June 2008 Archives

The New York Times ran an interesting Sunday Magazine cover story on the population crisis facing many European countries. 

In Italy, for example, a small Southern Italian town has instituted a "baby bonus:"

"...in 2003 Falivena let it be known he would pay 10,000 euros (about $15,000) for every woman -- local or immigrant, married or single -- who would give birth to and rear a child in the village. The "baby bonus," as he calls it, is structured to root new citizens in the town: a mother gets 1,500 euros when her baby is born, then a 1,500-euro payment on each of the child's first four birthdays and a final 2,500 euros the day the child enrolls in first grade."

How would you feel if a particular government paid you to make babies?  Would you oblige or be insulted (come on now, be a good patriot!).

I went to see M. Night Shyamalan's new film The Happening and was pleasantly surprised.   Shyamalan's critics have been harsh over the last few years and The Happening wasn't an exception (as the film has received a lukewarm reception thus far).

Nevertheless, Shyamalan delivered a Hitchcock-like film which included same wonderful tension, horror, and well placed humor.

Go and see The Happening, but don't read the review until you've formulated your own opinion.  Here's the trailer:

Sometimes all you really need to get you through the day is a really good sandwich!  My sandwich ingredients change constantly and usually map directly to whatever leftovers are in the fridge.  Here's a quick recipe for the sandwich I put together today:

• Grilled chicken breast
• Red onion
• Tomato
• Fresh Basil
• Olive Oil
• Prosciutto di Parma
• Whole Grain Bread (sliced)
• Gruyere Cheese

Start by toasting the whole grain bread just a bit and thereafter removing from your toaster oven.  Thereafter, prepare the chicken by slicing it thin and placing it on one side of the toasted bread.  On the same side, place the gruyere on top of the chicken slices and toast until the cheese is melted.  Remove the bread with melted cheese and chicken from the toaster and place a single piece of Prosciutto di Parma on top of the melted cheese and meat (no need to heat the Prosciutto).  On the other side of the toasted bread place the thinly sliced red onion, tomato, shredded basil, salt, pepper, and olive oil.  Finally, press the two sides of the sandwich together and cut on the diagonal.  Enjoy the sandwich with a nice Belgian White (beer) like Long Trail Belgian White.  Long Trail Belgian is the perfect summer beer and goes very well with simple foods like sandwiches

I recently went through a stack of old photos my mother had laying around and scanned a few to post. The photos are all taken in the Province of Calabria (Southern Italy). 

Calabria was, and continues to be, a poor region (by northern Italian standards), however the people tend to lead happy lives.  From a culinary perspective, Calabrians tend to consume:

• swordfish
• sardines
• cod (Baccalà)
• pork
• lamb
• goat
• eggplant
• chili pepper
• Lemon
• Fruit (pears, peach, cactus pears, mulberry, etc.)

From a production and economic perspective, there's not much going on.  Tourism, however, is a key industry as is the production of pottery.

Photos of Calabria One

Photos of Calabria Two

In my view, David Brooks is one of the preeminent op-ed writes in the US.  Brooks constantly gets "it" right and his latest piece, "The Great Seduction", published on June 10 in the New York Times talks about the startling economic reality in the US. 

Here's snip it from the piece: "a typical US household with income under $13,000 spends, on average, $645 a year on lottery tickets, about 9 percent of all income!"  Read the full article here and then go and read some his books, including "Bobos in Paradise", "On Paradise Drive"

For another interesting take on US culture and community see Putnam's brilliant book, "Bowling Alone."

A recent New York Time Sunday Magazine article (and video) got me thinking about whether it's practical to share all responsibilities as a married couple and my initial gut reaction is NO and here's why: not all individuals have equal skill sets (yes you can use skill set when talking about a marriage).  Just like a typical corporation, getting things done is about specialization and efficiency and not "sharing equally."  So, as a married person who is not very efficient at doing the laundry I stay away from using the washing machine, folding clothes, and ironing.  However, as a master cleaner, floor washer, duster, window washer, landscaper, sweeper, etc., I tend to understand what I'm good at and contribute to the practical side of the marriage more efficiently.  Now, we're currently without children so our workload hasn't reached unmanageable proportions but I suspect once the little humans arrive we'll naturally gravitate towards what tasks we're good at completing quickly and with quality.

In sum, don't let the above article fool you, there's no such thing as "equally shared parenting"; marriages, like corporations, align people with their skill set and focus on specialization and efficiency (and the good companies or parents produce high quality products as well, be it a smart and cared for child or a fancy widget).  What do you think?

I've always been a fan of This Old House and my fondness for the show even pre-dates the purchase of "our old house!"  Recently, our deck needed some repair (railing, step, and gate work) and we consulted a local carpenter who bid on our project and came in a bit high on the estimate.  So in turn I think I'll be handeling most of the deck repair work myself!

I was inspired by this recent This Old House segment.

I recently headed to a local pizza joint for a large pie (half mushrooms, half pepper) and when the bill came over I almost threw hot pepper flakes at the owner!  The price of the large pie was $21.95.

I calmly made my way over to the cashier's desk and politely asked the owner's wife to please do something about the bill because clearly a error was made.  To my surprise, Mrs. PizzaWomen told me there was no mistake and that they usually charge an additional "sitting fee" if the pizza is consumed in the restaurant (as opposed to take out).  This is where I almost lost it, however I kept my cool and politely said (in Italian of course), "please do something about the bill and bring down the price because I refuse to pay $21.95 for a slightly above average pie."  A few minutes later (and after returning to my seat) the waitress came back to our table and the final price of the pie was reduced by $4.00 to $17.95 (still a complete rip off). 

So, at the end of the day I decided that 1., I'll never return to the above pizza shop and 2., I'm making pizza dough and freezing it (so I'll always be 30 minutes away from the perfect pizza with fresh tomato sauce, whole milk mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano, and fresh basal).

Curse you overpriced NJ pizza joint!  Oh, here's the recipe for the perfect pizza dough:

• Single packet of dry yeast
•  3 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 cup of warm water
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

First combine all of the wet ingredients and yeast, thereafter add the sugar, salt, and flour and mix well (you can mix the dough by hand but a KitchenAid Mixer works well).  Let the dough rest for about an hour or until it doubles in size (place a towel over the bowl and place in over without turning it on).  Here's a picture of my Nonna Rosa mixing dough by hand:

Who wants to cook when the temperature outside is nearly 100 degrees?  I certainly don't want to fire up my stove, so why not whip up a batch of hummus:

• 1 can (large) of chickpeas (save some of the water from the can)
• 1 half lemon (squeeze for lemon juice)
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil (1/2 cup)
• Tahini Paste (2/3 cup)
• 1-2 cloves of garlic

Set up your Cuisinart mixer and add garlic and pulse until the garlic is nicely minced.  Next, add your chickpeas (without water) and tahini and get your mixer going on automatic.  Add the olive, salt, and lemon juice.  If the mixture is too thick, then add some of the chickpea liquid. 

NOTE: The key to hummus (as is the case with any recipe) is to constantly taste the mixture!

The NY Times recently ran an article on the age old debate of whether cell phones cause cancer.  The most shocking info to come out of the article concerns three prominent neuroscientists who all claim not to hold their cell phones to their ear!

The Dow Jones average fell almost 317 points today on mere speculation that the state of Israel was going to attack Iran.  The drop is most likely associated with the rise in crude oil prices; specifically to the fact that oil skyrocketed $10.75 in a single day (to $138 a barrel!).  The $10.75 increase is the largest single day increase in history!   

For the 3rd time in recent history it will be Nadal vs Federer at the 2008 French Open.  The odds are with Nadal who is a 3x champion at Roland Garros even though Federer is the world's number 1 players and winner of 12 Grand Slam titles (none which include the French).

The match is scheduled for Sunday June 8th at 9:00 AM EST on NBC, so tune in to see if Federer can finally beat Nadal on clay!

Want to understand the anatomy of a serve then see this video from Professor Bruce Elliot.

...well, maybe next to the Joy of Cooking.  Nevertheless, Roast Chicken and Other Stories should be positioned within easy reach on your kitchen bookshelf!

The book is full of practical recipes/food ideas such as:

• You guessed it, Roast Chicken
• Salad Nicoise
• Smoked Haddock
• Leg of Lamb
• Olive Oil Mash Potatoes

The US version of the book (hardcover) is also very nicely put together (nice cover, paper stock, etc.).

I love Mahi Mahi and as a firm flesh fish it can really be prepared in a multitude of ways: broiled, fried, baked, etc.  Typically, Mahi Mahi is sold in thicker portions, so I like to prepare the fish Ceviche style, but then I go ahead and sear the fish to finish the cooking (unlike thinner seafood, the acid in the lime juice would not cook the Mahi Mahi well enough).  Try the following recipe tonight and you won't be disappointed:

• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 half red onion, finely diced
• 1 bunch parsley, finely diced
• 2 whole limes, juiced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the above ingredients and poor into a large zip lock bag.  Add your Mahi Mahi pieces (if the meat is too thick feel free to slice it in half) and make sure to remove any excess air from the zip lock bag when sealing it.  Refrigerate the fish for 1.5 - 2 hours.

After the fish finishes marinating remove it from the bag and wipe off any excess liquid with a clean paper towel (you don't want the fish to steam).  Thereafter, add olive to the fish along with a bit more salt and pepper (rub oil and seasoning into fish).  I like to sear the fish via an outdoor grill, but if you don't have access to a grill a grill plan works fine.  If your fire is hot and your fish is not very thick then go ahead and grill the fish for about 1-2 minutes on each side.

That's it!

I like to eat consistently throughout the day as opposed to 1 or 2 large meals.  In other words, I like to start my day with black coffee (no milk) and a bit of sugar along with some hi fiber / hi protein organic cereal (such as Kashi's Autumn Wheat) and soy milk.  My typical lunch is usually a left over from the previous night's dinner along with a soy yogurt and fruit.  Dinner varies but it usually includes fish (wild salmon, flounder, mahi mahi, cod, etc.), a green (like swiss chard, broccoli, romaine lettuce, escarole, etc.) and a small starch (at times some sweet potatoes, brown rice, etc.).

In terms of "easting consistently" I mean snacking of course; here are some of my favorites:

• Raw almonds
• Raw Walnuts
• Dried Figs
• Dried Prunes
• Peanuts (low salt)
• Triscuits (low salt)
• Dark Chocolate Covered Raisins
• Fruit (banana, grapes, peach, apple, orange, - whatever is in season)

Snacking throughout the day is not an excuse to eat constantly but rather whenever you are hungry.

The typical American style coleslaw doesn't exactly do it for me (though the idea is sound), try the following for a tastier and healthier version:

First the ingredients:

• 1 organic cabbage
• 1 golden delicious apple
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1 red onion
• 1 baby spinach (organic)
• 4-5 sun dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 red wine vinegar
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 dash of thyme
• 1 dash of dried oregano

Shred the cabbage as thinly as possible with a large chef's knife and thereafter do the same with the apple and onion.  In a large bowl add olive oil, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and vinegar and whisk.  Combine all ingredients and let sit in the refrigerator for about 1 hour prior to serving.  NOTE: adjust salt if your sun dried tomatoes contain lots of salt.