Jethro's World

Do you know where your food comes from? Do you want to know? You most certainly should...

There are two documentaries that every North American needs to watch: King Corn and Food, Inc.. Both films provide an eye-opening look at the food industry and how it has changed in the last thirty years. King Corn can be handled fairly soon after eating, but for Food, inc., you will want to make sure that any fast food cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, or sausage & egg biscuits are out of your system before viewing... and don't even think about eating during it.

If you think you are ready to go straight to the hard stuff, then be my guest... PBS aired the film last night as part of their POV (Point of View) series, and you can see a preview of it here: POV: Food, Inc. [Note: The entire film was available for viewing immediately after airing on PBS, but not any longer]

There is good news for those of us in Oregon or Washington when it comes to fast food -- Burgerville uses a truly sustainable business model which includes sourcing fresh, local ingredients from area food suppliers, including natural (not corn-fed) beef. Here is a list of their suppliers: Sustainable Business Partners. A steady diet of Burgerville is probably not the best idea, but as a treat every now and then, it is a pretty good option.

Now that you know where your food comes from, how do you change your eating habits to ensure you are getting natural products? I don't have all the answers for that question, but here are a few good places to start:

0. Grow your own food. Thanks for the reminder, Kris! ;-)
1. Buy fresh produce from local farmer's markets when possible.
2. Avoid buying products made from high-fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils.
3. Look for breads and pastas that use whole grains ("wheat bread" does not equal "whole wheat bread"), and avoid the use of HFCS or PHO's.
4. Look for certified 'Organic' or 'Natural' products including meat, poultry, vegetables, and pre-packaged foods (even Ketchup and Peanut Butter).
5. Buy a quarter or a half of grass-fed beef from a local farmer, and have a local butcher-shop package it for you.

Buying fresh, natural foods is going to be more expensive, make no mistake about that, but isn't your family's health worth it? Isn't your health worth it? The only way we can get these multi-national food corporations to change their un-sustainable ways is to hit them where it really matters... in the pocket-book. Money is the only thing that matters to them. It's time to take charge of where your food comes from and tell the big companies where they can go. Your life may just depend on it.

Posted by Jeff at 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I've already established that I like to dump Tapatio all over just about everything I eat, but sometimes I just need a different kind of heat.





Putting Tapatio on oriental influenced foods just doesn't seem right, so I've discovered Huy Fong Foods Chili Garlic hot sauce. It is considerably warmer than Tapatio, yet still has a nice flavor to it -- although much different. The Chili Garlic sauce seems to compliment the oriental flavors better, and the garlic really helps to cut some of the sweetness found in some Teriyaki or Sweet & Sour dishes.

If you like it hot, you'll probably like this stuff -- it'll get your nose runnin' in a hurry. :-)

Posted by Jeff at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

OK, one last grilling post... for a day or two, anyway. :-)

I have always been a firm believer that with things like cooking, photography, golf, etc.; the talent and skill of the individual using the tools or equipment is more important than the actual equipment used. A great chef can make a gourmet meal on $10 fry pans, a talented photographer can take memorable photos with a basic point-and-shoot camera, and good golfers can make great shots with cheapo clubs. With that being said, having a better tool for a particular job can provide for that extra bit of control that helps make the desired outcome so much easier. Such is the case with my new grill.

Monday night we grilled Japanese Chicken Thighs with Rice and Grilled Veggies (from the latest Cooking for the Rushed cookbook). I soaked two handfuls of hickory wood chips, and then placed them in tuna cans on top of the 'Flavorizer Bars'. Then I followed Weber's instructions for cooking chicken thighs... I heated the grill up very hot (up to over 500 degrees), and then turned all three burners down to medium. Then I placed the thighs on the grill and closed the lid. Halfway through the cooking time, I flipped them... and was amazed by the perfect grill marks... then I just let them finish.

I think it may have been a combination of the marinade and the hickory smoke, but whatever it was; it made for some absolutely delicious chicken -- it tasted just like it had been cooked on a Traeger. It was so good, in fact, that I have been 'filleting' the leftovers and using them on sandwiches... yummy. Oh yeah, and I also had some red peppers, zucchini, and red onion going in a grill basket, and they also turned out perfect.

Then last night, it was time to try my hand at hamburgers. My old grill used to make a mess of hamburgers because it would flame up so much... in which case the 'Charbroil' name was most appropriate. I followed the same preparation and grilling procedures as with the chicken, flipping the burgers halfway through the cooking time. Once again, I was delighted to see some gorgeous grill marks -- and to see a lack of charring. In fact, when I flipped the burgers, the juice dripping off them barely made the burners flame up at all -- just momentarily.

The end result? Thick, juicy, uncharred, perfectly grilled, delicious hamburgers -- and it even did a fantastic job of toasting the buns, too. I had that old Charbroil for ten years and was never able to get results like this -- and I still don't know all the little idiosyncrasies of this grill! I'm most definitely looking forward to the coming grilling season...

Now, if we can just get some decent weather so I can wheel this thing around to the back yard...

Posted by Jeff at 1:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

When I was a kid, I always loved my mom's homemade pizza. But for some reason, we can never make her recipe turn out anywhere near as good as she does -- that's just the way some things are, I guess.

We did, however; find another pretty easy pizza crust recipe in one of the Best of Bridge cookbooks that Sandy gave me for Christmas a few years back. Most of you in the states are probably wondering, "What is Best of Bridge?". Well, all I really know is that it's a Canadian thing (maybe one of the Canadian readers can comment and fill us in... *hint* *hint*). Or, you can just click on the 'Our Story' link on their website.

The other day I decided to enter Best of Bridge into google... and guess what? They have all of their recipes online. So, I give you the Fast & Easy Pizza Crust recipe.

The recipe is not only easy, but it makes a delicious crust as well. We like to use half whole wheat flour to make it a little healthier -- and it gives it a little bit of texture. For a tomato-based pizza sauce, we usually just buy Boboli pizza sauce in serving sized packets... that way we don't have half a jar growing mold in the refrigerator.

So whether you like pan, thin crust, American toppings or Mediterranean toppings; give this pizza crust a try... I'll be surprised if you don't like it.

Posted by Jeff at 8:51 PM | Permalink

If you ever get tired of a basic tuna sandwich, here's a way to spice it up...

1 can of tuna
Miracle Whip (enough for desired consistancy and flavor)
5 or 6 good splashes of Tapatio hot sauce
3 or 4 pepperoncinis, chopped -- seeds optional

Mix ingredients together and spread on toasted whole-grain bread to make a sandwich. Enjoy.

Patty-Melt Variation --> Mix ingredients and spread on single piece of toasted whole grain bread. Top with grated Pepper-Jack cheese and melt under a broiler.

Not your average tuna sandwich... :-)

Posted by Jeff at 7:52 AM | Permalink

If I'm doing a lot of physical labor on a hot day, I much prefer water over any other drink. But any other time, I will take a nice cold glass of freshly brewed iced tea.

We have a Mr. Coffee Iced Tea maker that we bought about 10 years ago, and we use it a lot during the Spring and Summer months. We find that six Lipton tea bags in the steeping compartment provides the bold flavor we like -- once we add some sugar and lemon juice, that is (but no mint for me, please). Mmmm... mmmm... ain't nothin' better on a hot day.

So, what do you like to drink when the mercury starts rising?

Posted by Jeff at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Miss Emily is now one month old, so I guess it's time for me to do an entry on a different subject. So, I will do an entry on my favorite hot sauce, Tapatio.

www.tapatiohotsauce.com

Tapatio is not the hottest sauce out there, but it offers a nice balance of flavor and spiciness -- without the vinegar taste that comes with Tabasco. If you dump too much on you may be running for ice cubes, but a small amount at a time isn't going to burn your mouth like the habanjero sauces.

Tapatio is one of the staples of my diet, both at work and at home. It is an excellent accompaniment to any Mexican food, but that is not all. I keep a big bottle in the fridge at home, and I put it on everything from pizza to macaroni & cheese (Kraft Dinner, for the Canadians :-) to hamburgers. I have a bottle sitting on my desk at work, too -- to put on all the microwavable mexican-style food that we get from Costco. It is also great for recipes (like quacamole dip, etc.) that call for hot sauce. Or, mix it with Ketchup for a spicy dip for chicken strips -- or mix it with mayo for a hopped-up sandwich spread.

If you like things spicy, I'm pretty sure you will like Tapatio.

Posted by Jeff at 1:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best... like Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil.

The combination has always been one of my favorite salad dressings, but it also makes a wonderful dip for bread. Pour a generous amount of good olive oil on a small plate, and then drizzle some balsamic vinegar over the top. Take a piece of your favorite bread and dip it in the mix... and enjoy. The flavors are much bolder and more complex than basic butter, and it's a lot healthier, too. Makes a great accompaniment to any pasta dish.

Yum.

Posted by Jeff at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)