Archive for the ‘actual food’ Category
Organic Foods
December 7th, 2009
After getting into an argument in the grocery store today over who owns Kashi,* I’m posting – for your consumption edification – a chart of which giant corporations own which organic brands. I think everyone knows some of them (Odwalla ⊂ Coke, etc.), but a few were kinda surprising.
* It’s Kellogg.
How to be Healthy
October 9th, 2009
Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! interviews Michael Pollan on the issue of America’s food supply. Among many other things, they discuss disease outbreaks, the remarkable ability of agribusiness to co-opt organic terminology, the new Secretary of Agriculture, school lunches, and the relationship between food and health care. This interview was actually recorded way back in May, but I somehow managed to miss it then, so you get to hear about it now.
Pollan has a knack for distilling a lot of good advice into pithy epigrams. Notably, “Don’t buy any food that you’ve ever seen advertised, ” and “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Teagami
September 15th, 2009
A Russian designer came up with this lovely-but-sadly-nonexistent product. If it was real I would buy it so hard.
Roll-out Vegetable Mat
August 4th, 2009
- Unroll cardboard vegetable mat.
- Cover with soil and water.
- ??????
- Vegetables!
How to Eat a Banana
July 9th, 2009
This video will change your life. Seriously. THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS.
Boston Molasses Disaster
June 25th, 2009
“The Boston Molasses Disaster, also known as the Great Molasses Flood and the Great Boston Molasses Tragedy, occurred on January 15, 1919, in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. A large molasses tank burst, and a wave of molasses rushed through the streets at an estimated 35 mph (56 km/h), killing 21 and injuring 150. The event has entered local folklore, and residents claim that on hot summer days, the area still smells of molasses.” — from Wikipedia
Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 Gallon, 128 fl oz
May 17th, 2009
Judging by the 1,043 reviews on Amazon, Tuscan Whole Milk is serious business.
Pork Cake
February 5th, 2009
Pennsylvania Dutch cooking is a marvel. Most recipes consist of a permutation of organ meats, butter, lard, and molasses, all either smoked or fried in more butter. Here’s a representative sample recipe:
Pork Cake
1 pound of ground pork
2 cups boiling water
2 cups sugar
1 cup molasses
1 pound raisins
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon each of cloves and nutmeg
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons soda
1/4 pound citron
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup gum drops, chopped
Pour boiling water over pork and allow to stand until almost cool. Add soda to molasses and mix with sugar, combine with pork and blend together. Sift flour; measure and add salt, soda and spices. Sift again. Add dry ingredients. Mix together well. Fold in chopped fruits, nuts and candy. Pour into large, greased loaf pans. Bake at 275º for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
- Taken from Mary Emma Showalter’s Mennonite Community Cookbook.
This recipe mixes ground pork, raisins, and gum drops. I’ve noticed that almost every ethnic group has some sort of distinctive food that members of the group eat with great gusto and everyone else finds atrocious. Scrapple would probably be the best PA Dutch equivalent, though there are plenty more. Examples in other cultures include nattou in Japan, grasshoppers in parts of Mexico and China, and British food in Britain. What’s up with that, people?
Senorita Burrita
November 4th, 2008
If while in Lancaster county you find yourself pining for delicious burritos, you might consider visiting Senorita Burrita, the most excellent Mexican restaurant-cum-coffee shop in Lancaster city. Aside from giant burritos and delicious espresso, they occasionally have wonderful live music.
This post is dedicated to Dr. Liston, who asked me to post a picture of a burrito for reasons I can no longer rightly recall.