something I love:

This item perfectly sums up "things I love" for the week.


Just look at that man and his slab of pork! So wonderful. Not creepy at all.

Maynard Davies' Adventures of a Bacon Curer arrived in my mailbox yesterday . A super thoughtful birthday gift from my parents, this book is not only "the cult book of the year" (what year? Probably every year.) , but was the alleged inspiration for newer titles such as Zingerman's Guide to Better Bacon.

I haven't had the chance to crack it open past the table of contents yet, but the chapter list has already got me drooling. Titles such as "Turning Pigs into Bacon" and "Goodbye Daisy" are sure to challenge and inspire.

gold vs. grimes, represent!

Last night, much fun was had at the Los Angeles Public Library for this week's edition of their ALOUD series. The Taper auditorium hosted this "bi-cultural binge." Moderated by Good Food's Evan Kleiman, a classic East Coast/West Coast battle ensued between LA Weekly restaurant critic Jonathan Gold and former New York Times restaurant critic (and current obit writer!) William Grimes.

As more of an adventurous home cook than restaurant junkie, I was thoroughly engaged and entertained by the panelists' vast knowledge of food and restaurant history in their cities. Conversation spanned nearly two hundred years, from the 1837 opening of Delmonico's in New York City to current foodie trends-- food trucks and nose to tail eating.

Gold and Grimes bantered to clear up misconceptions of their respective "scenes." Kleiman proposed LA food spotlights health while New Yorkers are pleasure-seekers. Both of the guys thought instead the food cultures were more of a result of geography and physical space. Los Angeles home owners are more likely to entertain in-house using local ingredients, while shoe-box dwelling New Yorkers store books in their ovens and eat out three meals a day. Both coasts came together to shape moden food movements, from the DIY/punk rock mentality to the internationalization of chefs and resurgence of public markets.

As the crowd thinned out, probably headed to Cafe Pinot to sample their special prix fixe menu, Grimes was kind enough to give the man some insight into NYC's craft beers while I picked Gold's brain for butcher recommendations.

Check out the William Grimes' new book Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York and Jonathan Gold's Counter Intelligence.

And a special thanks to tryharder for giving us your place on the list.

Tryharder t-shirts do get you into the best events.

zingerman's + bacon, or, another reason to miss michigan in the fall.

Came across this post on Serious Eats this morning and was immediately nostalgic. When I was growing up, my dad worked in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His job involved lots of driving, so he happened upon all sorts of amazing spots before they were discovered by most... Antique stores, ethnic restaurants, music shops. And whatever creative tangent I found myself on, he would scavenge up supplies for me. He constructed photography darkrooms, bargained for vintage guitars, rebuildt garbage-picked lamps.. I can't imagine the possibilities had I began my meat pursuits while still living near him in Michigan!

That said, Zingerman's was, of course, a staple (splurge!) restaurant of my childhood. I remember their giant cookies, tasting aged balsamic with plastic straws, and splitting chicken salad sandwiches on dried fruit bread with my mom. They have since become quite an empire and have released several foodie books, including Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating and Zingerman's Guide to Giving Great Service. Their newest release really grabbed my attention.

Zingerman's Guide to Better Bacon

I don't have any bacon-specific memories of Zingerman's, but I think some will have to be made during my next visit to the homeland.

new aspirations

Food styling. Obsessed.

Finally (well, it seems like I waited longer than the masses, considering I went on a big J. Child tangent several years ago... loved My Life in France and was later inspired by the Julie & Julia book and Julie Powell's blog) saw Julie and Julia on Wednesday.

Loved the food and an totally inspired to learn to bone a duck. The man actually got really sad though, sad that I couldn't enjoy food like I once did (I think his favorite food scene was Julie making the bruscetta at the beginning of the movie, or perhaps when Julie and Eric ate that chocolate cake!). This, in turn, made me sad! I guess I really started this blog to learn to make food that I can enjoy, that we can both enjoy together, and I've felt pretty satisfied with my food experiences lately. I was pretty discouraged to realize that he has been so affected and saddened by my food choices. Don't get me wrong! He's been extremely supportive of my endeavors, from finding me piles of meat in Argentina to eating several burgers a day and to taking a SF adventure to butchery class, but sometimes nothing can compare to a grilled cheese sandwich, beer, and pint of Haagan Daz peanut butter chocolate ice cream with the one you love. Ah well. I digress. It was, after all, a Nora Ephron movie, so don't expect the food to be seperated from the relationships!

All that to say, big props to Susan Spungen , the food stylist for Julie & Julia. Awesome. Need and intern?

Here are some images from the film to inspire.

French Onion Soup

Boeuf Bourguignon

book giveaway submissions and winner!

Here are the finalists for the first annual Lady Butcher book giveaway...

First submission is from the multi-talented spunkster Diana, who wrote me some wonderfully personalized haiku:

bacon, check
hamburger, one, two
on the mic

what is that?
jewels of pretty veg
top my meat

blogging food
eat, blog, eat, doodle
wine cheers too

gluten free
isn't hard to be
fruit and meat

And speaking of guns, here's a video from the tryharder wonder machine.
Tryharder also gave me a mystery bag for inspiration.



Contents of mystery bag:

swiss chard
heirloom tomatoes
pluots
bag of mystery spices (coriander, mustard seeds, anise, cloves, bay leaves, red peppers, some other stuff)

with which I made this oddly shiny mystery meal:

Pork steak (I wanted this veal osso bucco I had spotted over the weekend, but settled for pork steaks that the butcher recommended) with pluot and balsamic reduction over swiss chard steamed in white wine and garlic, roasted heirloom tomatoes with olive oil and fresh thyme, and sauteed red skin potatoes with mystery spices.
We also had some strawberries with fresh mint in a little yellow bowl on the side. Unfortunately, the man said he was craving pizza about an hour after said meal. Can't win 'em all. I thought it was lovely though, and I am inspired!

And now for the winner: (drumroll, please)

A meat drawering from Robin of One Sheep Hill. Isn't she a lovely drawer??? I really enjoy that it looks like it was done on butcher paper. Thanks, Robin, for the inspiration and continued meat support!

And did I mention her husband taught me how to shoot a gun?

Please step forward to pick up your prize.

lady meat-book giveaway!

Guess what? I've decided to do a little contest. Remember this wonderful book that I recommended back in February?

Amazed was I to find this lovely little book! My super-thoughtful man gifted it to me for Valentine's. A neat read, actually. Amidst the cutesy details I found a wealth of meaty goodness, written by ladies but tasty to all!

Anyway, turns out great minds think alike. The folks were in town last week and brought my man an incredibly decadent piece of lemon cake from Sweet Lady Jane, and since I couldn't partake in that sweet treat, they again came across this book and thought of me.

I suppose I could have a kitchen and dining room copy, but I'd rather have a little contest to spread the love.

Here's my thought. Surely not many people are following my little journey, but those who are might have noticed that I've been low on inspiration as of late.

So.

Comment and inspire me.

Write me a haiku, send me a recipe to try, get me an apprenticeship to write about (ha!), and I'll try to be unbiased and pick a winner.

Let's say, by 12pm (West Coast Time!) on Friday.

further reading:

From time to time, I will continue to update this when I find something that peaks my interest, and it looks like today is the day!

So, if there are still any meat-readers, specifically, hamburger readers, out there, here are my picks--

The Hamburger by Josh Ozersky

"...this fast-paced and entertaining book unfolds the immense significance of the hamburger as an American icon...This is the story of their sizzle and their symbolism, where they came from and how they conquered the world."

In-N-Out Burger: A Behind the Counter Look at the Fast Food Chain that Breaks All the Rules by by Stacy Perman

"Perman casts an affectionate and admiring eye at In-N-Out Burger, the family-owned, Southern California chain that has become a cultural institution without franchising, going public, changing its menu or precooking its burgers..."

Any other suggestions?

open flames and pulley systems

This fun New York Times article on wood-fire grilling introduced me to an amazing new book--

From what I can gather (the book is not actually available yet, I believe the street date June 2), this may really be everything I'm looking for in a summer grilling cookbook. The New York Times article points out the fun bits, like recipes that call for a 1400-pound cow, but the chapters seem to also be filled with great recipes for the home cook, perhaps even a home cook without access to open wood fires.

Wouldn't that be great if someone could donate a copy of it to me? I promise to cook all of the recipes that I can, especially if a cow, pulley system, and field suitable for medium-sized fires are also provided.

meat can be fun again.

If you're looking for something to pass the time, here are some meat reads:

the new york times regarding cheaper cow cuts and discount bin meats
bbc news on why fat is good for you (if you're a rat)
and, just for fun, twilight... with cheeseburgers.

stick your pig!

so it appears to be true-- boar hunting is the thing to do in southern california!

who knew? i guess boar is coming close to overtaking deer as the top game animal in the area. and you know what? i think i'm for boar hunting on several levels.

• i sure don't want wild boar taking over los angeles. they are mean creatures and seem kind of dirty (perhaps that's a misconception, but any omnivorous animal lacking in a moral foundation has the potential to be kind of gross-- i.e. eating their young)... and i'm having horrible thoughts of a "hollywood swine: invasion of the boar" screenplay.
• seems like a good thing for a hesitant hunter to start with. boars are actually quicker and more clever than i imagined, but they sure aren't pretty (see below)
• wild boar will be completely happy and free of nasty chemicals
• wild pig "weighs about 50 pounds, yet is compact enough to fit into the trunk of a mid-’80s Camaro" (see this article)
• there are only minor restrictions on hunting wild boar, and no seasons or daily limits
• wild bacons, need i say more? i'm in!

here's a great article about boar hunting.

but here's a real kicker-- find out exactly how to exactly stalk, take, prepare, and dine upon your own wild pig from some bay area "swinologists." really. it is a definite must-read. along with exploring practical aspects of the hunt and the idea of hunters having, well, a conscious, it ends in a fabulous description of the resulting meal--

"...once you decide to cook your boar, quickly alert a team of gastronomes who are willing to eat a hog on short notice...[then] watch the expressions on the faces of your dinner guests when they first see the beast, turning on the spit, atop a roaring blaze... as guests feed, an odd silence will wash over the spectacle, interrupted only by an occasional mewl or groan...a certain barbaric poetry emerges from the ritual of slaying a beast and feeding it to friends..."

still feeling hesitant? check out these reads.

The Whole Beast: Nose to Toe Eating by Fergus Henderson



Unmentionable Cuisine by Calvin W. Schwabe

what's that in my soup?

here's a nice new york times article on soup, specifically making soup and stocks using bones. they talk to jennifer mclagan, author of bones (and of fat) about why you should make the extra effort and where to find these tasty additions-- worthwhile additions, it explains, because they are available from any good butcher for cheap.. often from fifty cents a pound!

here's her quote:

“It’s the difference between a glass of water and a glass of cream,” Ms.
McLagan explained. “A bouillon cube is never going to give you that.”

and here's her book!

i am inspired.

heirloom livestock?

the american livestock breeds conservatory has opened me up to a lovely world of farm animals that are facing extinction because of all of the fun breeding and genetic engineering factory farmers are doing. i suppose most people wouldn't think about this, but can you imagine if eventually only one breed of dog existed? and what would that look like? probably a 20-pound hairless hypoallergenic sad looking creature, right? well, that's pretty much what we've done to chickens!
i was reading yesterday that beef can be as complex as wine-- everything from the breed, what the animal is fed, its living condition, and its treatment factors into the taste of the meat. are there fancy groups of people who have beef-tastings like wine tastings? and how can i get in on that? it is just sad that we've limited ourselves to the most generic foods we can manufacture, so we can feel warm and fuzzy, blindly wandering into familiar restaurants to taste the same double cheeseburger in new york, tokyo, or sydney...

and i think i found a new purse book!


also, do i need one of these? seems kind of absurd, but am i just inappropriately refusing to jump the new technology bandwagon to be quickly left in the dust?

more beef stats.

just came across this article what's your beef that i thought was noteworthy. nothing new, but a good little guide to what all of the confusing labels we see on meat actually mean (natural, organic, grass-fed, etc.). at the end of the article, there is an interview with betty fussell, author of raising steaks. neat-o!

further thoughts on post-vegetatianism

"...I can't claim I felt emotionally neutral as I took these creatures in my hands, my fingers registering downy softness and a vulnerable heartbeat. I felt maternal, while at the same time looking straight down the pipe toward the purpose of this enterprise. These babies were not pets. I know this is a controversial point, but in our family we'd decided if we meant to eat anything, meat included, we'd be more responsible tenants of our food chain if we could participate in the steps that bring it to the table. We already knew a lot of dying went into our living: the animals, the plants in our garden, the beetles we pull off our bean vines and crunch underfoot, the weeds we rip off the potato hills. Plants have the karmic advantage of creating their own food out of pure air and sunlight, whereas we animals, lacking green chlorophyll in our skin, must eat something some formerly living things every single day. You can leave the killing to others and pretend it never happened, or you can look it in the eye and know it. I would never presume to make that call for anyone else, but for ourselves we'd settled on a strategy of giving our food a good life until it was good on the table..."

-barbara kingsolver in animal, vegetable, miracle

always keep one in your purse!

just a preview of the goodness that the man got me for valentine's day...

this perfect pocket-sized guide is an excellent reference for all things meat. the chapters include beef, veal, pork, lamb, poultry and other game birds, game and other domesticated meats, and sausage and cured meats. each cut is detailed with a general description, recommended amount to buy, how to store, preperation instruction, and flavor pairing ideas. fantastic resource!!
i think it will be a great help in my next project... (a girl's gotta have some secrets!)

how to cook a wolf

this article is great! MFK Fisher was the original food-recessionista and her book "how to cook a wolf" is full of spunky advise on how to live and eat well in tight financial times. written in 1942, she really knew how to make due with less, dealing with depression-era food rations- and boy, was she clever and feisty! i think i need to buy this book immediately, though i suppose she would suggest i visit my local library.

these quotes just make me feel warm and fuzzy.

"...but anyone in the world with intelligence and spirit and the knowledge that it must be done, can live with her inspired oblivion to the ugliness of poverty. It is not that she wandered at night hunting for leaves and berries; it is that she cared enough to invite her friends to share them with her."

"...perhaps this war will make it simpler for us to go back to some of the old ways we knew before we came over to this land and made the Big Money. Perhaps, even, we will remember how to make good bread again ... For probably there is no chiropractic treatment, no Yoga exercise, no hour of meditation in a music throbbing chapel, that will leave you emptier of bad thoughts than this homely ceremony of making bread."

!!!

book of the week:

(image source: http://www.chroniclebooks.com/)
Okay, stick with me here.
This is actually a really great book. I would go so far to say it may be useful for all genders! Don't be fooled buy the cutesy design elements (I actually think they're pretty great, but I'm a sucker with anything with stitching), there is quite a bit of substance inside. Essentially divided up into three categories, beef, pork, and lamb (no poultry or fish!), each section explains the different cuts of meats with instruction on purchasing, cooking, and serving, with a separate chapter on marinades.
Just a happy surprise to add to your meat library.

the hip and healthy butchers!

while looking for a good wine pairing chart, i came across this site.
http://www.thehealthybutcher.com/
i really love what they're doing.. and in canada! those canadians, you never know what they're up to! i was pleasantly surprised and inspired to see that it is run by a young, hip-looking group of people with a really great mission-- to be an old-fashioned butcher shop providing their customers with with fresh, local, organic meats. what more could you want? butchering and cooking classes, did you say? weekly newsletters with recipes? they do that, too.

oh, the wine chart.
http://www.thehealthybutcher.com/livetoeat/volume11/TheHealthyButcher-WinePairingGuide.pdf

and also, my recommended reading for the week:


here's the blurb from the inside cover:
"For all of history, minus the last thirty years, fat has been at the center of human diets and cultures. When scientists theorized a link between saturated fat and heart disease, industry, media, and government joined forces to label fat a greasy killer, best avoided. But according to Jennifer McLagan, not only is fat phobia overwrought, it also hasn't benefited us in any way. Instead it has driven us into the arms of trans fats and refined carbohydrated, and fostered punitive, dreary attitudes toward food-- that wellspring of life and pleasure.
In Fat, McLagan sets out with equal parts passion, scholarship, and appetite to win us back to a healthy relationship with animal fats. She starts by defusing fat's bad rap, both reminding us of what we already know-- that fat is fundamental to the flavor of our food-- and enlightening us with the many ways fat (yes, even animal fat) is indespensable to our health.
Mostly, though, Fat is about pleasures, the satisfactions of handling good ingredients skillfully, learning the cultural associations of these primal foodstuffs, recollecting and creating personal memories of beloved dishes, and gratifying the palate and the soul with fat's irreplacable savor..."
(image and text courtesy of http://www.amazon.com/)

i know what i'll be using my next border's coupon on!