Target stores were busted for advertising Silk Soymilk as Organic even through Dean Foods which makes the stuff switched from Organic to Non-Organic Soybeans in 2009. Now a lot of consumers who want to go chemical free just kept purchasing their Silk without knowing what they were doing because they simply don’t check the labels every time (and nowadays you have to check them every time). And apparently Target has the same problem. They were advertising this Silk stuff as organic because they used an old photo in their ads. Sheesh! The complete AP Story is linked [...click to contimue reading...]
Oct 082009
We kick off this series with a head to head competition of Organic Popcorn vs. Non-Organic Popcorn. Now as you know, popcorn is a fantastic snack, good for you and good nutrition. I like it’s taste, it’s mouth-feel… even making it is fun. My personal preference is the air popper…easy, no mess and no fat.. plus no saucepan to clean. But, like most natural foods Popcorn has been messed with. With popcorn you have your usual problems of modern mass production methods of spraying, fertilizing etc. which may be “not-good”. Let me put it this way, I just don’t want [...click to contimue reading...]
Jul 312009
Chicken breast is one of those staples for people who want low calories, high protein and great taste. But getting a great seared chicken breast that’s not loaded down with added fat isn’t all that common. Don’t get me wrong, the typical chicken breast is OK, but it just doesn’t knock your sox off. Anyway, here’s how we do it… First, get yourself some FRESH, Organic, Free-Range Chicken. … Expensive yes, but great food simply starts with great ingredients. Now if money’s really tight go ahead and buy your manufactured chicken (eye roll). Next, just trim off the fat and [...click to contimue reading...]
Sep 252008
Had a Rice Cake emergency yesterday (was headed to the beach for a run and realized that I forgot the rice cakes that go along with the crossword puzzle for the essential cool-down/goofing off period that follows). So I headed down to the supermarket to buy a non-organic substitute. Anyway, after the run and a quick dip in the ocean I sat down with my puzzle and cakes. .. And the first thing I noticed was that these non-conventional ones were thicker. They were also pretty pale looking vs the organic ones which have a nice brown freckling. Took [...click to contimue reading...]
Aug 292008
When most people think french fries they think of their favorite fast food place. Or a half step up would be restaurant fries. Now I’ve had both and both are lousy. The typical problem is that they are over-greased, tasteless and old. The old French cooking maxim of getting food immediately from the pan to the plate (à la minute) is something missing with the fries (and most other things in restaurants to be honest). So until someone outlaws the heat lamp and makes cooking with caring & love a requirement we’ll have to do this ourselves. [...click to contimue reading...]
I like having some food in the frig that’s delish, natural and convenient. One of my favorites is this little veggie medley I came up with. Cook up a bowl-full and store in the frig for good food/fast food. The recipe is like Summer, loose and easy .. add what you like, deep six what you don’t, until you get your unique flavor combo that’s right for you. Here’s one of the variations modestly called Theo’s Veggie Medley… Shopping list: 1 Medium Organic Rutabaga 2 Medium Organic Yellow Onions 1 Bulb (not clove!) of Organic [...click to contimue reading...]
Over the past few months my diet has been transitioning to being closer to vegetarian than anything else. And this is a smart thing given it’s effects of lowering cholesterol and increasing physical and mental energy. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ll still enjoy non-vegetarian cooking from time to time (and if I’m going to have something non-vegetarian I make sure that it’s an outstanding party in my mouth. .. Hamburger helper need not apply). However, one of the challenges of eating this way is making certain you are getting an adequate intake of protein (you need to consult with your nutritionist or [...click to contimue reading...]
Jul 062008
Was doing some smoothie experimentation yesterday and came up with one that tastes like this creamy, evil, delicious milk shake kind of thing. Anyway the key is that it’s non-dairy, no gluten, high protein, high vitamins and very low cholesterol. Here goes: Shopping List: 1 Cup of No-Fat or Low Fat Vanilla Flavored Yogurt 1 1/2 Cups of Mixed Fresh Strawberries, Blueberries and Pineapple (make sure you get a real pineapple and not open a can of something that was grown over 2 years ago) 1 Cup of Soy Milk Note that all ingredients as well as the glass jar of your [...click to contimue reading...]
Well, back from the no-blog vacation (like blogging about food is something I needed a vacation from). Anyway goofed off for a number of weeks, met some incredible people and just up’d everything by two levels. .. It’s been a very, very nice couple of weeks. Anyway, back to Soy Milk. This is West Soy’s brand. One of those beverage products that comes in a box that needs no refrigeration.. And this is nice especially if you’re roughing it with a backpack in the middle of nowhere. It has this plastic tab kind of thing with a [...click to contimue reading...]
May 232008
I could go into all the facts about how coffee once out of the roaster starts it’s slide down the slippery slope towards staleness and un-drinkability.. A horror show for the taste buds actually. … We have oxidation going on, flavor compounds degrading to the point where they’ve become extinct in your beans, flatness.. etc. etc. So like everything in cooking .. Fresh is Truely Best. But that being said, it all depends upon your logistics as well. For instance, you have a problem if you’re driving an hour every day to get fresh coffee right from your favorite [...click to contimue reading...]
