tugs at that note in the wine.
  • Apple cider: The tart fruit and spice profile of cider lines up with that of Gewurz.
  • Sweet potato: Creamy, earthy sweet potatoes pick up the bassier notes of the wine.

I recommend: Navarro Vineyards Gewurztraminer – We love Navarro. Their gewurtz is slightly spicy offset by a bit of sweet, with honeysuckle notes in the nose.

Tarragon-thyme rubbed turkey with roasted fennel, citrus and hazelnut stuffing + Chardonnay
Why?
Turkey may seem like an unlikely partner for Chardonnay. But a bigger wine with a bit of oak will sing with this mix of earthy, aromatic and nutty.

  • Tarragon and thyme: These aromatic herbs will connect with the fruit flavors of the wine from amid the layers of toast and oak.
  • Roasted fennel: The sweet, creamy nature of roasted fennel is a natural with the fuller body and creamy mouthfeel of Chardonnay.
  • Citrus: Citrus in a dish helps accentuate the crisp, acidic finish of a Chardonnay.
  • Hazelnut: Chardonnay has an inherent nutty quality from the oak it’s aged in, which will marry beautifully with the hazelnuts.

I recommend: Martin Ray Santa Cruz Mountains Reserve Chardonnay — Meyer lemon and graham cracker crust on both the nose and palette, with a gloriously crisp, acidic finish that makes it fabulous with food—unusual for a California Chardonnay.

Five-spice rubbed turkey with sweet onion and cherry stuffing + Pinot Noir
Why?
Pinot Noir is a complex wine. While approachable and fruity, it also has many mysterious layers that play well to intricate flavors of spice and sweet in a meal.

  • Five spice: A study in contrast, the light, fruitiness of a Pinot Noir will accentuate the turkey’s aromatic spices.
  • Sweet onion: Sweet onion’s slightly pungent nature brings out the wine’s earthy notes.
  • Cherry: Cherries pull out the myriad fruit flavors of a Pinot Noir.

I recommend: Bonterra Pinot Noir – Blueberry and black cherry carry through from the nose to the palate, where it meets plum and chocolate.

Rosemary-roasted garlic-rubbed turkey with wild mushroom and currant stuffing + Grenache
Why?
One of the lighter red varietals, originally hailing from the Rhone region in France, Grenache has a natural affinity for Provencal ingredients like garlic and rosemary. Some describe it as the Pinot Noir of the Rhone.

  • Rosemary: Grenache has slightly herbal, tones that are highlighted in the turkey’s rosemary rub.
  • Roasted garlic: Mellow, earthy, tingly garlic reaches in and grabs the Grenache right in the middle of the mouth.
  • Wild mushrooms: As fruity as Grenache can be, it is firmly rooted in earth. Wild mushrooms will accentuate its earthy nature.
  • Currant: Currants are an accurate match for Grenache’s fruit flavors complementing the berry notes on both the nose and the palate.

I recommend: Quivira Grenache – Currant and earth predominate without overpowering what’s on the plate.

So this week as you ponder your wine picks, think about the flavor profiles that will be playing on your plate.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Turkey Time

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By Lia Huber and Jacqueline Church

Remember the time when “turkey” meant a big ball of a bird frozen solid at the supermarket and “apple” meant Red Delicious? Those days are long gone. Now, just as we have Gala, Macoun, Winesap and Granny Smith, so too do we have choices when it comes to turkey.

You’ve read the story about heritage turkey breeds, but what does all the rest mean? Here’s a closer look at what picks are out there to help you choose the bird that’s right for you.

turkey time[ photo from www.porterturkeys.com ]

Frozen

Frozen turkeys are flash-frozen immediately after processing and stored frozen until thawed at home, which, it’s estimated, over two-thirds of Americans do for their Thanksgiving meal. If a turkey is frozen quickly at its prime, it can be kept frozen for up to a year without too much decline in flavor or texture. The quality will depend more on the bird itself than on the fact that it’s frozen. That said, the great majority of frozen whole turkeys on the market are the Broad Breasted White breed, which was bred for efficiency, not for flavor. Because frozen birds have a longer shelf life, they tend to be cheaper than fresh birds—something to keep in mind if you’re looking to break into the heirloom realm but are afraid it’ll break the bank.

Price and size: $1.40/lb.   |   10 to 24 lbs.

Taste and texture: There’s no denying that freezing does damage the cells of meat. When ice crystals form between the muscles they can puncture cells and release their fluids, which is why there’s often a gelatinous pool of juices below a bird after you’ve defrosted it, and the meat will be drier as a result. To offset the loss of moisture that occurs from freezing and thawing, frozen turkeys are often injected with a “plumping” solution of chemical preservatives, including  sodium phosphate and modified food starch. So check the label if you want a preservative-free turkey.

Things to consider when buying: With fridge space at a premium during Thanksgiving, it’s essential to plan ahead with a frozen turkey. Be sure to allow enough time to thaw your turkey in the fridge (by far the safest way); a good guide is to allow one day thawing in the refrigerator for every five pounds of weight. And don’t forget to factor in an extra day if you’re brining (a good idea for adding moisture to a frozen and thawed bird . . . don’t be tempted to brine the bird when frozen).

Fresh

Since 1997, when the USDA tightened its definition of fresh poultry, a turkey labeled fresh must never have reached a temperature below 26 degrees Fahrenheit. Besides the obvious benefit of freed-up fridge space (no four day thaw needed), fresh birds may also come from more local sources due to their perishable nature.

Price and size: $1.25 – $1.60/lb.  |  16 -24 lbs.

Taste and texture: A bird that has not been frozen will have meat that is more tender and moist, and may not require the extra step of brining.

Things to consider when buying: You may pay a premium for a fresh bird, but what you get (besides moister meat) is less hassle. No need to take up the fridge for the better part of a week with defrosting and brining. Though, depending where you live, you may need to pre-order a fresh bird from your butcher.

Natural

For food to be labeled “natural” it cannot contain artificial ingredients or color and is, theoretically anyway, minimally processed. Know, though, that the term has nothing to do with what the animal was fed or whether antibiotics or growth hormones were used. And don’t assume “natural,” nonartificial ingredients are ones you’d recognize; ingredients legally termed natural by the USDA include all sorts of modified derivatives of things like corn and soy.

Price and size: $1.79 – $4.00/lb.  |  12-22 lbs.

Taste and texture: Because the term can mean so many things, generalizing a flavor profile for a “natural” bird is nearly impossible.

Things to consider when buying: It’s up to the producer to specify what they’re defining as “natural.” There are no legal definitions other than the exclusions above. That said, those pasture-raising their turkeys or raising heritage breeds will likely state so on the label along with the “natural” tag. So read carefully before you buy.

Free-Range / Pasture-Raised

While most people think free-range and pasture-raised to be synonymous, that isn’t technically the case. Free-range only means that the producer can prove to the USDA inspectors that its turkeys have had access to the outdoors. Under the legal term, it’s feasible that free-range turkeys may never have seen the light of day. Pasture-raised means that the turkey was raised outside on, primarily, a natural diet (according to what Mother Nature deems natural, not the USDA), but the term itself is not regulated.

Price and size: Free Range $2.70 – $3.50/lb.  /   Pasture-Raised $5.30 – $6.50/lb.  |   9 – 13 lb.

Taste and texture: Because the birds have been raised outside on a more varied diet, they will be leaner and richer in flavor.

Things to consider when buying: If you’re concerned about the turkey being too lean, you may want to brine it for extra moistness.

Kosher

Kosher turkeys have been processed under rabbinical supervision. They may be free-range, organic, all natural or none of the above.

Price and size: $3.10 – 3.56/lb.  |   12-18 lbs

Taste and texture: The meat on a Kosher turkey is slightly plumper due to the salting process, with a slightly briny flavor.

Things to consider when buying: Because these birds are salted during the koshering process, they should not be brined.

Organic

By definition, USDA-certified organic turkeys must have been raised on organic feed without antibiotic intervention or growth hormones.

Price and size:

$6.50/$7.00 lb. and up  |  10-20 lbs

Taste and texture: Firm, with a clean flavor

Heirloom

Heirloom is a term that is generally synonymous with heritage when it comes to turkeys. But it is not strictly defined, and can encompass blends of heritage breeds crossed with more modern ones.

Price and size: $3.50/lb. and up  |  10-24 lbs

Taste and texture: Heirloom birds—whether pure heritage breeds or a blend—have leaner, richer-flavored dark meat.

Things to consider when buying: Heirloom crosses tend to be less expensive than heritage breeds and have more white meat, making them a good choice if you’re curious about heritage but skittish about pleasing palates used to Butterballs.

Heritage

A heritage turkey is one of roughly a dozen breeds popular in earlier eras, many of which now are close to extinction. For specific characteristics of heritage birds, and more history, see A Story of Heritage Turkey.

Price and size: $10.00 – $20/lb.  |  12-20 lbs

Taste and texture: These birds have a wilder, richer flavor and leaner meat than other turkeys. The dark meat, especially, is more reminiscent of duck than chicken.

Things to consider when buying: Know that your heirloom bird won’t look like a Butterball. It will have a pup-tent breast, longer, leaner legs, and will likely have dark dots and spots along the skin from pin-feathers. Know, also, that most farmers who raise heirloom breeds are in it for the passion; that the bird was originally bred (at least partially) for taste; and that along with the high price tag comes the knowledge that you’re preserving a part of our country’s past.

Experiment with Mushrooms

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Heh, heh. No, not those kinds of mushrooms. Not even wild mushrooms. I’m talking run-of-the-mill brown cremini. Humble fungi like these (and their even humbler cousins, white button mushrooms) have nutrients like niacin that help regulate hormones, and potassium, which helps lower blood pressure. Mushrooms are also known to combat certain cancers. Cancer like my friend Merede is fighting.

When I got the call last week that Merede wanted some girlfriend encouragement and was looking for ways to eat healthier, I brought along a big pot of whole-grain “risotto,” dense with cremini mushrooms. Sure it was healthy. But as Merede inhaled the scents, tasted its rich flavor, and shared the meal amid the laughter and voices of her friends, I guarantee the nourishing benefits went well beyond the nutrient value of the dish.

This week, experiment with cremini in a variety of ways both raw and cooked. Try slicing them thinly and tossing them with shaved celery and garlicky vinaigrette. Or sautéing quartered cremini in olive oil with minced shallots and rosemary and mounding them on top of a sautéed chicken paillard (a thinly pounded chicken breast). Or . . . try my recipe for Merede’s Mushroom “Farrotto” with Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallots. I speak from experience in saying it will truly nourish both body and soul.