The Hillbilly Housewife?

Surprisingly, I had some free time today after my classes. After doing the necessary homework for tomorrow, I decided to do my second cooking project, or the "reach project" as we've begun to call it. I glanced at the cookbooks we have in the kitchen and was somewhat overwhelmed by the one specifically about bread. I had always wanted to bake a loaf of bread, but that book pushed me away from the idea...but I found a recipe online that laid out what I needed to do in pretty simple terms. While the recipe was from a website called The Hillbilly Housewife, I decided to give it a try.

On my trip to HEB for ingredients, I was overwhelmed by the many types of flours and yeasts to try. The option of white, whole-grain white, wheat, white whole wheat flours compounded by the plethora of yeasts (quick-rising, fast-rising, super fast-rising, and so on) made for one very confusing and decision-filled trip. I went with white whole wheat and rapid-rise.

As for the actual preparation, the 6 ingredients worked together well, and kneading was fun. Since I had never worked with active yeast before, I was somewhat afraid that the water would be too hot. Luckily it was not, and 3 and half hours later, I had dough in a bread pan ready to bake.

Then came the next challenge: how long to bake the bread? The website said 30-45 minutes at either 350 or 375, but I wasn't sure. The last thing I wanted to do was burn my creation...so I placed the bread in the unpreheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and waited.

As I opened the oven to a thick and heavenly smell I had never experienced before, I was somewhat concerned. My loaf was the same color as when I put it in. Further inspection showed that the loaf was actually baked to crusty greatness. I couldn't help but slop some butter on top and throw a pat on a slice for some pictures.

Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking...in France?

We've all read about how revolutionary Julia Child was here in the States with Mastering the Art of French Cooking and The French Chef, where she managed to make French cuisine accessible to America. But how was she seen in France?

While browsing The New York Times online for my Intro to Islam class, I stumbled upon an article about Julia's work abroad. As it turns out, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia's most popular cookbook, was never translated into French, and Julia never really appealed to our foreign friends. Actually, some French food experts say Julia "caricatured French cuisine in her book and cooking show, making it seem too heavy and formal." This is highly different from our Americanized view, where Julia is THE authority for our French cooking...which made me wonder: how much of what Julia called French is actually American?

Two for one!

I was strolling through the aisles of the local HEB yesterday, when I spotted an something interesting: a box of FlipSides pretzel crackers. Yes, you heard me. Pretzel crackers. I picked up the box, and studied the curious concotion. This snack is half pretzel, and half cracker. I thought to myself "I have to buy this."

I brought the strange combination back to my room, and hesitantly opened it. How is it that someone could combine two of my favorite snacks into one super food? I suppose that's what the food industry is all about. Being a curious consumer, I had to try it. Now I no longer have to buy crackers AND pretzels, because I can buy it in one product. It's quite a feat, I have to admit.

And so I'm sure you're all wondering how the pretzel cracker tastes, and I have to say that they are pretty satisfying. You can most definitely distinguish between the two flavors, although I do have to wonder how the producer is able to seperate the cracker side from the pretzel side. (To be quite honest, I'm not sure I want to know!) Now I'll have to wait for the next two in one combo, and who knows what that will entail!

No mention of dirt on the menu...

To precede this bash of a particular dish from the Commons, I would like to mention that I have been pleasantly surprised by the food more than once. They have a fresh make-your-own salad bar complete with the spinach I've grown accustomed to finding in salads at home, a decent - though slightly redundant - brunch menu of breakfast tacos with real eggs (if they're powdered, they do a good job of hiding it), and some very delicious Polenta with Garlic & Parmesan.

To be fair, I'm not really one for pastas made with red sauce in general, but this one was even more mediocre than its predecessors. I took the first bite of my Baked Pasta Torte with Fontina and noticed a taste unforeign to plants, but usually not consumed by humans. That's right, my pasta tasted of dirt. Now, to say that the pasta did not contain other flavors would be a lie, but that earthy taste was inescapably present. I must say that it very well complimented the fat worm-like shap of the noodles, but I would expect such a dish to be served as a joke, or on Halloween - for which it would be appropriate, but the Commons main dish just didn't live up to my expectations tonight.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the flood gates are now open.

About a week ago, I went to What-a-Burger. Now, on the surface, this statement seems pretty normal, but if one knew the story behind this, one would understand the gravity of those 8 (11?) words.

Earlier this summer, I read The Omnivore's Dilemma, and after reading it I was (excuse the vulgar cliché) scared shitless. I developed a pretty heavy case of orthorexia to say the least. Just about overnight I switched over to a completely "organic" and "whole foods" diet. I started eating mostly vegetarian, and for about 2-3 months this was how I ate. This shocked my friends and family because before I read the book, I was probably the least healthy eater anyone could find. I ate fast food almost once a day, and basically did not think the least bit about nutrition.

So I practiced this ridiculous diet until I came to SU, and after, among other thing, trying the food at the Commons, I knew that I did not have the money or the refridgeration abilities to keep the diet up. So I slowly, but sure gave it up. I started eating meat again, and then starting eating pizza, and this finally devolved into going to What-a-Burger.

All I have to say is... that burger was delicious.

One corn-on-corn combo with a corn drink, please.

Adventures in Supermarket Cookery

People express their homesickness in different ways. For some, it's the longing for a familiar scent or the company of certain relatives. For others, however, baking can be the activity that they long for most. Such was the case for my girlfriend, her homesickness showing itself in a longing for the ability to bake something, anything. So, this past rainy weekend, I took an excursion to H-E-B in search of a delicious dessert to bake. With nothing in mind, I made the decision to let the boxes guide me.

Where to begin? I chose the obvious, the baking aisle, in hopes of finding something that didn't come straight out of a box but required some actual effort. I wanted to be able to add the egg to my cake mix. Before the mixes, however, were the Honey-Maid pie crusts pre-pressed in the pan. I wasn't above cheating just a little bit, so picked up a crust and looked for recipes on the back. Low and behold, there it was: pudding pie. Confirming my decision was a similar recipe I found on the back of the Jell-O Chocolate Pudding box (cook and serve, not the instant stuff. I needed to work a little bit) which directed me to the Cool Whip, where the recipe was yet again. That decided it: brand name pudding pie it was, in a decision that was just as easy as the food industry wanted it to be. Morally I feel a little bad for giving in to the idea that I should let myself be guided by a recipe on the back of the box... But honestly? The pie was delicious, and (this time) that's all that mattered.

Taste of Home

I got a taste of home this long weekend when I made my grandma's yeast rolls. I had made them three times previously, and it's always an adventure (and exciting to see that they're edible). The dough rose just fine, because the oven was hot. The only real problem was that I made them pretty small, so they were a little harder than I anticipated. Overall it was a good experience, and twenty-eight rolls were gone in about fifteen minutes. Hot rolls, lots of butter, and honey made me pine for my home and my dog, but it was nice to bring that bit of comfort here. Kudos to Grandma!

Whole Foods aka Whole Paycheck aka Whole Health Care?

After Dr. Piedmont-Marton mentioned John Mackey's Wall Street Journal article concerning health care and healthy eating, I was curious enough to look for the article and read it myself. A full version can be found here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html

After looking over the text, I can understand why people have been viewing it with mixed reactions. Essentially, Mackey argues for changes in one's lifestyle rather than changes in our health care system. He discusses the Whole Foods approach to an insurance plan, which involves "high deductibles" and "additional deposits into employees' Personal Wellness Accounts" thus giving employees more freedom in how they go about spending their money. Mackey also outlines many ways to reform health care, but boldly points out that “a careful reading of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution will not reveal any intrinsic right to health care, food or shelter.” He suggests that the major issue at stake is “poor health.” According to Mackey, adults are accountable for the effects of their choices in terms of eating, exercising, smoking, and drinking. The big question is whether making healthier choices in our daily routines will change the need for health care. Perhaps eating carrots for lunch instead of French fries will add two weeks to my life, but what about injuries from car accidents, illnesses that are hereditary or autoimmune diseases? Thoughts?

Chicken nuggets!

I find it pretty humorous that the Commons served chicken nuggets today, after we learned so much about them. I didn't eat the little round morsels (not that I would have prior to the Pollan reading, but that's a different story), but I did think of them differently. I thought not of the processed non-meat like I normally would, but instead: How many chickens were at that particular farm? Where did the corn come from? What hybrid was it? How much did those corn farmers profit...is their equipment old, like our good friend Naylor's? Or are they in massive debt from new implements?

I know several people who farm corn in my hometown, and I'm even related to a few. I wonder if I asked them about where their corn goes they'll tell me. Maybe they don't really know, or really want to know. In the end, it will be all consumed by someone or something...which made me think of the possibility of surviving a corn famine. With our reliance on corn, I don't think it would be possible.