The Cleveland Food Co-op is closed. It has been closed since June, 2011 but sadly, I just noticed yesterday. I guess I was part of the demographic that did not provide them adequate patronage in the past few years.
That's not to say that I never provided them adequate patronage. At one time, they were my main squeeze, as far as grocery stores go. And I cannot begin to estimate how many hundreds of lunches, snacks, and light, on-the-go dinners I improvised and ate while sitting on the railroad ties that made up an elevated garden bed outside the Co-op's front door. As recently as within the last 2 years, I had a cooking client who preferred me to do all of her grocery shopping at the Co-op...and so I did.
Way back before anyone really cared about organic, or natural, or healthy, or vitamins, the Food Co-op did. Having been a vegetarian or near-vegetarian/pescatarian for some 12 years, the Co-op was really the only game in town for me back then, especially if I required a food item that was a deviation from the Standard American Diet. Plus, it was really the only full-service grocery near University Circle, Little Italy, and the western edge of East Cleveland. I guess the folks in those neighborhoods who are mobile must now drive elsewhere to shop, and those who are a little more landlocked must have to take the bus to the hit-or-miss Aldi on Euclid Ave., which hardly compares to the Co-op during its heyday.
It's too bad. The Co-op did healthy in Cleveland before Wild Oats, or Mustard Seed, or Whole Foods.
But to paraphrase a musician friend who wants to write a hit:
You don't want to be ahead-of-your-time, you want to be right-on-time.
So true, for any commercial endeavor. Farewell, Co-op...you were one of the good ones.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Is Coconut Oil (or anything else) Healthy?
I saw a not-so accurate sign in the Beautiful People's Grocery Store (BPGS). You know the store I'm talking about. The place that has positioned itself as the arbiter of good health. They like to make it look like it is very difficult to live healthfully without using their products. They are amazing marketers and they sway you with their branding. I have to hand it to them, they do make better choices very convenient, but let's not be naive. We can do the "lets all live healthy" routine at less branded grocery chains. But the BPGS wins some of their business by suggesting that the rest of the world is just trying to pull an unhealthy fast one on the hapless, health-oriented consumer. And this influence is due at least in part to the helpful "factoids" they have on their signs and in their marketing material.
No, I'm not talking about the "2 for 1 stewed tomatoes" sign put on the wrong product shelf, I am talking about the giant banner ensuring something like "we abhor any and all hydrogenated fats and would never try to sell that garbage to you." OK, the sign wasn't worded exactly like that, but I forget the specific wording. Nevertheless, that was certainly the timbre of the banner. I walked by probably a hundred signs today and didn't pay much attention, but that one, I noticed. I noticed because my gut reaction was:
Oh, really!!? Really??!
Because on other visits, I have walked out of the BPGS with a bottle of pressed, refined coconut oil. Without a doubt, pressed, refined coconut oil counts as a partially hydrogenated fat.
I'm sure they meant well with that sign. I'm sure they meant that they are trying to give us the tools to lay off the Crisco and the margarine and the deep frying and all the fake, chemically, pre-packaged cookies and crackers, and I appreciate that. But this issue with the sign and the hydrogenated fats got me to thinking: that which makes up a healthy diet for one, can be a medical disaster for another.
And this partially hydrogenated coconut oil is the perfect example. Folks who have digestive or gut-bacteria issues may benefit from the use of coconut oil as it is thought to have a soothing and anti-microbial effect. But folks who have heart disease may want to avoid coconut oil like the plague as it is a highly saturated fat.
So...do you listen to the American Heart Association who suggests that coconut oil is a dangerously indulgent choice for a cooking fat/oil? Or do you listen to the latest alternative health proponents who suggest that coconut oil is a panacea?
The answer to that question is another question: What's your major malfunction?
Has heart disease taken every one of your grandparents and ancestors? Skip the coconut oil. Are you physically fit but suffer from leaky gut syndrome? Give coconut oil a try.
In fact, you should ask yourself "what's your major malfunction" when making any and all of your food choices. Look at your family health history and your own current health situation, then do a little reading, eat according to the recognized (read: non-quackery) guidelines to support or prevent the major health issue at hand, or the one likely to come down the pike in due time.
You cannot control for all things, so try to control for what matters. You might need to be gluten free. You might need to be vegetarian. You might need to eat a lot of animal protein. You might need to limit yourself to soft foods. You might need lots of raw foods and fibers. The definition of a healthy diet can vary. A LOT. So stop taking the signage or the cute nuggets of health info they send in their newsletter as holy gospel because there is no such thing as a one-size fits all "healthy" diet. For the real-deal healthy diet customized to YOUR needs, talk to your doc and listen to your body.
Oh--and my personal take on coconut oil? I think it makes a first-rate serum to combat dry winter skin, but it can come off as a little too rich and greasy in some recipes, so I usually keep it in the cosmetics cupboard!
No, I'm not talking about the "2 for 1 stewed tomatoes" sign put on the wrong product shelf, I am talking about the giant banner ensuring something like "we abhor any and all hydrogenated fats and would never try to sell that garbage to you." OK, the sign wasn't worded exactly like that, but I forget the specific wording. Nevertheless, that was certainly the timbre of the banner. I walked by probably a hundred signs today and didn't pay much attention, but that one, I noticed. I noticed because my gut reaction was:
Oh, really!!? Really??!
Because on other visits, I have walked out of the BPGS with a bottle of pressed, refined coconut oil. Without a doubt, pressed, refined coconut oil counts as a partially hydrogenated fat.
I'm sure they meant well with that sign. I'm sure they meant that they are trying to give us the tools to lay off the Crisco and the margarine and the deep frying and all the fake, chemically, pre-packaged cookies and crackers, and I appreciate that. But this issue with the sign and the hydrogenated fats got me to thinking: that which makes up a healthy diet for one, can be a medical disaster for another.
And this partially hydrogenated coconut oil is the perfect example. Folks who have digestive or gut-bacteria issues may benefit from the use of coconut oil as it is thought to have a soothing and anti-microbial effect. But folks who have heart disease may want to avoid coconut oil like the plague as it is a highly saturated fat.
So...do you listen to the American Heart Association who suggests that coconut oil is a dangerously indulgent choice for a cooking fat/oil? Or do you listen to the latest alternative health proponents who suggest that coconut oil is a panacea?
The answer to that question is another question: What's your major malfunction?
Has heart disease taken every one of your grandparents and ancestors? Skip the coconut oil. Are you physically fit but suffer from leaky gut syndrome? Give coconut oil a try.
In fact, you should ask yourself "what's your major malfunction" when making any and all of your food choices. Look at your family health history and your own current health situation, then do a little reading, eat according to the recognized (read: non-quackery) guidelines to support or prevent the major health issue at hand, or the one likely to come down the pike in due time.
You cannot control for all things, so try to control for what matters. You might need to be gluten free. You might need to be vegetarian. You might need to eat a lot of animal protein. You might need to limit yourself to soft foods. You might need lots of raw foods and fibers. The definition of a healthy diet can vary. A LOT. So stop taking the signage or the cute nuggets of health info they send in their newsletter as holy gospel because there is no such thing as a one-size fits all "healthy" diet. For the real-deal healthy diet customized to YOUR needs, talk to your doc and listen to your body.
Oh--and my personal take on coconut oil? I think it makes a first-rate serum to combat dry winter skin, but it can come off as a little too rich and greasy in some recipes, so I usually keep it in the cosmetics cupboard!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
New Website
Check it out and tell a friend!
www.itinerahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifntcook.vpweb.com/
If the above link has difficulty, just cut and paste:
www.itinerantcook.vpweb.com
www.itinerahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifntcook.vpweb.com/
If the above link has difficulty, just cut and paste:
www.itinerantcook.vpweb.com
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Eggs Florentine: My Adaptation
I awoke too hungry for my usual breakfast of a simple handful of fresh fruit with a dollop of yogurt. My early dinner yesterday was light and the definite winter chill in the air had my stomach crying for substance even before my slippers shuffled into the kitchen.
So I put together an adaptation of Eggs Florentine and, let me tell you, I feel fine. Maybe you'll read this before breakfast and give it a try yourself.
EGGS FLORENTINE ADAPTATION (yield=1 hearty portion)
-1 heaping tablespoon of finely minced red onion
-1 cup of fresh spinach, wilted (For a quick wilt, just spritz it with water and microwave it 1-2 min)
-1 oz. of cheese, your choice (Asiago, gruyere, or pecorino romano would all be nice. I used raclette today)
-2 teaspoons of butter or oil
-2 eggs, well beaten
-pinch of salt
-scant tablespoon of mayonnaise
-2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice (or a light squeeze of 1/2 of a lemon)
Over medium heat, soften onion in butter. While the onions are cooking, mix together well the mayonnaise and lemon juice. Set aside. When the onion begins to look translucent, on the verge of turning golden, add eggs to the pan. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and leave the eggs alone. Don't stir, don't flip. Just let them be. You may want to reduce the heat slightly...if you cook your eggs too quickly they will dry out. Disperse wilted spinach and cheese over the top of the eggs, as if you were putting toppings onto a pizza. Watch your eggs...when the center has just started to set, take a flexible metal spatula and insert it along the edges of the pan. Gently work the spatula inward, toward the center of the pan and allow it to fold over in half, locking your toppings inside. Gently release from pan onto a plate. Drizzle the lemon mayonnaise over the top and serve immediately.
Served with strong, black coffee, there may be no finer Sunday morning breakfast.
So I put together an adaptation of Eggs Florentine and, let me tell you, I feel fine. Maybe you'll read this before breakfast and give it a try yourself.
EGGS FLORENTINE ADAPTATION (yield=1 hearty portion)
-1 heaping tablespoon of finely minced red onion
-1 cup of fresh spinach, wilted (For a quick wilt, just spritz it with water and microwave it 1-2 min)
-1 oz. of cheese, your choice (Asiago, gruyere, or pecorino romano would all be nice. I used raclette today)
-2 teaspoons of butter or oil
-2 eggs, well beaten
-pinch of salt
-scant tablespoon of mayonnaise
-2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice (or a light squeeze of 1/2 of a lemon)
Over medium heat, soften onion in butter. While the onions are cooking, mix together well the mayonnaise and lemon juice. Set aside. When the onion begins to look translucent, on the verge of turning golden, add eggs to the pan. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and leave the eggs alone. Don't stir, don't flip. Just let them be. You may want to reduce the heat slightly...if you cook your eggs too quickly they will dry out. Disperse wilted spinach and cheese over the top of the eggs, as if you were putting toppings onto a pizza. Watch your eggs...when the center has just started to set, take a flexible metal spatula and insert it along the edges of the pan. Gently work the spatula inward, toward the center of the pan and allow it to fold over in half, locking your toppings inside. Gently release from pan onto a plate. Drizzle the lemon mayonnaise over the top and serve immediately.
Served with strong, black coffee, there may be no finer Sunday morning breakfast.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Trying to Give Back the Night
Sometimes people don't always understand what I do for a living. The business of personal chef service is still relatively new, and often viewed as a luxury for only the most elite among us. (Given that I know my fees are roughly only 1/3 of the cost of similar services in other metropolitan areas, that is a definite misconception) In a nutshell, what I do is give back the night to over-stressed people who want to eat well. No, in fact, they need to eat well to keep up the break-neck pace they are expected to maintain.
Perhaps you can relate: you hit the back door half-starved and the simple act of even grilling a piece of chicken to put on top of a salad seems like too much. And then there's the matter of that clunky pan that will need washing. You have had enough. Dinner should have been 2 hours ago. You are tired and cranky and your stomach is making noises and you are definitely not in the mood for another chore. Nope. You are quite sure you had enough of those today already. You just don't have the heart to cook, even though Sunday night you swore yourself onto a health-kick regimen. So you microwave something that has an attractive, healthy-looking entree on the box and wolf it down. Although you've kicked your shoes off and you are technically fed, you are in no way satisfied. The dinner had about as much flavor as the cardboard box it came in. It certainly didn't taste as healthy as the picture looked...and what are these mystery items on the ingredients list? Evidently, the meal was rich in chemical compounds. You know you are full...but you still feel sort of empty. And you are still vaguely stressed.
I know that's a typical night for a lot of people and it shouldn't be. I can't control for all the elements that contribute to stress, but I can eliminate the need to worry about dinner, or (egads!) having to cook it. And I can make sure that what is in your refrigerator is additive-free and nutritionally designed to support the level of stress in your life. Oh, and I make sure that the flavor profiles will satisfy you (read: it will taste better than the cardboard-box-fare!). If you are satisfied, you can better unwind...which is of paramount importance.
If you have a family, you can sit down with them and enjoy yourself, and not grumble at them for being underfoot while you are trying to get something on the table after all you have to do all day long.
And isn't that how it should be? Shouldn't the night be yours for you and your family? Shouldn't your meals be healthful and satisfying? And if circumstances won't allow you enough hours to make that a regular occurrence, it should be a priority to find someone who will allow you to eat well and relax. And, of course, I'd love it if that person could be me!
It could simplify so much in your hectic schedule:
• I work with you to plan a menu.
• I pick up the groceries for your selected menu and put my catering and fine dining experience to work in your kitchen.
• I leave your refrigerator stocked with easy-to-heat specialties.
• I tidy up and disappear until you are ready for more!
I'm just trying to give back the night...one meal at a time.
Perhaps you can relate: you hit the back door half-starved and the simple act of even grilling a piece of chicken to put on top of a salad seems like too much. And then there's the matter of that clunky pan that will need washing. You have had enough. Dinner should have been 2 hours ago. You are tired and cranky and your stomach is making noises and you are definitely not in the mood for another chore. Nope. You are quite sure you had enough of those today already. You just don't have the heart to cook, even though Sunday night you swore yourself onto a health-kick regimen. So you microwave something that has an attractive, healthy-looking entree on the box and wolf it down. Although you've kicked your shoes off and you are technically fed, you are in no way satisfied. The dinner had about as much flavor as the cardboard box it came in. It certainly didn't taste as healthy as the picture looked...and what are these mystery items on the ingredients list? Evidently, the meal was rich in chemical compounds. You know you are full...but you still feel sort of empty. And you are still vaguely stressed.
I know that's a typical night for a lot of people and it shouldn't be. I can't control for all the elements that contribute to stress, but I can eliminate the need to worry about dinner, or (egads!) having to cook it. And I can make sure that what is in your refrigerator is additive-free and nutritionally designed to support the level of stress in your life. Oh, and I make sure that the flavor profiles will satisfy you (read: it will taste better than the cardboard-box-fare!). If you are satisfied, you can better unwind...which is of paramount importance.
If you have a family, you can sit down with them and enjoy yourself, and not grumble at them for being underfoot while you are trying to get something on the table after all you have to do all day long.
And isn't that how it should be? Shouldn't the night be yours for you and your family? Shouldn't your meals be healthful and satisfying? And if circumstances won't allow you enough hours to make that a regular occurrence, it should be a priority to find someone who will allow you to eat well and relax. And, of course, I'd love it if that person could be me!
It could simplify so much in your hectic schedule:
• I work with you to plan a menu.
• I pick up the groceries for your selected menu and put my catering and fine dining experience to work in your kitchen.
• I leave your refrigerator stocked with easy-to-heat specialties.
• I tidy up and disappear until you are ready for more!
I'm just trying to give back the night...one meal at a time.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
How The Soul Food Croque Monsieur Was Born
Originally, it was going to be an easy weeknight dinner: ham and cheese sandwiches with a side of kale to keep it healthy.
But when I got to the grocery store just before closing, they were sold out of kale. But they had plenty of gorgeous-looking mustard greens. Now, I haven't cooked mustard greens for probably 12 years, and when I last did them, I'm sure I braised the life out of them for hours, like a thousand Southern cooks have done for generations. Although many people eat their greens this way, I have grown to prefer a little "tooth" or texture in my vegetables. Plus I like the earthy flavor to come through, and I like to feel like I've cooked them so lightly that the wonderful powerhouse vitamins present in greens do not have a chance to dissolve and float away in the cooking liquid. So generally, I just steam or wilt my greens, or sometimes give them a flash in the saute pan with some garlic and oil. But everything is done quickly and the greens stay a lovely bright green and don't fade to that sad, army fatigues hue that can make anyone lose their appetite for vegetables.
There I was in the kitchen with my ham, cheese, and bread ready to go. It was time to wilt my mustard greens. Except you can't just lightly wilt mustard greens. They are too pungent. They need to be mellowed...like by braising all day in the Southern soul food tradition with the mollifying presence of a ham hock. But I jumped into this without thinking it through and there was no time for an all-day braise. All I could do was just steam those greens a bit more and then maybe...hmmm...let's see.... I could further wilt them in a cheese-infused white sauce! That kind of sauce would have that "mellowing" quality I was after. The fat and protein in the cheese would take the edge off of the sharp flavor of those still bright and pungent greens.
This white sauce, laced with mellow, nutty Gruyere, got me thinking as I whisked.... Doesn't the decadent French version of a ham and cheese sandwich, or Croque Monsieur, come doused in such a sauce? Hmmm...so why not fill this sandwich with the saucy mustard greens and make sure the whole thing is served hot, toasty, and crisp on the outside with all of this meltaway texture on the inside, just like a sort of overstuffed, soul food version of the Croque Monsieur??
So that's exactly what I did. And I made sure to have a side of jerked BBQ sauce for dipping.
The gentle flavor of the ham, with the creaminess of the cheese and sauce really did rein in the mustard greens. But those greens gave wonderful texture and earthiness to the sandwich and really helped balance it...greens have powerful phytonutrients that actually help bind cholesterol. The tangy hot sauce was the perfect acidic note to complete the medley of flavors.
WOW.
Despite any positive virtues bestowed on the sandwich by those healthful greens, the Soul Food Croque Monsieur tasted positively sinful. So much so that I'm going to hit the gym tomorrow on general principle!
But when I got to the grocery store just before closing, they were sold out of kale. But they had plenty of gorgeous-looking mustard greens. Now, I haven't cooked mustard greens for probably 12 years, and when I last did them, I'm sure I braised the life out of them for hours, like a thousand Southern cooks have done for generations. Although many people eat their greens this way, I have grown to prefer a little "tooth" or texture in my vegetables. Plus I like the earthy flavor to come through, and I like to feel like I've cooked them so lightly that the wonderful powerhouse vitamins present in greens do not have a chance to dissolve and float away in the cooking liquid. So generally, I just steam or wilt my greens, or sometimes give them a flash in the saute pan with some garlic and oil. But everything is done quickly and the greens stay a lovely bright green and don't fade to that sad, army fatigues hue that can make anyone lose their appetite for vegetables.
There I was in the kitchen with my ham, cheese, and bread ready to go. It was time to wilt my mustard greens. Except you can't just lightly wilt mustard greens. They are too pungent. They need to be mellowed...like by braising all day in the Southern soul food tradition with the mollifying presence of a ham hock. But I jumped into this without thinking it through and there was no time for an all-day braise. All I could do was just steam those greens a bit more and then maybe...hmmm...let's see.... I could further wilt them in a cheese-infused white sauce! That kind of sauce would have that "mellowing" quality I was after. The fat and protein in the cheese would take the edge off of the sharp flavor of those still bright and pungent greens.
This white sauce, laced with mellow, nutty Gruyere, got me thinking as I whisked.... Doesn't the decadent French version of a ham and cheese sandwich, or Croque Monsieur, come doused in such a sauce? Hmmm...so why not fill this sandwich with the saucy mustard greens and make sure the whole thing is served hot, toasty, and crisp on the outside with all of this meltaway texture on the inside, just like a sort of overstuffed, soul food version of the Croque Monsieur??
So that's exactly what I did. And I made sure to have a side of jerked BBQ sauce for dipping.
The gentle flavor of the ham, with the creaminess of the cheese and sauce really did rein in the mustard greens. But those greens gave wonderful texture and earthiness to the sandwich and really helped balance it...greens have powerful phytonutrients that actually help bind cholesterol. The tangy hot sauce was the perfect acidic note to complete the medley of flavors.
WOW.
Despite any positive virtues bestowed on the sandwich by those healthful greens, the Soul Food Croque Monsieur tasted positively sinful. So much so that I'm going to hit the gym tomorrow on general principle!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
The Turducken Has Landed
The turducken. We all thought it was just an unusual recipe dreamed up by an especially carnivorous gourmet-type... but certainly not a real animal. Surely you've heard of the turducken. Every Thanksgiving, some overzealous culinarian stuffs a chicken into a duck which is then stuffed into a turkey. They roast the whole thing all day long and call it a "turducken", the finest delicacy for fowl aficionados. Folks like you and I all thought it was just a cumbersome name for a cumbersome recipe, that no such actual hybrid animal could exist in nature. Obviously, there is no such bird. Or, if there is, they must flutter among the unicorns in Brigadoon. So you can imagine my total shock and disbelief when I actually came across a real, live turducken while out walking today. I was ambling along the water's edge at the lagoon adjacent to the Cleveland Museum of Art, and so was this miraculous fowl. I spent some time looking at him with his bald turkey head and webbed duck feet as he made his way around the shore with an awkward chicken walk. I knew no one would ever believe I saw the rare and elusive turducken, so I snapped a photo with my phone:
Please don't send a thousand emails demanding that I join the Audubon Society and learn how to properly identify birds. I know it is actually a Muscovy Duck (albeit, also not a common sight around urban Cleveland, OH), but I get so much more pleasure in believing that for one unseasonably warm and sunny day in January that I was really in some Brigadoon with the turduckens fluttering around the unicorns.
And I hope you are having a good weekend, too.
Please don't send a thousand emails demanding that I join the Audubon Society and learn how to properly identify birds. I know it is actually a Muscovy Duck (albeit, also not a common sight around urban Cleveland, OH), but I get so much more pleasure in believing that for one unseasonably warm and sunny day in January that I was really in some Brigadoon with the turduckens fluttering around the unicorns.
And I hope you are having a good weekend, too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
