First off, my apologies. I've been neglecting this blog horribly.
There are a few reasons for that, but it's primarily because blogging takes so much out of me. Whine, whine, whine.
Anyways, a NYTimes article just addressed the fact that sugar is making a comeback.
From the Times article:
"But the most common argument has to do with the rapid rise of obesity in the United States, which began in the 1980s, not long after industrial-grade high-fructose corn syrup was invented. As the amount of the sweetener in the American diet has expanded, so have Americans."
Horay!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Restaurant Reviews: Beans and Cornbread (Detroit, MI)
Beans and Cornbread was my best restaurant experience during the summer before I left for China, bar none.
All in all, a fantastic balance. The inside was intimate, but not fancy. It felt a bit like Detroit legacy meets local diner.
Our waitress (Barbara?) was efficient (but not rude), witty (but not overextending), and all around capable. I'm usually not a sucker for service, but she was impeccable.
The menu is short and simple, with this amazing caveat: all plates come with the culinary miracle that is sweet potato muffins. No joke.
OH, and cornbread. The namesake.
The food? Amazing.
I went with the BBQ chicken, with beans and rice, corn, and collard greens and bacon (not shown). The only problem, if it could be called one, was that I found myself a bit overwhelmed by the dilemma of eating too much cornbread/muffins before my meal even came.
This is a good thing.
If you ever get a chance and you're in the mood for some fantastic soul food, then try them out.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
China Donut
I've found the equivalent of our fried friend, the donut.
Except it's twisted, doesn't have any sugar, and is made in a giant wok.
Except it's twisted, doesn't have any sugar, and is made in a giant wok.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Grandma's
I always tell her: more than any restaurant, I like the food at her house the best.
And I'm not just trying to be flattering.
I'm not quite sure what it is, but I certainly don't need any help when she constantly yells "eat more!"
She enjoys this immensely.
And so do I.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Field Work in Chongqing
I'm finally here: the "boonies" I've been talking about for the last few months.
Update: I'm in a rural satellite village 2 hours outside of the city of Chongqing. We're (my team is composed of two translators, me, and a Ph.D student from Berkeley) weighing fuel and resource use (coal, firewood, straw, leaves, mulberry, corn cobs, etc.) and taking surveys. The ultimate goal is to see how resource use will effect health (indoor air pollution) and how a specific stove will change resource use (a->b->c). I've spent the last three days here and am taking a break for the next two days. Then, Thursday and Friday, it's back to the grind.
After the last few days, there's just so much to post and talk about. But, I'm about to go to bed, so I'll just write about a few things that may or maynot have to do with food, list-style.
What I dislike here:
1. Hot-pot.
Yes, yes, it's so Chinese, celebratory and delicious. But seriously - too much hotpot. Hotpot on every street corner. People telling me that hotpot is a Chinese culinary delicacy and that Sichuan hotpot is the best hotpot in China everywhere. Hotpot ads on flowing banners lining the roads. Hotpot smell on my clothes. Hotpot smell in my bathroom.
2. Closely tied to hotpot: prickly ash.
They are essentially strong scented, hard red berries. I thought this was called "peppercorn" but was wrong. It is not. It's way more pungent. It has an alkaline pH (think Drano) and therefore numbs your tongue. A Sichuan delicacy, indeed.
3. Also closely tied to hotpot and in ALL food here: (lots of) oil.
Oil could be (read: is) a synonym for "flavor" here. How to eat your food? FLAVORFUL. The most FLAVOR you can take. FLAVOR on every dish. FLAVOR drenching every centimeter of your tongue and soul.
How to get a really fiery hotpot? Lots of oil, a bit of water, lots of hot peppers and lots of prickly ash - then boil.
What I like here:
1. Using every part of the animal. Case in point: I have been here for 3-4 days and have eaten every imaginable part of the duck.
2. How welcoming the villagers are.
It's the Chinese version of "southern hospitality." Every home (we visited an exhausting number of 80) visit was accompanied by them bringing out (1) very short stools for us to sit on, (2) oranges and (3) cigarettes. I've inhaled more second-hand smoke and oranges the last two days than all my life combined. Two specific examples of generosity come to mind: (1) a woman of 93 who took 5 minutes to wobble in and out of her home and move 3 chairs for us to sit on and (2) another woman who grew oranges wouldn't stop stuffing them in our bags as we left. It's great.
3. Elderly life in the surrounding townships around Chongqing.
Being retired here must be amazing. Every day and night, we pass by this park and there are always at least 300 or so 60+ year-old, retired people in the park, blasting music. It doesn't matter if it's 7am or 10pm. They're singing public karoake, participating in mass line-dancing, or throwing plays that they themselves act in. It's really a blast. It's just a fantastic example of fitness, community and fun in a retired context.
Randomness and lessons:
1. With this type of work, access is everything.
Luckily, the guys I've hooked up with at Berkeley have made amazing relationships with the village leaders. We got guys who picked us up from the airport, got us into the village and then got us motorcycle drivers on the dirt roads. 4 to a motorcycle, and winding through a precarious mountain trail at 45mph? They don't seem to mind it at all. In addition, the 5 village leaders also accompanied us to each house, giving us a rapport that we never dreamed would be possible. I remember asking aloud "how many houses have we been to?" and one of the village leaders counting by name each of the houses we already visited.
Unfortunately, one problem that has arisen is that our team (who makes no money from this) is sandwiched into a weird, middle-man place. On the one hand, we're getting financial pressure from our mother NGO (who is trying to distribute the stoves) to be economical with our money. On the other hand, there have been strong hints coming from the village leaders that they also want to benefit financially from the Chinese government subsidies for the stoves that we hope to gain. We keep saying this: we don't make the stoves. We don't profit from the stoves.
2. Silence exists in China.
Walking along the small terraces along the foggy valleys of this particular village was absolutely stunning (I'll post pictures later), not only because of said reasons, but also because it made me realize how much ambient noise city-life has to offer. You simply can't get away from it. But here, you can hear birds. You can hear other people's voices from 10 or 20 meters away. Small noises cut across the silence and it just feels wonderful.
3. If you're working with Chinese people, get ready to eat (and drink).
I wish someone wrote me this note for general, working-with-bureacracy-and-food advice before coming to China:
"Dear Ray,
Get ready for banquets. Actually, get ready for a marathon of banquets.
Eat between banquets, not letting your stomach contract. Eat fiber-full snacks and drink lots of water between meals.
Seating arrangement is key. Be aware that seating arrangement not only dictates conversation, but also may hint at hierarchical social status and also the frequency of toasts/drinking. Seat yourself next to those who will drink as much as you would like to, as smaller and more-frequent toasts usually come from contiguous seats.
There are two general types of toasts: one where everyone stands, cheers and drinks and one where a specific toast is offered by any combination of person(s) to anyone else. The first toast of the night usually belongs to the former and usually demands that you empty cup. The latter group of toasts will continue the entire night and will usually involve every single permutation of person(s) and parties possible.
Hone the precise art of first deferring a toast, and then slowly accepting it, letting only an obscene amount of standing, glass-waving and all-around cajoling break through that humble demeanor which is your perceived personality. "Really?...Me?...Really?...No, way! Couldn't be!...I don't deserve it!...Never!...Well...okay...if you insist..." The transition from stark refusal to modest acceptance should be slow, the toast coming to you as if a Grammy unexpectedly floated onto your lap.
If you're hanging out with bureaucrats, let their potential arrogance pass as a strong wind, and let them give you the grind (background, what your parents do, who you're working for and with, etc.) at times. It'll assert their superiority and their usefulness. And always note the combination of the two seemingly-benign questions "how are you funded?" and "I wonder if I could help pull some strings?" in close proximity is usually an insinuation for bribery. Insist that you don't make much money but you are thankful for them.
Buy many a Harvard paraphernalia to give as gifts.
Lastly, watch out for 白酒, the Chinese version of vodka. It can be up to 50% alcohol and it can taste like gasoline."
4. I really miss my oven and am embarrassed that I do.
It hints at how Western I am, this attachment. But seriously, they don't exist over here. The closest thing you can find is a small toaster oven.
5. I'll be spending Thanksgiving over here.
We'll try to get a chicken or a duck or some type of surrogate bird. Miss you guys back home!
Update: I'm in a rural satellite village 2 hours outside of the city of Chongqing. We're (my team is composed of two translators, me, and a Ph.D student from Berkeley) weighing fuel and resource use (coal, firewood, straw, leaves, mulberry, corn cobs, etc.) and taking surveys. The ultimate goal is to see how resource use will effect health (indoor air pollution) and how a specific stove will change resource use (a->b->c). I've spent the last three days here and am taking a break for the next two days. Then, Thursday and Friday, it's back to the grind.
After the last few days, there's just so much to post and talk about. But, I'm about to go to bed, so I'll just write about a few things that may or maynot have to do with food, list-style.
What I dislike here:
1. Hot-pot.
Yes, yes, it's so Chinese, celebratory and delicious. But seriously - too much hotpot. Hotpot on every street corner. People telling me that hotpot is a Chinese culinary delicacy and that Sichuan hotpot is the best hotpot in China everywhere. Hotpot ads on flowing banners lining the roads. Hotpot smell on my clothes. Hotpot smell in my bathroom.
2. Closely tied to hotpot: prickly ash.
They are essentially strong scented, hard red berries. I thought this was called "peppercorn" but was wrong. It is not. It's way more pungent. It has an alkaline pH (think Drano) and therefore numbs your tongue. A Sichuan delicacy, indeed.
3. Also closely tied to hotpot and in ALL food here: (lots of) oil.
Oil could be (read: is) a synonym for "flavor" here. How to eat your food? FLAVORFUL. The most FLAVOR you can take. FLAVOR on every dish. FLAVOR drenching every centimeter of your tongue and soul.
How to get a really fiery hotpot? Lots of oil, a bit of water, lots of hot peppers and lots of prickly ash - then boil.
What I like here:
1. Using every part of the animal. Case in point: I have been here for 3-4 days and have eaten every imaginable part of the duck.
2. How welcoming the villagers are.
It's the Chinese version of "southern hospitality." Every home (we visited an exhausting number of 80) visit was accompanied by them bringing out (1) very short stools for us to sit on, (2) oranges and (3) cigarettes. I've inhaled more second-hand smoke and oranges the last two days than all my life combined. Two specific examples of generosity come to mind: (1) a woman of 93 who took 5 minutes to wobble in and out of her home and move 3 chairs for us to sit on and (2) another woman who grew oranges wouldn't stop stuffing them in our bags as we left. It's great.
3. Elderly life in the surrounding townships around Chongqing.
Being retired here must be amazing. Every day and night, we pass by this park and there are always at least 300 or so 60+ year-old, retired people in the park, blasting music. It doesn't matter if it's 7am or 10pm. They're singing public karoake, participating in mass line-dancing, or throwing plays that they themselves act in. It's really a blast. It's just a fantastic example of fitness, community and fun in a retired context.
Randomness and lessons:
1. With this type of work, access is everything.
Luckily, the guys I've hooked up with at Berkeley have made amazing relationships with the village leaders. We got guys who picked us up from the airport, got us into the village and then got us motorcycle drivers on the dirt roads. 4 to a motorcycle, and winding through a precarious mountain trail at 45mph? They don't seem to mind it at all. In addition, the 5 village leaders also accompanied us to each house, giving us a rapport that we never dreamed would be possible. I remember asking aloud "how many houses have we been to?" and one of the village leaders counting by name each of the houses we already visited.
Unfortunately, one problem that has arisen is that our team (who makes no money from this) is sandwiched into a weird, middle-man place. On the one hand, we're getting financial pressure from our mother NGO (who is trying to distribute the stoves) to be economical with our money. On the other hand, there have been strong hints coming from the village leaders that they also want to benefit financially from the Chinese government subsidies for the stoves that we hope to gain. We keep saying this: we don't make the stoves. We don't profit from the stoves.
2. Silence exists in China.
Walking along the small terraces along the foggy valleys of this particular village was absolutely stunning (I'll post pictures later), not only because of said reasons, but also because it made me realize how much ambient noise city-life has to offer. You simply can't get away from it. But here, you can hear birds. You can hear other people's voices from 10 or 20 meters away. Small noises cut across the silence and it just feels wonderful.
3. If you're working with Chinese people, get ready to eat (and drink).
I wish someone wrote me this note for general, working-with-bureacracy-and-food advice before coming to China:
"Dear Ray,
Get ready for banquets. Actually, get ready for a marathon of banquets.
Eat between banquets, not letting your stomach contract. Eat fiber-full snacks and drink lots of water between meals.
Seating arrangement is key. Be aware that seating arrangement not only dictates conversation, but also may hint at hierarchical social status and also the frequency of toasts/drinking. Seat yourself next to those who will drink as much as you would like to, as smaller and more-frequent toasts usually come from contiguous seats.
There are two general types of toasts: one where everyone stands, cheers and drinks and one where a specific toast is offered by any combination of person(s) to anyone else. The first toast of the night usually belongs to the former and usually demands that you empty cup. The latter group of toasts will continue the entire night and will usually involve every single permutation of person(s) and parties possible.
Hone the precise art of first deferring a toast, and then slowly accepting it, letting only an obscene amount of standing, glass-waving and all-around cajoling break through that humble demeanor which is your perceived personality. "Really?...Me?...Really?...No, way! Couldn't be!...I don't deserve it!...Never!...Well...okay...if you insist..." The transition from stark refusal to modest acceptance should be slow, the toast coming to you as if a Grammy unexpectedly floated onto your lap.
If you're hanging out with bureaucrats, let their potential arrogance pass as a strong wind, and let them give you the grind (background, what your parents do, who you're working for and with, etc.) at times. It'll assert their superiority and their usefulness. And always note the combination of the two seemingly-benign questions "how are you funded?" and "I wonder if I could help pull some strings?" in close proximity is usually an insinuation for bribery. Insist that you don't make much money but you are thankful for them.
Buy many a Harvard paraphernalia to give as gifts.
Lastly, watch out for 白酒, the Chinese version of vodka. It can be up to 50% alcohol and it can taste like gasoline."
4. I really miss my oven and am embarrassed that I do.
It hints at how Western I am, this attachment. But seriously, they don't exist over here. The closest thing you can find is a small toaster oven.
5. I'll be spending Thanksgiving over here.
We'll try to get a chicken or a duck or some type of surrogate bird. Miss you guys back home!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Not-so-Vegan Chocolate Gateau
"Soy-margine?"
"Well...I have regular butter...I guess I could just use that."
"Sun flower oil?
"Hm..I think regular canola oil should be fine."
"Soy milk? Yeah, I should use up the last of my milk in my fridge"
The "let's just use what we got" tactic is a slippery slope to not following your already-flimsy eating guidelines. I thought I could make a vegan cake. One vegan cake. Just one.
But no, my Foodzilla instinct constantly wins. It was a good try though.
This was over a month ago, so I forget the recipe. But I'll try to reiterate the recipe by ear.
Also, if you're into everything chocolate vegan, go there. They have a decently thorough definition of what it means to be vegan and some articles on vegan recipes, the vegan industry, etc.
Cast of characters: cocoa powder, vanilla extract, whole wheat flower, butter (not vegan, but you can use soy butter), granulated sugar, confectioners sugar, baking powder, milk (milk, not vegan but you can use soy milk), eggs (not shown and also not vegan. It wasn't even in the recipe, but I thought I would just add some because I had already fallen off of my not-at-all-vegan cliff.)
Shuning pouring the wheat flower. I think we used approximately 3 cups. Preheat oven to 350F.
Next is the cocoa powder (a good cup would do) and vanilla extract (1 tbs). Anyone see the heart? Awwww, right before we devour this sucka. Chopsticks work well. I think I was trying to save the silicon spatula for the frosting part.
In a separate bowl: granulated (generous 1/2-full cup), butter (stick), milk (cup), baking powder (1tsp-ish), eggs (2). I'm not sure the recipe called for this combination as it's usually all 'wet' ingredients in one bowl and all 'dry' ingredients in the other and then mix.
Dump bowl A into bowl B and mix.
Smooth it out. Pour into two greased 10-ish inch pans (equally) and bake at 350 for around 25 min, checking every 5 minutes until a fork doesn't come out clean. When it does, take them out.
In the meantime make the frosting: in a large bowl, cream together butter (half-full cup), cup of cocoa powder, and 2 cups of confectioners sugar. Mmmm, you can't go wrong with these ingredients: butter, cocoa powder, and sugar. Play around with the ratio and thickness. Taste? It won't be bad.
Cakes are done, as evidenced by a mighty gash (I was hungry) in the lower left by a fork.
Plop one over a large dish. Waft in all that airy, warm chocolate goodness.
Start frosting. I like to blob a giant blob right in the center and work around, which guarantees I use at least 1/4 of my frosting in the middle (between the two cakes).
Don't worry about the frosting that leaks out of the sides. It'll manage it's way onto your fork and if you're anything like me, onto your face. The spatula makes its appearance.
Plop 2nd cake over the first. Granted, there's a bit of nerve racking precision necessary in this act, but the beauty about frosting (besides the fact that it's, simply, sweet and delicious) is the fact that it'll act as a natural lubricant for your 2nd cake to be adjusted, if just so happens you suck at aiming.
Then, a more generous serving of frosting goes on top.
We chose a fluted cake pan and I'm glad we did. This allowed for natural grooves (aquaducts) for the extra chocolate to run down, which is fine by me.
Yum
For frosting, a simple rule of thumb: the more sugar you add, the more reflective and smooth the frosting (See the upper left-hand reflection and specular highlight? It's very sweet.) will be. I'm glad we didn't put that much sugar in the cake, so it balanced out well.
So there we go: my not-so-successful attempt at a vegan cake, but a delicious and simple chocolate cake nonetheless. Enjoy.
"Well...I have regular butter...I guess I could just use that."
"Sun flower oil?
"Hm..I think regular canola oil should be fine."
"Soy milk? Yeah, I should use up the last of my milk in my fridge"
The "let's just use what we got" tactic is a slippery slope to not following your already-flimsy eating guidelines. I thought I could make a vegan cake. One vegan cake. Just one.
But no, my Foodzilla instinct constantly wins. It was a good try though.
This was over a month ago, so I forget the recipe. But I'll try to reiterate the recipe by ear.
Also, if you're into everything chocolate vegan, go there. They have a decently thorough definition of what it means to be vegan and some articles on vegan recipes, the vegan industry, etc.
Cast of characters: cocoa powder, vanilla extract, whole wheat flower, butter (not vegan, but you can use soy butter), granulated sugar, confectioners sugar, baking powder, milk (milk, not vegan but you can use soy milk), eggs (not shown and also not vegan. It wasn't even in the recipe, but I thought I would just add some because I had already fallen off of my not-at-all-vegan cliff.)
Shuning pouring the wheat flower. I think we used approximately 3 cups. Preheat oven to 350F.
Next is the cocoa powder (a good cup would do) and vanilla extract (1 tbs). Anyone see the heart? Awwww, right before we devour this sucka. Chopsticks work well. I think I was trying to save the silicon spatula for the frosting part.
In a separate bowl: granulated (generous 1/2-full cup), butter (stick), milk (cup), baking powder (1tsp-ish), eggs (2). I'm not sure the recipe called for this combination as it's usually all 'wet' ingredients in one bowl and all 'dry' ingredients in the other and then mix.
Dump bowl A into bowl B and mix.Smooth it out. Pour into two greased 10-ish inch pans (equally) and bake at 350 for around 25 min, checking every 5 minutes until a fork doesn't come out clean. When it does, take them out.
In the meantime make the frosting: in a large bowl, cream together butter (half-full cup), cup of cocoa powder, and 2 cups of confectioners sugar. Mmmm, you can't go wrong with these ingredients: butter, cocoa powder, and sugar. Play around with the ratio and thickness. Taste? It won't be bad.
Cakes are done, as evidenced by a mighty gash (I was hungry) in the lower left by a fork.Plop one over a large dish. Waft in all that airy, warm chocolate goodness.
Start frosting. I like to blob a giant blob right in the center and work around, which guarantees I use at least 1/4 of my frosting in the middle (between the two cakes).
Don't worry about the frosting that leaks out of the sides. It'll manage it's way onto your fork and if you're anything like me, onto your face. The spatula makes its appearance.
Plop 2nd cake over the first. Granted, there's a bit of nerve racking precision necessary in this act, but the beauty about frosting (besides the fact that it's, simply, sweet and delicious) is the fact that it'll act as a natural lubricant for your 2nd cake to be adjusted, if just so happens you suck at aiming.
Then, a more generous serving of frosting goes on top.
We chose a fluted cake pan and I'm glad we did. This allowed for natural grooves (aquaducts) for the extra chocolate to run down, which is fine by me.
Yum
For frosting, a simple rule of thumb: the more sugar you add, the more reflective and smooth the frosting (See the upper left-hand reflection and specular highlight? It's very sweet.) will be. I'm glad we didn't put that much sugar in the cake, so it balanced out well.
So there we go: my not-so-successful attempt at a vegan cake, but a delicious and simple chocolate cake nonetheless. Enjoy.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
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