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By Emily, June 17, 2010 9:09 pm

Last night I had the exciting opportunity to listen to farmer and author Ben Hewitt speak.  Ben is the author of The Town That Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food. After all the press the book’s been getting (see below), I was surprised he was coming to the Berkshires.  I was also thrilled.  The turn out was really great, as it has been at all the northern Berkshire food events I’ve attended.

Ben’s book, which I haven’t actually read yet, is about Hardwick, Vermont.  Hardwick, down on it’s luck, is undergoing a bit of a rejuvenation centered around the creation and growth of “agri-preneurial” businesses (as in, agriculturally based entrepreneurial).   I sat there like a dork, taking notes.  Something about being in the presence of a published author always brings out the nerd in me.  Ben read 2 passages from his book, then fielded questions from the audience.

Ben noted (reading from the book and quoting one of the characters), that “We can export a lot of things but I think our main gift will be inspiration”. The goal of the book is not to serve as a blueprint for other communities, but to inspire them to create their own healthy food system that works for them.  Hardwick isn’t perfect and still has a long way to go, but jobs have been created and the downtown area is coming back to life.

The discussion that followed the reading made clear one of Ben’s points: the local food movement (and food movements in general) are tricky things; “its easy to get caught up in the excitement about what’s happening, but some people feel threatened by it”.  Farms are businesses and it’s difficult to maintain the line between good business practices, helping the community and making a good profit.  I often oversimplify the issues (“it’d be great if we all ate local!”) and forget the many aspects of food systems.  It was so good to be in a room full of people who, regardless of their individual ideals, want to improve things.  I was reminded, once again, of how strange it is that the products we are most price sensitive to are the things that we need most (food, milk, gasoline); why is it that I’m still so willing to buy cheap food when I know what the real cost is?

Final thought of encouragement from Ben: the closer we can bring people to the soil, the more resilient and sustainable our food system will be.  Clearly, the system we have now has a lot of issues.  It was so good to be reminded again that we all vote with our dollars and have the ability to cause change.  The event organizers promised that the discussion of how local food could change the Berkshires will continue and I’m very much looking forward to it.

I’m also looking forward to school being out for the summer tomorrow so I can read the book.

The Town that Food Saved coverage:

Serious Reads: The Town That Food Saved, by Ben Hewitt (Serious Eats)

Podcast: A close look at the “town that food saved” (Grist)

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By Emily, October 16, 2009 5:30 pm

I was really excited a couple months ago when I realized Mark Bittman had a new cookbook out.  As frequent readers can attest, I have a borderline unhealthy obsession with Mr. Bittman.  Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating had a big impact in changing the way I eat and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian is my go-to cookbook.  One day my mother called me from work to tell me that Mark Bittman was on a morning news show–and we don’t even have television!  Needless to say, I got my hands on a library copy (always try before you buy!) as soon as I could.

Bittman’s latest offering,  Kitchen Express: 404 Inspired Seasonal Dishes You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less, didn’t disappoint me.  Kitchen Express is unlike any cookbook I’ve ever used before (not that I’m an expert)–the recipes are meant to be “precisely imprecise” and are about “speed, flexibility and relaxation”.  With the assumption that the reader has some skill in the kitchen, you’ll be eating “twenty minutes later, max”.  The book’s seasonally arranged 404 recipes provide ideas for every meal of the day, including dessert, and feature many different ingredients and proteins.  Some of the recipes are for popular dishes (burgers, chicken piccatta, fish tacos, gazpacho, etc) and others are combinations I never would have thought of (Squid Salad with Red Pepper and Cilantro, Crisp Fennel Gratin, Moroccan Lamb Chops with Couscous, Apple Cider and White Wine Slushy)

Recipes, some as short as three lines, are written as paragraphs.  They often have no measurements listed, simply “a handful”, “a bunch” or “several”.  At first, this took a bit of getting used to.  As I’ve mentioned, I like really specific instructions when I cook.  But having some flexibility to make the dishes my own added to the fun and lowered the stress of “doing it right”.

Brian and I tried four recipes from Kitchen Express.  The dishes I chose were pretty basic and “comfort food-y,” but the book definitely contains items that are more unique.

Fall #11: Curried Coconut-Butternut Squash Soup

Fall #98: Brown Sugar Apple in the Microwave (no photo)

Winter #60: Chicken with Apples and Sage

Fall #84: Penne with Vodka Sauce

I was really pleased with all of the recipes we tried.  They were, as promised, simple and delicious.  Some took me longer than 20 minutes to make, but I’m willing to make allowances for the time it took me to dice my first butternut squash and peel, core and slice 2 apples (my knife skills are horrible).  I, surprisingly, found the lack of specific instructions liberating.  Without a “real recipe” in front of me, I felt comfortable adding additional spices or adjusting the amounts.  Hopefully, that sort of approach will transfer to my everyday cooking.

I highly recommend Kitchen Express for the intermediate cook who is looking for a cookbook of varied recipes that are great they way they are, but also ripe for innovation.  I’ve added it to my wishlist.

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By Emily, August 4, 2009 5:08 pm

Clearly getting married and then getting settled into my new life has kept me busy, because I was totally unaware that Mark Bittman published a new cookbook early last month! (Thank goodness for Facebook!)

The book, Kitchen Express: 404 Inspired Seasonal Dishes You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less, has 101 recipes for each season and according to the review they’re “delicious”, “sophisticated” and “simple”.  Needless to say, I’m pretty excited about this discovery.  I’m definitely seeing if I can get it from the library soon…though I’m pretty sure I’ll end up owning it.

Just when I thought my Mark Bittman obsession was fading…

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By Emily, April 12, 2009 11:17 am

It took me longer than it should’ve (I need to work on making reading a priority), but I finally finished reading The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease and Add Years to Your Life by Dawn Jackson Blatner. It was certainly one of the most educational books I’ve read on my venture towards eating better.

The book’s goal is to educate ordinary people (such as myself) about easy ways to eat less meat and be healthier. It contained tons of helpful information, such as the number of various types of nuts in an ounce (eating 1 oz of nuts five days a week has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease by 30%, p. 30), a good list of umami foods (p. 32), a list of what fruits and vegetables are available during each season (p. 38) and a chart of grain cooking times (p. 44).  Surely this information can be found elsewhere, but its wonderful to have it explained clearly in one book.

The Flexitarian Diet also contains 100 recipes. Now, if we’re being honest, some of the recipes aren’t “recipes” as much as they’re guidelines for what is healthy eating, but I appreciated being reminded of healthy, simple snacks such as baked pita chips and peanut butter on celery, and the actual recipes are appetizing and simple.  I would add, however, that the two recipes I have made from the book resulted in much more food than expected (each recipe is supposed to make 1 serving).   Double (or more) the recipes with caution, or you’ll end up with more food than you may want.

All the information was a bit overwhelming at times and I had to remind myself that it’s acceptable to make one or two changes to my diet at a time.  It’s not necessary to do everything Blatner recommends overnight. One of the most important lifestyle changes I made immediately was trying to only eat grains with “whole wheat” as the first ingredient (processed grains lack 25% of the grain’s protein and 15 of the key nutrients, p. 43).

This is not a cookbook for foodies, but if you’re a new flexitarian (or vegetarian) its a great resource for eating nutritiously and cooking simply.  I found it very useful in trying to make meat-free meals that have high nutritional value.

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By Emily, April 5, 2009 8:00 am

Yesterday I finally got around to making Lime Sugar Cookies with Pumpkin Seeds from the Rebar Modern Food Cookbook.  I borrowed the cookbook from the library months ago, and the cookies were one of the few things that really intrigued me at the time.  I found them both easy to make and delicious.

Generally speaking, cooking is still not something that comes naturally to me, at least creatively.  I never would’ve thought of these cookies on my own.  It’s just occurred to me, however, that it’s just a sugar cookie recipe with lime zest, lime juice and rough chopped pumpkin seeds (pepitas).  I really should work on coming up with these sorts of ideas myself.

Anyway, I highly reccommend them, and the cookbook, which probably deserves another look from me.  Everyone in my family is eating these cookies, which really says something.

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By Emily, March 25, 2009 3:00 am

The Garden:
@matthewharris tweeted this great map of the White House garden this morning. Impressive.  Someday I would like to have a garden of my own, but I suspect it will be on a smaller scale.

Bill Niman and Nicolette Hahn Niman of The Atlantic agree that the new garden is great, but would like to see it taken one step further. Should the Obamas add a flock of chickens to their garden?

Books:
Another cookbook aimed at flexitarians like me was just published this month. Almost Meatless: Recipes That Are Better for Your Health and the Planet by Joy Manning and Tara Mataraza Desmond was mentioned in the New York Times, along with three of the book’s recipes.  Definitely adding it to my “to read” list.

That reminds me, I have The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease, and Add Years to Your Life by Dawn Jackson Blatner sitting at home.  At first glance (which is really all I’ve given it) the book seems a little overwhelming and features too many specific plans for my taste (I’d rather just have a cookbook), but I’ll give it another look and let you know what I think.

All this talk about cookbooks reminds me that I really need to get back in the kitchen.  I’m not sure where I’ve been spending all my time the past few weeks, but it certainly hasn’t been cooking.  However, my lunches are becoming increasingly depressing and I’m ready to try making some new stuff.  One thing I know, I’m making another version of the granola bars.  Food shopping after school, we’ll see what comes out of that!

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By Emily, March 5, 2009 6:43 pm

…or is another article featuring Mark Bittman just the same confirmation?  I’m beginning to appear obsessed…

At any rate, this article from the Chicago Tribune on what we should be eating (beans, less meat, more vegetables) is worth reading, especially if you want more information on the subject; maybe you should read The Flexitarian Diet, by dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner (I’m adding it to my reading list!).

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By Emily, January 7, 2009 1:20 pm

Mark Bittman, author of “How to Cook Everything,” writer for the New York Times and a Today Show show regular was on the Today Show this morning promoting his new book, Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating.

There’s video on the Today Show website, but darned if I could get it to embed.  It would be worth it for you to check it out, however.  Bittman’s book is about eating better-more plants, less meat and helping the environment at the same time (flexitarian, anyone?).  Amazon calls his plan “flexible, simple, and non-doctrinaire,” which sounds good to me.

At any rate, I’m definitely adding Food Matters to my list of books to read.  Review to follow, eventually.