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Rotten Cats
 There are two cats in our house, Olive and Slinky (aka Ollie and Stinky). They have been forced to make quite a few adjustments since my daughters arrived almost twenty months ago. In the old days, these stinking cats used to get tons of attention. We used to be meticulous about separating their food since both of them had different dietary needs.Olive is black and white like a penguin and rotund -- the cat likes her kibble, there's no denying it. She has a history of urinary tract infection, so she eats Hill's Prescription Diet C/D, which is a food designed especially for cats with her health issues. I also feed her Nutro Natural Choice, Oceanfish flavor, food you can buy without a vets prescription, unlike the Hill's Prescription Diet brand, also formulated for urinary tract health. In terms of human food, Olive is partial to licking cucumbers and watermelon, and trolls around under the high chairs in the kitchen for tossed chicken nugget leavings.  Slinky is an all-black kitty and the furriest beast I think I've ever seen. She had an attitude the minute she got home from the pound. You'd think she had been here all along and Olive was the cat who was a newbie. But no. She showed up here already jealous and desperately in need of love. So she got it. She also got a series of hairballs, or as I like to refer to them as "the $500 hairballs", which landed her in the vet hospital for a week late last year and almost put us in the poorhouse. She now eats food formulated especially for cats with bad hairballs, Purina Pro Plan, Hairball Management, Salmon & Brown Rice Formula. Slinky enjoys helping clean up the scrambled egg chunks that are inevitably left under the girls' high chairs.Like I said, we used to separate feedings with these felines. But priorities have shifted significantly since human babies arrived. Now the food dishes reside next to one another in the basement, next to the water bowl both refuse to drink from, and the large mug full of water from which they both guzzle. Of course, their hairball and urinary health is just fine, and both eat one anothers food. We were probably being too obsessed with separating things when they were our only wards. Now we're obsessed with separating the non-dairy baby's food from the dairy baby's food. Why can't everyone just eat the same thing? WHY? |
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Suburban House
 Back in November 2007, good friends of mine moved up to the Ralston neighborhood of Pikesville, just off of Reisterstown Road. While driving to their house one day, I noticed a strange looking building with no windows and a huge sign on the outside displaying “Suburban House”.It turns out Suburban House is a full-on Jewish style diner/deli, with a proper diner menu, the likes of which do not exist in Baltimore City proper, at least not to my knowledge (feel free to correct me, I don't get out much these days). Yes, there’s Attman’s Authentic New York Delicatessen on Lombard Street downtown, but it isn’t quite a sit-down diner. It’s more a deli with seating, and quite delicious, but a deli nonetheless. Not in the ten years since I moved to Baltimore from Brooklyn (New York), have I had such tasty diner slaw with a real garlic pickle atop. The last time I saw that kind of slaw/pickle display was at a favorite diner in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The slaw not too mayonaisey, the pickle garlicky and just crisp.  My Suburban House waitress knew what I meant when I asked to have seltzer for my beverage. The Turkey Reuben I ordered was served on fresh, grilled rye toast, with melted Swiss cheese (damn you, delicious cheese), deli sliced turkey breast, sauerkraut, and some thousand island dressing for gooey zest. The sandwich came with french fries that might have been the most delicious fries I’ve ever had (is that really possible? there have been many fries in my life), seemingly fried in some crazy flavored oil that made them taste really freakin’ good. Perhaps an animal product of some sort, or maybe just extra seasoning.They also serve things like cheeseburgers, cheese steaks, crab cakes and shrimps, lox and bagels, matzoh ball soup, and much, much more. Look at their web site for the full menu, or better yet, just go there and eat. *Thanks to Damon Locks for lending me his camera to photograph this food. |
Jaws
 I’ve always been a big fan of the great white shark. This big fish has been demonized like no other animal in the sea thanks to Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film “Jaws”, starring a large motorized version of the beast. I just like the way the great white shark looks. Its eyes are emotionless and teeth MASSIVE.It isn’t as if great white sharks hang out just off shore waiting to eat on people parts. They much prefer fatty, delicious seals and sea lions to sinewy humans. But still, if you’re hungry, you’re gonna eat. My thing is, if you don’t want a great white shark to attack you, you should probably stay out of the water in areas where they are known to hang out.  Even if you’re not a seal, they might not know you aren’t. This reasoning extends to wandering around the grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa if you don’t want to be attacked by lions. Because you know what? EVERYBODY EATS. Sometimes you’re doing the eating, and sometimes it’s somebody else. It doesn’t mean the being doing the eating is bad or evil. It just means they are hungry. |
Comments from the Peanut Gallery
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Thanks to all who read and comment for your hilarious but also informative and opinionated comments. I appreciate them all, each and every one. I'd like to address a few of the comments that were also questions or requests: 1.) BOGUS BOTTLES -- To DMM who wanted to know specifically which bottles are made with BPA, here's a short list:
2.) Cast Iron -- To Lenore Baier, who was curious how to repair a chipped skillet, "...one skillet seems to have part of a layer off...should I do anything to improve it?" Lenore, I'm no expert, but am a regular CI user. Tdogg, another reader/commenter had this to say about the cleaning of her skillet, and I think you could apply this, plus regular oil application to your damaged skillet with good results: "I clean mine with a little cheap white vinegar and rough salt (kosher/sea salt) and usually scrub with brown paper from grocery bags." In my experience using Cast Iron, my lack of energy to scrub the living daylights out of my pans has resulted in a nice, greasy sheen. Not dripping with oil, but black and sort of slick. I looked at a few Cast Iron care websites for reference, and it seems like if there aren't any cracks in the pan, you can bring it back with the regular gentle (ie, mostly soapless) scrubbing, then applying oil with a clean rag or paper bag until its next use. .jpg) 3.) Wino Whine --To S who requested info re: wine. I love wine. I love white wine, bubbly, red, rose. I love Spanish, Northwestern U.S., Australian, South African, oh the list goes on. I especially love drinking wine with food. Cheese and wine are one of the most perfect food/wine combinations. Unfortunately, I don't feel comfortable recommending wine at the moment as recently it has been causing me regular hideous headaches. Now I'm wondering if wine should go the way of cheese (which may mean saying a tearful goodbye) if I am to live comfortably for at least another forty years. What I will recommend to you curious wine drinkers out there is to experiment. I was having great luck with Spanish and Californian vino before my head decided to ruin the experience for me. Go to a decent liquor store (I like The Wine Source in Hampden) and say yes to the many nice people who work there who ask if you need help. Also, I don't think it is necessary to spend tons of money on wine. You should be able to get something tasty in the $10 range. 4.) Baby Food -- To C in the south who would like to read more about healthy baby snacks... as I have mentioned, I am a short order cook. I will devote probably way too many postings to what my daughters are scarfing down. In my opinion, though, and this applies to grown-up food as well, the less processed your food is, the better. |
Bogus Bottles
 I don't want to get all up in the baby bottle controversy. My own babies (now 19 month-olds) are supposed to be off the bottle by now, right? But I'm gonna get up in it anyway, just in case you don't know about it, just in case you're interested. BPA (bisphenol A) is the type of plastic compound that is currently used to make the many baby bottles sold in the U.S. I'm not going to write down the names of the brands of bottles that are made of BPA since it only takes a sec to search for info online to find out yourself. I just want to make sure I say my peace on the subject.A good friend of mine who is a doctor/scientist mentioned the use of this plastic a few years back, when I was pregnant with my twin daughters. She had been strongly advised by scientist colleagues to tell her friends with children about the emerging information regarding this kind of plastic because of its widespread use and apparent instability. I thanked her for the tip and sort of filed it in the back of my mind. I was in the throes of getting my head around the impossibility of having twin infants and there was already so much to worry about on so many levels that the bottle thing seemed unimportant at the time. Pile it on, I thought. Had the babies, gave them formula and breast milk delivered through the clear, hard plastic bottles, done and done. I also "sterilized" these bottles with a contraption sold for such a use, putting the bottles and a little water in the microwave, super-heating the water and steaming the bottles into sterilized oblivion. Also, during cold, endless nights, I put said bottles in bottle warmers to warm formula for hourly feedings. Heating plastics should have tipped me off as something to get freaked out by, but my mind wasn't thinking clearly at that point -- I assumed it was safe. Why offer products for infants that could be potentially harmful? Wouldn't you think the chemical community, U.S. government and every other entity could get on board and thoroughly research this stuff? LITTLE BABIES GET THEIR FOOD FROM THESE BOTTLES!!! Parents want to do the best for their children and buy seemingly innocuous bottles, sold everywhere, because it is unconscionable that anyone with an inkling about dangerous baby products would sell such things. Eventually, about six months ago, I threw out my BPA bottles and got supposedly safe plastic replacement bottles. Oh, I'm steaming mad again. Little snippets of discussion re: these bottles and BPA have shown up in the media over the past few years, and always bottle and chemical companies say the plastic is stable and harmless and their product is just fine. Well, it is on the table for discussion again, isn't it? Hell, Wal-Mart and Toys 'R' Us are phasing out bottles made from BPA. That seems like a mainstream acceptance of possible danger to me. The National Toxicology Program, Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction (a part of the Department of Health and Human Services), has published a comprehensive brief (you can read it by downloading the pdf document from the NTP site) discussing the widespread use of and possible health implications of BPA in the human population. Below is an excerpt from the conclusions section in the report: "...there is some concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures. The NTP also has some concern for bisphenol A exposure in these populations based on effects in the prostate gland, mammary gland, and an earlier age for puberty in females." WOW. As a parent one of my primary functions is feeding my children in as safe a way as possible, from the food I give them to the containers and cookware I store and prepare their food in. This quiet phasing out of bisphenol A baby bottles is someone's hope that nobody will notice what is going on. Well, I am officially noticing. ***Tuesday April 29th on the Diane Rehm show on NPR the topic is BPA exposure and human health concerns. You can listen live or hear the archived show on the NPR website. |
Y'alls Know How to Make a Scrambled Egg?
 Seems simple enough, right? So simple that it took me about 29 years to get it right. We're talking scrambled eggs here, not some complicated soufflé. I've made eggs and omelettes for as long as I can remember cooking, which is a disturbingly long amount of time (disturbing as in, I'm forty, and I've been cooking since I was ten, so that's thirty years -- YIKES!). My problem has always been that the eggs I made were too heavy and usually overcooked. I also overcook poultry, but that will be discussed another time.The thing that pushed me over the edge into an eggie-weg expert of sorts, was of course, preparing eggs every single day, once or twice a day, for my darling daughters, who are total egg fiends. The following steps should result in consistently fluffy, not hard or tough, scrambled-ish eggs.
The happy "MMMMMMM!" sounds they make when they eat eggs are primal and appreciative. The egg carries powerful energy (protien and fat) in that small package, and is useful if you need to go for a long period time without eating. Also a useful food if you move so much that every single calorie you put in your body is burned off by the time you've digested your last meal, which could help you out if you're a bike messenger or a toddler. |
Brekky No. 2
 As promised, here are photos from the second breakfast at Pembroke Springs Retreat from this past weekend. Taeko Floyd changed things up a bit this time. Said she usually doesn't serve this type of fish (described below) to guests, but figured we could handle it. In fact, another woman staying at the B&B and myself were referred to as "almost Japanese" by Mrs. Floyd, which is a very high compliment in my book, since we took out most of the breakfast fish that morning. Here's a list of the items served:
 I can't say enough about how unexpectedly tasty this Sanma fish was. Taeko said she and a bunch of her friends order a big box of it frozen from Japan and divvy it up so they can enjoy it whenever they like. I am not a big sardine fan, so when she told me it was from that family, or sort of like it, I was suspicious. It had such a smooth texture, though, and the flavor was subtle and really really good. Bring on the Sanma, yo!
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Eat Good Breakfasts
.jpg) I had an unusual opportunity this past weekend to get away from my normal, mostly short order cook/mama life. My brother hooked my husband and myself up with a very cool 40th birthday present (back in December). A weekend at Pembroke Springs Retreat, a three or so hour drive from Baltimore, in Star Tannery, VA. They offer Japanese baths and a quiet, rural setting. I would recommend it as a nice place to empty your brain of nonsense, and fill it up with fresh air and really tasty water that comes from local springs.But I’m not here to talk about soaking my aching muscles in hot springs, right? I'm talking about food. Taeko and Lisa (mom and daughter) Floyd do the cooking at this better than a bed and breakfast. A traditional Japanese or a traditional American breakfast is offered. **Please note.. the above picture is what my plate looked like after I inhaled most of it. Then I realized I should probably take a photo. Oops! There will be more complete photos coming soon.  This is what we got the first morning:
 I don’t believe I’ve ever eaten a meal like this in the morning, but I wish I could walk downstairs every day to such a colorful and delicious spread. What in the world makes us Americans think we should be eating bready things as a way to get started in our days? Isn’t fish brain food? Don’t get me wrong, I love a blueberry muffin or a real bagel with a pile of lox on it (YUM...another day, another entry), but wow. There’s a reason such a small island in the North Pacific Ocean island has such a powerful global presence and history. THEY EAT REALLY GOOD BREAKFASTS!Will write about the second breakfast soon... |
Cast Iron, Part II
 Hello dear readers. I received a number of responses via personal email regarding Cast Iron and its many charms. I'd like to share a few with you. Also, please feel free to post a comment if you are so moved. Then everyone can enjoy your responses.I believe there will be more on the cast iron discussion in the future, as it seems to strike a visceral chord amongst readers. And thank you for reading. From W in Chicago: "Did i ever tell about the time I left my CI on the electric stove to heat up and of course forgot about it. When I came back in the room the CI was molten red and a spot the shape of the coil was now missing my seasoning....it was burned off. I was pi**ed like a freak. That's it....I'm still furious." From A in New York: "I actually flew out to LA with a cast iron skillet under my arm when i was a' wooin'". From S in Brooklyn: "I love cast iron skillets." From H in Chicago: "Thanks for tip...did not know to clean cast iron with salt and a little scrubbing. Cleaning it has always been a mystery for me and deterrent for my constant CI use." From D in Baltimore: "Nice article. I'm re-inspired and will pull my CIs out. I usually use them just for cornbread!" |
"Make Good Choices"
 My husband and I went to John Steven Ltd. bar and restaurant in Fells Point last night for dinner. I was craving some form of strimps after reading about shrimp salad in Dara's Dining, and JS seemed the best place to go. Tasty -- Old Bay saturated steamed shrimp with a side of Resurrection ale made locally at Baltimore's Brewer's Art. It was so great to go out and have someone COOK FOR ME.Seated at the table next to us were five or six 20-30 year old women. All they did once they were seated was blabber about how high in fat and calories the dishes were. "Oh, the baked Brie looks good, but I don't know." Another said she really wanted the steak for dinner. Then one woman, who was almost chaperone-like and a little bit older, chanted the mantra: "Make good choices." Like she'd been programmed by Oprah or Martha or something. She may have been a CYLON. Get the freaking steak! I can think of nothing more tedious than a discussion about how fattening your potential meal is. If you want a plate of steamed broccoli, get the broccoli. If you want steak, GET IT AND SHUT UP. You know what kind of conversation makes women sound like idiots? The one you are having right now. It saddened me to hear them making excuses for the food they wanted to eat. Live a little. I was, however, intrigued by other discussion points voiced at their table, which consisted evenly of possible employment as exotic dancers OR elementary school teachers. Very confusing and entertaining. |
Juliette Goodwin
Juliette Goodwin's take on food knows no bounds. From the food on your dinner plate to the grub in your dog's bowl, Juliette offers an enlightening and informative view on all things edible.
Juliette Goodwin's take on food knows no bounds. From the food on your dinner plate to the grub in your dog's bowl, Juliette offers an enlightening and informative view on all things edible.
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Don't forget, it's for the kids
Tonight is the night for Youth for Christ, featuring superstar Amy Grant.Click here for all the details. ...
