Food Rules #56-60

We are almost at the end of "Food Rules"...these last couple of entries are from section 3 of the book, which is subtitled "HOW should I eat?" . To this question Pollan answers "Not too much". Here are the next 4 rules to consider:

56. Limit snacks to Unprocessed plant foods (vegetables, fruits & nuts)
57. Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does - I didn't realize this (although it does make sense) but gas stations sell way more snacks and 20oz bottles of sugary drinks than they ever do gas. I'd like to think that it's because we are using public transit, carpooling & biking more - but I think it's more likely that we're just eating in our car more - reaching for the cheap stuff to tide us over because we don't have the time to sit and eat a meal.
58. Do all your eating at a table. See Rule 57.
59. Try not to eat alone. We eat less around a communal table, when conversation and other distraction is involved and we're more prone to overeat when we are alone.
60. Treat treats as Treats. Pollan suggests going by the "S Policy" - no snacks, no seconds, no sweets except on days that begin with the letter 'S'. This rule is harder for me to follow, not becuase I love sweets but because I like to snack. I'm just trying to keep my snacking to more healthy foods like nuts, yogurt & dried fruits.

So there you have it! We'll have the last 4 rules from this book before year end, I promise! Then onto a new blog series in 2011.

Food Rules #51-55

Here are the next 5 Rules in part 3 (How Should I Eat?) of Pollan's book Food Rules, along with some of my comments on said rules:

Food Rules #51: Spend as much time preparing the meal as you took to prepare it. One of the big reasons why I enjoy dining out is because I can often make the mealtime last longer, lingering over each course and savoring each plate. However, eating out gets expensive, so I'm cooking a lot more at home. Cooking for me is cathartic, so I enjoy the ritual of it. Now I'm challenging myself to enjoy the eating part of it just as much, in terms of the time it takes to eat meals I prepare. Still working on that, especially since eating more slowly makes me eat less because I'm more aware of when I'm getting full.

Food Rules #52: Buy smaller plates & glasses. This works! I have started to use a salad plate at home for my meals instead of the larger dinner plates and I do eat less. I will often choose the larger wine glass though. Don't know if that will ever change...

Food Rules #53: Serve a proper portion and don't go back for seconds. I am getting better at this and it's easier to do so following the 2 rules above. Pollan suggests if you are going to go for 2nds, wait a few minutes before doing so because you may find you are not as hungry as you thought and you may actually eat less that way.

Food Rules #54: "Breakfast like a king. Lunch like a prince. Dinner like a pauper". This is a REALLY hard rule for me to follow, since I am usually getting ready in the mornings with little time to get to work and because I have so much to do before actually opening the shop. And because I skip meals and eat dinner late at night. I do find that eating breakfast, even if it's a smoothie, puts me less hungry later in the day than if I don't. If I had a lunch hour I might be able to follow this more easily. And I'm going to try, as Pollan says front-loading eating early in the day helps us consume fewer calories over the course of the day.

Food Rules #55: Eat meals. Ah yes, mealtime. What's that? One study showed 20% of American's eating took place in a car. We are stretched for time, plain & simple. Even on road trips, we're encouraged more to eat in the car as opposed to dining in somewhere. But getting further and further away from the Big Three (breakfast, lunch & dinner) pushes us more towards unnecessary snacking, drinking (sodas, etc)...usually on the unhealthy side of things.

These rules sound so simple and there was once a time, in my life at least, that they were very easy to follow. But we're busy, cash-strapped and we don't make time, quite honestly. I try to make up for it for cooking well later in the day, but again, it's usually a late dinner.

What about you? Do you make sure you take the hour for lunch? Do you always have time to eat a good breakfast? What about dinner - mostly take out or cooking at home? Do you make a big batch of something early in the week and freeze it or have leftovers the rest of the week? And what are any tricks you can share?

December Staff Selection

Oleum Vitae Olive Oils 10% off All Month Long!

The Oleum Vitae olive oils from Spain are very unique, very flavorful and very fun stocking stuffers! We currently carry the Chive, the Tomato and the Coffee versions and I love them all for different reasons. The chive oil adds a nice bit of herbaceous acidity to dishes like risotto, or for dressings & marinades. A drizzle over creamy risotto adds a nice fresh flavor. The tomato is fabulous drizzled over pizza or fresh ricotta gnocchi. My favorite? The oil infused with Kenyan Coffee was amazing over Chocolate Almond Ice Cream - it added depth and another layer of flavor that was surprisingly good. I also think it works well with Jamon Serrano or a coffee-rubbed steak. These oils are a steal at $9.99 each and, through the month of December, they are 10% off!


Here are some recipe ideas (just substitute the Oleum Vitae oils for those mentioned):

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/White-Onion-Soup-with-Chive-Oil-15102

http://foodandpaper.blogspot.com/2007/03/spring-fever-tagliatelle-with-chive-oil.html

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000523763

http://www.food52.com/recipes/2007_cowboy_rubbed_rib_eye_with_chocolate_stout_pan_sauce

La Mancha Oro Brand Saffron 10% off All Month Long!

This month our Staff Selection was made by David Manikow

Saffron is often referred to as the "King of Spice" and rightfully so. Its flavor profile is so unique that most people are not able to completely express it, and it has a variety of uses in cooking & baking, as well as in health remedies and pigments. It's also the most expensive spice in the world, due to the labor-intensive cultivation methods. Each strand of saffron has to be hand-plucked from the Crocus flower and thousands of the strands go into a single ounce!

Saffron can be grown in many parts of the world, including France, India, Italy, Spain and even parts of the USA, with its origins from ancient Persia. The La Mancha region of Spain is famous for its high quality saffron as well as Kashmir and Iran. Its beautiful red color and distinct powerful aroma make it a treat to use.

Since saffron is so expensive, it's reassuring that you only need a little bit in cooking/baking. When working with saffron, it's best to steep the strands for at least 20 minutes before utilizing it in a recipe. While the aroma and flavor of the spice will be released after this amount of time, the full effect will last for up to 2 hours. I personally love making cream-based sauces with saffron, but some other complementary flavors are almonds, apples, cinnamon, citrus, fish stocks, most grains, potatoes and white wine. You can also use it to make your own infusions of vodka (think Bloody Mary's), honeys, syrups and other fun and tasty things! We also have a nice selection of saffron infused items in addition to the Mancha-Oro brand of saffron (from La Mancha, Spain) at Provenance, so come on by and check it all out! Cheers!


Here are some recipe ideas:

Cream of Cauliflower Soup with Saffron
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cream-of-Cauliflower-Soup-with-Saffron-107622

Coconut Cake with Saffron Cream
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/coconut-cake-with-saffron-cream

Chocolate Saffron Pots de Creme
http://www.food52.com/recipes/2723_chocolate_saffron_pots_de_creme_with_honey_cream_and_sea_salt

Chicken Scaloppine with Saffron Cream Sauce
http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-scaloppine-with-saffron-cream-sauce-giada-289804

Food Rules #45-50

We're nearing the finish line of Food Rules! As you may recall, the 3rd and final section of Pollan's book, Food Rules, is subtitled "How Should I Eat?" And funnily enough, lots of self-help and beauty mags have touted these rules already...not to mention our physicians and nutritionists. I'm going to summarize several points at a time for the next couple of blog entries (not because I want to finish the book before the end of the year!) since these next several rules are pretty short & to the point.

Rule #45: ...Eat less (caloric restriction slows aging)
Rule #46: Stop eating before you're full (other cultures have sayings and practices that advise to eat til we are 67-80% full. And I think about those meals where I eat so much I'm actually uncomfortable! I'm trying to limit my food intake at meals and not go back for 2nds)
Rule #47: Eat when you are hungry and not when you are bored (THIS is my downfall! One trick I've learned? Drink a glass of water. Many times when we think we are hungry we're really a little dehydrated. It often works!)
Rule #48: Consult your gut. (Slow down; take smaller portions so you eat less and not feel obliged to eat the entire plate of a very large portion; take at least 20 minutes to eat your meal)
Rule #49: Eat slowly. (Savor your food; chew slowly - treat your bites of food like you are tasting wine: chew it up thoroughy and let the flavors permeate your mouth; put down your fork between bites)
Rule #50: The banquet is in the first bite. (Savor your bites longer and more slowly for the first few and stop eating sooner than you might otherwise)

So there you have it: rules 45-50. Pretty straightforward but applied regularly will help reduce our intake of food & thus calories, cut back on waste and help tighten our belts in more ways than one. Next week we'll see more of these simple and straightforward rules.

October Staff Selection: See Smell Taste Spices & Salts

This month's staff selection is from Jeff Tabels. Jeff chose the See Smell Taste line of spices & salts, which are 15% off the entire month! Read on for his flavor experience and some recipe ideas:

"Ahhh…fall, a wonderful season that’s all too brief here in Chicago. I love SEEing all the beautiful colors, the SMELL of the crisp breeze and the TASTE of what’s in season. They all come together to have a little fun with our taste buds. We are coming to an end of another season. The farmers market will end this month. (Here’s to hoping for another winter’s market.)

The shop started to carry a new line of spices that caught my eye. These tiny little tins of flavor are brought to us by SEE. SMELL. TASTE. (Irony intended). The goal of this company is to “offer the world’s highest quality herbs and spices”. They also state that “traceability and research are very important”. Check out their website: seesmelltaste.com. We have several of their spices and salts that make a person take notice. They provide whole spices as well as spice blends.

Fresh spices make a world of difference. The whole nutmeg and allspice would liven up any fruit butter or apple pie, not to mention all the amazing squash that is in season. Try roasting a butternut or acorn squash with butter and salt, then add a few quick swipes on the micro-plane and its flavor central. Or roast a few shallots and garlic cloves along with and all you need to do is throw all the vegetables in with a little stock. A quick go around with the emulsifier, finish with a little cream and you have got one delicious soup that is just steeping with the flavor of fall.

One spice blend I’ve had a chance to play around with is the Golden Vadouvan. A great blend of “aromatics and curry spices”. At a cook out recently I decided to give this stuff a whirl. I paired it with some beautiful scallops. At first I was thinking a marinade but didn’t want these two dynamos to fight for attention. Instead I went with curry butter and gave a healthy baste at the end.

On a side note, there was some concern about this idea. As some of my guests found out (afterwards of course) I have never cooked scallops before! Thanks to my wife hovering ever so diligently over my shoulder with advice, as well as constantly poking and prodding them we pulled it off wonderfully.

After the addition of this vibrantly colored, beautifully fragrant butter it was magic. The combination of the spices and seafood was unbelievable, visually and in taste.

I have to admit I used this Golden Vadouvan up quickly. Try some Quick Pickled White Turnips. They take the color on the outside and the flavor all the way through. Kind of like a smoke ring on a juice brisket after hours of smoking. When sliced and served on a relish try or salad great taste and a visual component that will pique your interest.

I have a few more that I bought that I can’t wait to throw into the ring. A Harissa Mix Based on the North African hot sauce. I’m thinking a nice crust for a pan seared whitefish or in the crispy crunch goodness of fried chicken. Also a curious thing called “Grains of Paradise”. After poking them with a stick for awhile I ate one and instantly thought red meat.

Spices in general are a great way to add depth and flavor to food. I am looking forward to playing around with all of the SEE SMELL TASTE products including a curiously named “Long Pepper”. Hmmm, that’s fun to say, Long Pepper."


Curry Butter

4 oz of butter room temperature

1-3 teaspoons Golden Vadouvan (to taste)

Blend thoroughly. Baste away.

Great with grilled seafood or vegetables.

____________________________________________

Quick-Pickled White Turnips

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

1 tablespoon salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

2-3 teaspoons Golden Vadouvan

Put all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.

While waiting for the brine to boil clean and trim the turnips. Put as many as you can in a typical mason jar.

Once the brine has come to a boil, using a funnel, carefully pour into the jar of turnips until full. Hand tighten a lid and place in the fridge overnight. A seal may form but it is not enough to store at room temperature. They should be fine for weeks in your fridge.

___________________________________________

Roasted Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato (approx 12 oz)

1 acorn squash

4 shallots

Olive oil

5-6 garlic cloves, unpeeled

3 ¾ cups chicken stock

1/2cup cream

Fresh ground spices (nutmeg, allspice, cumin, cloves)

Salt and pepper


Cut the sweet potato, squash, and shallots in half lengthwise. Brush cut sides with oil. Place, cut side down, with the garlic in a shallow roasting pan. Roast @ 375 for about 40 minute.

When cool, scope out the flesh of the potato and squash and put in sauce pan with the shallots. Peel garlic and add to the pan.

Add stock and a little salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook partially covered for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally until vegetables are very tender.

Carefully puree until smooth. Return to pan and add stir in cream.

Add salt, pepper, and your choice of spices and season to taste.

__________________________________________

Pan Fried Fish

Ingredients

1 large or two small skin-on fish fillets, about 8 ounces (rainbow trout, small salmon, brown trout)
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Harissa Mix
Flour for dredging
2 tablespoon Canola oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons capers, drained
1 lemon, juiced

Directions

Heat a heavy pan over medium high heat.

Season fish on meat side with salt and pepper. Combined flour and Harissa Mix. Use as little or as much spice as you would like. Lightly dredge fish in flour and shake off excess. When pan is good and hot, add Canola oil followed immediately by 1 tablespoon butter. As soon as foaming subsides, place fish in pan with the skin side down. Jiggle pan for the first 10 seconds to keep the fish from sticking. Cook until golden crust forms on meat. Carefully turn fish away from you and again jiggle pan for the first few seconds. Cook until skin turns golden brown. Remove to a warm plate.

Pour out the cooking fat, add remaining butter and quickly fry the capers. Remove pan from the heat, add lemon juice to pan and swirl. Pour sauce over the fish and serve.

Food Rules #44: Pay more, eat less

Rule 44 is the start of the 3rd and final section of Food Rules. This section tries to answer the question: "How should I eat?" and these rules become, for me, a bit more personal. I've been trying hard to be more conscious about what I'm putting in my body and when. I also run a business that sells foods made "the old-fashioned way" and I've made it my mission in a sense to preach the virtue of supporting small food entrepeneurs (without being too preachy, since I know that this is not necessarily a concern to many people who shop here). As my friend Dana Joy recently observed, they "are not just vendors, they’ve become my collective muse. They motivate and inspire me every day and I love that my stores are a platform for such tasty, sincere and honest work in the world."

So back to the Rule. "Pay more, eat less". It's interesting because yes, the cost of many if not most of the items on our shelves cost more than other "versions" of those items may cost somewhere else. Take for example the $9 jar of Sir Kensington's Ketchup vs. $1.99 for a 28oz squeeze bottle of Heinz. But is it really cheaper? Don't we end up paying for the tax cuts of the large conglomorates who own the factories and distribution systems which get the bottle of Heinz to grocery stores all over the world? Don't we subsidize the production of the corn that is made into HFCS? Don't we pay for the clean up of the water supply for the runoff of the chemicals from the phalates that are used to make the squeeze bottle "squeezable"? How about the health costs of kids with early onset diabetes? Ok, so maybe I am getting a bit preachy. But we need to think about these things. The phrase "nothing worth doing is easy" comes to mind. We've been so consumed as a nation about getting our food really accessible and really really cheap that until recently, we hadn't been aware of the negative impacts. We may balk at the cost of certain items that seem like they should be cheaper and think about why they aren't. Iliana forms her One Sister Pierogi by hand and makes her own dough and buys from farmers who don't use pesticides on their vegetables or hormones for their animals. The pierogi aren't filled with anything that resembles potato, then formed by machine to spit out a cheaper version of pierogi. Kris picks her own strawberries for her Nice Cream from local sustainable farms and hand labels her containers. Her ice cream is not filled with GMO-laden dairy, HFCS and run through a giant labeling machine in a factory somewhere (a factory that may also process soups and soaps). Her "factory" is the Logan Square Kitchen, an energy-efficient shared kitchen incubator that has a goal of being zero waste.

Now, I do understand that it's difficult for many of us to justify spending our little and hard-earned money on certain foods we've always deemed as "luxuries". But I challenge us all to think through why things are priced the way they are and the potential impact it has on us. And ask your grocer (that means us!) why if you don't understand the difference in price between a pint of the ice cream we sell and a gallon of Breyer's. We'll tell you the story of the producer, we know their name, the vendors and processes and ingredients they use, too. And chew on this: the average American spends 10% of their income on food, less than any other nation. Prior to WWII we spent closer to 30%. Now compare to the cost of healthcare then vs. now, environmental damage, obesity, depression...the list goes on. Even the smallest changes and awarenesses CAN help.

Ok, off my soapbox - but really, these things are important to me and through this blog I'm hoping to help educate and excite readers about why and how things can be better. At least when we're eating!

Food Rules #43: Have a glass of wine with dinner

This is the last rule of Section 2 of the book Food Rules and maybe I'm biased, but I really really like this rule. And I find it very very easy to follow! Obviously we've all heard about the presence of wine in the Mediterranean diet, particularly France & Italy...and many more of us here in America are incorporating wine into our routines. Decanter Magazine recently wrote an article about US Wine Consumption, stating that it rose 2% in 2009 (I believe that number is smaller than in should be, probably attributed to the recession). We certainly saw and continue to see wine sales grow at our shops. I attribute this to an increasingly-savvy group of wine drinkers! Our weekly wine tastings showcase wines new to the shops, many of unusual or rarely-known varietals. People are trying new things, and are really into all the great wine that's out there. More than ever we're hearing people ask for wines to match with certain dishes. People are really interested in the cynergy between wine & food, and with the weather turning and people cooking more, it's a welcome challenge to us to try to find wines that keep people trying new things but that will also complement the foods they're cooking now: risottos, more meat, fondues, soups, braised anything!

Wine can be so many things to so many people: it can be a complex drink that needs to be dissected with every glass; it can be a way to wind down at the end of a hectic day; it can just be something that complements the food we're cooking and allowing the flavors of the dish to shine through. Regardless, if you're drinking wine, let it be first be in moderation; and let it be something you enjoy! We hope our customers enjoy the $9 bottle as much as the $20 bottle, because wine should hopefully be about pleasure as much as possible!

This rule is the last before the start of the 3rd section of the book, entitled "How Should I Eat? (Not too Much)". You may recall that section 1 was called "What Should I Eat (Eat Food); Section 2 "What Kind of Food Should I Eat? (Mostly Plants)". I hope you'll continue with me on this blog thru the last few rules (there are 64 total). My goal is to wrap those up by year end so I can start a new topic to Blog about in the new year. That topic is still being decided, but it will be something that continues to be relevant to our mission here at PFW!

Food Rules #42: Regard Non-Traditional Foods w/Skepticism

Mmmm...remember Olestra? I found this on the Proctor & Gamble website:

"Olean is Procter & Gamble's brand name for olestra, a food ingredient giving foods great taste and texture without adding any fat or calories. Olestra is known as a fat replacer because it is used to replace fat in prepared foods. And, it is the first ingredient with similar properties to fat. It doesn't "break down" when subjected to high temperatures so it can be used in cooking and frying. But, like the insoluble fiber in apples, corn and bran, it is not digested by the body and passes through unchanged."

Sounds tasty, no? NO! This is essentially a chemical that was developed (in my opinion) to allow people to feel less 'guilt' for eating snack foods. Remember one of my recent posts, "Eat all the junk food you want, as long as you prepare it yourself"? Well, this is a good reason to heed that rule.

Pollan also writes about soy "novelty" ingredients that comprise the label of some foods. Why not just eat soy in it's traditional form, like tofu, tempeh and soy sauce? You'll also notice soy lecithin showing up in a lot of chocolate. This acts as an emulsifier and many small-batch chocolate makers don't use it. And I think they are better off for not doing so. Taste any of the single-origin chocolate bars we carry at the shops (Claudio Corallo, Askinosie & Rogue) and you'll realize chocolate this exquisite (and that is the first word that comes to mind when I taste these chocolates) doesn't need the soy lecithin.

Read more about these amazing chocolates here:

http://www.claudiocorallo.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1&Itemid=2&lang=en

http://www.askinosie.com/

http://www.roguechocolatier.com/about/

Food Rules #41: Eat more like the French. Or the Japanese. Or the Italians. Or the Greeks.

I like this rule. I love all types of cuisine so this rule is easy for me to follow. Pollan's point? That compared to many other food cultures, the Western diet is heavy on processed foods and low on nutritional diversity. We also tend to eat a heck of a lot more often in our cars! Not just that what the bulk of Americans eat is different from other societies (though I am betting the percentage of people eating more processed food in other countries gets larger each year) but that how we eat is very different from other cultures. We always hear how the French and Italian mealtimes are lengthy and slow paced...compare that with the picture many of our commercials paint with mom or dad rushing home from work to put dinner on the table for the family, namely the kids who are rushing in from various activities...it kinda makes me stressed just watching it!

I remember as a kid eating dinner with my family - nothing ever overly-elaborate (Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, anyone?) almost every night (and both my parents always worked). I remember even more fondly going to my grandparents' house in rural Ohio and our big extended family dinners with numerous aunts & uncles and cousins (I remember peeling lots of potatoes, that's for sure!). Dinner was usually prepared for close to 20, including kids and after each meal the adults (& 'big kids') got to sit around afterwards and talk while the younger kids washed dishes. I loved the relaxed feeling those mealtimes - kind of like the long, lingering holiday mealtimes - brought. I enjoy taking my time, especially if I've cooked or helped to cook a meal. I wish I could find a happy medium with some Chicago restaurants with regards to the length of the meal. I want to be able to sit for a few minutes before being bombarded with drink/appetizer/dinner requests. I want the luxury of sitting for a while between courses and not having the server snatch up my plate while there is still food on it, even though I may still be eating. But I also don't want to wait for an hour after the meal to get my check. As usual, I digress...

But to get back to Pollan's point about paying attention to how other cultures eat: mealtimes may take a lot longer but portions are smaller, eating more slowly helps minimize over eating. And I would argue that eating real, whole foods leaves us more satisfied than merely the dinner from a bucket or plastic bag. I am certain the #1 retort to this from many of you would be "But who has time?" I don't have children to get washed and ready for bed at a reasonable hour. I know how to cook with a few simple ingredients and I'm not overwhelmed or intimidated by cooking. But I would argue that a little pre-planning, creativity and sense of humor does wonders! I think the idea should be to just see what things we can easily change with a little planning, with incorporating others into the meal prep and making a point to add conversation and calm into our meal time. That has to be worth something, I'm sure!

Food Rules #40: Be the kind of person who takes supplements - then skip the supplements

Hmmm...so, Pollan says that even though studies tell us that people who take supplements are generally healthier than people who don't, yet that in controlled studies supplements don't appear to be effective. He backs that up with an interesting point, though: that people who take supplements already have an active, healthy lifestyle and diet.

At any rate, you should decide for yourself. Tomorrow, Sept 12, Green Grocer hosts Naturopathic doctor Stephanie Draus for a presentation called "Making Sense of Supplements". I've had the pleasure of working with Stephanie in the past and she knows her stuff! Why not head over to Green Grocer and find out more information on how supplements may or may not be a good alternative for you. The event is free and the shop is great, too!

http://www.greengrocerchicago.com/events.html

Food Rules #39: Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself

So, it's ok to eat "junk food"? "Yes", says Pollan, provided you make it yourself. What we consider junk food has become so cheap and easy to get that many people are eating it on a regular basis - and it's loaded with empty calories, carbs, sugar, HFCS and sodium. I just got back from an amazing BBQ in southern Tennessee where everything was made from scratch - the 24 slow-smoked pork shoulders with BBQ sauce, potato salad, cole slaw - even Jambalaya! I'm not sure if BBQ would be considered junk food or comfort food, but it was so good and not only could I taste the difference between what was served and the store-bought stuff, I appreciated the time and effort put into those dishes. I'll take that kind of junk food any day.

Pollan argues that if we all took the time to make our own junk food rather than buy it, we'd eat a lot less of it (not to mention all the extra "junk" we'd keep out of our bodies). Take mac n' cheese, nachos & pie for example. You can make versions of these at home so easily and I'll bet you'll enjoy these dishes so much more (and impress your friends & family!). Here's how:

1. Use our "Odds 'n Ends" or other small-shaped pasta with a quick bechamel http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/White-Sauce-or-Bechamel-Sauce-40046 sauce and whatever odd pieces of cheese you have in your fridge. Cook the pasta, mix with grated cheeses and bechamel, and bake in a lightly-buttered oven-proof dish at 350 until cheese is melted and top slightly browned.

2. Put a layer of our El Jinete tortilla chips on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil, top with any of all of the following, available at Provenance: shredded cheddar or manchego cheese, Rick's Picks heat seekers (pickled jalapenos), crumbled Dona Juana sobresada, pork rillette, sliced piquillo or red peppers, chopped piparra peppers, Tomato Mountain salsa. Put under broiler til cheese is melted & viola! Top with creme fraiche if desired.

3. Slice fresh seasonal fruit; mix together 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup sugar,
1/2 cup sliced almonds (2 oz), 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Put mixture over fruit in a lightly-buttered oven proof dish; bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Top with creme fraiche or Nice Cream.

How's that for easy junk food!?

Provenance September Staff Selection

Upton's Naturals 10% off All Month Long!


Read on for staffer Aaron Golding's selection this month:

"We're eating Satan?" I said. My mind immediately thought of a horned beast on a spit slowly roasting over a fire. "Not Satan, seitan (pronounced say-tan). It's good," a vegan friend said as she placed her version of a sausage, peppers, and onions sandwich in front of me. A few sprigs of arugula lined the opening of the bun. Beyond the arugula foliage I could see the red and green peppers intertwined with the soft and translucent onions.
I lifted the sandwich to have a bite. The Midwestern values instilled in me at birth demanded that I eat whatever was placed in front of me. It would be rude not to. This wasn't my first encounter with faux-meat. I have memories of that one Thanksgiving when a vegetarian family member persuaded me to try the log-shaped tofu-turkey roast. If anything they solidified my love for pork, poultry, lamb, and beef because nothing faux ever seemed to come close to the real thing.

My vegan friend watched me as I took the first bite, anticipating my approval. The sweet scent of sautéed peppers and onions filled my nostrils. Everything seemed right. If I closed my eyes the smell was what I would expect from a sausage, peppers, and onions sandwich. My incisors pierced the bread and tore away the first bite. I chewed. And chewed. And what I pleasantly discovered was a pretty damn good sandwich. The peppers and onions were cooked to perfection. The arugula added a little kick up front. She'd drizzled a little balsamic just over the veggies to give them a little zip. But the star of the show was the meat- I mean, seitan. I was confused. This wasn't the faux-whatever I had encountered before. The texture and flavors were there. "This is really good," I mumbled through a mouthful (another Midwestern faux-pas). I proceeded to devour the sandwich and then inquire as to the possibility of another.

So when I started working at Provenance Food & Wine, I was happy to discover that we carry Upton's Naturals Seitan. I bought a package of the Italian Sausage-Style and recreated at home the sandwich that changed me from a strict meat-a-saurus to an equal opportunity protein eater. Don't get me wrong, I still love steaks and chicken and Carolina-Style pulled pork sandwiches with slaw and just a dab of hot pepper sauce - yum - but now I mix in a little seitan into my diet and am just as happy with my meal as when I am eating meat. Unlike tofu masquerading as meat, Seitan is different. Upton's Naturals describes it as, "a traditional Japanese product made from the protein in wheat (aka gluten). With an impressively meat-like texture and robust flavor, seitan is both high in protein and low in fat without the cholesterol associated with meat." It's its own thing, and dates back centuries to Buddhist Monks looking for a meat alternative.

Upton's Naturals, based in Skokie, IL, uses all-natural ingredients that are GMO-free. It's high in protein and low in all the stuff you'd want it to be low in, like fat and carbs. It gives you a lot of bang for your buck. I use it as a substitute in any dish, mix it in with cheeses to make lasagna, stuffed shells, enchiladas, tacos, and chili. The consistency favors a dish that would have crumbly or ground meat, although I'm thinking of using some egg to hold it together and see if I can create a meatball out of it. I used it as a pizza topping the other night. I fed some to my fiancé, who is strictly a meat-and-potatoes-kind-of-girl, without telling her that it was seitan and not ground sausage. She couldn't tell the difference. Give it a try if you're looking for something different but remarkably familiar.

Italian Sausage-Style Seitan, Peppers, and Onions Sandwich
1 Package of Upton's Naturals Italian Sausage-Style Seitan
1 Onion, sliced
1 Green or Red Pepper. (I like red) Sliced
A hand full of Arugula
A splash of Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
Crusty rolls

Heat oil in a hot skillet and then sauté peppers and onions, adding salt and pepper, until onions become translucent and tender. Remove from pan.
Break the seitan into pieces and heat in a pan until hot. This won't take very long.
Assemble sandwich. Line the bottom of the bread with seitan. Stack peppers and onions on top and then add a few sprigs of arugula. Lightly drizzle with balsamic. Enjoy.

Chorizo-Style and Potato Quesadilla
1 Package of Upton's Naturals Chorizo-Style Seitan
4-5 Russet Potatoes
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Onion, diced
1/2 Onion, sliced
1 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper
1 avocado
Sliced Cheese
1 package Tortillas (I like to use flour but corn works fine)
Tomato, sliced
1/2 cup salsa
Hot Sauce (if desired)
Oil

In a skillet, heat oil and add, garlic, onion, cumin and salt and pepper until onion starts to look translucent. Add salsa and then potatoes. Cook potatoes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked and edges start to take on color. Add Upton's Natural Chorizo-Style Seitan and cook for a couple more minutes until the seitan is hot.

Food Rules #38: Favor the kinds of oils & grains that have been traditionally stone ground

Pollan explains that grindstones were once the way to 'refine' flour & oil, and that more fiber & nutrients are left in those that are not refined by modern chemical processes. Newer oils tend to have more additives, too.

Try using avocado, sesame, peanut or extra virgin olive oils for cooking. Again, avoid refined white flour (so similar to sugar!) and try to eat more whole grains and oils like these that contain more favorable fatty acids.

That's it for today - Short & sweet! But I'll try to get one more blog post in before the Labor Day weekend. Enjoy this holiday with family & friends!

Food Rules #37: "The whiter the bread, the sooner you'll be dead"

Boy, what a title for a chapter, eh? The title, explains Pollan, comes from a cross-cultural bit of 'grandmotherly' advice, which suggests that other generations have been quite aware of the benefits of whole grains and the lack of nutrition white flour provides. Now I know plenty of people (myself included) who wax nostalgic about sandwiches from their childhood on soft, doughy white bread. Me? Cold meatloaf and ketchup sandwiches on squishy white bread. My husband talks about the fried bologna sandwiches on Wonder Bread he had as a kid. And what about Miracle Whip & Chipped Ham on white bread? Certain tastes/combinations can harken warm memories of being a kid...but I'm a little smarter now in terms of my food choices and I understand the lack of nutritional value that squishy bread has.

Bleached flour shows up in many grocery items as well. And most of us know and understand the benefits of eating whole grains: spelt (aka farro) is one of my favorite grains. Quinoa, wild rice, sorghum (we just brought in a sorghum syrup at PFW that is great on pancakes or biscuits)...ever had amaranth? Vella Cafe had amaranth pancakes that were to die for. There is a long list of whole grains and how you can prepare them. Using a homemade chicken or veggie stock adds another layer of flavor. We also carry red and black quinoa, which makes for a great presentation (and lots of protein!)

I've heard a lot of people complain about the lack of good bread in Chicago, too. There are a myriad of bakeries in the city, but many of them just carry the too-soft, slightly doughy style of baguettes that to me are devoid of flavor and good texture. They're also really cheap. You can definitely taste the difference when a good quality flour (and skill!) are used. And sure, some recipes work better with a bleached vs unbleached flour. But to circle back to Pollan's point, we should strive to include more whole grains in our diets than we do. Eating whole vs processed (i.e. bleached) foods is better for our overall health, decreasing our risk of certain diseases.

But I wouldn't turn down a cold meatloaf sandwich with Heinz ketchup on Wonder Bread right about now, though.

Food Rules #36: Don't Eat Breakfast Cereals that Change the Color of the Milk

And so once again I find myself having to apologize for not keeping up with this blog. But summer's keeping me busy! Last night, though, a repeat of the Oprah show featuring Michael Pollan was on and it guilted me into writing the next segment of this blog. Well, not quite, because I really enjoy reading and blogging about his book "Food Rules"...but it was still another reminder for me.

This latest rule is titled "Don't Eat Cereals that Change the Color of Milk". Now I must say I was a fan of Count Chocula, Fruit Loops & Fruity Pebbles as a kid. So sweet & delicious. I remember really liking how the texture went from crunchy to somewhat soft to totally soaked in milk, then drinking the little bit of milk from the bottom of the bowl. I haven't eaten cereal in years. But if asked, I'd say my favorite is Cheerios. Now the thought of drinking that pink or blue milk kinda grosses me out. Pollan's point, though is that cereals which change the color of the milk are obviously chock full of chemical additives, refined sugars and empty carbs. If I want to eat bright green or blue or pink I'm looking for kiwi or Michigan blueberries or lady apples.

But what if you are like Seinfeld and LOVE your cereal? Well, I guess at least go for whole grain cereals that aren't neon in color. Try making your own, like this recipe I found on epicurious.com: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mixed-Grain-and-Wild-Rice-Cereal-1435

You could also try making granola. This is actually a great tie in (surprise!) to our August staff selection at the shops, which is Milk & Honey Granola. We sell through several bags a day of this stuff, and I've heard more than one person's claim that this is the best granola they've ever tasted. This month you receive 1/2 off a bag when you buy another bag of granola at full price. We carry 4 flavors, each of them delicious, each made with real ingredients, with little else but dried fruit, nuts, honey & oats. And I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed that your milk isn't anything but white when you get to the bottom of the bowl!

August Staff Selection

Read on for staffer Melissa Yen's selection this month:

I love putting out the word about things that I am passionate about, which is (mostly) always food. Picking a staff selection was a pretty difficult thing to do, because Provenance carries so many great items. I tend to go home with something new every week. Nothing like leaving your paycheck at work! Speaking of work, I have two jobs, the other being at Milk and Honey Granola. I love working at two amazing, small local businesses, both run by incredible women. You see where this is going, don't you? Yes, Milk and Honey Granola is my staff pick, with full disclosure of course.I am just that honest. I really won't eat any other granola. You know the problem: no one else bakes it enough. All other granolas taste like raw oats to me! I have ranted and raved about this before. People are afraid to put color on their baked goods, cookies, pies, and granola. People, that is where the flavor is, in the caramelization of those lovely sugars. Don't be afraid to leave it in the oven for five more minutes. It's not going to hurt it.

I have spent many a shift making that lovely caramelized granola, back in the day when there was only one flavor and we shared a space with Terry's Toffee, another great product that Provenance carries. I won't tell you how many pieces of toffee I "sampled", McCall's Dark is my favorite. One day I baked granola for eight hours straight by myself! I think we were making the granola in thirty pound batches back then. So thirty pounds times at least five times; I don't even know how many batches that equaled. Math is not my forte, plus I lost track. The hardest part was not losing track when I counted cups of oats and honey and brown sugar. My mind tends to wander, as you may know if you read my blog, That's Not Lettuce. It tends to have lots of tangents, like this one here. Back to the important business at hand, Milk and Honey Granola. Funny, the part I remember most about that day is all the sheet pans I had to wash! I don't do any of the baking these days, but I do smell it baking all day long. Do you know how hard it is to resist that smell every day. Believe me, I don't. I can usually make it until after lunch, but then I break down and have to have at least a handful or two or three.

Eating Milk and Honey Granola right out of the bag is one of my favorite ways of enjoying it, although I would like to leave you with other ways to use granola, besides a snack or a topping for yogurt.

The easiest way to switch up your breakfast granola routine is to serve it hot, like oatmeal. You might want to try this once the temperatures drop a little. Just bring one cup of any type of milk to a simmer on the stovetop and add in half a cup of Milk and Honey Granola. Cook to desired consistency. You may need to tweak the recipe to fit your tastes. I like the combo of Vegan Papaya Cashew with almond milk.

Another way I love Milk and Honey granola is in cookies. How could you not? Why use boring old oatmeal, when you could add some crunch and excitement with granola! You can use any flavor, but I like the Blueberry Pecan best. You have to remove the dried blueberries as they have been baked into the granola. If you bake them again, they will get very hard. (I learned this the hard way. Poor little tooth!)


Chocolate Chunk-Granola Cookies
4 cups flour
4 cups Milk & Honey Blueberry Pecan Granola (remove dried blueberries)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 lb unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups dark chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Beat the butter and both sugars together in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture. Add dry ingredients until just blended. Add the chocolate. Spoon onto buttered or non-stick cookie sheets and bake in heated oven until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.


In this fruit crisp recipe, feel free to sub out whatever fruit is in season, as we just missed strawberries and rhubarb. I think this would be great with peaches and the Cinnamon Raisin Granola.
Carol's Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp


I thought this last recipe was so cool and very creative. And it showcases that granola is not just for breakfast anymore! It makes the perfect homemade gift. You can get some pretty ribbon at the fabric store and cellophane bags from the container store and you're in business! You do need a candy thermometer for this recipe, but don't let that scare you. You can pick one up at Sur la Table or The Chopping Block.
Happy gift making!

Maple Granola Brittle
Special equipment: nonstick bakeware liner (Silpat), candy thermometer, parchment paper
3 cups of original mix Milk and Honey Granola
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup pure maple syrup
½ cup fresh orange juice
¼ tsp salt
½ stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

Line a baking sheet with nonstick liner. Cook brown sugar, syrup, orange juice and salt in a 4 or 6 qt heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon (be careful of splatters; mixture will be extremely hot) until the thermometer reads 285 to 290 degrees, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and add the butter and stir until butter dissolves. Then, quickly add the granola and stir until well coated. Immediately pour onto the liner, then cover the mixture with a piece of parchment paper. Roll out mixture with a rolling pin to ¼ inch thickness. Peel off parchment paper. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Break brittle into large pieces.

Food Rules #35: Eat Sweet Foods as You Find Them in Nature

With this rule, Pollan talks about eating whole fruits as opposed to drinking their juices - we tend to drink more of the juice because we feel less full, taking in more calories and less fiber. He also declares "there's no such thing as a healthy soda."

I will generally agree with those statements, however at home I find I'm more likely to make a smoothie in the morning in lieu of making a full meal for breakfast. I like the fact that I can put much more fruit in the smoothie and drink that than I would otherwise eat. Since I may not get a meal for several more hours (many times not until dinner because I am at work all day and being self-employed don't always get a 'lunch hour') I would rather have the smoothie to make sure I'm getting more servings of fruits & veggies.

As for soda...I hardly ever drink canned or bottled soda. I will have a can of Coca Cola every once and a while (like when I'm out the night before imbibing!) but I love sparkling water. I will drink twice as much water if it's sparkling than still. I don't know why - maybe because it's more like a cocktail? - but then I find myself feeling guilty about the added costs & waste from drinking bottled drinks. We recently got a Soda Stream at home and I LOVE it! The initial cost was $100 for the setup, which comes with 1 CO2 canister that makes approximately 100 1L bottles (50 2 liters) using tap water. Once the CO2 is out, you can exchange it for a full canister for around $15. That brings it to around 30 cents a 2 liter, unflavored. The Soda Stream came with several packets of 'flavored' sweeteners, which sounded unappealing until I tried them and now I find them utterly disgusting. Too sweet, too saccharin-y, and just plain HFSC. Instead, if I want a flavored soda, I add either one of the June Taylor syrups we sell at the shops or one of the many flavors a friend of mine has been having me test for her new line of syrups coming out this fall. I like that I can adjust the sweetness level to my taste (I like just a hint of flavor) as well as the carbonation, that there is so much less waste and I'm actually using tap water. I highly recommend getting a Soda Stream - in fact, some friends and I were recently joking that we're going to try and make our own sparkling wine at home with it as an 'experiment'...but I digress...

Here is a good article on making flavored syrups at home. In case you want to prove Pollan wrong and make your own sodas at home with fruit & herb syrups!

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100721/LIVING/707219976/1065/LIVING01

Food Rules #34: Salt & Sweeten Your Food Yourself

The levels of sodium and sugar in some foods & drinks are outrageous! If products have to sit on shelves for months (nay, years?) on end, they need to retain their "flavor"...hence the high levels of sodium in many canned & jarred foods. Try keeping those foods to a minimum in your diet, eating fresh foods, or foods with no added salt or sugar. You'll find that just a light sprinkling of non-iodized sea salt, a squirt of lemon/lime or fresh herbs will give it that extra flavor. Now, I LOVE salt. But I would much rather add it myself so I can taste it or better yet, so that it heightens the flavor of food, rather than NOT tasting it in a jar or can of prepared soup or sauce that has such a high salt content but that doesn't taste "salty".

Try this while we're able to get great seasonal produce in Chicago right now: steam or blanch veggies til they are crisp-tender, then taste. Still need the salt? Try sprinkling a touch of fleur de sel, smoked salt or another one of our flavored salts on them. Or, saute in a good olive oil. Simplicity at it's best! Fresh fruit at it's peak has so much natural sweetness you can balance it out with a dollop of creme fraiche or homemade whipped cream (no sugar added). Divine! We carry creme fraiche & Kilgus Heavy Cream regularly.

Also, read your labels. Try to avoid high-sodium and high-sugar (or artificially-sweetened) added products. Simplify. TASTE the real food!

July Staff Selection: Bron's Honey from Heritage Prairie Farm in Elburn, IL

From staffer staffer Jane Roberts comes our selection this month:

Bron's Raw Honey- Nature's perfect health food!

I first became curious about raw honey a few years ago when I began hearing more and more about its medicinal uses and health benefits, such as the power of local honey to combat seasonal allergies, or how a spoonful of honey could have the same effect as cough syrup for sore throats and coughs, and how its anti-bacterial properties made it a useful salve for cuts and burns. Loaded with antioxidants, raw honey is the healthiest choice among the various forms. It has the most nutritional value, and actually contains amylase, an enzyme concentrated in flower pollen, which helps digest starchy foods such as bread.

But wait! There's more! It also happens to be delicious!!!

My favorite local honey by far is Bron's Raw Honey from Bron's Bees, based at Heritage Prairie Farm in La Fox Illinois, with honey coming directly from the prairies of the Midwest. At the shop, we carry their raw buckwheat honey (with a deep rich flavor closer to molasses) as well as a raw honey infused with sage, both of which are really tasty, but I picked the plain raw honey because I love how versatile it is. Its mild flavor lends itself so well to any dish where a hint of sweet is what you want. Marinades, dressings, in baked goods as a sugar substitute, drizzled over pancakes, goat cheese, fruit, you name it! Provenance has its own hive with the farm too. Our hive's honey and honeycomb should be in the shops by August. How cool is that! Here are a few summer recipes that incorporate raw honey, adding a delicious little dose of sweet, healthy goodness to summer cooking adventures!

Save 10% all month long on all types of Bron's Honey in stock.

Food Rules #33:Eat some foods that have been predigested by bacteria or fungi

...otherwise known as "Gee, I love the titles to Pollan's chapters". I must talk an awful lot about food with my friends because each time I read thru another section of this book, I think to myself: "wow! I was just talking with someone about this!" So, yeah, my friend Nancy met with a nutritionist (I hope this isn't some big secret or anything, Nancy!) who told her about the great digestive benefits of fermented foods and probiotics. Actually, we were talking about how eating these types of foods helped with how our bodies can sometimes feel after a night of heavy drinking, which Nancy & I sometimes, on very limited occasions, do. Sauerkraut, yogurt, soy sauce, sourdough bread, kimchi...all foods that have been "transformed" by microorganisms. They also help strengthen immune systems, aid against allergic reactions & inflammation, and let's face it, add lots of great variety, texture and flavor to our diets. Interesting that several of these foods show up in many European and Asian countries' diets.

I'm going to give this relatively-simple recipe a shot when I can get heads of cabbage at the farmer's market this season. This should be great with all those Cedar Valley brats I have in my freezer! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sauerkraut-recipe/index.html Then I can drink several beers and not worry about how my body might feel the next day. Right?

Food Rules #32: Don't overlook the little oily fishes

Mackerel, sardines, anchovies...all little oily fish, high in omega 3s and fortunately not the ones that tend to be overfished like tuna, sea bass & swordfish (which also tend to have higher mercury levels). I thought I never liked sardines (some fuzzy memory of my dad eating a smelly, slimy & overly salty version from a can in the 70s...with peanut butter!). But I had fresh grilled sardines on vacation once and now when I see them on menus at restaurants I know really take pride in fresh ingredients, I do crave them. The same goes for anchovies. I am not a big fan of the ones packed in salt, that have a very strong flavor. But vinegar & oil marinated white anchovies? Delicious. So delicate with a lovely briny quality. At the shops we carry Matiz sardines in a can and people buy them 4 or 5 at a time sometimes. We also have marinated white anchovies from Ortiz, a Spanish producer that now uses sustainable fishing methods for all their products, including an amazing tuna in olive oil. Try the white marinated anchovies on top of tomato and herb bruschetta, or on a salad.

By the way, if you are curious about which fish are a better choice to get when you are out at a restaurant or buying them to prepare at home, the Shedd Aquarium has a "Right Bite" Seafood Wallet Card for keeping on your person. Download the card for free at http://www.sheddaquarium.org/pdf/Shedd_seafood_wallet_card_2009-2010.pdf. Dirk's Fish on Clyborn also has started including info on fishing & sustainability in their display cases, which makes it much easier for me to decide what I'm making when I go there.

June Staff Selection: Quinoa!

Our June Staff Selection was chosen by Nicole Benjamin:

So many grains, so little time. What's a girl to do?
Growing up in an Assyrian family hailing from Iran, rice was, without question, king. It still is one of my go-to comfort foods, but as I grew up, I learned the importance (and excitement) of playing the field. As of late, I've been spending a lot of time exploring the natural wonders of quinoa, courtesy of River River Farms. Quinoa was a staple of the ancient Incas, who referred to it as "the mother grain."
Makes perfect sense as it contains more protein than any other grain.
Furthermore, because it contains all 8 essential amino acids, it's a complete protein. And since the flavor is rather mellow (dare I say, bland), it's quite versatile & may be used in salads, baked goods, as a side, or even for breakfast. Plus, it's a suitable replacement for couscous, bulgur or...rice. Sweet! Summer is a great opportunity to play around with this mighty grain as it's a perfect accompaniment to whatever might be on the grill. See my suggested recipes and then let the creativity flow based on your own taste proclivities.
Rice River Farms is a fabulous, family-owned and family-oriented business headquartered in Spooner WI. We carry all 3 quinoa varieties that they offer - golden, black & red. The only difference is the color, so get your grain on and see where the exploration takes you.

Stop by the shops in June for 10% off Rice River Farms quinoa.

NOTE: Now we all know that grains must be rinsed prior to cooking.
This is an important and imperative step prior to cooking quinoa.
Quinoa seeds are coated with saponins, which are naturally-occurring plant chemicals that keep insects from eating the plant. Saponins left intact make for a very bitter taste, so definitely have a bowl or fine mesh strainer handy for rinsing. Here's more info & recipe ideas:

http://www.riceriverfarms.com/recipes/153

Food Rules #31: Eat Wild Foods when you Can

Wild, foraged foods are more nutritious. So interesting that this is the next food rule I read after taking over a month to post again since Rule #30! I've gone to 2 dinners in the last week that featured foraged ingredients. Morels & ramps, in several forms. Delicious! One dinner (a preview of an up-and-coming underground dinner club) was prepared by a chef who foraged and grew several ingredients herself. And there are even full-time foragers who supply to restaurants!

Another point Pollan makes pertaining to this rule? The plants we as a modern society have omitted from our diets are mostly the bitter ones, containing higher omega-3 fatty acids, which make them less shelf-stable, turning rancid more quickly. Salad in a bag...great invention or our trying to feel like we are getting our RDA of veggies? Omnivore's Dilemma talks about how these 'mixed field green salads' in a plastic, compostable container are even sprayed with a type of gas that allows them to hold up longer, while in transport from California to our bellies here in Chicago. Mike Roper spoke this week at a "Locavore Dinner" I attended and said his restaurant, the Hopleaf, doesn't feature a "spring greens" salad on their menu in January, because there simply aren't any greens in the midwest at that time of year! And I still stand by my claim that nothing beats a salad of greens picked that day - buttery, tender and available soon at a farmer's market near you. (FULL DISCLOSURE: we do carry Earthbound Organics' salad mixes at our shops...yes, because they sell, but we also want to round out our offerings so that you can create an entire meal from what we stock. We have decided, though to at least carry organic produce whereever local/sustainable/seasonal are not possible.)

So to get back to the point about bitter greens, I'll share one last tidbit of information: when our bodies taste bitter substances (like radicchio, dandelion, mizuna & other bitter greens & foods...even bitters!) our livers instantly begins a cleanse. My friends over at Merz Apothecary preach the "bitters" gospel...their clientele includes many Eastern-European born folks in their 70s and 80s that swear by their twice-daily German or Swedish bitter shots for sickness-free living. All that aside, what about the argument that bitter is one of the primary components of a well-rounded dish or cocktail? Bitter, sour, sweet, salty (am I forgetting umami?)...each flavor dynamic contributes to a successful, balanced plate or drink.

The bitter truth...

May Staff Selection

The May PFW Staff Selection was chosen by Richard Sparks. Here's what he has to say about this month's item, Capriole Fresh Goat Cheese:

Having come from Michigan, May marks for me the first solid month of the growing season, or should I say eating season??? Everything from asparagus to rhubarb is ready for picking and serving up fresh. Just coming out of a rather depressing winter, my mouth is watering for those first snow peas, crispy arugula, and my mother’s pan-fried, buttery morel mushrooms.

May also stirs up all kinds of family food memories. My first lessons in using a paring knife came from prepping all that fresh asparagus we put up in the giant chest freezer in our garage. Being a city boy now, I long for those family treks through the woods foraging for morels. I still hold the family record for the largest blacktop found. My brother will hotly contest this claim—whatever! I also remember watching the backyard rhubarb patch grow, awaiting that first pie. Hmmmm, sounds like I need to put a bug in Jane’s (Sugarkist Pies) ear, though I am sure there is some fabulous rhubarb-based concoction in the works—HINT!

Speaking of hints, it must be time for a weekend road trip to visit the family in Michigan. Since the city farmer’s markets don’t really get going until the beginning of June, I just may have to take a cooler and load up from the many farm stands and markets along the way. Do yourselves a favor and head out to your Midwestern homestead, drink up the spring and bring home some May, seasonal favorites for your dinner table.

Can’t make it out of town or need some special ingredients for your favorite springtime recipes, stop by Provenance Food and Wine! We all love to talk about food and the perfect wine for dinner. Share with us your cooking ideas…we promise not to pry Granny’s secret recipe out of you.

Capriole Fresh Goat Cheese logs are 10% off thru the month of May.

Food Rules #30: Eat Well-Grown Food from Healthy Soil

Sure, organic soil is healthier than soils that have been treated with chemical pesticides, herbicides & the like. So eating organic local foods should be all that much better for you, right?

This Rule reminds me of Biodynamic farming. Biodynamics was essentially created in the late 1920s by Rudolf Steiner, who was approached by some farmers that expressed their frustration with how their crops were yielding less year after year, even with the invention & availability of modern fertilizers & other soil treatments. Steiner concluded that the ecosystems within these farms were out of balance by the introduction of these 'foreign' elements into the areas. Biodynamic practices help create a healthy ecosystem without the introduction of chemicals. Compost from animals living within the system, integrated pest management and several other practices help keep the soil healthy and maintain a balanced cycle that keeps the lifeforces flowing and alleviates the need for chemicals.

Now, biodynamics is becoming more and more common with winemaking, which is essentially agriculture, but we don't see it too often with farming of other crops. Angelic Organics in Caledonia, IL uses biodynamic practices and they've got some of the best produce I've tasted. It all goes back to the soil and the care that is put in in the fields (much like wine i.e. grapes).

If anyone knows of other biodynamic farms in the midwest, I'd love to learn about them. Also, I would encourage anyone to take a class or seminar or read a book on biodynamics. Nicolas Joly, the French winemaker from the Loire Valley, has written some books on biodynamics; Tyler Colman, aka Dr. Vino, is based in NYC but occasionally teaches a 1/2 day class on biodynamics at the University of Chicago that is very informative and his teaching style is very approachable.

We carry a number of biodynamic wines at the shops that I encourage people to try if they are interested in tasting more of these wines and/or supporting methods that are kind to our soils!

Food Rules #29: Eat like an omnivore

Pollan proclaims that whether or not you even eat animal products, expand your horizons and add new foods to your diet (plants, animals & fungi). There is such little diversity in the supermarkets - they sell foods that are cheap to make, the vegetables have been modified to withstand long travels; some of them hold up for a much longer time than most veggies would when just picked from the garden. What a great argument for getting out to the local farmer's market. Try heirloom vegetables, beans & even different breeds of animals. Diversify your portfolio, if you will. The greater the diversity in your eating habits, the more likely your nutritional needs will be met, and the less likely you will become bored with your diet. I will defend that diversity tastes better, too!

April Staff Selection: Caseficio Gioia Ricotta

From Staffer Mary Stover:

"Caseficio Gioia Ricotta is a simple fresh cheese, but flavorful & adaptable to many savory and sweet recipes. I love the richness of this Ricotta. It's the real deal! Pure white, a little nutty, slightly sweet with a fluffy, dry texture. Trust me, you will never go back to the store brands.

Gioia's ricotta cheese is made by Vito Girardi, a third- generation cheese maker whose grandfather was one of the first makers of burrata. Girardi is from the area of Apulia [Puglia], the region in southeastern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea.

Did you know that ricotta is not really a cheese but a cheese by-product? "Ricotta" means 'recooked'. The cheese made when the whey, the watery residue from the making of another cheese, like mozzarella or provolone, is re-cooked. When the curds rise to the surface they are gathered, drained and stirred together to create ricotta." Caseficio Gioia Ricotta, normally $5.99 per pound, is featured at $4.99 per pound thru the end of April.

Here are some recipe ideas:

Quick and Easy Chocolate Ricotta

1 cup Caseficio Gioia ricotta
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Serve in dessert cups.
Makes 2 servings.
Recipe adapted from: www.mangiabenepasta.com/ricotta.html

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Ricotta & Olive Torte

·1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
·3 Tbs. plain bread crumbs
·30 oz Caseficio Gioia Ricotta cheese
·1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
·4 eggs
·1 (5oz) jar Olives, drained and sliced
·1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
·3 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
·1 Tbs. drained capers

1.Coat 8-inch round cake pan with 1 Tbs. olive oil.
2.Coat with bread crumbs.
3.In a bowl, thoroughly mix cheeses and eggs.
4.Fold in olives.
5.Spread evenly in prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees, 1 hour 15 minutes.
6.Cool to room temperature.
7.Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, remaining olive oil, vinegar and capers.
8.Turn baked torte out onto plate.
9.Cut into wedges, top with sauce, and serve at room temperature.

Recipe adapted from grouprecipes.com

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http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/bage l-chips-with-ricotta-chive-puree-and-prosciutto

Food Rules #28: If you have the space, buy a freezer

Storing large quantities of seasonal produce & pastured meats ensures you can eat locally year round, even on a budget. If I had a dedicated freezer, I'd call up Beth & Jody at Cedar Valley and buy a side of beef, which would save me money and feed my husband and I for months.

I'd mentioned in an earlier blog that this summer I plan to take advantage of the abundance & seasonality of produce at the farmer's market so I can freeze it and enjoy it mid-winter when local produce is nearly impossible here in Chicago. I can only imagine how much more I could preserve with a large freezer!

Another great way to use the freezer and save money is to make large batches of soup, chili & stock and keep them on hand for use throughout the year. I find soups and chili actually taste better after they've been frozen for a while. And homemade stock is very inexpensive and easy to make. Check out this recipe for stock from the blog That's Not Lettuce: http://thatsnotlettuce.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/instant-soup%E2%80%A6aka-crock-pot-stock/

To quote Jacques Pepin: "Happy Cooking!"

Food Rules #27 Eat Animals that have Themselves Eaten Well

Cows eating concrete? Fish eating other fish? If it doesn't sound right, it probably isn't. Pollan talks about how industrially-raised animals are being fed high-energy diets to cheaply fatten them up. The only problem is, cows have evolved to eat grass, and when they are fed corn and other things, they develop health issues that cause them to be treated by antibiotics. We eat this beef and our bodies build up a resistance to antibiotics. Deadly strains of ecoli and other disease may also start to run rampant. The meat is then doused with ammonia to kill the strains, or even worse, people die from ecoli contamination. Corn diets make our farm animals fat. So much of our processed food is either fed a diet of genetically-modified corn or is chock full of HFCS. We eat everything the animal has eaten, and it's not always good for us.

Pastured animals taste different and I think, better. Yes, they are more expensive, but that's because they are eating the plants and grass from their surroundings and take longer to mature (rather than getting fattened up unnaturally in 1/3 or 2/3 the amount of time). The land used for grazing the animals needs to also be rotated to give the plantlife a chance to regrow. Slow food indeed.

Food Rules #26: Drink the Spinach Water

Another bit of 'traditional wisdom'? Use the cooking water from vegetables for soups or sauces. Besides adding an extra layer of flavor, it contains lots of nutrients. It also keeps within the notion of "use everything". Smart kitchens and chefs know that is makes sense to throw away nothing (or as little as possible)! Save your veggie scraps for stocks...the same with bones from that roasted chicken or roast. If you have a composter, you can put your eggshells, coffee grounds & other non-protein scraps in it and create a nutrient-rich soil. (I will now hang my head and say we don't have an apartment composter in our tiny tiny condo, with very little room, no yard or outdoor space and 2 extremely curious cats, but I'm working on it!). I'm working on reducing what is thrown away, increasing the load of our recyclable bags and overall, just leaving less of a 'footprint'.

Food Rules #25: Eat your Colors

Yes, the saying comes from an "old wives' tale" but it's just good science, too, as Pollan points out. A range of colors reflects many different antioxidants and we want those in our diet.

Think of the color scheme a farmer's market provides: green leafy vegetables, crimson radishes, deep blue berries, golden beets, green/yellow/red/orange/purple/black tomatoes. Oh, I can't wait for summer! I've vowed to cook and eat more vegetables this year, once the season comes around. One of our staff, Jeff (who's helped us the past 2 years at our Farmer's Market stand), gave me a great idea that I plan to use this year: buy a variety of berries, lay on a sheet pan covered in parchment or waxed paper & put the pan into the freezer. Once all the berries have been frozen, put into ziplock bags or airtight containers and keep in the freezer, taking out as needed. Freezing them first before bagging them ensures you don't get a big globby mess of berries when you go to retrieve them later.

I've made a couple of batches of tomato sauce this winter, too, in the slow cooker. I used canned & jarred Italian and local tomatoes from Tomato Mountain Farm, but I'm only considering it a test run and this summer I plan to use my slow cooker to make several large batches of tomato sauce and freeze it so we have it thru the wintertime. I LOVE all the colors and varieties of tomatoes in season. Last year, one of our regular customers brought me a basket of tomatoes grown in her "yarden" and I swear I only ate tomato and mayo sandwiches sprinkled with sea salt for 3 days. I think they were the best tomatoes I'd had all last season!

Our shops are a drop off site for a couple of vegetable CSAs and it's so cool to look into the boxes that come each week and see a range of veggies. I've learned the names of several heirloom varieties I hadn't heard of before. The taste is quite extraordinary as well.

Maybe I should set another goal for this summer: to eat thru the color of the rainbow every week in vegetables! Sounds like a delicious challenge.

Food Rules #24

Pollan includes the Chinese proverb: "Eating what stands on one leg [mushrooms and plant foods] is better than eating what stands on two legs [fowl], which is better than eating what stands on four legs [cows, pigs, and other mammals]."

Hmmm...no mention of fish? Either way, I may sound like a broken record, but when choosing to eat those things on 2 or 4 legs, try to choose an option that is raised as close to you as possible, using the most humane and sustainable methods, and less of it.

I'm looking forward to blogging about tomorrow's rule!

Food Rules #23: Treat meat as a flavoring or special-occasion food

Ah, meat...I was a vegetarian in my 20s for about 2 years, but one day caved and ate pepperoni pizza. I found that I had started craving meat too often to deny myself. And I was fine with that. I figured I was a healthy person, had a pretty balanced diet and that if I was craving it then well, I should eat it. In the 15 or so years since then, I've discovered and read and seen a lot about meat & meat production. About 10 years ago I read Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, and years before had read My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki. Both books were key to my learning more about the commercial meat industry. They both reveal some gory details, but I did continue to eat meat. I read Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma and saw the movie Food, Inc. and still continue to eat meat. BUT, I feel that as a consumer I can make better, more informed choices for myself and even for the environment. I have decided to vote with my dollars, if you will, and support small producers & farmers, local foods and my local economy. As buyer for the shops, I also feel more empowered to carry the items we do - those that support these same philosophies.

Pollan's 23rd rule explains that the average American eats meat at 2 or even 3 meals a day. In many cases meat takes the place of vegetables. He suggests eating smaller portions of meat and larger quantities of veggies, which will improve our health long term. Not a bad idea, given the rate of obesity, heart disease & cancer in our society.

As I've written in this blog before, I'm only advocating what works best for me by sharing my thoughts on Pollan's Rules. I know I find certain things challenging though. And now I'd like to hear from you. So I'm wondering what you all think of this: have you seen this movie or read these or similar books? Have you made changes to your eating routines? What are you finding challenging? Rewarding?

Thanks for sharing!

Food Rules #22: Eat mostly plants, especially leaves

There are so many benefits to eating your fruits & veggies: higher antioxidants, more fiber, lowered risk of disease, fewer caloric intake. Pollan argues that most plant foods are less "energy dense" than other things we eat, and it's probably true, especially if you are eating more locally.

If you have ever eaten greens fresh out of your CSA box or from the farmer's market or your garden, it's amazing how much better they taste. The texture is more delicate, they are almost buttery. Try it this summer. I almost hate to put dressing on the greens, they taste THAT good!

I just can't wait for farmer's market season to start up again in Chicago...who's with me?

Food Rules #22: Eat Mostly Plants, Esp. Leaves

Ok, now we're moving into the 2nd section of the book, where Pollan poses the question: What kind of food should I eat? His mantra, in case you don't know is "Eat Food. Mostly Plants. Not too much".

A little controversial for some (I'm not giving up my meat, just eating less of it and local/sustainable/grass-fed where possible), but he does have a point. Plants take less energy to produce, plant-based diets contain fewer calories and there is less disease associated with vegetarian-based diets than not. This section of the book should be very interesting to write about and I'm curious to hear your opinions on how you follow this thought, or don't, or want to , or what.

I will tell you what I have been trying more and more to do, however. When I cook meat at home, within the last several years I almost never cook meat at home that is not local and/or grass-fed (at least in part). I try to buy from a source that I trust (like Cedar Valley, Heartland, Black Earth, La Quercia, Dietzler, Nueske, Fabrique Delice, Creminelli, Fra'Mani - not ALL local, not ALL grass-fed, but I know the methods used and I feel FOR ME it's a better choice than the supermarket... another thought: it's so ) And yes, I DO sometimes cringe at the cost of beef tenderloin or some other nicer cuts, but those aren't everyday meals for me...and when I think about the value I'm getting and the other costs that I'm saving on (environmental, socio-economic, health) it's worth it to me. And again, eating meat less frequently than I used to.

Going out is another story - I know that oftentimes the meat I'm eating out at a restaurant does not follow the local/sustainable/organic/grass-fed theme. I'd be silly to think that (and frankly, if I'm eating that way, I'm more likely to cook at home because it's a more affordable option right now). But I choose those meals less than I would if I saw something from Becker Lane (pork) or Mint Creek (lamb). It's great to see so many restaurants, though, who are putting the name of the farm from where they are sourcing the meat on their menu. You will also find at least 1 meat purveyor at any farmer's market in Chicago these days...ah, electricity!

One final thing worth noting: taste a pork chop from Jewel next to a Cedar Valley pork chop and tell me which is better. Taste to me is way more important than "cheap". You can really taste the difference with a lot of these small producers because they use breeds and methods that factory farms don't and it's reflected in the flavor of the meat. Grass produces sweeter meat and milk than corn or soy or um, other animals. And I find I eat less and enjoy more. Well, try to eat less, anyway...

Food Rules #17 (and #18-#21)

Pollan's Rule #17? Eat Only Foods that Have Been Cooked by Humans. Large food corporations in general use too much salt, fat, sugar, preservatives, coloring...the list goes on. If food on the supermarket shelves is expected to have an extremely long shelf life, they've got to pack lots and lots of salt/sodium in those foods to make sure they still taste good months (years?) from now. And those carrots in the canned soup you're opening need to be a nice bright orange, so they have to use preservatives/sulfites. Now, I've got some canned foods on the shelves of the shops and in my pantry at home. But I try to keep the processed foods to a minimum and I'll be the first to tell you that a great, quick meal CAN be had in 15-20 minutes (using canned tomatoes with no salt added, troll-caught tuna with nothing added, beans, rice or pasta with little to no sodium, preservatives, etc. added) or heck, just bread and cheese.

Pollan expounds upon Rule 17 a bit more with rules 18-21:
*"Don't ingest food made by anyone made to wear a surgical cap"...well, maybe not so much in the City of Chicago, but you get the idea.
*"If it came from a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don't"
*"It's not food if it arrived thru the window of your car"
*"It's not food if it's called by the same in every language"...Big Mac, etc. Does this include the "Royale with Cheese?"

Food Rules #16: Buy your snacks at the farmer's market

A pretty easy one to follow. Even out of season. Ever tried Seedling's dried fruit? Their dried apples & blueberries are fabulous. They also do dried cherries, strawberries & apricots. Occasionally, the dried fruits turn a little brown, but that's because they don't use any sulfites to preserve color. The flavor lasts a while, though. If they dry out a little, you can soak them in wine, juice or bourbon and make a sauce for pork chops or chicken. (I do whatever I can NOT to throw food out, it seems...even if I have to add bourbon to it).

We even have local nuts now! 2 farms at the Green City Market are selling locally-grown nuts, quite a surprise for this cold climate. In season, I also love just getting a pint of raspberries or blueberries and eating them on the spot. Another great snack? Eat Green Foods Granola Bars. These bars are a meal, not just a snack. They're made with local honey & butter, Missouri pecans & Michigan dried fruit and just a touch of salt, which I love.

Pollan encourages healthy snacks like those likely to be sold at farmer's markets, in lieu of junky sweets & unhealthy chips, etc. I think you can even find some locally-made jerky at the winter markets, for those of you who can't cut it on fruit & nuts alone.

Food Rules #15: Get out of the Supermarket whenever you can

Pollan makes a good point: You won't find any HFCS at the farmer's market. Farmers' markets, food co-ops, small independent grocers with an emphasis on "real" food are out there and growing, but still the big chains rule. The chains are what keep food processing plants and factory farms busy. But you won't find heirloom apples or tomatoes in most big grocery chains. You WILL get to talk to the person who planted the seeds, worked in the hot sun and heavy rains to make sure their crops were perfect by going to the farmer's market. You can even buy shares in the farm from where you want your beef & chicken or your weekly vegetables to come from. More and more these farms are offering drop offs around the city at shops like ours. I think as a consumer this is very rewarding and exciting: it's kind of like the stock market - you buy shares in the farm (called "Community Supported Agriculture") and when the weather cooperates, well your return is robust. When wind and hail sometimes mercilessly ruin crops and fox destroy the chicken coops, your investment can be a bit disappointing, but you are partnering with the farm so that long term you both benefit (not to mention our environment and local economies...)

So writing about farmer's markets leads me to another thought: if you've ever purchased preserves or brownies or salsa or many other products outside of raw vegetables or local meat, those products are mandated by the City of Chicago to be prepared in a commercial kitchen. This ensures the integrity of the process: the kitchen has a license that dictates it be inspected by local officials to make sure that kitchen is in compliance with things that prevent foodborne illness and other 'bad' things...however, many of the vendors we've seen pop up in Chicago over the last few years are just getting their feet wet with their business. They're using the markets as a way to 'beta-test' their products, or they simply aren't at a production level that allows them to have a store front - an endeavor that takes A LOT of capital and has high demands (like rent, utilities, payroll, property taxes and much much more). So, in lieu of taking the risk too soon, or taking on too much, these small-food entrepeneurs are lucky enough to be able to go to kitchen incubators: shared commercially-inspected kitchens that exist by renting out use of the kitchen to several businesses at a time, usually by the hour.

Kitchen incubators are terrific - in fact, they've been the launch pad for several small Chicago businesses: Floriole, Hoosier Mama Pie Company, Vella Cafe. These ladies all got to test the waters by prepping food at Kitchen Chicago, then selling their goods at farmer's markets to see how people would like their product and it worked! This week city of Chicago health inspectors crushed a couple of businesses (and livelihoods) when they inspected a commercial kitchen incubator & destroyed thousands of dollars worth of food that had been stored/prepared at the kitchen. Now here's the crazy irony: the city will not issue business licenses to food vendors that don't have a physical address. Kitchen incubators serve as the physical address & the licensed kitchen that inspectors can go to to make sure everything's on the "up and up"...individual food businesses can then apply for their licenses using the kitchen's address and each have a separate inspection.

This week officials were at Kitchen Chicago completing inspections and upon discovering some frozen fruit being stored by a food artisan using the shared space, proceeded to throw away all of it (oh, after pouring bleach all over it). Read the piece written by Monica Eng of the Chicago Tribune, who happened to be there collecting info for a separate story:
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2010/02/health-department-destroys-thousands-of-dollars-of-local-fruit.html#more

To me, as a small-business owner who proudly and CONFIDENTLY supports many small-food producers who work out of commercial kitchens, I think the actions by the city are a blow not just to small business, but to much of our population. The city's actions imply that large-scale food processors and companies who choose profits over local communities are more important than trying to bolster our local food economies. Forget the slap in the face to people who can't afford to feed their families & to those who picked the fruit (that the city threw away) at 5am to get it to the farmer's markets to people who CHOOSE to support the local/sustainable movement. I need another day or two to wallow in this sad state and after that, I'm going to do my best to continue to support local foods, continue to run my business with integrity and with a mission to help in my own way to heal our food system. Please forward Monica's blog post on to as many people as you can. We need light shined on this type of behavior and we need better and more straightforward and FAIR rules put in place for small business. Thanks for listening!