CANCELLED! 3 Parter: 1. What’s A Bodega? 2. WT* is Carrot Mob and City Harvest? 3. Why Do I Care? Bonus: FREE FOOD!

I just received an email from one of the organizers saying that this event is cancelled.Apologies to everyone who was planning to come to the event, I was excited to feed you. Though, this event is cancelled there are plenty more in our future so please stay tuned for future Meet and Eats! Apologies again for the inconvenience.

Yours Truly,
Brandon

Written by Brandon Maya Johnson

Part 1. Not sure what a bodgea is? Me either, until I moved to Brooklyn. Bodega means grocer in Spanish. Usually located on corners, bodegas are tiny, 24-hour, indie-stores that still sell 50-cent bags of Doritos, and vintage candy, we called them “corner stores” in D.C. Any who, while the bodega’s throwback snacks curb the appetites of local patrons looking for late-night munchies, City Harvest, a culinary non-profit organization, is wondering, “where’s the food that doesn’t clog your arteries?”

Part 2. That’s why City Harvest started a program to give healthy cooking demos at bodegas around NYC. The Bodega Initiative has one main goal – to make healthy food more accessible to inner-city communities, one bodega at a time. To blow this project out of the water, City Harvest is joining forces with Carrot Mob, and Oh, Boy! Carrot Mob is a consumer activism program that rewards businesses for having a social conscience. City Harvest and Carrot Mob are having a Bodega Cooking Blow Out this Saturday in Brooklyn (details below).

Part 3. Why care? A. Carrot Mob seems to bring out goo-gobs of cool socially conscious people. B. I’ll be able to meet all of you eater activists as I cook the delicious meal for the social shindig. C. You get to spend a beautiful Saturday in BK, go to the Brooklyn Museum, enjoy Park Slope for a drink or have a picnic in Prospect Park afterwards! Plus, it’s free. See you there.

If you or someone you know is in NYC, here are the details for the Bodega Cooking Class this Saturday from 12 – 4. Join us, won't you?

Location: Village Mart, 310 Nostrand Avenue between Lafayette and Clifton Avenues

Date and Time: Saturday, August, 21 from 12 - 4 PM

Phone: 718.408.1450

In conjunction with Carrot Mob and The Brooklyn Food Coalition

Chef: Brandon Johnson

Menu: Shhh, it's a delicious surprise.

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Dresses & Appetizers: Grey Area

written by Brandon Johnson, Entertaining Channel

Sharing is a tricky bird especially when EmilyRyan’s Spiral Pleats Dress is a one-off. She only made one and it's @ Etsy.com. Nope, I didn't squirrel it away for myself, though my hand was uncontrollably twitching for my wallet. I left this playful dress for you to sport at your next dinner party and I am sharing a mussels in white wine appetizer recipe to go with (curse my home training). To the lucky lady who does snag this dress, you look smashing! All I ask is that you wear her to a dinner party and send me your review of the dress and food .

Dress: Grey Cotton Spiral Pleats Dress with Tulle

Artist: EmilyRyan

Find it @ Etsy

Appetizer: Mussels in Warm White Wine

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How to Roast a Lamb

written by Jason Greenberg

It was a tough few weeks there for celebrated New York chef Michael Psilakis. First his partnership with restaurateur Donatella Arpaia took a hit when they decided to dissolve their deal at Mia Dona, the 3-year-old restaurant on 55th street (they currently still own Anthos and Kefi together). Then his newly opened gastro pub on the Upper West Side, Gus and Gabriel’s, received a less than favorable review from The New York Times. To be honest, the review was a blood bath: The reviewer, Pete Wells, wondered in print if Psilakis had invented a new technology that stripped food of flavor.
Having greatly enjoyed eating at both Anthos and Mia Dona, I was certainly surprised. The meal I had at Anthos last year was one I won’t soon forget. In fact, I have been itching to get back there ever since. I was quickly sold on the talent and expertise that Psilakis possesses. The dishes were subtle and delicate.
Things might turn around quickly for Psilakis, if they ever really went south. His first cookbook How to Roast a Lamb was recently released. In a time when celebrity chefs are a dime a dozen, its comforting to have one who you know is more than just a spokesman for products or the Food Network. Psilakis’ message, his goal, is to tell stories through food, to create memories and history—and more definitively, to share his own. While his book does have plenty of Greek inflected recipes like Shellfish Youvetsi, Poached Goat Avgolemono or Lamb Shanks with Orzo, it is more than a typical cookbook. Alongside pictures of Psilakis and his family, he tells stories that show the rich tradition that informs his menus. This is more than cooking for him, they are origins, memories that he clearly cherishes greatly.
The launch party for his book hosted at Saveur magazine’s test kitchen was also a family affair. His son ran around while Saveur’s publisher and staff gushed with love and enthusiasm. He spent most of his time in the open kitchen preparing small bites like roasted figs wrapped in pancetta, lamb sausages, and scallops with olive oil and juniper berries. When it was time for the chef himself to step out from the kitchen and address the audience, it came as no surprise that his speech also centered around family and friends. He thanked his family for letting him get away with not being around, missing weddings and birthday parties. He said that the book is a testament to them.
On my way out, I happened to share the elevator with Psilakis’ mother-in-law. She reached into the gift bag anxious to see if her copy of the book was signed. It was, as was every copy, with the transcription, “To a lifetime of memorable meals.”
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We Don't Knead Bread Book Club

written by Mei Chin

(Re)consider the loaf. This is what Jim Lahey asks us to do, over and over again, in his new book: My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method. Recipes based around his no-knead bread, first made famous in Mark Bittman’s “The Minimalist” column in The New York Times in 2006, definitively prove that anyone, anyone, can make a good loaf of bread at home. All it takes, he writes, is “about 5 minutes of actual labor, followed by 12 to 18 hours in which the bread rises, developing structure and flavor on autopilot, and then another short rising time, and, finally, the brief baking in a covered pot.” Simple, indeed.

Lahey takes us through his career as a baker, starting with his collegiate days as an art student, making his first loaf as a gift for his girlfriend. Noting the similarities between sculpture and baking, Lahey discovered a passion that would take him to Italy and back, and left him understanding what bread can mean, and what a good loaf could possibly be. Eventually, while working on a request from Chef Cesare Casella, of the Italian Culinary Academy, for bread made in the style of ancient Rome, Lahey improvised his now famous recipe, and has made it ever since.

Recipes in My Bread are accessible and well-written for both neophytes and experienced bakers. All measurements are given in measured and weighted amounts, with clear instructions and pictures that demonstrate each step. Besides Lahey’s basic loaf, there are also sweet and savory breads, a section on pizza, and an homage to the perfect sandwich.

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...Hot Chocolate by Any Other Name Would(n't) Taste As Sweet

written and photographed by Rebekah Peppler

Rich, creamy and impossibly decadent, hot chocolate has lived up to its name as a drink fit for gods, warriors and kings for millennium. That is until America (okay, and Britain) got its sticky fingers all over it.While I grew up sipping my fair share instant hot cocoa made popular by brands like Nestlé and Swiss Miss, the distinction between hot cocoa and hot chocolate is much more than one word. It's a varied history, rife with centuries of sweet, cocoa bean-laden roots.

Making its entrée into civilization around 1000 B.C., cocoa was first harvested by the Olmecs and made into a liquid by their better-known successors the Mayans, who then shared it with the Aztecs. The Aztecs, prodigious people as they were, bestowed it with the title Theobroma or "food of the gods", spiced it with chili powder, honey and vanilla and served it lukewarm to give strength to their warriors.

When the conquistadors returned to Spain with their plunder of cocoa they replaced the Aztec's spices with sugar, the warriors with the upper class, served it hot and kept it a secret for nearly a century. After word got out about the potation, hot chocolate spread rapidly amidst the high societies of Europe, picking up a proclivity for milk in Britain and maintaining its elitist status. However, in 1828 a Dutch chemist named Coenraad Van Houten invented the cocoa press, making cocoa powder easier to dissolve in liquid, more affordable and thus accessible to the masses. Nonetheless, the process, aptly known as Dutching, starkly diminished the quality of the beverage. Europe's elite chose to stick with the pricier original, and unequivocally tastier, hot chocolate, while Britain, and soon enough America, opted for the less expensive, more convenient cocoa powder.

In America the terms "hot chocolate" and "hot cocoa" were quickly deemed so interchanged that the high-class appeal of the hot chocolate was lost and, as evidenced today, hot cocoa became an overly sweet drink marketed for kids.


Fortunately, authentic hot chocolate is coming back in favor and the distinction between it and its cocoa cousin is being more readily acknowledged. Those in the (chocolate) know visit Jacques Torres and MarieBelle in New York, Vosges Haut-Chocolat in Chicago and Flour Bakery + Café in Boston to indulge in the true essence of European hot chocolate. Or, you can easily make it in the comfort of your own home, reverting back to a time before that pesky Dutchmen's invention and America's inane marketing scheme. A time when hot chocolate was a drink fit for the gods, the warriors, the upper echelon of society.

So, sit back, take a sip. Welcome to your kingdom.


Authentic Hot Chocolate (not to be mistaken for hot cocoa)

serves 2

¾ cup whole milk

¼ cup heavy cream

2 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 ounces high quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Place chocolate in heat proof bowl and set aside. Heat milk, cream and salt in a saucepan just to the boiling point. Turn off the heat and pour 1/2 of the mixture over the chocolate and allow to sit for one minute. Whisk, starting from the center, until the chocolate is completely dissolved. Add back to the sauce pan and whisk to combine with the remaining milk mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Reheat gently over low heat and serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and a few chocolate shavings. Read more!

"Escoffier was a Hustler" - Anthony Bourdain

written by Jason Greenberg

Listening to Anthony Bourdain speak is like running through a field of land mines. Okay maybe just a field of sound bites. He rattles off one-liners in such quick succession that you’re sure he had to have prepared them beforehand. Part journalist (he prefers storyteller), part chef, part writer and part comedian, hehas become not only the face of The Travel Channel, but also one of the most recognizable personalities in the food industry.

Bourdain was in town recently to take part in a Times Talks interview session—an event in conjunction with the Food Network’s NYC Wine and Food Festival. His interviewer was none other than former New York Times restaurant critic, Frank Bruni. Most of the questions and conversation centered on Bourdain’s television show, No Reservations. But one should always expect Bourdain to veer onto other food-related topics. His opinions on certain celebrity chefs are widely known, but lately he has been critical of beloved chef Alice Waters too. “She scares me,” he said, adding his own strikingly visual description of Waters as “Pol Pot in a muumuu.” The crowd certainly got a kick out of that. Although some, including Bruni, were slightly taken aback. Bourdain took issue with Waters’ appearance on 60 Minutes and her constant preaching on the nation’s eating habits. “The message is good, she’s just the wrong person to deliver it,” he said.

Bourdain did admit that sometimes he goes too far and occasionally regrets the blatant honesty he is known for. He recalled a time that he made disparaging comments about Chef Jamie Oliver. He later found out that Oliver had suffered from dyslexia as a child, and that Kitchen Confidential had been one of the first books he'd ever read—that he had been a hero of sorts to him. Bourdain has since apologized and the two had a beer.

The topic of the Food Network also frequently comes up in conversation with Bourdain. “It’s a Food Network world, I just live in it,” he told Bruni. Does he believe that a chef’s personality and on-air presence can be determining factors in the success of their restaurants or their career in general? Yes and no. There are some chefs, such as Eric Ripert, whom he believes should never have to give another interview because his food speaks for itself. Bourdain does, however, admit that there is a bit of hustling that is inevitable, even historical in the food world. “Escoffier was a hustler,” he said. “With the book deals and restaurants.”

After Bruni was done with his questions, it was the audience’s turn. Unfortunately, most of the questions were more chances to praise Bourdain than actual questions. But a few led to Bourdain to share more of his philosophies and insights. A few asked about the obesity epidemic to which he responded, “All I can say is stop eating at the king, the Colonel and the clown.”
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Spicy, Flaky and Smoky: Aleppo Pepper

written by Mei Chin

I am not a spice lover by nature. My parents don’t stomach hot food terribly well, but it was somewhere in the late 90s when my mother introduced red pepper flakes to our larder. But even from the beginning, it was never enough. Discovery, circa 1997? I love hot pepper enough to make the pizza guy’s eyes bulge out when I order a slice.

But that kind of heat (the red pepper flake kind) is a straight shot, a one-two punch. Aleppo pepper, a fruity, sultry pepper from Syria, is not that kind of pepper. Aleppo pepper is the dried, ground skin of peppers of the same name, is mixed with with olive oil and a little salt, and then set to ferment in the sun. It’s spicy and flaky and smoky all at once; the heat starts out mild, but then blooms in the throat, revealing fruitiness and smoke. Aleppo pepper is also clever at hiding itself in dishes where you don’t expect heat, only to reveal itself after the second, or third bite. It is completely delicious, and utterly addicting.

Rated at a 3-4 on the Scoville heat scale, Aleppo isn’t the hottest pepper around, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a pepper for when subtlety is called for, rather than a hammer over the head. It would even be good, sprinkled with abandon, on top of a pizza slice. Don’t think I haven’t tried it.

Photo: The Nibble

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Oh Hello Apple Pie and Cheddar Brisee

Written and Photographed by Rebekah Peppler

Let’s get this right out in the open. I’m from Wisconsin. Born and raised on brats, beer and cheddar cheese, I can hold my own at a -20˚F Packer game, possess intricate know-how in order to navigate the rowdy aisles of a Brewer’s game without spilling any choice beverages and can boast of growing up witha foam cheese-head and chunk of authentic Lambeau turf in the downstairs freezer.So, when it came time for the first apple pie of the year and I found myself back in my home state, I wanted to honor it in only the best of ways. What are the best of ways for a Wisconsinite? With cheese, cheddar cheese.

Cheddar has long been the classic foil to apples, traditionally served on the side of apple pie, its sweet-savory combination balances perfectly on the tongue. But when leaving it up to the diner proves too cumbersome, cut out the middleman and bake it directly into the crust. It makes this timeless combination even easier, plus there’s the added bonus of a warm home inundated with the robust aroma of toasted cheddar cheese and sweet apple compote.

And if you can, get your hands on a vigorously sharp Wisconsin cheddar and make me – and my home state – proud.

Apple Pie Tartlettes with Cheddar Brisee
Serves 6

For the Cheddar Brisee
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
pinch salt
I/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
2 – 4 Tbsp ice cold water
¾ cup sharp Wisconsin cheddar

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and cut in butter until lentil sized pieces form.
2. Add water and mix just till the dough comes together.
3. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill.
4. When well chilled, roll out and line six 4” tartlette shells.

For the Apple Compote

6 medium apples (I used a mixture of Paula Red and Zestar)
½ cup vanilla sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
generous pinch of salt
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup water, plus more if needed

1. Core and chop apples into ½ inch pieces. Toss in fresh lemon juice. (I leave the skin on to impart a gorgeous ruby color and enhance texture).
2. Combine all ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover with a parchment round, turn down the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender and compote is thickened.
3. Line a sheet pan with plastic wrap allowing excess to hang over side; spread compote onto sheet pan and cover gently with excess wrap. Allow compote to cool completely.

To Assemble and Bake
1. Preheat over to 400˚F.
2. Prick the chilled tart shell with a fork, fill with cooled compote.
3. Bake 10-15 minutes until crust is browned.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

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How Did they Discover Coffee from a Bean?

Written by Andrea Scalici

I don’t know if it’s my inquisitive nature or my obvious love of food but I often find myself pondering the origins of some of my favorite, can’t live without, treats. Like coffee for example; who would have thought that simply roasting some beans would turn into this amazing black elixir I couldn’t start my day without? And so began my quest to finally uncover such answers...We start in Ethiopia around the 15th century. Legend has it that a goat herder came upon a lively group of “dancing goats” chewing on bright red berries from a bush. He decided to try to berries for himself, immediately enjoying the exhilaration. The man ran with the berries to a nearby monastery and showed them to an Islamic holy man, who in turn, disapproved of their use and threw them into his fire. The "Legend of Dancing Goats" goes on to describe the enticing, billowing aroma that came out of the fire where the beans were swiftly rescued from the flames, ground up, and dissolved in hot water – producing the world’s first cup of coffee.

The story then moves throughout Arabia, where qahwa beans were roasted and brewed similar to today, Persia, Turkey, and northern Africa. From the Muslim world, kahve spread to Italy and the rest of Europe, Indonesia, and the Americas. The first European caffè house opened in Italy in 1645.

Coffee has since seen many advances and reformations. One I have to wonder about is the world's most expensive variety, Kopi Luwak, named for the Indonesian word coffee and its "processor", the Asian Palm Civet. These cat/raccoon-like animals ingest the red coffee cherries containing the fruit and seed. The inner bean is not digested, but a unique combination of enzymes in the stomach break down the proteins that give coffee its bitter taste. The beans are defecated, still covered in some inner layers of the berry, washed, and given a light roast (so as to not destroy the complex flavors that develop through the process). The most pronounced characteristic of Kopi Luwak is a marked reduction in bitterness. How did anyone think to do this?! It is said that these omnivores tend to pick the ripest and sweetest fruit, thus providing brewers with a natural selection for the best coffee beans. But still?! Is there anything left to discover about coffee? I have to wonder...

In today’s world, these magic beans are a vital cash crop for many Third World countries where coffee is the primary export. Though the process hasn’t changed very much relatively speaking, the culture certainly has. On any given day in America you can choose regular or decaf, bold or medium, and au lait or light and sweet. You could even attend a cupping or coffee tasting to explore different regions’ distinctions. And on any given day, you can find me with my billowing aromatic, piping hot cup in my hand, complete with a little cream.

Stay tuned for the upcoming installments that explore the origins of popcorn, bagels, and more! Read more!

Cherry Stained Photography

written and photographed by Rebekah Peppler

Is it just me or have the cherries never been better then right here right now? Firm, juicy and sweet as the heavens, these amethyst phenoenons demand a hot summer day, a seat on a concrete curb and a surfeit of garnet-stained hands and lips. A few weeks ago, when my eyes proved too big for my stomach and cherries threatened to overtake the house, I reached for my favorite sweet tart dough recipe, doctored it up with a bit of cardamom, a touch of almond and let those crimson delights do all the work. Let's just say that tart never made it to sunset.

Since – as a rule – I don’t go a night without dessert, I switched out the filling for the probably the easiest custard known to man, dolloped it with lightly sweetened whipped cream and sat back as the sky turned from day to night, my lips and hands perfectly matching the cherry-red sky.

Cherry-Cardamom Tart
Serves 8-10

For Cardamom Sucrée Crust
For one 9” tart, six 3” tartlettes … and a bit extra for a rainy day
• 125 g powdered sugar
• 250 g butter; unsalted
• 3 eggs
• 500 g cake flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp cardamom; freshly ground
Cream together butter and sugar until lightened and doubled in volume. Add eggs and almond extract gradually, mixing to combine after each addition. Sift together cake flour, baking powder and cardamom. Add all at once and mix just to combine. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill till firm.
For Almond Cream
• 125 g butter
• 125 g powdered sugar
• 125 g almond flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 20 g pastry cream powder (25 g cornstarch can be substituted)

Cream together butter, sugar and almond flour. Add eggs and almond extract gradually until completely combined. Add the pastry cream powder and mix tocombine.

For Tart
Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Roll out the sucrée and line a 9-inch tart shell, chill for at least 30 minutes. Dock the bottom of the shell and place an even layer of almond cream into the unbaked tart shell. Line with pitted Bing cherries and bake 40-50 minutes until the crust is browned and almond cream is set. Allow to cool.
Custard Tartlets with Sweet Cherries
Makes six 3-inch tartlettes
• 100 g vanilla sugar
• 2 eggs
• 50 ml heavy cream
• 125 ml milk
• ¾ tsp cardamom; freshly ground
• ¾ tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp almond extract

• Cardamom-Sucrée
• Bing cherries; pitted
• Crème Chantilly

Line six tartlette molds with cardamom sucrée and chill. Dock the bottom of the tartlettes with a fork, fill with baking weights and blind bake till lightly browned. When cooled, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Add the heavy cream, whole milk, cardamom and extracts until incorporated. Strain custard, fill tart shells with pitted cherries and fill with custard. Bake 300˚ for 20-25 minutes or until custard is set. Cool and serve with crème chantilly.

For the Crème Chantilly
• 100 g heavy whipping cream
• 25 g powdered sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Whip heavy cream to a soft peak, add in sugar and vanilla and whip to medium peak.

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Sex, Food, and Photography.

written and photographed by Rebekah Peppler
As you read, please enjoy my current fetishes throughout…
Giada, Nigella and Rachael are all doing it, heck even Thomas Keller is doing it. It glistens, it envelops, it’s like velvet on the tongue. Are we talking about the same thing here?

The phrase “food porn” sauntered into the spotlight via Frederick Kaufman’s aptly titled article, “Debbie does salad Read Full Article Here: the Food Network at the frontiers of pornography.” Originally published in 2005 by Harper’s Magazine, the term quickly vaulted into our vocabulary through the likes of Anthony Bourdain and has definitively, and lasciviously, stuck.

In Kaufman’s piece he works with a photographer (who based much of her career in the porn industry) to compare the striking parallels between porn films and Food Network shows. Especially startling is the analysis of camera techniques. Imagine Giada with her beguiling smile and trademark low-cut top squeezing a lemon – close-up on the curvaceous, dripping lemon, then Giada, back to the lemon – you get the picture.



Besides television’s seductive presentation of food, there’s the good old-fashioned photography. Not that we’re complaining. Who doesn’t love a beautiful shot of food? Whose lips do not part slightly while peering at the perfect composed covers of Saveur, Gourmet, Food & Wine and Bon Appetit?

A still of freshly-made pasta coaxed into shapely tortellini or a close-up of a juicy burger, cheese dripping off the perfectly formed patty onto its unfailingly plump bun. These shots are products of an ideal trifecta of light, focus and composition. Since food porn is a delight to sit back and enjoy as well as actively participate in (as I do on an markedly frequent basis) here’s a few starter tips:

1. Lighting is key. More precisely, natural lighting is key. Think of the sexiest times of day and use those as your ideal times to shoot. Morning’s hazy sun, slinking through the shades or early evening’s sultry shadow creeping into to steal the day away are both perfect moments to capture your creation on film.

2. Focus on something special in your piece. Isn’t it true that the small – sometimes lacy – details make all the difference? Whether it be the tip of that perfect berry atop your tartlette or the ripple of molten chocolate ganache languidly making it’s way down the edge of that triple chocolate layer cake, spotlight that special something and narrow your focus to get up close and personal.


3. Compose your piece to bring your viewer right in there with you. Take a bite out of that vivacious red velvet cupcake, leave just a few crumbs of a cookie lingering on the plate. Let your viewer feel like they could use their finger to swipe up the leftovers or finish what you started. Leave something to the imagination (just because it’s – food – porn doesn’t mean it can’t be a bit classy right?) Crop out the end of that croissant, remove a basket of overflowing tomatoes from the table full of them. Leave it up to the viewer to fill in the gaps – you know they want to.

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Doin’ the Charleston

by Anthony Ramos

I love New York, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I just need to escape the city. So, I made plans to go to Charleston, SC – a place I’ve been wanting to visit for many years after listening to natives speak so lovingly about their home. I was ready to explore the city and most importantly dine on low country cuisine.We arrived in the afternoon and we parked ourselves at Pearlz Oyster Bar on East Bay Street and sampled oysters while drinking cold martinis. Sitting at the front bar, we were perfectly perched to enjoy the parade of Charlestonians and tourists alike as they passed by. The oysters were silky, briny, salty and fresh. The addition of a little mignonette or cocktail sauce complemented the plump treats.

I’m always open to recommendations so when a local suggested Jestine's Kitchen – a quirky unpretentious restaurant on Meeting Street - I rushed over. It serves the kind of comfort food you would expect in the South; crispy fried chicken, mac n’ cheese, collard greens, and more. I just couldn’t pass up these favorites and finished my soulful dinner with a peach and berry cobbler... delicious!
But I really wasn’t going to be satisfied until I had shrimp and grits, and I was lucky to enjoy them at Virginia’s on King. The shrimp sat atop creamy grits mixed with smoky sausage. I savored every bite and daydreamed about making the same dish back home with my own variation on the theme.

Low country cuisine well suits the laid back gentility of this city where the air is perfumed with the scent of delicate jasmine flowers. The architecture and lush gardens are a wonderful canvas for any visitor to enjoy while dining or walking off a grand meal. We spent languid days shopping, eating and sightseeing. Tall palmettos swayed in the breeze and mornings were spent on the loggia with freshly brewed coffee and toasted sweet black bread.

We were lucky to spend our downtime at the Joseph Aiken Mansion and sleep in one of the oversized bedrooms in “the big house”. Built in the Greek Revival style in the late 1840's the stately mansion took us back to a time when proper manners and good family names were de rigeur.

My memories of Charleston and its food will linger with me like the sweet scent of jasmine hanging on the breeze.

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Hummus Too Good for Hannibal

by Erin Merhar

Amidst 36°F weather at the end of March, I write this with wishful thoughts of blooming daffodils, jacket-less Sundays, Prosecco al fresco and picnics in the park… Spring is around the corner and with its sunshine it brings a gamut of refreshing ingredients.

Swap Jerusalem artichokes and for a buttery, tender baby artichoke. Go green with spring peas and asparagus. And as you open your closets for spring cleaning, pod a fava bean and explore the nutty, buttery tenderness of an old world tradition.

Fava beans are native to Central Asia, the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries where they have been a staple in the diet since ancient times. A legume, their pods contain 5-6 large seeds which are surrounded by a leathery, opaque outer shell. They boast nutritional advantages including high protein, iron and fiber content while low in fat and cholesterol. Providing sustenance to early civilizations, favas were traditionally paired with grains but have since evolved into a key ingredient for soups, stews, purees, salads, falafel, pastas, paella and risotto.

Fresh favas are sold in their 6 to 8-inch long, furry pods, which can look spotted and floppy, whereas the beans inside should feel firm. In most cases, fava beans should be removed from the pod before cooking. Split the pod along the seam and pop out the beans. The legumes are then surrounded by a leathery outer skin that is easiest to remove after cooking. Blanch the beans for 2 minutes in seasoned water and refresh in an ice bath. Once cool, squeeze the bean from this casing, sauté in a bit of olive oil, and enjoy your spring awakening.

Fresh fava bean hummus with za’tar spiced flatbread

Inspired by the fava’s roots, this portable dish honors the middle-east and eats well among friends in the park.

Fresh fava bean hummus

Yield: about 2 cups
Ingredients:
2 lbs of fresh fava beans, about 2 ½ cups of beans removed from pods
1 Tbsp. + 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. lemon zest + extra for garnish
½ tsp. ground cumin
Pinch cayenne powder
3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, + 3-4 leaves for garnish
3 large fresh mint leaves
Salt, to taste

Procedure:
Bring 2 ½ quarts water to boil in a 4 qt saucepan. Season to taste like saltwater.
Remove fava beans from the outer pod, discarding the pod and reserving the bean.
Place in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Refresh in an ice bath until cooled. Drain.
With a pairing knife, cut off the tip of the waxy outer shell at the top edge of the bean. Apply pressure to the other end of the shell to pop out the bean.

Heat 1 TBSP. of oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat. Saute garlic for 1-2 minutes until soft and fragrant. Reserve 3-4 whole fava beans for garnish and sauté the remainder over medium heat until tender, about 3-5 minutes.

In a food processor, add the fava bean mixture, 3 Tbsp. water, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, cilantro, mint and water. Puree for 1 min until smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl.
With the machine running, drizzle the remaining 3 Tbsp. olive oil into the food processor bowl and puree until smooth and light in consistency, about 1 more minute. Season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice to taste.

Za’atar spice flatbread sticks

Yield: about 28-30 breadsticks.
Za’atar is an aromatic mixture of dried thyme, sour sumac berries and sesame seeds which is commonly used in Lebanese cuisine. In this recipe it accompanies extra virgin olive oil and sea salt as a garnish for flatbread sticks, creating a utensil-free transport for the fava bean hummus.

(This recipe was adapted from a Lebanese bread recipe in the book Artichokes to Za’atar by Greg and Lucy Malouf.)

Ingredients:
3 1/3 cups flour + more for kneading
2 tsp salt
2 tsp. sugar
1- ¼ oz. packet active dry yeast, or 2 ¼ tsp dry active yeast
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. + ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. za’atar spice blend
2 tsp. sea salt

Procedure:
Bring 1 cup of water to 115°F. Thoroughly mix in sugar and yeast and let sit in a warm place for 10 min, until foamy. (If mixture does not foam, start over with fresh yeast).
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil and yeast mixture. Mix with wooden spoon until dry and wet ingredients are roughly combined.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 8-10 minutes adding more flour and/or water as needed until a smooth, homogenous dough is formed. Place in a lightly floured bowl, cover with a towel and let rest for 1 hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine za’atar spice and sea salt. Reserve.
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 14” by 20” rectangle, about 1/8th inch thick, lightly flouring the surface if the dough begins to stick. Cut the dough in half, length-wise. Cross-wise, cut the dough into ¾”- 1” thick strips.
Place strips on a baking sheet. Brush thoroughly with olive oil and sprinkle generously with za’atar and sea salt mixture.

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If We Are What We Eat, We'd be Corn

Written by Adam Wile
There are few questions we will face in life as often as the question “what’s for dinner?” While this may seem like the simplest of questions it is actually one that deserves far more time and consideration than we often give it. After all, how simple can the answer be when the local grocery store alone will provide us with nearly fifty thousand choices? Couple those fifty thousand with a myriad of fast food, delivery, dine in, take out,and street vendor options and it is amazing we ever choose what to eat at all. Indeed as Michael Pollan writes in his enlightening book on the food we eat, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, “ when you can eat just about anything nature has to offer deciding what to eat will inevitably stir anxiety.”

This is the essence of the omnivore’s dilemma. Nature has given humans the gift to eat almost anything. With increased globalization in recent decades it is now possible to get any food at any time of year. The problem now is that we are faced with so many options, we have stopped thinking not only about how what we are eating affects ourselves, but also the world we live in. Pollan, through three different meals he refers to as the Industrial, the Pastoral, and the Personal, examines where the food we are eating comes from and how it affects the world we live in.

There is a famous saying that we are what we eat. Michael Pollan would disagree. His answer would be rather that we are what we consume, and thus American’s specifically are corn and fossil fuels. In search of his model Industrial meal Pollan visits a corn farm in Iowa and a feedlot in Kansas where he learns the negative economic and environmental affects of America’s broken agricultural system, which helps neither the land, the farmer, nor the consumer. Pollan shockingly describes the amount of corn in almost everything American’s eat, and the copious use of fossil fuels in order to make this possible.

Pollan’s second meal is one he refers to as the Pastoral, however he divides this into two sections; the big organic pastoral such as Whole Foods, and the beyond organic which finds from a polyculture farm in Virginia. Pollan starts off by browsing his local Whole Foods where he reads wonderful stories about organic free-range chickens and small farm asparagus flown in from South America. What Pollan finds upon further inspection is certainly far from encouraging. What once had started as a small movement has now been taken over by the industrial to meet an increasing demand. In doing so it has become only marginally better for the consumer, the environment, and the animals themselves than its non-organic counterparts. But what about small organic? Pollan then explores Polyface Farm, where owner Joel Salatin works along side nature in a shining example of how sustainable agriculture is possible on a small scale. The animals are treated humanely and next to nothing is wasted. Chefs from the local community all rave about the product. As Pollan later himself learns while eating his Pastoral meal, the closer the farm is to your table and the more natural the farm is, the better the food is going to taste. Polyface chickens taste “chickenier” while the big organic asparagus was described as woody and lifeless.

Pollan’s final meal is what he entitles the Personal. In this meal he attempts to hunt, forage, and gather all of his own food for a meal. He forces himself to kill a wild boar and forages for local mushrooms and fruits. While the final meal is admirable, Pollan makes it very clear that it is by no means the answer to how we should be responsible eaters. As much as McDonald's was “fast food,” this meal was the epitome of “slow food,” and like the McDonald's meal, should not be eaten every day.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma is a must read for anyone who is interested in sustainable foods or just wants to know more about where the food we eat comes from. Unfortunately, while Pollan's argument is well informed, it lacks real solutions. Pollan ends his quest satisfied that anyone who reads his book will simply be better-informed and, when given the opportunity, would choose food from places like Polyface Farm. But the truth of the matter is Pollan’s primary readership was probably doing that already. The question Pollan leaves unanswered is what can we do to advocate sustainable farms as our food supply and how can they meet national demand? Are we doomed to eat Walmart's version of organic if we don't have access to the good stuff? If so, we may eventually have to ask the question “what’s for dinner?” under much more grave circumstances.
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Carnevale Di Venezia

Written by Andrea Scalici
February in Venice means so much more than candy hearts and boxed chocolates. February in Venice means indulgence, revelry, and lavishness, complete with fancy disguises. It means the “Carnevale”.

While this carnival of all carnivals certainly features some incredibly intricate costumes and extravagant soirées, what is really important is the food. Carnevale translates to "Farewell, meat!", and it was born as an excuse to use up all the meat, butter and eggs in the two weeks before Ash Wednesday and the religious formality of fasting for Lent. Almost every Italian town and region has some specialty in recognition of Carnevale, though in Venice, the specialty is frittelle. These fritters are fried to golden brown perfection and filled or topped with a variety of treats, bursting with sweet or savory flavors like chocolate, jelly, fruit, or meat. The rich smells waft through the city and can be found in the cichéti stalls along the streets where it is easy to pick up these “small bites”. In the other regions, similar fare can be found under different names, like the Lombard chiacchere, Tuscan cenci, and Roman frappe. But under any name, they are all the highlight of the season, warming the hearts of Italians and visitors alike. Other sumptuous Venetian carnevale foods include “Pasticcio di Maccheroni” (a baked pasta, ricotta, meat pie), “Pizza Sfogliata con Salsiccia e Pancetta” (filled, rolled baked dough), "Migliaccio di Polenta" (polenta and sausage), and steaming plates of lasagnas and pastas, filled with smokey pancetta, sweet prosciutto, salty salami, and buttery sopressata.

Carnevale Di Venezia was first recorded in 1268 with mention of masks, parties, and decadent food. In the height of the masquerade, mascherari (maskmakers) enjoyed a special position in society, with their own laws and guild. Masks made the Venetian carnival unique as it took away social status and inhibition. In this way, the social order was temporarily non-existent. But as these things usually go, the party couldn’t last forever. When Venice fell under Austrian rule after Napoleon’s Treaty of Campo Formio in 1798, the city and all its culture went into decline. This pre-Lent celebration didn’t enjoy a revival until almost 200 years later when, in the 1970’s, a group of Venetians decided to revive the tradition. The modern mask shop synonymous with the festival was again established in the 1980’s, and they had succeeded in bringing back the fête we know and love today.

The annual event boasts traditions and legends enough to fill up the Venice waterways. The only way to truly soak in the sights and sounds is to go, February 13-24th, 2009 or February 5-16th, 2010. But, if like me you can’t make the trip this year, celebrate with your loved ones by making your own festival treats as an alternative to the normal Valentine’s Day cupcakes. It is a sure way to fill your kitchen with the divine smells of Carnevale Di Venezia.

Frittelle di Dichi e Arance Candite (Fig and Candied Orange Fritters):

2⅓ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1⅓ cups sugar
½ cup whole milk
3 large eggs
5 tablespoons
unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 ounces candied orange peel, chopped into ¼-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
6 ounces dried figs, chopped into ¼-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
About 3 quarts vegetable oil

In a bowl, whisk together flour, ⅓ cup sugar, milk, eggs, butter, vanilla, baking powder and salt until smooth. Whisk in candied orange and figs. 


Place remaining 1 cup sugar into a large shallow bowl. 
Heat about 3 inches oil to 375° in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat. Drop teaspoonfuls of batter into oil, about 10 at a time, and fry until puffed and dark golden, turning once, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer puffs to paper towels to drain. Immediately roll in sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Remembering 2008 Through Food

by Andrea Scalici

Beware of the Tomato!/Jalapeno...Whatever it is:
In June of last year we started to notice all the tomatoes going missing from our supermarket shelves. How was I to make my favorite summer Caprese Salad? Well, it turns out there was a scare somewhere about something to do with tomatoes and I would have to settle for the cherry variety for way too long. Of course the hype, which stemmed from the influence of the spinach outbreak in 2006, was over the top but better safe than sorry right!... right? Turns out millions of farming dollars were lost in the U.S. and the sources were contaminated jalapeno and serrano peppers exported from Mexico. Talk about a mixed salad. Tomatoes got the blame for the largest salmonella outbreak in over a decade, sickening more than 1,400 people in 43 states, including New York. So how do we know if we are afflicted? Most infected people suffer fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps starting 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness tends to last four to seven days. Beware! But never stop eating fresh produce.

The Return of Coffee:
2008 was the year of the little guy, including independent, neighborhood coffee shops getting all the hype. This went hand in hand with new studies out in June that suggested coffee is good for us! Sweet relief! The study was the largest of its kind to date, exploring coffee drinkers against such diseases as cancer and heart disease. And guess what? Coffee drinkers live longer.
"Coffee seemed to have no impact on cancer one way or the other. But it did have a big effect on heart disease - the leading killer for both men and women. Two or three cups a day cut the chances of dying from heart disease by 25 percent. Four or five cups a day cut it by 34 percent." So go out and support your local barista without the guilt...
For more details, visit the article online at
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/2008/06/is_coffee_a_health_food.html

Obama Eats:
We will always remember 2008 as the year we were introduced to our new president, Barak Obama in a historic election win back in November. We were also introduced to some very important information about him including of course, his favorite foods. This started with a 60 Minutes interview featuring the Obama family making tuna salad (tuna, Grey Poupon, mayo, and chopped gherkins) and ended with questioning Obama's right-hand-man Reggie Love. And, like a good candidate, his answers remained pretty much the same. Comfort foods! Water over soda, and good ol' healthy vegetables...There was also this telling quote in response to his daughter's claim that he only makes chili:
"The truth is, before I met Michelle I did quite a bit of cooking. I had an Indian roommate for a while, so I learned how to make Indian food. I grew up in Hawaii where there's a lot of Asian influence, so I learned how to cook Chinese food...also, the stuff I make is a little too spicy for these guys." It's no wonder we have such faith in him; he has a global yet down to earth palate!

Favorite Food to Cook... Chili
Has Been Known to Enjoy... Shrimp & Grits
Not Fond of... British Food
Favorite Restaurant... Italian Fiesta Pizzeria in Hyde Park, Chicago
His vices?... Handmade milk chocolates from Fran’s Chocolates in Seattle and Nicorette gum

Palin Syrah:
On the other side of the ticket was an interesting little ditty. During all the 2008 campaign stats and trends, one bar in San Fransisco had it's own to watch. According to local wine guru in that area Amy Monroe, "Republican VP pick Sarah Palin might not be fond of San Francisco, but one San Francisco wine bar is fond of Palin Syrah. Or rather, it was. 'It was our best selling wine before the announcement,' said Chris Tavelli, owner of Yield Wine Bar, which has offered Palin Syrah, a certified organic wine from Chile, by the glass since July. But after John McCain tagged Sarah Palin as his running mate, sales of the wine with the conservative's inverted name plummeted—not surprising in famously liberal San Francisco."
Serious Eats tell us that "the Palin label is inexpensive (about $13 a bottle), organic, and Chilean."

The Dawn of Healthier Eating:
Along with the changing coffee image is a seemingly healthier eating trend that began developing in 2008 and will move us into the new year. With publications like In Defense of Foods by Michael Pollen enlightening us, we are concentrating more of whole grains, fruits and vegetables rather than calorie counting for overall health. This is further proved by the ban on trans fat that started in NYC in 2007 and moved to other parts of the country in '08 including Boston, Philly and the whole state of California! Though I must admit it has been a little helpful seeing just how many calories make up what I am eating at the chain restaurants required to post that information. A New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene survey even states there is growing evidence that New Yorker's have changed their eating habits in the six months since that new law went into effect this year.

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5...4...3...2....WINE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

by Megan Moore

Whether it is Champagne, Prosecco, or Cava, sparkling wine always seems celebratory. Just in time for the New Year, wine stores all over New York are having tastings to lure customers during the busy holiday season. The good news is that there is a sparkling wine for every budget. While Champagnes are synonymous with luxury and decadence, there are definite values to be had.

A prime example of Champagne that almost everyone is familiar with is Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin. It is a classic champagne with small bubbles and biscuity, citrusy flavors. As an indulgence, Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin is reliably delicious. It is in the mid price range of about $40 a bottle at my favorite wine store.

If you are looking for something slightly different, Prosecco is a nice choice. Prosecco is the most well known of all the Italian sparkling wine and is slightly more affordable yet just as delicious. Less expensive does not mean lower quality in many cases and the trick is to always ask questions at your local wine store. One of my favorites of this variety is Mina, which is well balanced and slightly tart with some mineral tones. It is inexpensive enough to make into a Bellini yet is absolutely delicious on its own.

Of the three most common varieties of sparkling wine, Cava has enjoyed an enormous amount of interest in the past five years or so because of America’s current fascination with Spanish food. Cava is not the sort of thing I think of when El Bulli comes to mind, but it is the perfect wine to drink with friends while enjoying tapas. An excellent Cava to sample is Miro, which is one of the true modern sparkling wines. It is a blend of three very specific Spanish grapes: parellada, macabeo and xarel-lo. It is definitely dry, with bright flavors like lemon and green apple, and biscuity overtones. It is best served by itself, rather than as part of a cocktail.

Whatever the variety of sparkling wine, all go well with a nice toast and a happy celebration.

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A Locavore's Love Letter

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, it’s impossible not to think about the lore of the holiday in which the settlers and Native Americans gathered together with crops of their own growing to celebrate the New World with food. In that vein, I thought it appropriate to explore the resurgence of this trend in today’s society with a return of ownership in what has come to be known as “farm-to-table” cuisine.

In an effort to ensure quality and reduce the eco-footprint of importing foods, a new wave of “locavores” has taken over the way we approach restaurant food supply. This has brought with it a renewed sense of community not only between farmer and chef, but also consumer as well. A visionary in this genre of course is New York’s own Dan Barber, co-owner of Blue Hill restaurants. He gets his inspired and fresh dishes from local farms, primarily Stone Barns, around Westchester. Their mantra of “know thy farmer” brings pride and ownership to the restaurant process that others just cannot reach.

“The Stone Barns Center was conceived by David Rockefeller, who helped finance the initial $30 million construction budget, and also donated 80 acres of farmland, to create a grand experiment in the study and practice of sustainable local agriculture,” according to its site (1). The Center offers community outreach and education programs with Blue Hill as the only for-profit component. It is a one-of-a-kind experience that allows visitors to know exactly what they are eating from concept to practice to plate, as well we all should.

On the other side of the country this movement can be credited also to Alice Waters whose restaurant Chez Panisse in California was one of the first promoting organic and small farm products. She also started "edible education" programs that have stretched across the Berkeley school system, advocating health and combating childhood obesity. Waters follows the belief that “international shipment of mass-produced food is both harmful to the environment and produces an inferior product for the consumer” (2).

Since its ascent in popularity amongst chefs, this novel idea has been cropping up around the country from Washington to Texas to Georgia, all following in the footsteps of not only Barber and Waters, but also in the ever-present memory of the founders of this country. The true pioneers started from the ground up to sustain life in this country and build what we can now appreciate today. So when giving thanks this year, remember where it began and how eating used to be. And let us all give thought to community and quality in our own cooking so we may once again be proud to say “we are what we eat”.

1. www.stonebarnscenter.org
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Waters

For a list of the top farm-to-table restaurants across the country visit:
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/diningtravel/restaurants/farmtotable_intro

Written by Andrea Scalici
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Macrobiotic Diet Simplified: The Key to Life

In today’s over processed, under nourished, one-step, two-bite, quick and easy food world, it’s no wonder something like the Macrobiotic Diet seems strange and complicated. But the truth of the matter is that it’s the root of eating.

The term comes from Greek, "macro" meaning "large" or "long", and "bios" meaning "life", and was first coined by Hippocrates, the father of western medicine. The diet as we know it today comes philosopher-writer George Ohsawa who adopted the term and drew from Chinese and Japanese folk medicine to create his version of this traditional philosophy of health. His teachings came by way of Japan then Europe to North American in the 1950’s where his most prominent student, Michio Kushi spread its wings.1

At first glace, the ever-knowledgeable Wikipedia, describes macrobiotics as:

“Eating grains as a staple food supplemented with other foodstuffs such as vegetables and beans, and avoiding the use of highly processed or refined foods. Macrobiotics also addresses the manner of eating, by recommending against overeating, and requiring that food be chewed thoroughly before swallowing.”1

Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t this the way we humans are supposed to eat? Westernization brought with it a resistance of the traditional Eastern beliefs of the Orient but it seems now they may have been onto something all along. Rather than just another diet fad, macrobiotics concentrates also on a way of living, of maintaining a yin and yang in all we do. Aren’t people in America always striving for balance?

If so, simply follow these rules:
Chew your food! Breaking up the groups between 25-30% whole grains, especially brown rice, 30-40% vegetables, 5-10% beans and legumes, and the remaining percentage comprised of an assortment of fish, miso soup, nuts and seeds, fruits, and naturally processed foods.
Cook seasonally, with lighter dishes featured in the warmer months and richer dishes in colder months.
BALANCE: Avoid over stimulating the body (YIN) through things like sugar alcohol and coffee, while staying away from stagnant (YANG) foods like meat, poultry, eggs, and refined salt.

It is believed that, according to a proponent, if one “eats foods that are whole, local and in season, that the body get the perfect yin-ness and yang-ness needed for the natural environment. In harmony with nature, one can experience strength, flexibility, freedom and happiness.”2

On the surface Macrobiotics appears similar to the vegan diet. The main differences being that most meats and fishes aren’t ruled out and macrobiotics encourages an active and positive life and mental outlook with its diet as well. Indulgences are allowed since healthy eating on a daily basis is the norm. Further, macrobiotics has ties in alternative healing. Many believe the restrictive diet is helpful to ailments and diseases like cancer, though this has never been proven. One of the elements that is a little outdated, however, is the promotion of tobacco, said to be helpful as a part of this diet, but something we know by now to be harmful.

As a cook and “foodie” (I try to avoid those words but can’t yet call myself a chef), I don’t like to rule anything out of my repertoire, especially “nightshade” vegetables which macrobiotics warns against, including tomatoes, eggplant, beets and avocado, all things essential to my personal diet. But I appreciate the essence of macrobiotics and embrace the idea that we are what we eat. In the midst of the attention food is getting these days with laws against trans-fats and a return to organic, healthy eating habits, it is no wonder Macrobiotics is once again drawing crowds. My hat goes off to those that have been able to maintain this lifestyle all along while the rest of us were stuck with deli sandwiches and fast food. I guess there’s a reason this diet is over 5000 years old.

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrobiotic_diet
2. http://www.hipchicksmacrobiotics.com/faq.html
3. http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00059/showing_kushi.htm

Written by Andrea Scalici

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