Thursday, July 2, 2009

American food

I always smile inside when someone mentions "American cuisine." I can't even imagine what that would be, or whether I'd want to eat it 365 days a year.

As a starting point, let's run down the results of a 2007 James Beard Foundation Taste America survey in which 90.8 percent of the respondents said there was an American cuisine.

If there is an American cuisine, how would you define it? Top five answers from the Beard Foundation survey:
1. Region or regional
2. Culture
3. Comfort
4. Melting pot
5. Native

And the iconic American foods, in order of popularity?
1. Hamburgers and cheeseburgers
2. Barbecue
3. Fried chicken
4. Mac 'n' cheese
5. Apple pie

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Keen on quinoa

Quinoa's first mystery is how to pronounce it. It looks like it should be "quin-o-a," but it comes from the South American Indian word "kinwa," so that's pretty much the acceptable pronunciation, if not the spelling.

Second, it may look like a grain, but it's not, since it's not from the grass family. Its relatives include beets, spinach and kale, and you can eat its leaves like spinach, if you can find them for sale anywhere. It's very high in protein and is a good source of magnesium, too.

Third mystery: How do you cook it? I've had my best luck with a recipe from the New York Times, using 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, 1 cup quinoa and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring the broth to a boil, add the quinoa and salt, stir, bring it back to a boil, then cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. Drain and return to the pan. Cover with a clean towel, and replace cover and let it sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Fluff and serve. Makes about 4 cups, 6-8 servings.

Monday, June 29, 2009

The oyster is her world

Today, I'd like to recognize a fellow blogger with a tough shell, Erin Byers Murray. According to boston.com, this food writer
has traded the trappings of urban life (she was Boston editor of the online newsletter “Daily Candy”) for hip boots and a year working – and blogging – at Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury. The thing that makes her blog Shucked a good read is discovering along with Murray just what hard work oyster farming is – and how much fun it seems to be.