Improving Our Nation's Food Literacy

The next big movement in food will consist of improving our food literacy.  My prediction is that this movement will consist of three distinct initiatives that will make us wiser, more ethically sound, and less wasteful consumers.  These initiatives will ideally consist of:

• Improved understanding of how to cook a range of healthy foods at home.  Ideally, this will be integrated into a middle and high school curriculum so that individuals leave secondary school with a basic understanding of how to cook for themselves.
• Improved understanding of how to read food labels.  This will ensure that consumers are able to choose foods that fit within a healthy, balanced diet.
• Understanding of how to minimize food waste.  This will consist of such skills as how to preserve foods to prevent premature spoilage, how to integrate available ingredients into a range of dishes before they go bad, and how to shop and acquire food that has minimal packaging that will eventually be bound for a landfill. 

 In some cases, these initiatives are already in place.  The popular children's television show Sesame Street has a segment titled "Monster Foodies" that features Cookie Monster and his food-truck colleague Gonger prepare a range of foods.  In the below link, viewers can watch the fur-covered duo visit a cranberry bog to learn how cranberries are harvested for the cranberry muffins Cookie Monster and Gonger bake for a customer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjO6WxENdKQ 

Teaching children about where our food comes from at an early age will guide us towards a great era of culinary enlightenment.  Building these skills into adulthood will lead mankind towards greater health and happiness in the years to come.

Stir Fried Vegetables

One of my favorite foods by far has to be stir fried vegetables with General Tso's sauce.  The crispness of freshly-stir fried vegetables, salty/spiciness of General Tso's sauce, and the lower calories than General Tso's Chicken make it a hit in my household.

For the below dish, I started with baby bok choy, a hot wok, and 2 Tbs of sesame oil.  Heat the oil and add the stalks of the bok choy first.  Cook over medium-high heat until the stalks are tender.

Add the leaves last, as they won't take long to cook.  Scoop your stir fry in a bowl and cover with General Tso's sauce.  Stir quickly and enjoy!

Notes: This recipe works well with broccoli, string beans, eggplant, and a range of other healthy veggies.

Budget-Minded Seafood Sam

As the summer months wane and I prepare for a busy Fall ahead, my mind drifts back many years to family vacations in Maine where lobster roll sandwiches offered tourists a delicious and unique culinary treat.

Searching for a budget-friendly option that captured some of the same flavors and memories, I came up with the below sandwich that consists of imitation crab (leg or flake style both work well), pickles, a hot dog bun, and one of two sauce options listed below:

Maritime Horseradish Sauce
1 tsp mayo
1 tsp ketchup
1 tsp horseradish
Combine together and place on bun with other ingredients

Chesapeake Bay Spicy Mayo
1.5 tsp mayo
.5 tsp. Chesapeake Bay-style seasoning mix
Combine together and place on bun with other ingredients

If asked whether this sandwich rivals a true lobster or crab roll sandwich, the answer would be a definite no.

If asked whether this sandwich is tasty, cheap, and environmentally friendly to marine ecosystems, the answer would be a resounding YES!  Enjoy

Starbucks, where have the good butter croissants gone?

I remember a time not long ago when one could casually stroll into a Starbucks and order with a butter croissant to accompany one's morning tea that sent the eater to momentary Heaven.

A flaky crust that was raised with nothing more than the heat of an oven and layers of butter and pastry shattered upon bite, and flavor danced on the tongue.

Not so with the croissant I bought this morning.  Damp and spongy, today's croissant seemed to more closely resemble something that might be concocted by Little Debbie (no offense, Ms. Debbie, for in the realm of frosted snack cakes, you truly reign Queen).

I'll enjoy my tea this morning, but my croissant will be eaten only with great protest.

The Dark and Stormy Float

Click below for my recipe for a tasty summer treat using Gosling's Ginger Beer and Gosling's Rum.

The Dark and Stormy Float

Tasty Summer Sandwiches

It's been exciting to explore a range of interesting products at our local farmers market.  Recently, I've tried JNA Bread's Russian Black Bread.  It has a wonderful, toasty flavor and makes tasty open-faced sandwiches.

Consider exploring some different types of bread this summer to pair with a range of toppings for a light, tasty lunch.

For a vegetarian option, use either hummus and olive spread (green and black olives pulsed several times in a food processor and mixed with olive oil) or hummus and fresh feta cheese

Meat lovers will love a BTB (bacon, tomato, and banana peppers).

For those interested in learning more about JNA Breads, visit https://www.jnabreadbakery.com/

Baby's Chopsticks

It's important for babies to be exposed to a range of different foods, as well as eating methods, from an early age.  I've been enjoying introducing Finley to small morsels of food (pepperoni, bits of vegetables and noodles, and feta cheese with hummus) using one of my favorite pairs of chopsticks.  My hope is that this unique tactile experience will get Finley familiar with eating in a variety of ways from an early age.

I still recall my the Autumn during my early teenage years when my father traveled to China for business and brought my mother, sister and I lovely Chinese chopsticks home complete with a lesson.  I've been using them about once a week to keep my skills sharp ever since!  :)
 
If you're interested in learning more about using chopsticks and aren't already familiar, the below link will get you started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSXwc9LwMuQ