Trickery

You know what gets on my nerves? When foods aren't quite what they seem.

For example, take cinnamon.

What most of us use as "cinnamon" is really Cinnamomum cassia rather than Cinnamomum zeylanicum, or true cinnamon. C.cassia is less expensive and far more common than true cinnamon and is stronger in flavor. But it bothers me that it's called cinnamon. Sure, they share a common genus, but they are different species. Think that doesn't make a big difference? Well, think about the difference between weed and hemp- same genus, different species. Or the difference between a Jungle cat and a sweet little house kitten.

Then there are currants.

When sold fresh, currants are really currants. But when dried, you'll usually be buying "zante currants" which are actually just little grapes dried. The twist is that the little grapes claimed the name "currants" first! So I'm not sure which name is really correct.

And yams.

Unless you're reading this in South America or Africa, you probably don't really have any yams in your supermarket. What we call yams in the South, the orange fleshed sweet and starchy tubers, are really just another variety of sweet potato. You'll know the difference because true yams have a dark skin and can be about 7 feet long!

And tea.

A tea is only a tea if it's from the camillia sinensis plant. Black tea, green tea and white tea all qualify. But "red tea" is really a whole different plant and should be called rooibos. "Herbal teas" are herbal tisanes or infusions.

I'm sure there are plenty more examples of this type thing in the food supply. Things I'll think of as soon as I post this.

For Nonnie

The Origins of my Snobbery

I think my mother contributed greatly to my food snobbery, though she will undoubtedly deny it. She never dined on fingerling potatoes with truffle oil or arugula with balsamic vinegar when I was growing up, but she taught me to appreciate the subtleties of flavor and quality. According to my mother, for example, a Dr. Pepper is not always a Dr. Pepper. Go into any restaurant, order a Dr. Pepper, and you will receive a different bubbly beverage (assuming of course, that they offer this variety of soda. If they don’t, well, my mother would simply leave the restaurant as quickly as she came in. The worst possible situation would be to offer Mr. Pibb as a substitute. That is simply unacceptable.).

The ratio of carbonated water to syrup can determine the merit of an entire restaurant. Too much water and your soda is bland and over-carbonated. Too much syrup and the soda is flat and sickly sweet. The perfect ratio was something we continually sought- that perfect burn at the back of the throat and unmistakable Dr. Pepper flavor.

While a truly delicious Dr. Pepper from a fountain is as elusive as a morel hidden amongst the leaves, a bottled Dr. Pepper is a different story. I learned from my mother at a very young age that sodas in glass bottles are always superior to those in cans, plastic, or from a fountain. Period. This early lesson taught me that while flavor and texture are important qualities for food and drink, one must also consider the vehicle and quality of the product. Glass bottled sodas connote past times, classics, purity, and finite quantities. When one has a 8 ounce bottle of soda, each drop is savored. There are no free refills on glass bottles. Any restaurant in its right mind will be charging you full price for each bottle you down- so sipping and appreciating tends to take precedence over guzzling one down.

A glass bottle of soda points to a time when carbonated drinks were a real treat- not the primary source of fluids in one’s day. The way Americans pound down fizzy drinks like they are water makes me wonder how we manage to function at all with that much high fructose corn syrup pulsing through our collective veins. Sometimes I wish I was around when you had to go to a soda fountain shop to get a fizzy drink and there was no such thing as a Super Big Gulp.

Of course, my mother and I both favor water now instead of soda. And I wouldn’t drink more than a sip of a Dr. Pepper, and that only for nostalgic reasons. But the lesson still holds- follow your tastebuds and accept nothing but the best. And it always tastes better out of glass. And it's partially my mom's fault that I'm a food snob.

Bread and Jam

If I told you that today I ate some bread and jelly (and you know me pretty well), you might picture this:
Me, settled on the couch eating slices of freshly baked baguette with vegan cream cheese and a locally made artisan jalapeño jelly, and sipping a white tea with lemongrass.


Or- if you know me really well, you might picture this:
Me slouched in the driver's seat of my car, waiting in line for the car wash that I got free for paying almost $200 in car repairs last week, ripping off hunks of white bread to dip into some jelly I happened to have in my purse that day because I'm totally famished.


Both of these are true. You know me too well.

Food Snobbery

I feel the need to explain the title of this blog so that no one thinks I am a snob in general. I'm not. I'm just a food snob. And that doesn't mean I'm a picky eater- That's different.

When I go back home to Texas or go out to dinner with someone for the first time...they usually learn that I'm vegan and comment about me being a picky eater. Boy, do I hate that. I consider picky eaters to be children who refuse to eat any vegetables on the basis of fear or distaste. Or maybe folks who have more than 10 random foods that they just will not eat in any quantity for some unexplainable reason.

A vegan who abstains from animal products because of firmly held ethical beliefs about the value of animal lives or the environment or human health is not a "picky eater". That's living your life in accordance with your beliefs (As is eating meat if you believe that is ethical for you). I eat damn near everything except for things that come from animals. Any kind of fruit, vegetable, bean, or grain is welcome on my plate. I'm really not that picky.

But I am a food snob. Given the option, I'll choose to have the highest quality produce, the most fair trade, local, organic, sustainably grown foods I can find, prepared carefully with thought to balance of flavors, textures, and presentation. I'd prefer my onions slowly carmelized, with slightly browned edges (But I'll eat them still crunchy if that's what I've got). I'd prefer my tofu pressed, patted dry, heavily marinated, and baked until it is crisp on the outside and springy, delicately soft on the inside (But I'll eat the prepackaged kind cold out of the plastic wrapper, too). I'll spend all day on a meal: baking bread, harvesting vegetables, roasting seitan, rolling out pie crusts (But I'll swing by Chipotle if that's what I have to do).

Basically, I want the best quality food I can get. That's why I cook at home so much. If I control the preparation, I can make the food just like I want it. Of course, that's not always an option. But given the option: I'll be snobby.

So in this blog I'll share the foods that I love and you can take 'em or leave 'em. I like to write about food, take pictures of food, and eat food. You'll get to read stuff and look at pictures, but you'll have to cook it yourself if you want to eat it too. Feel free to change the recipes to make them suit your tastes- I might be a food snob, but that doesn't mean I know how you like your food.