Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution show was terrific. In my opinion, it was such a heroic effort to combat the issue of childhood obesity. At first I was somewhat skeptical of his loudmouth approach to interjecting with the food culture in an all -American town, but as I watched one episode after the next, I really thought he was onto something. The show poked the central nervous system of America’s food habits. Learning how to eat properly is like learning how to walk all over again. Anyways, I came across a recent interview on ABC with Jamie and thought you guys might enjoy watching it:
August 27
Dancing Street Food Vendor in ChinaAdding on to my previous post about street food, here’s a video of a guy selling BBQ fish while dancing. I found this amusing, especially his frosted mowhawk. I wondering if he dances like this all day? And what is up with the little kid with the Bin Laden-like mask?
The NYC 2010 Vendy Awards is about to take place on Governors Island on Sept. 25. Judges will vote on who will be the best street food vendor in NYC in 2010. This is one of my favorite events because street food is something that does not get much attention here in the US. Unlike many other parts of the world, eating next to the sidewalk from small carts and trucks do not attract much attention. Why is this, I won’t even begin to guess but people are definitely missing out.
Street food can present some of the most exciting and flavorful foods. Operations are generally small and the food is innovative and developed from family food cultures. Most vendor specialize in a few items, making them a specialist of those particular dishes. Start-up costs are low and guess what, you don’t need a fancy culinary degree to make good food. In most street markets around the world, people going out for the night will usually wander from one food vendor to another. Eat your appetizer in one stall, have the entree from another, then finish with something sweet from a separate food vendor. The food tend to be delicious and the cost low.
It would be great to see more of that in America. Get people out of the house and away from the fast food restaurants. Real fast food is made by real people selling street food on the go.
Anyways, check out one of the finalists from last year’s competition. I’ve eaten at this cart and it is DELICIOUS:
August 19
Faith and Food: Eating During RamadanWhile most of us go about with our daily eats, the Muslim world is observing Ramadan. During this 30 day period, which began on Aug. 11, followers fast from sunrise to sundown. According to some, this is the time of the year when some of the most delicious food is prepared. Here’s a nice NPR audio file about eating during Ramadan.
I love this video that was posted on New York Times dining section today. It’s about how to pick the perfect watermelon. If you are like me, finding the perfect watermelon with the right crunchy, crispy texture, and the right sweetness ripened to its fullest, is like going to heaven. There’s nothing like eating a bowl mouth-watering, cooling watermelon on a hot sticky day.
But how do you go about picking the right one? What do you use to guide your decision making process? There’s nothing more disappointing than dragging an 8-pound watermelon home only to find the inside light pink and tasteless. This video points out two ways, either through visual cues or by using the “thumping” technique. I always go for the latter. And just like what we saw at the end of the video, the one picked by sound was redder and – I promise – sweeter. Next time you pick a watermelon, give it a few taps and start associating which sounds go with what results. It always works for me!
August 17
Is it Legal to Eat your Cat?A man was stopped by the police the other day (after running a stop sign) and found a meowing cat in the trunk marinating with oil, chili peppers, crushed peppers and salt. When the police asked why the cat was covered in cooking ingredients he said that he was going to cook the cat for being mean to him.
Most states have laws about animal cruelty and do not allow pets to be consumed. Click here to read more about this.
This article raises a lot of interesting questions of what is considered food and what isn’t. Most of you are probably disgusted by the idea of eating your beloved pets because you love them and they love you. It’s difficult to imagine roasting Snoopy and carving him apart to eat with your peas and rice. We’re probably more comfortable eating chickens, cows and pigs. But here’s my question for you: What makes one animal more food-worthy than another? If we strip away cultural influences, probably nothing. Both cats and cows probably provide adequate nutrition for our bodily needs. Put culture back in and there a whole system of rules and regulations that makes us ok with certain meats and not others.
Even with the animals that we do eat, people have certain preferences for specific parts of the animal. Chicken butt? Cow intestines? Pigs feet? Chicken heart? Are you making a face? Why? What makes you make a face?
For better or for worse we are animals that are socialized into knowing what is edible or not in our animal world. Our habits are so routine that we don’t stop to think about the “norms” until something like this happens.
By the way, the picture below is the actual cat that was found marinating in the trunk.
Do you ever think about how old you want to live to be? Is living for a long time, say 100 years old, something that can be achieved in our modern day science and technology? An article in the New York Times inspired this post. The article was about the Japanese government checking in on their centenarians only to find that most of them have passed away and the family hid their disappearance to continue collecting social security. Scandalous!
Anyways, I started thinking, wow what are these people eating and who are they? After doing some Google search, I came across studies and papers about the lifestyles of these centenarians. Most attribute their longevity to good genes, being active in a supportive community, low-stress, moderate alcohol intake, and of course DIET.
Okinawans, who boast the highest percentage of centenarians, tend to eat lots of vegetables and seafood, and very little meat. Not only that, but they adhere to a practice of eating only until they feel 80% full, so as to not over eat or consume unnecessary calories. Even though there are numerous scientific studies and explanations about how this all works, do you think the Okinawans needed science to live past 100? I doubt it! So yes, you can live past 100 year old and ignore every piece of nutritional science you have ever learned. Do it! It might just save your life.
Instead focus your efforts towards acquiring body knowledge and taste knowledge. How does you body know when to stop eating? How does your body FEEL when you eat too much meat or none at all? How does something fatty tastes vs. something not fatty? How do you nurture your taste buds to enjoy subtle nuances of different types of fish? How does the taste of fresh fish compare to old fish? In my opinion, this is true knowledge to eating for a long life. It would be interesting to listen in on how the Okinawans go about deciding what to eat and how to eat. I am certain that yes, there are elements of science in their decision making, but most is probably based on cultural food practices and food preferences, don’t you think?
August 14
Food Porn. Huh?So I’ve been coming across a lot of sites that describe themselves as food porn sites. I suppose it’s for people who get off looking at food. A few of these include:
I’m not sure how I feel this terminology or what it really means. I’m ok with the word “food”. When I think of food I think nature, sustenance, sharing, community, yummy feelings, family, friends, basically, all things dealing with life giving and sustaining forces. When I think of “porn”, I think of media images of sex, dicks, vaginas, moaning, intercourse, fucking, sucking, fluids, body smell, and a hot shower afterwards. Both pleasurable but when you combine the two words together somethings goes astray. Do you really want to feel horny when you’re eating? Or hungry when you’re fucking? Why does coinage of these two words “food porn” seem like a strange combination? It’s like adding soy sauce to pasta, or salt to coffee, or bacon to cheesecake.
When I read through various definitions of food porn they all generally say that “food porn is a form of practice where food is arrange in a visual, provocative manner, inducing feelings of desire and glorifies the sensual attraction towards food”. I agree that the visual representation of food affects our perceptions of food and conveys important information about what is about to be eaten. Even before our mouths come into contact with food, we begin tasting with our eyes. When the visual appearance of food reaches our mind, we immediately go to work and sus out whether of not it is an acceptable piece of food to ingest. Also the variations of colors of a particular food or dish communicates a certain yumminess factor about the food.
So perhaps this is what the whole idea of food porn is getting at, to arouse and stimulate the eater. This term, however, still does not sit comfortably with me. The reason being that porn is something that’s enjoyed privately and only understood by people past coming of age. Food, on the other hand, is very communal and is particularly important in the early stages of development during childhood. So there this private vs. public, young vs. old tension that is evoked with the term food porn.
Or maybe I’m being too literal about this coinage. In an abstract sense food and porn are both about appetites that are physical and emotional, and this is what this term is trying to get at – getting people to salivate when looking at food. But isn’t there a better term for this? Perhaps the limitation is really due to the word choices we have in the English language. I’m open to ideas if you have any.
Here’s something interesting I came across last night when I was dining at Hirai Mong, a Korean-Asian fusion restaurant on St. Mark’s Street. The food is pretty solid and good for a post-night-of-drinking meal. Service was ok, very nice and friendly but not particularly attentive.
Anyways, my boyfriend and I decided to try one of their rice sojus, which is like a Korean vodka, and decided on one called Jo-Makgeolli. This soju is unfiltered, so there’s rice residues in the drink and it’s also mixed with millet. The color of the soju is brownish and it tasted like a sweet, cloudy, ricey (can I use that word?) alcoholic drink. Honestly, the taste surprised me and I wasn’t sure what to make of it at first. My senses went into a state of confusion while my mind was trying to sort out its flavors, aromas and consistency. Grasping for familiar memories of what this is was unfruitful; and trying to decide if I liked it or not went up and down. How does one reconcile a new taste like this? With what bodies of taste does this belong to? What type of other foods would one eat this with? Is this too sweet to be a dinner drink? Is this too cloudy to be an alcoholic beverage? Should I spit it out? No, I kept drinking; and the more I drank the more I came to peace with it. In fact I came to like it after a few cups of it.
When I think of most alcoholic drinks, they are filtered and clear. Some are carbonated and are served at different temperatures. There’s a well-developed community of people dedicated to the various alcoholic beverages that we enjoy – wine, cocktails, vodka, rum, other spirits, and now beer. Demand for certain alcoholic beverages has created a market that supplies cheap to expensive options. I like it when a new contender comes into the scene, and offers a new experience for savvy taste buds. Next time you are in a Korean restaurant, make sure to try one of their unfiltered rice sojus. Cheers!
August 12
Can you Taste the Music?So I was on the subway listening to music on my Iphone and All the Lovers, a new hit by Kylie Minogue, came on. I was half trying to sleep and had my eyes closed and started to imagine tastes that matched the sound of the music. Yes, I know this seems odd but to me, the composition of music can have some parallels to how the taste of a dish is constructed. Listen to this video and try to imagine what you would eat and how it would taste:
What feelings does it stimulate? And what type of tastes and flavors do the music inspire?
With my eyes closed, I felt that this song has a soft, pop feel. It’s an easy song to listen to, light and uplifting. The lyrics and video, although sexual, had a very sensual feel to it. The sound moves slowly and rhythmically, happy and bubbly. What type of tastes and flavors did I associate with these feelings? Definitely something sweet. Dessert perhaps? Cake? Ice Cream? Or maybe a sweet drink? Soda? Coke? Something bubbly? Would I eat meat to this sound of music? I don’t think so. A piece of steak or a burger? Hmm…nah I’ll pass. All the skinny, toned people in the video didn’t help put steak on the top of my list. How about something sour or bitter? I don’t think it’s that type of song.
Smell-wise, I would say that it would have to be something agreeable. What comes to mind are herbs and spices used in sweet foods – cinnamon, mint, spearmint, and allspice. Certainly nothing pungent or bold. Something faint and subtle. Curry or onions would not agree with this line of thought.
Texturally, I would argue for something soft or even refreshing, like the crunch of iceberg lettuce. Gooey, tough, chewing things do not fit into this category.
Music pairing to food is a neat idea to think about. What would you like to taste with this song?
