Prisoners and Food... and punishment

I have to admit, I am having very mixed feelings.

Yesterday, my guy and I went to our local farmers' market, where I picked up a throwaway magazine on local foods. Leafing through it, I found an article that caught my eye: "On the Line: Correctional Dining."

Before I got there, I read the editorial page. There had apparently been an article a few months ago which caused quite a stir. The editor pointed out the article to which I alluded above, and said that he "expect(s) much controversy surrounding it." I thought to myself, "Yes, from all of those human rights groups, I am sure, to protect the poor prisoners."

Then, I read the article.

I have to say, I am not sure what to think. Let me explain: I never realized that the prison system uses food as punishment. Apparently, there are three levels of punishment. In brief: if a prisoner is cited for a "level I infraction," (s)he may lose visitation rights. A tier II infraction may get them to solitary confinement. Tier III, however, may get the prisoner the joy of eating "the loaf."

Now, nowhere in the article do they state what the said loaf actually contains. However, apparently the prisoner has to have medical clearance to "go on the loaf" for all of the digestive disarray it causes. It is served simply, with water and boiled cabbage "to aid digestion." Of course, with the internet at my fingertips, I had to see if I could find out what is in this mystery concoction. The best I could do, was this recipe and report from NPR. I have to say, there has to be more to it, as this really sounds not all that bad. I mean, it doesn't sound gourmet, by any stretch, but not too horrid, either.

My initial thought was, "What the hell do I care what they eat--they are PRISONERS, after all. Let them eat bread and water for all I care." That being said, here is my quandary: Another (quiet, minuscule) portion of the original article mentioned that the rates of obesity, diabetes and hypertension are on the rise in prisons.

Damn, it makes sense. They are not getting nutritionally sounds meals, so diet-based diseases are rearing their ugly heads. (There are apparently quite a few prisons that try to cut costs by only serving breakfast and dinner Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This forces inmates to fend for themselves--often in the form of ramen noodles and freeze-dried foods from care packages. beef jerky, anyone? hmmmm, salt, fat, sugar, and more salt) This pulls more of our tax dollars to treat these people. Their diets don't change, and it's a vicious cycle. In fact, the article goes so far as to state that if a prisoner cites that they have religious requirements for food (halal, kosher, or vegetarian, for instance), they are immediately under suspicion... for, although those meals are not significantly more nutritious, they are minutely more expensive to manufacture.

If we went for prevention instead of treatment, we would inevitably spend a lot less. Well, this, of course, works for health care all around. Unfortunately, when you can get a taco at Taco Bell for 89 cents, why should you shell out four bucks for a dozen farm-fresh eggs... or $2.50 for a bunch of kale, for that matter, which you will have to then (oh, horror!!) cook!!

The United States public has, sadly, been lulled into a sense of instant gratification, sugar rush and fat/ carb coma included. But I digress...

Wouldn't it make more sense to have these prisoners spend some of their time tilling soil and producing their own food? That way, they would get more nutritious fare, but at the expense of work hours, not tax dollars. I mean, the inmates that behave are allowed to work in the kitchen. They just have to account for any utensils or can lids that they use or discard. The same could be done for garden/ farm work. Prisoners take classes, attend workshops... this would be just another offering.

I know, I am a dreamer...

no one left behind

Just in case you thought that Whole Foods qualifies as a "local, small farm." It does not, and certainly the Whole Foods chain is not immune to its own FDA recall.

Granted, this is a preemptive recall of sorts--no one has reported getting ill, yet. But, during "routine sampling," the cheese in question was found to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus.

buy local, know your food, support small farms

must... post

I wasn't planning to, as it is quite hard with only one functional upper extremity (more on that later). But, on a whim, I visited a site I hadn't in a while, and felt compelled.

You see, we had had a party a few weeks ago. I always make several types of sangria, but this time felt inspired to try something new. After a little research, as well as trips to three (yes, 3!!) liquor stores to find the magical ingredient, I made my own Pimm's Cup. Now it can be yours. Necessity being the mother of invention, you will find mine to be different from the original.


you need:
equal parts Pimm's No.1, fizzy lemonade, ginger ale (original, with ginger pieces floating inside)*
mint leaves--about 20
small cucumber--sliced
lemon--sliced
1/2 pint blueberries (I inadvertently had used the last of the strawberries for the sangria)

you do:
mix in a large pitcher
serve over ice

*of course, you could use one or the other, or even ginger beer, but I really thought that this was especially refreshing, and not too ginger-overpowering

this easily scales up or down :)

Enjoy!!

corn--quintessential summer (kind of)

So, yes, corn IS the quintessential summer veggie, but the recipe I am about to throw at you is not, AT ALL, quintessentially summery... in fact, it is, quite frankly, late autumn-wintery. That being said, we do not have the luxury of an outdoor grill. And, well, oven-cooking is slightly less heat-inducing than stove-top cooking. So, there you have it...

"Oven-Roasted Corn"... or maybe "Oven-Braised Corn" would be a better title

you need:

6 ears of corn; peeled of leaves and silk, washed and split in half (dry lightly)
4-6 garlic cloves--minced
1/4C olive oil
1/4C vegetable broth*
couple of pinches of salt and pepper
few sprinkles of marjoram
(any other herbs/ spices to your liking)

you do:

-preheat oven to 350F
-place ears of corn in large enough baking dish that they are not overlapping, but cozy
-sprinkle corn with salt, pepper, marjoram, and any other herbs or spices you wish to use
-sprinkle with garlic
-mix olive oil and vegetable broth and pour over corn
-cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in oven for 30 minutes
-turn corn (add a little more broth or water if dish is dry)**
-cover again with foil, and back in the oven for another 30 minutes
-turn the oven up to 400F and take off foil (again, add broth or water as needed)**
-allow to bake an additional 15-20 minutes

enjoy!

*of course, home-made broth beats out any store-bought. in a pinch, I find Trader Joe's (!-yes, Trader Joe's) to work well
**remember that steam will be hot when you take off the foil--do this carefully, and away from your face!!

obviously

OK, so for crazy people like myself, this is reason enough to have a baby!!

It is such a cool contraption--it does EVERYTHING!! And they have funky, chic little freezer trays for left overs. I have always thought that if I had a child, I would definitely cook my own baby food. This little guy makes it effortless. I am considering buying one now... joking! (OK, only partially joking)

Obviously, I would have to buy every one of the accessories. OK, no buying... this is THE ONLY thing that needs to go on the baby shower list, as far as I am concerned. (That and a remote-controlled helicopter for my guy, of course.)

Food, revealed

Apparently, I am on a food-writing kick. But I really couldn't allow you to pass this up. This is such a cool site, and I highly recommend you check it out!! It takes a little while to load, as there are big files. Be patient, it is soooo worth it!!

You have never seen your fruits and veggies like this before. My favorites are the watermelon and corn--they look like they are fluttering--and the mushroom--which looks like a sea creature. Wouldn't you love to see a chanterelle or a wood's ear? Or ANY of these beauties!! (It helps that mushrooms are some of my favorite things to eat, too.)

OK, that's it for today. Have fun!!

Renaissance Fantasies

I am seriously jonesing... (OK, given the context, that's pretty funny: my computer, not recognizing 'jonesing' offered to replace with 'jousting.')

At any rate, I am having Ren Fest withdrawl. Have you been? I adore Renaissance Festivals. Everything from the wardrobes to the mysticism, to the "English" accents (let's face it... they often sound Irish in truth... or sometimes even Russian--Master Card and Lady Visa is just cooky enough to make me smile every time), to the food... the jewelry (ah! the jewelry), and the shows--the bawdy comedy is probably my favorite.

I have attended Renaissance Festivals in Kansas City, Michigan, and now in my new home--New York. Each has been attended by yours truly multiply. Yes, I even dress up--usually as a gypsy, which is easy for me (what does that say?) and not crazy weird (just weird enough). My favorite faire is likely Kansas City. I think because it was my first, and I have many wonderful memories of that particular one.

They are all big, and full of adventure. You are likely to see a wedding, or two. Lots of kids dressed up on some adventure... or playing a game. Belly dancers, people eating huge turkey legs (not terribly appetizing to see, if you ask me, but it's all part of the fun), hawks and vultures, strong man contests, jousting, even, if you are so inclined (I, somehow, never have been, but...)

So, wanna come to the Renaissance Faire?

Zucchini--yellow (green) bean--dill soup

OK, so another recipe. The original was given to me by a buddy, but I have changed it around quite a bit to make it my own. I suggest you do the same!

This is a great summer soup--light, yet filling. It would be great with some crusty bread and olive oil, or with an herb salad.

You need:

1T grapeseed oil*
5 medium zucchini (yellow or green) sliced in half, then into thin half-moons**
1 small onion--roughly chopped
5 (or so) fresh garlic cloves--finely chopped
1/2 C fresh dill--finely chopped
1/2 C fresh cilantro--finely chopped
1C yellow or green beans**--cut into ~1cm pieces
4C veggie stock (yours or a good quality)
3-4C water (depending on how thick you want this soup)
salt and pepper to taste

You do:

1. heat the oil in a nice-sized soup pot.
2. saute all of the veggies, with the dill and cilantro, in the oil.
3. once everything is nice and soft (at least 15 minutes), pour in your stock and water (if using). allow to simmer about 10 minutes to marry the flavors.
4. add salt and pepper to taste.
5. allow to cool a bit and puree in batches in a table top blender... alternatively, you can use a hand-held submersible blender--just be aware that if this splatters and is still hot, you WILL burn yourself. I like to puree just a bit and still leave some chunky veggies.


* you can also use the same measure of olive oil or butter
** if you want a pretty soup, stay with one color--ie: if you use yellow zucchini, then use the yellow beans, if you use green zucchini, use green beans. You could also just leave the beans out.

Enjoy!!

great summer dinner

My guy made a fantastic dinner last night that I wanted to share with you. It is light, summery, delicious and versatile... I think you should make it today!!

you need:
1/2 medium head of cabbage--shredded*
3 large carrots--shredded
1/2 medium onion--chopped
1 small apple**--shredded
6 oz water-packed tuna, drained
6 oz water-packed crab, drained (we used Trader Joe's--great quality)
glug or two of balsamic vinegar
salt to taste

* easiest way to shred cabbage is with a good bread knife, I have found. then again, I do not have a mandolin...hmmm, used to, now that I think of it, wonder where it is...
** my guy used a red fuji--he wanted some sweetness, and it was what was in the fruit bowl. I think that a granny smith +/- some raisins would have been equally awesome

you make:

So easy, just dump everything into a large bowl and mix--add salt as needed.

You can have this as a salad--with tomatoes on a bed of lettuce (personally, I think that tomatoes go phenomenally with fish), on a sandwich, in a crepe, in an omelet... next to some brown rice, or a sweet potato. Let your imagination go wild. This makes quite a bit, so get creative!!

Enjoy!!

Seriously?!

So, I am still getting my little FDA recall emails daily. If I posted on all of them... well, let's just say I really wouldn't have much of an audience. But, from time to time, there is a recall that is simply striking, for one reason or another.

Take, for instance, this one! I mean, seriously?! PEPPER is being recalled?? The stuff you ask the guy at the restaurant to grind a little of onto your salad?! The stuff that makes you sneeze?! The stuff that seems so innocuous that one of the OR techs puts it on her baby's thumbs to make him stop sucking them?! (It doesn't work, by the way--the toddler apparently loooves pepper.)

And, wouldn't you know it? Salmonella is again to blame. What are they doing at the pepper factory, exactly--grinding pepper with the same grinder they use for chicken parts? I mean, really?? It just seems a little insane, no? Many of you don't know, but I recently decided to dive in and become vegan. It is an interesting exercise--one that makes you really think about what you are eating. I am doing this for my own reasons, and certainly I am not a fervent PETA activist (although I have developed a fondness for this cult that surprises even me)... but, shouldn't pepper be safe? I mean, it is one of the things that vegans, even raw foodists, can use because it is of plant origin and it DOES NOT NEED TO BE COOKED!

If you haven't noticed, I am thoroughly perplexed. If any of you have any input on this insanity, please, share the light. In the meantime, I guess I will stick to non-peppery spices: anise, curry, and the such.

(Not So) French Toast

Those of you that have looked at the recipes here before have probably realized: I am not much of a sweets person. I am much more of a savory eater, and therefore, a savory cook. So, I guess it should not come as too much of a surprise that this morning's breakfast was what is commonly known as a sweet food, turned not-so-sweet.

Best served with some grilled sausages (you can use veggie sausages, if you prefer), this makes for a really quick, simple breakfast. By the way, the way I prepared the sausages:

slice up an onion and let the slices cook in a pan over a low flame for a good 10 minutes or so in a small amount of olive oil
add a healthy splash of balsamic vinegar
add the sausages in slices and let that cook over a (really) low flame until the sausages are browned

On to the bread...

You need:
3 eggs
1C milk (I used 2%, but anything, including soy, would be fine)
bread (4-5 large slices or 9-10 small)
healthy pinch of salt
1t marjoram
1t sweet savory

(I used dried herbs, as my Aerogarden has not yet produced its crop. By all means, if you have fresh, use them... and feel free to play around with other herbs.)

You do:
1. In a rather shallow bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Add salt and herbs; beat some more.
2. Start heating up a skillet over a low-medium flame. I used a le Crueset grill, to make everything pretty, but any skillet will do. Don't forget to coat with olive oil or non-stick spray. Alternatively, you can bake these--see below.*
3. Throw the slices of bread into the mixture and let soak--at least 1 minute/side.
4. Once the bread is saturated, and the grill is hot, place the slices on the grill so that they do not touch one-another. Cook until browned on both sides.
5. If you have more than one batch, they will keep warm in an oven at 250F.

Voila--not so French, but very nice.

*Now, for baking:
1. Preheat an oven to 425F.
perform steps 1 and 3 above
2. Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
3. Place the bread slices on the sheet so that they do not touch one another, and place into the preheated oven for 6 minutes or so.
4. Flip the slices and place back into the oven for an additional 5-6 minutes.

That is all. Very simple, quick, and tasty.

Enjoy!

A Break

from our feathered friends.  Surely you need one.  

So...  Papaya Quick Bread.  You see, I had that party, and I had planned on making lots of sangria.  Which I did, indeed, make, but I bought much more papaya.  (I made more than one type of sangria.  I've always been an over-achiever.)  So, I had to figure out what to do with all of the left over papaya.  Shakes (batidas) were somewhat uninspiring (although I STILL have some left to try my own creation).  So, I dug a little deeper.  I wasn't in the mood for a salsa, as that also meant that I would have to then make something to accompany the said salsa.  So, quick bread it was... kind of.  Except the recipes that I found had very little papaya and a lot of everything else.  I had to get creative, which also means that YOU get a new recipe!  I still would change things a little more next time around, but here is the recipe as I made it:  

You need:

3 eggs

1C sugar

3/4 C applesauce

1C shredded carrot

2 1/2 C smashed ripe papaya

1t salt

4C flour (I used 3C unbleached white and 1C whole wheat)

1T baking soda

1t cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

You do:

1.  Preheat the oven to 325F and coat either 2 regular-sized or 4 medium-sized loaves with oil, butter, or cooking spray.

2.  Mix together the eggs, sugar, and applesauce at slow speed for 1-2 minutes.

3.  Add in the carrots and papaya, mix 1-2 minutes.

4.  Add the flours, salt, spices and baking soda, and beat at medium for about 2 minutes.  Do not over-mix (just until blended), or your breads will fall flat and heavy.

5.  Pour into the loaf pans.  

6.  If you are using the regular-sized, bake 55-60 minutes; if the medium, bake about 40 minutes.  (You could do muffins baked about 18-20 minutes, too.)  All until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

7.  Allow to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before placing on cooling racks.

8.  Allow to cool on cooling racks completely before wrapping.

(If you don't have a standing mixer, do this:  Mix eggs, sugar, applesauce in a large bowl.  Mix completely.  Add the carrot and papaya to this.  Mix the dry ingredients (flours, salt, baking soda, spices) in a medium bowl.  Add the dry TO the wet ingredients and mix again.  This is where you DO NOT over-mix--just until blended.  Then go to step 5 above.)

Eat well  :)

Now, as I said, I will do differently next time:  I like carrots well enough, but cannot really figure out why they are here.  So, I would get rid of them altogether, and replace that cup with more papaya.  Also, although this is a good sweetness for me, I don't like very sweet things.  So I have a feeling that R (and the majority of you) would prefer more sugar.  (He'll try it tonight.)  In that case, either more sugar inside, or a caramelized topping would be good.  And, I don't know, those spices... I saw one recipe that called for a tablespoon (!!!) of cinnamon and a teaspoon of nutmeg (yes, for the same final quantity).  Even though I am using SOOO much less than that, it's still kind of overpowering.  I might just cut them out completely next time.  I guess we'll know more next time I overbuy for sangria!  :)

Easy Bread

I know, it's been a while. Not quite what I promised. Work (and life) has been, well, busy. So, I decided to give you this, for now, as a friend asked if I could email this recipe, and I thought this might be... not easier, but more fun, somehow. So, here it is:

This recipe will make two nice-sized, loaves. It is quite easy, and therapeutic, to make.

You need:

3/4 oz active dry yeast (3 packages) or 1oz fresh yeast
2T honey
2C warm water (or a little more, as needed)
7-8C flour (I use a combination of about 6 cups all-purpose unbleached, and the rest whole wheat. But if I have almond, or other, flour, I'll throw that in to equal the 8C) I mentioned, before, the experimentation...
2T salt
a little extra flour for dusting, etc.

You do:

1. Dissolve the yeast and honey in 1C of the water. Do not make the mistake I made the first time I did this (as the other times I've made bread, it was without honey). Let me tell you, the yeast LOVES the honey, and will grow, grOW, GROW quickly. So, do NOT walk away, do not make coffee, have breakfast, kiss your love on the cheek... move on... to measuring for step 2.
2. Measure out the flour and salt on a large surface (or in a large bowl) into a big pile. Make a well in the center.
3. Pour the yeast mix into the well. Work (with your hand) out from the center to mix the dry flour/salt into the yeast. Pour in the rest of the water to bring in all of the flour. Adjust the quantity of flour as needed to make a moist dough.
4. Knead for about 5 minutes. Use extra flour as necessary. The dough will become elastic and stick together (to itself) and less and less to your hands.
(You can do #2,3, and 4 in an electric mixer. My KitchenAid Artisan set at #2 setting with the dough hook attachment was amazing. Then, I pulled out the dough and couldn't resist kneading a bit more-it's fun, after all!)
5. Form the dough into a ball (of sorts) and place in a lightly greased bowl. You can score the top with a sharp knife, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap to speed the process. Leave to rise to about double-this takes about 45-90 minutes depending on the temperature of the surroundings.
6. Now, punch down the dough, and divide in two.
7. Shape and leave to rise again to double. (If you plan on filling the bread, this is where you'd do that.) If you leave the bread as-is, in loaves, it is best to score the tops again. This is also the best time to preheat your oven-for basic bread, 425F is the temp.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes. You can tell it is done when you tap the bottom, and the bread sounds "hollow." (This makes perfect sense the first time you hear the sound.)
9. As hard as it is, leave the bread on a cooling rack for about 1 hour before slicing or eating.

At #7, you can roll the bread out, fill with meats, spices, and/or olives, raisins... pesto (home-made, of course)... olive tapenade (ditto)... herbs and olive oil... nuts and dried fruits... the possibilities are endless, really. Then, roll back up, and leave as is, or cut (with a very sharp knife) into 2cm slices and place side by side in a pan to rise for the remainder of step 7. If you do the latter, your baking time will be reduced to about 20-22 minutes. Your cooling time is also reduced (about 30 minutes)-BONUS!!

Eat well... :)

Yogurt

I just realized that I promised cooking here, and, well, there's none, so far.  So, for now, something simple.  Something I have been making A LOT of, lately... and we have loved it.  Home made yogurt.  It tastes so pure and clean.  So much better than store-bought, I think.  And very easy to make. 

You will quickly learn that I don't like to follow recipes much, I tend to change them often, and substitute what's in the 'fridge at the last minute.  So, when I originally read about this, it asked (I think) for whole or 2% milk.  All I had at the time was 1%, so that is what I used then, and pretty much have been using... although there was one time that, on a whim, I threw in a cup of cream...

you need:

1qt milk (whatever percentage is available)

2T yogurt starter or store bought yogurt  (Yogurt starter can be gotten at any health food store.  As for the store-bought yogurt, it should be plain yogurt--no flavors, not even vanilla.)

you do:

Place milk in saucepan and heat over low heat until bubbles form at edges and steam rises from the middle.  Do not allow to boil.  Transfer to large bowl.  Allow to cool to 110-115F on a cooking thermometer.  Don't have one?  Nor do I--just get it to a temperature where you can stand to keep your index finger in the milk for 20 seconds.  

Place the starter or yogurt in a small bowl, and add a few tablespoons of the warm milk.  Stir well, and return to the rest of the warm milk a small portion at a time, stirring well with each addition.  

Cover with a heavy towel and keep in a warm place at least 6 hours, or overnight.  My kitchen tends to be cold in the winter, so I preheat my oven to 200F, turn it off and place my mixture in the oven for the allotted time.  

Now, cover with plastic wrap, and place the yogurt in the 'fridge for at least 8 hours before serving.  I like a very thick yogurt, so I strain it through a cheesecloth in a fine sieve suspended in a bowl for another 6 hours or so.

Yes, it takes a long time--about a whole day, but it is not at all work-intensive.  And the reward is well worth it!!  Now, you can eat your yogurt as-is, mix with marmalades, fresh fruits and cinnamon, place in crepes (mine is VERY thick), the possibilities are endless.  

Eat well  :)