food museum blog

Pondering the Clever Critters Who Tidy Our Edible Crud

I read with interest an excerpt from Lyanda Lynn Haupt's book, Crow Planet, in Utne Reader recently, and then swiftly, as so often occurs to me these days, saw the book in the library. Now that I've meandered through it, I can say I was delighted with the crow bits, less enchanted by the philosophical riffs on the urban wilderness, the author's angsty moments, etc., etc. I really had hoped the book would be all about crows. ( Maybe I am bring picky here--the author writes well and there is much corvus-ian info.)

Crows, like the pigs in many parts of Asia, among their many activities, eat roadkill/foodwastes, spilled big Macs, and  Cousin Leta's tossed-out 2008 fruitcake,  that would otherwise leave urban and suburban areas icky.  Crows and pigs both have been deemed off the charts re their smarts, too.

( It was humans, you recall, who misguidedly killed off the pigs of Cairo recently, and thus became  awash in garbagey-areas now presumably patrolled by staggeringly fat crows.)

So crows, though lovers of corn, are omnivores, not reliant on any particular food source. Writes the author,  "A crow does not know what the day's food will be. A meal must be sought out, wrung from its place, and perhaps defended."

Am I more like a crow than I thought? As I peer into pantry and fridge at the start of the day, or stroll the market,  I am certain I will eat, but usually not until actual feeding time do I decide what I will toss together and how.

Books: Ezra Meeker, Veggie Purveyor to the Klondike

If you delight in letters--remember them?-- as well as food, American history, and familial fondness, read this book.  It's called Slick as a Mitten, by Dennis M. Larsen,  it's published by Washington State University Press , and it's about a character named Ezra Meeker.

The book, rich with old photos,  is based on Meeker's letters, mostly to his wife, Eliza Jane. She and Ezra came west on the Oregon Trail in 1852 and settled in Puyallup, Washington.  Meeker, along with his father, became a wealthy hop grower and broker, but at the close of the 19th century, he went bust.  The hops were infested with bugs, controlled only through exceedingly expensive methods. Ezra was also on the board of a bank, though not involved until it began to decline, all the other officers having abandoned it. He personally covered the bank's losses, all its customers, by spending most of his own money.

Unimaginable in this era of Bank of America et al?  The mid to late 1890's were a time of bank closings and financial downturn in the US.

Once gold was discovered in the Klondike area in 1897, the race was on. But, unsurprisingly, so many masses of people arriving in an inhospitable area did not find enough to eat. People suggested that there was more money to be made in supplying miners than in engaging in mining itself. "There are no fresh vegetables of any kind here," said one. 

Meeker took note of this and decided to supply both fresh and dried veg, as well as reconstitutable eggs to the populations springing up in Yukon tent cities. He specialized in granulated and sliced potatoes, dried cabbage, squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, pop corn, and fresh oysters from the east, hauling everything first by steamer, then along icy trails with "teamsters," and floating produce down the Yukon River.

Even lemons.

He was 67 when he started. In three years he had made possible the movement of almost 100 tons of food. And throughout those years, he wrote regularly to Wife, back home in Washington, signing himself Husband. It was Eliza Jane who supervised the dehydration of the eggs, and the preparation and packing of the veggies.

As for the phrase slick as a mitten,  Ezra lost his assets that way, he said, swiftly. I picture a thick leather mitten, coated with ice.

ps  Meeker planned the town of Puyallup, and named it. The name honored the native people there, known as the "generous people," but whether their generosity extended to the deeding of their lands to white settlers for hop growing I do not know. ..

Martha's Vineyard, Cape Cod--Food Heritage

Named by British voyager Bartholomew Gosnold after his mother, Martha, in 1602 the island of Martha's Vineyard apparently was rich in luxuriant grapevines. As rich in grape, as the Cape nearby was rich in cod. Gosnold named Cape Cod, as well. Such an observer of food,  our little-remembered Gosnold, and food available in such abundance in the not-yet-even colony of Massachusetts.

Gosnold, an attorney with a bent for sea exploration, returned to England intent on recruiting stout souls to help found the Virginia Colony. Five years after his New England sojourn he died in or near Jamestown in 1607, a swampy site he thought rightly to be unsuitable for habitation. Most of the original Jamestown settlers died of famine, and its accompanying scurvy and dysentery.

The tale of why settlers in a land filled with vegetation, game and fish died of hunger even in the summertime is fodder for many books, including Jamestown, the Buried Truth, in which we learn that dogs and cats were eaten by the afflicted Jamestonians.

The Obamas ( and Bo) need not fear hunger during their stay on the Vineyard, however. 35 year-old West Tisbury Farmers Market is right down the lane from their lodgings.

"Julie and Julia," The Movie

Why isn't it titled "Julia and Julie," as without Julia Child there likely would have been no blog for Julie Powell, no book, no movie made from the book? Most likely because the blogger in question comes across as a whiny, self-absorbed twit, even with  Amy Adams' customary twinkle in operation.

Yes, this is a food ( and wine) film. And, yes, watching Meryl Streep unwrap and deliver Julia Child is the only reason one might want to rent the future DVD, just to see what she does and when and how she does it. Streep is an actor who uses her entire body in the creation of a persona,  from her feet  all the way up into her coif. ( But, of course, one is not supposed to be avidly scoping out the technical details of an actor's work while watching a film--one wants to be utterly absorbed in a place, a story.)

As a film, this melding of Julie and Julia does not work.  Julie is small and Julia is large. Julie complains and Julia rises above. The director/screen writer Nora Ephron could have made the Julie character more feisty and generous, but presumably the "real" Julie held sway.

And so, as my friend and I watched the film yesterday we were both fighting off sleep during the Julie bits, and rearing awake whenever Julia was on board. And we both recalled that our respective mothers cooked Julia's boeuf bourgignon, which, then as now, closely resembled the less glamorously dubbed  "pot roast," save for the addition of red wine to the former.

The movie will make you run out to buy more butter, and some decent red. And consider how well people back in the day dressed, even with the silly hats.

Resveratrol and You

Just flipped through the book The Longevity Factor: How Resveratrol and Red Wine Activate Genes for a Longer and Healthier Lfe, by Joseph Maroon, MD,  Atria 2009, so you wouldn't have to. Not that this is an arduous read at all--it flows, it answers questions, it's well-researched. ( Do we love the fact that author's name is MAROON, or what? You'll see why.)

Basically it boils down to this:  Drink red wine; eat dark choc; eat red grapes, blueberries, blackberries, apples, cranberries and so on--you see the pattern here? Oh--drink green tea. Not rooibos, the "red tea" of South Africa? No mention of it.

And exercise, be happy, be spiritual, and all that.
I am being glib here, but that may stem from my eyes having lighted on the words "Iceberg lettuce" in the recipe section of the book.

All the bits about "gene activation" drove me to open that bottle of red. But--for those of you into the deeper story behind the glory of certain (reddish)  foods, please, read this book.

( Thanks to photo from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325125937.htm a site that also details the power of red wine specifically in fighting cancer.)

Delighting in Hens and Eggs

 I well recall the first egg laid by our pet chicken, Harold, ---OK, we were ignorant back then--- in Belgium. It was oddly wet and oblong in shape. We urged Harold to try harder, and so she did--the next egg was eggish. A desultory layer, she did bring forth a few, though never with the vigor and consistency of her non-science experiment sisters. ( Harold triumphantly survived a first grade egg-hatching project, but always walked with a limp.) Nonetheless, she did her best and we were thrilled at her output.

Most newbies to the great world of hens and eggs are similarly delighted. John, one of the Summit Springs Farmers, recently wrote:
"So, every Monday morning, I give the chicken coop and the chicken's food and water dishes a thorough scrubbing.  This morning, I got the dishes done and fed the excited chickens before opening up the back hatch of the coop to clean up the laying boxes and put down a fresh layer of bedding (shredded paper and wood shavings mixed together)...and there in one of the boxes was a single small brown egg!  The very first!  A bit later in the morning, I checked again and found that 2 more eggs had appeared, and later, one more still (making a total of 4 and enabling a proper breakfast for Sonya and me tomorrow.)  Yeehaw!
I am excited and feel like a proud parent.  We got our hens back in March when they were less than 2 days old, and now, they're laying!  Go, ladies, go!"

See?

While the first egg story took place on a Belgian fermette and the second on a farm in Maine, apparently the US is now seized with a growing "urban chicken movement." Two Albuquerquians have started the website urbanchickens.org. A California site has this: Chickens in the City. And there's Urban Chickens, a blog, and The Urban Chicken.

For the finest book we know on these birds, try The Chicken Book, by Page Smith, a classic.

(Actual Albuquerque city dwellers pic thanks to http://dukecity.ning.com/group/abqurbanchickens.)

Food News From All Over

Recent food reports tell us that A---women eat less in times of famine, as they provide for their children and husbands first, B---low carb diets, as well as the Mediterranean diet, work far better than low fat diets, and C--jalapeno peppers may be the salmonella culprits, and that $100 million in losses later tomato growers are looking at cooking up a mess of marinara sauce.
A--Duh!
B--Duh!
C--OK, not so obvious...

Oh, and this reported in The Guardian from Angela Hartnett, a Brit chef acquainted with Michelin stars, her own, that is: 
"What's the best/worst thing about the British food scene?
The best? Hmmmm. The worst is that we think we're now a nation of foodies and we're not. Oh, and I think it's really bad that good food costs so much and bad food is so cheap. That's wrong."

As noted in an earlier post, I am finally reading Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, written with contributions from family members, and it truly is more than it seems. As many of you know, she recounts with sly humor a year of eating locally, most from their own 40 acres in Virginia, but also examines with graceful precision a range of food issues. The perils of cheap food, raising and dispatching animals, infusing unexpected recipes with veggies, organic vs sustainable et al, and more. A bonus: simple, straight-forward recipes, plus, an invitation to make cheese. I plan to try this asap.

91 Best Restaurants--The Providence Guide

91 Best...a new red slim jim of a restaurant guide for revived and rejuvenated Providence, Rhode Island, is the product of Deborah Moxham, author of The Grapevine Guide to Rhode Island's Best Restaurants, and John Schenck, a marketing veteran of assorted New York-based media entities and newly transplanted fan of Providence. The book appears more weighted towards describing ambiance than food specialties, it seems to me, but nonetheless its brisk and breezy style and the opinions of its authors--a nifty backpage section spotlights Pet Peeves, including two of mine---mammoth portions and unprofessional service--give the book value.

The top of the top 10 picks of each author, also listed at the rear, do not match up--Moxham likes Bravo Brasserie in first place, known for their bistro-style food and easy-going specials such as filet au poivre and coq au vin, while Schenck chooses Al Forno, noted for "brilliantly and aggressively flavorful" pastas and grilled items. ( What does that mean exactly, in an Italian restaurant setting ?)

As the type of diner who wants to eat out what I rarely consider making at home, my pick of all 91 would be the authors' shared favorite in the number 2 spot, CAV.  Named after the combo of Coffee, Antiques and Victuals, CAV offers a "pistachio crusted crabcake with sriracha aioli and lotus root" as a typical appetizer.
Yes! Not on the old home menu at my place. Diners sit comfortably on Biedermeier chairs and apply themselves to dishes served on kilim-carpeted tables topped with glass. Hearkening back to its origins as a coffee house,  CAV has a cozy feel, apparently, and everything the eye touches on is for sale.

Buy 91 Best, $15.95, here.

"Food 2.0" Energizes!

Charlie Ayers is my kind of food guy and cook.  Most associated with being the fellow who "fed Google," he was the head chef there from 1999 to 2005, responsible for feeding 1500 people each day, 4000 lunches and dinners, in 10 cafes at Google's Mountain View, CA, campus.  His goal was to feed a diverse and smart group of people tasty, healthy food. Evidently, he succeeded.

His book , Food 2.0,  $25,  just published by DK Publishing, reflects his Google-ish commitment to  fast, unfussy, fresh food that might even push you into the genius category.  His tips upfront are utterly sensible and smart,  laid out with crisp, readable efficiency. What to keep on hand and how to keep it so that when the yen for a snack wafts over you, the veggie munchies are right there, ready to go.   I imagine he's the kind of person who stands at the fridge, eating a handful of blueberries, a couple of carrot sticks, a few lettuce leaves, and calls it salad on busy days.

What utterly won me over, however, was his love of full-fat, plain yogurt. He speaks my mind, indeed.  That ambrosia is good for the digestive system, satisfying, and bears no resemblance to the manufactured sweet, fruity little cupfuls of junk all over the supermarket. He also praises Trader Joe. Yes! Also: "Chocolate is a non-negotiable part of my life."

One of his early recipes is for "Mystery Fondue," made from assorted bits and bobs of cheese he saves up and then melts together with white wine and mustard seed.  And Apple and Brie Quesadillas, Silicon Valley Split Pea Soup, as well as Seared Southwestern Ahi Tuna Tornadoes, and a further slew of eclectic offerings.

The ahi is rubbed with a chile-spice mix, seared, and then wrapped in a tomato tortilla spread with a lime and spice avocado mayo and a stack of jicama, carrot, napa cabbage.....

OY--he even makes spinach latkes.

Food 2.0  is a solid and satisfying book, even in review-copy grainy black and white.  The retail hardback is in resplendent full-color from fabled Dorling Kindersley Ltd.

Home Cooking from the Mediterranean

In these troubled times of an expensive out-of-control war, food crises, political shenanigans and more, it is always a comfort to, well, eat. But before that, cook something homey and warming and reminiscent of a more tranquil time.
Armenian-American chef and restaurant owner Zov Karamardian's self-published book  ZOV--Recipes and Memories from the Heart offers up multiple tasty, colorful dishes that fill that bill.  The first entries I checked were under "eggplant" in the index, because one of my all-time favorite pleasures was a bubbling rich eggplant casserole perfected by a friend's Armenian-American Mom. To my delight, Zov presents an inviting vegetarian Eggplant Tagine, made with chickpeas as well, typical of the North African stews that combine subtle flavors with slow cooking. She recommends with it Roasted Rack of Lamb with Pomegranate Sauce --the pomegranate, today's latest health juice item,  reminds us of the possibility of enjoying "new" ( albeit ancient) tastes.
Kooba Hamoud, appropriately an Iraqi dish--a "meatball soup with lemon and mint," reminds me of the garlic, mint and lemony dishes we enjoyed as Peace Corps volunteers in Iran.

Can anyone tell me why human beings waste  lives, money, time, energy, spirit and resources in the archaic pursuit of warfare in the 21st century, when we could be sharing aromatic dishes of food with one another?