Owner: The Chef From Hell Food Blog URL:http://www.hellchef.com/foodblog Join Date: Sun, 27 May 2007 23:05:39 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: American food recipes, commentary, news, facts and history. Site statistics:Click here
"Hey Honey, what's for dinner?" 2007-05-27 21:12:32 I happened across this letter to the editor at The News Tribune site:"What is it going to take to get China to understand that it can’t trade widely in food products if it won’t enforce food-safety standards at home? It will take more than a diplomatic scolding, for sure.Top U.S. trade officials reportedly told Chinese counterparts visiting Washington, D.C., Tuesday that China needs better safety control for exported food and ingredients.But mere finger-wagging won’t make China clean up its act. Unless China quickly demonstrates progress on this front, tougher action will be essential.China has become such huge player in food exports – especially in certain chemical ingredients widely used in food processing – that its lack of a rigorous inspection and control system can no longer be ignored.China’s glaring deficiencies in this regard were spotlighted when the deaths of American cats and dogs were traced to Chinese-made pet food conta
Food on Film (Part 2) : The Future of American Food 2007-05-26 07:53:54 I happened to view a striking food clip called The Future
of Food on YouTube yesterday. It explains how a small number of food conglomerates have diminished the agricultural capacities in this country and in many countries across the globe. If you'd like to view the clip, click on this link: THE FUTURE OF FOOD The video clip is from an excellent documentary called The Future of Food (2005/Cinema Libre) and was directed by -gasp!- Jerry Garcia's widow, Deborah Koons Garcia. The DVD is described thusly on Amazon.com:"One of the best-reviewed documentaries of 2005 is now available on DVD in this deluxe two-disc edition. There is a revolution happening in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America, a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat. This documentary explores the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled grocery Read more:American
, American Food
American Food Safety Issues: The Death of Common Sense 2007-05-25 08:50:52 As some of you foodies out there may know, in March 2007 the food conglomerate ConAgra had to recall its Peter Pan Peanut Butter products due to salmonella content. This morning, I happened upon a consumer advocate website called SPOCKO'S BRAIN. The site has a post called frightening food facts. What caught my eye about this post was the revelation that the "federal government can issue mandatory recalls for tires and toys but not food...except for baby formula..." Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa???!!! This is another example of big business dictating how the govenment conducts itself. If you wish to speak out about this idiocy, click on this link: FDA. The food we put in our bodies should demand as much safety as the tires we put on our cars! Read more:American
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Food On Film: Part 1 2007-05-23 11:09:18 I've always been a fan of movies that feature food. One of my earliest cinematic memories of food in a film is the infamous eating scene in the 1963 movie Tom Jones. Hoo Hah! As the camera moves back and forth between the two characters, the unbridled sensuality in this scene boils over like a pot of hard boiloed eggs! If you haven't seen this, click on this link: TOM JONESMore on these types of cinematic culinary shenanigans later!
American Food Festivals 2007-05-21 06:50:18 With the hungry days of summer right around the corner, it's time to start making your vacation plans. One idea is to visit one of the many unique food festivals held across the United States! Remember: wherever you go, there you are!THE RC & MOON PIE FESTIVAL -- Held on June 16th in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. "A jam packed day of fun for the whole family...clog dancing, moon pie games, the moon pie parade, crafts and the ever popular Syncronized Wading Extravaganza...cutting of the world's largest moon pie rounds out the day."THE BITE OF SEATTLE FESTIVAL -- Held in Seattle, Washington July 20, 21 and 22. "This is the Northwest's Premier Food Festival!" Features food from over 60 local restaurants. Among the popular attractions are the beer and wine gardens.THE BALTIMORE BEER & CRAB FESTIVAL -- Held in Baltimore, Maryland on September 15th. "Adult admission in Read more:American
, American Food
Food Trivia: Part 2 2007-05-19 08:15:51 The creation of the Caesar Salad is credited to Caesar Cardini, a restaurant owner in Tijuana, Mexico. The story goes that Caesar was low on ingredients for the salad on his menu and quickly made up a new style of salad using what was on hand in his fridge.In 1893, Oscar Tschirky, the chef at the Waldorf Hotel in New York city, prepared a special salad for the grand opening of the hotel that contained sliced apples and celery. The Waldorf Salad was born! It wasn't until later that walnuts began to be added to this recipe.The Reuben Sandwich was invented by a man named Reuben Kulakofsky, a wholesale grocer in Omaha, Nebraska. Mr. Kuakofsky belonged to a weekly late night poker game and came up with the sandwich in order to feed some hungry folks at the poker game. One of the poker players, Charles Schimmel, owned a local hotel and liked the sandwich so much that he put it on his hotel's menu. In the 1930's, what we now call Read more:Trivia
Food Trivia: Part One 2007-05-18 06:27:44 I've always been fascinated by the history behind some of the food products I use, how they were created and how these products acquired their brand names. Here's a few tidbits!A&W ROOT BEER -- This wonderful soft drink is named after the founders Roy Allen and Frank Wright.ARBY'S -- Most people think this chain was named after the term "roast beef" but it was actually named after the initials of its founders, the Raffel Brothers.PEPSI -- This product got its name from the digestive enzyme pepsin.HEINZ KETCHUP -- The word "ketchup" has its origins in the Chinese. word "ke-tsiap", which was a pickled fish sauce that was popular in the late 1600's. This condiment originally had the consistency of soy sauce. In the 1700's, tomatoes were added to this product. The F. & J. Heinz company began selling ketchup in 1876.HELLMAN'S MAYONNAISE -- Mayonnaise was invented in Read more:Trivia
Futuristic War in the Kitchen: Let the Battle Begin! 2007-05-15 10:22:48 I just happened to catch an interesting article on the FOOD ARTS website about robotic chefs. Naw, I don't mean chefs who lack culinary imagination. I mean actual Robbie-the-Robot type chefs! The article in Food Arts states that at a recent hi-tech fair in Shenzhen, China, the first robot chef was unveiled to the public. This new kichen gadget, named AIC for Artificial Intelligent Cooking, is capable of cooking about 130 pre-programmed Chinese specialties. Many of China's top chefs contributed recipes and cooking techniques as this technology was developed over the past four years at a cost of $2.5 million. How does it work? At the demonstration, a staff member of Pansum Technology opened a door on the front of the AIC and placed a box of seasoned ingredients into the robot, punched up "Kung Po Chicken" on the menu. In four minutes the food was cooked. The author of the Food Arts article states that the Read more:Kitchen
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Why I Don't Like Rachel Ray 2007-05-10 06:33:47 RACHEL RAY is a television personality and author of several cookbooks. In addition to a talk show, she hosts several shows which air regularly on the FOOD NETWORK cable channel. Her most popular food related show is 30 Minute Meals on which she prepares a dinner menu that she claims can be prepared in 30 minutes. My list of complaints with Rachel
Ray begins with the over-the-top perkiness with which she bombards the viewers of her shows. It almost has a bizarre similarity to the run amok good vibes of Marlo Thomas on the old That Girl television show. I, for one, can only take this sort of thing in very short doses. If I watch her shows for any extended period of time, my eyes begin to glaze over as I dream of moving to a country that does not have cable tv service. I also find the title of Ray's show, 30 Minute Meals, to be a misnomer; all of the recipes she presents on this show require more than the specif
The Ban of Trans Fats 2007-05-06 18:46:13 What is trans fat? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states, "Trans fat is created during the manufacturing process by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil; this process is called hydrogenation. This is done to increase the shelf life and stabilize the flavor of foods that contain these fats. Trans fat can be found in vegetable shortenings, some margerines, crackers, cookies, snack foods and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils."I live in the Long Island area of New York and recent events here in my home state have set off my personal food alarm bells. Last year, the mayor of New York City instituted a ban on food made with trans fats in restaurants; this was the first place in the United States to do such a thing. Over the last several months, Tom Suozzi, the Nassau County executive in Long Island, has called for a similar ban. In both instances, the consumption of food made with trans fats has been
Books About Food: Part 1 2007-05-30 07:57:04 In the summer, if I'm heading out to the beach, I always bring along a good book to read. My personal library contains many books related to food. One of the most fascinating books I own is Near A Thousand Tables: A History Of Food by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto. It's a wonderful, entertaining history in which the author presents "the eight great revolutions in the world history of food." The eight revolutions are described thusly: The beginning of cooking, which set us apart from other speciesThe ritualization of eating, which defined people's relationship with foodThe beginning of herdingThe beginning of agricultureThe rise of inequality (which led to haute cuisine)Trade in food which cross fertilized culturesEcological exchanges and the global distribution of plants and livestockThe industrialization and globalization of mass produced foodsAs you can tell, this book covers a lot of ground! However, Armesto's writing is engaging Read more:Books
"Hey Honey, Hand Me That Chainsaw!" 2007-05-29 08:40:51 To me, one of the major annoyances of modern life is the way products (including food items) are packaged. I suppose I first noticed this years ago when I started purchasing compact discs. "Hey, hand me a razor blade, I just bought this great cd and..." I recall that things got wierd after some nut tampered with a supply batch of Tylenol years ago and now, due to fears of terroism, we are living in a world in which products are packaged in a way that literally challenges the consumer to find a way to open them without doing damage to themselves. "Hey Honey, hand me that ice pick, I just bought this package of Armenian Goat Cheese and..." An article in The Wall Street Journal from a couple of years ago related that for food product manufacturers "easy product openings are key for two important target customer groups -- kids and aging baby boomers." Aging baby boomers? Oh no! My secret is out! Yes, I fa
One Last Word (for now) 2007-05-28 06:47:01 Some of my recent posts have been on American food safety and the irresponsible behaviour towards this issue by the American government and food conglomerates. Here are some websites and articles well worth checking out if you'd like to learn more about this subject:APPETITE FOR PROFIT -- a blog by Michele Simon on the politics of foodSTUFFED AND STARVED -- "Behind the scenes of the World Food System"POLITICS OF FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY -- good info here on genetically modified foodTHE UPCHUCK REBELLION -- "The Good Food movement is leading the charge against expensive, nutrient-free, artificial, unhealthy, corporate crap-food"FOOD POLITICS -- info on the must read books by Marion Nestle
Food For Thought: Our Food Production Stystem 2007-06-02 08:21:05 I've never really been that interested in statistics because they seem to dominate modern life so much. "3.2 % of urban dwellers develop dandruff problems after the age of 37. More news after this word from our sponsors." However, I found some statistics that caught my eye on ENERGY BULLETIN, a site devoted to energy related issues. One article on the sustainability of our food production system had some interesting stats concerning The True Costs of an Industrial Food Production
System. Here's a few of those statistics:1000 tons of water are consumed to produce 1 ton of grain20% of all greenhouse gasses in the world come from current agriculture17% of the total energy uses in the United States goes into food production and distribution90% of the agricultural subsidies benefit corporations and big farmers growing food for export while 500 family farms close down every week in the United StatesAnother part of this article describe
Coming Soon: The Burger King Wine List 2007-06-01 08:37:36 Oh mercy, wake the kids and go tell the neighbors! In what seems like a bizarre turn of events, Zagat, the venerable guide to fine dining restaurants across the world, has decided to release a guide that (seriously) rates fast food joints.The problem I have with this premise is that it diametrically opposes the essence of all franchise eateries: in each location everything must be the same. This homogenized reality is what gives life to these fast food chains. I checked out an article, dated May 11, on the MSNBC.COM site and the Zagat rationale for issuing this guide seems to be: "We thought covering fast food was important, it being such a big part of everyone's daily lives." Hmmm! The best part of the article (for me) was a recap of some of the Zagat surveyors comments on these gastronomic shrines: "The only healthy thing about this place is the exit door."... "Love the cheese flavored plastic!&quo Read more:Burger
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Children of The Corn 2007-05-31 13:56:37 This just in from the If-you-haven't-heard-about-this-by-now-start-laughing Dept. : Due to the recent popularity of using corn in the production of ethanol fuel products, the price of a gallon of milk has gone through the proverbial roof! NPR recently reported that, "For most of this year, prices for milk, butter and cheese have drifted higher, not just in the United States but around the world." The high prices of milk and other dairy products reflect the difficulty that farmers have had in obtaining the necessary corn to feed those darn cows that produce that wonderful milk we enjoy. In trying to follow this string of hungry economics, I noticed that BUSINESS WEEK stated in its May 22nd issue, "In 2006, rising milk production had the effect of lowering prices paid to dairy farmers. With little incentive to raise output, dairy farmers did not increase the supply. But demand, both domestic and from abroad (f Read more:Children
Near A Thousand Tables 2007-05-30 07:57:04 In the summer, if I'm heading out to the beach, I always bring along a good book to read. My personal library contains many books related to food. One of the most fascinating books I own is Near A ThousandTables
: A History Of Food by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto. It's a wonderful, entertaining history in which the author presents "the eight great revolutions in the world history of food." The eight revolutions are described thusly: The beginning of cooking, which set us apart from other speciesThe ritualization of eating, which defined people's relationship with foodThe beginning of herdingThe beginning of agricultureThe rise of inequality (which led to haute cuisine)Trade in food which cross fertilized culturesEcological exchanges and the global distribution of plants and livestockThe industrialization and globalization of mass produced foodsAs you can tell, this book covers a lot of ground! However, Armesto's writing is engaging
An Elegy for American Food: The Atomic Age 2007-06-05 07:03:31 The 1950's was a time of great anxiety. Many folks feared world annihilation. Much of American
culture was a reaction to this. While some parts of the post World War II culture, such as music and fashion, contained a "revolutionary" quality, the food that Americans enjoyed during the 50's had an escapist quality to it. A lot of the dishes from this era are often referred to as comfort food. An antidote for the pressures of the Atomic
Age? Maybe so.With the advent of suburbs such as Levittown (which is in Long Island, where I live), American families now had larger kitchens in which to prepare meals. Irony rears its ugly head as history seems to indicate that, even though home cooks had better kitchen to work in, people seemed to prefer using manufactured food products, such as cake mixes, and ready-to-eat processed foods. Canned soups and meats along with frozen vegetables were used to assemble casseroles whic Read more:American Food
How The West Was Won---With A Knife & Fork 2007-06-04 09:54:59 I've always been fascinated by cowboys and the Old West. To me, cowboys represent the restless and independent spirit of America. That being said and this being a food blog, I began to wonder to myself, "What did those cowboys eat anyhow?"The era of the "cowboys" began at the end of the Civil War and ended sometime in the late-1880's. From the KANSAS CITY HISTORICAL SOCIETY website we gain insight:"Each spring from 1866 - 1885, Texas longhorns were driven to railheads in Kansas or farther north to stock the open ranges. It took about a dozen cowboys to trail 2,000 head of cattle. Herd size ranged from around 1,000 head in the early years to 3,000 - 4,000 later on. For their labors, cowboys earned between $25 and $40 a month, plus their food.Most cowboys were young men, in their late teens or early twenties, and single. Cattle stampedes, hazardous trail conditions, and long hours in the saddle in all types of weather resulted Read more:Knife
, Fork
Great Dreams of Heaven 2007-06-03 22:37:17 On this lazy Sunday, I was daydreaming about heaven and -gasp!- food. In addition to the usual picture of a bucolic place that would fill my hungry soul with inner peace, my conception of heaven would include a few snacks as well! Hmmm...let's see...Well, I think there would definitely be a river of chili running through town and an all night Jambalaya Bar that would be located right next to the Eternal Flame Pulled Pork cafe...Mmmm...and the St. Peter Memorial Steak House would be right around the corner from Gabriel's Clam Chowder fountain and..."Say, any good bars or taverns up here?""Sorry, you have to go to hell for that kind of thing.""Say, did you notice that all of the statues are made out of Smithfield Ham?""I may be dead, but I'm not blind, y'know!""Hey, I'll meet you in the Swiss Cheese forest at noon!"...ah, heaven. Read more:Great
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Hunk of Burning Love: A Guide To Hot Chile Peppers 2007-06-08 06:47:00 In 1912, Wilbur Scoville, a Detroit pharmacologist, developed a system for measuring the various levels of capsaicinCapsaicin, a powerful alkaloid, is the unique ingredient that makes chile peppers hotThe Scoville Heat Scale starts at 0, for the average green bell pepper that most of us buy in our local supermarkets.The highest heat rating for a chile pepper is given to the Red Savina Habanero Pepper, which clocks in at 350,000 - 577,000 heat unitsMany brands of bottled hot sauce use their Scoville rating as a means of advertising the piquancy of their productsIn recent years, biochemists have developed another form of heat measurement called high pressure liquid chromatography Safety Tips on handling hot chile peppers: You should always wear plastic gloves when handling hot peppers. It's quite easy to get some of the oily resin or seeds under your fingernails, which can result in a burning sensation should Read more:Burning
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Tales From The Foxhole: U.S. Army K-rations 2007-06-07 11:02:30 The K-ration was a daily food ration issued to soldiers in combat by the United States Army during World War II. It consisted of three courses of food (breakfast, lunch and dinner) which was to provide an entire day's worth of sustenance for the soldier in the field.A aticle from WIKIPEDIA explains the origins of the K-ration:"In 1941, Dr. Ancel Keys (a University of Minnesota physiologist) was assigned by the U.S. War Department to design a non-perishable, ready-to-eat meal that could fit in a soldier's pocket. Keys went to a local supermarket to choose foods that would be inexpensive, but still be enough to provide energy. He purchased hard biscuits, dry sausages, hard candy and chocolate bars. He then tested his 28 ounce, 3,200 calorie meal on six soldiers in a nearby Army base. The meals only gained 'palatable' and 'better than nothing' ratings from the soldiers, but were successful in relieving hunger and providing suffici Read more:Tales
A Guide to Fresh Herbs 2007-06-12 06:15:04 Today's food shopper now has the option of choosing to cook with fresh herbs which, in recent years, have become readily available in the produce section of local supermarkets. While most of us have always used the dried version of herbs in our home kitchens, it's important to consider cooking with fresh herbs if a certain recipe requires it. In addition to the wonderful flavor they add to food, fresh herbs also offer health benefits. Recent medical research indicates that fresh herbs are an excellent source of antioxidants. Fresh herbs are also a good alternative to turn to if you're on a diet that restricts salt, sugar or fat intake as these herbs will greatly enhance the flavor of the food you eat. The best method of storing fresh herbs is to cut some holes in a plastic bag, place the herbs in the bag and store the herbs in a bottom drawer of your refrigerator. This will keep your herbs fresh for 2 or 3 days. It's Read more:Guide
, Herbs
Weekly Food News Roundup.....Issue #1 2007-06-11 09:09:04 Food Blog Note: Every Monday my food blog post will be devoted to a weekly roundup of food related news from around the globe! *** This just in from The-More-Things-Change-The-More-They-Remain-The-Same Dept.---The FOOD QUALITY NEWS site had a recent article on recent developments with regards to food products from China: "China will ban bad foods and enforce stronger export controls as part of a long-term offensive......The measures, which form part of a five-year plan, are designed to allay importing consumer fears, which have heightened over recent months with food safety scares......Part of the measures are also in response to deepening domestic concerns about the safety of food, which was rocked by the prosecution of a high ranking food safety official last month..."*** "The answer my friend, is blowin in the wind..."Are genetically modified foods causing a rise in food allergies? A recent post on the ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSO Read more:Weekly
Great American Chefs: James Beard 2007-06-10 08:28:19 "Say, who the heck was that James
Beard guy anyway?" James Beard was the first person to proselytize about American
food in a way that assured us Americans that we indeed had our own unique food identitiy and food traditions.Beard, born in Portland, Oregon on May 5, 1903, moved to New York City in 1937 t0 pursue a career as an actor and singer. After finding few work opportunities in the theater world, Beard opened a catering outfit called "Hors D'Oeuvre, Inc." Beard's catering company was so successful that it led to the publication of his first book, Hors D'Oeuvre and Canapes (1940). He quickly followed this with another unique title, Cooking it Outdoors (1941). After the War, Beard published seven more books between 1945 and 1955. He also became media savy, appearing regularly on television's first cooking show, I Love To Cook, on NBC. Beard soon became a regular fixture on othe Read more:Great
, Chefs
Chef Shaboo Predicts! 2007-06-15 10:53:14 Hello my little friends! I am the great Chef Shaboo, a seer from the Kitchen in the Great Beyond. Here are some of my predictions for food news stories in the future :In the year 2009, a new food based reality tv show called Cooking At the Town Dump will become a great success! The creators of the show will market their own line of garbage bag fashion wear which will become all the rage among celebrity chefs!In the year 2010, ears of genetically modified corn will come to life and begin staging hold-ups at 7-11 stores across the United States! Orville Redenbacher will become a military advisor to the President in an effort to eradicate these rogue ears of corn!In the year 2011, Osama Bin Laden will become The Next Food Network Star and go on to appear on his own program: You Say Hamas, I say Hummus!By the year 2012, cellphones will be outfitted with tiny microwave ovens! Not only will you will be able to text message,
Reality TV Food Shows: Where's the Beef? 2007-06-14 09:24:14 As a food professional, I find the spate of recent reality tv shows featuring food based scearios downright hilarious. I think it's quite easy to see that these shows reflect only the current public taste for triviality played out against a backdrop of gee-whiz shenanigans. For me, the best of the lot is HELL'S KITCHEN; a series on Fox featuring the wild and fearsome Chef Gordon Ramsay. Basically, the format of this show pits two teams of chefs against each other and eventually whitles the competition down to two chefs with the winner being given an opportunity to run their own restaurant kitchen. Ramsay, who is given to temperamental outbursts when food is prepared incorrectly, provides a nice foil for the ineptitude of the ignoble contestants. His tirades do indeed remind the viewer that the show is partly concerned with food and the inherent quality of food preparation in a restaurant setting. There are some obvi
Great American Restaurants: Delmonico's 2007-06-13 06:07:12 In America in the early 1800's, where did people go out to eat? The wealthiest people were able to employ personal chefs to cook for them in their homes; many other folks sought out meals in boarding houses, coffee shops, or in saloons where the "free lunch" was a complimentary fixture. In general, there were no dining rooms or restaurants in which the public could dine. This all changed when the first restaurant to legitimize fine dining in America opened for business. The name of this eatery? Delmonico's!In 1830, John Del-Monico (a former sea captain) and his brother Peter (a candy maker and pastry chef) opened a restaurant at 25 William Street in New York City. Historical records indicate that this was the first restaurant or public dining room in the United States. Up to this point in time, those who dined in the boarding houses were only offered a set menu at a fixed price. The Del Read more:Great
, American
Weekly Food News 2007-06-11 09:09:04 *** This just in from The-More-Things-Change-The-More-They-Remain-The-Same Dept.---The FOOD QUALITY NEWS site had a recent article on recent developments with regards to food products from China: "China will ban bad foods and enforce stronger export controls as part of a long-term offensive......The measures, which form part of a five-year plan, are designed to allay importing consumer fears, which have heightened over recent months with food safety scares......Part of the measures are also in response to deepening domestic concerns about the safety of food, which was rocked by the prosecution of a high ranking food safety official last month..."*** "The answer my friend, is blowin in the wind..."Are genetically modified foods causing a rise in food allergies? A recent post on the ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION site states that: "The biotech industry is fond of saying that they offer genetically modified (GM) crops that resist pests. Read more:Weekly
Weekly Food News 2007-06-18 06:30:14 Frank sat back and chuckled to himself, "It's like they said in the sixties, it all comes down to stems and seeds..."June 13th From the Energy Bulletin website:"Researchers worldwide are collecting seeds from wild plants to guard against the ravage of climate change. As U.S. lawmakers haggle over how to handle human carbon emissions and avoid what's widely considered a climate catastrophe in the making, seed banking projects like the MSBP have moved ahead with a 'hope for the best, prepare for the worst' approach. Scientists hope that once the proverbial dust settles, reintroducing species to the wild will be possible."******************************************************************************Frank saw Marge drop the bowl of jalapeno beef jerky on the floor and shouted, "Hey, are you gonna eat that?"June 14thFrom the Gainesville.com site:"If you've always told your friends that it's ok to eat those stray cheese puffs that fell to Read more:Weekly
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