Category: food

Delays in Trans Fat Labeling

Ashley BischoffLeave a comment

The FDA was all set to require trans fat labeling on food products, but the food industry is dragging its feet.

Accustomed to food-labeling regulations for other nutrients, the food industry is resigned to accepting an FDA proposal requiring them to give the actual amount of trans fat, or trans fatty acids, on the label of a food product. But an additional feature of the FDA proposal is leaving a bad taste in the industry’s mouth — a 10-word footnote on nutrition labels that would read: “Intake of trans fats should be as low as possible.” […]

Some food industry groups have even “threatened to sue over their First Amendment commercial-speech rights if the footnote becomes law”, but I don’t think that the footnote is unreasonable.

[…] [S]cientists at the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine have found [that] any consumption of trans fats increases the risk of heart disease. So, the FDA reasons, if less trans fat is better, or no daily minimum is recommended, why not have food labels say just that? Thus its proposal for the footnote on food labels. […]

Trans fat not only raises bad cholesterol, the stuff that increase the risk of clogged arteries, but also lowers good cholesterol, which actually reduces risk of clogged arteries. While there are some naturally occurring trans fats in meat and dairy products, most are created when food makers add hydrogen to vegetable oil. The process, called hydrogenation, makes the oil more solid at room temperature. […]

It makes sense to me :-/. But, due to this quibbling, a rule on trans fat labeling that was initially planned for early-2003 is now expected no earlier than summertime. In the meantime, if you’re looking to avoid trans fat — called “as bad as it gets” by some — be on the lookout for “partially hydrogenated ##” on food labels — that’s all trans fat.

Slashdot Meetup – December

Ashley Bischoff2 Comments

This evening, I’ll be going to the Slashdot Meetup for Dallas. Like last month, it’s at Cafe Brazil this evening (the venues are chosen through voting, and it so happened that Cafe Brazil won both times).

I often order a make-your-own omelette, and I’m tempted to do so again. My favorite combination is sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, and chorizo sausage. The problem I run into — every time — is that I’m never sure how to pronounce “chorizo” ;). Is it SHOR-zio? CHORE-zio? SHOR-see-oh? shor-SEE-oh?

I’m also looking forward to the dessert options available. With a dessert menu like theirs, I don’t think I could resist ;). I’m a big fan of chocolate-enhanced baked goods (chocolate cake, brownies, and so on) so I decided last time that I would have chocolate cake.

Of course, Cafe Brazil has about half a dozen varieties of chocolate cake, so I asked our waitress, “Which of your cakes is the most chocolaty?“ I could almost visualize the gears slowly turning in her head as she attempted to deduce the correct answer. After a moment, she replied “Well, I think triple-chocolate layer cake would be.“ (apparently using the line of reasoning that, if “one-chocolate” is a baseline, then “triple-chocolate” must be super-chocolaty indeed).

The cake was delicious — don’t get me wrong — but it was a bit of a chocolate disappointment. The icing was chocolate-flavored, but not intensely so. And, the cake-portion of the slice was almost sponge-like instead of a more preferable soft-and-moist texture.

So, this time around, I may still venture for a slice of chocolaty goodness. But, I’ll either decide on my own or decide after consulting with my dining companions (though not with the wait staff, natch).

MetaFilter on French Toast

Ashley Bischoff2 Comments

There was recently this thread on MetaFilter on french toast. In the main entry, there were quite a few links to recipes. However, the one that interested me most was this recipe from the July 1992 issue of Bon Appatit for overnight french toast.

The basic ingredients are the same — eggs, milk, sugar, bread, and so on. However, the eggs are “marinated” overnight and then baked in the oven. Mmm, sounds tasty. And, it takes some of the guesswork out of when to flip the toast (as a french toast beginner, I end up flipping too early or too late more often than I would like).

In addition to that overnight french toast recipe, there was also this link to “monkey makes yummy croissant french toast!” in the comments. There, a stuffed monkey shows the steps of making french toast. It’s cute, but informative at the same time. And, the directions are clear enough that I’d find the site to still be a useful reference even without the adorable monkey.

Of course, in addition to moneky recipe for french toast there’re many other recipes in the Cooking with Monkey series. In particular, I think I'll check out the Guacamole with Nachos recipe, as that sounds tasty yet something that I wouldn’t want to do incorrectly for fear of ruining any otherwise perfectly-good avocados ;).

More on Marmite

Ashley Bischoff1 Comment

I’ve written about Marmite previously, but just now it was mentioned in a Metafilter story linking to a Boston Globe article on Marmite’s centennial.

The article is a good introduction for Marmite-newbies, to be sure. But I most enjoyed the comments on Metafilter, from both sides of the fence. A few excerpts:

Don’t mock what you don't understand, you weak-palated poltroon. Thinly spread on buttered toast, marmite is the tasty ichor of the Dark Yeast Gods. Sour and bitter — the underrated tastes. […]

Bow before the Gods of Yeast Extract! Bow damn you! […]

the marmite is not too strong for us. it is we who are too weak for the marmite. […]

Marmite is vile. I find it impossible to stay in a room with a jar of the stuff open, let alone allow it anywhere near my tongue. […]

One of my colleagues is an expatriate Englishman, and he positively insisted that I must try Marmite—which he served up to me on matzohs, with butter. Apparently, my face was a true study in disgust. […]

I love the stuff. Can’t say enough good things about it. I was at a music festival in England and found a caravan in the food area selling nothing but Marmite on toast. Absolutely brilliant. […]

I eat it on top of butter or margarine spread thinly for breakfast sometimes, like others have mentioned. The problem is, when some people try it for the first time they spread it like cream cheese or jam on top of a piece of bread and it's foul. Or otherwise, they just take a whiff of the jar and back down actually tasting it. […]

Vegemite is but a pale imitation of the true mother of all brown paste succor, it looks more like burnt peanut butter compared to the dark axle grease sheen of Marmite. […]

I’m on a mission to try Marmite out now, this stuff seriously sounds delicious. I’m not being facetious. “very reminiscent of caviar, without the fishiness” and comparisons to HP Sauce? Yum. […]

Mmm, I consider Marmite a double-plus good food. And, should you like to try some, I’d be happy to prepare some buttered bread with Marmite for you.

Apple Pumpkin Pie – Recipe

Ashley BischoffLeave a comment

From the Back of the Box mailling list, I found this recipe for Apple Pumpkin Pie. I’m trying to be adventurous in foods and, though I didn’t used to like pumpkin pie as a kid, I think it's something that I’d like to give another chance.

I seem to be at the point where my taste buds are dying and some foods are tasting differently to me. So, I think I’ll be daring and have a slice of pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving. At any rate, this Apple Pumpkin Pie recipe could be quite tasty, Thanksgiving or otherwise:

Prep: 15 min, Cook: 60 min

Filling:

  • ¾ cup (148 grams) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped (about two to three apples)
  • 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust

Crumb Topping:

  • ⅓ cup (47 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup (66 grams) brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened

Directions:

  1. Combine the sugar, flour, and salt in a large bowl.
  2. With an electric mixer, beat in the pumpkin, egg, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until smooth.
  3. Stir in the apples gently with a spatula.
  4. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Cover the crust’s edges with foil.
  5. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes.
  6. While the pie is baking, prepare the crumb topping:
    • Combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
    • Mix in the softened butter with a fork.
  7. Take the pie out after 45 minutes and add the crumb topping:
    • Sprinkle the crumb topping over the pie.
    • Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
  8. Serve warm.