Head in the Sand

Quite a few years ago, MB took me out to dinner for my birthday.  We went to the now-closed Roosevelt's Blue Star in Doylestown.  I thought I'd go for something a little different and ordered the ostrich steak.  I don't remember exactly how it was prepared--it had some sort of sauce made with cherries or raspberries or something like that--but I do remember that it was very tasty.

If you've never had ostrich, you have to remind yourself that you're eating a bird.  It has the color and consistency of beef.  Of course, those who sell ostrich tout that the meat, like poultry, is very low in cholesterol and calories, but has the taste like red meat. 

According to a Wall Street Journal article about the one New York-based ostrich farm, Roaming Acres, the local food movement--as well as some people's growing food-adventurousness (is that a word?)--is making ostrich a more popular ingredient in both home and restaurant kitchens.

In addition to the meat, ostrich eggs are growing in popularity.  These huge eggs--the equivalent to about 24 chicken eggs--are best prepared scrambled.  And best fed to a crowd.  They cost about $20 each and weigh about 4 pounds.

Interestingly, the farmer in the article tells how ostriches can be very temperamental when it comes to laying eggs.  They simply won't lay them unless there's plenty of sunshine.  And with the rainy spring, the normal laying time that usually begins in late March or early April, didn't start until about Memorial Day. 

The reluctance of these egg-layers cost the farm about $150,000, according to the article.  But things got back on track over the summer (until the last few weeks, I assume). 

So next time you're out and see ostrich on the menu (perhaps at the Spinnerstown Hotel), give it a try!

Whoopie!

Pretty much all of us know what a Whoopie Pie is--a yummy, cream-filled chocolate cake sandwich.  Anyone who has traveled a little bit West to Amish country has at least seen them being sold--if not tasted them. 

Years ago, when we first started going to Maine each year, we were very surprised to see Whoopie Pies being sold in Maine.  And they were everywhere--just like they are in Amish country.  We couldn't figure out the connection.

Now, apparently, there are battle lines being drawn between those PA Whoopie supporters and those in Maine.  It seems to have started when the ME legislature decided to pass a bill naming the Whoopie Pie the official state "treat".  (Blueberry pie seems to me to be a better pick, but hey, I'm no politician!)

A "Save Our Whoopie" rally was held in Lancaster County to show all those Mainers that the Whoopie started here in PA.  Most articles you read say that it's a light-hearted conflict, but you have to wonder if people aren't taking it a little bit too seriously on both ends. 

The "battle" has even caught the eye of The Wall Street Journal--in an article called "Bakin' Whoopie".  You can read the Mainer's point of view in an article from the Bangor Daily News.

Sad as this sounds, Mary Beth and I have actually discussed this issue.  Personally, I think that there must be some connection between the two places that lay claim to these treats.  Despite some very slight differences in recipes, they're basically the same in both places and are called the same thing in both places.  Sounds to me that somewhere along the line, someone moved from PA to ME (or maybe the other way around, but I doubt it) and took her Whoopie Pie recipe with her.  The rest is history. 

I guess it doesn't really matter.  Living near Amish country and traveling to Maine each year, I can get my fill of Whoopie Pies throughout the year.

Ortulan



            Photo courtesy of camacdonald.com

The tasty morsel known as
the ortulan.



Birds are a staple food in every culture.  Chicken, turkey, goose, quail, pheasant and even ostrich.  What we don't think of eating--especially here in America--are songbirds.  They just don't seem worth the effort.  They sure don't have a lot of meat on them.  And you'd have to eat a bunch of them to feel full.

Since ancient times--and still in many parts of Europe (France, especially)--birds of this type have been eaten.  Thrushes and larks, for example.  The most prized--and controversial--of these is the ortulan.

The ortulan is illegal to sell in France, although not illegal to catch and eat.  According to Wall Street Journal food writer, Bruce Palling:

The traditional way to consume ortolan is to capture them with nets, fatten them up in a darkened space, drown them in Armagnac, then roast and consume them whole, bones and all, while your head is covered by a large napkin. Some say this was necessary to avoid the wrath of God, others put it down to the pleasure of capturing the aromas, while still others say it was necessary because it is such a disgusting spectacle.

Interesting, huh?  This ain't just fried chicken we're talking about here.  Sorry, chewing through bones isn't my idea of a nice dinner. 

Palling was invited to a special meal in Paris featuring these little critters.  Read all about his interesting--and somewhat disappointing--adventure in his article, "Tasting Forbidden Fruits".

Mmmm...Garlic Bread!

I just read a sort article from The Wall Street Journal about a "comeback" for garlic bread in restaurants.  I love good garlic bread, but so many times, it's just soggy and either has too much strong garlic on it or has that semi-medicinal garlic powder taste. 

But as usual, the folks at Cook's Illustrated & Cook's Country have created a technique that results in crispy bread with just enough garlic flavor.  Here is is:

CRISPY GARLIC BREAD from Cook's Country magazine
Makes 12 slices
Start with a soft Italian bread, not a rustic, crusty loaf.  Use a rasp grater or the small holes of a box grater to grate the garlic.

INGREDIENTS
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 garlic cloves, grated (see note) or minced
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
12 (1") slices Italian bread (see note)

1. MAKE PASTE: Adjust oven rack to middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees.  Using fork, beat butter, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in small bowl until combined.  Spread butter mixture evenly over both sides of bread.
2. TOAST BREAD: Arrange buttered bread on heated baking sheet and bak3e until golden brown on first side, 8-10 minutes.  Flip and bake until golden brown on second side, about 5 minutes.  Serve.

They give some tasty options as well:

CHEESY CHIPOTLE:  Add 2 tsp minced chipotle chiles in adobo to the butter mixture in step1.  Sprinkle bread with 1 1/2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese in the last minute of baking.

SPICY PESTO:  add 3 Tbsp basil pesto and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper to butter mixture in step 1.

OLIVE AND THYME:  Add 2 Tbsp black olive tapenade and 2 tsp minced fresh thyme to butter mixture in step 1.

CHEDDAR-CHIVE:  Add 2 Tbsp minced fresh chives to butter mixture in step 1.  Sprinkle bread with 1 1/2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese in the last minute of baking.

Time to Send the Pig Packing?

Everything's better with bacon, isn't it?  Well, for many years now, that's been the thought by a lot of people (including me).  There are bacon cupcakes and bacon donuts, bacon with fish and veggies and, well, pretty much anything else you can think of.

But according to an article in the Wall Street Journal, some folks may think that bacon has run it's course these days.  They say that bacon can cover up the real flavors of foods and that it's just being overused. 

OK, I admit, bacon does show up all over the place (bacon lip balm?!?) and sometimes is a crutch to add flavor to some tired dish.  But for me, bacon will never go out of style.  Smoky, salty, great texture, great mouth-feel.  Who would get tired of some crumbled bacon on a salad or soup?  Or a great BLT when tomatoes are at their peak?  Or a little bacon in some fresh waffles with real maple syrup?  Oh yeah.

No, I don't agree with them.  Bacon is here to stay.  What do you think?

Picky, Picky

The other night, Jake threw a fit when we tried to have him taste some squash (yes, the squash again).  We usually don't force him to try things because he's usually very good with trying things--and once he tries something, he usually likes it.  For some reason, that night we really wanted him to try it and he really didn't want to.  It could be worse.

I know that even though Jake doesn't eat things like sauces (plain pasta is one of his favorite things), cheese and potatoes (I swear he's the only kid in America who doesn't like cheese & potatoes), he's far from being a picky eater.  He loves virtually every fruit and many veggies.  He's a huge carnivore and really enjoys fish--tilapia, salmon, tuna, etc. 

Picky eating in kids is kind of expected and accepted.  They'll grow out of it, right?  Well, according to a very interesting Wall Street Journal article, No Age Limit on Picky Eating, there are more adult picky eaters than you may think.

Jeremy M. Lange for the Wall Street Journal

Heather Hill says her sons, Andrew, 3, center, and Nicholas, 2,

are less fussy than she is about the foods they eat.

The article talks about new studies that pretty much label picky eating as an eating disorder.  But it isn't as easy to label as things such as anorexia and bulimia.

Unlike people with anorexia or bulimia, picky eaters don't seem to make food choices based on calorie content. They aren't necessarily skinny or obsessed with looking a certain way. Researchers don't know yet what drives the behavior, but they say textures and smell can account for a picky eater's limited diet. Some will only eat foods with one consistent texture or one taste, leading some medical experts to speculate that picky eaters have some obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Doctors worry that over the long term such eating habits could lead to nutritional deficiencies linked to health concerns, including bone and heart problems.

Picky eaters tend to gravitate to certain foods, including blander products that are often white or pale colored, like plain pasta or cheese pizza. For reasons that aren't clear, almost all adult picky eaters like French fries and often chicken fingers, health experts say.

The article profiles some people who are adult picky eaters.  Most find any way to avoid social eating situations, work lunches, etc.  They don't eat meals with their kids for fear that their pickiness will rub off on them.  One 29 year-old woman claims that she's only eaten about 10 different foods since she was 3 years old.  A support website, PickyEatingAdults.com has about 1400 members.

As someone who eats pretty much anything, it's hard for me to imagine eating only a few things over and over.  But apparently, for many, it's a way of life.  A way of life that often comes with stress, embarrassment and anxiety.  Luckily for those people, more is being learned about their situation and there are ways for them to get help and support.