Roasted Spiced Pepitas

I picked up some raw organic pepitas (pumpkin seeds) at the grocery store the other day. I have been craving them ever since I had the Mexican turkey chopped salad at Pink Taco in Century City a few weeks back. The salad had grilled, achiote rubbed turkey, tomatoes, red onions, hominy, granny smith apples, roasted poblano peppers and toasted pepitas all tossed with romaine lettuce in a cumin vinaigrette. The pepitas added a nice toasty crunchiness to the salad.

Now, I have eaten these crunchy seeds before, but for some reason they stuck in my mind this time. So when I saw a package of the raw pepitas at the grocery store the other day, I had to buy them. By the time I got home, I already knew what I was going to do with them. The salads and the moles and the pipians would be left for another day. Tonight, I would turn them into a spicy, salty, sweet bar snack to enjoy devour with the night's cocktails.


RECIPE:
Makes two cups

2 cups raw pepitas
2 tbls. chili powder
2 tbls. sugar
1 1/2 tbls. kosher salt
1 tbls. Valrhona cocoa powder
1 1/2 tbls. canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.


2 Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. Take a few extra moments to be sure that the oil and the spices coat each of the individual seeds evenly.

3. Spread seeds in a single layer on the lined baking sheet. Place seeds in oven and roast for 30 minutes or until a nice golden brown.


4. Slide seeds from parchment onto a few paper towels. Use the paper towels to blot any excess oil off of the seeds. Place in a bowl and enjoy immediately. They are delicious warm out of the oven, but they will last a few days if stored in an air tight container.

Continue Reading "Roasted Spiced Pepitas" After The Jump

Fish Taco Photo Blog Post

Just a short photo blog post. No real recipe here. I wish I had one photo with the fish on the grill, but it slipped my mind. I used the wild frozen Mahi Mahi strips from Trader Joes. Really nice flavor and very moist. Perfect for fish tacos. Done in a snap.






Continue Reading "Fish Taco Photo Blog Post" After The Jump

Food, Inc. Wake-up Call

Food, Inc., a new documentary by Robert Kenner, lifts the veil on our nation's food industry. The films beings by posing the question: how much do we know about the food we buy at our local supermarket and serve to our families? A creatively designed opening credit sequence takes us, aisle by aisle, through the American supermarket. But it is obvious that everything isn't what it seems to be.



The idea for the film came about when Kenner and author Eric Schlosser decided to turn Schlosser's Fast Food Nation into a feature documentary. In doing research for the film, Kenner and Schlosser realized that all food had become like fast food and that all food was being created in the same manner as fast food.

In order to show the full impact of the industrialized food system, Food, Inc. needed to shine a light on the entire system. By the time they pulled together the necessary funding, Michael Pollan's had published The Omnivore's Dilemma, in effect providing a roadmap for Kenner to follow.

The way we eat has changed more in the last 50 years than in the previous 10,000, but the image that's used to sell the food ... you go into the supermarket and you see pictures of farmers. The picket fence and the silo and the 1930's farmhouse and the green grass. The reality is ... it's not a farm, it's a factory. That ... is being processed by huge multi-national corporations that have very little to do with ranches and farmers. - Michael Pollan

Food, Inc. also introduces us to courageous people who refuse to helplessly stand by and do nothing. Some, like Stonyfield Farm's Gary Hirshberg (whom I have met on other occasions) and Polyface Farm's Joel Salatin, are finding ways to work inside and outside the system to improve the quality of our food.

The irony is that the average consumer does not feel very powerful. They think that they are the recipients of whatever industry has put there for them to consume. Trust me, it's the exact opposite. Those businesses spend billions of dollars to tally our votes. When we run an item past the supermarket scanner, we're voting. - Gary Hirshberg

Polyface Farm's Joel Salatin standing in front of a cattle "pasture paddock."

Of course, many question whether the world could survive solely off food produced by smaller sustainable farms and community-supported agriculture like Polyface under current governmental policies. The food system is set up to provide subsidies to industrial corn and soy farmers, allowing them to produce cheaper goods for the general populace, making the price of Salatin's products seem astronomical.

Kenner uses the films to assert that the price tags of cheaper commercial foods are deceiving. There are hidding costs in the form of global warming; in the form of increased healthcare expenses; in the form of rural poverty; in many forms. "One-third of the children born after the year 2000 will have early-onset diabetes. The population has to pay for that," he says. "Coke is selling for less than water" because corn is subsidized so heavily by the government. This system didn't appear out of the blue, it is the result of systematic farm policy decisions going back years.

Perhaps the most discouraging aspect of the film is the discussion of the many roadblocks set up to prevent change in our current legal system. In the nation’s heartland, farmers have been silenced – afraid to talk about what’s happening to the nation’s food supply for fear of retaliation and lawsuits from giant corporations.

For example, our laws today are such that corporations are allowed to patent seeds for crops. As a result, Monsanto - the former chemical company that manufactured Agent Orange and DDT - in a span of only 10 years, has landed its patented gene in 90% of the nation’s soybean seeds. Farmers are now forbidden to save and reuse these seeds and must instead buy new seed from Monsanto each season or else risk violating Monsanto's patent.

Armed with a team of employees dedicated to enforcing their seed patents, Monsanto spends millions every year to investigate, intimidate and sue farmers, many of whom are financially unable to fight the corporation. Interestingly, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was an attorney at Monsanto from 1976 to 1979. He wrote the majority opinion in the case that helped Monsanto enforce its seed patents.


The film also profiles other brave men and women who have chose to speak out, such as chicken farmer Carole Morlson, seed cleaner Moe Parr and food safety advocate Barbara Kowalcyk. Their stories, both heartbreaking and heroic, serve to demonstrate the level of humanity and commitment it takes to fight the corporations that control the food industry - corportations, which refused to be interviewed for the documentary (Monsanto, Tyson, Perdue and Smithfield).

Morlson, for example, was the only chicken grower to allow the filmmakers inside her farm so Americans can see first hand what antibiotics and high-tech breeding are doing to the nation's chickens. She subsequently lost her contract and is not left with crippling debt and few options.

Despite the gripping personal struggles and disheartening statistics, the film ends on a very positive note. Drawing inspiration from President Obama's call for involvement and service, the film asks moviegoers to seek change; to Take Part in improving the food system.

Things can change in this country. It changed against the big tobacco companies. We have to influence the government and readjust these scales back toward the interests of the consumer. We did it before, and we can do it again." - Robert Kenner

The films opens in Los Angeles and New York this Friday, June 12. It goes nationwide by the end of the month. If you are "Hungry for Change" consider this a must see.

Continue Reading "Food, Inc. Wake-up Call" After The Jump

Home of the Tamale Po' Boy

Covington is a small city with about 8500 residents situated on Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana. This "patriotic" city was founded on July 4, 1813 on a parcel of land owned by a wealthy New Orleans merchant. It is the seat of St. Tammany Parish and has a beautiful central square with towering, stately oaks.


A lesser known, but more relevant fact (at least to this blog), is that Covington is home to the tamale po' boy, a wonderfully delicious cross-cultural, carbo-loaded phenomenon of a sandwich. The proud creator of the tamale po' boy is the owner/operator of Mo's Hot Tamale Cafe. Mo's is located inside of a small home near the center of town. The front rooms, which could have easily been a living room and family room at some other time, have been converted into casual dining areas. Customers place their orders at a small counter at the back of the house near the kitchen, take a seat and wait for the fun to begin.


While they have a more extensive menu, including a daily "plate lunch," Mo's specializes in "New Orleans Style Hot Tamales." These are similar in style and taste to the more commonly known Mississippi Delta hot tamales. Southern food writer John T. Edge notes:

Tamales have been a menu mainstay in the Mississippi Delta for much of the twentieth century. Indeed, along with catfish, they may just be the archetypal Delta food. Mississippi bluesman Robert Johnson sang about them in the song "They’re Red Hot," recorded in 1936. Hodding Carter began his book So the Hefners Left McComb with an ode to the symbolic importance of tamales. He tells us that the Hefners left McComb, Mississippi after breaking the 1960's de facto laws against eating with interlopers. The Hefner's great crime? They shared hot-tamales, from Doe's Eat Place in Greenville, with civil rights workers.

White and black Mississippians recall that tamale vendors traveled the streets of their youth. Tamale ingredients are few and readily available in the South: cornmeal, pork or beef and a few spices. All one need do is steam the mixture in a corn husk, a sleeve of butcher's paper, or, heaven forbid, a coffee filter (I've seen it done), and you have a Delta tamale.

This Southern delicacy does differ slightly from the tamales sold all over Los Angeles. The Southern tamale is much slimmer than its Western counterpart, shaped more like a robusto cigar. As a result, they are usually tied in packs of threes and sold as "bunches" or "bundles." Wrapped in either corn husks or parchment, these tamales are generally simmered, rather than steamed, standing straight up in seasoned oil and water. This "juice" adds a depth of flavor and moisture and allows for the tamales to be served "wet." Its bright orange color reminds me of the oily, annatto-spiked broth that accompanies a proper plate of cochinita pibil.


When the tamales are served in Mo's po' boy format, the delicious chili powder and paprika spiked juices soak into the bun, moistening the sandwich and negating the need for the traditional po' boy "dressing" of lettuce, tomato and mayo. Instead, Mo's cooks cover the sandwich with shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack and pickled jalapeños. Toss in a Barq's red creme soda and some Fritos and you have yourself one hell of a meal.

Continue Reading "Home of the Tamale Po' Boy" After The Jump

Cochon Restaurant - New Orleans, LA

This is a belated story from my earlier campaign travels in the Fall of 2008. I have already posted about my visits to Ohio, Colorado, and Arkansas. This is just the first of a couple posts about quick food stops in and around New Orleans. And what a first, Donald Link's Cochon Restaurant.


Cochon showcases the food Donald Link grew up preparing and eating at his grandfather's side. A descendant of Germans of Acadiana, Link has brought a deep respect and love for authentic Cajun cuisine to New Orleans. More importantly to some, Link has shown a deep commitment to the city he loves. Cochon was in the planning stages when Hurricane Katrina hit. There was a moment when Link considered forgetting Cochon and going back to focus strictly on his hit French/Southern restaurant Herbsaint.

"There was a side of me that said, ‘Just reopen Herbsaint and forget about Cochon,’" Link told Restaurants and Institutions magazine. "But what I thought at the time was, if I don’t think it’s worth doing both, then it’s probably not worth doing either. I felt like [if I didn’t open Cochon], I’d be making a statement saying I don’t think New Orleans is going to come back, and I did think New Orleans was going to come back."

The restaurant‘s rustic space is accented with bright woods and contemporary furniture, creating a warm casual atmosphere. The dining room features an open kitchen, large windows overlooking Tchoupitoulas Street, charcoal concrete floors, and wooden tables and chairs handcrafted by a local artisan.

There is an etched steel bar at Cochon, which boasts traditional southern cocktails like the Mint Julep as well as updated versions of classics like Cochon’s Lemonade. For the more adventurous imbiber, there are several brands of moonshine available and I hear that they are unbelievably smooth. Needing a little hair of the dog the morning we were there, I had one of the best Bloody Mary's I have ever had in my life. Tangy, citrusy, spicy - both from pepper and horseradish -it was all a Bloody Mary should be and nothing more. The only strike against the drink was that the waiter told us the bar was out of the traditional pickled okra garnish.


My favorite aspect of Cochon is Link's skill with butchering whole pigs. He and the other chefs oversee an in-house Boucherie, creating boudin, andouille, smoked bacon, and head cheese. The menu also features handmade crawfish pies, rabbit & dumplings, and spoon bread with okra & tomatoes as well as specialties from a wood-burning oven such as roasted oysters, suckling pig, and beef brisket.

Link has dedicated time and resources to finding the best local ingredients Louisiana has to offer. If it isn't made on-site, it is likely to be sourced locally. His shrimp comes from one local shrimper and no seafood is sourced beyond the gulf. Even the restaurant's specialty pork comes from Louisiana legend RM Holliday (which is now is owned by Maveric Farm in South Dakota, whose mission includes trying to save heritage breeds from extinction).

Not wanting to come to Cochon and skip out on the Boucherie offerings, I ordered the hogshead cheese with crispy pig ear salad as an appetizer. The pig's ear was deliciously tender and crispy as advertised, a lot like a porky fried clam strip. The green salad provided a nice freshness and acidity that cut through the richness of the pork. The star was, of course, the head cheese. It reminded me a lot of the country ham terrine prepared by Zuke's Charcuterie (North Carolina) for the Slow Food Taste Pavillions last year. Wonderful.


A friend ordered roasted shrimp with ham, chilis and a cornbread cake. It was served with a bright sauce made from satsuma oranges. It looked tasty, but I was so focused on my dish that I didn't sneak a bite.


A bowl of gumbo was also ordered. This was a very rich, very hearty soup with a deep chocolate roux for a base. For Link, gumbo is a time honored tradition. He likes to tell customers that gumbo was the first dish he ever prepared on his own, over two decades ago. At Herbsaint, Link's gumbo is more "uptown" consisting of ingredients like duck, crab and andouille sausage. Here at Cochon, the soup is made with shredded pork, greens and black eyed peas.



There was a special pulled pork sandwich being offered for lunch that day. It was inevitable that one of us ordered it. I heard general sounds of approval coming from my friend, but I couldn't make out any actual words; too distracted by the porken deliciousness, I guess. Along side the sandwich came a small pile of spectacularly fried onion rings. These I tried. They should definitely be offered as a side dish on the regular menu.


For my main, I ordered the restaurant's signature lunch sandwich; a fried oyster and bacon deal served on toasted while bread. The tomatoes were a little mealy, but that is understandable since it was almost November. They were easily pulled aside and the sandwich wasn't left dry or wanting. The fried oysters, which were plump, juicy and crispy, were a perfect complement to the thick smokey bacon. A housemade pickle and creole-style coleslaw was served on the side.


We were working 16 hour days at the time so this had to be a relatively quick meal, no time for tasting anything and everything that sounded delicious. Even in these few courses, I do feel that I got a nice taste of what Cochon is capable of providing to the customer. This would certainly be a regular stop every time I make it back.

A bit of news to relay about something we did miss out on last fall: Link has opened a new butcher shop next door to the restaurant. There are fresh cuts, butcher's sandwiches, housemade salumi, etc. Next time. Oh, and for those of you so inclined, Cochon Butcher has a mere hours old blog and twitter page to follow.

Continue Reading "Cochon Restaurant - New Orleans, LA" After The Jump