Cooking With Ideas

Dan Barber is a Genius; Or Getting to Know My Own Backyard

On an impulse (she says), my partner bought me a delightful book when we were last at Ravine's. The book: Dan Barber's The Third Plate, subtitled Field Notes on the Future of Food. I read it while traveling, having held on to it for a  time when I deserved a treat. And, I read it slowly. 

Short review: Read this. It is smart, well written, hopeful, and intricate.

Longer review: I loved that this book began with Barber telling stories about a nearby farmer who I had reason to meet some time ago (when Alice Waters was in Seneca Falls) but that I do not know. And, I loved that my knowledge of my region grew and grew and grew. I also loved that Dan Barber writes well, including lovely sentences and lovely use of others' work. We have seen him on various documentaries (e.g., Chef's Table) and it was lovely to "meet" him again in a new way. (Here is a brief youtube related to Chef's Table.) 

Longest review: Everything I wrote above is true, but requires reflection and elaboration, right? So here goes. 

Let's begin with the local theme: Klaas Martens and Mary-Howell Martens are Lakeview Organic Grain. As I discovered by reading The Third Plate, their work as organic farmers began one day which might have been tragic: when spraying fields with various items one morning, Klaas discovered he could not move his arms. That day they say, was the start of their organic farming. Rather than enhancing their soils and managing their pests with chemical treatments, they began growing their soil. (For an article focused on the transition, click here.) That is, they focus on rotation crops and other strategies. (Click here for some more on this topic.) You can find them profiled on their website here, along with various others in their team. Located in Penn Yan, NY, on a farm that was his generationally (there is a longish and not always delightful family story involved here), the Martens' switch to organic and the success of their farm thereafter inspired many others around them. And, their need to vertically integrate led them to their own mill which serves many throughout the community. 

But, no, Barber's book is not a profile of the Martens, though their focus on grain is why he initially looks to their work. Though focused on a close relation of farm to table, Barber is wrestling with what that means -- including which "engine" drives which and, what gets left out of such notions. One of the most ubiquitous products he uses is flour which, one day, he realizes is "dead" and has little to no taste. This leads to his ruminations -- and investigations -- into grains which takes him to Penn Yan, but also to the west coast, looking at a range of ways to move beyond industrial wheat. 

Barber's ruminations are much wider, arranged as they are around the themes of. . . . . Hence, his discussions of fish and sustainability, of oceans and more. Hence his reflections on (Hudson Valley) foie gras (for a related Ted Talk click here) and on the farming they do at Blue Hill itself including the role of lambs and of pigs and of chickens. Is it possible to create foie gras without force-feeding? (At least one answer: yes.) What does one do when one impulsively serves high end food critics an unsustainable fish which "everyone" is no longer serving to try to help it make a come back? He reflects on historic heritage corn -- and the ways that heritage risks trying to preserve the past in amber (ask it were) and new varieties chosen in various ways -- in a discussion of tomatoes (and the horrifying late blight that has affected us all in upstate NY). His attention to location and to both/and seem to me to be a rich set of less rigid approaches to both dining now, cooking now, and creating a more vital future that is accessible not only to the wealthy. Barber listens -- and responds -- and seems to want to avoid simplistic responses. That is part of both his charm and his challenge, 

The book is organized around the themes: soil; land; sea; seed. A reminder of the ways these interconnect, in part. A reminder of globalization. And, in each regard, a reminder that each of these is LIVING. His writing is so provocative that I ca, even now, some weeks later, imagine him standing in a trench looking at levels of soil, standing in a hotel hallway looking at huge long across depicting the roots beneath crops, and looking out from a roof onto the area of Spain from which that amazing jamon iberico comes. I know I have learned -- about the acorns those pigs eat, about the interweaving of culture and farming that creates that region, the ways that fish might be differently farmed, and more. 

I have said it is well written. I have said there are sentences that moved me. I laughed on occasion and read aloud "Did you know, I asked." I recommend you read this too. 

My goal now: a reservation at Blue Hill. We have been saying this for years. Really, Bibliochef: get off your duff. 

And, I might read more that he has written. I know that my sense of what it means to eat and live responsibly has been affected by this book. All too rare. 

And by the way, he has a website called The Third Plate. Ruth Reichl liked it. So did Al Gore. And so did I. 

Cape Cod Dining: Wellfleet Oysters

I admit it. I am not a fan of oysters. They do nothing for me. Years ago, I ate some at the Wellfleet Oyster Fest (under some duress) believing that I might somehow have an epiphany. Not so much. I see them on restaurant menus -- even in Geneva, at the Red Dove, and .  . . well, not my thing. My partner loves them -- and I just . . . do not.

And yet, our trips to Wellfleet always involve oysters. The place is famous for them. Over the years, we have learned a lot -- my partner going out with an oyster farmer to survey their plots, and meeting people with long historic relationships to oysters. Finally, this year, our friend who we rent from gave my partner oysters! And, my partner learned to shuck. That was an adventure. Indeed, the picture above is from her first shucking. 

The adventure began with nervousness about cutting one's hand off. (There were no lessons.) So, of course, off we went in search of a glove -- first to Hatch's and then, on their recommendation, to the lumber center we have walked past year after year. (Turns out it is called Mid Cape Home Center.) Indeed, they had the right gloves -- and the chap who pointed them out shucks in the Oyster Fest. So: step one: gloves. The place we are staying in has oyster shucking tools - knife and etc. (We intend to buy some before heading home.) 

Step two: you tube. No, we did not watch any videos, but we did read the few sentences description and then. . . she started. And, it was beautiful. There was a bit of struggle -- levering in at the hinge. But, then, voila, oysters on the half shell. Imperfect sometimes (some bits of shell, for example) and the challenge seemed mostly to be releasing the oyster from the shell. 

And, then, plated and surrounded by ice, with horse radish (purchased from Mac's Kitchen and Market in Eastham) to die for, and cocktail sauce (provided by the person who gifted her the oysters) and lemons (ditto). The next night there was mignonette purchased from Mac's as well. In each case, my partner loved the way the brine flavor elevated everything. And, of course, she was smiling that she had learned to shuck (and done no damage to her beautiful hands). Yes, I could have tried to make something snazzy to put on the oysters, having located loads of ideas. But hey. 

We also encountered oysters, not surprisingly, at restaurants:

Our first stop is always the Bookstore, where I love the lemongrass and ginger infused martinis. They were amazing. We saw oysters and did not purchase any (here they have their own oysters and shuck them to order) -- but instead we had other things. Mmmm. Good. We are in Wellfleet. I overheard someone walking in town saying that the difference between the Bookstore oysters and the ones elsewhere is that they have their own oyster grant and shuck them on demand so they retain more of the sea flavor. 

We did have one other oyster adventure at a restaurant (reviewed elsewhere on this very blog) called Ceraldi. Suffice it to say, they have a tradition of starting each meal with an oyster. I ate it -- because why go to a tasting menu and refuse things - and I was blown away. Something about the particular oyster and the finger limes. Pop, pop, pop. Wow. (For more on this, look for my review of Ceraldi's to come.)

 

Cape Cod Dining: PB Boulangerie

One of the places that we have regularly dined when in Wellfleet is PB Boulangerie Bistro located in South Wellfleet right of the main drag. (and no, we are not there any longer.) A lovely French place, the Boulangerie itself (rather than the bistro) is also notable for the crowds that arrive in the mornings when they are open, line up, and purchase coffee (in my case a latte) and pastries (in our case this year a chocolate croissant for my partner and my favorite pain aux raisin for me). The folks who help you are often from Europe, and on the Cape for a summer of work As we were there in the off season (usually we are -- but usually in the Fall), we had to try to patiently await the mornings the Boulangerie is open -- Wednesday through Sunday). Hurrah. And, the lines were negligible. 

I can attest to the wonders of dining on such pastries while sitting on the beach at Cahoon Hollow. The pastry was perfect, the coffee delightful, and the company (including the seals) was inspiring. We also bought a loaf of delightful bread - and are enjoying it so much that perhaps we will buy a toaster on our return home (though we say that every time we are here). 

So: I have reviewed the bistro other times -- having gone there, for example, for Canadian Thanksgiving. Click here for a bit more on this theme. We do not plan to go this visit -- somehow it seems a bit heavy for the time of year - though the sole was delightful last visit. 

For what you can get at the boulangerie, including some delightful pictures, click here. And, if you do not know why Wellfleet is wonderful, just know this: best public library ever. 

If you are in the area, try them -- at 15 Lecount Hollow Road
​South Wellfleet, MA  02663 USA
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 508.349.1600 ​

Whites

We binge watch. We do. And, my partner is kind enough to look for things food related on our various streaming services. 

We wondered why Whites was called Whites. Was it about race? No: chef's whites? The color of the location of the restaurant featured in the series? Eventually, we learned: the chef's last name? White. 

The restaurant might be called The White House restaurant. With no link to the one in D.C. 

In any case, White is a what we used to call a television show, and I am now at a loss for what to call them. Streamed series? formerly known as television shows. It turns out it is a BBC show which aired in 2010. Starring an actor we like (Alan Davies) as the chef (who is somehow and always a bit at a loss), the show is set at a country hours hotel where he runs the restaurant. He is a bit of a mess, and leaves all too much of the running of things up to his second in command, Bib. No: not Bob. 

The characters include one of my favorite ever totally daft people, unfortunately a woman, Kiki, who simply is clueless. Totally clueless. Others include a chap named Skoose who wants to be the sous chef (and is an apprentice) who is mostly a real mean ambitious type, except toward the end of the series where one gets a tiny bit of insight that he is someone other than a total. . . ass? There is also the hotel manager, the owner who is a bit on the odd side, and others who come and go. 

The series is like some of the mysteries I read: a peanut. That is, it was fun to binge watch, and I am even sad that it did not last longer, but it is not something I want to re-watch.  The sight of the kitchen and the food being prepared seemed genuine and the characters were set to the perfection of sitcom tension, and the evenings we spent binging were just that: fun. I might never look at an almost washed up executive chef again the same way -- nor a successful television foodie chef (who got there in nasty ways). 

Watch it is you are looking to binge with no redeeming features other than the odd smile. Click here if you want to know that the actors are still peeved that it was cancelled (despite good ratings). For another perspective on the series, try this. 

A Veg-filled Evening at Home: Dal & Maitake Mushroom Curry

Lately my recipe choices have been a combination of (a) things I have made for a long time and love; (b) things I come across in food related magazines we get int eh old fashioned surface mail; and (c) google land. In the latter regard, it is often a question of "what do we have" and "what can I make with that." Because my partner and I both want to reduce our meat intake, lately this has been about what I can do with various vegetables.

Let's begin with the dal -- which came from one of the aforementioned magazines: Bon Appetite.  The recipe is for spicy dal with salted yogurt and fluffy rice (and appears here). A few reflections: (1) since we have a rice cooker -- which I love -- our rice was simple to make. (2) The toppings are both the salted yogurt and thinly sliced red onion marinated (as it were) in lime zest and lime juice and a pinch or both salt and sugar. Both toppings were excellent. And, yes, I know that the yogurt makes the meal NOT VEGAN and so you may feel cheated. But: the dal was terrific without it as well. All in all, the recipe gets high points for tastiness, for contributing lovely smells to the home and tasting great, and I give myself credit for using up things in the house! 

Having said that, when I proposed the dal my partner was not enthusiastic (she eventually was), so I decided to make the maitake mushrooms we had in the fridge. At first, i was simply going to sauce them and use them below -- or on top of -- the dal. Then I decided to google, because we do have a mushroom curry recipe we like but it is often a little too much coconut and cinnamon. So: maitake mushroom curry was the google. And, turns out there are loads of options of what to do with these delights beyond our favorite, which is to sauce in butter and places on toast. What we had was from the following recipe and then a mild kitchen inattentiveness which had positive (though accidental) consequences. 

Here is the recipe from The Spiced Life. 

I pretty much followed the recipe when it comes to ingredients, except for using powdered cardamon. You will see there is a funky cooking technique in the recipe (involving a charcoal briquette and smoke) and I did not do that. Also: I substituted broth I had on hand (purchased) for the mushroom broth and ignored the cream (adding a small pour of milk). I was thrilled to use some of my methi which has been hanging around the kitchen screaming to be used. 

Here's the accident that improved on the initial idea: I over cooked things a bit and the curry ended up fairly dry. This may have been a side effect, as well, of omitting the cream and putting much less milk in than called for. In any case, this concentrated the flavors nicely and made it a terrific accompaniment to the dal and rice. It was totally umami gone slightly heated. Again, veggie friendly, but not vegan. Sorry! 

Hurrah. And, we served some of our own chutney -- plum one night and apricot date another. 

All in all, a delightful vegan (except for the yogurt -- I get that) meal. 

Death by Dumpling

It was the title. Of course, it was the title. Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien is the first foodie cozy I have bought in Barnes and Noble (right there near Wegmans in Pittsford) in a very long time. There it was, calling my name. So, I bought it -- and then in a short while, I read it. And, according to Chien's website, there is a second Noodle Shop mystery on its way soon. 

But what about this first one? If you are a devoted reader of this site -- or care to wander the site categories, come across Murder on the Menu and see how many food related mysteries I have reviewed, you know I know this sub genre. I know it well. And, I have opinions about it. I am ambivalent about the punning that goes on. I prefer there to actually be a plot and do not see the inclusion of recipes as the only thing defining the sub genre. I like authors that weave more complex plots and engage in characterization better than those that . . . do not. I get a bit tired of some of the cliches that go with cozy foodie mysteries -- the amateur detective (female) always has a love interest (usually if not quite always male) who is either a sherif, a cop or otherwise a professional in related areas. And, the romance is often . . . early in the series, accompanied by self denigration on the part of the woman, who often gets into idiotic situations as a result of her curiosity, persistent effort to solve crimes, etcetera. 

What I do like, of course, is the indirect way of learning about food cultures, a plot with ongoing characterization, fun side kicks, interesting settings, and more. I learn about tea from Laura Childs and coffee from Cleo Coyle (and pseudonyms from them both), for example, and am oddly fond of their series characters. I have explored Charleston and Greenwich Village with them. I like the sub genre, for the most part.  So: I was excited to find this new entry to the list of authors I know. 

So, what about Death by Dumpling? I thought I would learn a bit about Asian (more specifically, Chinese American) food culture (though not as much as I did from The Last Chinese Chef (reviewed here on CookingwithIdeas) which was a spectacular novel. And, I so enjoyed Murder on Bamboo Lane which challenged the sub genre by having a female (Asian American) police officer at its heart.  

Of course, I especially like the sub genre when it overlaps with particular food related matters for me; in the case of dumplings I have a very fond memory of making them with a long deceased friend and her children and others. I somehow expected, I think, to participate vicariously in dumpling making. Without spoiling anything, that is not the case here as the dumplings are made out of our sight. 

In any case, I bought the book -- and Death by Dumpling is, like most parts of the real world, imperfect. It is both a fun read and one that is, for me, marred by a few minor things. I love some aspects (the character Lana Lee reminds me of some children I know with similar names!) -- including the insight into Asian market plazas (though not as fleshed out as I would have liked) and that the tale was set in Cleveland (which I do not know at all, despite occasionally driving through) but, again, would like to see the place fleshed out further. Two things: the main "investigator" is young (27 I think) and sometimes that is over emphasized -- her voice seems, to be honest, annoying, despite the reality that she is smart, caring, and focused. The whining -- implied and actually present in the novel, seems a bit much. (This may be because there is an emphasis characteristic of the sub genre on failed romance. And, as with other series in the genre, there is a new love interest with all that ambiguity, in the person of a police detective.) I'd like to see Lana Lee's tone change a bit in future novels in the series. While there is the implication that she matures over the course of this installment, it doesn't really feel like that to me. 

Having said that, the notion of murder by food allergy is entertaining -- and though used elsewhere -- used to good purpose here. And, the complications of parent child  (and especially adult child) loyalty abound in the novel in ways that both contribute to the plot, provide "red herrings" and remind us all of the ways misunderstanding is not merely about those outside our families but all too often define our relationships inside our families as well. That Lana Lee is bi-racial adds some interest as well -- as she does wrestle with that a bit in the story. 

This book qualifies as what I think of as a peanut book (no, this is not about the horrors of peanut allergies!) -- a peanut book from my perspective is a very very quick, fun, read -- a bit ore than fluffy but still a snack food! 

For a review elsewhere, click here. Or, try here.