Basic Cooking Skills

I was reading one of my favorite cooking blogs, The Kitchn, when I came across a post about basic cooking skills that all beginners should know. I wanted to share this with you all and spend the next couple of days going through each technique so that you can slowly begin to add to your kitchen repertoire.

image via eoiguada.info

Bourdain’s basic argument, which has also been made elsewhere, is that every person should have the basic knowledge and skills to feed themselves a decent meal. This is knowledge that has been gradually lost with the demise of home ec classes in school and the convenience of pre-made grocery store meals.

Of course, no one really wants a return to the fussy, boring home ec classes of yore. (Yes, I’m old enough that I remember these!) So Bourdain’s idea is to make cooking cool. Or more to the point, to make not cooking decidedly un-cool. Wouldn’t it be great, he says, if in the future “it’s the kid who can’t roast a chicken who should be considered the ‘spaz.’”

But back to those basic skills. Here’s what Bourdain thinks everyone should know:

• Chopping an onion
• Making an omelet
• Roasting a chicken
• The correct way to grill and rest a steak
• Cooking vegetables to desired doneness
• Making a vinaigrette
• Shop for fresh produce
• Buying a fish, cleaning it, and making it
• Roasting meat
• Roasting and mashing potatoes
• Braising meats and vegetables
• What to do with bones (a.k.a. How to make stock)

Turning Mike into a Cook

Mike checking on one of his culinary creations (cheesy bread, I'm sure)

Over the summer, I did all of the cooking. But Mike is taking some of his first forays into the kitchen, in a capacity beyond my hyper-observant and not-so-helpful sous chef.

Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin

I had a spaghetti squash sitting on one of the shelves in my dining room for about a month (embarrassingly enough). Eventually I figured it was time to cook it, praying that it hadn't gone bad. Luckily, after an hour of baking, it shredded into perfect strands, which I promptly threw into a Pyrex bowl. I spent the next few days trying to think of a couple methods of preparation. I settled on a gratin after seeing a recipe for spaghetti squash gratin with basil in the Recipes for Health column of the New York times.


Spaghetti Squash Gratin with Basil


 In this image, the squash was cute width-wise, rather than length-wise, which I prefer.Image via Wikipedia

Ingredients:
4 C spaghetti squash

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 t salt

1 t pepper

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup non-fat milk

4 T basil leaves, diced

1/2 cup gruyere and swiss cheese blend (I got this blend from Trader Joe's, Gruyère on its own would be fine)

2 T grated Parmesan










Method:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Bake for one hour. Remove from heat and let it cool. Run a fork through the flesh to separate the strands. Measure out 4 cups and then chop it coarsely.

Image via Wikipedia

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and onion. Cook until translucent. Add the garlic and salt. Cook until fragrant, then add the squash. Continue to cook until the strands of squash are a little more tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks, add milk, salt, pepper and basil. Stir in the squash mixture and the Gruyère, and combine well. Pour the mixture into a well oiled baking dish (I used an 8-cup Pyrex bowl). Sprinkle the Parmesan or pecorino over the top, and gently press down to moisten.

Image via Wikipedia

Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until browned. Let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve as either a side or main dish.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 196 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  194 Calories from Fat  113

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  12.5g 19%

Saturated Fat  4.8g 24%

Cholesterol  175mg 58%

Sodium  703mg 29%

Total Carbohydrates  12.6g 4%

Dietary Fiber  0.7g 3%

Sugars  2.9g

Protein  9.2g

Vitamin A 10% • Vitamin C 8% Calcium 26% • Iron 6%

Nutrition Grade B-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Related articles

• Simple Cooking: Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti (chicagoist.com)
• Learn to Cook, Learn to Save: Spaghetti Squash (wholefoodsmarket.com)
• Winter Squash Buying Guide (eatdrinkbetter.com)
• Quinoa and Squash Gratin (nytimes.com)

Quick and Easy Udon Noodle Soup with Fried Bean Curd Sticks

Soup is one of my favorite dishes to eat, particularly in the winter when you want a hearty meal done quickly, so you can go back to your couch and comforter as soon as possible. I had lots of bean curd sticks (basically, they are the dried skins off the top of soy milk) and wanted to find a way to apply them in a soup. I chose a Japanese Udon soup, as I felt Asian flavors would be the best compliment to the bean curd, and from there it was simple, thinly slicing and chopping whatever vegetables I had in my fridge. And the result is this highly customizable noodle soup.

 

Udon Noodle Soup with Fried Bean Curd Sticks 

Serves 1 (simply multiply each ingredient by 4 to determine the individual yields) 

Ingredients:  

1 oz bean curd sticks (I soaked mine for 20 minutes, but they can be fried as is) (can be replaced with 1/2 a serving of any other kind of protein)

1 C canola or peanut oil (or enough to cover 1/2 in of the bottom of a shallow pan)

2 oz Udon Noodles 

1 C (Vegetable/Chicken/Fish) Stock 

1 T miso 

1 t mirin 

1 T soy sauce

1/2 carrot, sliced 

1/2 C broccoli, chopped 

1/4 C leeks, sliced

1/4 cup cubed tofu 

Method:  

Heat the oil over medium heat until just before it smokes. Add the bean curd sticks and fry on either side until golden brown. Set aside on paper towels to drain the oil.

Cook the udon noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. In the same pot add the stock, miso, mirin and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Add the vegetables and tofu and cook for 2-3 minutes, just enough so that they are still slightly raw and crunchy.

Put the noodles in a bowl and pour the stock and vegetables over them. Top with the bean curd sticks, serve, and enjoy.

  

Vanilla Sugar-glazed Oatmeal Yogurt Scuffins (or Mones)

 

I found this recipe for Oatmeal Yogurt Scones on a blog that I have enjoyed reading before. The recipe just happened to be featured on Fitsugar. The recipe is actually modified from one for quick bread, and the result is something much moister, and less flaky than a traditional scone. what this means for my adaptation is that it lies somewhere in between scone and muffin. Jarrett and Mike coined the terms Scuffin and Mones as a label for this creation. Whatever it is, here is a petite, yet filling (thanks to all the fiber) snack with just enough sweetness and substance to be a snack or part of a meal.

Vanilla Sugar-Glazed Oatmeal Yogurt Scuffins (or Mones)

Ingredients:

Image via Wikipedia

1 C oatmeal

1 1/3 C whole wheat flour

4 T flax meal

1 t baking soda

1 t ground cinnamon

1 t ground nutmeg 
1/4 C brown sugar 
1/4 t salt 

3/4 C Greek yogurt

1/4 C non fat milk

3 egg whites

1 t vanilla extract

1 T walnut oil 

Image via Wikipedia 
For The Vanilla Simple Sugar: 

2 T sugar 

2 T water 

1 t vanilla extract 

Combine and microwave until the sugar is dissolved 

Method:  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 


Stir together the yogurt, milk, egg whites, and vanilla until combined. Mix together the flour, oats, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, and flax meal. Incorporate the dry ingredients into the mixture of the wet ingredients. Mix well until a sticky dough is formed. 


Divide into 9 portions and roll into balls. Flatten the balls and place on a baking sheet with a greased sheet of aluminum foil. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Glaze the top of each ball with simple sugar and bake for another 2 minutes. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes before eating, if you can resist.


 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 76 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  170 Calories from Fat  26

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  2.9g 4%

Saturated Fat  0.5g 3%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  1mg 0%

Sodium  236mg 10%

Total Carbohydrates  29.6g 10%

Dietary Fiber  2.6g 10%

Sugars  8.2g

Protein  7.1g

Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 0% Calcium 4% • Iron 8%

Nutrition Grade B-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Red Quinoa-Oatmeal Porridge with Peach and Golden Raspberries

I love the bulk bins at Whole Foods. The prices are the most competitive I've seen and I can stock up my pantry well enough to go in any direction I wish on a whim. This is great for two reasons: I am in college (read: poor), and I don't have to fall into the rut of variations on a theme of pasta dishes that would make Chef Boyardi beg for mercy.

I've had quinoa before, but this time I decided to go for the more exotic-looking red quinoa. Of course it sat in my pantry for a few weeks before I stumbled across this recipe for a red quinoa porridge with peach and white tea syrup. Then this past Sunday I found myself with all of the necessary ingredients, as well as a few extras for my personal embellishment, and decided to dig in.

My recipe is essentially the same as the original, expect I've added half a cup of golden raspberries in place of one of the peaches and doubled the amount of oatmeal. There may be some other amendments that I made on a whim, and I'll account for those in the recipe posted below. Also, I used extra thick oats, for more substance and because I like my oatmeal thick!

Red Quinoa-Oatmeal Porridge with Peach and Golden Raspberries


Ingredients:
1 peach, peeled and diced
1/2 C raspberries
1 1/2 C water
1/2 cup milk
2 tT agave nectar (optional)
1/4 cup red quinoa
1/2 C extra-thick rolled oats


Method:
Place the quinoa, peaches, raspberries and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, cooking for 30 minutes, then add the oatmeal, milk and agave nectar.


Cook until the oats are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm, topped with fresh peaches and raspberries, if desired, and a side of greek yogurt topped with honey or fresh fruit.

Quick and Easy Wonton soup

It was about an hour before I had to go to work when I realized that I didn't have anything to eat for lunch. With the weather being a little cooler in DC, I wanted something warm and comforting. Not only would it warm my body, but also help to erase the drabness of my current occupation, which had experienced a whirlwind of a 3 days (more on that story later). My fridge and freezer lacked the bounty of ingredients that normally defined them, however, it had just the right combination of ingredients for a soup.

Soup is one of the quintessential fridge-clearing recipes, and can range from the rustic to the refined. It can be a thick, stew-like soup or a consommé, in it's brothy-glory. I chose something in between, a broth-based soup, brimming with fresh, untampered ingredients, and a light flavor. The result was a 20 minute wonton soup. Perfect for beginning-of-Fall coolness, and deep Winter chills alike.

Wonton Soup

Approximately 3 Servings

Ingredients:

1 t ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T peanut oil

1 t sesame oil

2 T soy sauce

1 T mirin or white rice vinegar

1 C scallions, sliced crosswise

1/2 C red onions, sliced

2 C vegetable stock (I made some from left over vegetable scraps a week or so ago)

1 1/2 C chicken stock

1/2 C water

2 Chinese Sausages (Lop Cheong in Cantonese; you can get these at an Asian Food Market, or probably on Amazon)

1/2 bag Trader Joe's  Wontons (I used Chicken Cilantro; you could easily use any kind of potstickers, dumplings, wontons on hand, because everyone has those in the freezer, right?)

Method:

Add the peanut oil to a pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot (not smoking), add the ginger and garlic and saute. When fragrant add the red onions. 

When the onions become translucent add the soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegar and let it sit for a minute. Then add the vegetable stock, chicken stock, water, and the  and bring to a boil.

When the water comes to a boil, add the sausage and the wontons and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with scallions or sesame seeds.

Notes:

Really anything could go into this soup. You could replace the wontons with meat, and just sear the meat then add to the soup in small pieces and cook a little longer to ensure the meat is cooked thoroughly. Other vegetables to consider would be carrots, peas, snow peas, green beans, boy choy, chinese broccoli, etc.


Approximate Cost:
Wontons - $1.65
Chinese Sausage - $0.50
Scallions - $0.15
Red Onions - $0.19
Chicken Stock - $0.62
Vegetable Stock - $0.00
Water - $0.00
Peanut Oil - $0.09
Sesame Oil - $ 0.10
Soy Sauce - $0.19
Mirin - $0.30
Total - $3.79; ~$1.26/serving

Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry and Peach Coulis and Sea Salt

This may be my longest lapse in posting yet. Thankfully, I have a sweet post to get everyone back at the table. I have a recipe for chocolate mousse that I made back in February or March. It was sweet, creamy, rich and dense, and after a day in the fridge it developed this great, complex flavor that made it that much more irresistible. However, while the dense-ness of the dessert was nice in the fall, I needed something a little lighter as we entered deep summer in DC. The tweaks I've made are small, but they result in a nice, smooth consistency and a fluffiness that feels as though you are eating a cloud spiked with chocolate. As for the coulis, it was my first time doing anything of that sort. It came out great, but I need a squirt bottle before my plating looks more like art than someone just spooning some syrup onto a plate.

Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry and Peach Coulis

Ingredients:

2 eggs, whites and yolks separated

3/4 C milk

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate

1/4 C olive oil

3 T dark-roast coffee

1 T maple syrup
1 t vanilla extract

Method:
Separate the yolks and the whites. Whisk the egg yolks and the milk together, then pour into a sauce pan over medium heat, mixing in order to prevent the milk from scalding. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add to the yolk-milk mixture. Heat until it reaches 160 degrees, then remove from heat. Pour through a fine mesh sieve to remove any bit of egg that may have formed from the heat in order to create a smoother consistency.

Melt the chocolate in a separate sauce pan over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the chocolate from burning. When melted, take off the heat, stir in the coffee, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and the olive oil.

Add the milk and egg mixture to a blender or food processor. Slowly, pour in the chocolate mixture until well combined, and frothy. Pour the mixture into your serving glasses or a large glass bowl (I used my 4-cup pyrex bowl) and refrigerate. Depending on the size of the containers it will take anywhere from 30 minutes (2 ounce serving glasses) to 3 hours (my 4-cup pyrex bowl) to set.

Serve with the coulis drizzled on the plate, a pinch of salt on the mousse, and a dollop of whipped cream.

The blobs on either side of the plates are the unstrained raspberry coulis and peach coulis.

For the coulis:

(I didn't measure anything out so here are some approximations.)

Ingredients:
1 handful of raspberries or one peach, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 t brown sugar
1 t lemon juice

Method:
Allow to steep in a small bowl in the refrigerator for one hour. Mash with the back of a fork, then strain using a fine mesh sieve (straining is optional, though I like the results). Reserve the pulp or seeds (still tastes good and some people like it). Use the strained coulis to garnish.

Invoking a Homey Fall Dish in August: Gorgonzola-Gruyere-Parmesan Cheese Sauce

I recently discovered the lemon-pepper pappardelle noodles from Trader Joe's. The name pappardelle comes from the Italian word to "pappare," meaning "to gobble up," which I have a hard time refraining from doing, but I would like to still be able to fit into my clothes.

via smilingeggplant.blogspot.com

While Mike is not a fan of lemon, I love the sour, sweet, bitter, citrus-y, zesty flavor. I'm not calling for big bold, lemon-ness, just a subtle hint of that acidity in the right dish is awesome to me, and that is where Trader Joe's got it right with these noodles.

With flat, broad noodles, I like a nice cream sauce. I'm not a big fan of red sauces in general, but it could be that the ones I've bought and the ones I've made are just subpar. I think that complacency toward red sauce has allowed me to develop a love for pesto and, especially, cream sauces. I tend not to indulge in cheese and milk within my routine habits, but I love a good cream sauce, especially with the sweetness of spring peas, and the mellowness of mushrooms in the fall.

But it's summer now, and a good bechamel is looked upon with disdain from bikini-wearing, food-phobics. I, on the other hand, welcome a savory dish, as long as I eat a little less and up the vegetable count at the same time. And the result is a bacon and anchovy laden sauce with so much cheese-flavor packed into the small portion that it would make a Swiss swear off fondue. I think the amount I made was sufficient for 2 people, but I greedily ate the whole thing. In retrospect, it was a little much, but it was oh so good.

Gorgonzola-Gruyere-Parmesan Cheese Sauce
Yields 2 servings


Ingredients:
2 slices of bacon, diced
2 anchovy fillets, minced (the kind packed in olive oil, such as Cento brand)
1 shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 oz gruyere cheese, grated
1 oz parmesan cheese, grated
1 oz gorgonzola, crumbled
1/2 C milk, 2% or whole

Method:
Place all of the bacon in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until crisp and the fat has been rendered. Remove and reserve.

Lower the heat to medium-low and in the sauce pan add the diced anchovy, garlic and shallot and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the grated and crumbled cheeses and stir to combine. Add the milk and simmer until the sauce browns slightly.

You can cook it for less time if you'd like a blonde sauce, or longer if you'd like a nuttier, deeper brown sauce.

The salt is very salty, which I liked in combination with the sweeter noodles. I added some cherry tomato confit that I made, as well as some steamed haricots verts for color and for a nice, vegetal crunch.

I see this great with green peas, pancetta, even spinach or kale, and maybe some added lemon juice for that sweet, acidity, when tomatoes sadly disappear from farmers markets.

Sunday: Bridezillas and Pizza

Bridezillas is my guilty pleasure. There is something about watching women screaming about getting a vanilla cake instead of chocolate, or a mother of the bride showing up to a wedding in a white dress that makes me smile inside and out. And tonight, the natural pairing was a pair of personal pies for Mike and myself.

Mike's pizza was a classic pepperoni pie topped with coarsely chopped garlic and roasted garlic tomato sauce from Trader Joe's (rated best red sauce by Rachel Ray, who, despite being my arch nemesis, got it right with this one).

Mine was a whole wheat pie topped with pesto sauce and mix of diced pepperoni, asparagus and portabello mushrooms, sliced red onions and an egg sunny side up to top it all off. The egg was a great added protein for the pie and could naturally make a transition to breakfast, particularly those who enjoy savory foods in the morning.

Note: Enjoying the rustic, free-form look? That's because my house is lacking a rolling pin, and thus everything is hand-shaped. Makes for a pizza with personality.

Asparagus Panzanella

I've had this frozen asparagus sitting in my freezer and diced ciabatta bread in my refrigerator waiting to make this recipe. This morning it finally happened. Panzanella is an Italian bread salad originating from the regions of Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Lazio. It features bread, tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and vinegar.  Those ingredients, however, serve simply as the foundation for a panzanella. Think of it as a fridge clearing meal, and use it to get rid of any extra ingredients, such as onion, lettuce, white/red wine, capers, garlic, bell peppers, lemon juice, cucumber, mint, etc.

My recipe for Asparagus Panzanella is adapted from a grilled asparagus panzanella recipe on Serious Eats. The difference is, I threw in some garlic paste (made it myself, instructions to come), diced basil and bacon, roasted the asparagus in the oven and left out the capers and olives. Next time I will try searing the tomatoes until they caramelize for a little added sweetness and depth.

In total, it was about 5 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cook time. How about that for a quick meal, particularly when you don't want a hot oven on. You could probably roast the asparagus in a toaster oven for even more heat/money savings. For now, here is the recipe. See what you make of it.

Of course, today was the day that the office treated me to lunch from Jetties, but I known I have a great meal for dinner now.

Now I'm a blogger and a tumblr-er

I was beginning to contemplate a switch to Wordpress, however I'm in allegiance with Google. My hope is that Wordpress' recent updates will be an incentive for Google to add some more functionality to Blogger. On the other hand, I did decide to create a Tumblr account. 

My motivation behind the two accounts is to use the two to complement each other. This blog will be the primary source of information, as I will provide recipes and other musings, be it food politics or vuvuzelas. Tumblr will be my way of blogging on the go, and providing short posts and pictures. 

Whatever source you choose to look at, I will continue to bring food politics, healthy eating and good cuisine to college students and those pressed for money and time.

You can find me at Table for Two on Tumblr

Fried Pate a Choux with Cinnamon Sugar

I'd had a craving for doughnuts since I read a recipe for Buttermilk Doughnuts and French Crullers in the LA Times. Last night, however, I wanted a treat that was a little simpler, though just as fulfilling. I decided to make some pate a choux, adding a generous amount of sugar, vanilla extract and a dash of cinnamon, fry it in a mix of canola and olive oils and then cover it liberally with cinnamon sugar (about a 5:1 sugar to cinammon ratio).

The picture, from my 2008 Samsung cell phone, doesn't do this delectable treat justice. They were crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, while the heat pronounced the cinnamon flavor and mellowed the sugar. 

Fried Pate a Choux with Cinnamon Sugar

Ingredients:

1/2 C water

3 T butter, cut into cubes (for faster melting)

1/2 C flour

1/4 C sugar

1 t vanilla extract

1 t ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

cinnamon and sugar to make a 5:1 blend (reference, 1 C = 16 T, 1 T = 3 t; or better yet, get a food scale)

enough canola and olive oil to fill a small sauce pan

Method:

Place the butter, vanilla extract and water in a sauce pan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour, sugar, and cinnamon, stirring vigorously until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan into a ball.

Turn off the heat and let it sit for 2-3 minutes off the burner as it cools. Then add the 2 eggs, one at a time, to the water-butter-flour mixture. At first it will be slimy, but then the mixture will become smooth and creamy, with continued beating. (I suggest using a whisk at this point, though my kitchen is lacking in one and so I use a spatula. A long-tined fork could also work.)

Fill another sauce pan with the oil and allow it sit over medium heat. Test a small drop of the batter. If it is hot enough, it should drop to the bottom then immediately rise back up. I used a large spoon to drop free-form spoonfuls of dough into the batter, letting it fry for about 3-4 minutes, or until golden and deliciously browned.

Drop the fried batter onto a paper towel and allow it to drain oil (essentially, the air that would fill up in the holes in the pate a choux when baking, which forms the definitive puff, such as in a gougere or a profiterole, is replaced with oil which drains out of the dough and deflates it). When drained, cover generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture, plate, and try to make sure Mike doesn't eat them all.

Experiments for next time: doused powdered sugar or melted chocolate,soaked in creme anglaise or caramel sauce.

Enjoy!

Getting My Menu Planning on Point

A goal of mine was to be able to perfect menu planning in order to minimize my grocery spending and maximize the time that I have to do prep work and cook food. This first draft is a little rough, and I haven't accounted for the possibility of Mike and I eating out once this week. But, hopefully it will help those of you not under mom and dad's wing this summer to use the power of menu planning in the name of saving money.

Sunday Dinner: Rotisserie Chicken with Apple Sauce, Peas and Cucumber and Cherry Tomato Salad
Monday Dinner: Mini Flour Tortillas with Pork Shoulder
Tuesday Dinner: Chinese Stir Fry with Chicken and Shrimp
Wednesday Dinner: Ravioli with Apples and Walnuts
Thursday Dinner: Chickpea and Beef Burritos/Tacos
Friday Dinner: Arroz con Pollo
Saturday Dinner: Grilled Asparagus Pazanella and Calzones

Sunday's dinner is done and now I have lots of bones left to make my first chicken stock with. I'm psyched and I'll be sure to let you know how that goes.

Food for Thought

I love food. I also think it is a transcendent topic, in that food is something essential for life, and at the same time it functions as art, as a lifestyle, or as a political fire ground. The GoodEater Collaborative is an interesting blog that is able to reconcile all of these functions, offering commentary on food enjoyment, food politics, sustainability, as well as recipes. They do great work, are a great resouce, and have some interesting articles that could help pass the time as you sit in sweltering heat in your home. I've linked to some articles below. Enjoy.

Walmart Employees: A Story of Personal Transformation

How to Make Homemade Yogurt

Where Do All The Chicken Heads Go?

How To Feed the World: Michael Pollan and Monsanto Debate at Google (Video)

For the mean time, I will be reading Food Matters by Mark Bittman, a food writer that I cite often, and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, an expert on food politics. I'm curious to see what effect these books have on my cooking and on this blog and the way that I approach food.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Michael Pollan on the Food Movement, Rising (treehugger.com)
• William Petrocelli: Food Rules: And the Food-Industry Quivers (huffingtonpost.com)
• Learning To Eat (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com)
• Despite food-assistance programs, many children experience food insecurity, hunger (physorg.com)