Tag Archive: Food

What A Meat-Eater Took Away From Oprah’s Vegan Episode

Written on February 2, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Uncategorized

When I heard Tuesday’s episode of Oprah marketed as her “vegan experience”, I have to say as an occasional meat-eater I wasn’t drawn in; certainly it wouldn’t be as good as her camping trip with her “friend”, Gayle(remember that? That was a hoot!). But I was also interested to see what message she would be giving, especially with a panel of Veganist Kathy Freston, Food Activist Michael Pollon(who’s not a vegetarian), and a representative from a factory farm slaughterhouse(also not a vegetarian if you couldn’t draw that out).

Before I say what I agreed with and didn’t agree with of the show, I have to quantify my own diet by saying I’m something of a “flexitarian”. I eat vegan most of the time because that’s how I shop; dairy doesn’t agree with me and the only time I have eggs is in brownies(is this really a shocker?). While I don’t have plans to eat meat anytime soon, I’d never call myself a vegetarian since I’m sure I’ll eat meat at a holiday or in a restaurant soon enough. Also, I’m not fundamentally against it, which is probably the number one reason I’d say all of this comes from a “meat-eater”’s perspective.

Agree

“I don’t think you should be eating meat if you don’t want to see how it’s being produced” –Michael Pollan

This, to me, was the best message from the show. No one ever sees how their food is made anymore; most people have been filtered out of the farming lifestyle over the past few hundred years. Having given a presentation on most of this at the 2010 Healthy Living Summit, I can’t say I was shocked at what was shown in the slaughterhouse.

Eat more veggies and you will be more in touch with your bodily functions than ever before(and you’ll like talking about it): The HARPO staff loved to talk about how much they pooped and farted; and who could blame them? One of the benefits of a plant-based diet is that your body works incredibly well at digesting food and you’ll never have to spend another morning struggling on the toilet. It’s a good life.

We should be more aware of what’s in our food: At one point, one of Oprah’s staffers took all the food with animal products out of her refrigerator. What was left was basically mustard and ketchup, and she had no idea that’s how she was eating. Another staffer admittedly ate “horrible” before going vegan, and lost 11 pounds just by eating nutritious food. If you actually know what’s in your food, vegan or not, you’re more likely to make a healthier and informed decision.

We should support our farmers(and hint: you don’t do this by buying from large industries): This is something that Michael Pollan said which sort of got swept under the rug immediately after, but it’s a good point. Farming is a career, and a dying one at that. If you don’t support your local farmer(for meat or for vegetables) then they’re at risk of going out of business, and there are many many reasons why our food production shouldn’t be in the hands of a few big companies.

Disagree

The idea that veganism exists at Whole Foods only: Whenever they went shopping or showed groceries in this episode, it was from Whole Foods. You don’t have to shop at Whole Foods to get vegan groceries; most grocery stores have tons of vegan options to choose from. And the farmers’ market is an excellent place to get vegetables in season. Since Whole Foods has the nickname “Whole Paycheck”, I’m afraid this could give the wrong impression that vegan = costly.

You won’t shed pounds like you’re on The Biggest Loser simply because you don’t eat animal products: Oprah staffers lost a combined total of 444 pounds in a week on a vegan diet. Woh! Who knew cutting out animal products can help you lose weight? Well, I don’t agree that it can, at least not that alone. What’s more likely is that these people weren’t eating healthy food to begin with(one of them was a self-proclaimed “fast food addict”). I think it’s entirely possible to live healthy on a diet including meat.

“Fake food” is the answer: There was a lot of product placement in this. It was like Friends, American Idol, and The Truman Show combined. And most of it wasn’t from the United States Sweet Potato Board or Broccoli Farmers Of America but rather Kashi, Earth Balance, Daiya, and every sort of fake meat imaginable. The problem this creates is twofold: there’s no appeal in going vegan if all the food you’re going to eat is compared to non-vegan alternatives; and a lot of these are overly-processed, which in turn is probably more harmful to your body than meat itself if you base your diet around them.

Conclusion

I could wrap up this entire post into one 7-worded statement:

Eat food, not too much, mostly plants

What? That’s taken? Shoot. Well then I’ve got nothing original. Oh wait, yes I do:

Love the ingredients, not the food

That’s the tagline I gave this blog when I made it 3 months ago. It’s on all my business cards, so you know it’s legit. It means know what you’re eating, preferably by cooking your own real food with real ingredients. And it’s only 6 words, so technically I’m more succinct and better than Pollan. Where’s my book deal?

Did you watch the show? What were your opinions on it or any of this?

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Better-Than-Boxed Brownies and a CSN Store Giveaway

Written on February 1, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert, Giveaway

Today is the first day of February, the time to (hopefully) start enjoying the outside more by cleaning off the swing set, taking out bicycles, and ignoring that little thing called Valentine’s Day. What better way to celebrate a new month than with brownies?

When I ran yearbook bake sales in high school, the one food that went without exception were brownies made from a box. People just like them. Once you get to a certain level of cooking/baking, serving a box mix feels like a stab through the heart. Instead, we make recipes that rival boxed brownies. These are just as sugary and fudgy as the ones you get from a Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker mix. They’re also the same that I used in my grasshopper brownies but the recipe is good enough that it needs its own post. I mean, don’t they just look that good?

Better-Than-Boxed Brownies

Ingredients(Makes 16 2’-inch brownies):

1 1/4 cup flour(I used gluten-free all-purpose flour)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4oz(1/2 cup) semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup water
1 egg

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Melt the chocolate and mixing it with the cooking oil. Next mix in the water, sugar, extract, salt, and cocoa powder. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix until just combined.

Grease an 8×8 baking pan and pour in the batter. Cook for 25 minutes until the center is just cooked. Wait until they have cooled to cut.

Giveaway

The people at CSN Stores have offered one US/Canadian reader a $35 gift certificate to any of their online stores. There are 3 simple ways to enter; please leave a separate comment for each one.

1. What’s your favorite childhood dessert? or what dessert are you looking forward to eating this month?

2. Follow me on Twitter(or just say if you already do)

3. Like me on Facebook(or just say if you already do)

This giveaway ended February 5th

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Honey Butter Blondies

Written on January 31, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

There is so much right about these it’s hard to know where to begin. Honey butter is a sweet and rich condiment made of 1 part honey to 1 part butter. It’s a great thing to spread on toast, in sandwiches—wherever! It only seemed natural that this would make an excellent blondie, and with chocolate chips(because what do those not make better?). The flavor of honey butter shines through more as an aftertaste. I would have liked these to be a little fudgier but if you like your brownies more cakey then these are for you.

Honey Butter Blondies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup(1 stick) butter(or Earth Balance) at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour(I used Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free)
1/3 cup chocolate or white chocolate chips.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Start by creaming together your butter, sugar, and honey until it’s nice and smooth without any clumps. Add in the egg, extract, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and beat lightly.

Sift in the flour and mix again until the batter is even. Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips gently.

Press the batter into a greased 8×8 baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the center has set. Cool completely before cutting in and serving.

The top looked burnt but it wasn’t at all; I can only assume the ingredients cook to be that deep brown color. It actually smelled a lot like graham crackers baking!

I ate mine hot out of the oven and it was amazing. The only thing that could have made it better would have been a pat of honey butter on top. Technically, these were honey margarine blondies since I made mine with Earth Balance, but that doesn’t sound nearly as appealing so we’ll just stick with honey butter.

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How To Take Good Food Photos With Limited Space

Written on January 30, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Photography

One of my biggest worries going back to living in a dorm room wasn’t how I’d eat—I’m plenty used to cooking in tight quarters with ad hoc ingredients—but rather how it’d look. I thought to myself “Great, now I have to go back to grainy, awkward photos with street corners in the background.” But with a little effort I’ve figured out how to get around that.

The scene above might look like a pan of blondies on top of a few t-shirts covering 2 stacked food storage container. Or it might look like a tabletop with a maroon tablecloth; it’s all about perspective.

To take this photo, I made a make-shift table near a window for natural light and covered the surface with on-hand material. No matter where you are, natural light is your best friend for photography to attain realistic shadows.

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Background material is important for a photo, too. In most side photos I have to be careful not to get the heater or my bed in the view line(not because it’s messy or unmade or anything…). But before you go and buy expensive textured tablecloths, look in your closet for inspiration. Most plain t-shirts can be used as a neutral background letting the food show.

The benefit of using a white t-shirt like this is that it draws no attention to itself whatsoever and takes a keen eye to tell what material it actually is.

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Lastly, you can always set up a lightbox to make the best of artificial lighting and closeted background. The benefit of this is shadow less objects with customizable backgrounds, albeit small, like the one below.

Have any other questions about photography? Leave a comment below and I’ll try to answer it as best I can.

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Candy Recipe Round-Up

Written on January 29, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Recipe Round-Up

Valentine’s Day is only 2 weeks away.

Scared you a little, didn’t I?

Valentine’s Day is full of expectations. If you’re in a relationship, you’re expected to do nice things for each other and be all lovey-dovey. If you’re not in a relationship, well, you’ve probably thrown your expectations out the window by February 14th and are ready with a pint of ice cream.

At the end of the day, nothing says “I love you” like “Here, eat all of this sugar and for this one day I won’t judge you,” so here are some suggestions for what sweet treats you can make to surprise your sweetheart.

Jenna’s Oh Baby Bars:

These are a must for anyone who loves chocolate and peanut butter. And who doesn’t love chocolate and peanut butter? Well, unless your date’s allergic… And they’re even easier to make than peanut butter cups. I recommend using a small loaf pan so that the layers are nice and thick.

Peppermint Patties:

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Peppermint patties are the perfect dessert for a date because they’re also a breath mint. These were surprisingly easy to make, too.

Mound Bars:

Coconut is one of those love or hate flavors. But if you know someone who loves it, then chances are they’ll love you for making these for them. They taste much fresher and lively than the ones you buy from the store.

Vegan Truffles:

This is probably the most tedious recipe but also the most impressive. Make your own truffles with pure chocolate, no refined sugar, and all fresh flavor. These are a must-eat for any true chocolate lover.

Espresso Bark:

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If you think you’ll need a pick-me-up after dinner to stay awake, espresso bark is the perfect combination of chocolate and caffeine. Of course, if you want to spend your night making inappropriate jokes you could always make Nut Lovers Bark, because who doesn’t love salty nuts?

Now that I’ve reminded you, you have no excuse to forget this year and put things off until the last minute, so get candy crafting!

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Lentils With Potatoes And Caramelized Onions

Written on January 28, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

Comfort food rarely looks appealing, and yet there’s nothing we want more. It’s warm, thick, and often rich with flavor; who cares what it looks like? This has been my favorite comfort food lately. It’s not really a stew because there’s no liquid. Instead, it’s a thick, creamy bowl of flavorful carbs. And that is the most comforting thing in my eyes.

Lentils With Potatoes And Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:

1 cup dry lentils
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3-4 starchy potatoes, diced and cooked
1 onion, julienned
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for finishing

Start by cooking your lentils to completion with the bay leaf, salt, and pepper. When the lentils are done cooking, remove the bay leaf and discard.

Meanwhile, caramelize onions in a large frying pan with the olive oil. Once the onions are loose and translucent, add in the potatoes as if you were making a hash and cook for 10-15 minutes until they start forming a crust.

Add the onions and potatoes in with the lentils and mix the contents together well. Don’t worry if the lentils start mashing and the potatoes break apart; that just means the flavor will blend together more. Serve hot and drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil(the kind Ina’s always pushing).

I didn’t promise a pretty bowl, but I will promise that you can’t eat this without smiling. It’s thick and hearty and can please the cravings of a meat and potato lover. I like to eat this with ketchup, which is weird because I don’t normally put ketchup on anything. I’d also suggest eating this on the couch watching trashy TV wearing old sweat pants, because it’s that kind of comfort food.

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Grasshopper Brownies

Written on January 26, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

These are my new favorite brownies. They’re also probably the most fattening/sugary brownies I’ve ever made. Coincidence? I think not.

I’ve been wanting to make grasshopper brownies for the past few months. If you don’t know what those are, they’re a layer of brownies topped with a peppermint filling and a chocolate top. Delicious, no? These are so sweet and rich and they absolutely melt in your mouth. I couldn’t praise these enough. It’s like a peppermint patty in brownie form. Just don’t think about how many calories in them and enjoy.

Grasshopper Brownies

Ingredients(Makes 16 servings):

1 1/4 cup flour(I used gluten-free all-purpose flour)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4oz(1/2 cup) chocolate chips
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup water
1 egg

2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter(or Earth Balance)
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 tablespoon butter(or Earth Balance)
8oz(1 cup) chocolate chips

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Start by sifting together the first 6 ingredients. Melt down the 4 ounces of chocolate and mix this with the cooking oil. Add that to the flour mixture along with the water and egg and mix to form the batter. Grease an 8×8 cooking pan and spread the batter in. Bake for 25 minutes and let this cool completely.

To make the filling, melt a stick of butter, pour in the peppermint extract and sift in the powdered sugar. This will form a loose filling. Spread it over the cooled brownies in as even a layer as you can.

Tip: If you’re having trouble with the peppermint mixture sticking when spreading, put a piece of saran wrap between your hands and the filling and use that to press the filling down.

Lastly, melt 8 ounces of chocolate with a tablespoon of butter and spread this out evenly on top of the peppermint layer. Take care to move quickly and gently so that the peppermint layer and the chocolate don’t get mixed together. Let the top harden completely before cutting into these with a sharp knife.

You can really use any brownie recipe for the bottom; I just included that one for convenience sake(it also makes incredibly moist brownies which is never a bad thing). I wasn’t crazy about the filling as I was making it, but combined with the chocolate and brownies it’s just rich enough not to get lost in the experience. Yes, experience, because these brownies are better than any trip to Disney World.

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Mocha Buttercream

Written on January 25, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Remember when I made cupcakes and was too lazy to frost them? Well, 6 days later it snowed again and I had nothing but time.

At first I was going to try a chocolate buttercream but to get chocolate to be the right temperature seemed like more work than reward. Also, I was on a coffee kick and decided to split the difference and settle on mocha. Who doesn’t love mocha lattes and mocha cappuccinos? It’s an excuse to have chocolate in the morning. This frosting is just as rich and pairs perfectly with any chocolate cake recipe.

Mocha Buttercream

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter(or Earth Balance) at room temperature
3 cups of powdered sugar, divided
2 tablespoons warm water + 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules(you could substitute with 2 tablespoons of strongly brewed coffee)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Cream together the stick of butter with 1 cup of powdered sugar.

Once the mixture is homogenous, mix in the coffee, cocoa powder, and 1 more cup of powdered sugar and beat again.

After that has come together, sift in the last bit of powdered sugar and beat until the buttercream is smooth and there are no lumps.

Let’s address some elephants in the room:

1) I’m completely aware of what color the frosting is and what it looks like. You don’t have to tell me because I’m not blind. In fact, I was the one licking it off my fingers, so clearly the flavor trumps the appearance.

2) I know I can’t pipe frosting to save my life. My favorite Charmed one was Piper; I loved Billie Piper as Rose in Doctor Who; I, on the other hand, am no piper. You can hire me to bake your birthday cake but God help us all if you want me to decorate it.

I will, however, garnish with some espresso chocolate bark because that’s how I roll.

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What Would Your Last Meal Be?

Written on January 23, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Recipe Round-Up

On Wednesday when I was ~~wasting my time on~~ perusing Twitter, I came across this article on the real last suppers death row inmates chose. I thought it was a fascinating look inside the inmates mind. I was surprised with some(like the smoker. What kind of meal is that?) and sympathized with others(I mean, who doesn’t want to sit down to a burger, fries, and a milkshake?). And then I started asking myself the very same question: What would my last meal be?

My initial reaction was that I’d eat all the things with gluten I can’t but crave—Dunkin’ Donuts lemon filled powder donuts, Boston Market mac n’ cheese, and a big chewy chocolate chip cookie. But after thinking about it I realized I don’t want to go out of this world gassy and bloated; I’ll take my vanity to the grave.

So then I thought I’d eat a really good Holiday meal with food like the best quinoa dressing, whole roasted chicken, and fingerling potatoes.

Who am I kidding? That’d be a great healthy meal to eat before a race, but it’s no last meal. I don’t have a sweet tooth; I have 26. So I’d more likely have to order a dessert platter.

Oh Baby bars so that I could die fat an happy.

Taza chocolate. Like I said, I can’t resist it.

Godiva’s flourless chocolate cake. I’m still in awe of how good this was, even better than my version. Those little bastards.

And a pan of these brownies, which are sinfully good(recipe coming later this week!).

That’s more like it. Can you see a theme?

What would you want for your last meal? Feel free to share recipes!

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How To Make Food Tastier With Just 1 Ingredient

Written on January 21, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Highlights, How To, Recipe Round-Up

There are certain secrets to cooking. Seasoning is one of them.

My favorite way to think of seasoning is that it shouldn’t flavor the dish; instead, it should make the dish taste more like itself. Certain ingredients are really good at that, especially in the right recipes. Here’s my quick list of “secret” ingredients that you can add to any dish to make the flavor pop. Look out because the cat’s coming out of the bag.

Salt is probably the most common seasoning. It’s also one of our taste sensations. We all salt our dinner plates but do you salt your desserts? A little bit of salt in sweets makes the flavor irresistible.

Example:

Banana Chocolate Chip Blondies with Peanut Butter Frosting

We all know a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down. But we don’t all know how good it works in savory foods. Most of the time when we’re cooking dinner, we don’t think to use sugar. Even if the flavors you’re working at aren’t sweet, a little sugar—just like a little salt—can go a long way in making savory flavors pop.

Example:

Vegged-Out Quinoa and The Best Quinoa Dressing

I’m always(OK, once) asked what’s the secret to making brownies taste good? Well, here’s one of them: instant coffee. The bitterness in coffee pairs really well with the bitterness in cacao and helps to make the flavor richer and deeper. Add a teaspoon of instant coffee to any brownie mix to boost the flavor.

Example:

Outrageous Triple Chocolate Brownies

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Most of the time, none of us think of nutmeg. We use it in pies and pumpkin bread in the Fall and that’s about it. But a pinch of nutmeg with any earth flavor like chicken, potato, or greens can enhance the overall dish.

Example:

Sautéed Spinach With Silken Tofu

Bay Leaves are the unsung hero of great tasting beans and marinades. You never see them because they’re not edible and need to be discarded after cooking. But adding a bay leaf when cooking beans or lentils, or when marinating chicken adds a strong earthy flavor that only enhances everything that’s there.

Example:

Mediterranean Chicken Marinade

Now I’ll open it to you: Do you have any secret ingredients that make people say “This is so good! What did you do to it?” that you’re willing to share?

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