Italian Cobb Salad

 

I have been craving salads and I have been craving Italian summer food. This is the time I usually get to work and live in Europe for 6 months, but this year I can’t because I have a real job:)

So I thought I would bring some Italian food into my American world. This is a simple salad with a bunch of goodies from my organic garden.

Rocket: A Handful of rocket. This is similar to arugula, but I like it better. It grows very well and quickly.

Mozzarella di Bufala: You can buy it at Publix. One will do. It is expensive but it is amazing.

Sliced Turkey: 2 slices.

Half raw zucchini sliced really thin.

One spoon of tapenade olive spread paste

Prosciutto crudo (2 slices) or coppa

one tomato (sliced)

Olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.

Sliced all the ingredients and places them in glass container or tray. I brought it to work so I put it in a glass container. You can alter one slice of tomato with one slice of mozzarella, place all your zucchini in the middle and your meat on a side. Sprinkle with tapenade and olive oil and you are done.

 

 

 

Americans spend 10% of their income on grocery

In 2009 it was estimated that Americans spend only 10% of their income on grocery, questioning the relations with the increase in obesity or diabetes, and the relation individuals have with nature and food. While one could relate the low percentage to income, the reality is that individuals prioritize other products such as computer, phones, entertainment, and clothes. In Italy a family spends on average 2.485 euros per month, which is roughly 621 euros per week or a little bit less than 800 USD (790). Let’s say the average family consists of four individuals (even though Italian families are shrinking) that is 200 euros per person per week- How much do you personally spend on food? We are not even talking about organics- We are talking about grocery.

I experienced this morning what it means to go grocery shopping in Italy on a Saturday morning in an national chain supermarket called COOP. It was overwhelming. It looked like tailgating at a football game. No exaggerations! It was packed. I mean packed! There three main phenomena I observed: (1) the supermarket serves as a place to discuss and exchange ideas on food or family issues; (2) there are a lot of old people, more than in Florida; Italians do not understand lines.

1. I have observed that most people came to the supermarket accompanied by relatives (e.g. daughters, sisters, fathers, mothers), or they met friends and neighbors while shopping. This type of community shopping created from the perspective of an efficient American CHAOS, because there is no concept of what is around you. People would just hang out in the middle or in front of the produce section, talking about family issues, or conversing about where the food came, the costs, the quality, etc. While this is what many food activists aspire to, it does not work within a corporate, capitalistic industrialized supermarket. The building space is not constructed in such a way to have conversations. The idea is simple: you see a tomato, you get it, you put it in your cart, and you proceed to the next item. You don’t stop. But Italians don’t care or understand the concept. With their shopping companion aside with each one cart they just stroll down, occupying the entire space, stopping, blocking, irritating all the other people who are trying to buy. As a result what happens is chaos. Individuals are irritated and they start pushing. They pushed carts out of the way, without placing the cart in a strategic location, which will not interfere with the flow of the consumer. They just push them to pass through. This woman left her cart in the MIDDLE of a major traffic intersection (at the supermarket) blocking four directions of traffic. She disappeared for 5 minutes. People trying to navigate the cart, just kept pushing it from different angles just allowing them to pass by. The solution was to put the cart on a side.

2. There were a lot of old people. It is well known that Italy has a high % of old people, but to see them all in once was interesting. I am from FL and not even I see that many elderly. There is nothing wrong with that expect that once you get old, you get irritated easily, you walk slow, you don’t remember where you left your cart, you think you are always right, you complain about anything and the list goes on. As a result it is quite difficult to navigate through the supermarket based on point 1 & 2.

3. I mentioned this in point 1, but Italians do not understand the concept of lines, organization, efficiency. It’s common sense in America. Americans are at times too extreme. They follow directions and at times this is their biggest limitations. Italians know how to improvise, but when placed in again corporate buildings that follow capitalistic industrialized way of operating, things get complicated. People cut through lines at the cashier, they form double lines, they push you aside to cut through. You name it.

Overall, I was overwhelmed. I think if I had to live here I would need to manage my life as to avoid any possible occurrence that would drive me crazy. I am such a To Do List person, with time/date. I select when to go grocery shopping based on less busy days, incoming products. I am even though my husband would not agree, a mini management. I have to because I hate wasting time. I am too busy for that. So If I had to live here, I would have to conduct field trips in different grocery stores, run an analysis and then write a report highlighting most efficient ways to go grocery shopping.

It’s about 1:00AM. I have been sleeping on an average of 4 hrs a night. Goodnight – I ll try to post more about my work-vacation in Italy-

Frittata with onions

This is such an easy and rewarding recipe. I made it at night and brought it in the office. I also left half at home for late nights when I don’t feel like cooking. I am sorry I don’t have pictures. I have been cooking many dishes without taking pictures. I know it is not very appealing to a reader, but I guess suck it up because the food is good. I am definitely going to make this recipe again so I will update this page next time.

Frittata x 2 

6 eggs (if you are concerned about cholesterol use only white eggs)

2 small onions (the ones that look like scallions but are bigger)

Olive oil

shredded mozzarella (1/2 cup)

1/4 heavy cream organic of course and grass fed

Slice the onions/shallots (2 are enough for me) so that they are thin. Beat the eggs, add heavy cream, salt, pepper, and cheese. Heat the oil that needs to cover the skillet and place the onions until they are brown. Then add the eggs and cook on low heat. When one of the side is ready (brownish/gold) flip the frittata with a plate and cook the other side.

Spaghetti with mussels and clams

I have not posted in a while. I have been more than busy, super busy, yet I found time to cook, work out and enjoy the long days. Sitting in front of a computer after 12 hours has not being my priority. So since summer is coming up (at least in FL) I am cooking dishes that are very light and juicy. Today’s recipe is spaghetti with clams and mussels.

Spaghetti with mussels and clams x 4

a box of barilla pasta (wheat or regular)

about 8 clams

about 8 mussels

5 cherry tomatoes

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup of bread crumbs

olive oil

dry chili red pepper, salt, pepper

one lemon

1/2 cup of parsley

dry fish eggs

white wine

Clean under running water the shells of the mussels and clams. make sure they are sealed. If they are semi open or opened they are bad and you need to throw them away. In the mean time heat olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, chili red pepper, lemon juice and parsley. When everything starts getting gold and cook add the clams and mussels pour some white wine and cover with lid. Pretty much you are steaming them until they open. This should take 15-20 minutes but keep checking. You will notice the color of the mussels changing.

Cook and drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the fish mixture and make sure to amalgamate all ingredients. Serve in four different bowls. Sprinkle with olive oil, dry fish eggs and bread crumbs. The bread crumbs absorbs excess oil or liquid.

I love this recipe. It NEVER tastes fishy, it is light, refreshing and yummy.

Cream with caramelized peach – crema pasticcera con pesche

A tasty dessert for a weekend or special occasion. It makes enough for 4 small bowls. I made it for my friends who came over Saturday night.

Ingredients:

2 peaches cut in half and peel them. Brush them with butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

5 yolks (organic and fresh)

one cup of organic sugar

a spoon of Brandy, or Marsala or Martini

200 g of heavy cream whipped

Watch the video to see how to caramelize the peaches. You can put them on a grill until they get soft and caramelized. Set on a side.

Place the eggs in a bowl to cook in a double boiler. Add the sugar. Keep whisking the eggs and sugar until it gets somewhat dense and double in size. It will take a while. I mean a while and your arm will be sore. It is like doing push ups. Add some Brandy or whatever you chose to. Add some organic zest. Once it is ready (this is crucial) place the bowl on a bigger bowl full of ice. Set to cool off.

When the cream is cooled off, slowly add the whipped cream. Move without whisking the cream. Place in the refrigerator to cool off.

When you are ready to serve, warm up the peaches in the microwave. Place the cream in the small bowls and the peach on top. Sprinkle grated dark chocolate (90%) and serve.

Please watch the video to see the finishing touch. Enjoy!

Crema alle pesche

(Healthy) Food Blogs I Love

These are some of the healthy food blogs I love to read and replicate recipes.

Lunch Box Lunch: This blog offers vegan recipes that are actually tasty for non-vegetarian eaters. They are also quite simple to make. I don’t usually try recipes often from other sites, but so far this blog has impressed me. The best recipe so far is the mushroom risotto. I swear it is the best thing ever. I have also tried the mac and cheese but it did not turn out the way it looked on picture. I might have messed up the recipe. The fact is that vegan cheese has a very pronounced taste and I am not sure I like it. I tried to use it in the French onion soup and it worked.

Foodimentary: This blog caught my eye because it is concise. It gets to the point with few lines. It highlights food history based on the day (e.g. 2/29). Today it’s National Pistachio Day. The author of the blog, John-Bryan Hopkins also likes to add quotes at the end of each post.

AlternativeEating: This is a blog that it is literally very similar to mine, in the sense that I think and do like the author of this blog. I love all her recipes, her stories of her walks through the snow of Sweden, and her working out routine. And it happens that she is also my age. Check her recipes. They are just so yummy.

Today I have surpassed the master of Banana Bread maker. My friend Brigette is well-known to make great banana bread that I can never replicate. Not until today. I made the best banana bread. Amazing.

Fried Oysters

I am tired. Here another recipe from the Romantic/Valentine’s dinner. It only took me forever to type all the recipes….and I am not even done….

Last night I had a total abandonment of healthy diet. I came back around 8 after having worked out for one hour and half and I was starving. It’s reasonable right? I had wished my dinner would have been ready, but it was not and everything in the kitchen required a lot of preparation. The intention was there. I started baking a sweet potatoe and had half a orange. But that was not enough. For dinner I had one chocolate cupcake that had been sitting in the fridge for one week and a mini chocolate mousse. I know. I did not even enjoy it, but I was hungry. So moral of the story. Rely on yourself for cooking and ALWAYS have a healthy ‘safe item’ in the house.

Fried oysters

8 fresh oysters (we buy them from teh gulf since we are only 40 minutes away)

2 eggs beaten and placed in a bowl

1/2 cup of unbleached flour

1/2 bread crambs or panko

canola oil or olive oil for frying (if you use the olive oil the oysters will have a bitter strong taste)

one lemon, salt and pepper

You will have 3 different bowls each filled with one ingridient (one for eggs, one for flour, one for breadf crambs)

Dip each oyster in flour, eggs, and bread crambs. Then place in hot oil and fry for 2 minutes or until crispy and gold on the outside. Sprinkle with lemon once the oysters are set aside on a plate.

We placed the oysters on top of the filet mignon

How to survive misleading green advertising

I am writing this entry purposely for my students. I am teaching a class on environmental media and this week we have discussed how companies mislead us in buying something that is not really “natural” or “green.” I felt very bad today, because some of my students are actually changing their habits and when they showed up with an egg carton labeled ‘natural’ I had to tell them that there was really nothing natural about those eggs. This is frustrating for somebody who wants to change because we feel we cannot make a difference. I remember when I started getting into green stuff and I was determined to be conscious. So after extensively reading Pollan, Nestle, Wendell Berry, etc. I went to the grocery store Earth Fare and then Publix. I was with Shawn. For each item we had a conversation from 5-10 minutes on whether it was the ‘right’ choice to make. I mean we ended up getting in heated arguments over everything: from eggs to chocolate, to toilet paper. There was also the money factor. Do I spend $5 for something that I can get for $2. Moral of the story? We ended up buying maybe 10 items. I was so frustrating that I stopped buying, consuming, which is totally what green marketing is not about. As a consumer I was supposed to buy or give up and buy more.

I yet have to find a solution to my shopping habits – One solution has been to have my own organic garden. It provides control. I believe consumers want control, just not empowerment, but feel in control of their destiny. For me it was having my own garden because it allows me to control production, distribution and consumption of what I eat. Of course, I cannot produce toilet paper, pens, chocolate, etc. And of course there are times when I buy the conventional product because of convenience or money. We are not perfect, but we can take small steps.

Here few things everyone can do:

Buy Organics (USDA controls organic farming so you know that usda certified organic is real organic) USDA Organic food labeling

Organic certifications are expensive so you might still have businesses that are organic but just cannot label – Shop locally and ask questions. It’s your right to ask questions.

Read the labels- if a product lists for ingredients things you can hardly pronounce than that product is not really “natural.”

To identify GMOs products: Organic products code number start with a 9; GMOs usually start with a 4 or 3. So if the code is anything but 9, then it’s probably GMO.

Greenwise section at Publix for meat is not GMOs free (they don’t claim to be and when I asked they could not provide a definite answer, but they do not use hormones.

Cook your own meals. Stop eating out, or buying those frozen pizzas or dinner. Prioritize your life. Make it fun. For example Publix sells pizza dough. It literally only takes 20 minutes to prepare a pizza. It takes Dominos’ 45 minutes to deliver a pizza and it’s more expensive. Also cooking at home saves money. A lot of money.

Make cooking a fun habit like shopping for shoes. Cooking is enjoyable.

You might think eating healthy is expensive. That depends. Ask yourself how much food you waste by getting that “buying one get another free.” You are wasting time, food and money. You could help decrease hunger with that salad that sat on your refrigerator for a month because you got it for free. Eat less, but well. You really don’t need that extra soda or extra free burger. You don’t. Your belly does not either.  It is that easy.

Pollan provides rules to follow when planning a meal on the Omnivore’s Dilemma (2006). Check it out it’s on page 392.

Are natural products natural? Most likely not. According to the USDA, ”

1. Are natural and organic foods the same?

No. The term “natural” is not regulated except for meat and poultry. It applies

broadly to foods that are minimally processed and free of synthetic

preservatives; artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors and other artificial additives;

hydrogenated oils; stabilizers; and emulsifiers. Most foods labeled

natural are not subject to government controls beyond the regulations and

heath codes that apply to all foods” (“Natural and Organic Food,” 2011)

What’s the big deal with HFCS High Fructose Corn Syrup

Every time I watch the TV guide channel (I don’t have cable, so I rely on the TV guide channel to entertain myself) I get stuck watching the commercial sponsored and paid by the Corn Refiner Association (surprise!) where they assure that HFCS is “fine” in moderation. Too bad they don’t tell you that HFCS and corn syrup in general is not consumed in “moderation.” It is impossible because it is pretty much in everything we eat (bread, yogurt, cereals, cookies, chips, etc).

Corn Syrup (http://youtu.be/W40yHDFxkAY)

So in response to this campaign, this video was made explaining why indeed HFCS is not that “fine.” It’s a parody to the previous commercial.

Response to Ad (http://youtu.be/hYiEFu54o1E)

 

 

 

 

Salad World

I had a super busy and long week. But before I get into that I just want to share my passion for good salads and good dressings. Whenever I get invited to someone’s house I like to bring something fresh and green. I have noticed that we tend to bring heavy dishes like casseroles or desserts and you end up filling up with sugars and fats. So for that reason and because it takes no time I always bring a salad – a magic salad. I have to admit my friend Sophie got me into salads because she is vegetarian. For Thanksgiving she made this amazing everything salad. Here it’s my take.

Feta cheese (one block)

shredded carrots

lettuce (whatever you like)

sunflowers or pumpink seeds

dried cherry or cranberries

grapefruit (one diced)

green pepper (diced)

red onion (optional – less than half)

fresh mushroom (small package)

tomatoes (one big one)

Avocado (diced -one)

Olives (one big spoon diced)

(pretty much anything that you like)

Dressing (This is my own creation from yesterday)

Olive oil (extravergine – 1/3 cup); orange juice (half cup); 2 lemons; (1 table spoon mustard- the one made in France- can’t remember the name now); Balsamic Vinegar (2 tablespoons); salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients together and then mix with the salad.

I always, always use mustard for my dressing. Sometimes I just mix it with vinegar, without the orange juice. It’s a very healthy and light version of traditional dressing.

You can see now how great it looked on the table of the party. Every year we get invited to this fab Rattle Snake party. You might wonder what it is….There is a festival in Cairo Georgia, where for one day you get to chase rattle snakes….I usually just go to the after party organized by some friends where we just eat and drink and engage in delightful conversations.