food museum blog

In the Face of World's Disasters, What?

What can we do? Thousands of people are without shelter, food and clean water in both Myanmar and China. At least in China, the government is working to rescue its citizens and welcomes the assistance from international agencies.
We probably won't stop eating and drinking and enjoying our lives, and it wouldn't help the people in peril anyway.
But we can send money--Two of my favorite emergency groups are  Oxfam and American Friends Service Committee.
Network for Good lists many other such organizations.

Eat Crap, Win Voters' Hearts and Minds?

In between mel0dramatic reports on lame bowling skills and memories of shooting ducks as a wee lass and all the flotsam and jetsam of American political discourse, I have noted disparagement of Senator Obama's campaign eating style. Apparently he doesn't finish all his waffles!  He shies away from fat-laden nightmares like Philly cheesesteaks ( I may be making this one up) and so on. He's not into multiple brewskies, either.

So the guy is trim, healthy, and against all the odds during this marathon primary season, he wants to stay that way and hold off the carbs. What a nutcase!  What a crappy exemplar of all that is American!

Please, superdelegates, end the agony soon so that Barry O' can take a break to revisit farmers markets and Senator Clinton can hole up in her Georgetown home tossing back whatever she damn pleases.

This tidbit from the NYT a few days back may amuse....

ps  Not getting into the use of "waffle" as a verb...

(Thanks to http://www.easywafflerecipe.com/ for handsome, healthy-looking waffle photo.)

Fat David, Plus, Foodie is Baaaack; Also, Usage!!

Back, at last, after a long time away, and a road trip across these USSSS of A from St Petersburg to Albuquerque, a journey not noted for its fine cuisine, alas. So while I organize my foodie thoughts, experiences and pix, and prepare to resume, I thought you might enjoy this lovely image at left, forwarded to me, origin unknown. Clearly Dave has returned to his pillar in Florence after a few weeks holiday in the U.S.

Oh--also---consumed with following the Dem primary on line, I am once again urging all bloggers and posters to understand that "loose" means untied or unconfined,  while "lose" means go down to defeat. Also--"led" is the past tense of "lead", as in "she led in the PA polls by 20 points a few weeks ago."  And "lead," the noun, is the stuff appearing in all those Chinese-made toys. Thank you.

Of Islands, Hunger, and Yes, We Have No Eggs

Haitians are apparently not satisfied eating mudcakes for survival---in Port Au Prince they are rioting, and looting, and demanding the resignation of president Rene Preval in part because global food prices  have risen 40% in the past year, a fact particularly affecting islanders who import most of what they eat. Their staple, rice, is expensively imported more than it should be, thus diminishing local production. Taxes on food, too, appear to be an issue. Food that is on shelves in cities is too costly for the poor to buy. According to today's AP story, about 80% of the people struggle to survive on about $2 per day.

Many of those who marched on the capital chanted "we are hungry!," according to a report from The Canadian Press. Haitian riots followed protests in Egypt and elsewhere, prompting a UN official to state that "food insecurity" is a major threat to world stability.

Meanwhile, speaking of islands, when we recently visited family in the Abacos, Bahamas, we stayed in Hope Town, a place filled with well-off vacationers. Food, and most other domestic goods available at local groceries, was outlandishly expensive when compared to prices for the same items on the Florida coast. Even eggs were not raised locally for sale---people are dependent on small ferry boats for everything, and during a three day period of stormy seas, the hunt for eggs became paramount. Not, mind you, for human survival.  It was Easter weekend, you see.

Early one morning, still in my robe, I walked from our seaside abode onto a small road heading into the lush undergrowth, following the sound of a rooster crowing, hoping  to locate at least one local source of something to eat. After a bit I turned back on reflecting that my inappropriate garb might have caused the rooster's owner to have me arrested by the constabulary ( one guy) for some form of peeping or stalking or other addlepated old dame behavior.

Even the mere threat of " food insecurity" has me pondering( not for the first time,)  where to live,  what to grow, how to harvest enough water for growing, and how to get "off the grid" in time to do all the above.  Perhaps my Jack Russell might be cajoled into trotting along on some kind of power-generating treadmill so that I could maintain my link to the Internets, too.

Remembering Sugar Workers

Remember that sugar plant explosion two weeks ago in Georgia? I kept hearing the story but never encountered a discussion as to why sugar is such an explosive material. Today I found that Slate.com had provided this lengthy explanation.

Earlier this morning a report on NPR quoted a local florist working on a wreath for a memorial service--nine people were killed in the accident. Here's what she said about the people who made Dixie Crystals possible:

"When I use that sugar, I've always thought of these guys, and now, of course when I use my sweet sugar, these guys that help put it in that bag are gone," Brown says. "And the whole plant's gone and the whole community just suffers, so I think it kind of does bring it home."

Dixie Crystals brand, today owned by Imperial Sugar, began in 1917.  The new business venture was then known as the Savannah Sugar Refining Corporation. According to Imperial's website history, " Nearly 400 people, white and black, moved from Louisiana to Savannah to help build and run the plant."

We try to remember with gratitude every day the people who bring us our food, of all variety. Those who fish commercially, farmers and farm laborers, scientists, truckers, supermarket workers, agronomists, chefs, servers, botanists, soil experts, and on and on.

Obama, Japan, Produces "Native Son" Bean Cakes

A town of 32,000 on the west coast of Japan has a bond with one of our candidates. The town is Obama, and apparently the locals there are rapidly becoming fans of that guy with the same name.

According to this AP story, "Obama's name graces posters hung in the main hotel. Headbands and T-shirts with drawings of the candidate's face will be available soon. Local confectioners are designing Japanese-style sweet bean cakes with Obama's portrait on them."

Now that's a candidate with broad, diverse appeal. Come March we expect to hear from the little known O'Bama clan in Ireland, backing their lad, Barry, with marzipan potato candies bearing his likeness.

( Thanks for bean cake pic from http://mtkilimonjaro.blogspot.com/2007/07/fine-find-in-san-francisco.html)

Appetizing Primaries

With the Crabcake Primary coming up on Tuesday, voters continue to gorge across the country. Senator Obama racked up four victories today, in the Oyster and White Wine event in Washington State, the Gumbo Primary in Louisiana, the Meatloaf and Creamed Corn vote fest in Nebraska and the Rum and Fish Soup hubba hubba in the Virgin Islands.

Coming up fast, the Lobster Caucus in Maine, Ribs and Beer in Texas, and Ohio's fabled Pork Chop primary.

Romney Dinged at Diner, Loses Appetite

Republican candidate Mitt Romney came up against an actual American asking tough questions at the Red Arrow diner in Manchester, NH recently. The questions  about health care came from Michelle Griffin, a Red Arrow employee for 12 years. As the Washington Post reported it, Griffin was  "in no mood for platitudes."

About the Red Arrow--it's a food heritage site, in business since 1922, tra la. ( Its history page  says the joint opened in October 1921...and also "since 1922." ..) Open 24 hours, The Red Arrow was voted among the top 10 American diners by USA Today at one point.

The boom days of dinerdom were in the 1950's and then fast food joints began edging out the old silver-sides. But there's a resurgence in affection for diners these days, thankfully. To find the real thing one must get off major highways  and look along sideroads for places stuffed with cars at 6:30 am--at least that's how we choose where to stop for breakfast--apple pie a la mode and coffee, please. Plus--are those home fries made fresh?

As for the "no mood for platitudes,"  many of us are feeling that way these days, and sometimes the gorge rises. You can read Ms. Griffin's questions via the WPost link above.

Even More Appalling Pizza Than That Favored By Prez

Fellow blogger from London, and frequent commenter here, Kathy F, just informed us about this gallumphing ghastly giant of a pie. It comes from Japan, a place most of us associate with gentle carp pools,  noodles swirling in calming miso soup, zen gardens and the like.

Fuhgeddaboutit!

This delicate morsel has  a sausage-embedded crust..."Per slice, 646 Calories and 1,344mg of sodium (5,164 Calories for the whole pizza and a perhaps literally brain swelling 10,752 grams of sodium)."

( I think this is a Pizza Hut offering! Thanks to http://bmimedical.blogspot.com/2007/07/worlds-most-dangerous-pizza.html)

Barging into Veggies

As I launch my own green revolution here in the high desert--growing veggies in large pots and bins, in order to conserve water--I read with great delight about the Science Barge  moored at Pier 84 in New York City's Hudson River. It's growing veggies with recirculated water and no pesticides and is intended as a model, along with green rooftop growing, for sustainable urban agriculture.

Designed by the New York Sun Works Center for Sustainable Engineering, the Science Barge operates this way, according to a report on CNET news:

"Powered by a combination of solar energy from photovoltaic panels, five wind turbines and a generator that runs on biodiesel and waste vegetable oil (commonly known as "french fry grease"), the Science Barge generates zero carbon dioxide emissions.

An on-board greenhouse uses hydroponic technologies to grow vegetables using a quarter of the water that traditional agriculture would. Inside the greenhouse, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, herbs and lettuce are germinated in "rock wool" made from basaltic rock spun into cotton candy-like fibers. They're grown using recirculated water, and a mix of coconut husks and rice hulls--waste products that otherwise would be sent to landfills--in lieu of soil."

( Barge pic from http://nysunworks.org/science_barge/about_the_barge.html)