The Insatiable Journalist Part 3: Oh the Food!

The kitchen at Le Bec-Fin is hot - the hottest in the city, one of the line cooks tell me, having reached 130 degrees last July. The kitchen is cramped - renovations this summer will open up what is currently barely enough room for the servers to pick up dishes handed over by cooks confined behind a prep line that creates a tight hallway to work in. And the kitchen smells, not of fois gras or rosemary essence or the browned butter that coats each piece of meat before being plated, of cigar smoke.

Chef Georges Perrier, who at 68 no longer slices, dices or plates at lightning speed, is smoking a cigar. Smoking a cigar and releasing a tirade of obscenities at the staff. He yells with such sincere disgust that I'm left cowering and hoping he'll forget I'm there; but the moving target of his anger - now it's Geno, the nineteen year old cold-prep cook who warned me that he would be fired (nominally, of course) before the end of the night; then a sluggish server; then a dishwasher to "clean zis shit up!" - barely bat an eye. They're used to him. And there are enough stories ("all the stories true," the new head Chef, Nicholas Elmi tells me) they could have been used to him before they even started working there. The only thing Chef Georges Perrier is more famous for than his attitude is his food.

And, oh the food! The first day of my spring break I spent nine hours (until I just couldn't stand up any longer!) in the kitchen at Le Bec-Fin. How was it? Exhausting. Hey! When was the last time you were on your feet, on your game and in the heat for that long!? I don't know if I could be there six days a week like so many of the amazing people I met. But as a once-in-a-lifetime experience it was so worth it.

Upstairs in the predominantly-female, Katy Perry-soundtracked, much cooler, and all around sweeter pastry kitchen a mere mention that I had never tried the coffee cake earned me a slice and less than perfect strawberry macaroons were left to me to dispose of.

Back down amidst the frantic hustle and bustle of the main kitchen, all the twenty-something guys working the line offered up tastes of everything they made (even rabbit loin stuffed with shrimp paste!) as side dishes to the bucket of fries meant to sustain me and give me a chance to taste the many sauces. Before the dinner rush, 24-year-old Moses (my stand-in big brother all day) set me up with a plate of turkey meatloaf and mashed potatoes, like only Le Bec-Fin can make.

Over the course of nine hours I learned that everyone smokes out back, that drama abounds when Moses can only afford enough five hour energy for the back of the house, and a whole new supply of curse words. Sometimes, it's hard to remember that on the other side of the swinging doors is a dinning room full of people on their best behavior. But ultimately, it's the guys in the back who are responsible for the food worth paying for -- and they know it. Out back in the ally, to catch my breath for a moment, I see 24-year-old Tyler desperately banging on the doors of other restaurant kitchens that let out back here. Inside, they've run out of spinach, but at Le Bec-Fin, you can never let the guest know that you ran out. Because, as Moses reminds me gesturing at my tape recorder, "people somewhere are talking about us."

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Toasted Ricotta Gnocchi

Gnocchi is one of those dishes that you’re not sure of when you first hear of it, but once you try it, you fall in love. It is defined as Italian dumplings, which doesn’t sound bad, but also doesn’t sound particularly enticing. In fact, the description could be a little mysterious. When you think of dumplings, you might think of Chinese dumplings. Well, gnocchi are not like Chinese dumplings: they have no filling and they are much much smaller. They have some similarities to the dumplings in the traditional country dish chicken and dumplings in that they are small and have no filling. But in my opinion, gnocchi are much better. Yet I qualify that not all gnocchi are delicious. Some are too chewy: the consistency is sticky and doughy. I have tried many gnocchi dishes before and have been disappointed. So beware of trying just any. But there is one place whose gnocchi I can guarantee will not disappoint: Jane in New York City. Jane makes a toasted ricotta gnocchi that is going to be the last meal I am going to want before I die. Jane’s gnocchi is tender. It melts in your mouth so that you barely have to chew it. Since it is toasted though, it has a crisp outside, the perfect complement to the softness of the inner dough. Like the best part on a grilled cheese sandwich, it is golden, not burnt. Finally, bathing in a cream sauce and made of a mild cheese, Jane’s ricotta gnocchi is sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. I could eat a whole plate, which says a lot for a person who always brings half of her meal home from restaurants.

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Food Events @ Penn

Penn Chocolate Festival

What: Come to sample and buy chocolates from some of the city's best chocolatiers!
Who: Penn Gastronomy Club
Where: Houston Hall, Hall of Flags
When: Sunday March 27, 11am- 3pm
Cost: Free




Cupcake Decorating Classes

What: Learn how to make your own unique designs and then enjoy your creations
Who: Cream & Sugar coffee and sweet shop
Where: 4004 Spruce St
When: Sunday, March 20th at 7pm (for ages 15-24)
Monday, March 21st at 7pm (Ladies' Night)
Tuesday, March 22nd at 7pm (Adults & Teens)
Cost: $15 for an individual, discount for groups. To register, e-mail creamandsugarsweets@yahoo.com.



Food Justice Movie Nights

What: Meet once a month to watch food-related movies, eat snacks and discuss food justice
Who: Urban Nutrition Initiative
Where: The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St
When: Monday March 21, 6pm
Cost: Free

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Why Worst Cooks in America May Be the Best Kind of Cooking Show

There’s something gruesome about Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America. Watching it is akin to witnessing a well-lit car-wreck unfold in slow motion—like a lot of reality television, its allure as entertainment lies in the gory, uncomfortable details. In any given episode of Worst Cooks, the viewer is treated to such cringe-worthy, sickening moments as contestant Kat, 37, finding a rotting sardine encased in the stomach of the calamari she’s preparing, its grayish guts squeezed onto the cutting board, or Season Two winner Joshie, 36, accidentally slicing his hand open and bleeding all over his seafood filling.

It seems a straightforward enough premise: divide 16 hapless, hopeless cooks into two teams, assign them culinary mentors, and unleash them on the kitchen. This is a model that Food Network (along with Bravo, TLC and Fox) has perfected: a high-pressure, high-stress foodie race to the finish. These shows (Top Chef, Iron Chef America and especially Chopped) celebrate the ability to perform outrageous feats of gastronomic wizardry in ever-shrinking amounts of time. Unfortunately, this approach comes at the expense of meticulous, deliberate cooking. There’s no drama to be wrung from slow-food, and primetime has no use for patience.

So what’s awry about amateurs’ night in Kitchen Stadium? Here are 16 people who have managed to reach adulthood without conquering that one most fundamental skill of living: feeding themselves. How did this happen? Carlos, 28, blames his mother’s babying. Others say a full-time job or talented partner is the culprit. Some, like Kelsey, 23, have genuine cooking-phobia. Kelsey’s is the product of an incident with a gas grill and several bouts of self-inflicted food poisoning.

In a microwaveable, prepackaged 21st century world, Worst Cooks’ contingent of clumsy, clueless competitors comes as no surprise. The idea that their survival depends on a combination of TV dinners and Big Macs doesn’t faze us. In fact, it seems singularly normal. But seen through clearer eyes (our grandmothers,’ perhaps) the trend encapsulated by Worst Cooks in America is a very strange phenomenon, one unprecedented in all of human history.

Less than a third of Americans cook dinner from scratch regularly, and half of all meals consumed at home are takeout or delivery. 8% of people report that they do not cook at all. Last year, Americans collectively spent more on fast food than they did on education.

There are many reasons for the dilapidated state of the American home kitchen. Is the rise of food competition TV shows among them? It’s a chicken-and-egg kind of question, because it’s also possible that the media are merely reflecting an already present cultural shift. Still, there’s an argument to be made that they do at least perpetuate the problem.

These days, cooking shows that fall into the how-to category are relegated to the morning and early afternoon; they’ve become dinosaurs of the genre, targeted at an older, old-fashioned demographic. Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa is a classic example. Garten spends most episodes at home, fastidiously preparing meals for her working husband. It’s a daily half-hour time warp, with Garten playing the role of 1950s housewife doting on gainfully employed spouse.

If Barefoot Contessa is the past, Worst Cooks in America is the future. Worst Cooks relies on the established tropes of food reality TV, in which cooking is a professional sport, an activity best left to experts and observed from a distance. They drive the point home with panels of haughty connoisseurs, who take dainty tastes and dispense minute judgments. In an interview, Season One champion Rachel, 23, said she was “scared out her mind” at the finale because she was about to be evaluated by “people who eat for a living.”

That so many need to be taught how to cook is beyond disconcerting, it’s abnormal. Society has divorced us from our food and convinced us that the separation is natural, when it is anything but. We don’t know where our food comes from, how to prepare it or how much of it to eat. In a few short decades, we’ve nearly obliterated centuries of culinary tradition, rules and customs that had been carefully preserved and passed on for generations. Instead, we look to nutritionists (with their constantly changing and often shoddily researched recommendations) for guidance, and are bewildered when their advice turns out to be little more than a veiled commercial endorsement.

It’s pretty obvious we’ve been led astray: pollution, obesity, allergies, and food poisoning are all on the upswing, and there are numerous other problems cropping up that are tangentially linked to poor diet. If our surrogate-grandmothers are false idols, whom can we trust to right this growing crisis?

Some of the soundest counsel comes from author Michael Pollan, who preaches never to eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food, and to avoid anything advertised as “healthy,” as that’s usually a surefire means of identifying products that are pumped with hormones, colorings and chemicals.

Worst Cooks in America may actually be a blessing in disguise. It might be just another cooking competition, but it is also the only one that advocates ordinary people taking a stab at dinner, using fresh ingredients and a host of vegetables and fish. And while it is a TV show (and therefore tied to the sedentary lifestyle at the root of the issue,) anything with the potential to motivate Americans to get off the couch and into the kitchen is worth supporting.

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Pasta with Garlic and Tomato

I love to cook new and exciting foods, but sometimes I like to come up with a simple recipe using whatever ingredients I can find in my fridge. So with my time over spring break I've come up with a really easy recipe that satisfied my hunger and cleaned out my fridge a little too.

I made this just for myself so feel free to make more if you're cooking for two or more people.

All you need is:
1/4 pound pasta (I used rigatoni but you can use penne or any other pasta of your choice)
6 cherry tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or less if you don't like spice)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp basil (I used dried because I didn't have fresh but if you have fresh, definitely use it)
a splash of vegetable stock (or chicken stock, whichever you have)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil to cook the garlic and tomatoes

Bring a pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta. While you wait for the water to boil dice the tomatoes and mince the garlic. Then in a pan with olive oil saute the tomatoes and garlic. To the pan, add the red pepper flakes, onion powder, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook them all together as the pasta cooks. Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, drain it and put it in your bowl.
When the tomatoes have started to break down and everything has caramelized a little you can add the vegetable stock which will help create a sauce for the pasta. If you want to make the sauce more tomato-y you can add a can of tomato sauce to the pan instead. After cooking the sauce for a minute or two you can add it to the pasta.
It's really simple and easy, and it tastes good. In just minutes you can have a fresh pasta dish.

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Blog Bites: A Round-Up of the Week's Top Food Stories

• Honest Tom's Taco Shop, the popular taco food truck that frequents University City, is opening a permanent location this summer at 261 S. 44th Street - Foobooz

• Uwishunu lists 16 new restaurants opening in Philadelphia this Spring

• The Inquirer reports on the mummified food featured in "Secrets of the Silk Road" exhibition at the Penn Museum

• The beloved Reading Terminal Market is receiving a $2.7 million dollar renovation, including five new food stalls - Uwishunu

• University City's Distrito has a new weekend brunch menu - Uwishunu

• The politics of food: Food safety agencies threatened by House Republicans' budget cuts - Time.com

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Cavewoman at College: The Paleo Diet

Call me a modern-day cavewoman.

Okay, so I don’t go out and hunt and gather my food like the cavemen, and I certainly don’t live in a cave. However, my eating habits mimic those of our Paleolithic ancestors—if a food didn’t exist before the Agricultural Revolution (circa 10,000 years ago), I won’t eat it.

This way of eating goes by many names: the Caveman diet, the Primal diet, the New Evolution diet, and possibly the most well-known, the Paleo diet. The philosophy behind eating like the cavemen is that prior to the Agricultural Revolution, humans were taller, leaner, stronger, and much healthier than their post-agrarian descendants. Modern day (or “Western”) illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and obesity also did not exist before humans abandoned their hunting and gathering ways and learned how to farm. Studies done on modern-day hunter-gatherers mimic this idea— in The New Evolution Diet, Art DeVany writes, “Ancestral humans were not overweight. Nor did they suffer the ailments that are so prevalent in our civilized world. Now we suffer from a host of chronic ‘Western’ diseases that were virtually unknown among our early ancestors and are largely absent even among today’s hunger-gatherers living in traditional ways.” Eating like the cavemen also regulates insulin levels, lowers bad cholesterol, erases or alleviates symptoms of conditions like IBS, Crohn's disease, and arthritis, clears up acne, and improves athletic performance.

The Paleo diet is high in fat and animal protein and relatively low in carbohydrates. Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint, says to “eliminate: sugary foods and beverages, grains (wheat, corn, rice, pasta, breads, cereals, etc.), legumes (soy and other beans), trans and partially hydrogenated fates, high-risk conventional meat and produce, and excess polyunsaturated fatty acids.” Processed foods, artificial sweeteners, and dairy should also be avoided. That’s right—no pizza, Insomnia cookies, Red Bull, or fro-yo on this eating plan!
While it may seem that this is incredibly restrictive, the foods you can eat are some of the healthiest and most delicious ones that nature has to offer. A Paleo diet consists of fruits and (non-starchy) vegetables; lean (and idcaveman, Health, Nutrition, paleally organic and grass-fed) animal meats, seafood, and eggs; nuts and seeds; healthy fats such as olive and coconut oil; and fresh spices. Eating this way is quite easy—almost every restaurant has meat and veggies on the menu, and the dining halls are accommodating to this lifestyle too with their salad bars, protein and veggie entrees, and occasional “action” options like omelets and lettuce wraps. There are thousands of meal choices for Paleo eaters—in fact, there are even countless cookbooks available!

There’s no “one size fits all” approach to the Paleo lifestyle, however—it can be adjusted to an individual’s specific goals and preferences. If you turn to Paleo to lose weight, for example, you might decide to cut out nuts, seeds, and fruit. Other Paleo eaters decide to include modern foods into their diets such as coffee, red wine, dark chocolate (with 70% or higher cacao content), or high-quality cheese. Some also choose to use natural sweeteners like honey or Stevia, whereas others decide to eat all of their foods raw. No matter how strict you want to get with it, eating Paleo is all about being healthy and promoting longevity-- and that's what makes it more than just a diet! Paleo is a lifestyle.

Want to learn more about the Paleo/Primal/Caveman lifestyle? I highly recommend watching this clip from ABC Nightline, checking out the websites of Loren Cordain (The Paleo Diet), Mark Sisson (The Primal Blueprint), Robb Wolf (The Paleo Solution), and Art DeVany (The New Evolution Diet), or taking a look at my blog, Paleo at Penn. If you have some more time on your hands, I encourage you to read any of these writers' books, as well as some probably more-familiar titles, In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan and Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes, which both touch upon the Paleolithic lifestyle and its health benefits.

As we Paleo eaters like to say, Grok on!

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Mardi Gras Recipes

After venturing down to Florida for Spring Break, my friends and I decided to try some southern cooking. As part of our Mardi Gras celebration we focused on Cajun food specifically. In the spirit of things, I choose a few hearty and spicy to recipes to follow. The first recipe I came upon that caught my interest was for Bubba’s Shrimp Gumbo. Being an avid “Forrest Gump” lover, I was thrilled to try this.

Bubba’s Shrimp Gumbo

Ingredients
1 c. butter
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 chopped yellow onion
1/4 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped green bell pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1 c. sliced okra
3 c. shrimp stock
2 c. clam juice
1 c. chopped tomatoes with juice (from a can)
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tspn finely ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. cooked smoked sausage
2 lbs. shrimp, uncooked, cleaned and deveined

Directions
In a large heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt 1 cup of the butter. Add the flour, and cook on low heat until the roux is dark brown. Continue for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the onions, celery, peppers and garlic and saute until translucent.
Mix in the okra and the remaining ingredients, until thick. This takes about 1 hour. Before serving, remove the bay leaves. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve over white rice, if desired.

The gumbo turned out deliciously. I was careful to let the gumbo thicken long enough that it could be eaten as a single entrée, although it could have been eaten with rice. At my friends’ request, I also decided to make green beans and cornbread to accompany my gumbo. I found a green bean recipe with a spicy twist. I added honey to my cornbread to balance out the other spicy and savory flavors of the meal.

Spicy Green Beans

Ingredients
Frozen Green Beans
Chili Sauce
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Directions
Place the green beans with a drop of olive oil in a frying pan. Begin to cook on low heat. Add chile sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook for at least a half hour to let frozen beans thaw and the flavors sink in.

Honey Cornbread

Ingredients
1c. cornmeal
1c. all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2c. granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 c. whole milk
2 large eggs
1/4c. melted butter
1/4 c. honey

Directions
Preheat oven to 400° F. Mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the whole milk, eggs, butter, and honey. Add the second mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until mixed. Grease a 9’ x 9’ pan, pour in the mixture, and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.
Overall, the meal went off as a hit! Although the faint of heart should be warned, with the exception of the cornbread, these recipes had a kick to them.

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Bundt Cakes Kick Bundt

What’s the latest trend following the extremely successful cupcake fad? People speculate the newest “it dessert” could be pies or cake pops, brownies or French macarons. Why not consider bundt cakes?

Bundt is derived from Bundkuchen, a German ring-shaped cake served during tea. Additionally, the word “bund” refers both to how the cake's dough “bundles” around the pan's center hole and to its German-English translation meaning “gathering” (thus a cake used for a gathering or party). The unique pan design was patented by Dave and Dotty Dalquist, who designed the pan in 1950 at the request of members of the Hadassah Society’s Minneapolis chapter. The Dalquists went on to establish NordicWare, a company specializing in kitchenware products. Today, they have sold nearly 60 million Bundt pans throughout the U.S. What makes the mold unique is its fluted and grooved design, which allows for more dough to make contact with the pan's inner surface and provides deeper, more even heat distribution.

To me, bundts are simply cupcakes in a different shape. However, I’m always on the hunt for that just-right cake base and spot-on frosting. In my area, a place named Nothing Bundt Cakes recently opened a few months ago—I was excited to give the place a try over Spring Break!

As indicated by its name, the bakery specializes in bundts. They offer nine standard cake flavors (including chocolate chocolate chip, pecan praline, lemon, and red velvet), as well as a rotating “flavor of the month” (if you’re curious, March is “Chocolate Turtle”). After surveying the delicious options, I decided to try their carrot bundtlet (a.k.a. mini bundt). The cake was perfectly moist; its carrot flavor was excellent, with added sweetness from pineapple (something I’m going to consider in my future carrot cakes!) and aromatic spiciness from cinnamon and nutmeg. The cream cheese frosting was piped not in the usual swirl as seen on cupcakes, but rather in thick umbrella-inspired petals. The frosting had a velvety texture and tasted sweet but not overpowering, merging well with the cake itself.

Overall, Nothing Bundt Cakes did a solid job with their bundts. I’d love to return before break ends so I can try some of the other flavors available. The bakery may very well be part of a new dessert trend, so here’s hoping for a bundt place to open in Philadelphia! (For now, you can get your fix at places like Metropolitan Bakery and Corner Bakery Cafe.)

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Is SmartWater Smart?

In recent years, enhanced water beverages have risen to prominence in American drink markets. SmartWater, VitaminWater, and Skinny Water are three such products that have emerged as competitors of natural H2O. But what ingredients exactly "enhance" these drinks and are these additives necessarily beneficial?

SmartWater, introduced by Glaceau in 1998, is a no-calorie drink that adds electrolytes to distilled spring water. This results in a crisper tasting water that Glaceau’s website equates with “the first drop of rain.” While electrolytes are essential for various functions of the body, most people, according to nutritionist Nancy Rodriguez, manage to replenish their body's supply through food and tap water.  Additionally, since SmartWater is sodium-free, it is not actually recommended as a sports drink for athletes. Some people believe the taste and style of SmartWater outweighs its cost, but nonetheless it is not an inherently “better” water product.  

VitaminWater, meanwhile, has raked up a number of complaints since its introduction in 2000.  Touted as a nutrition and hydration drink, VitaminWater’s brilliant advertising can distract consumers from the fact that it contains 33 grams of sugar  (equivalent to eight teaspoons!) per bottle.  

As Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League points out, “two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese; the last thing people need is sugar water with vitamins you could get from eating a healthy diet, or taking a vitamin pill.” Furthermore, the supplementary vitamins found in vitamin water might not even be beneficial, since, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report, most Americans do not need a daily vitamin supplement.

VitaminWater has been criticized for not adhering to FDA regulations specifying that a product’s name should reflect its most prominent ingredients. In this case, "VitaminSugar" or "SugarWater" might be more appropriate. It has also been attacked for running ads that suggest the beverage has powers it doesn’t (a recent tag line: “vitamin water. flu  shots are so last year”). While VitaminWater might be better than a can of soda, it is no replacement for actual water. 

Skinny Water, introduced in 2006, contains 0-calories, 0-grams of sugar, and, according to its website, "0-guilt." Skinny Water's claim to fame is its weight-loss component thanks to ingredients Super Citrimax and the green tea antioxidant EGCG.  The dubious benefits of these ingredients aside, how can a beverage containing sucralose (Splenda), flavoring, coloring, and fruit extracts promote itself as "water?” Emily Mitchell, the dietician quoted on Skinny Water's website, states, "after reviewing the ingredients, I believe Skinny Water is an excellent, sugar-free and healthy alternative to traditional, high-calorie carbonated soft drinks." While Skinny Water may be a healthier choice than soda, it is misleading to advertise it as a "water." Being called a better alternative than soda is not high praise, nutritionally.   

In the end, a final consideration when purchasing any form of bottled water is its environmental impact. While innovations and upgrades are made constantly, including a glass-bottle SmartWater product, perhaps it might be best to stick with the less glamorous but still effective option when it comes to quenching thirst:  filtered tap water.
Post by Margaret Buff.

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