Category Archives: Food Friday

By Contributing Food Editor Jared Levan

Dear Californians,

As I’m sure many of you aware, you recently lost the right to purchase foie gras (since, approximately July 1st). While the ban was targeted specifically at the sale of the delicious end product that is foie gras, it was apparently so “broadly” written that it may also carry over to all skin, feather and other by-products that come from duck raised for foie gras production.

So what’s the big deal? Well the reason that animal rights activists are so against the sale of foie gras is, not surprisingly, focused on the methods used to produce it. Before you can sell foie gras, you’ve got to first fatten up a duck or goose to the point where the animals liver has fattened and become engorged from such a gluttonous diet. The problem is, this typically means that ducks are force-fed copious amounts of feed to “speed up” the process and ensure the desired end product.

(Foie Gras Terrine)

Regardless of the controversy, restaurants, chefs and consumers across California are still finding ways to get their foie gras and eat it too…so did this ban really accomplish anything at all? What makes this cause more prominent than many other animal-rights encouraged actions and why did this particular cause get it’s own ban?

(Duck Confit)

If consumers across the nation…save the world, will continue to find ways of buying and consuming foie gras and other by-products of the fattening process, than that means culinary professionals will still need to be trained in how to cook with and serve said offering. That being said, how will folks be trained if it’s illegal for the schools in which they learn are not permitted to provide it’s students with the correct supplies?

(Foie Gras Mousse)

My point, summarized below, is:

1. Schools can’t properly teach technique with merely “theoretical” knowledge of any food so the ban severely hurts the culinary community.

2. While I don’t/won’t miss trans fats, or +16 oz. sodas, these bans on food focus more on stopping people from being stupid, when the real issue is education. Instead of banning large drinks, offer more inexpensive alternatives, offer more incentives, or just educate them (and I don’t mean with those ads that look like a cup brimming with fat).

3. Let people make their own choices. If you don’t support inhumane treatment of animals, then only eat foie gras from humanely raised producers…no one is forcing you to eat it.

4. People are always going to find a way around the law–whether it’s blocking the sale of alcohol or animal products. Rather than making it illegal to buy/sell, which will promote unlawful conduct, regulate it’s production standards to appease those who so staunchly despise it.

5. I’m glad I live in New York where I can still buy duck fat–it’s a staple in my kitchen, one I’m not willing to give up anytime soon.

Love,
Jared

Jared Levan

By Contributing Food Editor Jared Levan

Dear Meatless Monday Lovers,

Like you, I occasionally dabble in vegetarianism. Not out of respect for the animal–though I respect those who live and eat by that philosophy–but because, sometimes, I just want to.

And because I truly feel that vegetarian cuisine doesn’t have to be as boring as everyone thinks it is, my hat goes off to you, Mr. Yotam Ottolenghi (pictured above). While he’s not a practicing vegetarian, he does manage to create delicious recipes that could make you want to quit meat.

Originally from Israel, Ottolenghi now graces the UK with a weekly column called The New Vegetarian as well as amazing cuisine at his many restaurants. The food philosophy he follows, and teaches, is quite simple…

Everything is made from scratch.
Every ingredient is bought raw.
Use local products, whenever possible.
Only cook food you’d eat yourself.
Cook to feed and to share.
No coloring or preservatives.
No freezing.
No prolonged refrigeration.

Beetroot & Avocado Salad

“One-Pan Wonder”

Aubergine Cheesecake

Black Pepper Tofu

Pea & Leek Soup with Basil Oil

Late Winter Salad with Blood Orange & Anchovy

Raw Brussels Sprouts with Oyster Mushrooms & Quail Egg

**Photos courtesy of The Guardian UK

My sister Adrienne lives by these recipes, and she’s got quite the discerning taste–much like her brother. Try them yourselves, and the next time you venture across the pond to the UK, make an effort to visit one of these great cookshops.

Love,
Jared

Jared Levan

By Contributing Food Editor Jared Levan

Dear Non-Food Stylists,

I would like to set the record straight on what exactly we, as food stylists, do for you and your endless love of food. Though you may not realize, food as you know it could not be the same devoid the skills we employ to practically every photo shoot or TV show you’ve ever seen.

For example, do you think the limes in this photo just happened to fall into frame and angle themselves perfectly in respect to the light source? Nope. Did this perfect sprig of cilantro trim and place itself? Don’t think so.

While the responsibility of actually taking the photo still lies with the photographer, the task of making the frame composition as beautiful as possible falls to us, the stylists–photographers know photography, food stylists know food.

Perhaps an analogy will help. Though we’d hardly claim to be as chic, think of us as an army of Rachel Zoe’s (HUGE fan!), dispatched upon the culinary world to make everything look fabulous; we wouldn’t dare send a “client”–e.g. turkey sandwich–in front of the cameras without looking flawless and neither would Rachel if that client were a celebrity.

Instead of choosing from a wardrobe of designer pieces, we choose from a selection of perfect, un-bruised produce. In place of make-up and accessories, we use everything from rubbing alcohol and tweezers to super glue and paint brushes, some of which are seen here…

The result is food porn. Here is an example of my own work:
Monster Mushroom Burger styled for Bobby Deen’s Not My Mama’s Meals

The moral of the story: food stylists make good food look great so when somebody tells you it’s what they do for a living, you won’t have to say “oh, neat…what’s that?”

Now you know.

Love,
Jared

Jared Levan

By Contributing Food Editor Jared Levan

Dear Chili,

We’ve historically recognized you as a spicy stew made of beef, red chilies/chili powder, tomatoes and beans, but these days it seems you’ve lost that straight-forward sense of identify.

When you look at any number of recipes today, the combinations aren’t limited to just beans and beef. On the contrary, the combinations are practically endless yet they all retain the name chili.

Some have meat and no beans. Some have vegetables and no meat or beans…it reminds me of gumbo, actually. A wise man once described gumbo to me as follows:

“If it crawls, flies, swims or grows, then it belongs in your gumbo.”

In the same way gumbo recipes have been tweaked and embellished to include everything under the sun, so too have the myriad chili recipes you’ll find out there. Case in point: My homemade concoction (below).

Smoky Braised Pork & Beef Chili with Fresh Chimichurri
2 Lb Lean ground beef
1-2 Lb Pork loin
2 x 28 Oz Canned San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
1 Yellow onion, chopped
1 Cup Sweet yellow corn, roasted
20 Oz Organic black beans
10 Oz Organic pinto beans
1 Cup Beef stock
1/2 Tbsp Ground cumin
1 Tsp Garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbsp Smoked paprika
2-3 Tbsp Mexican chili powder
1/2 Tbsp Fresh ground black pepper
2 Tsp Sea salt

In a large crockpot, combine crushed tomatoes, paprika and all but 1 tsp of the chili. Season pork loin with black pepper, garlic powder and 1/2 of the salt. Place in tomato mixture, cover and cook on high for 3 hours.

Remove pork from crockpot and reduce to low heat. Allow pork to rest for 5-7 minutes before chopping into small cubes. Meanwhile, sauté onions in 1/2 Tbsp olive oil until translucent. Add ground cumin and remaining chili. Stir to coat and add to crock. In the same pan, brown the beef. Add to crock pot with juices.

Add rinsed beans, reserved pork and corn and allow to cook for an additional 30-45 minutes on low heat to allow flavors to blend.

Classic Chimichurri Sauce
1 Cup cilantro, packed
1 1/2 Cups Italian parsley, packed
1/2 Tbsp Ground cumin
4 Cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 Cup Red wine vinegar
2/3 Cup olive oil

Chop garlic cloves in food processor. Add cilantro, parsley, cumin and process to a paste. With processor running, add vinegar. Add olive oil just until the mixture begins to emulsify; this may take some or all of the olive oil. Store at room temperature and spoon on top of warm chili.

Keep on doing your thing and I’ll keep on eating you by the bowl full, chili.

Happy cooking all.

Love,
Jared

Jared Levan

By Contributing Food Editor Jared Levan

Dear Pennsylvania,

On behalf of everyone (save the residents of Maine and Massachusetts…look it up) I’d like to thank you for contributing the most delightful sweet treat of my childhood years–the whoopie pie. Rumor has it that Amish women living in Lancaster, PA would make whoopie pies and sneak them into their husband’s lunch pails prepared for a day of work in the fields.

When the unsuspecting men, famished from a morning of hard labor, opened their lunches they’d be thrilled at the sight of these sweet, fluffy little goodies to which they would exclaim–WHOOPIE!

Photo by Diane of Stylish Cuisine

Despite the pseudo-political controversy this little guy stirred up last year, I’m here to pay homage to the whoopie pie and my mother’s go-to recipe. Every year, on my birthday, my mother would whip up a batch and bring them for my elementary school classmates and me to enjoy. It was the best birthday treat a little Pennsylvanian boy could have asked for!

“Happy Birthday” Whoopie Pies
by Robin Levan

2 Cups sugar
1 Cup Crisco/vegetable shortening
2 Eggs
1 Cup whole milk + 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Cup cocoa
4 ½ Cups flour
2 tsp baking soda + 6 oz. HOT water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).

Cream sugar and shortening at high speed until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Combine milk and vinegar. Add curdled-milk mixture, vanilla, cocoa and flour to egg mixture and beat to combine. Mix baking soda and water. Add and beat to combine.

Drop to desired size on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature.

For the filling…
2 Egg whites (beaten)
2 Tbsp flour
1 Lb Confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Cup Crisco/vegetable shortening

Combine beaten egg whites, flour, milk, vanilla and ½ sugar. Beat until creamy. Add shortening and the remaining sugar. Mix well. Spread between two, cooled cookies.

Vanilla & Green Tea Whoopie Pies…Whoopie pies come in all flavors and sizes, but I had to share this gorgeous picture and accompanying recipe.

The next time you spot one of these tiny treats or decide to make them at home from scratch, you might consider exclaiming “whoopie” yourself!

Love,

Jared

Jared Levan

By Contributing Food Editor Jared Levan

Dear Incredible-Edible Sandwich,

I love the way you look sitting there on the plate, begging to be eaten. And though I’m not quite sure how, you possess some strange power over me to which I am utterly helpless. Never in all my years would I have imagined you’d look so delicious sliced in-two and slapped on top of a photocopier.

Jon Chonko, of Scanwiches decided to capture the beauty of the almighty sandwich using nothing but a xerox–no photoshop here. Their philosophy is simple, it’s all about the true beauty of the bread and everything in between. This is just some of the Scanwicher’s work.

Can you find your favorite ‘wich?

Ingredients: banana pepper, tomato, provolone, ham, genoa salami.

Ingredients: Ramen noodle “bread,” ham, yellow american cheese.

Lobster Roll: lobster, butter, roll.

Ingredients: pumpkin filling, vanilla marshmallow, graham cracker “bread.”

Bahn Mi: baguette, pate, cha lua pork, pickled carrot, cilantro, pickled cucumber.

Ingredients: chocolate-hazelnut spread, marshmallow.

Talk about food porn. After all this you’re probably getting hungry. I know I am….

Love,

Jared

Jared Levan

By Contributing Food Editor Jared Levan

Dear Dessert Loverz,

Something tells me that more than handful of you would be down-right frightened if you were ever served crudités for dessert whilst dining out and about. And while that tray of celery and carrots may not an ideal dessert make, it’s actually not that far from something delicious (not to mention sweet). That’s right, I’m talking about desserts that call for vegetables and this past week at In Food We Trust, we’ve been sharing our favorite veggie-laden recipes for all to taste.

Why vegetables you may ask? Well, in most recipes, a dash–in some cases a dollop–of veggies can add some much-desired moisture…which is the secret ingredient when it comes to baked goods. Avocados can be added for creaminess, beets can be added for sweetness (not to mention color). Black beans can even been added to brownies for added decadence and fudgy texture. When it comes to veggies in the dessert, the possibilities are virtually endless.

Vanilla-Zucchini Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting: When my friend Kira heard I was doing a series on veggies for dessert, she said that these cupcakes were a must. After trying them, I totally agree. They’re pretty awesome.

Aunt Mable’s Zucchini Cookies: We had to kind of/sort of/maybe twist a friends arm to get his Aunt Mable’s recipe down on paper…but he eventually caved.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Fresh Lime Icing: This one’s a family recipe, passed down from my grandmother…it’s one of my favorites. Now I’m strangely (or not so strangely) addicted to lime icing.

Can’t Beet Red Velvet Cupcakes with Roux Frosting: No, it’s not a mistake–this recipe truly calls for balsamic vinegar and beet puree. You know you want to try it.

I hope these gratuitous pictures and delightful recipes have inspired you to start including vegetables in each and every dish you make. If not I’ll tell your doctor that you’re not eating your veggies. And then you’ll be sorry.

Love,
Jared

Jared Levan

By Contributing Food Editor Jared Levan

Dear Meatballerz,

Winter is the best season to enjoy a nice juicy meatball and some delicious brussels sprouts. Unless of course you’re a vegan (in which case avoid the meatballs). If I could eat brussels sprouts every day, I totally would. So I’ve put together these wonderful recipes for you to enjoy over the weekend. Or whenever you want. It’s up to you!

Homemade Meatballs

Recipe created by Jared Levan

Jared Levan