The first half of the book is a fly by of earlier personalities who dip in and out of the remaining pages. The second half provides a more nuanced look at some of the growers, chefs and personalities that forged a new way in the food world. The book is a great insight into the personal lives of some of the big shots in the food establishment while also detailing the accounts of bringing quality ingredients into peoples’ conscience. Unfortunately, to truly be all encompassing, the book would have to be encyclopedic in magnitude and in the end, it leaves much to be desired.

I find it hard to believe that it is not until the mid-eighties (page 300) that other cities hop on the gourmet band wagon. It is here that Kamp finally makes note of cities other than New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles as pushing the food envelope, calling for fresh ingredients and seeking out farm relationships. An overwhelming amount of research was taken from New York Times, which I believe to be lacking in reach of what is considered newsworthy outside of the coasts. I find it hard to believe there was nothing food-worthy outside these cities before 1983 (which the book gently claims with little mention of other locales before this year).

While rumor has it that many of our known personalities in the food world are slight odd balls– as anyone with an extreme passion for something might appear– Kamp’s account of the better known female personalities (namely Julia Child and Alice Waters) leaves images of a crass-mouthed Childs to a feeble yet impassioned Waters; both of whom are slightly sex-crazed. On the other hand, the early non-chef-pen-inclined men in the field, Craig Claiborne and James Beard, are sited throughout as beacons of light in an otherwise female dominated arena when they’re not too drunk to work/eat. Though I don’t necessarily doubt the validity of it, I wonder whether the scope of it is needed in the book.

The real question boils down to not how the revolutionaries came to love good food and advance their cause of good eats, but how our food industry came to such grim lows - from the mass packaged tv dinners, the dire straights our farms have entered, our wax-coated SmartFresh gas crazes, quick-fix diet fads and childhood obesity to name a few.

In United States of Arugula, Kamp skims the surface when he mentions Industrialization giving rise to the horrid conditions of the meat industry that became familiar in Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and continues today in many industries. What he fails to mention is the natural progression that as world travel became more affordable for the common person and the medias’ ability to reach tenfold the numbers with more accurate and timely news, people would be more in tune with world happenings, be it the next president of a nation or the newest food craze to reach London streets. This, along with the rise in popularity of food-specific magazines, like Saveur and Gourmet helped to disseminate news to food enthusiasts around.

Every generation will have their counterculture ready to dismiss their parents’ teachings. Whether it’s seemingly radical political visions or the food they grew up on (The United States of Arugula rightly points out this is also quite political). Therefore, it was only natural that the hyper-revolutionary 1960’s and -70’s brought out a movement of food awareness that continues to this day.

But now, as words like gourmet, organic and free-range have entered common lexicon and consumers become more label savvy and pesticide/herbicide/hormone weary, the question falls have we pushed our gourmet world too far? What does gourmet, organic and free-range mean today? While Americans may be pushing Popeye’s spinach aside for the peppery arugula, have we turned the notion of gourmet into a McNotion, with even WalMart taking on the organic world? Will organic laws hold up and labeling prevail so we know what is in our food (including what is sprayed on it), where it comes from and possibly even what our food was fed? Are organizations like Slow Food (slowfood.com) and concepts like Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) too late or just in time?

Batali shuffled his neon orange clogs over to Besh, pushing me aside, so the two could embrace. I was just about to compliment Besh on the New Orleans Table event I was now attending and his Trout Pontchartrain (sautéed and served with a brown butter hollandaise). Instead, images of Batali on his Vespa with Besh grasping his waistline flickered into my mind and all attempt at conversation was lost (recent sightings dish up Batali and Rachael Ray zipping around New York City on the Vespa as well).

The event, The New Orleans Table, sponsored by Paul McIlhenny (aka Mr. Tabasco) and The Southern Foodways Alliance, was an Iron Chef showdown of New Orleans food in its own right, held October 12 in New York City. Present and cooking for the cause were Zak Pelaccio (who hosted the event at his 5 Ninth restaurant), and the above mentioned Besh (who would dish up his own as well as the specialties of Gail and Anthony Uglesich and Leah Chase). Mr. Batali, not cooking, dropped in to say hello and quickly bowed out.

The event was held to honor and remember classic New Orleans food and drink. To return and recollect and feature New Orleans Eats, An Oral History Project*. All were welcome to participate and record their New Orleans food stories, be it their first Jambalaya to their last Po’ Boy, to be archived for later use. In between buttery bites of Barbecue Oysters (Ugleshich), thick Gumbo Z’Herbs with Filé and topped with Slow Roasted Pork (Leah Chase) and the savory Shrimp and Pork Belly Gumbo with Organic Grits (Pelaccio), it was difficult to get a word in with anyone, microphone or human.

In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the displaced of New Orleans are finally making their way back home. While they do, they are leaving a memorable trail for us, southerners and non- to appreciate and learn from. Many are happy to return the favor — the glowing Alice Waters was present, offering me her wisdom on The Edible Schoolyard project. Rumor has it she is providing knowledge to a similar New Orleans project to ensure the culinary traditions of southern cooking are where they belong, with the locals.

In between sips of Sazeracs and the pleasantly sweet Ramos Gin Fizzes, I made new friends and wished the night would never end — And it hasn’t necessarily. For all those lucky golden babies, it’s heading westward to San Francisco on November 29th. If you can’t make it out to California, the Southern Foodways Alliance is happy to record your food memory, just give them a visit.

*To participate in the Oral History Project, go to The Southern Foodways Alliance and follow links and phone numbers to be a part of history and offer up your own stories. ]]> http://paperpalate.net/2006/11/02/new-orleans-show-down-nyc/feed/ http://paperpalate.net/2006/10/23/char_broil_grill_event_at_nyc_s_bryant_p_12/ http://paperpalate.net/2006/10/23/char_broil_grill_event_at_nyc_s_bryant_p_12/#comments Mon, 23 Oct 2006 06:00:00 +0000 Stacey B. Ornstein Miscellaneous Char-Broil recently invited the Well Fed crew to the unveiling of their 2007 product line for some lessons and lunch. Upon arrival, the hearts of all women jumped with the knowledge that Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor were filming a movie in arms reach, and were spotted crossing the path of a nearby grill. But with jaws picked off the floor, we entered the event tent to get to the heat of the matter.

Char-Broil�s pride of their new line are the high-end TEC- series grills. TEC-, a glass-covered, infrared cooking surface, crowned with a grill top, makes it ideal for cooking delicate vegetables, fish or marinaded meats. Because there is no direct flame to work with, the surface does not dry out those temperamental-when-grilled foods and you can continue to marinate meats on the grill without worry of flare up. Still, because a grill surface covers it all, you get great grill marks (and can even add smoking chips for extra flavor). Chef Gadi Weinreich of the Bryant Park Grill stated he loved the ease of cooking black and blue tuna: with the ability to leave the center raw, adding good color as well as a secret sauce to the outside, he had no worries of overcooking.

The event also showcased the company�s Grill-2-Go. My favorite in the series line, possibly because it is the only one I could potentially fit in my city plot, this portable unit is much like Weber�s Baby-Q. Advantages of the Grill-2-Go are fold-out surfaces, including a flat-top grill surface (flap jacks anyone?) and a convenient handle-turned-flashlight that is easy to remove and use around a campsite or tailgating lot. In fact, Char-Broil has added the handy flashlight feature to a few other accessories, including a changeable fork/spatula unit that makes seeing your food in the dark a cinch. Possibly the coolest grill accessory to-date.

Personally, I�m a charcoal girl and received some raised eyebrows at the comment during the event. The Char-Broil team brought their new smoker along for the ride, and while it wasn�t cooking up a storm, it was out on display with some handy features, including a hanging vegetable rack and double door design that allowed the smokey goodness to stay in while meats could be rotated and marinated.

Some of the other showcased products I�m not so sure about. While Char-Broil�s Quick 2 Burn Charcoal is a great concept, a non-petroleum based quick start charcoal, it wasn�t so quick to burn. During the demo we were told the charcoal bricks would be lit in 2-3 seconds and ready to cook on in under 5 minutes. The 2-3 seconds of constant heat turned into 2-3 minutes. That said, once lit, the bricks did burn quickly and turned gray in about 6 minutes (total start time just under 10 minutes).

Char-Broil was quite proud of their Sure2Burn Starter Packs. Also petroleum-free, one simply lights the start pack and places the flame under wood or coals to spread the fire. The packets were a convenient size, and produced a good flame for about 5 minutes; great for fireplaces and campfires in addition to coal. The drawback is that these starter packs are sealed in a plastic that we were told to �just light up.� We questioned the safety (both environmental and personal) of the fumes that might be released while burning plastic. The reply was that the starter packs were so small the harm is minimal, though it didn�t stop everyone present from taking a few steps back as the plastic seal burned away and black smoke entered the atmosphere.

While Char-Broil may need to work on some of their grilling accessories, they sure have their grills down to a science, especially their high-end TEC-series � a great grill if you have the space for it! So get out there and get your grill on while the weather holds crisp.

It was the perfect summer beverage: ginger beer. It is refreshing, tingly, sweet, sour, spicy and an able bodied mixer. I experimented with dozens of varieties, stalking out every place from local bodegas to Whole Foods to find my favorite. Luckily, I was never disappointed and this elixir flowed freely in my home.

But these days, Summer�s abuse has left us for a light breeze that threatens to scream �sweater weather.� We must find our ginger in other forms.

The Chicago Tribune offers us ginger as a cookie. Truly, a noble way to consume ginger, and one that is sure to please child and adult alike.

But there are other reasons to pick up ginger on your next market run. It has long been thought that ginger aids an aching belly, calms spells of dizziness and queasiness, reduces inflammation, help with circulation and may even induce cell death in ovarian cancer, amongst other things (see whfoods.org and The Ginger People.)

Ginger is also surprisingly easy to keep fresh. I stick a whole chunk of it in a sealed plastic bag in the freezer, shaving it off as desired. Recently, while watching America�s Test Kitchen, a slightly similar method was introduced: shave your fresh ginger and slice it into 1-inch cubes, then freeze it in a sealed plastic bag. One last trick is to shave and slice your ginger and place it in a covered jar with sherry (a bonus is that you get some gingered sherry). All methods will keep your ginger fresh for months.

As mentioned above, the Chicago Tribune offered a gingersnap cookie recipe. I have also made moist pumpkin gingersnap cookies that are fabulous for the Fall holiday season.

Whatever form you find your ginger: pickled with sushi, candied in ice cream or sorbet, as a beverage, in tea, shaved into stir fry or in a holiday cookie, get a (healthy) dose of ginger before the year is through.

Last weekend�s Chicago Tribune brings us great rubs to round off the season, garden grilling secrets, saucy toppings and indoor grilling hints. Meaty skewers of delicious delight� even a piece about the sweetest of mini tomatoes managed to weave grilling into the mix!

All this grilling makes us think about our Summer days on the sand. Not one, but two fishy dishes made this week�s cut. A tropical grilled treat finishes off the meal.

In fact, every article made mention of grilling that it would be difficult not to take a hint. The point is, need we be reminded, our grilling days are coming to an end. If you�re like me and grill-less, this might just be the best time to find a great deal!

Today�s article that caught my eye was Basic Training by Bill Daley. It discusses how many of us learn cooking from watching others. Whether it is our grandmothers, fathers or celebrity chefs that work their magic at the counter top, cooking is made easier when we finally see the light described and inspired by others. With that though, there are some basic ideas that can be easy to forget, but should always be kept close at hand. Be you amateur or expert, these kitchen tips will take you farther if you keep them in mind. (I have taken the tips and added my own commentary to them, see the article in the Chicago Tribune for more from the experts.)

1. BE ORGANIZED
Oh, how this minimizes pain if we follow this simple advice. It is so much easier to not only know where everything you will need lives in the kitchen, but even to have it out and ready for the go.

2. LEARN KNIFE SKILLS
Makes the process of chop, slice, julienne and crush worlds faster. In the long run, you’ll save your wrists and hands from pain too.

3. KEEP KNIVES SHARP
A fella once posed a question: What’s the most dangerous object? An axe, a machete, an ice pick, a chain saw or a dull knife. The dull knife, of course. We all know that as knives dull it becomes harder to practice our knife skills, making us lean into our work more and upping the possibility of slipping and slicing (or hurting) our own fingers. Bring knives in to be sharpened or buy a sharpener and keep up on this.

4. TASTE EVERYTHING
I once interviewed a chef who told me he never tastes anything before he sends it out. I could not believe this. Possibly he has never tasted the finished and completed dish, okay, but nothing? No sauce as it’s warming? If you watch food shows, you’ll hear it all the time, take a taste, you’ll learn how the flavors you add alters a dish and ultimately know where something goes wrong, if you need to start over or if you need a little more of such and such.

5. MASTER TECHNIQUES
I think this is more important if you really want to get into cooking, but not necessary for the amateur who wants to remain so. Otherwise, take courses, read books, peruse the newspapers and be inventive.

6. TAKE TEMPERATURES
Especially important for meat. You don’t know how many dishes I have overcooked before I got a thermometer. Never go by a book in terms of hours to cook per pound, always by a reading, not all ovens or grills are the same. Certain sauces, custards and candies need thermometers too.

7. LEARN FROM MISTAKES
Important to keep in mind and expand your vocabulary. Don’t be afraid to admit that you have made a mistake, attempt to understand what went wrong and correct it for the next time.

8. PUT THE PAN ON THE FIRE
Understand heat and what it does on your pan. Too many people use hot heat for everything and don’t understand what fire does to your pan. Whether it’s overcooking eggs or under heating oil for frying.

9. WARM UP FIRST
Bring ingredients up to room temperature before you begin cooking; eggs, meat, and cheeses should be brought out of the cold depths of your fridge before you use them.

10. READ THE RECIPE
Always make sure you have everything important on hand. You can even figure out what needs to be substituted, but make sure you have what is important readila available. Nothing more miserable than to have to make a last minute run to get something at the store.

In a land where image is everything, who you know is more important than who you are, where childhood diabetes is a growing problem and (according to “The Devil Wears Prada” �or is it the fashion industry at large?) a size 6 is the new 14, it is hard not to become obsessed with body image and the food we ingest. I have heard of girls who eat celery dripping with mustard, the caloric burning brunch and dinner! I have watched others suffer through meals, obviously hungry but refusing to eat, while still others shed their weight �eating� a hummingbird diet of water, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce and maple syrup.

In this very real twisted reality, it is good to surround ourselves with people who can look past the body obsession, understanding that great food is good food. Even better, may I suggest likeminded reading material?

The book, Women Who Eat , edited by Leslie Miller, is a deliciously seductive collection of writing by women. It is memories, recipes, flavors and tastings on the glories of food (as the subtitle suggests). The short essays span women from all backgrounds, creating a truly delicious smorgasbord of language.

�My Life Among Lobsters,� by Gretchen VanEsselystyn, reminisces on growing up on the Long Island Sound. A 9 to 5 corporate father found his true identity when he caught lobsters during the summers; a true hunter. VanEsselystyn recalls how this childhood of lobsters would forever change her life.

Pooja Makhijani also recants her past in �School Lunch� where an urge to fit in in a new country had her wishing for lunchroom bought hot dogs and French fries, over her mother�s homemade aloo tikkis. Makhijani finally finds solace in a new girl and a lunch trade scam that would last a friendship.

In �The Art and Science of the Cocktail Hour,� Rachel Fudge discusses the importance of a tradition that has been overtaken by happy hours and binge drinking.

The short essays, many memoirs of the past including recipes, is a joy to read. It is an opportunity to get into the childhood, the kitchens, and the minds of women, many of whom are known for their prose on food.

The book is a great summer read, the collections of short stories are fast and easy to move through. And if you don�t like one story, no worries because the author changes by the end. Just don�t expect to hold to your diet– the cover alone will seduce you every time you pick it up.

Book Rating: 8 out of 10
Photo Credit: Powells Books

This problem extends beyond a mere plate of food. Get me into a grocery store and I am helpless for hours. I wander up and down the aisles gently picking each item off the shelf, turning it a few times admiring its (sometimes) shiny nature and return it delicately to its place. I am the same in a music store as well as a bookstore.

It was my last venture into a bookstore, eyes large and void of sight, a book trance that left me a sizable stack, that had me struggling to regain composure. My wise companion told me to thin my selection, (probably because he would end up carrying most of the load home); I reluctantly agreed.

I did what I thought best and kept two books, each a collection of short stories and essays. One of these was Mark Kurlansky�s Choice Cuts.

The book is a collection of some of the best writing that crosses not only the globe, but centuries of thought on food. It is a great book for someone jumping into readings on the subject, offering a starting point of juicy authors to continue one�s education. And while minds shift to that beach bum easy reader, this is the perfect tote bag filler.

From the first cookbook on record we learn of Garum, an ancient Roman flavoring made from fermented fish leftovers. It is surprising to find that the makeup of this vile sounding condiment is much the same as today�s soy sauce, Worchester sauce and fish sauce. A whole chapter on eggs and another devoted to bread allow the reader to fall in love with the delicacy of simple pleasures; while multiple selections from M.F.K. Fisher pepper the text. Of course, any bit of her sensuous pen is grace on a page.

In some instances, Kurlansky pulled from some authors not typically considered food writers, allowing the reader to realize there is more to writing about food than naming a few restaurants or unusual fruits. My favorite excerpt is from �mile Zola�s The Belly of Paris where a painter discusses Fats versus Thins:

�He could classify all people into the Thin and the Fat, two opposing groups, one devouring the other to grow plump and jolly. �You can bet,� he said, �that Cain was a Fat and Abel a Thin. And since that first killing, there have always been hungry Fats sucking the blood out of scanty eaters. It is a constant preying of the stronger on the weaker, each swallowing his neighbor and then finding himself swallowed in turn� So you see, my friend, watch out for the Fat.�

It goes on:

�He returned to some of the people to complete their portraits with a few shared defining brush strokes. Lorge was a Thin who carried his belly between his shoulders. Beautiful Lisa was all stomach, and the beautiful Norman, all bosom. Miss Saget had surely missed an opportunity sometime in her life to become fat, for she loathed the Fats while still disdaining the Thins. As for Gavard, he was compromising his role as a Fat, and would end up as flat as a bug.�

Thirty themed chapters take you from bugs to sex to politics to simply not eating, each containing something new and intriguing for the reader. Though some chapters did puzzle me: a chapter devoted to truffles. Though I love those precious little morsels, why truffles as opposed to say, vanilla, saffron, cardamom, or possibly a whole chapter on the elusive foods we crave? The same goes for the chapter on chocolate. Though I applaud chocolate and the extra pounds it has bestowed upon my thighs, there are already multiple books on the subject and I felt a more encompassing chapter on sugar (which sure enough could include chocolate) would have satisfied me more.

Cover to cover, Choice Cuts is a pleasant read. Kurlansky has strung the stories together masterfully, providing background when needed and keeping zipped lips where was appropriate in situations. Perfect for quick trips on the subway or bus, as a lazy summer book, or simply as a beginning to find new favorite authors on the subject of food, pick this book up next time you’re in-store or online.

Overall Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Photo credit: Powell�s Books online

This is the recipe as it appears in the Globe.

Makes about 20
2-� cups flour
1�� teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup dark brown sugar
� cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 eggs
1 extra egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
3. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (if you have one) or the whisk, cream the brown and granulated sugars and butter for 5 minutes or until fluffy.
4. In a bowl, beat the eggs and extra yolk just to mix them.
5. With the mixer on medium speed, add the egg mixture and vanilla. Mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula once or twice. Add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. With a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate.
6. Remove golf-ball sized lumps of dough and set them on the sheets 3 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until they are just beginning to turn golden.
7. Cool on the baking sheets. Store cooled cookies for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

One reason I started my food blog, was to acquire an online library of my own recipes. Since many of my personal creations are not logged anywhere, I knew it was ideal to get them down somewhere. My own grandmother refuses to write any of her recipes down; it is often a battle to get some of the favorites to paper, perhaps why I never thought of the matter down in the Gulf Coast. Putting pen to paper for my grandmother rarely happens and other than those few I do have, my historical recipe collection is fairly limited.

I did not choose the New Orleans Times-Picayune to cover post-Katrina rebuilding, and I have specifically strayed from mentioning anything of the sort in past postings. I have a friend who grew up in New Orleans and his cousin, who just moved to New York City, post-Katrina. The family is big on food and I knew they were diligent readers of the Picayune and I thought it would be fun to follow the stories alongside them.

As I follow the coverage of the Picayune, I have often browsed the Recipe Swap Forum. It is a place for natives and non-natives alike to congregate and share recipes lost. While some recipes peaked my interest, I was waiting for a great story to share alongside this forum. In early May, this finally happened.

I pulled up the food section to find Judy Walker�s recent article, Recipe Renewal. It is a roundup of all the great New Orleans cookbooks, some long out-of-print, that are being reissued. It is an opportunity not only for locals to replenish their lost recipe archives, but non-natives to stock up on some classic southern cookbooks without spending an arm and a leg for out-of-print versions online. So while our great-grandmother�s faded scrawls may be long gone, at least we have the cookbook library to fall back on.

Some listed I might just need to pick up myself. Creole Cooking�s 125th anniversary reissue by the Woman�s Exchange. And the hilariously titled, Who’s Your Mama, Are You Catholic, and Can You Make a Roux?, by Marcelle Bienvenu. There are also a bunch of newcomers that had releases delayed due to the storm, and are just now making their way onto the shelves. Head over to the New Orleans Times-Picayune food section for a full listing.

One not listed that I must give some lip service to is Uglesish’s Restaurant Cookbook. My friend whipped me up the Jambalaya recipe from this book once and I am drooling just thinking about it.

My friend reflected on Ugleshish�s for me: �Uglesish’s or Uggie’s was a very old (75 plus years), very famous New Orleans restaurant� The restaurant sat just 12 or so tables and was never not full. Average wait time (open for lunch only) was one and a half hours� Although jambalaya is a common Louisiana dish, it was not served at Uggie’s, which specialized in their own fare� Uggie’s owners were getting old and closed the store last spring. In the final two weeks, people camped outside, like they do at rock concerts, to be the first in line when the doors opened at half past ten.� Below is the Jambalaya recipe from Uglesish’s Restaurant Cookbook.

� cup of olive oil
� lb. of smoked andouille sausage, sliced and diced
� lb. of tasso, sliced and chopped [tasso is very spicy smoked pork]
2 cups onions, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
4-6 stalks of celery, finely chopped
6 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch of scallions finely chopped
3 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 teaspoons salt
black pepper to taste
cayenne to taste
2 cans (14 oz) chicken broth
1 lb bag of long-grain white rice
2 lb of shrimp [or white and dark chicken boneless]

1) Pour oil into deep large skillet.
2) Saut� the sausage and tasso on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes. [Then chicken if used].
3) Add onions, peppers, celery, garlic, scallions and saut� until translucent.
4) Add the tomatoes, and all fresh herbs, salt, pepper, cayenne and stir.
5) Add chicken broth, raise heat to high, let it come to a boil.
6) Add rice and stir.
7) Lower heat and cover pot.
8) Cook until almost all liquid is absorbed, approximately 20-25 minutes.
9) Add shrimp and place cover back on pot for about 15 minutes, or until pink shrimp.
10) Pull pot off the fire and let sit for approximately 15 minutes, then stir again.