Roasted Eggplant Spread

We’re on a countdown to the Super Bowl. The one time you can be a couch potato with impunity. Also, it’s the one event where Americans can eat their favorite foods without guilt. Men take the lead at this party, and their tastes have set the tone for the snacks as well as the entertainment. Would you believe this is the second biggest snack day of the year? Second only to… you guessed it… New Years. There are going to be lots of parties in lots of homes so whether you are having one, going to someone else’s, or just watching the game at home with your family this a big day for food- all kinds. And for your buddies who aren’t into football, the Super Bowl is a great excuse to get together with friends at the end of the very boring month of January. Sometimes it’s fun just watching the half-time show and mega-bucks commercials.

This is definitely a portable food event. A buffet is the only option; nobody wants to be sitting down at a table to eat when they'd rather be screaming at a television set or two. I wanted to catch you before you hit the grocery store and give you a new recipe to try - not one of the heartier snacks like Buffalo wings, pizza or chili - but a dip. Not only is this a really good dip, but (dare I say it?) a healthy one, too. Don’t get me wrong, I like the old standbys: clam dip, spinach dip, crab dip and 7 layer dip. And while I know eating smart and healthy just isn’t in the cards for Super Bowl parties, it might be fun to offer a refreshing new dip that is not only flavorful but healthy too.

Listing those old dips just now brought to mind a funny old TV episode. Do you remember that 1993 Seinfeld show in which George Costanza is confronted at a funeral reception after dipping the same chip twice? We laughed, but honestly, didn’t it make you hesitate just a little the next time you saw a dip at a party? I even put a small spoon in my nut dishes now.

Luckily, my recipe is more a spread than a dip- so if you stick a small cocktail knife in the dish, everyone will spread it on- no double dipping. I like to serve it with some toasted pita triangles. Make it on Saturday- then the flavors will have had time to meld. The men in my family especially like this because it’s spicy and the women like it because it’s basically a veggie, it’s unusual and a snap to make. All you need is a food processor; the only thing that takes a little time is the peeling and cubing- which really takes no time at all. Roasting gives the vegetables tons of flavor and then you just dump it all in the processor. You really need to try this- I kid you not.

Roasted Eggplant Spread

Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Ingredients:
2 medium eggplants, peeled
1 red bell pepper, seeded
1 red onion, peeled
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons chopped parsley (save a few sprigs for garnish)

Method:
Preheat oven to 400°.
Cut the eggplant, red bell pepper and onion into 1 inch cubes. Mix the garlic, olive oil, cayenne, salt and pepper and toss with the vegetables. Spread on a non-stick or silpat-lined large baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. Toss several times while roasting so the vegetables are evenly browned and tender. Cool slightly.

Pour all the vegetables into a food processor, add the lemon juice and tahini and pulse until blended. Add the chopped parsley and blend briefly. Put the eggplant mixture into a pretty bowl, garnish with a sprig of parsley and serve with toasted pita triangles.

Forgot Hallmark, Support Animal Groups this Valentine's Day

Is it almost Valentine's Day? Here are a few gift ideas for the animal lover in your life, or even for yourself, because you are a sweetheart to all the animals, aren't you?



ASPCA's Logo Pawprint Heart Sterling Pendant, $28



PETA's 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' T-Shirt, $20.





So I revert to being a five-year old during certain holidays...Valentine's Day being no exception. The past two years, I handed out those cute little Valentine's cards (Winnie the Pooh and Ratatouille ones, if you must know the embarrassing details) and chocolates to my co-workers, and it was a huge hit. This year, I may treat them to these vegan sweets from Endangered Species Chocolate:



Endangered Species Dark Chocolate Love Treats (24-pieces), $6.72, or a set of three bags for $18.50





Farm Sanctuary's 25-piece vegan chocolate box comes adorned with a mini-button, which will last longer than the chocolates will. $35. Visit their online shop.





Flowers last a few days, but a Farm Sanctuary rabbit sponsorship gives all year! You can sponsor a rabbit or chicken for just $10 a month. Call me a crazy fool, but I think this is the most romantic gift yet.





Then, plan a visit to their Watkins Glen shelter in the late spring to visit your friend in person. Stay at one of their three rustic cabins (open starting May 1), enjoy a vegan continental breakfast, and stroll their peaceful and breath-taking grounds. Plenty of opportunities to hike and go wine touring too.



The fine-feathered good life...



The way it should be...



Flashback to my visit, including Watkins Glen dining.



The Ginger Cat Bed & Breakfast, which looks like an adorable Plan B if the Farm Sanctuary cabins are booked, offers a list of vegan-friendly wineries in the Finger Lakes region.

A Jersey Girl Hits Jersey Boys

Yes, I'm from New Jersey. Which exit you ask? Very funny, wise guy. In fact, this is such a running joke, Jersey Boys Grill in New Milford even has a drink named "Exit 161." They also have a drink named the "Bon Jovi." And no, I've never seen Bon Jovi in concert (gasp), although I think I have the "Slippery When Wet" cassette back at my parents' house.

Here's a recap of my first visit to JerseyBoys:

A house salad to start with basil vinaigrette. $3.95 for a small, $5.50 for a large.

The grilled vegetable thin crust pizza, which is made in a wood fired stove. $9.50. Who needs cheese?


Visit them at 704 River Rd., New Milford, NJ and sit by the fireplace.

The Day the Singing Stopped

The mission: slaughter 3,000 to 5,000 starlings. Where? Franklin Township, New Jersey. Who funded this? The USDA, meaning, us...the tax-payers. The reason: to aid a farmer who, according to USDA spokeswoman Carol Bannerman, "has a variety of livestock, and the birds would eat the seed which takes food away from the livestock, costs the farmer money. Also, as the birds eat, they excrete droppings into the food left for the livestock to eat." The killing method: the pesticide DRC-1339, which the USDA claims is inert once it is eaten by the birds and becomes metabolized. Well if the government says it's safe, it must be so, right? Read more of this unbelievable story, which has many of us in the Garden State up in arms.

UPDATE 1/29: Our friends at PETA have issued an Action Alert, urging supporters to contact Janet Bucknall, New Jersey Wildlife Services State Director, USDA, and ask the agency to stop the use of DRC-1339 immediately and find humane flock-control methods. Contact her at: janet.l.bucknall@aphis.usda.gov

Learn more.

"And birds go flying at the speed of sound, to show you how it all began.
Birds came flying from the underground, if you could see it then you'd understand" - Speed of Sound, Coldplay

Gingerbread Trifle: Café Maxx

No, no- this is not a post reviewing restaurants, but simply about one particular restaurant. Our favorite. We have been eating here since they opened in the 80’s; Café Maxx has just about the best food in South Florida (and could easily hold its own in New York City); as well, their wine list is extraordinary. In the beginning, we couldn't even get a reservation and actually gave up trying for a while.

The innovative chef/co-owner here is Oliver Saucy and years ago I took a cooking class or two from him when he and his partner Darrel had opened East City Grill directly across from the beach in Ft. Lauderdale. My mother always loved cooking classes and enjoyed lunching afterwards so this was a treat for her; we also loved being entertained by the antics of the beach crowd – let’s face it- this is Elbow Room country. So we went often, with or without cooking classes; such fun. We even made the drive down for dinner off and on. It was a sad day for us when it closed- the hotel where they were located went condo.

Chef Oliver and Darrel Broek also own Café Maxx; I think the official name is Darrel and Oliver’s Café Maxx. It’s located in a strip mall on East Atlantic Blvd. in Pompano Beach. You’d drive right by it if you didn’t have a GPS. (Check out details at http://www.cafemaxx.com/.) They’re open 364 days a year. It’s closed on some off-the-wall day like Labor Day. That also means it’s open Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Years Day (along with the eves). Very busy here all the time but it gets really crowded on those particular days. It makes one wonder if holiday cooking is going out of style but then I remember this is Florida: perpetual vacationland.

Anyway….my daughter and I celebrated New Year’s Eve there this year. Per usual we had a lovely wine, delicious dinner (I’ve got to stop her from ordering rack of lamb every single time.) and, although we couldn't possibly fit in another mouthful, we had a peek at the dessert menu. And there sat Gingerbread Trifle. I couldn’t resist. I knew it wouldn’t be what we expected-they put such an ingenious touch on everything here, so we absolutely HAD to share one.

And I was right: it wasn’t what we expected. Oh, it was trifle all right, but the gingerbread had an unusual flavor and was toasted, there was some sort of spicy black cherry sauce layered in with the pastry cream and some sugared pistachios were sprinkled on top. Absolute ambrosia. Be fun to find out if everyone loved it as much as we did.

For the first time ever I twisted Darrel’s arm and persuaded him to get me the recipe. (I wonder who their pastry chef is? Big talent there because they also have this dense chocolate thing both my sons adore and an almond apple tart tatin to die for.) So- with the ( 3 page!) recipe in hand, I made the trifle at home this week and it was just as good as I remembered- better maybe. I’m going to share this little piece of heaven with you; save the recipe for the holidays next year- I guarantee a smash hit. All ages.

It’s an odd sort of gingerbread batter, so don't be surprised, but it works. I was lucky to get fresh black cherries this week, but if you can’t, you could try the canned- just drain them. While cooking, I was thinking of ways to make this in advance for a busy holiday meal. The cake you could bake and freeze, ditto the black cherry mixture. You could do the pastry cream the day before along with the pistachios. Then toast the gingerbread cubes and put it together before serving. Ready? Here it is:

Gingerbread Trifle

From Café Maxx, Pompano Beach, Florida

Components:
Cubed gingerbread- toast before serving
Vanilla Pastry Cream
Spiced Cherry Sauce
Whipped Cream
Candied Pistachios

The Gingerbread:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

6 eggs, room temperature

3.6 cups flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon cloves

2 teaspoons cardamom

1 teaspoon salt

14 ounces melted butter

1 1/2 cups half and half cream, room temperature

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter two loaf pans and sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs.

Combine the melted butter and half and half. Beat the sugar and eggs until very thick. Add the dry ingredients. Add the butter mixture to the flour. Mix. (It will be a very runny batter.) Bake for about 45 minutes.

The Vanilla Pastry Cream

Ingredients:

3 cups milk

3/4 cup sugar

2 ounces butter, cold, diced

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 eggs, room temperature

2 yolks (save one of the whites for the pistachios)

1/4 cup cornstarch

Method:

In a saucepan, heat the milk and sugar.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks and cornstarch well. Temper the milk into the eggs and return to the heat. Whisk briskly until the mixture has thickened. Quickly, remove from heat and pour into a mixer bowl, using the paddle attachment. Add the diced butter and vanilla and beat until somewhat cool. Put into a container and cover with plastic wrap, making certain the plastic wrap touches the custard top. Refrigerate until ready to use.

The Spiced Cherry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 bag of fresh black cherries

2 cinnamon sticks

5 whole cloves

1 star anise

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon water

Method:

Pit the cherries and put all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.

Cook about 20 minutes. Cool, put into a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.

The Candied Pistachios

Ingredients:

1 egg white

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 to 2 cups pistachios

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Whisk the first three ingredients together, add the nuts and toss. Lay out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake until you can smell the nuts.

To Assemble the Trifle:
Cut the gingerbread into 1 inch cubes and toast. Layer the pastry cream, spiced cherry sauce and gingerbread in a glass dish. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with pistachios.

Pancho's Burritos...As Close As I'll Get to Mexico

While I can't make it to the Mexican Riviera anytime soon, I can get to Pancho's Burritos, my local Mexican haunt in New Milford. They have outdoor seating in warmer months. I love alfresco dining. But it's January, so I digress.

Pancho's excitingly offers soy cheese and tofu sour cream. Does your Mexican hang-out offer these? I like to put in a verbal request for soy products when I can. If no one asks, they won't realize there's a demand.

A virgin strawberry margarita, $4.50. I haven't felt like imbibing lately (no particular reason), but they offer alcoholic ones. The mango and peach varieties are delicious.


Veggie enchiladas, $11. I got two meals out of this. Green tip of the day: Bring your own take out containers with you for leftovers, and avoid their Styrofoam containers.


Visit them at: 214 Main Street, New Miford, NJ or 20 Jefferson Ave., Westwood, NJ

Or make your own Mexican feast at home. My Trader Joe's has everything I could possibly need: refried black beans, organic brown rice, whole wheat tortillas, multi-grain tortilla chips, salsa (varieties include pineapple, smokey peach and more). And, of course, the veggies: avocados, bell peppers, onions and portobello mushrooms. Finish with one of their frozen "Fruit Floes": strawberry, Caribbean, mango or lime. So refreshing!

Short Ribs

Brrrrrr. It’s cold. And as a result, I’ve been thinking about making short ribs for dinner tomorrow night. That should warm things up. Rarely have I felt the urge to make a stew-type dish since I moved to Florida, but this is the perfect time to do it. We’re supposed to have really cold weather (well, for us) for several days.

My mother used to make short ribs all the time but never wrote the recipe down, nor did I ask her for it- odd, because I love all her other recipes and still make them often. So I called my sister to see if she had ever written it down; she said no- besides, it turns out she has her own recipe- sweet and sour- which does not tempt me at all.

So I searched my cookbooks, talked to friends, went online and narrowed it down to a few recipes. Have you noticed short ribs are on menus everywhere? Maybe that's where I got the idea. I found them in the glossy food magazines and they’re in just about every cookbook I looked at- even my newest ones. Now that I think about it, my son ordered them a couple weeks ago when we were out for dinner. They seem to have transcended the seasons- they're not just for cold weather any more.

At the end of the day yesterday I was mulling over my pile of short rib recipes, watching the Barefoot Contessa with half an eye when she announced she was making short ribs for 2 friends. Do you believe it? One of my favorite chefs making a dish I was just about to try myself. They looked really good, too. So I printed out the recipe and this morning I went out and bought all the ingredients.

Ina Garten (who is the Barefoot Contessa) baked the short ribs in a hot oven to caramelize them but all the other recipes I found browned them in a pan. I am going to try her way which looks to be easier and much less messy. Another recipe in my pile suggested making them one day, refrigerating them overnight, removing the fat that has solidified on top and reheating them, saying they are better the next day anyway. Which I can easily believe, because most stews are like that. ( I plan to freeze any leftovers tonight.) To avert the too-much-grease problem, Ina suggested trimming the fat off the short ribs before caramelizing them in the oven, then she skimmed the excess fat from the top of the dish at one point.

When they came out of her oven, I could almost smell them they looked so good. I think they would be super with mashed potatoes but Ina, clever girl, served them with a cheesy corn bread that I would have made if company were coming. But this experiment is just for me (and you) and I sure don’t need cornbread! I’d end up eating it all myself. If you want to try it, go online and download her cornbread recipe- it’s called Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread; however for this particular short rib dinner, she left out the jalapeno and the scallion. One thing the cornbread would do is add some color to your plate. I would be a little fussier about my presentation if I had company coming, so forgive me.

P.S. Did I forget to mention how they turned out? Fragrant, tender and full of flavor.

Short Ribs

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Ingredients:

6 beef short ribs, trimmed of fat

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

4 cups celery, large dice

2 carrots, peeled and large-diced

1 small fennel, trimmed, core removed, large-diced

1 leek, cleaned well and large-diced, white part only

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (750 ml) bottle burgundy (which I used) or other dry red wine

Fresh rosemary sprigs

Fresh thyme sprigs

6 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400°.

Place the short ribs in a pan lined with foil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 15 minutes. Remove and reset oven to 300°.

Heat the olive oil in a large oven proof pot and add the onion, celery, carrots, fennel and leek and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring once in a while. Add the minced garlic and cook for another couple minutes. Pour the wine over the vegetables and bringing to a boil, cook them until the liquid is reduced by half- about 10 minutes, although it was a little less when I did it. Add 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Tie the rosemary and thyme together and put it in the pot.

Take the roasted short ribs, place them on top of the vegetables. add the beef stock and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Cover and bake in the oven for 2-3 hours or until the meat is very tender. (It took me 2 hours and 45 minutes.)

Remove the ribs (be careful, they will easily fall apart) and put them on a plate. Remove the herbs and skim any excess fat from the top. Cook over medium heat about 20 more minutes to reduce the liquid. Put the ribs back in and reheat.

Serve with cornbread or the old fashioned way, with potatoes.

Serves 3.

Companions to None: The Plight of Mexican Street Dogs

In going through my Mexican travel photos, I suddenly could not get the street dogs of Mexico off my mind. While in the central square of Valladolid, I actually witnessed a police officer kicking a dog. Being an American in a foreign land, especially one where the authority figures can have a questionable reputation, I felt utterly helpless. I, like some other foreign tourists, gave these dogs a drink from our water bottles, or leftover food, to the judgemental looks of many locals. After all, many of these people are hungry themselves. What to do? There were signs posted to not give money to beggars, many of them children, as it keeps them out of school and perpetuates a vicious cycle. And here, in the United States, there is such excess.

I happened upon the story of this documentary, Companions to None, on the plight of these dogs, which outnumber humans in some areas. There is a common belief in Mexico that sterilizing a male dog will make the dog "gay."



Learn more. Help Mexican street dogs by supporting Save a Mexican Mutt (SAMM).

Street Dogs of South Central examines the plight of homeless dogs in Los Angeles. This documentary is set for release this year.

Good Vegan Eats in Mexico

Eating vegan in Mexico is easy! The main strip in Playa Del Carmen is very touristy. Walk a few blocks over, and eat like a local...and pay local prices. These were veggie enchiladas at a local dive in Playa, which I washed down with a strawberry kiwi shake.


Grilled veggie and pineapple fajitas


Frothy iced coffee. I can't live without my Trader Joe's soy creamer at home, but I quickly became accustomed to drinking coffee black.


A bagel with shredded vegetables. I think I could even give up my tofu cream cheese and start eating bagels this way.


A roll with refried beans, tomatoes, and sesame seeds at the Tamarindo B&B. Do try recreating this at home!


After driving around Cozumel, sauteed mushrooms in corn tortillas hit the spot.


Black beans, rice, avocado and warm tortillas at a charming local restaurant on the way to Uxmal.


Sweet fried plantains over rice, guacamole and chips, and a tropical shake at the local food hall in Valladolid


A pool-side breakfast at Dolores Alba.


Fresh fruit is everywhere. I bought a bag of mango with sliced lime and a side of chili pepper from a woman on the roadside. It was some of the best I've ever eaten. You can also grab some fresh fruit before hopping on the Cozumel ferry.


Can't go wrong with a margarita...


...or a Corona or a sangria. Everywhere I ordered it, the sangria was just fresh squeezed lime juice, topped off with red wine. So refreshing.


I have a confession to make. I fell off the vegan wagon - once. These Mexican rolls, included in my breakfast at the Posada Luna del Sur, had dairy, which I didn't realize until I got home and googled their ingredients. But I think about what Kathy Freston said in "Quantum Wellness." To paraphrase, she said vegans shouldn't torment themselves when they consume minimal amounts of animal by-products, which might make up 2 percent of our diet. It does nothing for the bigger picture of animal welfare.


The non-Mexican fare I tried, including spinach risotto at an Argentinian restaurant in Tulum and cheeseless veggie pizza at a pizzeria near Chichén Itzá, were descent but nothing impressive. The basic, rustic Mexican food was the best. I really embraced the simplicity of the food. No overproccessed ingredients. Just natural, whole foods. I think traveling is one of the best ways to spend money. You learn invaluable lessons about how others live, including how and what they eat, that stay with you a lifetime.

Traveling in developing nations is eye-opening. You appreciate the things we do have, like drinking water that is safe to consume from your tap, sanitation systems for our waste, and a relatively good education and health care system. But you also see how our sense of happiness is often so tied to materialistic possessions, when many others seem content without them. I'm reminded of one of my favorite quotes from "The Little Prince," by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

Longing for Mexico

All of this snow has me reminiscing about my trip to the Mexican Riveria Maya this summer. The all-inclusive jumbo resorts of Cancun are just not for me. I far prefer quaint little budget hotels, eating at local hang-outs, and exploring different areas. Breakfast was included at all of the hotels I mention.

First stop, Playa Del Carmen. Less than an hour's drive from Cancun. No high-rise hotels here. But development is going on everywhere, and construction noise was fairly common. This was probably the most touristy place I visited (it had the only Starbucks I saw when in Mexico). But the sandy beaches and turquoise waters made up for that. I stayed at the Hotel Playa Del Karma. Around $80 a night.



Onto Cozumel, about a 30 minute ferry ride from Playa. Avoid the tourist center and stay at the Tamarindo Bed & Breakfast, for only $45.

A street in Cozumel


Definitely rent a scooter and ride around the island


The highlight of my entire trip. When riding around the island, I stumbled by turtle shells hatching and making their trek to the sea.




Off to the sea...good luck!


Onto to Valladolid. Out of about 40 people in this bar, which was filled with locals only, I was the only woman!

A band came in and serenaded the crowd.


A woman sitting in a store front.


Street dogs are everywhere in Mexico, which is so heartbreaking. This one got the nickname, Yuca, since I was in the Yucatan Peninsula. This sweet soul was so friendly. I wish I could have put her in my suitcase.


Next stop: Chichén Itzá, a must-see. Don't miss the light show in the evening.

A resident on the grounds of Chichén Itzá.


I stayed in this campy little hotel, Dolores Alba, for under $60. After exploring the ruins, relax with a Corona at the poolside bar, or take a swim.


In Tulum, I stayed at Posada Luna del Sur, for $70 a night. The owners were so friendly, and often aid the street dogs with food, water and veterinary care.

Cheerful towel arrangements like these are common in Mexico.


When you visit the ruins in Tulum, don't forget your swimsuit. You can take a dip in the ocean.


"You could taste heaven perfectly," Tori Amos sings in "A Sorta of Fairy Tale." That could summarize my entire trip.


Up next, a vegan food update.

Hotel Playa Del Karma, Playa Del Carmen
Posada Luna del Sur, Tulum
Dolores Alba, Chichén Itzá
Tamarindo Bed and Breakfast, Cozumel

Jamie's Fowl Dinners: The Unseen Price to Cheap Eggs and Chicken

British chef Jamie Oliver is not as big a name as Rachael Ray or Emeril Lagasse in the United States, which is a shame. While our celebrity chefs seem self-obsessed and always looking for the next marketing deal (Rachael Ray-branded garbage bowls anyone?) Jamie does what no American chef has the courage to do - enlighten the masses to where their food actually comes from. His "Jamie's Fowl Dinners" special exposed the truth to how Britain's chickens and eggs are produced, very much in factory farm conditions widespread in the U.S.

On the egg and chicken business, he bemoans, "the industries behind which I believe have been pushed, pushed, and even bullied at times, to produce cheaper and cheaper food. I believe if we give you, the great British public, the credit and show you where your cheap eggs and where your cheap meat comes from, next time you go shopping you'll make better choices."



"You're talking about a living machine when it comes to modern chickens. It's not a real bird at all," naturalist Bill Oddie observes. Jungle fowl lays 5-10 eggs a year. Industrial hens lay 300 eggs a year.



"There's 20 million battery hens in sheds in the UK alone. And in my view, they are out of site and out of mind," says Jane Howorth of Battery Hen Welfare Trust, whose group has rescued 60,000 hens in four years and relocated them in homes.



Enriched cages, or "small bird colonies," will still be allowed in 2012 when battery cages will be banned in the UK. Astroturf is their nest. When Oliver asks Andrew Joret of the British Egg Industry Council "What would you say to people that felt there shouldn't be any caged birds at all?" The reply, "The question is what do customers want. It is all about price."

"It's simple. You get what you pay for. Cheap eggs means lower welfare and worse conditions for the hens. In the end, it's your choice," Oliver remarks.



What happens to spent chickens? Pass the MRM (Mechanically reclaimed meat)


"Roughly around one third of a grown man's body weight a year we eat in chicken," Oliver says of the Brits' consumption.


From birth to slaughter? A shocking 5 1/2 weeks. Part of the problem, Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall notes, is that "the supermarkets are fighting a price war on chicken."



The slaughter. Unlikely this quick and humane.


When an audience member prefers the tastes of the caged chicken, Oliver seems to agree with the opinion the man's palate is too used to junk food. "I can picture what you showed me earlier," another woman remarks. Precisely the point of this special.



The pork industry is Jamie's next target, as "Jamie Saves Our Bacon" debuts in the UK on January 29.

Resources:
Jamie's Fowl Dinners
Battery Hen Welfare Trust
Compassion in World Farming
RSPCA: Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

More Soup

I seem to be all hung up on hot soups right now. Probably the bone cold weather we’re all having. Yes, I live in Florida, but it’s plenty cold here right now too- things are relative. Our 50° is the north’s 20°. Although anything relative to the north’s minus 40° probably will never happen in Florida. But we did get cold enough for snow in the mid 70’s; really- I was there- I was driving the kids to school. Still, our homes just aren’t as well insulated as the northern homes are- the cold sort of oozes in around windows and doors.

My son and his family in Michigan are right in the middle of this wretched weather, although for some odd reason, he never complains to me about it- neither does my daughter who lives in New York City. I do know my son would love to move to Florida if he could do the following: 1. Sell his home and 2. Find a job down here. If these two things happened (unlikely in Michigan’s economy- well, in everyone’s economy right now.) he would be down here in a flash. I also know his daughter would like to graduate with her high school class in Clarkston and that will happen in 2010 so it’s coming fast. When his friends express surprise at his wish, they forget he was raised here from the time he was 9, so it seems like home to him. And his brother is living down here too.

Michiganders (and the far north in general) turn out some of the best soup-makers around. When I lived there, I had an enormous repertoire of hot soups and my sister, who lives there still, has homemade soup nearly every day for lunch. I am still watching my weight after my splurges over the holidays so I have been searching for low cal, healthy soup recipes.

Several months ago I was watching Nigella Lawson on some channel or other and she threw together a soup that looked delicious, comforting and low cal. I printed it out but have not had the chance to try it until this week. I had a couple lunch guests coming for a meeting and decided to try it; we only wanted a light meal so I thought this would be perfect. The point of the recipe is to use whatever you happen to have in your refrigerator; of course, Nigella just “happened” to have Udon noodles ( I found them in our Whole Foods store.) and also had bok choy, ginger, bean sprouts and mushrooms handy. I don’t keep those items on a regular basis so had to make a trip to the store; but I think her point was you could substitute other noodles for the udon noodles, or regular mushrooms for shiitake- just use what you have. Nigella can turn even soup-making into a sexy event- cooking while in her bathrobe and giving a sly wink and grin when she takes a mouthful.

If you get a "snow day" perhaps you could give this soup a try. Hopefully you will have some of the ingredients in your pantry; if not, improvise! It's the flavor of the broth that counts so stock some star anise and ginger.

It barely takes any time at all to make this soup and the star anise gives it a slight licorice flavor; you certainly can omit it if you like, but I find it an unusual and delicious addition. I served it along with some toasted whole wheat pita pieces sprinkled with sesame seeds. The entire lunch had an Asian flair. Everyone smacked their lips in delight and asked immediately for the recipe.

Udon Noodle Soup

Adapted from Nigella Lawson, Nigella Express

Ingredients:

6 ounces udon noodles (dried, from a packet)

3 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 star anise

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3/4 cup bean sprouts

3/4 cup sugar snaps (zucchini or any fast cooking vegetable you happen to have)

3/4 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms

2 heads baby bok choy, finely sliced

2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves (optional)

Method:

Place the stock, brown sugar, star anise, ginger and soy sauce in a saucepan. When the soup comes to a boil, add the noodles. Once these are nearly done (read the noodle package for instructions- udon noodles take about 4 minutes)) add the bean sprouts, mushrooms, sugar snaps and bok choy. These vegetables will be done in 3 minutes. Pour the soup into two bowls and top with cilantro, if desired.