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Fresh Greens - July 2008

admin — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:42:14 -0500

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by TRISH KELLY

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Though soup isn’t normally a mainstay of summer menus, once you’ve tasted Happy Planet’s new line of natural and organic soups, you’ll be looking for any excuse to pick them up. For instance, you can throw a pot of Berkeley Butternut Squash on the stove and, while it’s heating, call the family back east and rub it in about the line’s exclusive West Coast launch. That means you’ll have two months of delicious lunches behind you before HP’s Moroccan Chick Pea, Armenian Red Lentil, and other choices hit the rest of Canada in September. Other good reasons to pick them up include their low-sodium, low-fat content, and the promise that small batches produced in the HP “souperie” (the cutest franglais word ever to make it out of Quebec, by the way) will keep the flavours fresh and vibrant. happyplanet.com

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If you aren’t lucky enough to call the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood home, taking the kids to the PNE is a great excuse to visit one of my neighbourhood haunts: the Schokolade Café at 2263 E. Hastings. Not only will you find a wide variety of artisan chocolates made with B.C. produce including blueberries, raspberries, and hazelnuts, but the Black Hole Milkshake (with 70 per cent cocoa), will thrill you the way the Corkscrew at Playland did before you discovered cocoa nibs. Alternatively, if you feel like putting the kids to work, Schokolade offers chocolate-making workshops throughout July and August for children ages 5 to 12. And let’s be honest: that’s a skill set you’re bound to appreciate way more than finger painting or macaroni art. schokoladecafe.com

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Trish Kelly lives and eats in Vancouver. She believes in dark chocolate, recipe swapping, and the magic of a corkscrew. At her request, SharedVISION donates Trish’s writer’s fee to a local food-focused nonprofit organization. This month, two children in the Kiwassa Neighbourhood House’s Breakfast Club for Kids program (www.kiwassa.bc.ca) will receive scholarships to Schokolade Café’s chocolate-making workshop.

The Demise of the Kitchen Table

admin — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 01:48:09 -0500

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And why sit-down meals matter

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by DON GENOVA

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The kitchen table of my youth was Formica-topped, decorated with intricate swirls of colour typical of the early 1960s. Nestled into the corner of our kitchen, a heavy metal pedestal kept it upright, and an L-shaped, faux-leather upholstered bench surrounded it.
Every evening at five we gathered there for dinner. My dad would be anchored firmly in one corner, with my brother on his left, me on his right, my sister beside me, and my mother in the lone wooden chair, so she could access the stove.
At night, after the dishes had been washed and dried, the table was where I did my homework. In the summer it became the base of operations for my mother’s canning and preserving. In the winter it was where the Christmas baking cooled. My father always sat at that table to write out the cheques to pay our bills.
In a way, the kitchen table was the heart of our family, where we compared days at work and school, made plans, and of course had the occasional argument. Unfortunately, the kitchen table is a much less important component of many homes these days. Now we have elaborate islands, glamorous dining rooms, or breakfast nooks. In place of the good old kitchen table, designers now flaunt tiny kitchen “office” areas, complete with internet connection, bookshelves, and corkboards. (The corkboards are a place to leave notes for each other, since today’s families may cross paths only a few times during the day.)
The sit-down family dinner just may be a thing of the past. Entrepreneur.com recently reported a couple of sad statistics on its “Trends” page:
Roughly 25 per cent of all meals eaten at night in America are eaten in a restaurant.
–“What, When and Where Americans Eat,” January 2006
The number of meals purchased in a restaurant and eaten in a car is 32 per person per year, up from 19 in 1985.
–NPD Group, November 2005
Although these are American studies, there’s no reason to believe it’s any different here in Canada, judging by the number of fast-food restaurants—many with drive-throughs—that populate our towns and cities.
The downside of eating out, eating in our cars, and not gathering around that kitchen table is the effect on our families. Less family time around the table can have harmful consequences for kids. A 2004 University of Minnesota study found that the more frequently children ate with their parents, the less likely they were to smoke, drink, use marijuana, or show signs of depression. Girls were also less likely to do badly in school—or to think about, or try, committing suicide.
Ironically, a recent study shows rising fuel prices may contribute to the family’s return to the kitchen table. A 2007 report by the NPD Group found that “Coinciding with the rise in gas prices, there has been a slowdown in per capita visits to restaurants. Consumers report going out to eat less, especially at casual dining and family-style restaurants. Instead, they say they are opting to eat at home more, citing ‘cheaper prices’ as the primary factor.”
Too bad it’s not because they want to spend more time together eating as a family!
But some people are doing it right. My neighbours across the street don’t have a table in the kitchen, but they use the large table in the dining room for all meals, homework, crafts, and other family projects.
As for me, this summer I’m having a wall knocked out of our kitchen to connect it to the rest of the living and dining space in that part of the house. There won’t be a table in the kitchen, but I’m hoping
the island I’m having constructed will function in much the same way as did the kitchen table of old. There’ll be lots of room for people to eat and work at it, and stools so they can sit together and chat as I’m chopping and cooking.
Still, I wish I knew where that Formica table was now. It wouldn’t fit in with my new decor, but I’d pull it out for big gatherings, and will the spirit of all those dinners (and homework assignments, and bill-paying sessions) over all those years to flow over my family and friends.
Don Genova is renovating his kitchen this summer. His wife has graciously agreed to let him make most of the decisions, which should make both of them very happy. Watch their progress at blog.dongenova.com/kitchen_and_bath_renovations/.

Cuisine Curses and Cures

admin — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:46:30 -0500

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Healthy kitchen hexes from our friendly kitchen witch

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by MEGHAN HANRAHAN

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At night I prepare my kitchen for the witching hour. My ingredients await: a bowl of dried black beans, a tray of alfalfa seeds, and a jar of tomato paste with whey, garlic, and maple syrup. All must be prepared for their journey to the other side. I add water to the beans, rinse the seeds, and tighten the lid on the paste to keep out any air. Bewitched with the possibility of transformation, I fall asleep.

Beneath the veil of night the beans awake, their sleeping nutrients charmed out of hiding and into wild bioavailability. The alfalfa seeds grow tails. The red paste looks unchanged, though an energetic charge surrounds the jar. By morning, ordinary food has become extraordinary food. Fortunately, this kitchen witchcraft doesn’t involve dancing naked, or adding a pinch of eye of newt. In fact, it’s so easy, anybody can do it.

Kitchen witchcraft, or traditional methods of food preparation, is gastronomic wisdom passed down through the ages. Soaking, sprouting, and lacto-fermentation are techniques employed by kitchen sages to preserve and/or produce food with enhanced taste and nutrition. Given the right incantations, one can even raise food from the dead. Imagine spreading ketchup revitalized with enzymes on your burger! Keep reading; I promise to reveal the spell.

Level one witchcraft begins with soaking. Grains, beans, nuts, and seeds benefit greatly from spending the night underwater. All plant seeds have what we call, in nutritional jargon, antinutrients. Antinutrients are components of food that interrupt the course of nourishment. Phytic acid is one example. Found in the outer hull of all seeds, phytic acid blocks the absorption of minerals such as calcium, zinc, and iron. Unless neutralized through soaking, sprouting, or fermenting, phytic acid can cause mineral deficiencies.

My initiation to kitchen witchcraft began with soaking brown rice. Soaking puts a charm on digestibility by softening the rice’s fibre, converting starches to sugar, and improving the bioavailability of vitamins. Enzyme inhibitors, which prevent complete digestion and nourishment, are also ordered to give up the ghost. Cooking time decreases and, by morning (yes, this can happen in your kitchen while you sleep!), the spell is cast.

Sprouting is the next level of the craft, what I refer to as “kitchen gardening.”

After an overnight soak, place freshly rinsed seeds in a wide-mouth glass jar. Cover the jar with a piece of cheesecloth and secure with an elastic band. Prop the jar on an angle so any remaining liquid can fully drain. Throughout the day, the seeds need to be rinsed and drained a minimum of three times. Each seed sprouts at a different time, marked by a tadpole-like tail. This is the seed’s way of telling you it’s alive with enzymes. Left a little longer, some seeds, such as sunflower, will even grow greens.

Coaxing a seed into germination creates a higher quality source of protein, carbohydrates, and essential fatty acids (EFAs). Eaten in their sprouted form, plant seeds are alkalizing and have a cleansing effect on the body. Nutritional thrills aside, sprouting is an enchanting process. Seeds have much to reveal about the transformative powers of life. Some of my favourite things to sprout are sunflower seeds, chickpeas, and quinoa.

My latest fascination (and the unveiling of the promised spell) is fermented condiments. Traditionally, pickles and chutneys were fermented and had a nutritional function. In contrast to today’s highly processed, sugar-laden condiments, lacto-fermented condiments are full of enzymes and lactic acid, which promote complete digestion and strong immunity.

Lacto-fermentation is an artisan’s craft that produces familiar foods such as yogurt and sauerkraut. This technique relies on synergy with the invisible world of microbes. To ferment, one must harness the power of lactobacillus, also known as the “friendly bacteria,” that is ubiquitous in our environment. When conditions are right, lactobacilli pre-digest starches, fats, and proteins, and produce lactic acid as a by-product. Lactic acid, a natural preservative with a slightly sour taste, promotes healthy intestinal flora.

My most recent homebrew is ketchup. Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions cookbook provided the recipe. Using whey as an inoculant, I cajoled pasteurized tomato paste back to life. This ketchup could now impart vitality, practically revolutionizing yam fries and burgers. As for taste, my fiancé, a self-described ketchup fiend, gave his approval.

My kitchen operates in perpetual witchcraft mode. Soaking, sprouting, and fermenting are weekly rituals to ensure delicious, nutritious, and enzyme-rich food. I dare you to try this magic—the dancing naked part I leave up to you.

Meghan Hanrahan is a holistic nutritionist, educator, and writer who’s under the kitchen spell and awaiting transformation into a higher life form. Find her at nourishingartscollective.com.

Good Egg, Bad Egg

admin — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:41:11 -0500

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Learn what the labels really mean

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by MELISSA BREYER

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I really love eggs. They are versatile, rich, delicious, and uniquely nutritious. Egg protein has the right mix of essential amino acids that we need for tissue-building, and is said to be the highest quality food protein known, second only to mother’s milk.

One egg provides 22 per cent of the adult daily requirement of choline, an essential nutrient for brain and memory functions, and egg yolk is one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D. Eggs offer carotene, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, B12 and pantothenic acid, to name just a few of their important nutrients.

Granted, eggs have got a bad rep in the cholesterol department. However, an increasing body of scientific research is showing that the real offender in raising blood cholesterol levels is actually saturated fat, not cholesterol. That said, be aware that one yolk contains 1.5 grams of saturated fat.

But then there’s factory farming, which gives me the heebie-jeebies. Most conventional egg farms use confined, high-density housing, and most laying hens are caged in houses of 40,000 to 100,000 birds. I won’t go into the details of cage space per bird, but let’s just say that I won’t be buying any conventional eggs. Ever. Many conventionally caged laying hens cannot engage in many of their natural behaviours, including perching, nesting, foraging, or even spreading their wings.
On a chirpier note, the market for organic and free-roaming eggs is growing quickly, which means that more farms are transitioning to more humane production practices. Hurray for the hens! Here’s what the labels mean:

Certified Organic: Vancouver Humane Society research has determined that the most humane systems presently operating in Canada are Certified Organic Association of BC (COABC) and Pro-Cert certified organic egg production systems. Eggs certified by these two organizations are produced in higher welfare systems where hens can behave more naturally. In B.C., all BCSPCA Certified egg farms also meet certified organic standards.

Free-Range: Generally speaking, free-range eggs come from chickens who have some access to the outside, depending on the weather. They may or may not have litter in which to scratch and dust-bathe. They may or may not be overcrowded. They may or may not have access to nests and perches.

In B.C., there is also a BC Specialty Egg Certified Free-Range egg, which may have higher standards than conventional battery systems (but not as high as Pro-Cert and COABC certified organic systems or BCSPCA Certified). However, there is still no audit system in place to ensure these standards are being met.

Free-Run (or Cage-Free): Free-run eggs generally come from hens that are kept indoors in large barns. They have no access to the outdoors and may or may not have litter. They may or may not be overcrowded.¹

When selecting eggs, the bottom line is: opt for organic and/or free-range. They have less antibiotic or hormone residue and have a higher omega-3 and vitamin E content. They are a better nutritional choice, have better flavour, and are produced by farmers who generally support the use of renewable resources. And if all that’s not enough, at least consider the happiness of the hen!

Melissa Breyer is a care2.com senior editor who is trying to convince her neighbours that raising hens in her city garden would be a great idea. Reprinted with permission from care2.com.

¹ from chickenout.ca

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Fresh Greens

admin — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:00:45 -0500

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by TRISH KELLY

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When two foodies meet and fall in love, beautiful things can happen. Take the Corazon (“Heart” in español) Bar from lovebirds Marisa and Kent Goodwin-McKay. A standout from their fair-trade product line, Organic Fair, this dark chocolate treat marries vanilla from Madagascar with cacao nibs, honey, and rose essence to make the most romantic chocolate indulgence imaginable. And they had a pretty inspiring motive: Kent, who lives with Marisa on their organic farm in Cobble Hill, B.C., calls it their “wedding bar”; they dreamed up the formula for guests who attended their nuptials. Lucky folks who visit the farm (yes, it’s open to visitors) may get a chance to try Kent’s latest concoction, the “Canadiana,” a chocolate bar resplendent with the sweet grit of maple crystals and a touch of smoked sea salt. Eleven bars, a line of fine spices, plus fair-trade organic teas are available at organicfair.com.

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Grave predictions about this season’s B.C. sockeye run have some chefs hemming and hawing over whether we’ll see it on sustainable menus this season. You can still plan that special grill fest for Father’s Day, though, because the Iron Maiden Seafoods company has lots of sustainable choices on offer for barbecue season. Troll-caught pink, coho, and spring salmon will be available, as well as sashimi-quality B.C. albacore tuna, known for its low mercury content and relatively healthy stock levels. You can meet Iron Maiden owners Daryl and Gigi Egan at the Trout Lake and Kitsilano farmers’ markets this month. For info on retailers/delivery, visit wildseafoods.com.

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With kitty-corner cafés in Vancouver catering to our collective java addiction, bringing your own mug is just the sustainable thing to do—and now it can even save you a few cents. Last month, Salt Spring Coffee’s three Vancouver cafés began charging patrons a five-cent green tax whenever they bought a drink in a disposable cup. Funds collected will go towards local sustainability initiatives. Coffee drinkers who bring their own mug, on the other hand, receive a 15-cent discount. How much more motivation does a caffeine freak need? Well, Salt Spring has a few other ideas, one of them an online quiz, the Carbon Cool Challenge, that tests your global warming IQ. Developed in partnership with the Sierra Club of B.C., this game might even give Al Gore something to ponder. saltspringcoffee.com

Trish Kelly lives and eats in Vancouver. She likes gritty chocolate, green coffee, and trolling vessels named after metal bands. At her request, SharedVISION donates Trish’s freelance fee to a local food-focused non-profit organization. This month’s recipient is Pacific Salmon Foundation (psf.ca), an organization dedicated to rebuilding healthy, sustainable, and naturally diverse Pacific salmon stocks.

May Fresh Greens

admin — Thu, 01 May 2008 21:10:26 -0500

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by TRISH KELLY

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From nature walks with Andrew Weil to tasty feasts like a beachside oyster barbecue, a visit to Hollyhock, the educational retreat centre on Cortes Island, can be a life-changing experience. In the Hollyhock kitchen, a commitment to organic growing and using local ingredients whenever possible stacks the cooking philosophy with integrity. Moreka Jolar, former head chef at Hollyhock and co-author of Hollyhock Cooks: Food to Nourish Body, Mind and Soil, will host a five-day workshop called “The Passionate Cook” at the retreat this summer on meal planning, knife skills, and how to create a balanced vegetarian diet. The course is $455 (meals and accommodation extra), so start saving your pennies. And book early, because space is limited. hollyhock.ca

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Like Santa’s elves getting ready for Christmas in late November, you can bet the folks at East Vancouver Farmers Market Society are clocking late nights in preparation for the Trout Lake market, opening May 17. And, like small children, Eastside foodies are counting the sleeps—even if they got their fix all winter long thanks to the very successful Winter Farmers Market every other Saturday at the WISE Hall. But Westside folks didn’t have it so easy. And unless they’re willing to cross that magic east-west divide and journey to Trout Lake, they’ll have to wait until June 1 for the Kitsilano market to open. By then, the Riley Park market will be mere sleeps away from its opening June 4, while West End market groupies will get their first fix June 7. eatlocal.org

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Tea oil is the oil of choice in China and Japan for everything from stir-fries and tempura to setting the hair of sumo wrestlers. And now Treasure Green invites you to try its Camellia Tea Oil right here in Vancouver. High in antioxidants, tea oil also has a very high smoke point—240 C—which means it can withstand high-heat frying. It’s also believed that oils that go past their smoke point may contain more free radicals, so tea oil pulls double duty in both contributing to a smoke-free kitchen and possibly reducing your risk of cancer. So the next time you feel like cranking the blue flame for a quick stir-fry—or slicking back the hair of your favourite sumo—a bottle of Treasure Green should do the trick. Available at Whole Foods, Capers, Stong’s Market (4560 Dunbar St.), and treasuregreen.com.

Trish Kelly lives and eats in Vancouver. She likes sumo fashion, arriving to market fashionably early, and retreating with a good book. At her request, SharedVISION donates Trish’s freelance fee to a local food-focused non-profit organization. This month’s recipient is RainCity Housing and Support Society (raincityhousing.org).

Food for What?

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:59:44 -0500

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Why biofuels are tough to swallow

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by DON GENOVA

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It seems like every politician in Canada is trying to hop on the environmental bandwagon these days, making big announcements about policies that will lead us to healthier and happier lives. But as the wagon gets set to roll, it’s worth looking at what it’s carrying (aside from a few heaps of manure) and what’s inside its gas tank.

As you’ve probably noticed, the cost of food is going up, and that can make it harder for people to feed themselves. Not being able to afford good food will not make people healthy and happy. Why is the price of food going up? Well, I can’t go into the entire economics of our wacky food system here, but there are a few key factors, most of which tie into our insatiable desire to fuel our vehicles. When the price of oil goes up, the price of food goes up, because we transport so much of our food over such long distances.

Because of that need for fuel, more and more farmers are growing crops slated to become biofuels. Substituting fossil fuels with biofuels has even been mandated by the U.S. government, and the Canadian government has passed a bill that will ensure gasoline in Canada contains five per cent ethanol by 2010, and two per cent renewable fuel in diesel and heating oil by 2012.

Don’t get me wrong: I think the government should be taking steps to address pollution. But growing grains, corn, or beans for fuel instead of food just doesn’t make sense to me. It’s replacing an environmental problem with social security problems. What would make sense is to build more fuel-efficient vehicles, a more fuel-efficient food distribution system, and better transit systems to get us out of our cars. (As an aside, I’ve always wanted to stand at a downtown Vancouver intersection and ask the drivers of the SUVs stopped at the red light just how often they’ve used the four-wheel drive/off-road capabilities of their gas guzzlers.)
While rising wheat prices may be good for our prairie farmers, it isn’t without problems. We have already seen a drastic rise in the cost of flour used in our local bakeries. My local organic bakery, Mix, has had no choice but to pass the cost onto its customers, and has even taped an explanatory chart by the cash register showing the price hikes. It’s not uncommon now to pay $5 or $6 for a healthy loaf of bread. Some of us will be able to afford the increases, but for those on a budget, the challenge of eating healthy will be hard to meet.

There is one program out there sponsored by the provincial government that helps those most in need of healthy food. A pilot program involving farmers’ markets and low-income residents in Vancouver, Coquitlam, Courtenay, Kelowna, and Prince George has recently received a two-year extension. The Farmers’ Market Nutrition and Coupon Project (FMNCP) is the first of its kind in Canada. Qualifying low-income families in each community are given food coupons that can only be redeemed at local farmers’ markets.

But the program doesn’t stop at just doling out coupons. Some of the families don’t know how to get to a farmers’ market, let alone know what to buy when they get there, or how to cook the ingredients available. The program provides assistance in these areas, so that learning about the food is just as important as getting the food.

Project manager Anna Kirbyson passed on some of the good news stories from last year.

“In Vancouver, residents of the Downtown Eastside went on field trips organized by the Downtown [Eastside] Neighbourhood House to the West End Farmers Market. They bought fresh, healthy farm products that otherwise would be out of reach for them because of their limited budget. Sometimes they found out buying produce in season [at the farmers’ market] was actually cheaper than the supermarket. A number of vendors provided additional support to these families through offering double the value on the coupons.”

Kirbyson related another success story of a refugee family from the Collingwood Neighbourhood House in Renfrew that now plans weekly outings to the farmers’ market, and even lets the children use the coupons to purchase vegetables and fruits for the family’s meals.

I’ll report at a later date on some of the people going through this year’s program. For now, it gives me hope that more policy-makers will recognize that those most in need of the “food” we grow are not the cars we drive, but people—who need it to live.

Don Genova lives at dongenova.com. When he gets out from behind his computer, he’s been known to grow a nice crop of weeds, which he occasionally puts in his salads.

Fresh Greens

admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:43:05 -0500

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April 2008

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New World Provence: Modern French Cooking for Friends and Family by Alessandra and Jean-Francis Quaglia is a love story as much as a cookbook. The husband and wife team from Provence Mediterranean Grill and Provence Marinaside met in a kitchen in Nice, France, where they cultivated their love of Southern French cuisine—and each other. Now, after more than 10 years in the Vancouver restaurant scene, they mark their continued commitment to Provence-style cuisine with this gorgeous cookbook. A focus on seasonal, sustainable choices puts a West Coast spin on classic dishes. The book is also a tribute to their mothers, who bestowed their foodie passion on their children. In turn, Alessandra and Jean-Francis are passing it on to their two sons. arsenalpulp.com

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The name of this Whistler company is a clever play on the French word for “tea” and a Sanskrit greeting. Namasthé Tea Co. features organic, whole-leaf teas with blends concocted by company founder Isabelle Ranger, a yoga enthusiast and registered herbalist who creates teas for her patients. While Starbucks-owned Tazo Tea’s slick branding suggests their teas are based on ancient recipes and modern-day savoir-faire, Isabelle’s teas really are steeped in herbal lore and an understanding of the times. Flavours including Fresh Tracks, a breakfast blend inspired by the crisp mountain air, the unique EchinaChai, and the calming herbal Savasana are helping Isabelle fulfill her dharma: to change the world one cup at a time. Available at Whole Foods. namasthe.ca

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Quick—get your bike out of storage and in for a spring tune-up, because if this event is half as cute as its poster, you won’t regret it. Slow Food Vancouver gets in the cherry blossom spirit April 19 and you and your two-wheeler are invited. Bike the Blossoms promises a self-guided bike tour of the pinkest streets, with neighbourhood pit stops at community centres and eateries where you can sample artisan foods from Fraser Valley farmers. For further assurance of the “darling” factor of this free event, check out their website for details of a treasure hunt, brought to you by the Slow Food Vancouver Scavenger Hunt Subcommittee. Pre-register on the website, and pick up your route map at VanDusen Garden on event day. slowfoodvancouver.com

Trish Kelly lives and eats in Vancouver. She loves crème brulée, keeners, and safety-conscious escargots. At her request, SharedVISION donates Trish’s freelance fee to a local foodfocused non-profit organization. This month’s recipient is Quest Food Exchange (questoutreach.org), whose zero-waste policy redistributes donated food to 60,000 people a month.

March Fresh Greens

admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:43:25 -0500

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If you’re heading north up Nanaimo Street in East Van, the hairpin turn will take you onto McGill, and soon you’ll spy McGill Grocery. The store, owned by the Mah family, is stocked with lots of nifty products, but the best find is the jars of Russell Godwin’s UrbanSweet Honey on the counter. Godwin, a local beekeeper, manages two beehives in the neighbourhood. Godwin is passionate about producing a honey that tastes like Vancouver, which he says is informed by the foods grown by the backyard gardeners in his multicultural neighbourhood. Each summer, only two “pulls” of honey are completed, the first in June and the second in August. Exact pull dates, Godwin says, depend upon “the vulgarities of weather.” Watch for the sandwich board at 2691 McGill St. announcing the 2008 crop’s arrival. urbansweethoney.com

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If you secretly harbour Iron Chef fantasies, don’t miss the Serious Foodie Culinary Basics course at the Northwest Culinary Academy. The class is taught by the academy’s founder, Chef Tony Minichiello, who says the class is about learning to think like a chef, not follow a recipe. You’ll learn proper knife-handling skills, how to prepare classic stocks and sauces, moist and dry heat cooking methods, and how to shop for quality ingredients. Classes are very hands-on, and though you won’t get quick and easy meal solutions, you’ll gain a keener sense for flavour pairings and ingredient selection on your next trip to the farmers’ market. The next course starts May 5 and runs Monday evenings for eight weeks. nwcav.com

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Last month we introduced you to Raincity Grill’s newly imported chef, Aussie transplant Peter Robertson. And now West, another great restaurant serving regional cuisine, has brought in talent from abroad. Warren Geraghty, whose resumé includes several Michelin-starred restaurants in the U.K., has been appointed executive chef at West. We’re flattered our city’s homegrown restaurant scene has developed enough of an international reputation that high-calibre chefs are relocating here. But is anyone else feeling a bit protective? After all, the 100-Mile Diet only really took off two years ago, and we’ve had just one season of the Kits Farmers’ Market—yet already our regional cuisine is up for interpretation. What can we say? When you’re hot, you’re hot. westrestaurant.com

Trish Kelly lives and eats in Vancouver. She loves “apiculture,” appetizers, and a good apple tart. At her request, SharedVISION donates Trish’s freelance fee to a local food-focused non-profit. This month’s recipient is the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House (501 E. Hastings St.)

You Call That Food?

admin — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:28:09 -0600

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Why modern-day grub is hard to stomach

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by DON GENOVA

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I haven’t been watching commercial TV for about a year and a half now. But I started again recently and was horrified at some of the scenes that flickered across the screen.

No, they weren’t from the autopsy table of the latest Crime Scene Wherever, but from a commercial for a “tasty and convenient” meal. This meal—if you can even call it that—consists of various pouches of precooked veggies and sauces that you cut open and pour over the precooked meat in the handy tray the “food” is packaged in, before popping it into the microwave. Ugh. If this is what dinner is coming to then I don’t have much hope for the palates of our nation.

Premade meals are not the only kind of food that gives me the shivers. When I haven’t been watching TV, I’ve been reading a lot about what’s in our food. Or more importantly, what isn’t in our food. In Thomas F. Pawlick’s 2006 book The End of Food, the organic farmer and journalist writes about how the vitamin, mineral, and nutritional content of food is in shocking decline. Pawlick details how industrial food production systems are designed to maximize profit at the expense of our soil, water, and health.

He discovered that the tomatoes we buy in supermarkets today have lost nearly two-thirds of the calcium they contained in 1963. These “red tennis balls,” as Pawlick calls them, have gained 200 per cent in sodium, but have decreased levels of potassium, vitamins A and C, and iron, phosphorus, niacin, and thiamin.

A friend of mine who produces TV documentaries about food purchased the rights to the book in the hope of bringing the facts to a larger audience through a major Canadian broadcaster. Not one of them he approached was willing to finance the project. “Too serious,” they said. This is why people with TV have to watch Rachael Ray be cute with her food and Gordon Ramsay shout expletives at his underlings in Hell’s Kitchen.

This year has brought us Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. Pollan is the bestselling author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, a book that, like Pawlick’s, seeks to tell us what’s happening in our world of food these days, like why farmers in the American Midwest only grow corn and soybeans, and why these ingredients are contained in nearly every processed food we eat.

In Defense of Food slams the science of food nutrition and demonstrates why so many products on the market have “good-for-you” nutrients added to them. Surely you’ve seen the labels by now. The hot ones are processed foods with omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fibre, and whatever substance has most recently been discovered to have high levels of antioxidants.

In reality, Pollan says eating such foods can lead you down a road of nutritional ruin. He advocates getting back to eating “real” foods. “Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food,” he advises, and “avoid food products that carry health claims.” My favourite bit of advice from Pollan is to avoid food products containing ingredients that are unfamiliar, unpronounceable, more than five in number, and that include high-fructose corn syrup.

Pollan’s mantra to his readers is, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” It’s a diet for the future that comes from the past. It also sounds very simple, but start taking a look in your cupboards, fridge, and freezer, and see how many items you’re left with… if you dare.

The good news is we’re living in one of the best places in the world to follow Pollan’s advice. I now have a freezer full of grass-fed beef, lamb, and chicken raised on a farm not far from my place on Vancouver Island. I can’t wait for the farmers’ markets to start up again in the city so I can get my weekly dose of “real” food in the form of lettuces, peas, beans, and organically produced strawberries, blueberries, and tomatoes.

No more red tennis balls for me, thank you, and I’m probably going to turn off the TV again—it’s not good for digestion.
Don Genova is gearing up to test his green thumb on a small patch of garden. By the end of the summer, he figures even the weeds might look good enough to eat. Follow his progress at dongenova.com.