Tea Totaler

Unlike most people, I don't drink coffee.  Just don't like the taste.  Never did and never will.

Tea, on the other hand, is a different story.  While I sometimes drink hot tea on a cold night, my drink of choice most of the time is iced tea.  I make my own from all sorts of different kinds of teas: flavored and unflavored, green and black and white and herbal, you name it. 

Now I never add any sugar to my iced tea--the somewhat bitter taste is what I like about it.  And I don't add milk or cream to hot tea either.

Turns out that adding milk to your tea could prevent you from taking advantage of the many health benefits that tea offers.

Different teas provide different benefits, but it's been well known that tea is loaded with antioxidants and other compounds that may increase the energy and calories you burn; regulate your blood pressure; help to prevent cancer, heart disease and clogged arteries; lower cholesterol; and reduce your risk of stroke, lung problems and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases.  The list goes on and on.

There are some recent studies (click here for an NPR article on one of them) that show that milk proteins may bind with the flavonoids in tea and make it harder for your body to absorb the good stuff and give you the benefits that you're looking for from tea.

There are some experts, as is the case with most studies, who dispute these findings.  They say that the amount of milk that most people put in tea is minimal, so it probably isn't an issue.

Still, you may want to enjoy your tea milk-less just to be sure you get the full effect of the benefits of tea.  As for me, I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing.

Food for Thought

These are tough days. 

Every time you turn on the TV, you're hearing some candidate rip their opponent.  Don't get me wrong, I'm into politics.  But I'm so ready for this to be over.  The venom and real hatred that's out there from some people is astounding.

Then, to top it off, Hurricane Sandy hits.  We made it through relatively unscathed at our place.  Out of power for about 24 hours, Comcast service out for several days, a few tree limbs down, a little bit of aluminum blown off the side of the house, 5 days off from school for Jake. 

But as you know, so many are going to be dealing with the consequences of the storm for a long, long time. 

In the midst of the political crap and while so many are living lives that have been turned upside-down (sometimes literally), it's amazing how many good things you can find if you just look.

Like the many friends and family who showed up with chain saws at my parents' place to help them cut up the 16 trees that came down there. 

Like the millions of people who have volunteered and donated money to the Red Cross to help others who are worse off.

Like seeing President Obama and NJ Governor Christie tossing aside partisan differences to work together to help and sympathize those in need. 

Like the convoy of about 10 utility trucks that I saw today from New Hampshire.  These trucks were loaded with workers who have been away from their families for this past week.

It's a good thing.  People really are generally good.  Sometimes it just takes some kind of trouble to be able to see it. 

So keep your eyes open.  Let me know if you've seen any good actions in your day-to-day activities.

Mushroom Capital

I knew, as many of you probably do, that Kennett Square, PA--that small town in Chester County--is truly the mushroom capital of the US (if not the world).  Farms there produce about 400 million pounds of mushrooms each year--that's over half of the mushrooms consumed in the US.  That's an amazing amount.

What I didn't know was how Kennett Square became the center of the mushroom universe.  An interesting NPR article gives more information, but here are some of the basics.

The story begins with Quakers.  According to the local story, in 1885, a couple of Quaker flower farmers in Chester County wanted to use up some ground under their flower greenhouses.  So they decided to try to raise mushrooms.  It worked.

White mushrooms ready for the picking.  (Photo courtesy of NPR.)

For this labor intensive work, they hired Italians who lived in the area, who eventually started their own farms.  By 1950, there were hundreds of mushroom farms in the area--many owned by Italian families. 

Raising mushrooms starts with the compost.  Most of the local farms use cocoa shells from Hershey, and corn cobs, hay, chicken manure and horse manure from area farms.  The spores are added to the compost in dark buildings, which creates fungus.  The farmers then lower the carbon dioxide level and temperature and add water.  This simulates winter coming on and the fungus then forces the mushrooms to grow.

Tending the mushroom growing barns, harvesting, etc are all done manually.  (Many of the workers are Mexicans who have worked these farms for generations.)  And timing is important.  According to the article, mushrooms can double in size in 24 hours, so when they're the right size, they have to be harvested. 

The mushroom business in Kennett Square continues to grow.  Unfortunately, that means that the big farms have gotten bigger and many of the smaller ones have folded.  With larger farms, it's harder to get enough of their needs met locally.  For example, compost ingredients have to be brought in from further away, which is more expensive.

Still, the farms that continue to thrive are a result of the hard work and ingenuity of the many who came before them.  And that's a pretty cool thing.

Philly's Pizza Museum

There's a Pez museum in Burlingame, CA.  Spam has it's own museum in Austin, MN.  The National Mustard Museum is in Middleton, WI.  There's even a museum of Burnt Food in Arlington, MA!

So how can it be that there has never been a museum dedicated to all things pizza? 

Well, wait no longer.  And we don't have to travel very far to visit!

Pizza Brain has opened in Philadelphia.  On the menu are great hand-made pizzas including the Jane (mozzarella, aged provolone, grana padano and fresh basil with hand-crushed tomato sauce), the Wendy Wedgeworth (mozzarella, sun-dried tomato, arugula, honey goat cheese with the tomato sauce), the Lucy Waggle (a white pizza with mozzarella, grana padano, pine nuts, fresh thyme, arugula, sweet dates, crisped prosciutto) and the Granny Divjack (another white pie with mozzarella, shaved almonds, caramelized onions, blue cheese and Granny Smith apple).

Not only can you get these tasty pies at Pizza Brain, but you can get a look at the only pizza museum in the world.  They are certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as holding the largest collection of pizza memorabilia and pizza-related items in the world. 

You'll find the Noid (remember him?), loads of pizza-related LPs, a Good Times Ken doll complete with a piece of pizza and a slice on his shirt, a dancing pizza-chef Elmo (Jake has one of those) and on and on.  There's even an ice cream place attached to Pizza Brain that offers pizza ice cream.

So if you love pizza--and all that pizza stands for--Pizza Brain is the place to go.  (October is National Pizza Month, by the way!)  Check out a CBS News report here (there are a lot of other links to press coverage on their website). 

Have you been to Pizza Brain?  Let me know how it was!

Beet It!

Beets.  It seems that people either love them or hate them.  Or they never have tried them. 

Now, I wouldn't say that I'm a huge beet fan.  I don't eat them all that much.  But maybe I should.

Beets are incredibly healthy.  They are known to fight heart disease, birth defects and cancer (especially colon cancer).  They are full of good things like fiber, folate, potassium, vitamin C and more.  Many consider the beets used in borcht to be a factor why so many of those century-old Russians live so long.

But the pigments that give beets their intense color (whether red or yellow are the real health stars.  These pigments, called betalains, are major antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.  Interestingly, only about 10-15% of people are "betalain responders"--meaning that only some of us have the capacity to absorb and metabolize these compounds enough to get the full benefit.  It's worth the try, though.

There are all sorts of ways to prepare beets.  You could go Dutchie and pickle them.  I love them that way.  Their flavor intensifies when they're roasted.  You can even eat them raw.  And don't forget the greens.  Beet greens are very flavorful and so easy to prepare--just prepare as you would chard or spinach.

Here's a recipe from the New York Times for a beet salad that uses both the beet and their greens.  However you try them, enjoy their sweet taste and the great health benefits that you get from these tasty veggies.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Alas, tomato season has come and gone once again.  A sure sign that summer has passed. 

But no need to despair just yet!  There's still a great way to enjoy those tomatoes on the vine that never got to ripen.  Don't throw out the green tomatoes--make the classic Southern dish, fried green tomatoes.

Perhaps you've had them before--or even tried to make them.  When made right, they're so tasty--tangy and crispy.  But when not made right, they can be mushy with the coating either soggy or falling off.

As usual, Cook's Country magazine has a recipe that allows you to make fried green tomatoes the way they should be made.  They come out so crispy, they're hard to resist.  In fact, I ate a bunch of them as I was frying up the rest of the batch.  Really addictive.

Give them a try and make use of those stragglers in your tomato patch.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES (from Cook's Country)
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lb green tomatoes (about 4-5), cored and sliced 1/4" thick
2/3 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
2 cups peanut or vegetable oil

1. Place tomatoes on paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet.  Cover with more paper towels, let sit for 20 min and pat dry.  Meanwhile, process 1/3 cup cornmeal in a blender or food processor until very finely ground, about 1 min.  Combine processed cornmeal, remaining 1/3 cup cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper and cayenne in a shallow dish.  Whisk buttermilk and egg together in a a second shallow dish.
2. Working one at a time, dip tomato slices in buttermilk mixture, then dredge in cornmeal mixture, pressing firmly to adhere; transfer to clean baking sheet.
3. Heat oil in 12" skillet over medium-high heat until 350 degrees.  Fry 4-5 slices until golden brown, 2-3 min per side.  Drain on wire rack set in baking sheet.  Bring oil back to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining slices.  Serve.

Unused Kitchen Gadgets

We've all been there. 


And you can't use your oven because...?

You're in a kitchen store or at a yard sale or surfing the web.  And there it is!  What a great idea!  It's on sale, too!  Yeah, that will save so much time.  It'll make my life so much easier.

Not sure what I'm talking about?  Check the back of your kitchen cabinets or in the basement.  You'll find that rotisserie or battery-operated pepper mill or sandwich press. 

They're the kinds of things that are given as gifts or just strike you as you're shopping.  At the moment, it seems like a great idea.  But really, do you really need one of those rubber garlic peelers? 

Some of these gadgets just seem useless.  A gadget specifically made to pull a pickle out of a jar.  Or an asparagus peeler. 

Some of them may be legitimate, but using them every 3-4 years doesn't really warrant buying them.  I mean, a pizza oven might be good if you're making a lot of pizzas, but can't you just use your regular oven?

Every now and then, you'll find a gadget that actually works.  My mom bought me one of those pineapple corer/peelers.  And it works!  (If you have a pineapple that isn't too big.)  But most often, these things just take up space and empty your wallet.

Asparagus peeler.  Hmm...

Alton Brown's mantra is not to buy anything that isn't a multi-tasker.  If it's used for just one thing, it's not worth buying.  He's probably right.

So what are some of these unused gadgets that are taking space in your kitchen?  Let me know.  I'm sure my readers would love to hear what you have.  Maybe you can sell something!

To read about professional foodies who are in the same boat, check out this article from the New York Times.