Food Rules #61-64 (this is the end)

I'm excited to say this is the last blog entry of this series. Always on to new and interesting things, I say! I hope that these blog posts, really a summary of points from Michael Pollan's "Food Rules", which is really a summary of points from his other books "In Defense of Food", "Omnivore's Dilemma", et al, have been helpful and enlightening. Though over the years I sometimes found myself conflicted over my food choices, the most important thing I have walked away with after reading these books is that I feel Empowered. I may not always be able to choose organic or local. But I can make more and better choices in my routine based on the knowledge I've accumulated through these books. For example, I more often than not will choose a vegetarian option when I am not familiar with where that restaurant sources its meat from. Or the fact that I have a sense of delighted recognition when I'm in a place that serves Cedar Valley pork or Dietzler beef or Seedling fruit or Prairie Fruits Farm cheese - and I'm often more likely to order it because I know the producers, the integrity of their products and practices, and because it Tastes better! I hope you experience that too. And I hope this blog over the last year (and our shop!) has inspired and introduced you to eat more deliberately. That is, to seek out the source, the practices and the quality that you believe in.

Thank you for reading this over the last year. I'm planning a new series starting in February on something new. I'm still debating the topic - I'm not a food writer or journalist...I don't even really consider myself a "blogger" by profession. But I love teaching people and turning them on to new things. If you have any ideas for a new blog series, though, please let me know! I'd like for it to somehow be tied in with what I already spend 60 hours a week doing, which is ultimately to foster and promote small food entrepeneurs and provide a service to our customers as a small grocer/wine shop.

'Nuf said! Here are the last bits from "Food Rules":

#61. Leave something on your plate. Rather than take way too much food, perhaps we can all practice taking a little less, thereby eating less & developing more self control. (a work in progress for me, I must say!)

#62. Plant a vegetable garden if you have the space, a window box if you don't. The past few years my partner Joe and I have tried container gardening on our tiny balcony outside our condo here in Chicago. It's yielded some food, for sure. But more than that, I recall such a sense of excitement in both of us when we could walk out our door and see the little tomatoes growing - literally - each day! How gratifying! This past season we also invested in a plot at the Peterson Garden with 4 other people and while we opted for the "Farm 4 You" tier, where garden volunteers tended the plot for us, we did get around $150 dollars' worth of veggies for a $35 investment. Pollan lists a statistic from the National Gardening Association which says that a $70 investment will yield $600 worth of food. Another thing? Growing your own food helps you find more of a connection to it. I was recently told a story by Grant Kessler, a food photographer, customer and locavore, that his son won't eat a tomato at the dinner table but put him in a garden so he can see it on the vine and he'll pop it right into his mouth. There is definitely something to be said for seeing where the food comes from - besides the plasticy-wrapped, stemless vegetables we see in so many grocery stores. Growing some of your own food (or investing in a local farm via a CSA - community supported agriculture) also helps with the next rule:

#63. COOK. As a retail grocer I've observed more and more people trying their hand at cooking. When I first opened the shop (5 years ago next month!), it was very much a shop for cooks. I love to cook - it's thoroughly enjoyable and cathartic for me - and I thought Chicago being such a food town would mean there are many home cooks out there, right? Wrong. People wanted (and still want) prepared foods - we have such little free time that it's easier to grab something on the run and go. Over the last 5 years, though, with all the new cooking shows, a couple of top chef winners from Chicago and certainly a downturn in the economy, people are cooking more and ordering in less. I hope that people are becoming less intimidated by cooking, more inspired by all the great local food artisans out there and I also believe that Pollan has had an impact on what and how we are eating!

I love hearing about meals that our customers prepared, hearing the stories of how they or our staff utilize the products at our stores and I love sharing those ideas with others. And let me tell you - simple is really best. Eating well CAN be less expensive, less time consuming and less difficult than anyone would think. It just takes a bit more effort (self discipline?) on our part to do it.

#64. Break the rules once in a while. Pollan says (and I agree!): Obsessing over food rules is bad for our happiness. Many of us say it time and again: "All things in moderation". What matters is not breaking the rules once and a while for a special occasion, but what we do the rest of the time in our everyday routine.


Thank you for reading.

January Staff Selection: Carmelina Tomatoes

Carmelina Tomatoes: Buy 3, Get 1 Free All Month Long

Submitted by Staffer Richard Sparks

How quickly that last fresh tomato of the season passes over the taste buds, and I'm rudely thrown back to the reality of those anemic-looking, spongy, off-season, hothouse varieties. With the help of some savvy customers here at Provenance, a few web searches, and some extra home-schooling in the kitchen, I have been discovering the merits of canned tomatoes, especially for the winter months.

Who knew that off-season, canned tomatoes actually pack a more powerful flavor punch than even the prettiest of mid-winder romas? Did you know that you can roast canned tomatoes to bring out not only the classic tomato flavors, but some unique elements not even found in fresh? Have a look at the first recipe below, which includes some excellent uses of these beauties.

A few weeks back, a customer and her son came in looking for cans of Carmelina tomatoes. She informed me it was "the brand" absolutely required for getting the authentic taste of her mama's marinara from the old country. To help you reproduce that taste of Italy this month, Provenance is marking down all varieties of Carmelina tomatoes (12 and 28 oz. cans) to "Buy Three, Get the Fourth Can Free." Stock your pantry now!


Check out these recipe links:

http://www.cooksrecipes.com/sauce/oven-roasted-canned-tomatoes-recipe.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/dining/271mrex.html?_r=2

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/01/tomato-sauce-with-butter-and-onions/

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/moroccan-lentil-soup/Detail.aspx

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.