http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/ Kim O'Donnel's Guide to Eats, Drinks and Recipes All Year Long en Copyright 2008 Thu, 15 May 2008 11:21:45 -0400 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.36 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss When a What's Cooking reader from Boston, Mass. asked for ideas for a bunch of newly purchased green beans, she spoke to my heart. Whenever I look at a fresh green bean, which are coming into season in the southeast, I always see possibilities. It seems I've got enthusiastic company, as fellow readers chimed in with their own personal green bean-y faves. Green beans: Gentle giants.(Kim O'Donnel) During the live chat, I only had time to share recipe details for these Szechuan-style green beans, which have become a summer dinner party staple at Casa Appetite, but ever since, I've had green beans on the brain, gathering recipe and flavor combination ideas that keep the green bean love-a-thon going. Before we get started, I wanted to mention a bit of nutritional information about our friend, the green bean: One cup offers 16 percent of the RDA for dietary fiber and 20 http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/the_many_ways_to_love_a_green.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/the_many_ways_to_love_a_green.html Spring Produce Thu, 15 May 2008 11:21:45 -0400 A big shout-out to the strawberry, who's back in town and making Washington area farm markets a little more gorgeous. Strawberry glory. A member of the rose family, the strawberry is unlike her other berry brethren, as she's the only one that keeps her seeds in full view, on the skin. Of all the berry options to come our way this summer, the strawberry is fairly low on my list (I'm much more excited about the impending arrival of blueberries, which I can eat by the pint.), but now that I've read in Dana Jacobi's new book, "The Essential Best Foods Cookbook," that one cup of strawberries contains 140 percent of the RDA for vitamin C, I'm reconsidering my position. That stunning shade of red isn't just for show, by the way. In those come-hither pigments are powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins which protect us from our brain going down the http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/can_a_strawberry_be_savory.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/can_a_strawberry_be_savory.html Spring Produce Wed, 14 May 2008 10:15:55 -0400 I'll be honest: Despite the greening of my pantry, I've been slow to embrace organic wine. After a less than tasty experience a few years ago with a bottle of organic red from a California winery that shall remain nameless, I've been swearing off the stuff because it either hasn't been up to snuff or is just too darned expensive. Mendocino Wine Company's Paul Dolan. A recent run-in with a 2007 bottle of "Sustainable White" by Parducci Winery has me revisiting the eco-vino issue and I'll tell you why: The wine is delicious and under 10 bucks a bottle. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Tokai and Viognier, "Sustainable White" and its sibling, "2005 Sustainable Red" are part of a year-long partnership with Whole Foods, where it's sold exclusively between $8 and $9.99 through December. To be clear, the "Sustainable" sibs are not certified organic (95 percent organic grapes http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/ecovino.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/ecovino.html Wine and Spirits Tue, 13 May 2008 09:24:56 -0400 Just one week ago, I asked for your personal stories about the important women in your life, as part of a Mother's Day tribute. Never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate the rush of excitement and enthusiasm that was bursting open my inbox, and I am truly honored and in awe of the generous, loving spirit that came through in every one of your stories. With so many heart-felt nuggets to choose from, it was difficult to narrow the field of entries, which follow. There's Sandi, of Attleboro, Mass., who lost her mother last June to liver cancer: When I saw her last I fixed her shrimp and potatoes - that was June 25th. She even had a sip of wine. She waited for me to leave, and within two days she was bedridden. Beth McElroy's grandmother, Kathryn Violet, in her Selingsgrove, Pa. bakery in 1962. ...And Colette, http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/saluting_mom_your_kitchen_stor.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/saluting_mom_your_kitchen_stor.html Family Fri, 09 May 2008 07:18:14 -0400 A friend reminded me that 2008 is the International Year of the Potato, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The timing is impeccable. With the global cost of wheat 83 percent higher than a year ago and that of rice up by 20 percent since the beginning of this year, the potato is being touted as a low-cost solution to easing the global food crisis. After wheat and rice, the potato is the world's number three crop, but unlike the grains, it's not a global commodity. According to the FAO, about six percent of the world's potatoes are on the international market, compared to approximately 17 percent for wheat. That's because the potato is more perishable -- prone to rot -- and because of its bulky nature, more costly to transport. The upside of this lesser export potential is that countries can think local http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/celebrating_the_potato.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/celebrating_the_potato.html Food Politics Thu, 08 May 2008 11:18:53 -0400 This week's Green Plate Special is a selection of eco-minded food blogs, which are cropping up like wild mint. Here's what's catching my eye (and whetting my appetite): "Eat your greens" is the mantra of Envirovore, a new addition to the rapidly expanding EcoGeek family. Written by a trio of women in Montana, the blog is a collection of newsy items from around the country, with a politics-policy bent. To wit: yesteday's post is all about the dairy industry's pursuit of a more sustainable image. Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group is the force behind Mulch, a daily report of what's going on in the world of agriculture and food policy and what the media -- and media makers -- are saying, spinning, spewing. A must-read for Farm Bill drama followers. Underwater sustainability is the primary focus of Sea Notes, blog home for Monterey Bay Aquarium, but author http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/ecobite_nibbles_from_the_green.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/ecobite_nibbles_from_the_green.html Eco-Bites Wed, 07 May 2008 09:55:39 -0400 I've been trying to come up with a way to talk about the 2007 (now 2008) Farm Bill that has been extended yet again to May 16. The nearly $300 billion five-year spending bill is so complicated it will turn your eyes inside out. If it was only about subsidies for wealthy farmers (and non-farmers), that would be one thing. But, as a quick aside and to keep you up to speed, just a few days ago, President Bush threatened to veto the bill over the income limits ($500,000) proposed last week in Congress (and given the thumbs up by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi). Under this bill, non-farmers would still get payments until 2009. But it's also about money for school lunch programs in the developing world, money for organic growers, food stamps, land conservation, and shucks, even tax breaks for thoroughbred race horses -- and that's just http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/farmer_john_now_on_netflix.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/farmer_john_now_on_netflix.html Food Movie News Tue, 06 May 2008 09:52:08 -0400 As promised, I've compiled the daily eco-bites that appeared throughout April for handy viewing and reference. Going forward, my goal is to offer a weekly eco-bite that will be posted seperately so it's available on the "Eco-Bites" archive page. Please offer your own or send me green nibbles via e-mail at kim.odonnel@washingtonpost.com Greenery at Pura Vida Spa in Costa Rica. (Kim O'Donnel) * Wanna know what's fresh and in season in your neck of the woods? Check out the Eat Local tool developed by the National Resources Defense Council, with biweekly updates for all 50 states (sorry, D.C. is excluded). * What's it like to eat a diet of foods grown and raised within 150 miles of your home? Follow the experiences of 15 people from around the country who are eating a diet that is 80 percent local for an entire year on Locavore Nation, a blogging project of http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/a_months_worth_of_ecobites.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/a_months_worth_of_ecobites.html Eco-Bites Mon, 05 May 2008 15:19:12 -0400 Maybe you're looking for a last-minute Cinco de Mayo supper idea, or maybe, like me, you've always been curious about making your own enchiladas but were afraid to ask. I had longed steered clear of the enchilada (the past participle of the Spanish word enchilar, which means to season with chiles) because I had it in my head they'd be cumbersome to prepare and disappointing compared to anything I'd encounter in a Mexican restaurant. It was a mental block that I hoped one day would melt away. And then one day last spring, I met Chico, a Atzec fire-eating friend of a friend who was visiting from San Francisco, and lo and behold, he was fixing chicken enchiladas for supper. Would I care to join him -- and perhaps give him a hand? I thought I had died and gone to kitchen heaven. Life is all about timing, and within http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/the_whole_enchilada.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/the_whole_enchilada.html Chicken/Poultry Mon, 05 May 2008 10:56:36 -0400 Mother's Day is next Sunday, May 11. As part of the celebration next week, I'm working on a piece about the force that is Mom. Have you got a kitchen or food-related story to share about your mother, grandmother or maternal figures in your life? Send'em my way at kim.odonnel@washingtonpost.com no later than Wednesday, May 7. In the subject line of your e-mail, type "MOM" and in your note, please include your age, city and state, and where you grew up, size of your family. I'll select a handful of entries for a blog-stravaganza that will be published on May 9. Oh -- and if you've got a cool pic of Mom, send that along too. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/feteing_mom_your_stories_wante.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/feteing_mom_your_stories_wante.html Family Fri, 02 May 2008 12:32:32 -0400 Louisville, Ky. is the place to be this weekend, when the 134th Kentucky Derby gets underway Saturday night. Having never watched the Derby nor ever stepped foot in "Loooolville," I asked Mister MA, a Kentucky boy, for advice on Derby party vittles. Beer cheese and crackers. (Kim O'Donnel) Anything with bourbon was the short answer, and he coughed up Derby classics such as Benedictine, the cucumber-cream cheese spread, chocolate pecan pie and a Hot Brown, a turkey, bacon and tomato sandwich with a Mornay sauce. I liked the idea of beer cheese, which cookbook writer Marion Flexner notes in her "Out of Kentucky Kitchens," was a bar staple "when free lunches were served in Kentucky saloons with every 5-cent glass of beer." As I waded through a sea of online beer cheese recipes, I noticed several variations on the theme; some recipes called for both cheddar cheese and cream cheese; http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/derby_day_beer_cheese.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/derby_day_beer_cheese.html Entertaining Fri, 02 May 2008 08:23:27 -0400 How would you like your digital, downloadable margarita -- straight up or on the rocks? That's the gist of a cocktail recipe book now accessible on your iPod. Originally published as a 128-page hard-cover book in 2006, "101 Margaritas," by drink minx Kim Haasarud, is the latest addition to Raybooks, a line of digital, iPod-able books offered by Durham, N.C.-based Modality, Inc. A photo from the iPod version of "101 Margaritas." (Kim O'Donnel) It brings a whole new meaning to iPod mixology, n'est-ce pas? I've just downloaded Haasarud's book to get a sense of the look, feel and functionality, and I must say, the interface is impressive. It's readable, clear and easy to navigate and includes all the photos from the original book. Pricewise, a Raybook is a tad more than buying the two-year-old print version via amazon.com, where it's presently listed as $10.85, but then you've got to pay http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/mixing_drinks_and_cooking_from.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/05/mixing_drinks_and_cooking_from.html Food on the Web Thu, 01 May 2008 11:00:32 -0400 Alexandria, Va.: Over baked ziti last night my husband commented that he is impressed with the wide variety of dishes that I cook for us (we're newlyweds). He said his mom only had about seven recipes that she made over and over again. I told him I agreed -- my mom had about 10 recipes that were recycled, but those 10 recipes were the most delicious food I will ever taste. (Nothing's better than a mom's cooking). I told him the reason I cook such a variety of dishes for him is simply because I'm looking for MY 10 favorite recipes that I can then cook over and over again in my sleep -- the ones that my kids will later say were the best food they'll ever have. So far, I've only discovered one of those recipes -- I'm still searching for the other nine. So I'm curious. What's http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/04/kims_six_goto_kitchen_favorite.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/04/kims_six_goto_kitchen_favorite.html Dinner Tonight Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:58:59 -0400 Love has no rhyme or reason or even a calendar, but there's something magical about falling in love during spring. In his 1928 composition "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love," Cole Porter argues that falling in love is all part of Mother Nature's plan. When the little bluebird Who has never said a word Starts to sing Spring When the little bluebell At the bottom of the dell Starts to ring Ding dong Ding dong When the little blue clerk In the middle of his work Starts a tune to the moon up above It is nature that is all Simply telling us to fall in love But unlike the "Cold Cape Cod clams, 'gainst their wish" who do it, we human creatures have dating/mating checklists and criteria that go beyond the force of nature. For many, religion is the deal breaker; for others, it may be income, education, http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/04/mixed_diet_relationships_can_t.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/04/mixed_diet_relationships_can_t.html Relationships Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:55:57 -0400 The first order of business is a big platter of thanks to those of you who shared your favorite things about Los Angeles. It was gratifying to read all of your suggestions while I was out there, and as a gesture of gratitude, I've scribbled the following report. Local dried fruit and nuts at the Santa Monica Farmers Market. (Kim O'Donnel) As I mentioned last week, it had been at least eight years since my last visit to sunny L.A. (temperatures climbed to 90 on Sunday), so I had a lot of catching up to do. I suppose a trip to Los Angeles is incomplete without a celebrity sighting, and even I, who never gets any star-eye candy, had my fair share. Thursday night's supper at Suzanne Goin's Lucques included a full-on view of Zachary Quinto, the "Heroes" guy and the new "Spock" in the J.J. Abrams version of "Star http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/04/eating_la.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2008/04/eating_la.html Travel Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:27:57 -0400