Tired of Tiger Woods? Wanting News that Matters This Holiday?

Yep, me too. And all the not-news celebrity drivel out there. Let's look at some headlines that mean something real here.

Last Minute Gift Ideas: A Lunchbox!

Still looking for that perfect gift for the kids? How about a nice, new lunch box? Think of it as the gift that keeps giving, especially given that the meat at fast food establishments is safer than that being served for school lunch.

That's right, according to this USA Today report, your dollar burger from the drive-thru is 5-10 times more likely to have been tested for safety than your elementary school kid's meal. Some fast food establishments also have up to 10 times higher standards for those tests that are done, and refuse to use "spent hen" chicken meat that is often served to our school kids.

Makes you want to send some holiday greetings to the USDA? Here, give your best to Mr. Vilsack.

Even Scrooge Came Up with a Goose

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service released its annual study measuring food security in the United States, Household Food Security in the United States, 2008. Food Insecurity rose 4.2 percent this past year. In 2008, 49.1 million Americans, or 16.4 percent, lived in food insecure households In 2007, the number was 36.2 million (12.2%). This represents a 36 percent increase in just one year. The greatest percentage of this increase was for households with children.

Learn more about donating food in this post. Find a place to donate or volunteer here at Feeding America.

Other Food Tidbits:

Pork in a Tube, test tube that is. First lab-grown meat created.

Ethicurean contemplates the class issue around Local Food.

Sustainable Cooking Tips

Brighter Planet is hosting a cool contest for your sustainable cooking and eating tips. I entered a few items. The big prize is a Kindle, which I would enjoy a lot. But what got me interested in submitting is that Alice Waters will be one of the people judging the writing, as well as Bill McKibben. I would like to have feedback on my work from these folks more than the Kindle, actually.

The catch is, I have to get people to "like" my posts enough to get to the next round where they will review it.

One of the more controversial posts I put up there is my recent hunting trip. I won't spoil the ending, but I will be posting on the Hunter/Gatherer trend here more in the coming year. Stop by and "like" me if you have a moment. Thanks!

I also posted on How to Save Trips to the store, with a bit of humor. And tips for eating local while you travel, as well as five reasons besides food miles to eat local, and the joy of communal meals.

Comfort Food on a Cold Winter Day

I got the idea for this recipe at an Italian restaurant, one owned by Lidia Bastianich. When you think about the ingredients, cabbage and bacon, it doesn't seem very Italian. It also doesn't sound like it would work with pasta. Yet it did, pretty well.

I'm not about to suggest that I cook better than the world's most famous Italian grandmother. No way. But the dish got me thinking. Bacon and pasta. And a huge head of cabbage from the last CSA package of the season. A few of the last apples still in the fridge. Hmmm, could work.

I'm not going to call the end result Italian or German. It's just a nice, cozy dish on a cold winter day like today. Something warm and spicy while we wait for the winter storm to hopefully pass us by.

Bacon and Cabbage Pasta

1 lb. bacon, diced

3 shallots, diced

2 tsp. fennel seed

1 tsp. mustard powder

1 tsp. salt

2 green apples, cored and diced

1/2 medium head of cabbage, shredded

1/2 cup apple cider

1 tbs. cider vinegar

2 tbs. chopped sage

1 tbs. chopped rosemary

fresh ground pepper to taste

1 lb. potato gnocchi, or substitute 1/2 lb. dried whole wheat pasta

Cook the bacon in a large pot. Remove when just crisp and drain on a paper towel. Pour off all but 1 tbs. of the grease. Add the shallot to the pot and saute for two minutes. Add the spices and saute for a couple more minutes. Add the apples and cabbage and saute again, tossing to get the cabbage wilted.

Cook pasta or gnocchi according to directions.

Add the cider, vinegar, sage and rosemary to the pot. Braise the cabbage and apples with the spices and herbs for another 5-8 minutes. Before serving fold in the crisp bacon and the gnocchi or pasta.

Egg Nog French Toast

There are two seasonal foods that I have a real weakness for; pumpkin ice cream and egg nog. Real, full fat, buttery-rich eggnog. Ho, ho, ho, off to jog I go.

Egg Nog French Toast

For the toast:

3/4 cup eggnog

1 egg, beaten

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

6 slices egg bread like challah or brioche, or a whole grain like honey wheat.

1 tbs. butter

Topping:

1/4 cup grade B maple syrup

1/4 cup pecan pieces

1 tsp. bourbon

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Heat the butter in a skillet. Soak bread, both sides, in the eggnog mixture. Brown on each side until golden.

Warm the syrup in a sauce pan with the bourbon, cinnamon, and pecans. Top the toast with syrup. Enjoy.

NYT Food Stamp Article

NY Times has some of the best coverage of food issues. Here are a few striking statistics from this current article on the rise of food stamp use:

• 20,000 more people per day require food stamp assistance.
• 239 counties in the United States where at least a quarter of the population receives food stamps.
• More than 36 million people use food stamp assistance.
• Nearly 12 percent of Americans receive aid.

Something to think about this holiday. Here's some great tips on donating food and time to a local food bank.

December Book Giveaway

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I am finishing off the last of the sweet potato pie here as I write. Tomorrow, five mile run. And salad.

Congrats to November's winner, Mindy, for her copy of The Spice Kitchen. There are a few recipes in there that should come in handy for December. Mindy, please leave your mailing address for me at farmerfare AT gmail DOT com.

With winter fast upon us, I find myself craving comfort food often. This month's free book is The Berghoff Cafe Cookbook. Book provided by the nice folks at Andrews McMeel Publishing.

The book features familiar German foods with a twist, making for some unique recipes such as Brat, Kraut and Onion Pizza with Swiss Cheese and Caraway Crust as well as classics like Lyonnaise Potatoes. What I like about it is that it shows how to use leftovers creatively so you minimize food waste and save money while making family meals. Very practical.

Just leave your comment below to be entered into the random drawing. Good luck!

Pecan-Pumpkin Seed Brittle

I was reviewing my Thanksgiving menu and thought, hey, that's all a lot of heavy food. Maybe a salad would be good here?

Thing is, to stand up next to all that goodness on the table, it can't just be any salad. Fortunately, this one can be made ahead and just assembled day of.

The first step is the brittle. You can eat this plain, too. And you can make it several days ahead — just hide it so you have some for the salads.

Pecan-Pumpkin Seed Brittle

8 oz. raw pumpkin seeds, pepitas

8 oz. pecan pieces

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 1/2 cups organic cane sugar

2 tbs. molasses

1 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder or pumpkin pie spice

You'll need a silicon mat positioned on a baking sheet. Spread the pecans and pumpkin seeds out in a thin layer over the silicon mat. Thin is best for the brittle to harden well. Sprinkle the pecans and seeds with the salt.

Put the sugar and molasses in a saucepan over medium heat. Only stir enough to prevent burning, otherwise, as the Beatles sing, let it be. When it becomes a deep brown liquid, stir in the spice powder. Then, pour it in a thin layer over the top of the pecans and pumpkin seeds. It should cool rapidly and harden. Carefully break it into pieces (sharp edges!) when it is hard.

For the rest of the salad, you'll need:

6 cups of peppery greens, some arugula in the mix is good, toss this with:

2 tbs. olive oil

couple grinds of black pepper

For the garnish:

4 oz. Gorgonzola crumbles

4-6 pears peeled, prepared for poaching, see below

Poaching liquid:

1/2 bottle muscadet wine

1 cinnamon stick

1 star anise

1 white cardamom pod

4 whole cloves

After poaching, you will need 1/4 cup honey.

Poach the pears in the wine for about 20 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the liquid and cool. Halve, core when cooled, then slice each half into four lengthwise. Strain the poaching liquid back into the a saucepan. Add 1/4 cup honey. Return to heat and then reduce this liquid to a syrup consistency.

If you are making ahead, store the pear slices in the wine and honey syrup in the refrigerator.

Before service, divide the greens among plates, top each with equal amounts of pear slices. Drizzle the syrup on each plate. Top with the gorgonzola and brittle pieces.

Making a List ...

Just got done playing bumper carts at the grocery store. Wow. I try to get as many local ingredients as I can for Thanksgiving, but there is still a trip to the store involved. And a grocery bill that reads more like a mortgage payment.

There is also a slightly obscene feeling to buying two pints of heavy cream and eight sticks of butter for one meal. Thanksgiving is that annual time of year to pay homage to butterfat. It is also the time of year when I make more lists than Santa Claus.

First list Menu, next list, Grocery store, check. Grocery store and local produce sources both for that list. I have just enough OCD that I even organize this list by aisle at the store. Basically, its what we are all doing right this moment. Well, that and cleaning house and wondering, "How am I going to get all this done?"

Couple tips:

1. Clean out the fridge to make as much space as possible for the incoming.
2. Put all your recipes together and scan them, compiling the amounts of the same items into one list, so three recipes call for 1/2 cup of cream means you need add pint to list. A great tip on recipes is to think about making items that require the same oven temperature for your sides, or don't require the oven. Makes life SO much easier.
3. Check your pantry against the list, crossing off what you have. It's cheaper to use what you have on hand — just make sure you have enough!
4. Remember the bulk aisle to save money on the nuts and other items.
5. Don't forget the items you need to make the leftovers into soup or casserole.

Next steps for me now are to make a few more lists.

1. Chop list, list all the quantities of produce you need prepped and measured into one list. You can do this work a day ahead, even two days for some items. Plus, the prepped items take far less space in the fridge — leaving room for the turkey.
2. Errand list, things for us like pick up the turkey from the farm (already butchered, thankfully), liquor store, and items that need to be purchased day before like fresh bread or ice.
3. House list, vacuum, set table, anything on the to-do's that can be divided and conquered. Share the wealth, I say!

Last on the list, is the Timing List. This is the one where I write down all the items that need to be done day before and day of, and put them in order of timing. It's easy to get sidetracked and forget. Doing this one list in advance is mandatory for making it to the table on time. This list will keep you sane.

Now, I better go work on those lists!

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon-Shallot Vinaigrette

I promised Ruthy I would post this recipe.

Brussels sprouts are in season right now and if you never liked them before, (and I was right there with you), you should try them again. Plus, they are just a crazy looking vegetable on the stalk, like a club you can eat.

I use nitrate-free bacon and recommend you do as well. You can reduce the amount of bacon used here, use prosciutto, or skip it if you do not eat meat.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, quartered
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 lb. bacon, diced
1 large shallot, minced
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 oz. Pecorino Romano shavings

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, roast setting, if you have convection oven, or 400 degrees for a regular oven.

Toss the sprouts with olive oil and balsamic. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for about 15-20 minutes until they start to show some golden brown (the balsamic will make it harder to tell what's roasted and what's vinegar). Go for lots of golden brown, you may have to stir once during roasting. When the sprouts are getting close to done, add the pine nuts to toast them. Remove from oven and place on a platter.

While the sprouts are getting crispy, cook the bacon in a skillet until almost done. Pour off all but one tbs. of the grease. Add the shallot and finish cooking the bacon and shallot until browned and done. Remove from stove, whisk in olive oil and red wine vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the dressing over the sprouts. Top with the shavings of Pecorino.

Recommended Reading

If you have not read this article in the New York Times about commercially raised and slaughtered beef, you need to. Thank you, Costco, for testing your beef independent of the suppliers — even when suppliers like Tyson will no longer sell to you because you care about your customers.

And, Cargill, what's with treating meat with ammonia during processing, and still having it contaminated? Not just with E. coli now, but ammonia, too? This meat was used for school lunches. Your meat patties were also the source of the E. coli that sickened the article subject.

Favorite quote in the article, Dr. Kenneth Peterson on why the department could mandate testing, but that it needed to consider the impact on companies as well as consumers.

“I have to look at the entire industry, not just what is best for public health,” Dr. Petersen said.

Dr. Kenneth Petersen, is an assistant administrator with the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. I see FOOD SAFETY in his title which kind of means public health, right? I did not see, CORPORATE PROFITS AND BEST INTEREST in his title. The man is a doctor. Did he take the hippocratic oath or the hypocritic oath?

Wow. I quit posting as much on these issues because I got overwhelmed by it. But, when I read things like this, I can't not post on it. We consumers need to know. If our own government agencies won't protect our interests over corporate interests, then maybe its time for justifiable lawsuits directly against these companies by the consumers who have been sickened. This needs to end.