Cookin' in the 'Cuse

Michael Pollan: Eat Food, Not Edible Food-like Substances

Michael Pollan with Edible Finger Lakes publisher Michael Welch, creative director Zoe Becker, and me.

By his own admission he is not a nutritionist--just an Englsh major trying to eat real food.  Tonght, to a nearly packed house at the Syracuse Civic Center, Pollan wove together the themes of his three most recent books:  Food Rules, In Defense of Food, and The Omnivore's Dilemma into an accessible primer on the ills of our food system and what we might do about it.

Even if you have read his books you'd find the reminder of some of his points startling:  20% of food is consumed in the car; the typical Western diet (filled with refined carbs, salt and sugar) is largely responsible for high rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and 1/3 of the cancers diagnosed; we've largely forsaken eating for pleasure and community building for eating for health--except we're getting less healthy; Americans spend only 9% of their income on food--less than any other industrialized nation (and if I'm not mistaken, this number has gone down in the past decade). 

He began his lecture by filling a table with some edilble food-like substances he purchased at Tops earlier in the day.  There were things I didn't know existed--I mean, frozen pancakes with sprinkles already on them?!?  I don't get it--apparently, I need to investigate what else is in the conventional grocery store--just to see it.  I tend to shop the perimeter of the supermarket and farmers at the CNY Regional Market get the lions share of our food dollars.

For those who have been reading this blog for any length of time or following the sustainable food revolution, tonight was classic Pollan--engaging, thought-provoking, and inspirational.  I left reinvigorated and excited about this harvest seaon and grateful for the folks in our community who are trying to get real, whole foods onto our plates--you know, the folks listed in the left side bar. 

Pollan says he isn't an evangelist but I'm hoping that he made a few more Michael Disciples tonight.  Each and every person makes choices each and every day that affect our foodshed and what is stocked on grocery shelves.  The power to change our food system, live with a higher degree of wellness and health, and actually enjoy the food that nourishes us is in our hands--or can be if we reach out for real food. 

Anyone else craving kale right now, or is it just me...?

Taking it long and slow

There is so much I need to post about here but time seems to constantly elude me.  Last week--or maybe it was before that--I was inspired by the current issue of Edible Finger Lakes to make something of the cipollini onions that came in my CSA share from Stones Throw Farm.  I super-slow roasted these little orbs until they were crispy-caramelized on the outside and tender but still slightly crunchy inside.  At 200 degrees I could have the oven on without heating the whole house.  And with a three hour slowwww cooking time my hands were free to do other things.  (Michael Welch from EFL says they shouldn't take that long but I may like my cipollinis extra tender.)

As it turns out olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey is a great combination for lots of other veggies too--I see lots of experimentation in my future.

A few simple ingredients:  olive oil, really good aged balsamic vinegar and local honey.

Layer cleaned and trimmed cipolini onions on a bed of rosemary stems--about 4-5 inches in length.

Drizzle onions with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and honey.  Roast at 200 degrees for 2-3 hours or desired doneness.  Consume as quickly or as slowly as you like--leave time for adequate finger licking.

NYC Eats

Okay, consider this a photo deluge of some great food to be found in New York City--it is by no means comprehensive--just deliciously memorable.  Actually, for all the great food the Big Apple has to offer, it can be awfully difficult to figure out where to eat--especially if you want to eat fresh food in season without breaking the bank.  So if you're considering a trip downstate this summer, check out these eats. 

Get Fresh Table and Market, Brooklyn

The New York Times is one of my guides to good food and that's how I got the tip about the fairly new Get Fresh in Park Slope, Brooklyn.  This brightly painted, homey restaurant does the locally-sourced, seasonal menu and contains a pantry shop at front to take some tasty vittles back home.  I took my Mom there for lunch back in May and enjoyed a simple pasta dish loaded with cauliflower, black-eyed peas and house-made cheese while my Mom went the breakfast sandwich route--both were great. 

Cabrito, Greenwich Village, Manhattan

Now this is the kind of fresh Mex I'm talking about.  Just over a year old, Cabrito in the West Village brings the heat.  Michael Welch and his wife Zoe Becker--the team behind Edible Finger Lakes--turned me on to this place.  Michael had met the chef the week before and we were drawn there by the prospect of eating Finger Lakes-sourced pork.  Alas, we were too busy chowing down on Lengua y Tomatillo Tacos (that's braised cow tongue), short ribs and house-made chorizo and missed the local pork.  Butif you go, do like we did--order up a bunch of food, share liberally, and then walk to the corner and grab some gelato--hmm, hmm, hmm!

House-made Chorizo Taco

Lengua y Tomatillo Taco (braised tongue)

Shrimp and Tamarind Ceviche

More food and EFL Publisher Michael Welch in action after the jump...

More of that Cheese, Please

In the realm of things I can't really get enough of there is Muranda Cheese.  The British Cheddar and Colby specifically.  Oh, the other flavors are stellar too--Red Buddy and the Garlic Cheddar--but I am bereft if I open the cheese drawer in the fridge and find that I'm out of the cheddar.  It is an impressive cheese for its age--they're just coming up on a year.  Waiting to see how these incredible cheeses will age over time feels like anticipating Christmas.

You can read more about Muranda Cheese Company in the latest issue of Edible Finger Lakes (my story on local cheeses is part of what I meant when I said that eating local is also eating decandantly in Central NY.)  But don't just take my word for it, check it out yourself--Muranda Cheese can be found in the "F" tent of the CNY Regional Market from 7am-2pm on Saturdays. 

The most recent issue of Edible Finger Lakes can be found around Syracuse including the Regional Market beginning this Saturday.  I think its the best issue yet.

Edible Finger Lakes--Good Enough to Eat?

I love the Edible magazines--they seem to be multiplying like tribbles and I wish I could subscribe to them all.  But check out our own Zoe Becker, editor of Edible Finger Lakes speaking about what makes the Finger Lakes edible.  You gotta wait for it though--she's the last one in the clip. 

The winter issue of Edible Finger Lakes is out now--look for the cover with beautiful beets. Keep up the great work Zoe!

Clip courtesy of Bruce Cole and the Edible Nation blog.

Top Ten Food & Farm Experiences of 2008: Lucy Loo the Baby Buffalo

This is going to totally ruin my Brooklyn cred but I don't care.  Hanging out with Lucy Loo (on the right) a five month old buffalo and her pal Bucky, a Jersey steer (to the left) ranks among the coolest things I've done--EVER.  She's still a baby but look at the size of her head compared to, say, my head.  She's going to be huge--like up to 1,500 pounds huge.  You can read all about Lucy Loo and the incredible herd being raised at PDH Buffalo Farm in my piece in the Winter 2008/2009 issue of Edible Finger Lakes out now.  You can pick it up free around Central New York or subscribe here.