The Proper Binge

Wonton Soup

So my wonton soup from scratch experiment turned out extremely well, if I do say so myself. I am extremely happy with it and I must say I prefer it to the local Chinese takeout place, whose wontons taste almost buttery to me. Besides I got to spice every thing up.

Food Myths: Do Boiling Lobsters Feel Pain?

More to the point, do I care?

ABC News: Do Boiling Lobsters Feel Pain?


I've found that I encounter the same food myths and mythology at the oddest times when I talk to people, form random meetings in the supemarket , to vigourous discussions over drinks and dinner or polite conversation on and airplane. I though it would be fun to collect some of my favorites here as I ran across mentions in other media. I'll simply label these observations, and yes, sometimes rants as "Food Myths".

While I do believe in animal rights, I have to admit that my advocacy for the cause is significantly tempered by the fact that I believe all beings or "God's creatures" if you like, were created equal. Specifically, they have equally have the right to survive in the best way they can. As such, I have no problem with carnivores, including humans as I believe this is a natural part of evolution. (And while I can't see why a human in this day in age would need to skin an animal for fur outside remote staions in the Artic or Anartica, I also don't see how attacking fellow humans who wear it is a moral superior or effective tactic either, but as we can't eat fur, I digress.)

Of course, there is the whole ethical dilemna I like to oversimplify as the Spidey theory, "With great power comes great responsibility," which sums up my feeling that as creatures with the abillity to destroy the very planet we rely on to survive, it's also in our best interest not to be gluttinous, rapacious wastrels.

I am open to ethical arguments about taking responsibilities for the things we consume. I admit that the work of many animal rights and vegetarian groups daily affects the markets where I choose to buy my food, the restaurants where I do and don't eat, and the types of food I consume, from chicken to veal, to macrobiotic grains and such. Still, It would take a lot to deter me from a tasty lobster dinner. The argument that they pain feel pain? Well, darlin', that sure ain't gonna do it. Maybe that seems harsh, but it seems equally arrogant to assume that other wildlife experiences sensations as humans do. Anthropomorphize much? That kind of reasoning seems scientically lazy to me. When mixed with a self-righteous attitude? Instant dismissal.

From the article:

But animals with simple nervous systems, like lobsters, snails and worms, do not have the ability to process emotional information and therefore do not experience suffering, say most researchers.

PETA's response:

"I don't care what this report came out with — I don't know how anyone could say that the lobster does not feel pain," said Mary Beth Sweetland, director of research and investigations for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

"It is so presumptuous for us to think that we know all there is to know about how another creature suffers," she said. "I don't think it's for us to say whether certain species suffer or not."

Yeah. God forbid, anyone but Peta make presumtous claims, even if their claims are based on a lifetime of scientific research as oppose to poorly researched emotional rhetoric.

Further explanation:

Animals without spines, or invertebrates, "have chain ganglia — groups of neurons connected by nerve fibers," said Stevens.

When stimulated, these chain ganglia cause muscles to contract. "It's a very quick neuron response," Stevens said.

According to Stevens, the chain ganglia network is so simple it doesn't even require a brain. "If you remove the head region of a lobster, the body of the lobster would still react the same way, because of the local reflexes … involving those chain ganglia," he said.

"When you drop a lobster in boiling water, or put a fishhook through a worm, those stimuli cause those muscles to contract," Stevens said. "We describe that as pain because of the motor response, which is nothing more than neurons that have been stimulated."

But vertebrates with spines have much more advanced nervous systems and can feel real pain and suffering, Stevens explained.

"In humans, there are … neurons talking through all parts of the brain. That's a big difference," Stevens said.

I include this because it makes sense to me, but also I get a kick out of the term "chain-ganglia" Who says scientists don't have a sense of humor?

"When people do anthropomorphize animals — even cartoon animals — it reflects our needs and our desires," said Stevens. "It's more of a political agenda than any kind of scientific or social discussion of the issue.

"If you're going to look for the possibility of pain in any animal, it has to be based on comparative neurology — comparing the brain structures and the neurology of the animal," Stevens said.

Regardless of any new scientific research, the debate over animals and pain is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. The issue strikes at the heart of conflicting cultural values, and emotions tend to run high on all sides.

"What are we going to use as a system of truth?" Stevens asked. "Is it going to be an emotional or religious system of belief? Or is it going to be based on logic and science?"

So, while my lobster consumption could be curtailed with a persuavisive argument about their alarmingly dwindling numbers and our plundering of the sea (though given my whopping average of about one 1lb lobster a year, I can't say my guilt is overwhelming me), If you're coming to my house for dinner, you'd probably be best off leaving the "Lobster's feel pain argument checked at the door.

Everybody's doing it

Tattooed Fruit Is on Way - New York Times

"With the right scanning technology the produce could even be bar-coded with lots of information: where it comes from, who grew it, who picked it, even how many calories it has per serving," said Fred Durand III, president of Durand-Wayland. "You could have a green pepper that was completely covered with coding. Or you could sell advertising space."

Okay, I have to admit that the idea of tatooing food, isn't exactly troubling me though I suspect that perhaps it should. For example the following seems extremely useful:

Whether on a sticker or in a tattoo, the numbers serve a purpose. The Produce Marketing Association and the International Federation for Produce Coding have established global standards for the price look-up numbers associated with all produce. Four-digit numbers denote conventionally grown produce; five digits beginning with a 9, organic; five digits beginning with 8, genetically modified. A conventionally grown ear of corn, for example, may be marked 4078; an organic one, 94078; and a genetically modified one, 84078. The numbers can also vary with the size of the fruit: 3069 indicates a small Gravenstein apple, and 3070 a large one.

Then again, while I have no problem marking up my on food, I'm not so wild about someone doing it for me. Then again

"Anything that permanently changes the fruit is going to be a hard sell," Mr. Harris said, "especially to buyers of organic produce."



Students of still-life painting might agree. "For literally hundreds of years, artists have immersed themselves in the color and curvature of the perfect peach or apple," said Joseph Rishel, a curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art who specializes in Cézanne. "So a tattoo sounds like a desecration."



"But then again," Mr. Rishel said, "there are those who say that Cézanne himself used artificial fruit."

But advertising on my fruit? Not to be trite, but is nothing sacred? Isn't it bad enough that packages of cereal, milk and bread are crammed with worthless info? Can't you just leave my fruit alone?

Food Myth: Bottled Water Better Than Tap

ABC News: Is Bottled Water Better Than Tap? or Really? You can
buy
the Brooklyn Bridge?


As someone who only buys bottled water when I need a fresh bottle to put my tap water in, the debate always amuses me. Since it comes up in a major news story every year, I guess, I'll have a consistent laugh for quite a while to come. It's so simple folks. Is anyone listening? This time the news comes from 20/20's John Stossel. The bold emphasis in the quotes, though, is mine.

May 6, 2005 — It started with Perrier. Somehow, a French company convinced people it's cool to buy bottled water. Today, Evian has surpassed Perrier in sales and now it's the chic French water of choice. Why? It costs about 5 bucks a gallon! Why do people pay so much for something they can get virtually free?

Bottled water, we were told, is cleaner, safer, healthier.


Watching bottled water ads, you'd think that tap water might not be healthy. But it's not true.

My favorite quote, again, the emphasis is mine:

"I wouldn't say it's healthier than tap water. I mean, they both provide water," Edberg added.

("Yale University School of Medicine's Dr. Stephen Edberg, the person whom the International Bottled Water Association told "20/20" to talk to" (sic))






Strangely enough 20/20 didn't even bother with the much explored fact (which even a cursory google search will tell you) that tap water in some cases faces more and tougher regulations by the EPA than bottled water made by private companies does by the FDA.


Instead they went for the good old fashion taste test. Let's face it, if you've got the disposable income, next to convenience, (another issue strangely skated over in this article, but oft discussed) taste is probably the most critical criteria on the list for making a choice. (I'd be willing to bet the majority of even the most health conscious people don't check their water levels for the trace elements provided.)

"20/20" took five bottles of national brands of bottled water and a sample of tap water from a drinking fountain in the middle of New York City and sent them to microbiologist Aaron Margolin of the University of New Hampshire to test for bacteria that can make you sick, like e. coli.


"There was actually no difference between the New York City tap water and the bottled waters that we evaluated," he said.


Many scientists have run tests like that and have consistently found that tap water is as good for you as bottled waters that cost 500 times more.

In our test of bottled waters, Kmart's American Fare — the cheapest brand — won. Big-seller Aquafina came in second.


Iceland Spring tied the ordinary tap water for third place. Fifth place went to Poland Spring, and in last place, by far, with almost half the testers saying it tasted bad, was the most expensive water — the fancy French stuff, Evian.


"It tasted like toilet water," one man said. (I'm a bit curious as to how he would know this. Then again, curiosity did kill the cat with its fatal TMI)



Evian had no comment about that review. (heh.)



Bottom line, if you buy bottled water because you think it's healthier than tap, test after test shows no evidence of that. And if you buy fancy brands because you think they taste better, you're probably just buying the hype.

Magians/comedians Penn and Teller also did a varitaion on the non-scientific taste test on their Showtime series
Bullshit!
that involved a water-tasting in a restaurant and a hose outside the back door. Some people actually start listing trace elements they thought they could taste in what they perceived as "better" water. (Usually, of course, the water from the hose out back.) Good times, I tell ya.


So from what I can tell, nobody has come up with an argument that either bottled or tap water has any significant edge. So I'm sticking with my original position. I sticking with the free stuff, but on a occasion, I will pay for a new bottle to put it in. If that bottle happens to come with water, well, I needed that anyway.

Herring Sushi Roll

I saw this recipe on Home Matters and I'm dying to try it.

Aquavit's Herring Sushi Roll.

Ingredients:
• 2 cups of boiled potatoes (fingerling)


• 1 tbsp. mustard oil


• 1/2 tsp. wasabi


• 1 tsp. rice-wine vinegar


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 1 tsp. mustard


• 2 filets of pickled herring, sliced in thin strips

Directions:
1. Mash the potatoes with a fork. Add the salt, wasabi, rice-wine vinegar, mustard and mustard oil.
2. Let cool down and set aside.
3. Slice the herring lengthwise; pat dry with a paper towel.
4. For each roll take 2 tablespoons of mashed potatoes, then put on top of a sushi mat. Press it into a rectangular shape and then put eight of the herring strips inside for each roll.
5. Roll up as tight as possible, and cut right before serving.

Marcus Samuelson, of Restaurant Aquavit of New York

Visual Palate: Served

I found the work of Chris Klugman through the Thursday Challenge meme when I entered a photograph from The Otherside. I enjoyed the image he submitted very much and as I explored his other work I discovered that he not only takes lovely pictures, but he takes some terrific food-related photographs as well. His additional links also suggest a man who enjoys food. I've included links to a few of his photos (including "Served" if you click on the entry title), but you should really check out as many as you can. It's a visual treat.

mushrooms

mis en place

PawPaw

The Devil made me do it

Halloween suggestions

Witches' Brew (2000)

from Britta's Halloween Recipes. She has terrific suggestions.

I love the dry ice effect.

(this one pretty much fills a 12-quart cauldron)

• four 48 oz cans pineapple juice


• one 96 oz bottle orange juice


• four 2 liter bottles lemon-lime soda


• one 1.75 liter bottle vodka


• one 1.75 liter bottle rum

All measurements are approximate. Adjust to your own taste.
Mix well. Pour into your cauldron, preferably with chunks of dry ice to create the bubbling steam effect.
(Be careful NOT to drink or eat or in any way come in direct contact with skin with any chunks of dry ice -
you can get burned by the extreme cold!)

Deviled Drumsticks

I think I found this at Epicurious.

Don't be alarmed by the 4 tablespoons of Tabasco called for below — the resulting marinade is spicy, but not incendiary.

• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


• 4 tablespoons Tabasco


• 24 chicken drumsticks (about 5 1/2 pounds)

For bread-crumb coating

• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter


• 1/3 cup packed fresh parsley leaves


• 1 1/2 cups fine dry bread crumbs


• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt


• 2 tablespoons paprika


• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Divide lemon juice, Tabasco, and drumsticks between 2 large sealable plastic bags and seal bags. Shake bags to coat drumsticks with Tabasco mixture. Chill drumsticks in one layer, turning bags occasionally, 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425° F. and grease 2 large shallow baking pans.

Make coating:
In a small saucepan melt butter. Finely chop parsley and in a bowl stir together with remaining coating ingredients.

Drain drumsticks in a colander and arrange, without crowding, in baking pans. Brush each drumstick on all sides with melted butter and roll in coating, pressing crumbs gently to adhere and returning to pan.

Bake drumsticks in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, 40 minutes total, or until cooked through and golden brown. Drumsticks may be made 1 day ahead and cooled before being chilled in an airtight container.

Serve drumsticks hot or at room temperature.


Makes 8 servings.

My Deviled Eggs

I don't really like eggs, but if you devil them, I will come.

• 6 tender hard-boiled eggs*


• 2 tablespoons Miracle-Whip (or freshly-made mayo) you can substitute the jarred stuff, or sour cream or plain yogurt if you must, just don't blame me)


• 2 tablespoons relish


• 3/4 teaspoon prepared mustard


• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional, taste first)


• 1/8 teaspoon pepper


• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne


• 1/4 teaspoon paprika


• Sprinkle allspice

I can't stand overcooked eggs so I cut then off the heat immediately after they start to boil and let them sit for about 15 minutes. The water cools fast so longer won't hurt. Keeping the eggs out of continually boiling water does seem to prevent the nasty grey yolk syndrome.

Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and set whites aside. Mash yolks with fork.* Stir in remaining ingredients except the paprika and allspice, until well blended. Refill whites, using about 1 tablespoon yolk mixture for each egg half. Sprinkle allspice and paprika over top. Chill to blend flavors.

*(Or mix the ingredients in a plastic or piping bag and pipe decoratively into the whites.)

Serves 6

Well, we already talked about wine in a box

Wine in a can

An 18 month global patent strategy draws to a conclusion with patents granted for New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa, with patents pending in USA, UK, EU, China and Japan.

Their varities include Chardonnay & Cabernet Shiraz. I don't know what to say. Can't wait to see the reviews.

Dining With Steve McQueen

I found this picture when I was doing research for a blurb I wrote about Papillon.



I don't know anything about Steve McQueen with regard to food, but his approach to living in general makes me think he was the type of man I'd enjoy sharing a meal with. His lasting image is the rebel who wrang each essential drop from his life and made the decision each day to do as he pleased. The results weren't always pretty, but I don't get the sense that he had many regrets about things left undone.



Besides this photo reminds me off all the restaurants crowded around Broadway where patrons gather before the show and artists get together after, the kind of places where the walls should be required to spill all the secrets they know.

So that's "Two-buck Chuck"

For some reason I was under the impression that the term "two-buck chuck" had been around forever to describe cheap swill, specifically table wine. So imagine my surprise to find out that it's not only not swill, it really is two bucks and it's only been a phenomena for little over a year. Sorta.



For me it started when in my internet travels I stumbled upon this April 23, 2003 article in the New York Times WINE TALK; For $2, a Bottle Of Wine and Change . It's over a year old and you'll have to subscribe if you want to read the whole thing, but you get the point. At least I did. Not being one to subscribe if I didn't have to, I did a bit more searching, (so you of course don't have to.)



Turns out Two-Buck Chuck is actually Charles Shaw wine, produced by Bronco Wines, owned by the Franzia family. No strangers to the cheap wine market, the Franzia's also sell that staple of wino hobo parties, box wines).



The Chuck can be found at Trader Joe's, the sole purveyors of Charles Shaw Wines. If their web page is any indication, not only do they shill cheap, but tasty spirits, they have a cheeky sense of humor to boot. First they debunk the rumors surrounding the story of why the wine is so cheap including one urban legend about corkscrews, so prevalent that even Snopes weighed in on the debate. After some banter about how the economics of how they are able to sell quality wine so cheaply, (there's a wine glut) we're left with the definitive answer to the origins of "Two Buck Chuck":

Our guess is someone thought that since the wine is so inexpensive, it deserves a less formal nickname.  "Charles" is so $8.99.

I would have priced "Charles" at at least $15 myself, but I digress. The question is, how does this stuff taste?



Unfortunately, I don't think I've had the pleasure of sampling Charles Shaw's vintages myself (I've never bought or ordered it, though I may have been served some), so I'll leave you in the hands of the discerning palettes of others. The people at the Wine Country forums seem to have views representative of everything else I've found. The people at fine wine guide.com give it an affectionate thumbs up. The eopinions reviewer wasn't as kind but wasn't completely dismissive either. It seems the votes are in everywhere, from Time to the New York Times to brand channel.com. It won't make you swoon, but you'd be hard-pressed to do better for the price. This is one case where you may get better than you expected.