Suck the Head!

photo courtesy of PDphoto.org

I have been thinking on the whole foraging for food and hobbies that put food on the table idea lately and thanks to a little inspiration from Alton Brown (on Good Eats, a Food TV network show) have decided that crawfish is something to try. Apparently, crawfish, or crayfish…whatever, live in streams right here in my home state of Ohio. I’ve read that Northeast Ohio in particular has quite a bit of the little buggers. So, here’s my plan…a bucket, a cooler with ice, some heavy duty waterproof gloves, my rubber boots, and a little stream wading should equal a delicious meal (with the addition of spices, herbs, corn on the cob, potatoes, and andouille sausage). Hmmm…more to come on this later. I have more investigating to do.

Top 9 Hobbies that Really Put Food on the Table

1. Fishing/Clamming
2. Gardening
3. Raising Fowl
4. Brewing Beer or Wine
5. Foraging/Mushroom Hunting
6. Home Canning
7. Making Artisan Cheese
8. Baking
9. Hunting

Growing up with anglers in the family meant that a regular and steady supply of fresh fish found its way onto our plates. I had to rise before the sun if I wanted to go along, so I rarely did, but I do have fond memories of fishing trips and even more memories of submerging my hands into buckets of silver, finger tickling minnows and opening coolers filled to the brim with iridescent, slippery, moist fishes. As a kid I learned about gutting them, scaling them, and cooking them. To this day I attribute my knife skills and comfort with icky things directly to my experiences with fishing. Whether relaxing in a boat on the water or sitting on the shore with you line cast, fishing gives us a chance to be still and clear our heads and it’s not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

For me, there is no greater rush of happiness than when I can tromp out to my garden, pull a fat tomato from its vine, and slice it, still sun-warmed, onto a BLT sandwich. Mmm…I can’t wait until this year’s crop begins to ripen.

I’ve been reading a lot lately about raising Bantam chickens in the backyard. These pint sized chickens eat up kitchen scraps, weeds, and bugs and in return leave you little eggs. Can you imagine, going to the backyard to gather fresh eggs for breakfast? I know things like this used to be common and lots of folks still live this way…but no one I know. Unfortunately for me, my city has an ordinance against this and while that alone is not enough to convince me that it’s a bad idea, the thought of fighting with my neighbors about it (as we already do not see eye to eye on yard issues such as vicious German shepards and poisonous lawn chemicals), is. If you haven’t already become a fan, you can read all about raising fowl for fresh eggs at http://gardengirltv.com/.

I don’t yet brew any spirituous beverages, but I’d like to get around to it someday. The folks that do are probably very popular amongst their friends and neighbors!

I’ve been mushroom foraging exactly once and I was about six years old. Someday I will make friends with someone who is an expert on mushrooms and then I’ll try it again. While I think this is a fantastic hobby to get me out into the woods again, I know this one requires knowledge and skill of which, I have none. The thought of poisoning my family…well, I’d rather not.

I LOVE canning. Bushels of fresh produce and the ability to tweak recipes to my tastes along with the instant gratification of jar after jar of hand crafted food makes my heart sing. Even someone without a garden can become a canner. The equipment is fairly inexpensive, jars are reusable, and if you make friends with someone who does garden or has fruit trees/shrubs, you can trade your afternoon of labor for lots of free produce. Believe me, many gardeners produce way more than they can eat and would love to see their produce not go to waste. As a child, my mom, who by the way hates to cook, would make Concord grape jelly from grapes I would pick from the neighbor’s vine. We would then split the jars up and everyone was happy and in jelly for the next year.

If you know anyone who raises goats or cows you could buy or be given their extra milk and then make some damn fine cheese out of it.

Baking is not hard. Do not let anyone tell you differently. Whether it’s bread, pie, cookies, crackers, cupcakes, or whatever, it is not much more difficult to do it from scratch as it is to open a box. Admittedly, it takes more time and it takes a bit of attention, but anything worthwhile does. Home baking will save you money, feed you better, and can make you a little extra money as well. Once you’ve tasted homemade brownies you will never go back to a box again and you will find that an otherwise ordinary evening becomes an adventure if you are willing to try something new.

I don’t know why hunting is not more widely respected and practiced by so called environmentalists? Hunters help with animal population control and generally have more respect for nature and wildlife than most. I’ve never hunted, but I have a good friend who does. He may be the most knowledgeable wildlife expert I know and he can cook a mean venison steak.

I decided to write this post because I have been thinking about my Great-grandparents who not only survived but raised their children during the Great Depression.  They taught me a lot about how to thrive and live a happy life of abundance without much money.  The most important thing I learned from them was that a person who fills their life with positive, constructive habits will be healthy and happy and can then be generous with those around them.

Wine of the Week: It’s Summer, Drink Rose!

This week I’m starting a new series of posts about wine. Now, you might be thinking that only an expert on wine would consider sampling and writing about the nuances and characteristics of wine…but you would be wrong, my friend. I am definitely not a wine expert! I have had some classes and lessons on wine given by the wine sales team that serviced a fine dining restaurant I once worked for. Let me tell you, there is no more fun a class to take than the one where you get to drink wine with a group of folks and listen while someone tells you what you taste. I loved that part of my job. It was particularly hilarious to exit the wine class and almost immediately begin serving tables. I think we were supposed to spit it out…yeah, right. It was GOOD wine! But before I go any further, let me assure you, I am not wine educated, only fond of drinking it. I will sample a new bottle each week and tell you what I think, what I have learned from various sources of info, and what it cost me. It’s an experiment in learning, refining my palate, and a great excuse to indulge in the pleasures of the grape. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner!

This weeks wine, “Tangley Oaks,” Rose, 2007, Napa Valley, Lot #3″, is especially perfect for summertime. It is crisp and fresh with bit of strawberry, currant, and floral overtones. It has a ruby color and smells fruity…but not like “Boones Farm, Strawberry Hill.” Remember that from back in the day? (Okay, you can try to remember all of the fun and bad decisions you made after consuming the classic rot gut later.) Tangley Oaks blends Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot to create this dry Rose. They age it for three months, 50% in French oak and 50% in stainless steel. Here’s what they say about it online: “Tangley Oaks Rosé is an elegant wine with an aroma of summer fruits and berries and a hint of spice and delicate florals. Crisp and refreshing, with a fine balance of ripe fruit and acidity, it goes well with food or by itself.” I think pairing it with a lighter meal of grilled chicken or fish would be delicious. Personally, I’d include something like a fresh fruit salsa, a green salad, and maybe rice. I, however, did not do this, but rather I drank two glasses while chatting online with my sister and I had a very pleasant evening without even suffering a hangover the next morning. This wine gets my thumbs up.

I almost forgot to tell you how much this bottle is gonna set you back…it goes for about $13.

The Dirty Dozen: Top 12 Foods to Always Buy Organic

If you, like me, can’t always buy organic produce for one reason or another, you may wonder which fruits and vegetables routinely test highest in pesticide contamination? Lucky for us, a little digging online turned up a site that lists exactly that. The results and information are provided by the “Environmental Working Group,” a non-profit company that specializes in analyzing and testing products to determine their safety, publishing guides and consumer information, and lobbying for national policy changes such as investing in sustainable development. You can learn more at http://www.ewg.org/about and the full list of forty-seven fruits and veggies tested, their rank, and score can be found here: http://www.foodnews.org/fulllist.php.

Top 12 Fruits/Vegetables to Buy Organic

1. Peach
2. Apple
3. Sweet Bell Pepper
4. Celery
5. Nectarine
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes – imported
11. Carrot
12. Pear

If you are wondering what is at the bottom of the list, the items that are safer to buy conventionally, here are a few:

Pineapple, sweet corn, avocado, and onion are at low pesticide end of the list. This may explain why I cannot find an organic pineapple?

Happy grocery shopping! Eat well and be well.

Credit: Photo by Keith Weller, Copywright 1995-2009 ScienceDaily LLC

Chocolate Chip Cookies and a Side of Kidney Failure, Please

don't eat this

Ever hear of hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Yeah, me either. Abbreviated HUS, it is essentially renal failure suffered most often after foodborne illness due to exposure to E. coli 0157:H7. Do you have any Nestle Toll House ready to bake cookie dough in the fridge/freezer? If so, you may be introduced to this lovely condition. According to the FDA (http://www.FDA.gov), “As of July 10, the CDC reports that 76 persons from 31 states have been infected with the outbreak strain (E. coli 0157:H7). Thirty-five persons have been hospitalized, 11 with a severe complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome. No one has died.”

Nestle recalled all of it’s cookie dough associated with the contamination. You can find that info here: http://www.nestleusa.com/PubNews/PressReleaseLibraryDetails.aspx?id=133CC131-A79F-4E84-9C43-C9F99FE5BC99

The amount of food-borne illness and poisoning seems to be escalating. This is one more reason to take the time to make your own delicious, homemade, chocolate chip cookies. No, it does not take too long. Okay, maybe you will eat delicious chocolate chip cookies less often…and then you will be thinner…and when you do enjoy a cookie it will be well deserved from all the effort, but best of all, you will know what’s in it! With any luck, you will not have explosive diarrhea followed by kidney failure!!!!!!!!!!! Enough with the E. coli outbreaks already, huh?

Remember, we all vote with our dollars.

1. Sweet Surprise: Homemade Strawberry Vanilla Bean Preserves

'Aint nothing like the real thing, baby.

No matter how many times I see the “Sweet Surprise” commercial produced by The Corn Refiners Association I will never believe that eating high fructose corn syrup is a good idea, never. Call me old fashioned, call me a tree-hugging, granola eating hippie, call me crazy, whatever. I am convinced that high fructose corn syrup is bad for our bodies, at least partly responsible for epidemic rates of obesity and diabetes, and in no way a nutritious or positive additive to the food supply. As a die hard label reader I thought I had weeded this vile substance out of my kitchen by careful purchase decisions at the grocery store and deliberate scratch cooking. The other day I pulled a half full jar of delicious, seedless blackberry jam from my refrigerator and proceeded to spread it onto a thick slice of crisply toasted, organic, multi-grain, preservative free, freshly baked sourdough bread that I had previously slathered in sweet-cream, organic butter. Decadent to be sure, and one of my favorite quick and easy breakfasts, I am a toast lover through and through. For whatever reason, call it fate, I quickly scanned the familiar label and read the ingredients list. It read, “Blackberries, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid. UHG. What had I done? If I want corn in my jam, I’ll put it there myself. To eat it or not to eat it…well, I ate it, but threw out the remainder of the jam, (added the glass jar to the recycling bin) and developed a great resolve to find a solution to this earth shaking blow of post-industrial reality. I literally felt like I had been duped. I had grown up on this jam and purchased it, without thinking, all of my adult life. While I know there are better, gourmet jams out there, this one had served me well, I thought. That image of a lush farm, fresh fruit, and cheerful, rosy-cheeked children was all a lie, and worst of all, it had worked.

Determined to obliterate my desire to ever purchase jam from the J.M. Smucker Company again, I made my own. Now, when I tell you that once you try your hand at making jam, or in this case preserves, you will NEVER want to eat the mass produced product again, it is totally true! Not only is it easy – don’t believe the hype that it’s not, but HOLY COW is it amazingly delicious. This is the most delicious, scrumptious fruit topping I have ever had the good fortune to put on my tongue. I highly suggest you try this.

Opting to make traditional preserves and in the French style of no added pectin, which results in a softer set, and making use of the abundant fresh strawberries that were at the peak of their season, I made Strawberry Vanilla Bean preserves. There are just three ingredients. It’s so simple and the results so incredible, it’s like magic. You will need a little time, a little patience, and a big heavy pot. The recipe yields about seven 8 oz jars, so you can either freeze what you don’t refrigerate, refrigerate and plan to give away some jars, or put it up by the water-bath canning method. Canning is what I chose to do. If you haven’t done this before it’s easy to find the equipment at your local big box retailer or hardware store and the library as well as the internet have instructions. (Canning, by the way, is also much easier than you might think and your Great Aunt Ida probably has everything you need as well as detailed instructions and wonderful stories about putting up the harvest if you just ask.)

Strawberry Vanilla Bean Preserves
Yield, approximately seven 8oz jars

Ingredients:
8 cups strawberries, hulled, rinsed, and quartered/cut, organic if possible
4 cups cane sugar, organic if possible
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, scraped

Directions:
Fill your sink with cold water and give your strawberries a good once over. Remove them to a colander to drain and hull each, cutting them into chunks or quartering them into approximately equal size pieces, adding them to a large, deep, stainless steel or enameled, heavy bottomed pot. Your pot needs to be at least double the height of the 8 cups of strawberries and the heavy bottom will help to prevent scorching which would lend a nasty, burnt taste to the finished product . Pour the sugar over the strawberries, throw in the vanilla bean and the scraped seeds and give it all a stir. Allow this strawberry, sugar, and vanilla mix to sit at room temperature for at least ten minutes or up to a half an hour to allow juices to flow and strawberries to macerate. Crush your berries a bit with a potato masher. Move your pot to the stove and heat the mixture on medium heat while stirring nearly constantly. You may have to adjust the heat higher or lower, but keep a close eye on it, stirring, so as not to burn. The mixture must reduce and thicken and come to the gel stage so you’re your preserves will have the right consistency. The cooking time will depend on a number of factors such as how juicy your berries are, so while I cannot tell you how long it will take to come to the gel stage, I can tell you how to determine when it’s done.

For the gel test you will need to put several small plates into the freezer. After you have cooked your berries for perhaps 15 to 20 minutes, begin testing for gel set. Take a plate from the freezer and place a spoonful of preserves on it. Give it a gentle shake and put the plate back into the freezer for one minute. Continue this process until the cooled preserves have a wrinkled skin on top. Mine took about a half an hour and the wrinkling was minimal. The finished consistency was chunky and jammy and absolutely perfect.

At this point, if you haven’t already, take a spoonful, blow on it, and taste the magic! Remove the vanilla bean. Your preserves are now ready to be put into your sterilized jars if you are canning them or into containers for the fridge.

Image ©2003 Boxtedberries.Com

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