ScotteeM

It may not be possible or practical for most of us to obtain our food exclusively from local, organic, sustainable sources. But even getting some of it from these sources helps support those farmers. One point I've gotten from Pollan's book so far is that the local, organic, sustainably farmed foods are not extremely expensive--it's the factory farmed foods that are so cheap. Just as we Americans have been used to cheap gasoline, we're used to cheap food. Cathal makes an important point, which is that we don't see the money that we each pay through our taxes to subsidize farmers who grow corn (and soy?) in the US. That economy has nothing to do with supply and demand, and everything to do with abundant supply at ever-lower prices. The companies that purchase the corn and soybeans to process into "food" products pay an unnatural price for the raw products because the US government pays the farmers the difference between some price that the government has established and what the companies pay the farmers. In fact, many, if not most, of these corn farmers cannot support themselves solely by growing corn. Many have jobs like truck-driving to support them, or family members who work outside of the farm to support the family. Instead of growing less corn as the price goes down, the farmers are driven to grow even more corn. The price doesn't fluctuate based on the supply. In growing more and more corn on the same tract of land, the land itself has become depleted and addicted to chemicals. The corn itself has been selectively bred or genetically engineered to support this addiction, in the form of "Roundup-Ready corn" that can be sprayed with pesticides without suffering "ill effects" itself.

I haven't finished the book, but so far I'm reading facts, and not preaching. So far he hasn't told me, the reader, what I should be doing. I'm making my own informed decisions. I agree that most people are concerned with taste, and are "addicted to" the taste of corn-fed beef, pork, and chicken. I think folks are more concerned with price, and that is where our true addiction is, culturally, in terms of food. I appreciate that many people cannot afford to source their food from local sustainable organic farms. That's part of Pollan's point--the cheap corn has produced cheap food to which we as a culture are now addicted. Is he really postulating that everyone in the country must turn to local, sustainably farmed, humanely raised food sources? I may not be able to derive all of my food from local organic sustainable sources, but at least I can get some or most of it that way. I'd think the free-range chicken from Bresse might be a day or two older than the one from Loudoin County, and yes, you might taste a difference. But then again, maybe not. The information I've gotten so far does speak directly to the foie gras issue. Corn-fed beef cattle in feed lots are not really different from the ducks fed corn to fatten their livers. Corn is not a natural food for cattle or ducks. It produces artifically excessive fat content in the animal. Corn-fed cattle would not survive much beyond the age at which they are slaughtered--that's how unhealthy the corn-based diet is for them. Keeping in mind that the ducks are not literally force-fed, but are trained through positive reinforcement to accept the gavage, there is little difference between their lives and those of feed-lot cattle (or hogs).

I've just taken a crash course in raw milk. Boy was I ignorant and misinformed! First, to the issue of refrigeration: Raw milk, whether from cows, goats, or humans, contains properties that have an antimicrobial effect. This effect is stronger at body temperature than at refrigerator temperature. In other words, raw milk, intentionally contaminated with campylobacter for a study, killed the bacteria faster when maintained at body temperature than when refrigerated, although it still killed the bacteria at refrigerator temperature. Pasteurization destroys this effect. So there goes my concern about the Amish farmer not refrigerating his milk! I've also learned that, with proper sanitation, there is no greater risk of contamination in raw milk, and in fact some conventional dairy farmers can be a little lax in their sanitation practices, figuring that pasteurization will kill all the germs. There are documented benefits in raw milk over pasteurized milk that might outweigh the risks, which are documented to be minimal. Drinking raw milk seems to be dramatically less risky than eating raw fruits and vegetables, for example. It is possible to maintain sanitary conditions that render raw milk at least as safe, if not safer, than pasteurized milk, and the health benefits might push the balance in favor of raw milk. Pasteurization destroys more than contaminants--it kills many of the beneficial aspects of milk as well. There are a few states that allow retail sales of raw milk products, and some that even support it. There are other states that allow the importation of raw milk products for retail sale. There are still others, like Virginia, that allow consumers to purchase shares of dairy cattle and receive their milk unpasteurized. Honestly, if I thought I'd be living in this area long enough to make the commitment, I'd buy a share in a cow to get raw milk. As it is, one of my many considerations in selecting a destination for my retirement may well be that locale's policy regarding raw milk.

My husband had a good experience at Butterfield 9 during the last RW, for lunch.

That is correct, according to my reading on the issue. Some dairies that provide unpasteurized milk have been accused of contamination, but these cases have not been proven. This is one of those issues that is clouded by misinformation and misplaced fears, IMO.

Chef Fabio was on the Fox morning news this morning. I recorded the 7-9 show, but didn't set it to record the 6-7 show, and they did a segment in that one, too. The morning news posts their videos on the website, and here's the link to the page with the Fabio videos. I can't watch them at work--no flash. But those of you who can, enjoy!

Hey, Carol, Welcome! Looks like we did the changing of the guard. I left Philadelphia in 1977, after growing up and getting married there. My sister and her husband are in the business in the Montgomery County suburbs. I look forward to more posts from you. Just one question: What kind of cheese do you prefer on your Philly cheese steaks?

Apparently, he dined on some less than fresh geoduck, and is hallucinating. It happens. It's not pretty. But there you are. He'll recover and be back to normal shortly.

I don't think any of us disagrees with you on this point. It wasn't your message, but the delivery of it that caused some of us to take umbrage.

I did, but unfortunately didn't realize that auto-delete was in effect, so I lost the first one. I still have the second one, and if I can figure out how to wire my DVR to my DVD/R, I can copy it to a disk. Working on it. I do have my DVR set to record the third one tonight, and I'm making sure it won't auto-erase. Does anyone have the first installment on disk?

Chef Hagedorn, Thank you for posting. I see that you've been a member since last October, so I'd say it is fair to expect you to know that this is a forum where consumers and providers can gather to discuss eating and cooking, whether in restaurants or at home. The two primary principles in participating in this forum are, IMO, to make nice as much as possible and to never triple space. Click here to read instructions on triple spacing. Chica Grace's comments were somewhat harsh, given the context of a new restaurant with an even newer executive chef. The good news is that, in the context of the whole thread, a reader would recognize that and take it into account. Better than smacking her down to teach her never to post negative comments (or post at all) would be to ask questions for clarification of her criticisms. We've recently had extensive discussion on the forum about negative remarks, and the participants have agreed in principle that negative reviews have a place as long as they are not the product of personal vendetta or general churlishness. I will close by saying that I love toasted pine nuts, especially as a garnish to pesto sauce. Yum!

"Silverbeet" is another name for chard, in places that aren't the US. left click

Radish greens are delicious, steamed or sauteed with a little garlic. We like to slice up radishes, sautee them in butter, and then add the greens to slightly cook them.

Tonight part 3 of this series will air on the 10 o'clock news.

Tonight on the Channel 5 10 o'clock news, Chef Fabio Trabocchi will be featured again in part 3 of "Secrets of a Superchef."

WooHooo!

Michelle, Try Wegmans. My husband has twice in recent weeks brought home outstandingly fresh and delicious soft shells from the Fairfax Wegmans, for relatively reasonable prices. I've also had good experiences with their mussels, being fresher than anywhere else I've tried, including WF. I haven't tried too much of their finned fish, because I've been a little put off by the pre-cut portions, but I think that one can ask for larger pieces from the back. I've been very impressed with the freshness of the products I've purchased there. I would hope that the Sterling store has the same standards. [edited to add:] Call ahead, because they don't always have soft shells.

Tonight, an easy dinner for one: Steamed Dungeness Crab* Steamed corn on the cob Steamed artichoke Garlic lemon butter *Labeled "Vancouver Crabs" today at the Great Wall, they were $5.99/lb. I was looking over my shoulder for security guards after I paid for my crab and left the store--I felt like I stole it! [and with that, I am a Hammerhead!]

From the Washington Post Thursday Home section: After the Rains, a Mushroom Boom

My husband and I had lunch at Ice House Cafe (in Herndon) for the first time today, on our way to dropping him off at Dulles Airport. It's a very convenient spot for that, being about 15 minutes' drive from the airport. We both had one of their soups du jour: gazpacho with a pile of lump crabmeat in the center of the shallow bowl. It was refreshing, and the lump crab was very good quality, but was overwhelmed by the spiciness of the soup. Although I am genetically predisposed to think cilantro tastes like soap, (and didn't know what cilantro was doing on gazpacho anyway,) I enjoyed the soup. I had the salad du jour: steak on a bed of mixed greens, with roasted brie (?) and bleu cheese dressing. The steak was perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned. I really enjoyed the house-made bleu cheese dressing. My husband had the Havana pork loin sandwich. He said he liked it very much, but would probably try something different next time. Service was friendly, professional, and unobtrusive. We'll definitely make a return visit next time we are heading for Dulles.

I'll make a note of that! Tonight we had Cibola Farms spareribs, which were delicious in spite of the excess of black pepper in my rub, along with steamed corn on the cob and broccoli, oven-roasted potatoes in chimichurri sauce, and grilled eggplant Graziella style (Fabio's recipe), which was fabulous.

Great! Thanks for the nightmares I'm going to have tonight because of this thread!

Last night we had grilled sweetbreads with chimichurri sauce (Gourmet May '06, and on Epicurious.com), grilled corn on the cob, and steamed rainbow chard. It was our first attempt at grilling sweetbreads, and we really enjoyed them.

My bad! I didn't see you winking. The lamb issue sounds like a good assignment for a research project. Please keep us informed!

So now I have to go all the way in to Clarendon! Hope she gets big enough to come out to Burke soon.