Pumpkin's arrival

Greetings from sunny and warm Amsterdam! We are having an indian summer at the moment, and I'm happy as a clam. I'm writing this sitting outside at my favorite neighborhood cafe, soaking in every moment of the warmth while I still can.

Its been a fairly uneventful couple of days. The website I'm working on for work is due to launch in about 2 weeks, so I'm under the gun to get everything done and have been working significantly more than usual.

But, I do have a few things to report.

I discovered an essential fall ingredient that I have been hoping and praying to catch in the store, and low and behold it was there:

Pumpkin! Granted I would have been even more happy to see a butternut squash, but this will have to do. Its a smaller, sweeter pumpkin, more akin to a squash or the sugar pumpkins in the US than what we traditionally call pumpkins.

It made for a delicious soup. I sauteed two shallots in some olive oil, added the chopped pumpkin (if anyone has a fool-proof method for chopping/peeling squash/pumpkin, let me know. this was a bugger to cut up...the dull knife didn't help either...), covered it with chicken stock, and let it simmer away until very soft. I pureed it up, and it was delicious. No cream necessary.

Seasonal, local (according to the sticker) and organic to boot. I'll be picking up more of these before they disappear from the store.

Speaking of local produce in Holland, I saw a short article the other day explaining that farmers in Holland are leaving the agriculture sector at a rate of six per day. And the number of farms has decreased 28% since 2008. This consequence of the economy unfortunately means that local produce in Holland will be harder to come by. A lot of the fruit in the market already comes from far away places, a climate-related necessity if we want to eat oranges and bananas in Holland. But the economic downturn plus the worldwide increase in demand for food (ie. there is a pull to create larger farms in places where the labor is cheap) also means hard times ahead for small local farmers. Would hate to see my new found local pumpkin disappear from the grocery store shelves.

I often get asked by people why I care so much about "eating local." For me its not so much the touted ecological reasons (the amount of transport that food undergoes, emissions, etc), its about supporting the local farmers. We need them (just think how boring summer would be without the delicious locally grown corn and peaches we get in the bay area!) and I show them my support with my wallet.


In a completely unrelated matter, I am happy to report that I've been given a temporary residence permit that allows me to stay here until March. Hopefully the permit good for 5 years will follow without issue. A belated birthday present from Belgium to me. How nice :)

Until next time, stay well!

Everything in Moderation?

I'm going to stir up a little bit of controversy today. Not because I particularly enjoy controversy, but because I think this will be an interesting topic for debate.

Over the past year or so I've developed a very distanced and distrustful relationship with my own professional organization the American Dietetic Association (which by the way, is changing names...it is now the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. I'll bring this back up again further along this post).

Why have I turned a cold shoulder you ask? Because of sponsorships and partnerships like this advertisement from Coca-Cola found in the Summer 2011 ADA Times magazine.

We all know I have a bone to pick with soda (obvious, isn't it :), but that's not really what bugs me about this ad. What bugs me is that it was in the ADA magazine. The magazine sent to dietitians around the US. The magazine produced by the professional organization that is supposed to provide "food and nutrition information you can trust." (Which I suppose is why the ADA is changing their name- to be more broad so they can wiggle their way out of such dubious partnerships). With this ad the ADA is passively endorsing coca-cola products as healthy. Not great.

And this sort of sponsorship isn't only at the national level. I nearly fell out of my chair when reading the brochure for last years California Dietetic Association's meeting and saw that McDonald's was sponsoring lunch. McDonald's? Really? At the dietetic association meeting?


I, being fond of the benefit of the doubt, choose to believe that in their heart of hearts the people who approve of such partnerships know how it must look. Know that the products these types of companies produces are nowhere near healthy. So why do they do it? The money of course. Dietitians do not tend to be a wealthy bunch, and money for conferences and magazines doesn't grown on trees.

But there could be another theory, besides financial reward, at play here. This is all just an introduction to the real controversy I wanted to bring up.

Dietitians are supposed to be the experts on nutrition, and the vast majority of dietitians are just that (too bad our professional association has trouble keeping up with the caliber of its members). But what defines optimal nutrition, and thus the dietitians messages, is a nuanced and highly contentious issue. We can all agree that vegetables and fruit are healthy. But add butter to that broccoli, and you go into the grey area. For some dietitians butter is a sin, for others (ahem, me, as if that birthday cake wasn't evidence enough) it can be part of a healthy diet. You've heard me say it here before that a pillar of good nutrition is moderation.

So if everything is fine in moderation, as we say, aren't then Coca-Cola and McDonald's also fine in moderation? And then does it reason that the ADA taking Coca-Cola's advertising dollars isn't so bad after all?

I personally don't think there is ever a need for soda. But then again I drink wine - which arguably has health benefits according to the research, whereas you would be hard pressed to find any benefits for a soda- but still, this is a little bit of a hypocritical position. I can drink my glass of wine in moderation, but you can't drink your glass of coke in moderation? (now I can argue my point here to death, but I won't bore you and I'll just say that at an annual per capita consumption of 45 gallons our soda consumption is hardly moderate) 

This "what defines healthy" debate is an ethical dilemma when money is involved, but I think it is also a fundamental issue in the field of nutrition. 

Is truly everything fine in moderation? Or is this a scapegoat phrase we use to make excuses for our own (or other peoples) bad habits and questionable sponsorship partners?

What do you think?

I warned you it would be controversial.
(Thanks to this post by Dr. Freedhoff for the inspiration on this post).

Birthday in Brussels

Hi everyone from sunny (!) Brussels! Sorry for my extended absence: that cold really knocked me out. But I'm finally springing back to life.

I know I promised you all a healthy eating while traveling post, and it will be coming sometime soon. For now, though, here's an update on what I've been up to (other than staying in bed and sneezing, of course).

This weekend was my birthday weekend, and I woke up Saturday morning feeling like a human being again, just in time for some celebrating. V and I spent Saturday night out on the town. We started with dinner at Belga Queen, a restaurant in a beautiful 18th century building that used to be a bank. While the food was good, the most compelling reason to come to this restaurant is the building and the decor.

After our dinner, we stayed out and enjoyed the unseasonably warm and dry evening. Brussels looks good at night :)

It was a great birthday celebration, and many thanks to V for organizing the fun :) After a late night out, I spent most of my actual birthday just relaxing. But I did do one very important thing: make a gluten-free birthday cake!

I was craving a traditional American style birthday cake. Although I knew it was my birthday, it didn't quite feel like my birthday. It was oddly quiet compared to what I'm used (loud and large dinners with a lots of family and friends), but I knew that I could bring a little piece of home to my birthday through the kitchen.

The cake did not disappoint. I used this recipe and, probably because the amount of butter that went into it gave me chest pains just thinking about, it was a delicious cake. Even V's dad (who was spending the evening with us) said you couldn't tell that it was gluten-free. It was just what I needed on my birthday.

There's nothing like a birthday to make you sentimental, and I've been thinking a lot about home this weekend. Home is a relative concept now; I have both a sentimental home and my current physical home. This physical home is starting to feel more comfortable, but I think I will always miss my sentimental home on holidays and birthdays.  Lest I get all philosophical on you, let me just say that I hope you all (in my homes of past) are well, and know that I am thinking of you!

I will be spending the day today getting caught up on all the work I pushed off while sick last week. And eating some more of that birthday cake :) It may have even shown up on my breakfast plate...perfectly acceptable on the day after your birthday, if I do say so myself.

I'll be back tomorrow with a more nutrition-y post. Until then!

Photo blooper

Anyone else think there is something wrong with this photo? Look closely at the posters:

 

Both the pesticide conference and the hematology and oncology conference were taking place at our hotel in DC.  You'd think they would at least place the signs a little farther apart. Although perhaps the pesticide people are trying to subtly say something with that arrow?

I often get asked about organic versus non-organic, and unlike my answer about basic nutrition, my answer to this question is not very straightforward. But my thinking on pesticides is that if they are designed to kill bugs, one has to wonder what they do inside of us. The organic debate is fodder for another post (I need to get caught up on the research before I'm willing to publicly say one way or the other), but I couldn't let this photo go without comment.

Lest you think its all traveling fun and games around these parts, mother nature has spoken and planted me at home with a cold.


And the school across the street decided that today would be a great day to have a carnival right outside my window blaring music that sounds more Vegas-club than kid's carnival. So I'm hibernating as far away from the front windows as I can, and working (and blogging, obviously) like this today:

Working from bed...with tissues...could be worse

Hopefully with fluids, veggies and rest I'll be back tomorrow with a more energetic post on a great topic:  healthy (or at least somewhat healthy) eating while traveling. 

Whats Cooking Uncle Sam?

We didn't go to DC last week with any real plans, other than vague aspirations to see the museums and the sights. Serendipitously, we stumbled upon an exhibit at the national archives that ended up being one of the highlights of the trip for me.

"Whats Cooking Uncle Sam?" (showing until January) is a historical look at the ways the US government has influenced the diet of Americans, focusing mainly on the effects of agricultural programs surrounding both world wars. It is described perfectly on their website:

"Food. We love it, fear it, and obsess about it. We demand that our Government ensure that it is safe, cheap, and abundant. In response, Government has been a factor in the production, regulation, research, innovation, and economics of our food supply. It has also attempted, with varying success, to change the eating habits of Americans."

Seeing the nutrition history I learned from boring textbooks come to life in video, music, pictures and original documents was fascinating.  A few highlights from the exhibit (as no photos were allowed, the pictures below are from the archives website):

Vintage government posters, such as this one:

 

Seeing the actual 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act, which came about in part because of tainted meat and contaminated ketchup (apart from inducing illness from puturid tomates, the ketchup was also prone to exploding so they had to add benzoate; apparently you can thank Mr. Heinz for discovering how to make the benzoate free ketchup we have today). These acts put the government in charge of ensuring food safety for the first time, eventually leading to our food safety laws today.

Seeing how much things have changed:

c. 1942; although I guess this isn't that different from vitamin water, is it?

And how much they've stayed the same (well, except for that butter group...)

This 1941-1945 predecessor to today's "my plate" (food guide pyramid replacement released earlier this year) shows just how little things have changed. The basics of nutrition, as I keep repeating, are quite simple and we've know them to be true for a long time. "For health...eat some food from each group...every day!" This message conveys variety and moderation ("some"), the two pillars of good nutrition.

We followed the exhibit with lunch at American Eats Tavern, the popup restaurant inconjuction with the exhibit by Jose Andres (and the proceedes from the restaurant went back to the archives, pretty cool!)

Featuring historical and regional US cuisine, each menu item told the story behind that dish, so the menu was like a history lesson in and of itself.

My prohibition era cocktail, and the housemade potato chips (in paper bag above) were my favorite parts of the meal.

The foodie quotes decorating the restaurant:

It was a perfect pairing of one of Washington DC's great museums (the Archives is where the declaration of independence, the constitution and the bill of rights are housed), and a great meal. A surprise highlight of the trip!

DC Adventures: Day 2 and School Lunch from Around the World

I've just returned to Amsterdam, and have so much to share from our wonderful super-long weekend in DC, I don't even know where to begin.

I'll start where I left off and with the most important part of our trip: discovering the most delicious gluten-free cupcake :)

If any of you watch TLC you may be familiar with their show about Georgetown Cupcake.

I noticed that this famous cupcake spot was around the corner from where we were shopping in Georgetown, and we decided to pop our heads in just to check it out. I sometimes fear that this type of hyped up food place won't live up to is expectations, and we were not expecting them to have a gluten-free option, so we were just going to have  quick peak to see what all the hype was about.

But this place surpassed all expectations. Not only did they have a gluten-free option, but it was heavenly. Seriously it tasted like the real thing.

While its hard to beat this delicious find, our evening proved to be even more interesting, but of a decidedly more intellectual variety.

The National Archives is featuring an exhibit called "What's Cooking Uncle Sam?" It explores how the government has influenced the US diet. Right up my alley, and we literally stumbled upon it. I'll have a full post on the exhibit later in the week. 

In conjunction with the exhibit there is a pop-up restaurant featuring regional US cuisine called America Eats Tavern (which we ate at...I'll talk all about that later), and The Archives is hosting a variety of events including the speaking event we attend: a conversation with Jose Andres and Diana Kennedy.

Jose Andres is a famous DC area chef originally from Spain. His restaurants literally pepper DC, and we had the pleasure of eating at two of them. I was unfamiliar with Diana Kennedy prior to the event, but she is an English woman who has spent her life living in Mexico and promoting the traditional and regional cuisine of Mexico.

It was a very interesting conversation, and a lovely way to spend the evening. We concluded our foodie-centered day at one of Jose Andres restaurants (Zaytinya) and ate some delicious Mediterranean food.

Small plates, heavy on the vegetables, a dietitian's dream!

Before I go, want to leave you with my favorite nutrition related link of the week: a fascinating look at school lunches from around the world. I really suggest you check it out, even if you're not a nutrition person. It is such a great peak into cultural food difference.

My favorite is this one from France. And yes, those are mussels and an artichoke on a school lunch tray :)

Photo from: http://todayilearned.co.uk/2011/04/20/what-kids-of-the-world-eat-at-school/

(Thanks to Katy for sending my way!)

DC Adventures: Part I

What's a CA girl to do within hours of arriving back in the US? Seek out mexican food, of course!

After an uneventful flight, I landed in DC just in time for dinner. Despite it being very sunny, hot and humid (quite the change from rainy Amsterdam!), I headed out for a walk to stretch my legs and for the sunlight to help me get over the jet lag. I wandered around for a while trying to decide on what to have for dinner, and when I saw chipotle I knew nothing else but mexican food would do.

Being in DC, I found some lovely steps to sit on for my meal:

And enjoyed a veggie and salsa-heavy carnitas "buritto bowl." Chipotle can be healthy if you avoid all the unhealthy extras (sour cream, cheese, a huge flour tortialla bigger than your head). I ask for mine light on the rice, heavy on the fresh tomato salsa and lettuce, and no sour cream or cheese.

Let me tell you, this spicy beauty hit the spot. Not the best mexican food in the world, but it was perfect in that moment.

After a much needed nights rest, we went out yesterday to explore the town. Our day started at the white house:

Where we caught a glimpse not only of Michelle Obama's vegetable garden, but the first dog who was out for a stroll :)

See that black shape next to the picnic table? Thats Bo!

We then made our way to the Museum of American History where we saw Julia Child's kitchen (so fun!) and the inagural gowns of the first ladies.

But the real highlight of yesterday was the virtual egg that came with my dinner at Citronelle. A virtual egg? My thoughts exactly.

To make a long story short, we ate out on the terrace at Citronelle instead of in the main restaurant because their air conditioner was broken and it was extremely hot and humid in the restaurant. Although the night didn't go as planned, the food was still very good, and I was throughly smitten with this "egg:"

Sorry for the dim light

Although this looks completely like a hard boiled egg on top of my napoleon "nicoise" salad, it has no egg in it. It is apparently made from clarified tomato water and mozzarella cheese among other things. The texture was nearly spot on to that of a hard boiled egg, and the flavor, I  must say,  I preferred it to the real thing (not being a huge hard boiled egg fan).

What is the point, you might ask? Well, as the waiter explained these virtual eggs are far easier to control. The chef (Michele Richard) decided real hard boiled eggs were too difficult to get perfect for presentation on this salad. Seeking perfection, he created it himself and the virtual egg was born. Quite amusing.

My mom had the short ribs which were braised for 60 hours and were so tender you almost didn't need to chew them. Delicious!

More adventures ensued today, including Georgetown shopping and the most delicious gluten-free cupcake! More on that- and the upcoming talk by DC chef Jose Andres we are attending tonight- later in the week.

Right now its "what time zone am I in?" nap time :)

Discoveries of the highest order

4 very important things I've discovered (insert sarcasm here.)

1. I've discovered that elderly ladies worldwide must buy the same perfume, and apply it in the same excessive amounts, after standing behind a lovely older lady at the fish shop. Quite the mix of smells, the fish shop and the overwhelming perfume.

A pic from our weekend in France, but you get the idea :)

2. I've discovered the lack of a key ingredient that I associate with fall: pumpkin! After an 80 degree mostly sunny Saturday, today is one of those fall days where I can imagine pumpkin spice muffins perfuming the kitchen and apple cider simmering away on the stove. The kind of fall day that is best spent at home with a cup of tea. Windy and crisp, raining. Never mind the fact there is no pumpkin in the grocery stores. How can you make pumpkin muffins without pumpkin? When I'm back for thanksgiving, pumpkin flavored everything will be had!

I wonder if amazon delivers?

3. I have yet to discover kale in any shop or market. I'm going crazy here. Its only one week into fall and I'm bored with the traditional fall/winter veggies (brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower). Where on earth is the kale? I see it growing in private gardens all over the place, so clearly people enjoy eating it here (or perhaps its only people who have their own garden who eat it...I need to make friends with them!) and yet its nowhere to be found in the markets. A garden may need to be in my future.


4. Most important lesson learned so far: having a trip to Paris booked makes life all the more exciting!

See you in October! (Photo: wikimedia commons @ Tristan Nitot)

I'm off on a jaunt across the pond tomorrow. Will spend 5 days with my mom, soaking in the ambient English conversations and the joy of conducting transactions in dollars. I'll be back at somepoint during the week for a update.
Until then!

Home Economics Revival?

Did you all see this op-ed in the New York Times called "Time to Revive Home Ec"? (By HELEN ZOE VEIT, Published: September 5, 2011)

I have said over and over again that it is not enough to tell people they need to eat vegetables if they have no clue how to cook vegetables.

Kale is delicious if you know what to do with it!

In school we teach kids how to do math, conduct science experiments, and the ins and outs of history. But basic life skills such as balancing a checking account and cooking are no longer in the curriculum. As the article explains:

 "Too many Americans simply don’t know how to cook. Our diets, consisting of highly processed foods made cheaply outside the home thanks to subsidized corn and soy, have contributed to an enormous health crisis.....In the last decade, many cities and states have tried — and generally failed — to tax junk food or to ban the use of food stamps to buy soda. Clearly, many people are leery of any governmental steps to promote healthy eating; Michelle Obama’s campaign against childhood obesity has inspired right-wing panic about a secret food police."

"But what if the government put the tools of obesity prevention in the hands of children themselves, by teaching them how to cook?"

Knowing how to cook healthy food at home is not only good for our waistlines and hearts, but can be great for our budgets. Many healthy foods such as brown rice, dried beans, and frozen veggies are fairly inexpensive and with the right repertoire of recipes can be turned into something delicious and nourishing. And this says nothing about all the salt and fat you save yourself by not eating restaurant food so often.

I'm one to believe that household knowledge should be learned where it will be applied: at home. But if the parents themselves don't know how to cook healthy food, where can we expect the the kids to learn how? Can teaching kids how to cook help to prevent cross-generational propagation of obesity? If children learn detrimental health habits from their parents perhaps school-based cooking and home economics classes could help mitigate that effect.

But can we afford to add another task to already resource-strapped schools?

"In the midst of contracting school budgets and test-oriented curricula, the idea of reviving home economics as part of a broad offensive against obesity might sound outlandish. But teaching cooking — real cooking — in public schools could help address a host of problems facing Americans today."

It certainly takes a long-term view to be able to justify the cost of teaching kids how to cook in schools. Measures like this could help, but I think some good pilot programs are needed to test out the best curriculum and see the impact. (Speaking about long term: to really know the effect of a home ec class you would have to follow kids who've taken the curriculum out 15-20 years to see if the classes had any effect on their lifestyle as an adult).

But if we don't teach our kids how to "fend for themselves" nutritionally, in some way or another, I'm really afraid to see the resulting obesity and health crises 30 years from now.

How would you feel about a home economics revival?

A garden to dream of -- and an amazing podcast

Not to leave you hanging, here are the photos from the gorgeous abbey and gardens we visited on Saturday in the French countryside:


(I'm trying out this slide show feature for the first time, so if there are some technical glitches, please let me know!

Some people seem to be having trouble with the slide show. Here is the link to look at the pictures on picasa: https://picasaweb.google.com/103216210775583472610/FranceTripPart2?authuser=0&feat=directlink)

My personal favorites: the edible plants mixed into an ornamental garden, such as the beautiful and fragrant bed of purple and green basil, and the chard and kale. I was so tempted to harvest some of that kale as I can't find it anywhere here, but I don't think they would have liked that much :)

Also, does anyone know what that green, round, root-looking vegetable toward the end of the slide show is?

We couldn't actually go into the abbey as it was closed for a wedding. But we did get a glimpse of the bride. What a stunning location for a wedding, and it was the perfect weather for it!

I also have to share with you my favorite podcast probably ever. It was part of Fresh Air's (NPR) food themed week last week. Harold McGee (food scientist and author extraordinaire), Julia Child (whats not to love?) and Mark Bittman (love him!) all in one podcast. Its epic. Well at least I think so :)

If you're into food and cooking, I highly suggest you take a listen!

I'm scrambling to finish up lots of work this week because......I get to go on a little vacation next week to Washington DC with my mom. Can't wait, and its giving me lots of motivation to get as much done this week as I possibly can. So without further ado: back to work!
 

A weekend in France

As promised, here are a few of the photos from our weekend in France.

We were on the northern coast of France, in the small beach town of Hardelot. It was a wonderful taste of home to see the ocean and get my toes in the sand.

And as you can see we really lucked out with the weather. Except for one thunderstorm on Saturday night it was mostly sunny :)

On Saturday AM I had the pleasure of going to the market in the nearby town of Le Touquet with V's mom. There was some beautiful local produce!

A great setting for a market!

Beautiful flowers!

Fresh hazelnuts, never seen those before!

Chard! It does exist here! And now I know the name: cote de betes

These fraise de bois (wild strawberries) were delicious!

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

And some lovely characters selling their goods:

 The market was definitely the place to be, it was crowded!

We also visited the local fish market, where we saw the largest lobster I've ever seen (it was 3.2 kilos = 7 pounds!). Sad that they caught it as this must be one old lobster to be this big.

A morning full of local produce, and managing my way through it all in French, was just a perfect way to spend a Saturday morning!

I'll be back tomorrow to show you the beautiful abbey and gardens we visited...and the chard and kale they were growing in the garden!