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COO COO KITCHEN **Pilot Episode**

WATCH HERE

Hey ladies! Today Rachel and I launched our occasional, ad-hoc cooking show on Ustream.  Our show features only the funnest, funkiest foods fresh from the local CNY Market in Syracuse, as well as the local Westcott Co-op. Today's show stirred up some trouble with  past-roomie n all-around snazzy dancer LaSalle Tippens's Dank Browns, a wonderful over-filling take on the traditional, kinda boring hashbrowns. Right under my little nose was the adorable (and first-time un/official SIC-Collective Collaborator)  Rachel LeQuire whipping up some AMAZING Let-us-thank-him-for-our-food-god-bless-amen Cran-Coco-Choco Walnut Pancakes. These things were amazing. Future episodes will be announced a little before so you can catch us more easily! We'll also be posting recipes soon! Don't forget to check out the first 10 minutes or so archived on Ustream on the link under the image! Ciao! Continue

seasonal me

My vegetables are ready to harvest and unlike any normal gardner I am too proud to eat them. Sad that I cant bring myself to put them in something thats worthy. However for those of you growing zucchini, here is an amazing dish that I encourage you to slice them up and make immediately. Continue

seasonal me

I find myself these summer days dreaming about delicious recipes and sharing them with unsuspecting friends. Needless to say I have had more dinner guests the past few weeks than usual. Which of course I cannot argue with as cooking for one is a challenge. As I am sure some of you out there know all too well. Which leads me to the point that I got carried away this week and made over 6 dishes and well researched very little. Oops. Continue

seasonal me

Its officially summer and it has been hot and muggy. I am sure I would be more comfortable if I put my ac window unit, but those who have one can agree with the statement that I would rather be hot then poor. Saying this, cooking has been a challenge because the last thing anyone wants to do is to stand in front of the heat. But I have two recipes that are easy and embrace summer.


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seasonal me

I have always supported the idea of eating local or seasonal foods. However, I have yet to actually stop myself from buying the produce I want year round at the grocer. Especially in the winter time when seasonal means winter squash and cabbage and all you want is an apple. So in an effort to change my ways, I have dedicated myself to putting my ideals into action and become a seasonal eater. Therefore I am only buying foods that grow within the southeast. By doing so I am willingly giving up pineapple and kiwi and bananas and several other amazing tropical fruits. This might be a bad idea now that I think about it... Either way it is my attempt to help promote sustainable farming and support NC agriculture. As a bonus I have also begun to grow some basic ingredients on my porch. Currently i have several herbs, 2 varieties of tomatoes, green/red peppers and cucumbers.

Due to my involvement with my thesis project all summer (which is not worth the time to keep you posted on because it is amazingly boring,) I have decided to contribute recipes from my seasonal effort. First up: mulberry muffins.

PS: I have a mulberry tree in my backyard. A nice snack if you can battle the birds for the ripe ones.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 c white sugar

1 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 c fat free sour cream

1/4 cup milk

2 t applesauce

1 egg

1/2t almond extract

1/2 c mulberries

I used soy milk and more mulberries and added cinnamon so don't feel restricted by ingredients

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Grease/line muffin

pan.

2. Combine all ingredients. Spoon in mulberries

3. Bake for 25-30 min

I would suggest baking them for less time if you are using a 12 muffin sheet. 22-25 min

Deliciouis Breakfast Morning!

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eat beets eat local

In celebration of spring, let's start a multiLocal food project. The first Clemson Farmer's Market of the season is tomorrow and I'll be there, HUNGRY. When and where are your markets? What's selling? and Who's growing it? Create a mini project on your local market and post them throughout the month (or in Dylan and Maddy's case of Siberia, whenever ya'll start grow good stuff). Bio pic a farmer. Brand a local product. Map the activity around the food. etc...

Solutions are about a transference, a change of energy. The solutions to current 'food' problems, of our relationship to the land, are not within this circle/cycle but in all the related (presently devalued) ones. 

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WHAT!

Agro-Imperialism? More like rape. Today's NYT Sunday Magazine talks about how white people and people with money get even crazier.

On a related note, this is a must watch. Carolyn Steel lays some smack down. No, seriously, you must watch, all of it.

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It is time to start looking at your food!

Do you really know where your food comes from? Sustainable agriculture heroes Will Allen and

Joel Salatin are encouraging everyone to take a closer look into your foods journey.

My take home message: buy local/buy organic! More to come on this topic since this is my life.

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Elegy

Andrew’s Subtle Post has already shared a mutual pain that the two of us felt today over the fall of Gourmet. I’d like to preface this post by saying: yes, I am aware that it is just a magazine (of a major conglomerate, no less). This is not a cry over the impending death of printed word--which I do. Every night.

But there is nothing trivial about food. Aside from the survival dependency factor, we look to food to teach us about our culture, mannerisms, and distinctions. Gourmet offered commentary on food politics, culture, travel, literature—all of which stretch beyond recipe suggestions. Ever been touched by a writing about peas? Take a look at the plethora of remaining food magazines. If you know how to peel a carrot, you’re likely to be bored with them.

Why intellectualize food, though? I ask myself this a lot, particularly in a foodie-concentrated society where an obsession with truffle oils (stupidly) boosts status. I’ve settled on a conclusion that I’m satisfied with: food is an art, a realization of passion, and a study of human behavior, none of which are trivial. Not when a simple fig off a neighboring tree can inspire you to make a buttery tart. Or when you can sit back contently watching your loved ones devour what you’ve made. All you want to do is to immerse yourself in this world of creativity and vigor and to know what drives others; hence the need for such a publication.

I say all this without even mentioning the impact that Ruth Reichl, editor of Gourmet, has made on our eating habits. Consider that she emerged in the food world before there was such a phrase as “food world,” a time when Campbell’s soup was the height of culinary sophistication. The public was not eating naturally or, quite frankly, very well. Now we have choices! We can have mesclun greens—not just iceberg lettuce. We can have soup that doesn’t originate from a powder. Along with others (James Beard, Craig Claiborne, Alice Waters, etc.) Reichl has spearheaded a campaign for natural and fresh food, not “convenient” packages. Her regular commentary will be missed.

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