A Life, Lived

Top 10 Diet Myths

One of the interesting things about spending the better part of the past year trimming down has been learning more about food. There is no doubt that I have changed the way I eat. Gone is fast food (except on vacation), in is fruits and veggies.

I quickly became aware that there are all sorts of misconceptions about food an diet. Potatoes, pasta, bread = bad . . . that sort of things.

Recently the fine folks at Cooking Light magazine published their top 10 diet myths . . .

TOP 10 NUTRITION MYTHS

Myth 1. Added sugar is always bad for you.

Myth 2. Eating eggs raises your cholesterol levels.

Myth 3: All saturated fats raise blood cholesterol.

Myth 4: The only heart-friendly alcohol is red wine.

Myth 5: Adding salt to the pot adds sodium to the food.

Myth 6: Fried foods are always too fatty.

Myth 7: The more fiber you eat, the better.

Myth 8: You should always remove chicken skin before eating.

Myth 9: Organic foods are more nutritious than conventional.

Myth 10: Cooking olive oil destroys its health benefits.

Mmmm - to celebrate I'm cooking chicken breasts tomorrow and I plan on eating the damn skin! HA!

Leftover Easter Egg Ideas

It is hard to believe that Easter is just around the corner!

I had better get busy planning a weekend of activity and eating!

Many people boil eggs, dye them, and have them at the Easter table. They are then presented with a dilemma - what the heck to do with this eggs when Easter has gone?

This video will help you out:

News

So I spent much of today trapped in a day-long computer training session . . . sitting there at my laptop trying to focus as my very life force ebbed away. Oh yes, it was a chilling experience.

I occupied my time, sitting there in the back row, by surfing the net. It was either that or resort to the bad behaviour I exhibited throughout elementary school when I sat, trapped in a class, bored into an devilish state.

I left that impish behaviour to my colleagues.

One news story struck me as BIG.

No. Not this one. Sorry Ricky, this ain't news at all.

The appropriate response is 'DUH'.

In another article there was talk about a survey of the world's developed metropolitan areas to determine the average commute times. Guess which one had the worst commute time. Guess!

Of course it was Toronto. I tried to explain the Toronto commute to my friends in LA a few weeks ago but they looked at me as if I was befuddled (and after all of that wine I just may have been). They would not accept my position that LA traffic, while bad, couldn't hold a candle to the gridlock back home.

Here in Toronto the average commuter takes 80 minutes to get into work. Of course this is nothing on my colleague who takes 3 hours to arrive at work. She is a bizarre case. One shouldn't use her example as typical.

Think about it. 80 minutes there and back. 160 minutes a day in cars, trains, and subways. All of this time spent surrounded by people who are tired, cranky, and generally despicable. Is it any wonder that I am a cranky guy?

The sad thing is it isn't getting better any time soon.

It will be a loooonnnnggggg time until 2024 when I can retire.
 

Tuscan Roast Pork

This week was Sandi's turn to select the recipe for the Sunday Slow Suppers group to play with. She selected an amazing Tuscan Roast Pork recipe that was quite similar to one that Paul and I made in our vacation rental back in 2006. The main difference was that that roast also had hard boiled egg inside the pork (the pork was cut in half, the egg went in there, then the entire thing was rolled in herbs/garlic, wrapped in pancetta, then bread, and tied). Of course, the other difference was that we bought it oven ready at the butcher in San Quirico.

Even thought it has been almost four years since we had eaten that meal, we both still remember it fondly. (Yes, we ARE food obsessed - in case you hadn't noticed!) When Sandi posted her recipe we were happy to trip back down memory lane - even if it meant that we had to do ALL of the work to get the roast ready to go.

Sandi writes:

Since it is my turn to pick our supper this sunday. I immediately thought of a Sunday Roast.

So that is what we have~ a Sunday roast with a Tuscan twist. This recipe for a Tuscan roasted pork is adapted from Once Upon a Plate.

Tuscan Pork Roast

2 teaspoons fresh chopped sage
3 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 pound pork tenderloin
1 loaf crusty baguette
kitchen string

Preheat oven to 375°.

Mince sage, rosemary, pepper, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper together. Sear the tenderloin in a frying pan over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil for 8-10 minutes, rotating to brown all sides. Roll the pork in the herb mixture and set aside.

Cut the baguette in half the long way and scoop out most of the soft insides. Brush the inside of the baguette with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and any spices that may not stick to the meat.

Set the pork inside the baguette so that the pork is well enclosed. Trim off the excess ends of the bread if needed. With string, tie the bread to secure the pork at 1 to 2 inch intervals. Place the pork on a baking sheet and roast until done (when instant read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin it should read 155°-160°) About 25 to 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven, allow to rest 10 minutes. Remove the strings and cut into slices. Either serve it warm or at room temperature.

Photo Hunt - Fresh

This week's Photo Hunt theme is fresh. When it comes to fresh I had an embarrassment of riches . . . so many photos of fresh fruits and vegetables came to mind. Then I thought about a pic of those first tendrils of life starting to ease up from their winter sleep in the soil as a good picture for 'fresh'. In the end I have decided to go with this one:

Why?

This, ladies and gentlemen, is buratta. Burrata, made from cow's milk, is a stretchy, fresh mozzarella that's filled with cream and curds.

I  first spotted burrata not in Italy but in a sandwich on the cover of Bon Appétit. The magazine made it sound so mainstream, I had no idea it would be a challenge to find.

Trusted cheesemongers in the Toronto area said it was too perishable to stock. One St. Lawrence Market vendor even told me burrata was simply a brand name for buffalo mozzarella and sold me the wrong cheese (that is the closest alternative, though).

The Cheese Boutique, a family-owned gourmet shop (45 Ripley Ave., 416-762-6292, cheeseboutique.com), stumbled upon burrata at the Fancy Food Show in New York two summers ago and then at one of Mario Batali's restaurants.

It has been struggling to get it here from Italy ever since. They are the only place int eh area where you can find it and the supply is rather hit and miss.

The San Francisco Chronicle, in a 2006 article about burrata, wrote that the cheese's "gushing inner richness has sent shivers of desire up and down the West Coat."

I can understand. Burrata is best eaten with bread, drizzled with green olive oil, a flurry of cracked pepper and sea salt and you're in heaven. This is fresh cheese at its finest!

---

Lots of the slow travel  community members also photo hunt when they aren't traveling. You can find their posts by clicking the links below. 

• Old Shoes, New Trip
• Eden's Wanderings and Wonderings
• My Place in the Sun
• Churches in Venice – Mosaics, Marble, and Miracle-Working Madonnas
• Palmabella's Passions
• What I Really Think
• shave Ice and Gelato
• Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!
• Keep your Feet in the Street
• Postcards from the Trail
• Cooking at the Whistlestop Cafe
• Candi's Corner
• Trekcapri's Blog 
   

Earth Hour 2010

Tomorrow is Earth Hour 2010. What will you do to show the governments of the world that the time to act on global warming and climate change is NOW?

It has only been three years since the people of Sydney, Australia first shut off their lights for an hour. The movement has grown to encompass close to 1 billion citizens of the globe in three short years.

Interesting fact . . . Canada has the highest number of cities participating than any country on the planet. Likely this is because our government is a climate change denier!

Tomorrow from 8:30 - 9:30 we will be eating dinner with no lights on. A candlelight dinner for a cause sounds lovely.

What will YOU do?

Pizzeria Mozza

Now I'm not sure that I should post this because Mario Batali hates food bloggers. Although if you read the article you shall discover that he doesn't hate. Nor does he seem to have a problem with food bloggers. Rather he seems to have a well of anger towards those who take cheap shots at restaurateurs with little basis for so doing as we as those sites on the internet that have come to be seen as folks as 'news' yet there is nothing unbiased or newsy about their 'reporting'.

Who doesn't have a well of anger towards such cretins?

Well Mario. I don't blame you. However, please (if you ever find your way to this wee corner of the cyberhighway) think of this post as a sincere form of flattery (unlike the typical LA INsincere flattery).

I've wanted to eat at Mozza since I first heard that it had opened. It all sounds so amazing. This was a problem. I live near Toronto and Mozza is in LA. (shout out - apparently plans are in the works for a new Mozza in Newport Beach) Friends visited, ate, raved.

Then my trip to Texas spread to CA. Knowing I was in LA I wanted reservations. Sadly they can only be made exactly 1 month from the date of the visit. I scored a reservation at 5:30 am on the day exactly 1 month from when I wanted to visit. BLISS

We parked around the corner from Mozza (free parking - we like that).

Early, we wandered up to Hollywood to revel in the supreme tacky show there. Finally, something that makes Niagara Falls look like civilized, intelligent, fun. Walking ALL the way BACK to Mozza we were there just in time for our reservation. 

Yes, it was a hell of a lot of walking! Oh my. By the time we got back to Mozza I was ready to graze on the famous Mozza 'growing' wall outside the restaurant.

Assailed by brilliant odours when we walked into the restaurant, I was glad that I decided to NOT play goat with the wall.

We were seated at a great table that allowed me to have my back to the wall. At the same time I could look throughout the restaurant and examine what everyone was eating. I even had a good view of the open kitchen (with well-dressed folks who couldn't score a reservation hanging out at the bar nibbling their pizza and knocking back wine).

The menu was a HUGE challenge for us. We wanted it all. Seriously, with more than 50 things on the menu there were only 4 or 5 that were not saying 'eat me'. This was serious trouble!

In the end we ordered Arancine alla bolognese  because we LOVE arancine and our dear, dear friend Palma had refused repeatedly to make us any when we visited her and Brad in Palm Desert.

Our second appetizer was the fried squash blossoms with ricotta. We always order these when we see them on a menu - we adore them and squash blossoms are hard to find here in Canada unless you grow your own or make midnight raids on the local farmer's fields (and we do neither).

The appetizers were amazing. Light, perfectly cooked, well=seasoned, and just the right size to whet your appetites for the main attraction - the pizza!

Paul decided on his pizza immediately.

Fennel sausage, panna, red onion & scallions. This, ladies and gentleman (and foodblog hating super talented chefs (we even own your cookbooks and have your kitchen dishes Mario)), is the pizza that has ruined Paul for ALL. OTHER. PIZZA. He purred. He ohhed. He ahhed. He declared it to be amongst the best thing he had ever eaten (of course I am sure he meant to say 'the best thing he had eaten in a restaurant').

I was so torn about my choice that I had to ask the waiter for advice. I gave him my three 'finalist' choices. He suggested that I go with the Funghi misti, fontina, taleggio & thyme. I may not have ever listened to my parents as a child but I sure as hell listen to waiters.

I am so glad that I did.

Some have been critical of Mozza saying that the pizzas are too 'bready'. They are clearly idiots and should be forced to eat nothing but Pizza Hut for the remainder of their sad lives. These pizzas are BRILLIANT. Crisp crusts. Inventive, fresh, toppings. Amazing flavours . . .

Folks. I would travel to LA JUST to eat this pizza.

I see today that I am not alone. Pizzeria Mozza has been voted amongst the top four pizzerias in the US. While I commend Mozza for their success and complete dedication to inventive pizzas with fresh, local ingredients, I despair at the fact that now I shall NEVER be able to get a reservation.

SIGH

If you know you're going to be in LA - get a reservation. Go. Fall in love.

Pizzeria Mozza
6602 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 297-0100

http://www.mozza-la.com/pizzeria/about.cfm
 

How About a Laugh?

A friend of mine send me this photo. It provided a WELL needed giggle!

You know how you must tell everything that is wrong with your house to prospective buyers . . .

this might be taking the disclosure requirement to a rather satisfying extreme!

RIP Domenico

Last week we received a very sad e-mail from our friend Diana, owner of Baur B and Bin Piemonte and all-round brilliant woman . . .

I am so sorry to tell you that we lost Domenico of Cascina St. Ubaldo this past weekend.  He died suddenly of a major heart attack.  We are absolutely gutted. He was one of our dearest friends here, and gave us and our guests so much joy.  I know how much you each enjoyed your visits to him, so I wanted to share this news with you.  We were so lucky to know him, his wine, his passion for this life, a life that was altogether too short.  He was 61.

Sad news indeed.

Paul and I have such vivid and happy memories of our visit to Cascina St. Ubaldo. In fact, we had been discussing the visit with the friends we met up with in San Diego less than two weeks ago. After reading Diana's e-mail we took some time to remember the man we knew briefly, his incredible wines, and the happiness he brought to our trip . . .

In 2008 when we had the pleasure of staying at the Baur B and B in Acqui Terme. Diana planned a special treat for us. . . knowing that we enjoyed wine she arranged a visit with Domenico Botto, a well-known local wine maker.

Diana drove us to his house where we met him outside the house. Domenico ushered us into his dining room where we sat at his dining room table for the tasting. He had arranged 5 bottles of wine for us to taste (with a sixth one chilling in the refrigerator). A small producer, he took care of everything related to making the wines that aged in a huge cellar carved into the tufa rock beneath his house.

He brought out salami and a freshly baked focaccia so that we could have food enabling us to get the full enjoyment from the wine. He wis a master winemaker - the wines were incredible. What a beautiful experience to sit with the wine-maker around his table while he shares his wines with you.

Domenico was a character. He was in constant motion - laughing and gesturing as Italians are wont to do. In fact, most of the photos I took are blurred - not because of the vino I had consumed but because he moved so quickly and often. The energy , love of life, and love of the vine was infectious!

The time flew by. He asked us if we wanted to see the cellar where the wine was made - of course we jumped at the opportunity. Down in the caves he asked us if we wanted a barrel tasting so we would be able to taste the development of the wine as it aged. This was a first for us. All I can say is that the 2007 will be an incredible vintage! Even though young, you could still taste the powerful potential.

We bought 5 bottles of wine to take home with us. Then Domenico asked us which had been our favourite and he put two more bottles into a bag for us as a gift from him. This is something that has never happened to us at a winery before! Certainly this would never happen in Napa!

The prices were fair (read CHEAP). In total we bought a case of 12 Brachetto for Palma and our five bottles. The cost - € 120! It would have been more but Domenico rounded DOWN. I can see why Diana and Micha LOVE this guy.

Air Travel

I'm behind. Blame that one the damn laptop that died. Blame it on the fact I was having too much fun to think about blogging. Blame it on the fact that I refused to pay $ 5.95 for 15 minutes of PC time.

Blame it on whatever you want. 

Enough of blame. Let's save that for the Republicans south of the border.

I'm here to rant a bit about air travel.

Yesterday we got up at the ungodly hour of 3:30 am to make out 6 am flight. Remember when you didn't need to arrive 2 hours early in order to make it on to a domestic flight? Those days are gone.

When we arrived at LAX we were directed to a long row of terminals to check ourselves in. Of course they didn't respond the way we wanted them to respond. Of course there were four human beings for the 40 non-responsive terminals. Remember when you could interact civilly with a human being while checking in for a flight? Those days are gone.

Those jobs that used to employ folks are gone too.

SIGH

Of course one bag was overweight. Remember when you didn't have to sort through assorted pieces of dirty underwear in front of a thousand equally tired and distressed folks awaiting THEIR turn to check in order to redistribute the weight of the bags? Yup. Those days are gone.

United was going to charge $ 150 PER overweight bag.

Guess what United? Three of our bags were overweight. By about 12 lbs in total. There is 80 lbs less of me. Do I get some slack for THAT?

I loved the woman who finally accepted the bags and ranted away at her colleague who gave us a hard time about the bags. 'That man is an idiot' she yelled as she tagged all four bags and hurled them onto the conveyor belt in their overweight state with strentgh I only wish I could muster.

We had to pay extra for adequate leg room. Remember when you could pay for a flight and know that you have paid for everything upfront? All you needed to do was show up wave your passport, gather up your boarding pass, and be on your way. Not once were you asked to furnish a Visa card for leg room privileges or for your bags. Not once were you wedged into a seat designed to force you to visit the chiropractor for a month to regain the feeling in your calves. You guessed it, those days are gone.

The flight was 5 hours. Remember when you might get a snack on planes? Sure it wasn't gourmet but you were tossed a crumb or two so that you didn't chew the seatback in front of you in your dazed, starved state. Five bucks for a yoghurt fruit cup. ARGH Food is gone. It wasn't good but it isn't coming back.

Remember when you could get a decent cup of coffee on the plane? Our flight brewed Starbucks. I was hopeful. If Starbucks served that sewer swill to the paying public there would not be 15,756 branches of the firm in 44 countries today. Decent coffee? GONE!

Why do we allow this to happen? How has this become acceptable?

The airlines should be ashamed of themselves.

The truly frightening thing about this wee rant is that the airlines, as I rant away, are thinking of further ways to cut costs. Any one of these innovations in travel will have the effect of making our traveling lives miserable.

Dignity, comfort, and civility has all gone. To think we paid to be treated as pond scum.