Happy Holidays - a few articles

In between feasting on pies, potatoes, roasted beasts and savory drinks, indulge in a few of these thought provoking articles.

1. 50 percent more US children went hungry in 2007 by Michael J. Sniffen. The statistics are frightening and feel as though they may be hitting closer to home. Makes you want to help out in anyway that you can (ie: donate food, work in a soup kitchen, make a meal to share).

2. There was this great little article in the Trenton Times today, Blitzed with toy ads, cash-strapped parents push back, by David Crary. I can't seem to find it online, but check out the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood website. The gist is that parents are asking toy makers to ease up on marketing to their children because they aren't able to buy everything their children see and then want on TV or in video games, etc. The toy execs, in turn, are saying that they have to market so that children are able to stay up to date with the "latest and greatest". Interesting and disturbing.

3. Thoreau's observation in the beginning of this article says it all - I feel I have my life goal laid out in front of me. Read and flip through the pictures of England’s Culinary Wild West by Henry Shukman for the NY Times, and you'll know what I mean. It is yet another story about sustainable agriculture, local harvest and community. To be quite honest, I can't get enough of it. Every time I read one of these it makes me feel all warm with purpose.

Happy reading and munching!

Land of Opportunity...

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind for me (hence the lack of writing).  Every once in a while I think it necessary to observe and get involved.  While work has picked back up, my social life has found itself bouncing from events to lectures to tastings to runs.  In one word: exciting.  I consider myself very fortunate to live in a city where one night you're joining a marathon and the next evening you are at a book launch for a new comic about Isadora Duncan.  Only in New York.

So please allow me to take a quick moment to put everything together - because that is what I do, I find the through line. 

I had been feeling lazy, as if I'd completely abandoned my inner athlete.  In order to get her back, I started running.  Just a little bit each day; but getting my butt out there, more or less.  To keep myself motivated, I joined The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training.  Now, I will run a marathon (26.2 miles) on May 3rd and raise $2,600 for a wonderful cause.  The night I signed up I was speechless - the energy of hundreds of people gathered for the same reason.  Talk about finding a new community - not to mention being part of it.

Here is a link to the donations page!  If you can give, please consider. It is a great cause and we've all been effected by cancer in one way or another. 

Wednesday, was the Isadora Duncan book launch.  An incredibly illustrated comic book about the Mother of Modern Dance, with the forward by Lori Bellilove (whom I've had the opportunity to work with on several levels).  The author, Sabrina Jones, read an excerpt, Lori danced and we drank champagne.  I am still in awe and inspired by what I had witnessed front row.  What a truly artistic evening. 

Thursday evening I attended a Food & Pop Culture class at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE).  Fascinating conversation, people, and topic.  It was primarily geared toward the power of marketing food & food personalities to society, and was a nice refresher of my college marketing classes.  I thought the most interesting dynamic, however, aside from the lecture, was the audience: all women (various ages and backgrounds).  The lecturer, Fabio, is a professor of Pop Culture & Food at NYU and is the correspondent to an Italian Food Network.  

Friday night?  I drank wine.  Lots and LOTS of wonderful, beautiful, round, sparkling, dark, light, full bodied wine.  Wine from Italy, France, California, Spain, & South America.  Wine for every meal, wine for every time of year or time of day.  We danced with the owners until 1am to lively Spanish music, dj'ed by Pandora.com.  My favorite was this South American red, with braille on the label, and the bottle was from the 1800's (not the wine inside, but the actual bottle).  Do I remember the name?  Nope, not a chance.  But I do know that they saved me several bottles.  I also fell in love with Gigondas, which is a Granache blend from France.  If ever the essence of relaxation had been bottled, Gigondas is it. 

You may be asking yourself: but, Kendra, how does this all fit together?  It's easy.  It's taking advantage of opportunity; living for today.  We all say that we want to do this and experience that - frankly, I'm tired of saying it.

While this hasn't been the Media-Harvest you are used to, it is better (in my opinion).  Directly from the source.  Seeing things, feeling them, tasting them, interacting with them, etc.  

Happy Thanksgiving, darlings!

Regulations For Advertising and Marketing

I had to post this. It's an article about what the Obama Administration is planning to do to the advertising/marketing world. I, for one, think that it is brilliant and hope it sees the light of day.

Read Obama Promises Change; Is It Bad for Marketers? and judge for your self.

The bottom line is that they are going to make it harder for junk food companies to market to children (the way they did with tobacco), start putting strong regulations on product placement (ie: video games, kid/family shows), stop giving tax deductions to companies who spend billions on advertising, and stronger internet regulations on spy marketing companies that track your sites of interest.

Where America Needs to Go

There is a mentality I wish every person in our country could and would adopt. I've noticed more and more people - either on the streets, at events, or through articles - sharing the same compassion, but I just hope and pray that the rest of our society catches on.

This mindset, of course, is that of excitement, knowledge, interest, curiosity, openness and passion of what goes into our mouths and the mouths around us (family, friends, foes, etc). The disposition that sitting down to a meal, surrounded by friends and family with engaging conversation, is to me the healthiest actions we can do each day.

In the Summer Issue of Gastronomica, there is an article by Maggie Jackson which calls the reader to observe and abandon the movement of food-on-the-go. She shadows several individuals as they describe the ideal meal as something that is hand held (optimally one hand), prepackaged, small, nutrient loaded, and hopefully tastes like real food. However, "real" food describes none of the above, the key word here is something.

The reason for the on-the-go success is that our society has never been as mobile as we are today. Constantly moving from home to work to practice to travel to work, etc, etc, our lives have become all about the destination making the journey something that just happens during the interim. In fact, one woman even goes so far as to say that "I'd rather be eating and moving and doing something productive".

This idea just boggled my insides. I remember feeling this way and at times I even get sucked into eating mindlessly at my desk. But I distinctively recall the moment when I said "no more" and stopped myself from throwing away self awareness. It was then that I began taking control back into my life.

So, I gather this is where I am going with where America needs to go. We need to stop. We need to stop rushing and start listening, tasting, observing, feeling and contemplating. Jackson ends her essay with:

"Can we stop now? Can we pull to the side of the road and look hard at the encroachment of placeless places, or are we too enamored of our untrammeled solo journeys, the possibility of yet another choice around the corner?... What is needed is a way to recover the arts of pausing, sensing, tasting of sharing a meal. Full stop."

Can we? Can we really try to do this? Can we stop teaching our kids that the only taste worth remembering from childhood is a chicken McNugget and start having them taste roasted chicken or duck? Can we stop demonstrating that its OK to not care about what your putting in your body and start making conscious decisions about what is for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Can we break the notion that food is only fuel? Can we stop popping pills in place of meals and start popping grapes?

I don't think any of this is asking for too much. You never know, people might actually begin enjoying the delights of sitting down and using a fork or spoon!

Happy cooking and conversations!

Dinner for a Sick Girl

Tonight, I feel like crap.  The weather is rainy and warm, making it uncomfortable to be outside.  My throat is soar and my eyes heavy.  

Not being a fan of medicines that leave me groggy, I decided to do a little experimenting in my kitchen.  Knowing that Vitamin C and Bitter Greens are the keys to unlocking an upbeat immune system, I got right to it.

Strawberries were on sale and they would match perfectly with the arugula and lemon already in my basket.  No meats or diary because they'll leave me feeling heavy with phloem; I had beans the other night so that protein is out of the question.  So what to have for my main dish?  Well, I decided the remaining kale in my crisper drawer would be satisfying and delicious; steamed with garlic and a squeeze of lemon, drained (keeping the water because that is my beverage), and then tossed with a little butter and red pepper.

A wonderful dinner - the sweet strawberries gave me the boost of vitamin c I needed, the bitter greens (arugula and kale) provided me with roughage, vitamins and protein my immune system was craving.  Not to let anything go to waste, I drank the water that steamed the kale, and honestly it was quite good!

But I wasn't completely fulfilled. My throat still itched and my body was starting to ache.  I decided my dessert would be hot tea with echinachae, licorice, honey and a shot of whiskey. 

Remember, next time your sick chicken soup is great, but when you get bored of that there are other comfort foods options that provide a healthy punch to your ailing system.

Feel better!

A Kitchen For 2 Even When It's Only 1

I was surprised heading home last week when my boyfriend, Joseph, told me over the phone that he had made turkey burgers.

"Fantastic!", I thought, "I wont have to cook, but I'm sure I'll have clean up".

Nope! I returned home to a surprisingly clean kitchen - which to me was even better than hearing the bulk of dinner had been prepared. I began to ponder what to make as a side.

Searching through my cupboards I felt a pang of loneliness knowing that Joe wouldn't be home until I way after dinner (he works nights and I work days). And then, like a slap from God, I saw them! Those beautiful, small, awkward shaped sweet potatoes - SWEET POTATO FRIES!
Without skipping a beat I was at the cutting board, rinsing, and "sticking" my soon to be plush fries. While cutting the starches into careful sticks, I couldn't help but to think Joe was there with me.

Now... for seasoning! What would Joe like? I grabbed the curry, cumin, and cayenne without a second thought, and began tossing the sweet pots in a bowl with a bit of olive oil. Next, I lay them over tin foil and placed them in the preheated 450* oven. During those 20-25 minutes, my mouth was salivating as I anticipated the comfort food!

Finally they were ready and for the first time, after many lonely dinners, I didn't feel so bad. Even if you can't be together in person, it is possible in fork and mouth!

It's been a while...

My apologies for not writing in a week! I was doing so well, but after the Gastronomica Event on 10/28 I needed to digest what I had consumed.

A very interesting, thought provoking event, to say the least. I initially walked away feeling a little jaded about the Foodie Community I now acquaint myself with. Then, after a few days had passed, I started to take a stand for what I believe in and the reasons I "joined" this community in the beginning.

First of all, the celebrity-ism is not as well accepted as we would think amongst the culinary world. While a chef may carefully paint their name on the door making them a micro, or neighborhood, star, the TV and print world give the artist fame on a macro, or national/international, level. Currently some truly talented celebri-chefs (David Chang, for example) are feeling an influx of attention hungry amateurs who think they can cook. I understand this, but I think there is more than meets the eye in the big picture.

Yes, "Celebrity" was the topic of the forum, and quite honestly I found this part intriguing, but whiny all at the same time. My interest however, came in as the underlying tone and the final statement of the evening.

1. It started, for me, when the panel mentioned the shift of TV viewers and magazine readers speaking in culinary lingo as opposed to the true amateur just-toasting-bread jargon. This resonated with me after I really thought about it, and I want to bring it to the next level. I think that this is the start of something amazing! People are actually taking the time to think about what they are putting in their bodies. And beyond that, the preparation of the food and who is preparing the food.

I understand that being in the spotlight for someone who just wants to cook can be annoying, but they've done something greater than create a perfect fois-gras: they are slowly changing the way Americans view the food they used to take for granted. Talk about your giant step!

2. The strongest words of the night were spoken by Gwen Hyman who closed the forum with a comment regarding the farming/gardening movement. She said that it was a direct reaction to the technology movement and that people need to feel a real connectedness. We need that interaction between the earth, our minds, heart and hands. We need to nurture seeds to grow food for our families and communities.

This is a truly beautiful and inspiring movement... I think we should all hop on the bandwagon and get our hands dirty!