In this latest column, I lay out the fundamental facts behind a few of the major contributing studies, and discuss some well documented strategies for trying to stop this mass extinction event. Avoiding the Next Mass Extinction
Showing posts with label seafood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seafood. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
iPinion Update: Avoiding the Next Mass Extinction - Out Today
In my latest piece for iPinion.us, I discuss the recent IPSO report which indicates that we may be headed for the first ever global extinction event caused by human beings. Or really, caused by the activities of any one species. I was not particularly shocked by their conclusions -- I have been following most of the research that they sited for their report -- but I was a little surprised by some of the response. Many people are completely dismissive of this report, perhaps because they just can't imagine that our actions could have such a huge impact.
In this latest column, I lay out the fundamental facts behind a few of the major contributing studies, and discuss some well documented strategies for trying to stop this mass extinction event. Avoiding the Next Mass Extinction
In this latest column, I lay out the fundamental facts behind a few of the major contributing studies, and discuss some well documented strategies for trying to stop this mass extinction event. Avoiding the Next Mass Extinction
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Meat in the Vegetarian Argument
As part of October: Unprocessed, and leading up to my guest post on Eating Rules later this month, I thought it would be appropriate to re-post this piece, which details some of the issues of food as it relates to sustainability.
Re-Posted from the iPinion Syndicate
You may have heard that being vegetarian is green. You may also have had a vegan activist tell you that meat is murder and you are killing the planet. While there is definitely some truth to the argument that a vegetarian diet is a little more earth friendly, there is a little devil in the details.
The issues of food production are numerous, from health and humanity to environmental impact and sustainability. Which issue is most important to you probably depends on a number of factors: your age, location, political views, etc. By and large, however, beef does not fare well in any serious analysis of food issues. At least, not conventional beef that is fattened in a concentrated feed lot.
If global warming and climate change are your primary concerns, you’ll be happy to hear that feed lot beef and dairy are the only things that you need to strike off your menu. Chicken, fish and eggs are comparable to vegetables in green house gasses emitted during production and transport. Speaking of fish, however, is opening a whole other can of worms.
If sustainability is what you are after, a lot of sea food is out: over fishing is stressing stocks all over the world, and aside from a few species that are managed responsibly (wild pacific salmon, e.g.) most edible fish populations are dropping at a staggering rate. Seafood doesn’t fare well on the health test either; electronics, fluorescent bulbs and industrial practices have contaminated most seafood populations with levels of mercury that are dangerous for human consumption.
If you are a card carrying member of PETA, or sympathetic to their cause, chicken and eggs are back on the black list. On the humanitarian scale, chicken production is much, much worse than just about anything else out there. Feed lot beef is not much better. If humanitarian concerns are foremost in your mind, you should probably explore expensive alternatives to conventional food at a specialty or kosher butcher shop. If you can’t afford that, then meat is out.
If health is what you are thinking about, then a strictly vegetarian diet might not be a good idea at all. Many people develop anemia, iron deficiency, or other issues when not eating meat, and careful management of protein and iron intake is essential for a healthy meatless diet. Pescatarians (a word I am not entirely comfortable with, I’ll have you know) can get around this quite easily, as salmon and mollusks like clams provide massive doses of protein and iron in tiny portions. But again, mercury is a real threat which much be considered constantly. Farmed clams are better, but farmed salmon are terrible: they are fed other fish from depleting stocks and foul up coastal waters with concentrated waste.
Here is something that your vegan acquaintances will not be quick to point out, however: grass fed and grass finished cows are better in every way. On the humanitarian angle, they are demonstrably healthier and ostensibly happier (in so far as we can tell these things). They produce less methane (a green house gas) and foul up less water during their lives. They are wildly healthier for you, with little saturated fat and more omega 3 fatty acids than salmon. Finally, their waste is not concentrated like feed lot cows, which means that it can be absorbed naturally by the environment they are raised in.
In summation, if all of the issues in this article are important to you, you probably should be vegan. However, if you are willing to do your food homework and buy the right products, you can put the vegan argument out to pasture with the grass fed cows.
Re-Posted from the iPinion Syndicate
You may have heard that being vegetarian is green. You may also have had a vegan activist tell you that meat is murder and you are killing the planet. While there is definitely some truth to the argument that a vegetarian diet is a little more earth friendly, there is a little devil in the details.
The issues of food production are numerous, from health and humanity to environmental impact and sustainability. Which issue is most important to you probably depends on a number of factors: your age, location, political views, etc. By and large, however, beef does not fare well in any serious analysis of food issues. At least, not conventional beef that is fattened in a concentrated feed lot.
If global warming and climate change are your primary concerns, you’ll be happy to hear that feed lot beef and dairy are the only things that you need to strike off your menu. Chicken, fish and eggs are comparable to vegetables in green house gasses emitted during production and transport. Speaking of fish, however, is opening a whole other can of worms.
If sustainability is what you are after, a lot of sea food is out: over fishing is stressing stocks all over the world, and aside from a few species that are managed responsibly (wild pacific salmon, e.g.) most edible fish populations are dropping at a staggering rate. Seafood doesn’t fare well on the health test either; electronics, fluorescent bulbs and industrial practices have contaminated most seafood populations with levels of mercury that are dangerous for human consumption.
If you are a card carrying member of PETA, or sympathetic to their cause, chicken and eggs are back on the black list. On the humanitarian scale, chicken production is much, much worse than just about anything else out there. Feed lot beef is not much better. If humanitarian concerns are foremost in your mind, you should probably explore expensive alternatives to conventional food at a specialty or kosher butcher shop. If you can’t afford that, then meat is out.
If health is what you are thinking about, then a strictly vegetarian diet might not be a good idea at all. Many people develop anemia, iron deficiency, or other issues when not eating meat, and careful management of protein and iron intake is essential for a healthy meatless diet. Pescatarians (a word I am not entirely comfortable with, I’ll have you know) can get around this quite easily, as salmon and mollusks like clams provide massive doses of protein and iron in tiny portions. But again, mercury is a real threat which much be considered constantly. Farmed clams are better, but farmed salmon are terrible: they are fed other fish from depleting stocks and foul up coastal waters with concentrated waste.
Here is something that your vegan acquaintances will not be quick to point out, however: grass fed and grass finished cows are better in every way. On the humanitarian angle, they are demonstrably healthier and ostensibly happier (in so far as we can tell these things). They produce less methane (a green house gas) and foul up less water during their lives. They are wildly healthier for you, with little saturated fat and more omega 3 fatty acids than salmon. Finally, their waste is not concentrated like feed lot cows, which means that it can be absorbed naturally by the environment they are raised in.
In summation, if all of the issues in this article are important to you, you probably should be vegan. However, if you are willing to do your food homework and buy the right products, you can put the vegan argument out to pasture with the grass fed cows.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
A Few Surprises for My Nothing New Month
This week, I was taken on a surprise camping trip (which is why I have been incommunicado for most of the week). If you are not familiar with the concept of a surprise camping trip, that is because it is not actually a thing. It is not a thing because camping requires lots of planning, and making a camping trip a surprise makes planning impossible.
Of course I am exaggerating. My wife and I had been talking with her parents for a few months about camping before the summer was over, but we have had a great deal of trouble working out our schedules. When we stayed with them last month (while I was attending IFBC), we had all vaguely agreed that it must happen soon, or not at all. Just last weekend, when we realized that we all had some time off, it was suggested that camping might happen. Still, on Sunday at 3pm, when my wife informed me that her parents were driving down right now, and we would be camping as of tomorrow, it felt quite a bit like a surprise camping trip at the time.
My first thought was "how does this fit into my month of nothing new?" Followed quickly by "they are driving all the way down here, is it rude to demand that they follow my arbitrary rules for my blog?" Well, as it turned out, I hardly had to bring up the blog and my Nothing New month, because both they and us owned sufficient camping gear, and we really only had to buy food (which doesn't count) for the trip to be a success.
There were a few hiccups, of course. The first was simply that I had not thought about whether gasoline counted as buying something new. I am still not certain, but I must disclose that I purchased a full tank of gas. Next, we were camping just north of Newport, and Courtney really wanted to go clamming, as the season is just about over and we could not conceivably go again until next spring. All well and good, but I would need some serious waterproof boots.
Well, the local Salvation Army was our salvation on this trip, because they had exactly one pair of knee high waterproof boots that fit me like a hand-me-down glove. As we were checking out, the cashier said "boy, you really lucked out with those, they don't last long here." Since Newport is a coastal town on a bay, known for it's abundance of razor, butter, soft shell, gaper, and cockel clams (and even the odd geoduck), scallops, bay shrimp, and crab, I was not exactly surprised to learn that good second hand galoshes were a hot commodity.
After a few days of camping, clamming, and taking in Newport (which I will surely write about soon, as it is home to the nicest people on earth), the in-laws and we (in-laws and us? anyone?) returned to Springfield with several clams and a surprise agenda. If you are not familiar with the concept of a surprise agenda, that is because you don't have the same in-laws as I (as me? I am having pronoun trouble today).
Apparently, my father in law had heard through the grapevine about our efforts to fix up and sell the Honda, but had not heard about my moderately ambitious plan to not purchase anything new this month. The result is that I found myself overwhelmed with a plan to fix up the paint job and some body damage which involved buying lots of little new things. It was a sound plan financially, of course, the idea was to spend a very small amount of money to get the car into the next condition bracket, but it was antithetical to my plans for September.
My wife Courtney came to the rescue. While I was embarrassed to say that their reasonable, helpful plan didn't fit in with what I was blogging about this month, Courtney explained to her parent that I was trying to fix up the car in the "greenest" way possible, and we ended up adhering to the rules that I set out in my first post. Nothing has been purchased, still, to fix the car. My father in-law borrowed a trickle charger to re-charge the battery, which turned out to be in perfect condition. We also found a mechanic that would charge only $10 to put the battery on a charger for a day or so, so if we couldn't borrow a charger we could have done that. The car (after a good wash) is now running great and ready to sell, body damage, faded paint and all.
The last week, in other words, presented me with some completely unique and bizarre problems, but so far I have not broken the rules as they were originally laid out. Of course, the month is only 1/3 over, and anything can still happen.
Of course I am exaggerating. My wife and I had been talking with her parents for a few months about camping before the summer was over, but we have had a great deal of trouble working out our schedules. When we stayed with them last month (while I was attending IFBC), we had all vaguely agreed that it must happen soon, or not at all. Just last weekend, when we realized that we all had some time off, it was suggested that camping might happen. Still, on Sunday at 3pm, when my wife informed me that her parents were driving down right now, and we would be camping as of tomorrow, it felt quite a bit like a surprise camping trip at the time.
My first thought was "how does this fit into my month of nothing new?" Followed quickly by "they are driving all the way down here, is it rude to demand that they follow my arbitrary rules for my blog?" Well, as it turned out, I hardly had to bring up the blog and my Nothing New month, because both they and us owned sufficient camping gear, and we really only had to buy food (which doesn't count) for the trip to be a success.
There were a few hiccups, of course. The first was simply that I had not thought about whether gasoline counted as buying something new. I am still not certain, but I must disclose that I purchased a full tank of gas. Next, we were camping just north of Newport, and Courtney really wanted to go clamming, as the season is just about over and we could not conceivably go again until next spring. All well and good, but I would need some serious waterproof boots.
Well, the local Salvation Army was our salvation on this trip, because they had exactly one pair of knee high waterproof boots that fit me like a hand-me-down glove. As we were checking out, the cashier said "boy, you really lucked out with those, they don't last long here." Since Newport is a coastal town on a bay, known for it's abundance of razor, butter, soft shell, gaper, and cockel clams (and even the odd geoduck), scallops, bay shrimp, and crab, I was not exactly surprised to learn that good second hand galoshes were a hot commodity.
After a few days of camping, clamming, and taking in Newport (which I will surely write about soon, as it is home to the nicest people on earth), the in-laws and we (in-laws and us? anyone?) returned to Springfield with several clams and a surprise agenda. If you are not familiar with the concept of a surprise agenda, that is because you don't have the same in-laws as I (as me? I am having pronoun trouble today).
Apparently, my father in law had heard through the grapevine about our efforts to fix up and sell the Honda, but had not heard about my moderately ambitious plan to not purchase anything new this month. The result is that I found myself overwhelmed with a plan to fix up the paint job and some body damage which involved buying lots of little new things. It was a sound plan financially, of course, the idea was to spend a very small amount of money to get the car into the next condition bracket, but it was antithetical to my plans for September.
My wife Courtney came to the rescue. While I was embarrassed to say that their reasonable, helpful plan didn't fit in with what I was blogging about this month, Courtney explained to her parent that I was trying to fix up the car in the "greenest" way possible, and we ended up adhering to the rules that I set out in my first post. Nothing has been purchased, still, to fix the car. My father in-law borrowed a trickle charger to re-charge the battery, which turned out to be in perfect condition. We also found a mechanic that would charge only $10 to put the battery on a charger for a day or so, so if we couldn't borrow a charger we could have done that. The car (after a good wash) is now running great and ready to sell, body damage, faded paint and all.
The last week, in other words, presented me with some completely unique and bizarre problems, but so far I have not broken the rules as they were originally laid out. Of course, the month is only 1/3 over, and anything can still happen.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
A Weekend at Theo Chocolate with the IFBC -- Day 1
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| Taken from theMaykazine's Flickr Photostream under CC license |
Saturday morning, 6:25am, I walked into the conference hall at Theo Chocolate and found a dozen or so people bustling around in very efficient form, carrying things, moving things, cleaning things, generally doing things to other things in a near frantic state -- the sense of 'panic on the verge' that overwhelms the front line of employees at any conference. Within a minute of arriving, I was carrying cartloads of POM drinks from Theo's industrial fridge to the hall. Being one of only two male volunteers, I figured that I was in for some heavy lifting (people under duress default to traditional gender roles very quickly).
When my first task was completed, I asked about coffee, and was met with a deeply apologetic, wearied, hangdog look. "The coffee vendor isn't here yet, but as soon as they are, you can drop whatever you are doing and get some coffee." I was not about to argue with the severity of that expression, particularly because it came from staffer Reno, who aside from this one moment was the most persistently upbeat and cool guy I met at IFBC.
Image via WikipediaThen some people spoke, it was cool, but the real point, I think, was lunch (just kidding, of course, Barnaby Dorfman gave a very informative talk on SEO; I missed the other morning sessions due to duties). Four wines from the Walla Walla region were paired with small plate offerings from Seattle Chefs. There was also a well received GF table, but since I was flying solo (without the GF wife), I did not partake.
The winner for lunch, in my opinion, was a plate of spicy citrus chick peas topped with a whole marinated baby octopus. The texture of the purple and white octopus was just about indescribable: slightly tough like squid on the outside, a little crunch on the inside, and wholly unique. The red tinged spicy chick peas were a perfect accompaniment to the octopus too, for both their tooth pleasing combination of crunch and give, as well as the acidic tang of the (I think) lime juice. It was prepared by Chef Shannon Galusha from Bastille Cafe and Bar.
After lunch, I was able to sneak away from my volunteer duties to see the session on the Law and Ethics of Food Blogging, which was largely about copyright. The rock star of that talk was Robin Goldstein (sorry Barnaby and Robert) whose presentation was titled "Reducing Bullshit in Wine Writing," if memory serves. As desperately as I wanted to stay for dinner, being completely floored by the fare thus far, I was exhausted and ready to be "off" for the day. If it was a one day event, I might have pushed through, but I could not bear the thought of missing the food trucks on Sunday.
I could write a whole seperate blog post about the Walla Walla Wines, but I will post some links instead. Hopefully that will help to reduce the overall level of Bullshit in Wine Writing.
Friday, August 27, 2010
At Foodista IFBC
I am volunteering at the International Food Bloggers Conference, and I could not be happier. After helping the guests register, I was told to wander around and partake before getting my next assignment. Next comes you being jealous.
I started by tasting the Deadlift Imperial IPA from Widmer, which was hoppy in a very mellow way for an IIPA, and their October Fest, which was one of the best malt dominant beers I can remember having in a long time. As I was finishing my beer, I was treated by chef Lisa Dupar to a grilled steak Bahn Mi on a mini baguette with mango sriracha.
Immediately after thinking that was the best sandwich ever, I was forced to question myself. Alaska Seafood gave me there version of a BLT, with Black Cod (smoked) instead of bacon. Alaskan fish is generally the lowest mercury of any seafish, and this smoked cod was absolutely divine in flavor, texture, the very definition of perfect fish.
Speaking of sustainable seafood, I had a taste of Tonnino Tuna packed in olive oil with garlic. Served with a touch of spice on a bed of asian slaw. Tonnino is all line caught, verified by a third party, and their packing plant finds creative uses for their waste. I am told that their waste water is so clean it is potable. I washed that down with a wonderful spicy sweet gazpacho made with watermelon, cucumber, cilantro, cumin and about 10 different peppers, by chef Josh Silvers from Bistro Syrah.
Next I tasted some organic olive oil from Spain. There were about 20 olive oils displayed, so I just told the girl manning the table to blow my mind. She gave me an olive oil that had a strong aftertaste of cucumber (Abbe D Queiles, I think). It blew my mind. She also gave me an unfiltered oil (Nunez De Prado) that tasted distinctly of Kalmatas.
There was lots, lots more, including Wonderful Walla Walla Wines, but that will have to wait for tomorrow. All I can say for now is: NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM...
I started by tasting the Deadlift Imperial IPA from Widmer, which was hoppy in a very mellow way for an IIPA, and their October Fest, which was one of the best malt dominant beers I can remember having in a long time. As I was finishing my beer, I was treated by chef Lisa Dupar to a grilled steak Bahn Mi on a mini baguette with mango sriracha.
Immediately after thinking that was the best sandwich ever, I was forced to question myself. Alaska Seafood gave me there version of a BLT, with Black Cod (smoked) instead of bacon. Alaskan fish is generally the lowest mercury of any seafish, and this smoked cod was absolutely divine in flavor, texture, the very definition of perfect fish.
Speaking of sustainable seafood, I had a taste of Tonnino Tuna packed in olive oil with garlic. Served with a touch of spice on a bed of asian slaw. Tonnino is all line caught, verified by a third party, and their packing plant finds creative uses for their waste. I am told that their waste water is so clean it is potable. I washed that down with a wonderful spicy sweet gazpacho made with watermelon, cucumber, cilantro, cumin and about 10 different peppers, by chef Josh Silvers from Bistro Syrah.
Next I tasted some organic olive oil from Spain. There were about 20 olive oils displayed, so I just told the girl manning the table to blow my mind. She gave me an olive oil that had a strong aftertaste of cucumber (Abbe D Queiles, I think). It blew my mind. She also gave me an unfiltered oil (Nunez De Prado) that tasted distinctly of Kalmatas.
There was lots, lots more, including Wonderful Walla Walla Wines, but that will have to wait for tomorrow. All I can say for now is: NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM...
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Valentine's Menu: Black Truffle and Wild Scallops on Mashed White Beans
Some lament the commercialization of holidays like Valentines day, others decry that it is a made up Hallmark Holiday, and while these arguments cannot be refuted, they also shouldn't stop us from having fun.
For our part, we avoid buying each other presents or cards and instead focus on having a lovely, romantic day. Though we have dined out in the past we now prefer to cook at home, making a meal that is decadent and fun. Decadent does not have to mean environmentally unhealthy, however, especially when you live in an area that produces truffles which some believe rival the Italian. Both black and white truffles grow abundantly in Oregon and Northern California, and though they are quite expensive the flavor is phenomenal and unique. Wild scallops, which have been unsustainable in the past, have seen massive increases in population size recently, and most sources now say that scallops can be fished sustainably and are okay for environmentalists to eat (though if you can find out the info, individually caught is better than dredged).
It is important for us to use every excuse to spend time with and honor the people we love, regardless of whether the excuse is tradition or Hallmark made. The way we do this, however, is up to us and not the card companies or the traditions. Cooking a meal made from the best available local and sustainable ingredients instead of purchasing cards and chocolate boxes and dining out turns our expression of our love for each other into a reinforcement of the way we choose to live. And personally I think it is more fun. Speaking of fun, for desert we made a chocolate Fondue, dipping homemade donut pieces from that morning along with some fancy marshmallows
So, for your scrutiny, here is the dinner recipe:
Wild Scallops with Black Truffle Brandy Reduction and Mashed Great Northern Beans
Serves Two
Image via Wikipedia
Ingredients:
1 small Black Truffle (~1/2 oz.)
6 medium to large Wild Scallops (~1/2 lbs.)
1/2 lbs Dry Great Northern Beans (or Cannellini)
1 large Shallot
3 oz VSOP Brandy
2 tbsp dry White Wine
6 tbsp Olive Oil
4 tbsp butter
1 Green Onion, finely chopped
The night before cooking, rinse the beans and visually inspect for rocks. Cover the beans with water in a sauce pan and leave to soak overnight. The following day, discard the soaking liquid and rinse the beans once more. Cover with water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
Chop the black truffle very finely. Alternatively, you can use a mandolin, cheese grater or vegetable peeler to get smaller and more regular pieces. Melt 2 tbsp butter into 2 tbsp olive oil in a small pan, and add the truffle. Simmer over a low heat until well browned. This will mellow the funkiness of the black truffle and draw out its flavor (this step is not necessary with white truffles). When truffle pieces are well browned, cover and keep nearby.
When the beans are done, drain the cooking liquid, reserving about a half cup. Using a food processor or blender, mash the beans with 1 tbsp olive oil, the white wine, 1 oz of Brandy, and a pinch of salt and pepper. If needed, add the cooking liquid a little at a time to control consistency. When beans are well blended, return to the sauce pan and keep warm over a low heat.
Dice the shallot finely and brown in 1 tbsp olive oil. When it is well browned, add it to the beans along with half of the black truffle and oil mixture, stirring well.
Sear the scallops over medium-high heat in 2 tbsp olive oil, about 5 minutes per side. When scallops are finished, place them on a bed of the mashed beans on serving plates. Quickly deglaze the pan with the remaining 2 oz of brandy, add the remaining truffle and oil mixture, remove from heat and stir the remaining 2 tbsp of butter to finish the pan sauce. Pour the sauce over the scallops and mashed beans, garnish with green onion, serve immediately.
For our part, we avoid buying each other presents or cards and instead focus on having a lovely, romantic day. Though we have dined out in the past we now prefer to cook at home, making a meal that is decadent and fun. Decadent does not have to mean environmentally unhealthy, however, especially when you live in an area that produces truffles which some believe rival the Italian. Both black and white truffles grow abundantly in Oregon and Northern California, and though they are quite expensive the flavor is phenomenal and unique. Wild scallops, which have been unsustainable in the past, have seen massive increases in population size recently, and most sources now say that scallops can be fished sustainably and are okay for environmentalists to eat (though if you can find out the info, individually caught is better than dredged).
Valentine's Day Dinner
It is important for us to use every excuse to spend time with and honor the people we love, regardless of whether the excuse is tradition or Hallmark made. The way we do this, however, is up to us and not the card companies or the traditions. Cooking a meal made from the best available local and sustainable ingredients instead of purchasing cards and chocolate boxes and dining out turns our expression of our love for each other into a reinforcement of the way we choose to live. And personally I think it is more fun. Speaking of fun, for desert we made a chocolate Fondue, dipping homemade donut pieces from that morning along with some fancy marshmallows
Our Valentine's Breakfast
So, for your scrutiny, here is the dinner recipe:
Wild Scallops with Black Truffle Brandy Reduction and Mashed Great Northern Beans
Serves Two
Image via WikipediaIngredients:
1 small Black Truffle (~1/2 oz.)
6 medium to large Wild Scallops (~1/2 lbs.)
1/2 lbs Dry Great Northern Beans (or Cannellini)
1 large Shallot
3 oz VSOP Brandy
2 tbsp dry White Wine
6 tbsp Olive Oil
4 tbsp butter
1 Green Onion, finely chopped
The night before cooking, rinse the beans and visually inspect for rocks. Cover the beans with water in a sauce pan and leave to soak overnight. The following day, discard the soaking liquid and rinse the beans once more. Cover with water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
Chop the black truffle very finely. Alternatively, you can use a mandolin, cheese grater or vegetable peeler to get smaller and more regular pieces. Melt 2 tbsp butter into 2 tbsp olive oil in a small pan, and add the truffle. Simmer over a low heat until well browned. This will mellow the funkiness of the black truffle and draw out its flavor (this step is not necessary with white truffles). When truffle pieces are well browned, cover and keep nearby.
When the beans are done, drain the cooking liquid, reserving about a half cup. Using a food processor or blender, mash the beans with 1 tbsp olive oil, the white wine, 1 oz of Brandy, and a pinch of salt and pepper. If needed, add the cooking liquid a little at a time to control consistency. When beans are well blended, return to the sauce pan and keep warm over a low heat.
Dice the shallot finely and brown in 1 tbsp olive oil. When it is well browned, add it to the beans along with half of the black truffle and oil mixture, stirring well.
Sear the scallops over medium-high heat in 2 tbsp olive oil, about 5 minutes per side. When scallops are finished, place them on a bed of the mashed beans on serving plates. Quickly deglaze the pan with the remaining 2 oz of brandy, add the remaining truffle and oil mixture, remove from heat and stir the remaining 2 tbsp of butter to finish the pan sauce. Pour the sauce over the scallops and mashed beans, garnish with green onion, serve immediately.
The Final Product
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Free Sushi! (well, practically free anyway) Spicy Tuna Roll Recipe
Sunday night, Courtney had a sudden urge for sushi. We did not, however, feel like going out, nor do we know which sushi places are good in town. We decided to see if we could scrounge together a few sushi like items from the stuff we had in our kitchen already.
We already had nori from a previous sushi night, we always have rice and veggies on hand, the one thing that we did not have just lying around the kitchen? Sashimi grade raw fish. So, although every recipe you find online will tell you not to do this, we decided to be adventurous and make spicy tuna rolls from canned tuna. The results were astoundingly good. One can of tuna produced about 6 rolls, each roll was about 8 pieces, so we had dinner for two, for two night, from only a dollars worth of canned tuna! Eat that, it's delicious. All of the other ingredients (rice, nori, vinegar, etc.) were purchased in bulk, and the small portion we used was almost negligible in terms of cost. Hence, free seeming sushi!
Courtney did most of the rolling (I had always done it before, and she wanted to learn) and I made the spicy tuna filling. So here is my spicy tuna roll recipe.
Ingredients:
1 can tuna (and because this is a green blog, take a look at this before your next tuna purchase)
6 sheets nori, dried seaweed for rolling
2 cups white rice (sushi rice for best results)
Sriracha (or other hot sauce)
1/3 to 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 avocado, cut into thin strips
~1/4 carrot, cut into thin strips
1 small cucumber, cut into thin strips
Rice vinegar [several uses, just make sure you have plenty]
1/4 cup (or to taste) sugar
Soy Sauce
Wasabi (powdered is fine)
Tools:
large, flat plate or bowl for rice
bamboo sushi rolling mat (find at Asian markets)
First, cook the rice. For sushi, use twice as much water as dry rice, so 4 cups water to 2 cups rice. While the rice is cooking, make the spicy tuna. Drain liquid from can and mix tuna in a bowl with mayonnaise and sriracha (for extra spice, add a little cayenne pepper, chili oil, and/or chili powder). When the rice is done, stir and dump it out on the plate. Sprinkle with rice vinegar (3 or 4 tsp) and the sugar. Mix thoroughly. Allow the rice to cool to room temperature before making rolls.
While rice cools, get all of the other ingredients ready at your rolling station, have the mat laid out on a large cutting board with the first nori sheet, and keep a small bowl of rice vinegar next to the rice. If the rice is still not cool enough, have a glass of sake. When rice is cool, soak your fingers in rice vinegar (that is what the bowl is for) and pat a thin layer of rice down on the nori, covering it to the edges from left to right, but leaving a half inch to an inch of nori open at the front and back. Each time you go back for more rice, and periodically while patting it into place, dip your fingers in the rice vinegar again. This will keep the rice from sticking to you (at least sticking too crazy much). When you have an even layer of rice, about 1/4 inch deep (if you make it any deeper, it will not roll well, but thinner is just fine) make a little row of tuna from left to right across the middle of the roll, about a half inch thick. Lay in one thin layer of carrots, cucumbers and avocado on either side of the tuna.
Now, roll the bottom half of the nori over the center row of ingredients, pressing down gently. Next, bring the top half up and over the bottom, dabbing a little rice vinegar on the overlapping edge of nori to help seal it.. Now you should have an even cylinder. Wrap the mat around the cylinder, and pressing a little more firmly, roll it as you would a rolling pin to compact the ingredients a little. This will make it easier to cut.
Cut the roll into roughly 8 or 10 equal pieces. Allow the end pieces to be a little bigger, or they will fall apart while cutting. Use a very sharp knife with a serrated edge for best results.
Repeat until tuna and rice are all used up, should yield about 6 rolls. Serve on a cutting board or platter with soy sauce and wasabi, enjoy. Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for a day, because there is no raw fish to get funky.
Next time Courtney I think we're turning Japanese, we will attempt a gluten free tempura as well, so that we can make spider rolls! I will post a recipe for gluten free tempura batter if it works out.
We already had nori from a previous sushi night, we always have rice and veggies on hand, the one thing that we did not have just lying around the kitchen? Sashimi grade raw fish. So, although every recipe you find online will tell you not to do this, we decided to be adventurous and make spicy tuna rolls from canned tuna. The results were astoundingly good. One can of tuna produced about 6 rolls, each roll was about 8 pieces, so we had dinner for two, for two night, from only a dollars worth of canned tuna! Eat that, it's delicious. All of the other ingredients (rice, nori, vinegar, etc.) were purchased in bulk, and the small portion we used was almost negligible in terms of cost. Hence, free seeming sushi!
Our idea of a last minute meal. Aren't you jealous?
Courtney did most of the rolling (I had always done it before, and she wanted to learn) and I made the spicy tuna filling. So here is my spicy tuna roll recipe.
Ingredients:
1 can tuna (and because this is a green blog, take a look at this before your next tuna purchase)
6 sheets nori, dried seaweed for rolling
2 cups white rice (sushi rice for best results)
Sriracha (or other hot sauce)
1/3 to 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 avocado, cut into thin strips
~1/4 carrot, cut into thin strips
1 small cucumber, cut into thin strips
Rice vinegar [several uses, just make sure you have plenty]
1/4 cup (or to taste) sugar
Soy Sauce
Wasabi (powdered is fine)
Tools:
large, flat plate or bowl for rice
bamboo sushi rolling mat (find at Asian markets)
First, cook the rice. For sushi, use twice as much water as dry rice, so 4 cups water to 2 cups rice. While the rice is cooking, make the spicy tuna. Drain liquid from can and mix tuna in a bowl with mayonnaise and sriracha (for extra spice, add a little cayenne pepper, chili oil, and/or chili powder). When the rice is done, stir and dump it out on the plate. Sprinkle with rice vinegar (3 or 4 tsp) and the sugar. Mix thoroughly. Allow the rice to cool to room temperature before making rolls.
While rice cools, get all of the other ingredients ready at your rolling station, have the mat laid out on a large cutting board with the first nori sheet, and keep a small bowl of rice vinegar next to the rice. If the rice is still not cool enough, have a glass of sake. When rice is cool, soak your fingers in rice vinegar (that is what the bowl is for) and pat a thin layer of rice down on the nori, covering it to the edges from left to right, but leaving a half inch to an inch of nori open at the front and back. Each time you go back for more rice, and periodically while patting it into place, dip your fingers in the rice vinegar again. This will keep the rice from sticking to you (at least sticking too crazy much). When you have an even layer of rice, about 1/4 inch deep (if you make it any deeper, it will not roll well, but thinner is just fine) make a little row of tuna from left to right across the middle of the roll, about a half inch thick. Lay in one thin layer of carrots, cucumbers and avocado on either side of the tuna.
Now, roll the bottom half of the nori over the center row of ingredients, pressing down gently. Next, bring the top half up and over the bottom, dabbing a little rice vinegar on the overlapping edge of nori to help seal it.. Now you should have an even cylinder. Wrap the mat around the cylinder, and pressing a little more firmly, roll it as you would a rolling pin to compact the ingredients a little. This will make it easier to cut.
Cut the roll into roughly 8 or 10 equal pieces. Allow the end pieces to be a little bigger, or they will fall apart while cutting. Use a very sharp knife with a serrated edge for best results.
Repeat until tuna and rice are all used up, should yield about 6 rolls. Serve on a cutting board or platter with soy sauce and wasabi, enjoy. Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for a day, because there is no raw fish to get funky.
Next time Courtney I think we're turning Japanese, we will attempt a gluten free tempura as well, so that we can make spider rolls! I will post a recipe for gluten free tempura batter if it works out.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Gluten Free Gumbo: Begin With a Gluten Free Roux
Image via Wikipediafor anyone with a southern mother (like me), and as the house was filled with the signature smell of Cajun cooking, I felt at home here in Oregon for the first time. The recipe below does not contain exact portions, because I always just make it up as I go. Instead I describe the process and give some guesses.
As those close to us know, Courtney is allergic to wheat, which is one of the only two ingredients in roux. I had made gumbo once or twice with a quinoa flour roux, which was alright but somewhat disappointing. The quinoa did not thicken up the way roux should, and added a strange nutty overtone. So this time I consulted the all knowing Internet, and was shocked by the dearth of information on gluten free roux. There was only one decent link to Gluten Free Girl and this video, but that is a french roux and I needed a Cajun one.
I decided to wing it. Believe it or not, the most simple solution turned out perfectly. I grabbed a bag of GF All Purpose Baking Flour from Bob's Red Mill (a lovely company) and used it exactly as I would regular flour. It thickened up just the right amount, browned well, and tasted delicious. I almost think they should market it separately as 'GF Roux Flour.'
Cajun roux is different from french roux primarily in that vegetable oil is used in stead of butter (any fat can be used for roux, but different regional cuisines have different traditions). It is also used differently, as a thickener for stews and soups (gumbo, jambalaya e.g.) and not so much as a thickener for sauce (veloute or bechamel would be thickened with a french roux).
Cajun roux is made with vegetable oil for two reasons: first it is cheaper than butter (a lot of Cajun recipes use ingredients that are cheap and abundant in the south), and second because you can make the roux much, much darker in oil. With a french roux, the butter will burn before the roux cooks to the right color, which various cookbooks have described as "the color of peanut butter," "a deep nutty brown," "walnut," etc. Whatever you call it, you'll never get there with butter.
Gluten Free Basic Gumbo
Ingredients:
Canola or other high heat oil (about a half cup)
GF all purpose flour (about a half cup)
Chicken stock (about 4 cups)
Andouille Sausage (a link or two) cut into bite size bits
Left over or pre-cooked chicken (about a pound)
The holy trinity: onions, green bell peppers, and celery (about 2 cups, roughly diced, even portions of each)
Shrimp (half to a whole pound)
Fresh herbs (bay, thyme, parsley, etc.)
Cooked plain white rice
Gumbo File (ground sassafras leaves)
For gumbo, make the roux in a heavy pot or dutch oven (cast iron is best) by mixing roughly equal part oil and flour. Cook over a high heat, stirring constantly, until the flour reaches the desired color (several minutes). When the roux is dark enough, add the holy trinity and the chicken stock to cool it off a bit and stop the flour from over cooking. My mother always sauteed the trinity in the roux for a few minutes before adding the stock, allowing them to brown a little. Either way tastes very good. After the stock, add the chicken and the fresh herbs.
In a separate pan, grill the andouille sausage until it is well browned all over. Remove with a slotted spoon, adding the sausage to the gumbo without transferring the extra fat. Bring the gumbo to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.
About 5 minutes before serving, add the shrimp. When the shrimp is cooked through, remove the pot from the heat. Serve over rice sprinkled with gumbo file, with Tabasco or other hot sauce at the ready.
Variations:
For those with a heat tooth: adding a jalapeno or two with the trinity will please. Alternatively (or additionally) add cayenne pepper with the herbs.
For those with a taste for Thai: serve the finished gumbo with fish sauce and sriracha instead of Tabasco. I did this last time I had it, and I thought it was just about the most delicious thing I ever had, and I now believe fish sauce is the perfect condiment for gumbo.
Seafood Gumbo: instead of (or in addition to) chicken add crab legs, crayfish, scallops, or any other fish or crustacean really. Add it with the shrimp, careful not to overcook.
Vegetarian/vegan: Gumbo z'herbes is a traditional lenten version of gumbo for catholic southerners. Leave out the chicken and andouille sausage. To get some of that andouille flavor add cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika, garlic, and plenty of sea salt. In place of the meat, throw in a mix of greens such as collard greens, spinach, dandelion, etc. This site gives an excellent list of greens to include, but I think the extra step of par boiling the greens is really unnecessary, just trim and chop into spoon able size and boil in the gumbo itself. Obviously, use vegetable stock instead of chicken.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Sustainable Eats: Greens and Beans Part II
Courtney and I eat meat. We are carnivores. But as carnivores go, we are pretty bad at it. We have frequently committed to a week of vegetarian cooking, or a month of eating meat only once a week (if you count farm raised clams and wild Alaskan salmon as vegetables). We also cook vegan meals from time to time. Why do we do this? Because no matter how much you love meat, you have to recognize that eating large amounts of beef for every meal is not a sustainable practice.
Buying grass finished beef is a little better, but it is very expensive compared to conventional beef. Vegetarian cooking, on the other hand, is significantly cheaper than the cheapest meat. Removing meat from just a few meals a week can greatly improve your food budget. If you are not going completely vegetarian, the health risks (low iron or protein intake) are negligible, especially if you eat beans, legumes, nuts or a meat replacement (tofu, e.g.) with each veggie meal.
Another excellent source of iron is clams, mussels or oysters. Farmed, these delicacies are also highly sustainable. There is nothing simpler than steaming clams in some white wine, with chopped onion and parsley and a little butter. They can be served in their shells with the steaming broth. Clams usually have more iron than similar amounts of beef (note: canned clams may have significantly lower iron content, fresh farmed are best).
If you are going for a vegan trial, however, more planning is required. The two main concerns are how to get the nutrition you need and how to make tasty food. Well, in the taste department I have two bits of advice: oil and sea salt. A lot of the flavor of meat comes from the natural salt and fat content, and when switching to a no meat diet doubling the salt and adding a little extra oil can go a long way. Sea salt specifically contains a number of things which are basically impurities that mimic meat flavor (the blood of most animals is similar chemically to sea water).
Another tip on vegetarian cooking: roast your vegetables. A little browning is vital to a complex flavor without meat, and a little black won't hurt either. Combined with the sea salt, this technique will produce a savory flavor that will make you forget about the lack of meat.
Finally, mushrooms are great in meatless dishes. They provide some texture, some body, and although I think white mushrooms are pretty flavorless, most varieties provide a rich umami flavor that is otherwise hard to come by without some animal product involved.
In terms of nutrition, the biggest concern aside from iron is protein, and for this beans are your best bet. Canned or dried, mashed or whole, beans and other legumes are packed with protein, low in fat and even have some fiber. They tend to soak up whatever flavor is around, so I usually add beans right at the end, otherwise everything else in the dish will lose its flavor.
In the interest of full disclosure, I feel I should tell you that while writing this post, I was planning, preparing, cooking and eating hamburgers. What can I say? I told you I was a carnivore. Besides, it was sunny all day today, and there probably won't be another good day to BBQ until spring. I did use grass fed beef though, and it was the first time that we cooked meat in a week, so I can't feel too bad.
Buying grass finished beef is a little better, but it is very expensive compared to conventional beef. Vegetarian cooking, on the other hand, is significantly cheaper than the cheapest meat. Removing meat from just a few meals a week can greatly improve your food budget. If you are not going completely vegetarian, the health risks (low iron or protein intake) are negligible, especially if you eat beans, legumes, nuts or a meat replacement (tofu, e.g.) with each veggie meal.
Another excellent source of iron is clams, mussels or oysters. Farmed, these delicacies are also highly sustainable. There is nothing simpler than steaming clams in some white wine, with chopped onion and parsley and a little butter. They can be served in their shells with the steaming broth. Clams usually have more iron than similar amounts of beef (note: canned clams may have significantly lower iron content, fresh farmed are best).
If you are going for a vegan trial, however, more planning is required. The two main concerns are how to get the nutrition you need and how to make tasty food. Well, in the taste department I have two bits of advice: oil and sea salt. A lot of the flavor of meat comes from the natural salt and fat content, and when switching to a no meat diet doubling the salt and adding a little extra oil can go a long way. Sea salt specifically contains a number of things which are basically impurities that mimic meat flavor (the blood of most animals is similar chemically to sea water).
Another tip on vegetarian cooking: roast your vegetables. A little browning is vital to a complex flavor without meat, and a little black won't hurt either. Combined with the sea salt, this technique will produce a savory flavor that will make you forget about the lack of meat.
Finally, mushrooms are great in meatless dishes. They provide some texture, some body, and although I think white mushrooms are pretty flavorless, most varieties provide a rich umami flavor that is otherwise hard to come by without some animal product involved.
In terms of nutrition, the biggest concern aside from iron is protein, and for this beans are your best bet. Canned or dried, mashed or whole, beans and other legumes are packed with protein, low in fat and even have some fiber. They tend to soak up whatever flavor is around, so I usually add beans right at the end, otherwise everything else in the dish will lose its flavor.
In the interest of full disclosure, I feel I should tell you that while writing this post, I was planning, preparing, cooking and eating hamburgers. What can I say? I told you I was a carnivore. Besides, it was sunny all day today, and there probably won't be another good day to BBQ until spring. I did use grass fed beef though, and it was the first time that we cooked meat in a week, so I can't feel too bad.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
The Oregon Trail Part III: Sea otters and Sustainable Fisheries
Day two, we wake up in Cambria tired from sleep deprivation and a long day of driving. We are also excited about the day ahead of us, and glowing about the day behind. The main attraction today is the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which we have been told is The Aquarium by which all others are measured. It is an impressive measuring stick.
As we drove up the coast, through foot hills along cliffs and over bridges, I was listening to back episodes of Good Food, a favorite radio show of Courtney and I. In one episode, Mark Bittman (author of "How to Cook Everything" and "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian") came on to discuss sustainable seafood, and mentioned the Monterey Bay Aquarium, specifically the fact that they offer a simple pocket guide to sustainable seafood. So of course, we picked a few up.
Of course, the 'simple guide,' as Bittman points out, glosses over some issues and provides some information that seems useful, but is impossible to apply at the market. So, I thought I would recap a little and provide some links.
Here is the issue in a nutshell: for most of human history the ocean has provided much more fish than we can possibly catch and consume. But recently, and I mean very recently, we have started catching and consuming much more fish than the ocean can provide. And really, that is impressive. Fish farming is sometimes a good alternative, but in some cases it is much, much worse. Farmed salmon, for example, requires feeding tons and tons of wild caught fish, and their waste flows directly into coastal waters (the 'farms' are pins in the ocean) contaminating the areas where they are grown. Meanwhile, wild salmon fishing in the pacific is sustainable (even if the way the fish gets to market is not), so farmed salmon is essentially a useless practice.
Clams, oysters and mussels, on the other hand, are best when farmed. And just to highlight the confusion, sustainability of fisheries is only one small part of the seafood minefield. The next biggest mine is mercury. If you haven't heard, it's in almost everything that we take out of the sea. And the crazy part is we put it (the mercury) there.
Our experience at the aquarium was awesome, especially the otter exhibit (did you know that otters eat floating on their backs, and use their chest as a table? neither did I). Sea horses and jelly fish are also amazing, but I don't have enough room to talk about them here. In short, the Monterey Bay Aquarium was a great experience, and very educational. I highly recommend it to anyone who is going through the area, and also highly recommend making one of the scheduled otter feedings.
As we drove up the coast, through foot hills along cliffs and over bridges, I was listening to back episodes of Good Food, a favorite radio show of Courtney and I. In one episode, Mark Bittman (author of "How to Cook Everything" and "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian") came on to discuss sustainable seafood, and mentioned the Monterey Bay Aquarium, specifically the fact that they offer a simple pocket guide to sustainable seafood. So of course, we picked a few up.
Of course, the 'simple guide,' as Bittman points out, glosses over some issues and provides some information that seems useful, but is impossible to apply at the market. So, I thought I would recap a little and provide some links.
Here is the issue in a nutshell: for most of human history the ocean has provided much more fish than we can possibly catch and consume. But recently, and I mean very recently, we have started catching and consuming much more fish than the ocean can provide. And really, that is impressive. Fish farming is sometimes a good alternative, but in some cases it is much, much worse. Farmed salmon, for example, requires feeding tons and tons of wild caught fish, and their waste flows directly into coastal waters (the 'farms' are pins in the ocean) contaminating the areas where they are grown. Meanwhile, wild salmon fishing in the pacific is sustainable (even if the way the fish gets to market is not), so farmed salmon is essentially a useless practice.
Clams, oysters and mussels, on the other hand, are best when farmed. And just to highlight the confusion, sustainability of fisheries is only one small part of the seafood minefield. The next biggest mine is mercury. If you haven't heard, it's in almost everything that we take out of the sea. And the crazy part is we put it (the mercury) there.
Our experience at the aquarium was awesome, especially the otter exhibit (did you know that otters eat floating on their backs, and use their chest as a table? neither did I). Sea horses and jelly fish are also amazing, but I don't have enough room to talk about them here. In short, the Monterey Bay Aquarium was a great experience, and very educational. I highly recommend it to anyone who is going through the area, and also highly recommend making one of the scheduled otter feedings.
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