Bananas and avocados: friends for life November 3, 2008

 

Over the past weekend, I attended a farmer’s market in the little dorp of Somerset East. The culinary delights on offer ranged from cakes which resembled mini artworks to an array of jams, chutneys, cheeses and delicious lemon meringues served with a sprig of lavender. At the market, I had the pleasure of meeting Janet Telian who is a fantastic and well-known South African chef, as well as the author of The Savoy Cabbage Cookbook. What makes Janet even more fabulous is her determination to source and use only locally made products, thereby reducing her food mile footprint. One such product was a delicious, organic feta and served with candied aubergine and ginger from Janet’s label Rosehope Edibles is simply to-die-for.

While discussing the merits of Gorgonzola and Camembert with Janet, the topic of avocados and ripeness came up. I had recently purchased an enormous avocado from a local eatery, but it was hard as a rock. Janet, whose had her fair share of hard avos nearly ruining a meal, had an incredibly useful tip: when ripening your avocado, place a ripe banana next to it and, if possible, store in a warm place. Apparently bananas give off a ripening elixir and the warmth helps to speed the process up. I felt as though I’d just discovered the holy grail of all useful foods tips and made a mental note to snuffle some bananas from my boyfriend.

After the market, we were treated to a scrumptious spread at Janet’s quaint and adorably simple home. Boiled eggs with homemade mayonnaise, pumpkin and fennel bread, fresh greens and a refreshing drink of raspberry syrup and mint was a welcome change from my usual lunch of soya burgers or toasties. Eating with a chef is no different to your friends or family, but a level of awareness and appreciation of food certainly overflowed at Janet’s little wooden table.

What would your last supper be? October 24, 2008

I was watching The Green Mile recently and it got me thinking about last suppers on death row. Interestingly, my favourite food blog Chew on That had this very topic as their Monthly Mouthful question. They asked their favourite food bloggers what their last supper would be.

I decided to ask a couple of friends the same question and the responses I got were incredibly interesting and varied. My Italian friend had the most complicated and interesting request that included everything from herring and anchovies to toad-in-the-hole, roast lamb and sago pudding. After reciting a list long enough to fill a shorthand notebook page, she asked: “Is it ok if I have clams in garlic and parsley with wild rice too?” It seemed the question really got people thinking and took them to a place where they actually considered their last supper.

My boyfriend, feeling the pressure to follow on from such an indulgent and glamorous last supper, managed to sputter out: “A honey and mustard chicken burger from Fontanas and six Black Labels.” And, like a man after my own heart, he quickly added in deep-fried Camembert with cranberry sauce.

I found it difficult to think of my own last supper as one is tempted to cram in everything that you’ve ever loved in a last ditch attempt to savour all those bad calories and mouth-watering treats. I decided to settle on my best meal of all time: my mom’s macaroni and cheese. I was, of course, tempted to throw in Camembert, calamari, sushi and my dad’s special bolognaise, but I’ll have to save those for another last supper.

Food of the Gods October 23, 2008

Women have been saying it for years: Chocolate is better than sex. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world; there is nothing better than snuggling up in front of the fire with your very own box of Lindor’s chocolate drops. While women have always acknowledged its aphrodisiacal properties, it has taken the scientific world a little longer to cotton on. In a study conducted at Milan’s San Raffaele hospital, 163 women were interviewed about their consumption of chocolate and their sexual appetite. The study found that women who suffer from a low libido may be able to increase it by eating more chocolate. Dr Andrea Salonia, who conducted the study, said that women who have a daily intake of chocolate showed higher levels of desire than women who did not have this habit.

In another study, it was found that eating a piece of dark chocolate created a ‘buzz’ that was more powerful than even the most passionate kiss. Couples were asked to eat chocolate and then kiss their partners. Their brain activity was enhanced and their heart rates more than doubled after eating the chocolate, but what surprised researchers most was that the ‘chocolate buzz’ lasted up to four times longer than the ‘kissing buzz’.

As one nutritionist said in The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars: “Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world’s perfect food.” And so, if the doctor’s recommend chocolate for all its health and welfare benefits, who are we to not follow doctor’s orders?

Remember the hungry October 17, 2008

Every 3.6 seconds someone dies of hunger. Add to that the 1.5billion people who live on less than $1 a day, and suddenly having to choose between Stilton and cheddar seems trivial. Yesterday, the world celebrated World Food Day, but while more than $2,000 billion has been pledged to tackling the current financial crisis, a mere $12,3 billion has been pledged to the food crisis. In his article “Hunger eclipsed by financial crisis on World Food Day”, Phil Stewart illustrates the incapacity of the developed world to stop thinking about themselves for one minute and take a step back to realise that we have a massive crisis on our hands. It is one that does not involve money, but the basic human right of access to food. This year alone, the World Bank predicts that the number of malnourished people in the world will increase by 44 million to reach a staggering total of 967 million. According to an article on the Reuters Africa site, only $1 billion of the promised $12,3 billion to combat the food crisis has been disbursed. One may question where the responsibility lies and whether or not the developed world is responsible for the developing world. I say the answer is an emphatic yes! For centuries the developed world has prospered on the backs of third world countries, keeping them in a position of subservience so they can get their greedy hands on our oil, diamonds, platinum, gold – the list is endless. Perhaps my point is not that we should play the blame game, but rather pledge ourselves, in whatever capacity, to the struggle against poverty and hunger. We have the privilege of literacy and access to the World Wide Web; why not try using it for something real?

Flab ads are the pits October 14, 2008

It doesn’t matter which site I visit, be it the Google homepage or my Facebook profile, everywhere I scroll there are pointed questions about my flabby tummy. While the adverts are obviously not directed to me only, I was terribly insulted when I arrived at a food news page only to be asked: why is your tummy fat? Well shucks, perhaps it’s because I don’t count every calorie that passes my lips and my mantra for food is: “a moment on the lips is a lifetime of happiness.” I decided to keep my eyes open and low and behold, on almost every food site, as well as other non-food sites, there were adverts proclaiming the answers to weight loss: “five tips to lose belly fat” or “follow these 10 rules and lose 10 pounds”. It is as though advertisers believe that anyone visiting food sites must be an obese, doughnut-scoffing individual. And really, who benefits from the placements of these ads, as surely anyone who is serious about losing the tummy flab would have skipped their way to the gym or put down that last cream cheese bagel? Some advertisers are taking it even further; with certain subway cars in America carrying calorie counters, while offering up the calorie count of an apple muffin vs. a cheesy chicken burrito. Whatever happened to free will where we could choose what we ate without having to feel bad about it? I for one believe in a healthy diet and exercise, but what I don’t believe in are sponsored links that pop up while I’m trawling the Internet and proceed to tell me I’m fat and need to ditch the flab. We may not all fit into the notion that a healthy woman is a size zero woman, but we don’t need to be told without asking first. Viva the curvalicious woman, viva!

Confessions of a fussy foodie October 10, 2008

As a foodie, you would think the scope of my food repertoire is long and deep, but I must confess it’s not as impressive as it could be. Some may call me a fussy eater, but then there are those foods that I love and others hate. I love tons of veggies and strange ones too such as artichokes and asparagus, which I find most people don’t enjoy, as well as a lot of raw fish. I started thinking about all the foods I don’t particularly fancy when I came across a Monthly Mouthful question on the Chew on That website. Every month, they ask their top 10 food bloggers what foods they hate but others love. There was an array of answers from chocolate to oysters, cakes to blue cheese and even marshmallows “in their virgin state”. Friends and acquaintances are always shocked when I turn down an offering of mango, watermelon or paw-paw. “How can you not love mango?” people always ask in an exasperated tone. The same goes for grapefruit, melons and bananas. I am convinced that my aversion to fruit developed as a result of my mother trying to force-feed banana to me as my first solid food. No Gerber purity steps for me; it was undiluted, mashed up banana served on a hard spoon instead of milk from a bottle. I can’t help feeling slightly sorry for myself as I’m constantly made aware of my fruit-hating shortcomings and wish I could gorge on a juicy mango. But, I have read that our taste buds change as we get older, so perhaps there’s hope for me yet.

What kind of restaurant patron are you? October 6, 2008

 Hannah Howard, a New York waitress, or “server” as they call them in the land of plenty, wrote a blog about her pet peeves as a waitress and the annoying idiosyncratic behaviour of her clients. Rolling bubblegum in a cloth napkin is one, as are screaming toddlers left to run rampant around the restaurant and snapping your fingers, while yelling “Garçon!” is also a serious no-no.

This lead me to think what kind of patron I am and whether my behaviour has ever caused someone to “accidentally” drop my food on the floor and quickly mop it up with a smelly cloth. I took much delight in reading the StarChefs.com piece on restaurant etiquette and apparently there are some rules to follow about tipping, children and communication.

I occasionally find myself being over-friendly, checking name tags and saying “thank you” at least 12 times in a night, but there are those times when friendliness is not want you want.

I’ve been out to several food joints where the waitrons insist on being your best friend, and I’ve even had someone invite himself for a seat while we drank cocktails. Is it rude to not want to be friends with your waiter/ess?

One of Howard’s peeves was about names and whether or not to provide them. I feel that a waitress should tell you her name, in case you need to ask for the bill or complain about poor service, but what I don’t agree with is Howard’s assertion that her clients should tell her their names and become “friends for life”. Perhaps I’m a food snob, but as one comment stated: “I came there to dine with friends, not make new ones.” While this may seem a little on the harsh side, I see no reason why you should have to introduce yourself to your waitress. I usually dine out to escape the realities of life and my understocked fridge, so surely having to worry about the niceties and dos and don’ts of polite conversation with your waitress is unnecessary?

Why teenage vegans are entertaining October 2, 2008

I have just discovered why Allie B’s blog on life as a vegan is my favourite. Allie, at the tender age of 16 and a size 0, wrote a long piece on why fat people hate thin people and how the models in the Dove campaign are overweight. I very nearly snorted out my delicious camembert cracker. Here is a girl who isn’t afraid to tell the world exactly what she thinks and while her opinions are limited by her restricted life experience, she has a strong opinion that is easy to relate to.

While reading this particular blog, I found myself questioning what on earth gave this girl the audacity to air such an opinion. I decided to read through the 32 comments that were posted and found an array of angry, agreeable and downright bitchy comments that incited an antagonistic response from our dear teenage vegan. I was enthralled. I read each comment and retort with such vigour, I was afraid of getting blog whiplash and straining my eyes. While this was just one example of a particularly controversial topic, I find myself reading through blogs from as far back as February, eagerly reading what this young girl has to say.

Her writing style is simple, yet savvy and her no-nonsense attitude towards veganism and animal rights is admirable in a girl of her age. Perhaps I relate to the blog so affectionately because she reminds me of myself when I was 16 and getting hot under the collar about animal rights and vegetarianism, and yes, I am only 22, but university does a lot to pull the idealistic rug from under one’s feet.

I am impressed by the extensive coverage of topics that Allie deals with. These include Sarah Palin’s anti-animal campaign, important supplements for a vegan, as well as recipes, tips, quotes and video postings that are all related to veganism and animal-rights. While the content can stray into fuzzy territory i.e. I’m not too sure what anorexia has to do with veganism, it’s varied enough to maintain reader interest, as well as break-up what would be a text-heavy blog, with photos and attention-grabbing material.

Overall, Allie B’s blog is a must-read for anyone that’s ever been/is a vegan and for individuals who hold animal rights close to their heart. Her blog is fun, easy to read and provides links to other relevant and noteworthy sites, as well as top vegan blogs and animal rights websites.

Time to eat! October 1, 2008

Cherry tomatoes, blood oranges, basil, Camembert and cream cheese drizzled in sweet chilli sauce are a must-have for any stylish entree

Why cheese can be dangerous September 30, 2008

My year-long obsession with the most delectable cheese of them all, Camembert, stooped to a record low this past weekend.

On Saturday, I was invited to a picnic of wine and cheese, hosted by the Wine Society at Rhodes University. After many a glass of expensive Sauvignon Blanc and generous servings of what can only be described as heaven wrapped in mould, I spotted a lone packet of Brie lying on the floor. I picked it up, dusted it off and approached someone I had just seen snuffling Camembert into his pocket. In my most endearing voice, I pleaded with him to swap my dusty and soiled Brie for his pristine packet of Camembert. He replied saying that he preferred the latter and that Brie was not really his thing. He must have spotted my crestfallen face and disappointed expression, as he quickly said I could have it. Without skipping a heartbeat, I snatched the celestial green cardboard box that held my one true obsession. What makes this tale of mine even more morally reprehensible is the fact that I did not feel even a twinge of guilt and knew that whatever divine force was out there would agree with me: Camembert cheese is worth killing a man, or at least stealing it from him.

Imagine my delight when reading up on my (un)savoury infatuation that Camembert is not as fatty as the box tells you. I nearly squealed with delight when I read Parisgirl’s latest find and quickly went out to spend a hefty R15 on a box and proceeded to melt half of it over cherry tomatoes and basil on toast – pure bliss I tell you. For those of you interested in stepping over into the dark-side of Camembert addiction, check out this recipe for deep-fried camembert. I recommend it with fig jam and slices of pear, but I warn you, like Heroin it does not take long for it to develop into a fully-fledged addiction, which may have you shivering in a corner until your next hit of cheesy delight.