{weekend reading} Weekday Edition 2011

Okay, so I pondered and reflected in yesterday’s weekend reading and now its time to get back to business at hand- current food-related goodies happening NOW! Not last November, that would be sooo 2010. This WR is very recipe heavy because honestly, post-holidaze & three birthdays (yup, me, my husband & my son all have birthdays around Christmas/New Years) I’m ready for some new non-extended family friendly meals….. Enjoy! -Christina

First, if you haven’t heard this meaty tidbit: roughly 15,000 gallons of beef fat (yup, you read that right) spilled into the Houston Ship Channel, closing things down for a bit on January 4th. The AP reports, but Huffington Post has the best article because they culled photos from different sites.

I’ll be honest, other than the leaked EPA memo about Bayer’s pesticide being linked to Colony Collapse Disorder, I didn’t think there was anything else food-related in the Wiki Leaks scandal. WRONG. Dr. Marion Nestle is catching up from being without internet access (what’s my excuse) and gives us the low-down on France & US’s interchange regarding getting pissed off at the European Union for not allowing GM Corn in their countries. How dare they!

Russian Wild Boar, the original pork heritage breed: A farm in Minnesota is the last in the state to breed the amazing animals- the slide show rocks by the way- story in the Star Tribune (Minneapolis).

Marisa @ Food In Jars has another wonderful canning tutorial: Why you can’t double that jam recipe.

I knew nothing about this recall from May 2009, I guess pre-made cookie dough was found to have E. coli O157:H7 in it. Well, Food bourne illness lawyer, food safety advocate has updated readers on his blog about Linda Rivera, a victim who ate a few bits of it raw before baking the cookies, has been in the hospital since May 2009 might currently need a liver transplant on top of all her other medical issues as this form of E. Coli attacks organs. He embedded a CNN video on the women, that is a must see. It’s truly unbelievable what a food-bourne illness can do to a person.

One of my favorite food allergy baking blogs, Learning to Eat Allergy-Free has a terrific post on the chemical difference between baking soda and baking powder. This is one of my 12 to do’s this year, more on that in my resolution post, that I don’t understand the science of baking and without understand the fundamentals I can’t adapt recipes for Miles multiple food allergies. Cooking is no problem, but adapting for his gluten/wheat/dairy/soy/nuts can be impossible if I don’t just follow a recipe….sometimes recipes don’t quiet look right but I don’t know what to do to fix it.

Mrs. Q at Fed Up With School Lunch has a great advertisement critique of Lunchables’ latest ad. A must read.

From the BBC, new plastics (Intelligent Plastics) are being tested that would change color when food is going bad.

Don Tyson, yes the creator of the GIGANTIC Tyson Foods, died at the age of 80.

In the “this feels like a joke news story”: MXI Environmental Services in Virginia is taking care of all that “blackout in a can” stuff: think Four Loko, and making it into ETHANOL!!!!! Yup, it’s all being recycled into fuel since the Feds shut down the multiple businesses that created now-illegal caffeinated and malt beverage combo drink. Salon.Com reports.

The DYI food revolution is at a whole new level: The LAWeekly is reporting that the BBC  (here in the USA it will air on Current TV) will start to air a slaughtering cooking show in a couple of days- January 11th. Titled “Kill it, Cook it, Eat it”.

One of my must-reads in 2011 is “Righteous Porkchop: Finding a Life and Good Food Beyond Factory Farms.” by rancher, Nicolette Hahn Niman. She has written a GREAT Op-Ed piece in the LA TIMES about Big Ag v. Sustainable Food Movement and finding a way to feed the population at all income levels.

A really nice piece on the kitchen about receiving chickens, from a CSA, where you get the WHOLE bird- head and feet and all…. it goes nicely as a companion piece to Alexis’ post on her poultry resolution for 2011.

In food allergy news, a piece of legislation that was apart of S.510 and had been pending for 5 years in Congress, was the The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act (FAAMA). This legislation results in the creation of (VOLUNTARY) national food allergy management guidelines for schools.  FAAN, the biggest food allergy non-profit & lobbying group, has a press release.

The Republicans took the majority in the House this week… one of the first steps, to delete the word “organic” from one of the Agriculture Committee’s sub-committee… score 1 for Big Ag! Please read the article on Grist…I got too pissed to read the entire thing.

RECALL: Illinois beef patties. Only 200 pounds, not bad. Food Safety News reports.

In more recall news: If you haven’t heard about the latest sprout recall, you’re about to. From Food Safety News: “The outbreak of Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:-  linked to Tiny Greens alfalfa sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurants may have sickened as many as 112 people in 18 states and the District of Columbia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.” They have a map, with pretty colors and everything. On a serious note, take a looksie.

The Globe & Mail (Toronto, Canada) has an investigative article on a scandal, the biggest food-related fraud scandal in US history that we in the US have not heard of, but it involves honey. I will be honest, I haven’t read the full article, but I’m dying to.. only if I could get this post done….Here’s the first enticing two paragraphs from the article:

“As crime sagas go, a scheme rigged by a sophisticated cartel of global traders has all the right blockbuster elements: clandestine movements of illegal substances through a network of co-operatives in Asia, a German conglomerate, jet-setting executives, doctored laboratory reports, high-profile takedowns and fearful turncoats.

What makes this worldwide drama unusual, other than being regarded as part of the largest food fraud in U.S. history, is the fact that honey, nature’s benign golden sweetener, is the lucrative contraband.”

This post is getting a little long, so I will wrap it up with the most viral image of the week:How to find Real Food At the Supermarket. Its HILARIOUS and sooo true. A must see!

RECIPES

Sesame Crusted Fish Tacos with Avocado Salad & Slaw by Cuizoo.

Winter Minestone by Erin Cooks.

Caveman Recipes has a seaweed and egg roll. My son would LOVE these.

Pithy & Cleaver has a yummy-looking Steak & Guinness Pie. Looks like a winter meal to me!

Creative Delites has a vegetarian spring roll.

Radish & Pecan Grain Salad on Food52.

Anyone baking for a child’s birthday party soon? Well, One Hungry Mama has a cake pops recipe which looks AWESOME!

I used to make this all the time for my family.. maybe its time to start again… Homemade Coconut Milk Yogurt by Vegan Cookbook Aficionado.

Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese and Veggie Black Bean Chili by Dinner With Julie.

The Atlantic 10 Hearty Winter Soups.

the kitchn has 8 recipes for left-over clementines.

Muffins infinite ways by Mark Bittman.

Maple Almond Butter by Maria & Food in Jars.

Supercharged Food Blog has a GREAT post on all you ever wanted to know about dehydrating foods.

and finally, Split Pea Soup with Country Ham by Molly Wisenberg of Orangette.