Chef Everett Lacey's Food for Thought

2010-06-29T20:17:00.001-07:00

note 2 self. check out sausalito pottery.

This week in genetically modified food...

2009-10-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago now, I was in sacramento at the farmers market (I still prefer it to the one in Moraga, but nothing else in Sacramento trumps life here). One of the farmers whom I have frequent exchanges with informed me about something I was not aware regarding GMO's. He stated that they alter DNA in the same manner the Bubonic plague once did, and its effects are starting to crop up (pun intended) in our genome [that is, we can see its lasting effects when we look at our DNA chart]. Always the skeptic, since I had not concrete facts from him, I decided to research into this further. At this current moment (I am five minutes into the search and got sidetracked with new info) I have not found anything conclusive to validate my farmer buddies claim, however I did find some interesting news.

Firstly: I found an article arguing that transgenics will be necessary in the near future , due to limited farmland and water, in addition to the ever increasing population demands. I beg to differ with the articles claims- but definitely worth a read- check it out here!

the video clip from the site is on youtube, it is called Smart Farming in India.

Second- Something I liked. An article entitled: Why and how to avoid genetically modified food! This article, pulled from the folks at Natural News, points out the adverse effects of GMOS. Calling to attention the position of the American Academy of Environmental Science, who has plainly stated before "Genetically Modified foods have not been properly tested and pose a serious health risk. There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation," this article calls us to strongly oppose transgenics on basis of scientific fact. I do not wish to summarize - as I feel this article is a definite must read but i will quote : "World renowned biologist Pushpa M. Bhargava goes one step further. After reviewing more than 600 scientific journals, he concludes that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a major contributor to the sharply deteriorating health of Americans."

Thirdly, finally and much to my relief, a bit of political news, straight from Washington DC. Apparently there is a temporary injunction on Agribusiness' attempt on genetically modifying the sugar beet, and having this new roundup ready beet replace the cane plant as the major sugar-yielding plant. Google Monsanto Beets if interested. Many who are interested are already aware of this almost month old piece of news, no surprise monsanto is behind this nonsense. Sorry for the lag.

To wrap this up: GMO's are bad, don't eat them. It sucks that organics are not "conventional" yet, and you have to pay more for them, I really look forward to the day when they start to label GMO's as such , and "Chalked full of Hormones, Antibiotics and Pesticides" becomes common on food. However this is unlikely until consumers wake up. Fend for yourself, be an educated consumer and make change.

More on this hot-topic soon. This is not all in the world of evil food happenings.

CHOW!

Brunnner (with three 'n's)

2009-09-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I have to apologize, for there is nothing to see here except a pan licked clean. Mondays and Tuesdays are pretty hectic days at school. In fact, now that I think about it, I only had one good meal yesterday too, but I digress. Back to today though, I leapt out of bed, in a frenzy at 9:20. Class is at 9:40. I managed to grab an apple, which was in a more obscure location than the water bottle I managed to leave behind. After this measly little morsel got munched, I lamented on how grabbing the water would have served me far better thru out my day. Two came around and I thought i was dying. By Six something had to be done. I neaded a MEAL. One of those Important ones like breakfast or a hearty dinner. But those would not do. I had to one up brunch.

So, I created Brunner. Its a combo of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Not merely breakfast for dinner, but a plate with elements of each. An arrangement so grandiose and filling, by the time you finally get this miracle first meal of the day, all you are left with is the following.

This is what is left. A pan literally licked clean.

There was stir fry in here, it was gorgeous. As it cooked, I thought "Crap, I should run and grab the camera," but it was futile. The aroma kept me drooling over my creation. While plating it, I guess I could have grabbed the camera, but the combo of no food all day and a great smelling/tasting/looking plate before me took precedent. The meat element was provided with a seafood sausage from Trader Joe's (it was o.k, but I would have preferred something sustainable and without pork casing) which doubled as the breakfast element (I normally eat meat sausage like the rest of you but work with me). The rice and veggies added the respective lunch and dinner sections. And Poof (Emeril took Bam)- Brunnner.

This is whats left now:

A dirty boys dorm sink. Sigh.

But the moral of this story is that if ever asked "What is the most important meal of the day" or "What would you like as your last meal" quickly reply "Brunnner."

A proper Brunnner must achieve the following:

It must be the first meal of the day.
It must be taken after 6. P.M.
It must be elaborate, or well cooked, not a small or gross serving.
It must be at least two portions large.

**Bonus Points For Eating it all.

It was amazing. Definitely recommended for all my fellow collegians. But now Captain Amazing is off to find a way to clean his mess without a sponge (I'm not touching it- no way) and tackle another nights of homework!

Eat well. Ciao.

Ev.

Chef is off to college. The dorm food is great.

2009-09-09T01:09:00.000-07:00

It has been a long and beautiful summer, and it has finally come to a close. Marked by fantastic meals and great weather, 2009 is definitely a year to be remembered. On top of work, business planning and the start of school last week, Ev has been a very busy man. However thanks again for all the support, as the site is not going neglected. In fact the quite the opposite, I am alloting myself more time to work on the site.

School food is new. I live in a small town now so it is a larger effort to gather food. However the farmers market last sunday was fantastic (have you ever eaten a red peach?) and even though near everything closes at 9. The food in the cafeteria [far left] is not my favorite, but the suite we live in has a kitchen (a small one shared amongst 6 men) and thus, life is good. For example todays lunch of smoked salmon, local strawberries and an unpictured grilled cheese topped instant ramen (pun) by far.

Being a Californian I have unparalled access to a diverse food culture. I can find almost everything in California. Living in the Bay Area, I am a stones throw from Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco and a load of small unique towns and smaller cities. In the past week I have eaten Vietnamese Pho, plantain Chips in Marin, Visited HUGE asian market on the Berkeley Marina while maintaining a fridge full of goodies. It is awesome to live here. Im so lucky. My classes are highly interesting, though plenty challenging (economics and philosophy double major). The philosophy classes talk often of ethics while in economics we study the science of making decisions; I now more than ever think about our american food system and why it is the way it is. Why is Coca-Cola is still successful in keep its vending machines on campus. Why do people still drink Coke. Is it wright or wrong for Companies to distribute a food product for nothing more than profit? Is it morally permissible to sell somebody something that you would not eat yourself. Is it economically viable to run a food business honestly? Will the need for capital and the need for proper satiation find an equilibrium? They have us reading alot...

Needless to say I am having fun, and I have not forgot about the site! Keep Posted Foodies!

P.s. The durian fruit I thought I was adventurous enough to try was so foul-smelling my roommate almost puked, and I couldn't bring myself to try it. Its in the freezer now, zip-locked and under control. Do I smell Shenanigans?

Speaking of Shenanigans, I thought someone would get a kick out of my classy first dorm meal. This pic is from last week, on move in day, after all my crap was unpacked my suitemate pointed out a tupperware with combo pizza crammed inside of it and said that I was more than welcome to have a slice, as he didn't like cold pizza. Well I Do! Ironically I had the cheapest beer Trader Joe's sells- (don't ask me why, this one deserves a post all of its own) and paired the two for an instant college experience.

Chef Everett is Back, The Site is Under Construction and More!

2009-07-26T18:08:00.000-07:00

OK, so here I am and this is a brief snippet of what I did this weekend. Before me is an 84 page snippet from the California food code. What is going on you ask? I'm about to make dinner, but other than that:

In the past few weeks my Internet situation in Sausalitio is still unresolved, but i have used this to my advantage and decided to take this blog in another direction.

I will be buying a real domain name. I am working on the layout now.
I am committing to doing 3 posts per week, one with video. I am still shooting for seven but am not going to fall behind to three weeks of unfinished posts.
I am getting the permits and necessary licensing to make strawberry salsa and salad dressings and sell them at the farmers market. I have been writing business plans and statements and doing research all day.
I am taking on two staff members to help with writing.
My brother Miles has been enlisted to help with web layout and graphic design (although his photography is better than mine.
I am pressing on with the cookbook and want to continue with the writings so I will have enough material for a book. Cookbook out in 6 months or so!
We are designing t-shirts with an awesome New American Cuisine Logo.

So I would really just like to say thanks for all the visits and support. Stay tuned for more great stuff!

p.s. This downtime should be all over this week. I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.

So This Is What I got @ The Farmers Market Today!

2009-07-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

This is the biggest farmers market in Sacramento. Every Sunday from 8am to 12pm-
the streets surrounding 8th & W, become an organic food mecca. Today I purchased (I'll try to go from left to right) blackberries, mixed nuts, strawberries, two avocados, two green and one yellow cucumber, one bunch of the freshest beets I had ever seen, a watermelon, a torpedo onion, a bunch of stuff for tomato sauce, ratatoullie or pasta (ill keep you posted), one sin qua or chinese okra, dandelion greens and a few apples.

So. I have to get cooking.

Do You Kanteen?

2009-07-01T23:31:00.000-07:00

I hate plastic water bottles. I don't know why but I do. It has gotten to the point in my mind where a plastic bottle of water only negligibly a better option than a carbonated soda. How did this happen? Here is a partial list of my reasoning.

For starters, most water that is bottled is of low quality.
I am not big on giving my money to large companies (Starbucks, Wal-mart, McDonald's, Pepsi etc..) and the thought of giving Coke $1 for a bottle of Dasani or Pepsi $3 for a large Aquafina makes me bristle. The net cost for them is under $0.04 for even a large bottle of water- I'm not going to get mathematical tonight, but this equals HUGE profits!
Then there is the whole issue of what am I drinking? Where did it come from, how is it processed, why does Coca Cola find it necessary to add magnesium sulfate, salt and potassium chloride to Dasani (potassium chloride actually will stop your heart- they use it in the third lethal injection shot)? Is it tap or not?
Finally, the question remains- how harmful is the actual plastic?

So awhile back I acquired a Nalgene- one of those big plastic bottles that is reuseable and is BPA free. But then those KleenKanteens came out and that seemed like a better idea, after all they are metal- the next best thing to pgood old fashoned glass. I still find it amusing that we humans have a long history with glass and metal as our water receptacles- then came plastic and screwed things up royally- HAS ANYONE SEEN THE PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH?

So I guess I was just disenchanted with my Nalgene after it sat in my car for a weekend and it sure did leech plastic smell into the water- be it BPA free or not, that cant be good for you. Long story short, I couldn't fathom buying a $20 metal water bottle, but the truth is this is a one time thing, and I am doing it. Remember, live well- eat well AND drink well. I am buying mine tomorrow. Plus its dishwasher safe. And spend the money to buy a real one not an aluminum knock off- you will be happy you did.Especially if you have ever paid $20 or more over the course of your lifetime for some plastic bottles of tap! I'm not sure if I want a KleenKanteen or a Sigg, two reputable brands- I will probably go with Sigg because they look a bit more durable and they have a few styles I like.

*On another note- I did eat out tonight but am done reviewing the Marin County eateries atleast for the week. I have no intentions of becoming a food critic and am attempting to focus back on food politics. [But tonight was pizza with anchovies from Pizzeria Antica, if curious. It was ok- but I hear there is a pizzeria in Mill Valley that trumps anything that comes out of Anticas ovens! Ill keep you posted].

P.s. I sailed today, if you saw four lasers near the golden gate from 4-8, one was yours truely! And this time I had a wetsuit so there was no repeat incident from last thursday.

Finally- this is not my last post on water. This is my first of many. We are mostly water and ought to make it a point to drink good water. Stay hydrated. Don't drink mystery tap water, fluouridated water or chlorinated water- more on that later. To find out about tap water contaminants in your water click here.

Chowder!

Kombucha!

2009-06-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

O Kombucha. How do I love the? Let me count the ways.

Many thanks to Kate, my sailing instructor co-worker for turning me on to this magical healing elixir. As I post this, I realize a couple of things:

Firstly- Live well, drink well really is a philosophy- It all started with cutting out soda for me- It has been 7 years now, I quit when I was a high school sophomore. When I discovered Yerba Mate, I was able to quit coffee cold turkey- three years now. At first I stuck strictly to the loose tea which I brewed myself. Then I discovered the Guayaki brand of Yerba and started drinking Mate all day every day- Hot Loose Tea in the morning and evening and a $2.60 guilty pleasure around lunch (The red pure heart is my favorite). For those who dont know Yerba Mate has more caffeine than coffee, massive amounts of theobroma- chocolate's active ingredient (similar to caffeine), and more antioxidant content than orange juice and green tea combined!
Kombucha is massively healthy- I noticed it the first time I drank it. It feels good for you in the same manner as eating a large (ranch dressing-free) veggie platter (vs junk food or a soda) would. It is made with mushrooms- this should be a plus to anyone who eats mushies for their health content; fungi have some amazing healing properties.
It is going to cost me (in addition to my Mate fix) $3 to $5 a pop, a day. These glass bottles of vinegary mushroomie goodness are well worth it however, and my favorite so far is the guava. Perhaps I should consider making my own- Its cheap and easier than brewing beer.

*Disclaimer* though I do not have any firsthand knowledge of kombucha, I have read that it is unadvisable to those who have pre-existing medical conditions and/or compromised immune systems.

For those of you who dont like mushrooms please dont avoid this one, it tastes more like a beer/vinegar than mushrooms- (but I do reccomepnd flavoring the first time around). If mushrooms and beer are not your thing AND you cant fathom gulping this down for your health, my hands are tied and I can't help you.
The chinese knew of this drink since 300bc. It is known for its universal healing powers. I am currently drinking a bottle a day (or two) of G.T's Kombucha and will continue to do so for a 14 day trial period- Ill keep you posted. On the bottle it says it supports: anti-aging, cancer prevention, immune system, digestion& metabolism. Body alkalinity, cell integrity, weight and appetite control. Being made of a fungi, I am prone to believe some of these health claims. Try it out for yourself if you havent already, and Yerba Mate too!

Live well, eat well, drink well, be merry! No bad days!

**P.S.
So I think Im back into the swing of things- to all my loyal fans, Im sorry for being lazy, I let the birthday pull me away from my second (or third) job, but all thats over. The internet is better,I am getting a new laptop soon (mine was stolen and currently my p key is busted on this one) & I am committed to bringing either a recipe, a review or a food related news article every day from now until the launch of my cookbook in late September and my book book around January.

Caio,
Chef Everett Lacey

2009-06-29T22:54:00.001-07:00

last day of downed blog. the camera just came in and its awesome. the new antanna is here but the wi fi is still slow!

2009-06-28T23:57:00.001-07:00

i diiscovered fresh turmeric root @ the co-op today. and i must say i love turmeric and i had no idea how flavorful the fresh root could be.

Pics and Recipies From Sundays Farmers Market Experiment

2009-06-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

So, as I said, on Sunday I ventured to the farmers market, and tried to see what I could nab for exactly $10. I grabbed a great ddeal of fresh organic produce and tried to make a fantastic breakfast, lunch and dinner with what I got, using only minimally things in the fridge/cupboard which I did not pick up on sunday. It was a success, and I appologize on my end for the delay but here are the pictures and recipies. Who ever said eating healthy has to be expensive? It does not have to be, but it sure can be time consuming to cook for yourself 3x a day!

(be sure and check out the post on what I grabbed for $10 to understand why I love the market)

SO HERE IS WHAT I MADE

Breakfast:

This was the finished product. (The pastry is not shown, i cut it half diagonally and served it once it was warm!) It included coffee, the melon, a bowl of cherries, and sliced potatoes (not sure wether to call these hash browns or scallop-ish potatoes.

I whipped some cream for the coffee, cut the baby melon, and sliced potatoes and cooked them in my favorite cast iron pot with some garlic, onion and olive oil in my cast iron pot. Simple as that. I ground my own fresh cinnamon for the coffee because it has an awesome flavor all to itself. Garnish was a homegrown tomato.
Total estimated cost:

Lunch: Quinoa Salad

The garbanzo beans and the quinoa came from my cupboard (must haves, for any cupboard- I do have a few cans of beans but I do normally carry fresh black eyed peas, pintos, lentils and garbanzos- but i used canned ones for this recipe due to time constraints). I stole the idea for this salad from food stylist Carrie Ann Purcell, but if you check out her recipe, you can see I took this Idea in a different direction:

Chef Everett's Red Quinoa Salad

1 Cup Red Quinoa-- Uncooked

1 Large Can Garbanzo Beans

5 leaves of Kale- Chopped

1&1/2 C. Fresh Tomatoes- Diced.

3 C. Yellow and Green Summer Squash.

Garlic to taste- one or two cloves.

1/2 C. Purple Onion Diced.

1/2 C. Bell Pepper- Diced.

Olive Oil

Cayenne Pepper, Paprika & Curry Powder- 1/2 tsp each
Cumin 1/4 tsp

STEPS
Cook quinoa. Once finished, place 2 cups of it in large bowl with the garbanzos. In large saucepan with hot oil, sautee squash, onion and bell pepper until almost tender (3-5 minutes) add spices, garlic and kale. Add tomatoes when finished, then mix everything to the large bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

Dinner: Grilled Fish with a Carmelized Onion and Peach Arugula Salad

Dinner was awesome! At the farmers market, I got a whole fish for $2, and a bunch of Arugula for $1, plus I had a peach, so -- I made caramelized onion and peach Arugula salad, and grilled the fish. I bought it of the asian fish truck (certified organic) but it wasn't gutted and they do not label their fish- so I didn't know what kind of fish it was. No worries, I pulled out my favorite cookbook- the Art of Cooking- made by master renaissance chef Maestro Martino of Como. (Its in the public domain, so do not rush off and buy it unless you want to, view it here) In it he tells how to cook every type of fish. Being a whitefish, I grilled it and served it with apple cider vinegar. When I grilled the fish, I gutted it (only because it I did not catch it myself), scaled it, added some julienned garlic clove and a few olives (olives not from the market), salted the outside and wraped it in foil. It cooked for all of 10 minutes and was served with the leftover red quinoa and a lemon wedge.

So I was proud of myself for successfully making an awesome days worth of food (breakfast, lunch and dinner) for two- All for just $10 and some ingredients already found at home. If your not already shopping the farmers markets - try it for yourself!

Food, INC.

2009-06-26T22:21:00.001-07:00

Chef is still recovering from hypothermia and last nights prawns vindaloo is churning my stomach like an unruly tide. No awesome post tonight, however, Karl Weber's Food Inc. just came out. Be sure to watch it. Check out the book here and the review here. Along with Raj Patel's Stuffed and Starved, this is the #1 must read of the summer!

Its My Birthday

2009-06-25T00:02:00.001-07:00

Crazy Day. Went Sailing after work, capsized my boat while my friends on the chase boat were off galavanting and having fun. Ended up in the SF bay with no wetsuit for 25 minutes and was mildly hypothermic when I got out the water. I have sailed on a small boat on that water since I was 8 (14 years now) and have never had an experience like that. Froze my butt off- and was reminded of the dangers that lie out here. They say that if you can sail the bay you can sail anywhere, true. But never again am I going out without a wetsuit.
I shivered for an hour or two afterward, and being my birthday, I decided to go to my favorite Indian Restaurant- India Palace in San Rafel. I ordered prawns vindaloo- vindaloo being the hottest thing o the menu. I ordered it extra-extra hot. You should have seen the look on the waiters face. But sure enough it was just what my body needed- that and a 22oz King Fisher. The vindaloo definitely packed some heat but washed down well with my beer and when I finished, I felt (almost) as if nothing had ever happened.
Who knew, spicy food can cure hypothermia?

So yes it is my birthday- The site might be a little unexciting for until the weekend is over, I plan on having a few celebrations. However, I am getting a faster internet connection and new digital camera on Monday and a new laptop in the next month or so, so keep checking back- as all of these technological goodies will increase my productivity tenfold! The camera will do youtube format clips so i can do video recipes!

More on the High Fructose Corn Syrup Debate- Introducing Pepsi Arm!!!

2009-06-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

So heres a little known fact, this week marks the one year aniversary of the American Medical Association releasing their official position on High Fructose Corn Syrup. Last june an article was published (much to the delight of the Corn Industry) by the A.M.A which stated that "high fructose corn syrup does not contribute to obesity more than other caloric sweeteners." Citing that having only 4 caloriws per gram like sugar and honey, in moderation this is a fine product. Well if I were Corn Syrup I would aprove of this message...Sadly, however, I am not.

Thank god we are all on the same side when it comes to trans fats (they are BAD, you can ingest less than 2 grams per day safely- and US products dont label trans fat under .5 grams per serving).
I see where the AMA is coming from. It does have onlty 4 calories per gram, and it would take a massive amount for someone to become obese off of it, but it so prevalent in american food

It is nearly impossible for an uninformed consumer to avoid
The body does not break it down like sugar. Sugar is bad for your kidneys in large amounts, but expect a kidney failure after consuming Super Size Cokes or 44oz Big Gulps on a regular basis.

Which brings me to the new phenomenon called Pepsi Arm! Take an arm, outstretch it at a 90 degree angle. Dont flex like you want to show off your bicep, instead smack your tricep. Does it Jiggle?? Now flex and repeat the smacking motion. Does it still Jiggle?? If yes, have pepsi arm.

Pepsi arm is a condition caused by multiple contributing factors:

Soda, High Fat and High Sugar Diets.
Lack of strenuous exercize.

It is a condition first seen in america but as our values spread the whole world over, it only gets worse. It is a hypothesis of mine that the condition which I call Pepsi Arm is a dietary phenomenon. It is reversable. If you have this condition, you most likely have abdominal fat (a very unhealthy place to store fat). The solution is simple:

Reduce your calorie content OR switch to more nutrient dense foods (Oranges vs concentrated orange juice, potatoes vs potato chips, fruit vs fruit roll ups, meat and bread vs a low density, filler added mcburger, etc)
Up your calorie burning.

I am a small dude, I weigh 130 lbs. But I have ripped abs, cant squeeze any tummy fat, and can see almost every muscle under my skin, but this took effort. I worked out 6 days a week, one hour a day for just one semester (5 months) and went from 125lbs and 15% fat to 130 lbs and under 5% body fat (Im probably at 4, you cant measure accurately under 5%). This means went from 18.75 lbs of fat which i didnt even know I had down to 6.5 pounds of fat. I also gained 18 lbs of muscle @ this time.

During all of this i almost quit, because the scale didnt say that i was making any progress- I remained the same weight for almost the entire 5 months, but in the end my results were very impressive to me even if the scale only noticed a 5lb increase!

I share this because many Americans need to know what I have believed for years. Diet is king and exercize is queen!

In the cane fields in south america (guatemala i think), I have read that the workers live on sugar cane but are incredibly muscular and non obese. THEY AVERAGE ALMOST 6000 CALORIES A DAY TOO! but the key to their health is that they burn those calories every day thru hard work.

So no, high fructose corn syrup may not make you fat, but you will make yourself fat if you more calories than you burn on a regular basis. Furthermore, I personally avoid products which I cannot verify if they are Genetically Modified or not, and since there is huge money in due to government subsudies, and most of it is G.M these days, I cannot ever be certain if the high fructose corn syrup is GMO free or not. My advice, stay away.

Chew on that.

Eating Out (Day 2) Beef Microbrews and More!

2009-06-23T22:31:00.001-07:00

The Internet is slow so I did tonight's posting from my cell phone. The new job is awesome, but it totally drains me by the end of the day (its not all fun and games working teaching little kids how to sail). With that said, I might be in the kitchen a little less and venturing out in the big scary world of other peoples food more. Tonight I jogged to the top of the hill in Sausalito/Cloudview (above the golden gate bridge from sea level; awesome view). When I finished I had a beef craving like nobodies business- but it was almost 8PM and Sausalito closes up fairly early. My grandpa, the local, recommended a place in town called Saylors (Sausalito is a boat town, I think the place might be called Saylors Landing but i didn't see that on the sign) which stays open late.
So off to Saylors I went. I sat by the bar because I was a party of one. There I got to ham it up momentarily with the owner Sean Saylor. All in all I was fairly impressed, the food was great, the owner was a cool guy, they have a happy hour AND THE CILANTRO-LIME SALAD DRESSING ON THEIR GREEN SALAD BETTER THAN MY HOUSE DRESSING! I definitely have to pick and pry his brain for the recipe some time this week when I go back there for happy hour.
And on that note, I am a big beer fan. I love fresh and local microbrewed beers. In Sacramento, I tend to buy Hefewizen that is made in Sactown, which is less than a week old by the time I get my hands on it. No matter what your beer preference is, fresh beer is always the best beer. With that said, I am now closer to Petaluma and instead of opting for Sacrament made Hefeweizen, I have tried the local favorite (and locally made) LAGUNITAS IPA. It is a fantastic beer. But their LAGUNITAS CENSORED COPPER ALE was worth writing about, and almost singlehandedly made me rethink Hefewizen as my favorite style of beer. I think I may just be partial to the orange wedge they serve with hef. Seriously worth a try!

Anyhoo. that's all folks. If you happen to be in town and want to try some reasonably priced Mexican food- Head down to Saylors. But if you are not in town but are able to get your hand on some (fresh) Lagunitas - DO TRY IT- I recommend the Censored Copper Ale (No copper in the bottle, lol)!

Check Out Everything I Nabbed @ The Farmers Market! For $10!`

2009-06-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

This morning I went to the farmaers market, in Sacramento. Alot of people complain of the prices going up (orgnic avocadoes cost 25 cents more than at the grocery store last week for example), but if you are willing to shop around for deals this place is invaluable to a foodie. Fortunately in sacramento there are farmers markets 10 farmers markets, two open daily every day except Monday and Friday. For more information on all the farmers markets in and around sacramento click here! Today I figured it would be fun to set a spending limit of ten dollars and see how far I could stretch it. I will try to make a breakfast, lunch and dinner using little more than what was purchased today.
So, today for only $10, I got:

A variety of small yellow white and green mixed squashes, Im thinking about Ratatoullie but I'd need to get an Eggplant from the supermarket. $2
A whole fish. Not sure what kind, the asian fish truck is kind of a magical place like that. $2
4 Red Potatoes for $0.50
One large helping of red and yellow cherries. I heard they are incredibly healthy for your heart. $0.50
Green Beens, a bit more than one pound, the ends still need to be snapped off. $1
One Baby Honeydew Melon- $1
One Day Old Pecan Cinnamon Wheel, normally I dont do these, but I wanted a sweet treat with my morning coffee which was premade. $1
An assortment of apricots, nectarines and peaches, a little over one pound- $1
A large portion of Arugula- $1

All this for the grand total of $10. I'm still excited about everything I got. This will definitely make 3 nice meals with some to spare for later!

Stuffed and Starved is an Awesome Book

2009-06-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

As an avid reader, the next book I plan on reading is Raj Patels new book, entitled: 'Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System.' I am putting this on the first ever "Chef Everett- Read This Book List". I have been a fan of Patels work for some time now, check out more on him here.
Patels companion blog and site for the book can be found here.
Check him out.

Did You Know That Potatoes And Tomatoes Are Related?

2009-06-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

The other night, for dinner I made pesto pasta with fresh ratatouille and chicken breast on the side (I am going to start taking pictures of everything I cook soon). It was great. As good as this sounds however, in my personal opinion, the best possible thing to do with ratatoullie is to pile it atop mashed potatoes. I looked into the issue and discovered some really interesting stuff. I found out that the tomato is actually related to not only the potato, but also the eggplant that is in the dish. They are all in the Solinae family and are also amazingly related to the pepper plant, the sweet potato, the morning glory flower and tobacco! Solinaes are an very interesting and diverse group.

Hot Kitchen Item Of the Week

2009-06-18T23:09:00.000-07:00

So I just read an article in I believe it was Wired. They were reviewing milk whippers. Apparently Ikea now makes one for like $5 dollars which suposedly preforms better than even the more upscale ones in the $40 dollar range. The one I purchased cost around $20. I bought one for my Mom last mothers day because she was trying to make her own coffee instead of stopping at Starbucks in the morning. Since her drink of choice was coffee with a bit of cream and sugar with some added whipped cream, I suggested that she "brew her own." For those of you who dont know, you can whip your own cream easily by purchasing heavy whiping cream (although creme friache and half and half work too) and, well- whipping it for about 30 seconds. You dont need much and the cream almost doubbles in size. The problem was, the only tool for doing it then was a hand mixer-- which, on top of being cumbersome even when using just one paddle- was quite loud every morning. For those of you who enjoy whip cream in your coffee, I strongly suggest that you get one. I tend to pass on the whip cream in my coffee but it comes in quite handy even still. And for those of you who regularly have cream in your home, you may find you no longer need to buy whip cream.

Yes Dave, You Can Live On Peanut Butter...

2009-06-17T23:54:00.001-07:00

I had a million different things running through my mind all day. And just when I decided what to talk about and was prepping for a late night post- I received a phone call. The call single handedly changed my evening. A friend of mine reminded me that one year ago tonight, my best friend Dave died. I immediately decided to cancel tonights post, then I decided to post anyway but could not do it on German Purity Laws or making Ratatouille.
David Sherman Zolotar (Feb 25, 1987 - Jun 18, 2008) was a great human. I would like to share one story with the world:
I moved out of my mom's house at age 19. I had met Dave when I was 15 but I ran into him again when I moved out-- now he was living on my neighbor's couch. We shared a Victorian house converted into a quadplex- which quickly became a home. It was awesome to move out for the first time and have a party animal like Dave as a neighbor (we called him a squatter then, he paid no rent), My apartment was downstairs on the right his was on the left, and no one knew or really wanted to know the people upstairs. But it was all good all the time; except the rent was high and were in the middle of Sacramento's “hood”-- 13th&E St. in Sacramento is home to crime, crack and meth and is known as Alkali Flat but is affectionately dubbed Crack-ali Flat.
So one month I was BROKE but Dave was always broke and very resourceful. One night he snuck into my fridge at 2AM. We had an on open door policy so I wasn't mad when I heard my fridge open at 2AM- I didn't think I had food anyway. When I asked him the next day he said he had snuck in the night before to nab a spoonful a spoonful of my peanut butter because he had no food and had eaten all of my neighbour's Skippy (I ate Jif, which was like a luxury to us then, because it cost more than Skippy and tasted better). He said he hadn't eaten anything else besides Peanut Butter for two days, he was intent on going at least a week, that was when he got his first paycheck. His logic was that peanut butter is one of the most nutritious and cheap foods a kid could eat- therefore it is excellent survival food. So I tried it. It worked. we lived on peanut butter for a week-- actually I think Dave stopped on day eight which would have been day six for me. By the time we quit we had both broke out pretty bad in pimples. I never ate Skippy or Jif again after that. I didnt eat peanut butter again until his the funeral- I WENT 2 WHOLE YEARS.
So the day of the funeral, I ate a tribute spoonful (except I ate Laura Scudders for the tribute not Jif, but Dave wouldn't have minded, he ate Skippy for Godsake and would have eaten the fancy stuff all the same).
I will never 4get being poor and surviving on Peanut Butter with my friend Dave. And for the record it can be done for up to a week, although I would not advise it.Though there are millions of tales- this is one of my most vivid memories. Ironically, it still pertains to food.
Since I'm all about good food, good drink and good health I would like to add that Dave died under the influence of alcohol and would be here now if he drank responsibly one year ago.
**please drink responsibly.**
[and if you are going to try living on peanut butter- do that responsibly too- dont use Jif or Skippy ;-) ]

How do we help kids?

2009-06-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

SO, I am truely sorry for last nights post, I am re-locating down to Sausalito for my summer job (this means only cooking in the Lacey Test Kitchen on Friday nights, SaturDAY- when im not @ Plan B and Sunday before I head back) and did not have energy/gumption to hook up to a wi-fi zone and nerd out. So listening to Chef Ann Cooper speak was truly motivating. The link to the much acclaimed lecture before students @ UC Berkeley can be found here. I have already been in schools all this semester- teaching knife skills to children. See the clip of me on the Sacramento News here. I am a huge fan of cooking classes and have been since starting them several years ago. However, I have not set foot in an elementary school since some time in the 1990's. This was a whole different beast altogether.

My job as usual is to inform the little kidd-o's about making better food choices. For many of them this begins with showing them how to handle a sharp knife for the first time. We then have them chop some fresh vegetables and show them how to compile a recipe- (we had them chop carrots and celery then make hummus, for example).

I got to see the dark side of public school nutrition which many do not know exist.

And while I am a fan of our work, the larger question looming eerily overhead to me was "What the hell goes on in these schools, and what could be done to make it stop?" While there is an alarming increase in the incidence of child and teen diet-related health issues - (like diabetes, obesity, stroke and coronary to name a few), the question of "What are we feeding our kids" remains the large unignorable pink elephant in this country. My intention creating this blog is to increase awareness on health and food related issues; I guess I feel most strongly on this issue when it pertains to children. Especially when I saw some of the schools near Saramento deemed the most in need.

And before I beat my horse dead- Everyone ought to listen to the Ann Cooper Lecture!! It will shock you and make you want to take action. [Even though UCB is my rival school, I must commend their commitment to excellence in education.]

The garbage fed to kids in California Public Schools is appauling. What is even more dispicable is the fact that this is subsudized by the Government. For example, Have you ever seen a Smuckers Uncrustable??? -
(from smuckers.com)
Ingredients
BREAD: ENRICHED UNBLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, YEAST, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL AND/OR SOYBEAN OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: WHEAT GLUTEN, SALT, DOUGH CONDITIONERS (MAY CONTAIN ONE OR MORE OF: DIACETYL TARTARIC ESTERS OF MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES (DATEM), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, ETHOXYLATED MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, CALCIUM PEROXIDE, ASCORBIC ACID, AZODICARBONAMIDE, L-CYSTEINE), YEAST NUTRIENTS (MAY CONTAIN ONE OR MORE OF: MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM SULFATE, AMMONIUM SULFATE), CALCIUM PROPIONATE (MAINTAIN FRESHNESS), CORNSTARCH, ENZYMES (WITH WHEAT). PEANUT BUTTER: SELECT ROASTED PEANUTS, DEXTROSE, VEGETABLE MONOGLYCERIDES (FROM PALM OIL), SALT. STRAWBERRY JAM: STRAWBERRIES, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, PECTIN, CITRIC ACID, POTASSIUM SORBATE ADDED AS A PRESERVATIVE.

They feed this tasty snack to kids in Elk Grove in the morning. On other days they start them off with a carton of crap milk and Cocoa Puffs or some other sugary (more accurately- corn syrup laden) cereal which turns the milk an artifical color. O, wait, I forgot, they then have the Option of an inorganic banana, orange or apple (I sympathize with these kids- I too would pass on this bland unripe fruit sent from south of our border), which many pass on in favor of the sweet uncrustable . And then sometime before they recieive a hot microwaved lunch, I come in and tell them to eat their veggies! Now how do I compete with Corn Syrup, Artificial Flavor & Food Colonge? I cant really. It really sickens me how:

The USDA allows this AND pays smuckers back for this shit, pardon me, i cant call this food.

They USDA has "nutritionists" overseeing the entirety of the lunch program.

A "nutritionist" can applaud us for coming in, then turn a blind eye as a kid eats an uncrustable.

Companies like Smuckers are recieving a profit for feeding kids a non-nutritious snack EVERY DAY. Would you pay someone to feed your kid McDonalds all day??? There is no care about the health or long term well-being of our American youth (This REALLY ticks me off).

There is no end to this in sight. I almost passed on my summer job to intern in the Elk Grove School District's Nutrition Headquarters (Yep thats right- one massive factory ships the same junk all across the district- they dont even have tools in the kitchens to make a lunch- no ovens just microwaves, box cutters, fat lunch ladies and can openers)- but was talked out of it. Although Chef Cooper re-motivated me.

What really got to me was how big of a difference in behavior there was between the kids at the title one schools who had uncrustables and the like vs kids at a "better" school with better food. You cant have a genius for a child and feed him fat and sugar for breakfast- you get a tyrant with a fly's attention span. It was remarkable how much a good breakfast can translate to happier more attentive kids.

If these kids eat this all thruout high school, I am guessing that these kids will be part of the first generation of people to die younger than their parents. They will have diet-induced diabetes. They will have abdominal fat, pepsi-arm and kidney stones. This is despicable and preventable.

Thank you Chef Cooper for the enlightenment. We must teach kids nutrition early on, we must teach them what the word organic means and what it means when their food does not say organic on it. They ought to know about Genetically Modified Food. They ought to know haw to farm, and how to eat seasonal. They should know when and how to shop. Even butcher- maybe then will they try other parts of the chicken than the nuggets.

And we need to put questions about food on the SAT- or bring back Home Ec.
Im off the soapbox for the evening. I will be back on it tomorrow.
Till then check out Parents Against Junk Food for more info on Crap in Public School Lunches that ought to go!

Furthermore Susan-
Ask Congress to Put an end to this!

2009-06-15T23:30:00.001-07:00

tonights post is via cell phone so sorry for the format. more on Chef Cooper tomorrow. UNTIL THEN- Google "chef ann cooper lecture 7" and haer her speak at Cal!

2009-06-15T23:27:00.001-07:00

Chef of the week: Spotlight on Chef Ann Cooper of the Berkeley Foods District- her philosophy on ending agribuisness is almost as poignant as her wook in school

Are You Checking Your Labels?

2009-06-14T23:28:00.000-07:00

So- (I love starting things off with so)
I worked at the new Plan B last night with one of my favorite Chefs- Tyrone Hunt. This new restaurant is much nicer in the back, with a ton of nice stainless steel equipment- which is a huge turn on to a foodie like myself. I have been working for some time now on my first cookbook, which hopefully will be finished in September and it is exciting to know that Tyrone will be making some tasty additions.

Second- I just finished the most delish dinner I think I have cooked in the whole month of June- it was a Purple Pesto Pasta with Fresh Rosemary-Sage Chicken. Tomorrow I leave for a summer job in the Bay Area and wanted to make a nice romantic, candlelight dinner for my girlfriend. Also earlier today I made a pretty imressive Tuna Sandwich- have recipes and pics but the images are stored on my nice Nikon not the cell phone camera I have been posting with all week- so i have to resize them first. This means I have three recpies or so I have in back-order, so to speak. But that is cool, this will give me something to do next week in the off chance I wont be cooking. This is highly unlikely as I tend to cook anywhere I go.

Now the meat and potatoes (lame-o pun, excuse me) of this post- FOOD LABELS- ARE YOU CHECKING THEM?
What called my attention to this today was a short story my mom shared with me, names withheld. Now i am a food-nut, some would go so far as to say food extremist- but with good cause. This has rubbed off somewhat on my mother (alot more recently apparently), case in point, she is out golfing with a reasonably intelligent engineer friend of hers and he asks if she would like a beverage, to which my mom replies water. He gets a water and an Arizona Iced Tea. Apparently the Chef Everett in my mother shone thru and she asked- "do you think thats healthy- dont you know that it has High Fructose Corn Syrup in it?"
startled, her friend quickly turns it around, examines the label and says, "You know what- your right, i didnt know." And he tossed it!

Now, I got a kick out of my mom's comment, but it also was a reminder that we should ALWAYS check the ingredients on ANY food product that you put in your mouth. Some things are so typical, they can linger under our nutrition radar unchecked possibly forever. However it is best to be familiar with everything you eat, especially anything you intake habitually- many foods today have questionable, unhealthy and even downright toxic ingredients. Some people avoid things more strongly than others but the point remains that it is better to be aware than to not. For example have you seen what this Baskin-Robbins shake has in it? Now, I personally was appalled by the pro-corn syrup ads that were on TV earlier this year, but they have since vanished thanks to lots of pissed off consumer feedback. No matter what your level of health-conciousness, you ultimately have to digest what you eat. And you are what you eat. Choose accordingly. Dont pad the pockets of comanies who care more about profit margins than your health and well being. Thanks Arizona for your stupid (inorganic, unhealthy and poisonous, yet highly commercially successful) $0.99 Ice Tea. boycott- even if they are going "organic"- they are still selling the inorganic.

Keep up the good work and a watchful eye on the things that you eat.

P.S. stay tuned for the step-by-step pesto instructions, and a few other goodies this week as I cook from a new location in Sausalito, CA- from monday thru friday now until mid-august.

More Bad News for Farmed Fish Eaters: Intestinal Parasites

2009-06-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

Some Americans are getting nasty intestinal parasites from eating farmed Salmon. My recommendation for quite a while has been to avoid farmed fish in general, however many varieties of wild fish often have their own issues, too. Also, unless very certain of the source, I would caution against eating your fish raw. As a chef, i know that the best tasting salmon is not cooked to a well-done char- it ought be slightly rare in the middle, so more than anything this is a reminder to be wary of the waters that your fish come from. This article from Scientific American is definitely worth a read, and cautions against even wild river-caught salmon.

See The Link @:
Are Urban Tapeworms on the Rise? (Scientific American)

While looking into this issue further for this post, I also came across another brand new article on a new worldwide Salmon virus. My question is- are they selling this diseased salmon?

Salmon Facing Virus, Challenges Around World. (Canada.com)

Baking Bread [Rolls] for the First Time (Part II in a Series)

2009-06-12T22:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I just posted the recipe below. While thoroughly proficient with an oven, I have never really baked bread; though I vaguely recall having my parents buying a bread machine in my youth and making bread one time. This however, is different. What happened this morning in the kitchen sparked a new interest in the kitchen. I am pleased to report that there will be many further bread making posts in the coming days.

A few notes on the recipe. The water rolls call for cornmeal on the bottom- ours was a bit gritty and large, so perhaps next time I will grind it or mas it some or just use flour instead. One packet of yeast is typically 1/4 or 5/16 oz- we used one Hodgson Mill Active Dry yeast packet. One note on the bowl, use a large glass bowl, and cover with glass lid if available or cling wrap. The dough ball did puff up to a very large size! And to avoid any and all confusion the egg whites were to be brushed on prior to baking.
For our next batch of bread I will try experimenting with my own grains, picked on my own and ground in the blender ( I dont have my own Cuisinart Mixer yet- believe it or not- however it is the top item on my Culinary wish list), however, for this first batch i used the flour that I had rounded up at the Co-Op last night.
Here is an estimate of total cost of everything:

yeast packet- $0.89
3.5 C. regular All-Purpose flour- $2 or less (I spent $2.60 on organic flour in the bulk bin last night and still got about 6 cups, and I almost have enough to repeat the recipe)
Eggs- luckily, I had 2 eggs already, but this is a cost item.
2 Tbs oil- also a cost item, however also on hand in the/moms (test) kitchen.
Cornmeal- a peppering for every roll- well once again- if rocured from a bulk bin and you did not need to open a new package of it, this can be rounded up fairly cheaply. It goes for about $1.99 a pound and you will need about an ounce.

If you are not always buying all the ingredients, bread can be made fairly chealy at home. Since most of us have flour and eggs at home always the only additional purchase will be yeast packages and/or milk/butter depending on the type made. For the rolls we made there was no milk nor butter.

The dough was fairly easy to make, the hard art was laying aroung and waiting to toss it in the oven. Once in, however- they smelled fantastic. Almost exactly like, if not better smelling than Pillsbury oven rolls (of which I am not a fan). The first batch of nine went on a cookie sheet in the middle rack. We cooked them for 15 instead of 20 but one or two could have stood to have stayed in for about 90 more seconds. The first batch were good, but the cornmeal on the bottom was a bit gristly. The second batch went in as soon as the first was done, and it went on the bottom rack. Cooking on the bottom rack helped to eliminate some of the grit on the bottom of the rolls (from the cornmeal), it also made the rolls puffier and softer- definitely the preferred.

So, after popping the first 18 rolls of bread out of my oven, I am delightfully impressed by the bread and its simplicity. They were fantastic hot out the oven, and the yeasty flavor would have been a great pairing to a fine beer, or a dinner like last nights pasta. I see now why Ancient Egyptians had breweries and bread bakeries in the same place. More on homebrewing later.

So- as the old adage goes "if you can bake a cake, you can build a bomb," or something to that effect. Baking bread is not something that need to be thought to be an old or archaic process, nor should it be thought to be to hard to be done on your own. There is no need for fancy equipment, or hard to pin down stuff (although making starter looked a bit intimidating). With all the crap they put in bread now (like corn syrup and trans fat, or a ton of cheap preservatives; take a look at your bread's ingredients- does it read like the fine print on a contract or is it simple with 10 ingredients you can identify and pronounce?) plus the fact that a loaf of bread costs almost the price of two gallons of gas- I suggest that we all experiment in out kitchens with flour water and yeast.

Crusty Water Rolls 7.5/10 (8.5 when hot)
Cost: under 5 dollars.

make your own bread. feed yourself well on the cheap. cripple an industry.

The First Bread! Crusty Water Rolls!!

2009-06-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

From Sunset Cook Book of Breads (Lane Magazine & Book Co. Menlo Park, Ca) Copyright 1966:

These crusty glazed rolls have a soft, moist interior and a crunchy corn meal bottom crust. To give rolls an extra-crispy crust, place a shallow pan of hot water on the lowest oven shelf; bake rolls below oven center.

1 C. warm water (lukewarm for compressed yeast).
1 tbsp. sugar.
1.5 tsp. salt.
1 package of yeast active dry or compressed.
About 3.5 C. Regular All-Purpose flour, sift before measuring.
2 tbsp. salad oil.
2 egg whites.
cornmeal.
1 egg yolk.
1 tbsp. water.

In a large bowl stir together the water, sugar, salt and yeast. Stir until yeast is dissolved. Add one cup of flour to yeast mixture along with the oil. Beat to a smooth batter. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry; fold it into the batter. Add remaining 2 and a half flour and mix to a moderately stiff dough. Turn out on lightly floured board and knead it lightly until smooth, about 4 minutes.
Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place, until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down, cover, and allow to rise 15 minutes longer. Punch dough again, cut dough into 18 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, dip bottoms in cornemal, place onto greased baking sheet, about 50 minutes. Brush rolls with the egg yolk beaten with the 1 tablespoon water. Bake in a hot oven (400 degrees) for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 1 and 1/2 dozen rolls.

The Awesome & Universal Pasta Recipe with Kale, Mushroom, Garlic & Almonds (Or Walnuts)

2009-06-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

SO, I know that in Italian food there is a pasta very similar to this; currently i am just not sure as to the name. I have been doing this recipe three nights in a row now, and the first two nights would have yielded a far better picture, but i have decided to post it before another one of my recipes are lost to all time. Now for the record, i did this using all organic stuff and spent a total of $8 acquiring the stuff i needed. However, not everybody will have exactly every ingredient, nor is this necessary. I used some stinky asagio cheese because it was the cheapest block of gourmet cheese at the store ($2.65!). Which brings me to my next point: there was one cheaper variant of cheese- of the Kraft green canister variety. I don't and wont ever recommend a product like this- but i know some of your kitchens contain generic bottom of the line commonalities (like Heinz 57 with high-fructose corn syrup in it) and before this post turns into a diatribe against Kraft foods and Corn Syrupy Katsup let me just say that a poor substitute is better than no substitute; and yes America, they do make katsup with out corn syrup in it- it has TOMATOES in it instead. If you don't know what High Fructose Corn Syrup is or why we should avoid it, please wikipedia HFCS and do some independent research and get back to me in a week or two- more on that later.
Don't not attempt anything you see here because your ingredients are not the same as mine.

For Last Nights Fantastic Pasta Medley (Ill have to find the original Italian name so it sounds more enticing to attempt; dont let the name fool you its Delicious!) You will need the following:

Dino Kale (It looks like wrinkly Kale, regular Kale would work, probably so would some broccoli green or green swiss chard)- Chop into little bite size pieces- about the size of a quarter.
Grated or Grateable Cheese- White Kind- Cow or Sheep- Sharp or not.
Red Sauce- I used some Trader Joes Marinara- but no one noticed!
Red Wine- I bought a Minin Bottle of Alice Walkers Syrah for $1.98- trust me- any cheapo red will work.
One handfull of Baby Brown Mushrooms- Dice- just slightly larger than your garlic.
3 Cloves of Fresh Green Garlic- or four cloves of regular- the fresh garlic is much more potent. Mince.
About 1.5C. of chopped nuts- I used walnuts the first night and slivered almonds the second night- under $1 if you can get these from the grocery bulk bin. Chop Finely but do not Powder!
Pasta- I used rigatoni the first night, angel hair the second and a mix of gemili and angel hair on the third- this sauce withstood my pasta test, will taste good on almost any noodle!

Procedure

Boil Water-
Chop Fast- you want all things chopped by the time the noodles are done, some may want to chop first before boiling the water, others like myself will chop as the noodles cook.
Chop the Kale.Mince the Garlic
Cook Pasta-
Drain the pasta.
In the same pot that the noodles just cooked in toss some oil in (i use half olive half canola because it saves me money not using up all my olive and the canola helps raise the smoke temp, in most restaurants they use 80%canola 20%olive.)
When the oil is hot toss in your chopped kale and stir for thirty seconds.
Toss in the mushrooms and let cook for thirty seconds.
NOW add the garlic and nuts, stir and add the pasta back into the mix
KEEP A NICE RATIO OF PASTA TO KALE/MUSHROOM MEDLEY- everyone is different.
Then add 1.5C. Red sauce, let heat.
Stir, then grate in cheese liberally, it really does wonders for the sauce at this point *keep in mind you will also be putting some atop the pasta- dont use it all*
As you turn off the fire, add 1/4 cup wine. (more or less to taste, i prefer to add after the flame is off so it doesnt cook out, if you not a wine fan- i reckon you could let it boil)
Serve plates, garnish with more cheese, some salt, baguette, more red wine and optional artichoke hearts (reccomendation from night two)

You may have leftover noodles. Save for later.
Total cook time- 20 minutes!

Good Luck!

2009-06-11T20:51:00.001-07:00

test from cell to blog. hope it posts to twitter

Making Bread for the first time

2009-06-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

so i read a thing last week on how detached Americans were in regards to their food. case in oint, grain grows wildly all over America, however most of us think that bread making is one of those special things best to mystery machines, grandmothers and ladies named sarah lee. fuck that. i decided to take up the challenge to pluck some wild wheat grind it and then bake and break my own bread. this being the first time, i didnt grind my own. i bought an old sunset magazine cookbook special on baking bread and found the old fashoned easy white bread recipe very easy. Breadmaking is one thing that will be added to my chef repitoire in no time, it already feels far less intimidating.

I immediately skimmed thru the book to stock up on ingredients i lacked at my local neighborhood co-op (shout out to the sacramento natural foods co-op, i love their selection). I acquires some:

Fresh Baking Soda (i figured-what the heck- i'll get 3 tablespoon) - $0.36
Buckwheat Flour- Three C. for $1
Soy Flour $0.40
All Purpose Organic White Flour- The big expense almost $3!
One Red Organic Banana
Extra Yeast- Active Dry $.75
Wheat Germ- $0.53

All my makings came to $5.
Im about to begin... ill keep yu posted. cherish is begining to chop stuff for the pasta which will also be on another post later tonight!
Stay tuned.