Archive | November, 2009

A recipe for deliciousness! (and specifically pavlova)

23 Nov

We had a feast day in anthropology last week, and I decided to make a pavlova. A what, you say? A pavlova is a holiday or celebratory meringue cake eaten traditionally in Australia and New Zealand. It was created in honour of the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova who toured Australia and NZ in the 1920s (it’s light and airy just like her I guess – plus I bet she was crunchy on the outside). Australia and NZ equally claim the creation of the pavlova. According to Wikipedia, research has proven that New Zealand has the more legitimate claim. But don’t listen to me, I’m biased. So anyway, a pav as it is colloquially known, is delicious and easy to make. Here is what it could look like:

Note: this recipe isn’t mine originally. But since cookbook writers don’t even feel the need to always cite their sources, neither do I! (it was procured somewhere on the internet and possibly combined a few different sites’ interpretations).
So you want to make a magical pav! (it’s the eggs that supply the magic) Here’s how. You’ll need:
4 large egg whites (you could make an omelette with the yolks, or something)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 and a half teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Then:
-Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line a baking tray with foil and draw a circle (they said 7 inches) on it with the blunt edge of a knife (don’t cut the foil!).
-Beat the egg whites on medium speed until they form soft peaks.
-Continue beating as you add the sugar, a little at a time, until it forms stiff glossy peaks.
-Fold in the cornstarch and the vinegar, and then the vanilla, with a plastic spatula.
-Spread the meringue in your circle on the foil – the edges must be a little higher than the middle so it doesn’t become a pav pancake.
-Bake for an hour and fifteen minutes. It should be a pale pink color – but remember: do not open the oven door! I have made this twice and the time was perfect both times, so you shouldn’t need to check it.
-Turn oven off, let the pavlova cool completely – do not open the door or it will crack/flatten. I let it cool for about 3 and a half hours and that was good.
-Shortly before serving, cover with whipped cream. I used cool whip, but if you’re more discerning, you can make your own topping: whip 1 cup heavy whipping cream until you get soft peaks, then add 1 and a half tablespoons granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
-Put on fruit on top of the cream. Think tart fruits, here, to counteract the sweetness of the meringue. I prefer kiwifruit, but raspberries and blackberries work well too – go wild!
-Eat and enjoy! Easy as!




Who doesn’t love kiwifruit? MMMM
PS – sorry vegans, this isn’t going to be an easy one to substitute :( I’m not sure that so far we have egg substitutes that are as magical as eggs. One day, perhaps? I still love you though and have a great cake recipe for you – I’ll post it sometime. Also, if anyone knows of a way to make this vegan, or tries it out – let me know how it goes!

Review: Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

20 Nov

2006

By Michael Pollan
Nonfiction
Omnivore’s Dilemma sheds light on the industrial food complex, especially on America’s heavy reliance on corn, and what brought that about. I learned an amazing amount reading this book. It is really a must read for everyone, if you’re living in this society. Everyone ought to know where there food is coming from, and what those unintelligible words on nutrition labels mean.
Pollan tries to find out exactly what happens in the industrial food chain, the industrial organic one, a food chain that comes from a farm that describes itself as ‘beyond organic’, and one where he hunts and gathers himself. He clearly learned a lot in the process, and you will too. You should also know that ‘organic’, while having a positive impact on the environment nevertheless, is a much vaguer term than you think – it doesn’t mean what you think it means. A fact that the book doesn’t mention is that WalMart is the largest seller of organic produce in the country. You will learn that industrial organic is only a narrow shade different from pure industrial – and just as problematic but in different ways.
The description of Polyface farm and its fully sustainable ecosystem are awesome. You can see that it is possible for the animals we raise for food to get to that point through fairly natural lives (aka the chickens can do what chickens are meant to do). You also discover that this method is not just beneficial from an animal welfare perspective, but also from an environmental and health standpoint.
The chapter on the ethics of meat eating was interesting to me, because it added a few points to the discussion that I have not heard before. Pollan brings up the fact that domestication was never a one-sided deal – it has always been a way to create a symbiotic relationship. Initially it was in the cow’s interest (cow as a species) to be raised by humans who could protect it from predators and the like. Of course, our industrial food system has negated the benefit for the cows and now it’s purely exploitative. And that made me remember – plants were domesticated too, thanks to the adaptability and cleverness (stretching it?) of the plants which benefit greatly from human cultivation. Now I realize that animal rights activists won’t agree with this, but I think it is a perspective that is not often addressed. Certainly today, the way we use animals for the food industry only benefits us to the maximum amount, and so perhaps this argument is no longer even relevant. However, if you look at Polyface, you see that that kind of beneficial relationship can still exist.
Basically, you must read this. I could go on more, but mostly I’m just going to put it in my research paper.
Grade: A+

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