Logan Square Pastry Market + Bridgeport Coffee

This Saturday, I visited the Valentine's Pastry Market at the Logan Square Kitchen, and I had a fabulous time. As soon as I walked in, I was assailed by that lovely smell that only comes from the marriage of flour, butter, and sugar. Ahhhh pastry. There were many bakers and artisans sampling their wares, from cream puffs and pie to baklava and truffles. It was sugarholic heaven.



Cream puffs from Puffs of Doom. She's filling that box up for me! I got bourbon banana gingersnap, cardamom white chocolate rice pudding, strawberry lemon drop, chocolate caramel pecan, and butterfinger.



Honey Pie Cafe



Whoopie pies and other treats from Pomegranate Sweets and Savories.



Handmade baklava from Sheekar Delights.



Hand-decorated artisanal chocolates from Veruca Chocolates.



Among all these swoon-inducing sweets, the real standout in my mind was the Bridgeport Coffee Company, who were doing custom pours of three of their blends. I had the Peru, which was full-bodied, smooth and chocolaty, with a clean finish. I also picked up an info sheet which explained some of the challenges the Peruvian growers face, and the ecologically sensitive farming and drying practiced they have employed. As I sipped my coffee, I spoke with Mike Pilkington, founder of Bridgeport Coffee, who is knowledgeable and obviously passionate about his product. He takes pride in the company's commitment to developing personal relationships with its growers, and understanding the unique economic, political and climatic challenges they face. He shared with me how eighty percent of the world's specialty coffee is actually grown organically, for simple economic reasons, but that only ten percent of it is certified organic. Small farmers, who produce seventy percent of the world's coffee supply, are often denied access to organic and fair trade certifications because of cost, paperwork, and bureaucracy. From 1972-1990, El Salvador was racked with civil wars, and farming families fled to the cities in search of safety. A generation later, farmers still live in the cities and commute to the farms to work. Because of this technicality, most of these farmers are ineligible for fair trade certification, though they exceed fair trade requirements. Bridgeport Coffee sidesteps the middle man and builds relationships with farmers, eliminating the need for official certification. And they make a darn good cup of coffee.

Bye-bye, pyramid!

Yesterday, the First Lady unveiled this new image, along with a detailed new set of guidelines and suggestions for healthy eating and nutrition.  I'm not that excited that this is what $2 million in research and marketing looks like, but it's a step in the right direction.

Remember the old food guide pyramid that was released in 1992? 

There are so many, many things wrong with this picture.  For instance, grain is represented as much, much more important than fruits and vegetables.  Not great, but simple.

It was replaced by this ridiculously confusing and complicated pyramid in 2005:

What a mess!  The way it's set up is somewhat misleading, placing too much emphasis on grains again.  If you go to the trouble of clicking on each section and reading the recommended daily amounts of each of these groups, here's what you find:

We need more dairy products than vegetables?  Really?

MyPlate is better.  It gives a great emphasis on fruits and vegetables, which is fantastic.  The "protein" section is a little confusing, since whole grains and vegetables also provide protein, but I get it - it leaves it up to you to choose meat, beans, tofu... whatever.  This is definitely an improvement.  I guess I am just generally annoyed by the weight we place on government recommendations like these.  Take, for example, the low-fat craze.  Following a recommendation to reduce fat intake, people started eating drastically more carbohydrates and sugar, which contributed to widespread obesity and obesity-related diseases like diabetes.  Also, there has been some concern that the people who come up with the guidelines are not immune to the influence of big food lobbies.

It seems like every study that comes out shows some proof that eating this or avoiding that will make or break your health, nutrition, and weight.  The question is: why do we keep trusting these studies?  They have proven time and time again that nutrition is an inexact science. 

Let's keep it simple.  Let's follow rules and guidelines that have been passed down through tradition and arrived at by common sense rather than nutrition science.  Let's eat a whole lot more plants.  Instead of coming up with complex graphics to explain food, let's teach kids where their food comes from, what's in season, and how to cook!  Our diet and exercise should bring us joy and pleasure, not anxiety and pain.  Let's let go of all the science and have a little bit more fun. 

What do you think about the new graphic and guidelines?

Lentils with Rhubarb and Caramelized Onions

I just finished reading Mark Bittman's Food Matters (you should read it; it's fabulous), and it convinced me (again) to eat many, many more plants.  If you're anything like me, deciding not to eat something leads to obsessing over it, dreaming about it, and eating it in extraordinarily large quantities.  Here's how the conversation with myself usually goes:

Well-intentioned me, on a Sunday night, after a sugar-, carb-, meat-, cheese- and alcohol-laden (otherwise known as fun) weekend:

"OK. This week I'm going to commit to being healthier. I'm not going to eat refined carbs or sugar. I'm going to scale back the wine. I'm going to eat less meat and cheese. I'm going to work out every day! I can do it!"

Realistic, food-loving me, about 15 minutes later:

"But wait... what about bread?  I think I should be able to have bread.  And what about those cookies I was going to make?  And chocolate.  OK, but only dark chocolate, and only in small portions..."

Hungry me, Monday morning:

"I WANT A DONUT!!!!!"

Clearly, this approach is not working out so well.  So instead of reminding myself several times a day of what things I want not to eat, I am expanding the horizons of what I would like to eat.  Namely, plants.  Fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains.  These things are delicious!  Instead of choking down blandly prepared, sad piles of refrigerated grains and veggies, I want to eat plant-based meals that taste amazing!  And this is not hard, it just takes a little imagination, a willingness to experiment with new flavors, foods, and combinations, and maybe a little planning. 

Most of the savory rhubarb recipes I've seen so far combine it with either meat or legumes and Indian spices.  I made some lentils with rhubarb, and I loved it so much that I can't wait to try some of the other things I've seen!  The rhubarb is pleasantly sour, but not sharp.  Combined with the sweetness of caramelized onions and the earthiness of the lentils, it is delicious, and even better eaten as leftovers for lunch the next day! 

Lentils with Rhubarb and Caramelized Onions
adapted from this recipe from My Little City Food Garden

Ingredients:
1 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1/8 cup dry white wine
4-5 fresh stalks rhubarb, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup lentils
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or a few sprigs fresh if you have it on hand)
Salt to taste

Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add onions a small handful at a time, waiting until each addition softens a little before adding more.  Once the onions are golden, caramelized, and smelling like heaven, add the wine and deglaze the pan.  Add rhubarb, lentils, vegetable stock, and thyme, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil.  Cover immediately, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 35 minutes, until liquid is evaporated and lentils are tender.  Adjust seasonings and serve.