Lori, Author at Fake Food Free

Wear Your Food

September 11, 2008

A post just for fun. I found these yesterday and just had to share.

I love it when plain t-shirts are made funny especially when nutrition and health are the focus. These tees from FoodTee Market are perfect for health-focused foodies.

I love the grainiac one! I just wish they came in another color besides white. I’m not a white tee fan.

Maybe a little early holiday shopping?

The best part is that part of the proceeds go to three organizations devoted to improving the eating habits of youth and nutrition in schools – The Food Studies Institute, Two Angry Moms and Better School Food.

Teff

September 10, 2008

Ever heard of it?

I hadn’t, but Ethiopian food is one of the cuisines I have yet to try. Apparently this is an up and coming grain which is a cereal crop in Ethiopia.

I’m really getting into this introduction of new grains that seems to be the trend in healthy eating. It is exciting that there is a whole world out there of different textures and flavors to be discovered.

The Purdue University Department of Horticulture provides some info on Teff and some recipes. It is often ground into flour and is grown in the US, but usually in small amounts to supply Ethiopian restaurants.

I came across it while catching up on my magazine reading last night. Apparently Teff is full of iron, calcium and fiber. In addition, it appears to be very low in gluten.

It can be eaten like oatmeal or mixed with things like ground meat to add nutrition to burgers or meat loaf. I did a little search and actually found it mentioned on several food blogs throughout the past few years.

So what’s the news? Have I been left in the dark with this new-to-me grain, or is everyone else just now discovering Teff too?

Adding it to my list of new foods to try:
Black Rice
Quinoa
Teff

Photo by Rasbak, Wikimedia Commons

Travel Kitchen

September 9, 2008

Having been gone for 3 weeks, I came back to a severe case of what I will call travel kitchen. You know, when the fridge is empty and only a few dry ingredients remain in the pantry.

I was honestly ready to hop back into the kitchen after all the great foods I had while traveling, but there really wasn’t much to make. It also doesn’t help that we returned on a Sunday and we now live in a place where no grocery stores are open on Sundays.

Even yesterday, I was stuck in the apartment waiting for our delayed luggage to arrive so I had to come up with something.

Luckily I had an onion that managed to make it through the extended travel period so I pulled out what has become one of my favorite recipes.

I combined the lentils, some rice and onions to make Mujadarrah. I found the recipe at Allrecipes.com a last year. I absolutely love it. It is so quick and easy to make, filling and good for you.

I’ve come to discover lentils just recently. They make such a great addition to rice dishes and soups. And of course they are really entering the media as a valuable food when it comes to health. They contain lots of soluable fiber, B vitamins and protein.

For the recipe I use, I add a chicken bouillon cube and cumin to the lentils for flavor. Yesterday I sprinkled in some curry powder as well. Once in the bowl, I top it with some hot sauce. I love spicy food.

So there you have my make-do meal until I can get to the market. It is just a good thing that onion hung around.

Do you have any go-to meals that you turn to when the fridge and pantry are low?

A Week Full of Foods

September 8, 2008

I am back at the computer and in my own kitchen after a wonderful week city-hopping in Europe.

Sorry for the delay in posting. Last week was not nearly as leisurely as my time in Ireland which translated to little time at the computer and limited web access.

One thing the week did not lack was interesting food. I am going to be honest and admit that there was a lot of splurging last week. But what better place to do it than in Europe where some of the best foods in the world originated.

I’ve returned with a renewed inspiration for cooking, along with a desire to return to some healthier foods. There is that feeling of the need to detox a bit after so many sausages and beer.

As I do that I am planning to research some of the best things I had while traveling and try my chances at recreating them at home.

I love this season in the US – fall, apples, Halloween, pumpkin, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It gets me excited about cooking and baking and this year I have this blog to share it.

Here are some of the more cultural foods I had the opportunity to try this past week. I plan to get back to regular posts this week and incorporate some of my inspiration from my travels.

Pork-filled Dumplings and Sauerkraut in Prague

Medovnik (Honey Cake) in Prague

Goulash and Bacon and White Bread Dumplings in Prague

Turkish Lamb Kebab in Vienna

Langos (fry bread) with garlic and cheese in Budapest

Hungarian Paprika Chicken with Egg Dumplings in Budapest

Easy Labels

September 1, 2008

Last week in Ireland I stopped in one of those upscale, healthy foods grocery stores to grab something for lunch. I ended up with a Mexican Bean Wrap. After making my purchase I realized that I used the handy labeling on it to make my selection. It looked like this:

Then on Friday I was checking out all my favorite food blogs and came upon Very Good Taste again and this post about food labeling in the UK. This is basically what I was witnessing on my packaging.

One thing I’ve found to be true is that the more you cut fake, shelf-stable foods from your diet the less you need food labels.

Sure, I know from past calorie counting that there are about 80 calories in an apple, but other than that who cares. My point is, we know fresh, healthy foods like produce are good for us. We really don’t need a specific number to tell us that.

However, for foods like the wrap I got, it is helpful. It was delicious by the way.

I found the above post to be really interesting because it outlines all the politics that go into food labeling. We have similar problems in the US. All this infringement on rights of either the consumer or manufacturer.

Then I think they purposely make it confusing so people really don’t know what they are eating.

I understand food labels well, but that is only because I was required to study them for about 2 years of my life! I doubt the general public is going to put in that much effort. I’ve also found they are really hard to explain to someone else.

I wish we could come up with a similar system, where the important things are listed right out in the open for you. I know several attempts have been made at simplifying it, but they are brand specific.

A cohesive, simple program that everyone follows would be perfect. Dreaming, I know.

Less Soup from the Shelf

August 29, 2008

What’s not to like about soup?

For the most part, it is a healthy yet filling meal. Warm, hearty varieties are great for winter days and lighter versions, or even cold soups, are good for the heat of summer.

I used to take soup to the office a lot for lunch. It was always an easy thing to pop in the microwave and you really can’t beat the calorie content – a definite figure-friendly choice.

Yes, I was always aware of the sodium. I chose brands with less, but to tell you the truth I wasn’t all that concerned. Only a small part of the population is considered sodium-sensitive where excess intake leads to high blood pressure. I was always cautious of my sodium intake from other sources on the days I ate it.

Well, when I took on the challenge of reducing fake and processed foods my convenient soup had to go.

There are still times that I gaze around the soup aisle at all the different flavors, but I know those varieties are full of preservatives, and of course sodium, that my body doesn’t really need.

So my interest has moved to making different varieties of soup that don’t take all day. So far so good, but I’m always looking for unique recipes. One can only take so much vegetable and chicken noodle. Actually, I rarely make those.

I’ve been eating a lot of soup during my time in Ireland. It is often the cheapest thing on the menu (always on a budget) and it warms you up on the cool and rainy days. Not to mention it is served with some amazing brown bread loaded with grains.

Many of the soups here are pureed which gives it a much heavier texture. I really like it, but it does take some creativity to thicken it without using too much cream.

One of my favorites has been this Sweet Potato Coconut soup.

I’m thinking I can easily recreate it from the Butternut Squash soup recipe I shared a while back. Substitute sweet potatoes for the squash and add just a touch of coconut milk for flavor.

Do you have a resource for great soup recipes? If so, definitely let me know.

All’s Fair…

August 27, 2008

It seems every café I’ve walked into during our trip (and I’ve walked into a lot) there has been something on the menu that is Fair Trade. I’ve seen it everywhere and after a little research I found that the emblem I’ve been seeing is from the Fair Trade Foundation out of the UK.

Over the past couple years I’ve had a growing interest in Fair Trade items. I believe it is a worthy cause and as I research it more I recognize its importance.

I’m not to that point where I seek out and only purchase Fair Trade items. This is mainly because where I am from in the States, it isn’t very available. Although, I hope that is changing.

During my trip, if it has been available I order it. I know Fair Trade goes beyond food, but that is what I am focusing on.

It is probably pretty important that I make the decision to purchase these products because of three things – I am a coffee enthusiast, I have a growing affinity for tea and I love chocolate. All three are items that receive a lot of attention when it comes to Fair Trade.

With some of my research I am glad to be learning that there is an effort to keep prices of these products competitive. It seems with a lot of things that have value or importance there is a trend to cash in and charge higher prices even when it is not necessary.

Last December I did a quick walk through the coffee aisle at a Wal-Mart and was surprised to see that the Sam’s Choice brand actually had some Fair Trade choices. In addition, it was the least expensive on the shelf.

Now, I’m not sure of the quality and I know I have a lot to learn about the different Fair Trade certifications and foundations, but it is nice to know that I can actually afford to buy these products on a regular basis.

How do you feel about Fair Trade products? Are they readily available in your area?

My Omnivore’s 100

August 26, 2008

I am a bit late with this, but considering its continuing popularity I thought I would post it for fun.

I found this on Emily’s blog, Don’t Call Me Gringa. I really enjoy reading expat blogs and this post just happens to be about food.

The Omnivore’s Hundred was posted on Andrew Wheeler’s blog Very Good Taste. The post has become really popular around the food blogging world. If you check out his blog now you can see that it has created lots of other food lists like a Vegetarian’s 100 and they have even summarized some of the trends from the responses.

I thought I’d take my chances and see how adventurous (or not) I have been.

Oh, wow. I need to do much better. It is not that I don’t want to try most of these things or that the opportunity hasn’t been there. I just seem to make a different selection. I need to get busy trying some new things for sure.

Here are the instructions:

Copy this list into your blog, including these instructions.
Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
Cross out any items that you would never consider eating

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding – I was surprised to see in the results that this was considered repulsive. It is difficult to get over the blood part, but it really doesn’t taste bad at all.
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn or head cheese – sorry, can’t do this one
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a big fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat – the opportunity has been there, but I’ve had pet goats. just can’t do it.
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini – tried them, but I like mine dry
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake – all three
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash – soon, maybe next week
88. Flowers
89. Horse – just can’t do this one
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Grains and Gluten

August 26, 2008

When I worked at a bakery during high school and college, gluten was seen as a good thing. It is the protein in wheat that gives bread its texture and improves performance of a product when baking.

Throughout my week here in Ireland I have noticed that gluten is mentioned quite a bit. Most bakeries and cafes have a note posted to ask for gluten free options. I heard a lady at breakfast the other day ask for gluten free bread.

There are conditions where gluten is an actual allergy such as in Celiac disease. In these cases it is necessary to eat a gluten-free diet. However, I know that gluten-free is also a bit of a health move for people wanting to eat a vegetarian diet, or maybe just a healthier diet in general.

Also, I have read information that gluten can trigger depression in some people. I actually worked at that bread store with a girl who blamed her mood swings on the gluten in the bread.

We did make bread with spelt flour for those unable to eat gluten. After reading more about it though, I see that spelt does contain gluten it just appears that it is easier to digest than wheat products for many who are sensitive.

Let me go ahead and say that I’m not at all speaking about people that have to eliminate gluten. I understand the necessity of accommodating food allergies.

I am curious about those that eat gluten-free because they view it as a healthy option.

I am not on a mission to eliminate gluten from my diet. I guess there is a part of me that doesn’t understand the reason for doing this when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle.

To me, it is a natural part of a very natural product – wheat and other grains.

I am wondering if the offering of gluten-free products I am seeing here comes from higher rates of allergies in this area or if there are a lot of people around trying to eat gluten-free diets as part of healthy habits.

I am thankful that I have the choice to enjoy all wheat products. There is really no motivation for me to cut it out of my diet.

How do you feel about gluten? Do you avoid it, and if so, what are the benefits for you?

Photo from Festival of World Cultures 2008, Dun Laoghaire, Ireland

Back to the Tap

August 25, 2008

I’ve come across an interesting trend during my visit in Ireland.

Tap water is all the rage.

I have even seen menus that advertise both carbonated and still water from the tap on their menus. There is an effort to promote its safety and taste.

Of course, everyone knows the problems with all those plastic bottles.

I am a water advocate for sure. I try to drink about 2 liters a day. Sometimes I do fall short. When I go without water for an extended period even a morning, I can definitely tell it.

I feel sluggish and I am usually on the verge of a headache. I can also tell a huge difference in the appearance of my skin. Drinking water helps it to look clearer and healthier.

There has been a lot of talk in the media these days about how the recommendation to drink 8 cups of water a day is a myth.

Well, that is true. The recommendation has always been 8 cups of fluid. However, seeing that people steer more towards soda and sugar-laden fruit drinks as opposed to water, milk and fresh juices the recommendation slowly evolved.

The latter provide the body with lots of water and healthy fluid while the former include caffeine, sugar and chemicals.

It became important for people to take in water to promote health and I still think it is a healthy habit. I stick by the 8 cups of water recommendation to feel better, help skin and lose weight.

I am all for the tap water craze, although I’ll admit it is a switch that is taking some time. Sometimes I can really taste a difference in tap water and I don’t like it. However, for the most part, I think I’m getting used to it.

It still buy bottles every now and then when I travel, usually just for transport throughout the day.

I do hope the tap water crazy is catching on or soon does in the US. It is cheap, convenient, and of course, better for our environment.

One of my favorite meals of the trip so far has been this beauty. Steamed mussels, clams and cockles in a garlic lemon cream sauce. Then a Crawfish pizza with ham, onion and green peppers, topped with lemon creme fraiche.