How I Eat and Why

People have been talking about Pollan's writing for a while now, especially The Omnivore's Dilemma. Schlosser's Fast Food Nation had a big impact on our national conversation about food as well. This conversation involves quite a bit of negativity toward our corn based monoculture, and that's not surprising. The idea that an abundance of cheap meat, cheap sugar and processed foods are leading to health problems in Americans isn't shocking. Meat and sugar are good, but our bodies don't appear to be designed to consume them in the quantities many of us do. Processed foods aren't inherently bad either, but the best of them tend to be artesanally made, therefore expensive and not generally eaten in quantity or great frequency. We all know it's not such a good idea to consume too much good cheese, ham, sausage, olive oil, pickles, butter or wine. We know that even bread and pasta are best consumed in moderation. We know that a diet heavy on convenience food items is unlikely to be a healthy one, which is why many of us are making the effort to cook more often at home.

While it's nice to have control over one's diet we all come across situations where we simply do not. On tour a musician does not easily have much control over his diet. Fast food becomes part of your diet, and even the backstage catering and family restaurant fare you eat is made from enough processed corn to largely qualify as dressed up fast food.

Losing that control on tour had immediate effects on me. While living on a bus with Ryan Adams and the Cardinals for several months during 2004 and 2005 I put on over 20 pounds. I was never svelte, but I left that gig a fat guy. Fans even commented on it. A later visit to a doctor had her insisting that I start on cholesterol lowering medication immediately, because my readings were "off the charts". I was convinced this was a matter of diet, and against doctor's orders set out to treat my cholesterol through diet alone.

I started off lowering my intake animal fat, because animal fat comes hand in hand with cholesterol. Corn fed beef has a less healthy fat balance than grass fed, so I ate very little beef. I had no interest in becoming a vegetarian, but did start eating less and leaner pork and chicken. Lamb became a rarity (as it ought to be) while I got reacquainted with fish. Cheese, eggs and butter became once in a while treats instead of daily indulgences. In taking back control of what I ate I also eliminated all fast food and many restaurant meals. The closest things I bought to "ready to eat" foods were canned vegetables (beans and tomatoes) and fresh fruit. To avoid having to read nutrition information labels I bought very few products that came with such labeling - in other words I bought ingredients and made my own food from them.

The recipes you read on this blog are things I cook at home on a regular basis. They may not all be light cooking, but none are nearly as obscene as many daily "road food" items. Their deliciousness comes from the ingredients and how they're seasoned, instead of relying on lots of fat, sugar and salt. I'll never be a health nut, but I am someone who prefers "real" food over junk food. I like rich food as much as anyone, but prefer how I look and feel when I consume it once in a while, as opposed to regularly. Following these preferences had a direct effect on my health.

A year and a half after the doctor wanted to put me on medication I'd lost nearly 30 pounds and brought my cholesterol levels within the normal range - no medication needed. A year later I'd shed ten more pounds, noticeable even on my six foot three frame. Do I ever pine for fast food? No, but I may want some pork belly, triple creme cheese or foie gras every now and then. And guess what? Every now and then I'll indulge. I'll even have a rib eye steak or some BBQ ribs once in a while - nothing is banned from my table. How you eat on a daily basis has more impact on your health than your occasional indulgences.

And guess what else? Cooking this way at home is also pretty inexpensive. Most nights my per person food cost for supper is somewhere between $2 and $5 - cheaper than fast food!

I'll get off the soapbox now. Eat well.

Germanic Wine and Thai Food? An Exotic Pairing At Home.

One of my favorite Thai dishes (that also shows up in some Viet restaurants) is chicken with basil. Being married to a woman who is absolutely crazy for basil gave me the incentive to make this simple dish in my own kitchen - she's happy to eat it twice a week in the hot weather, accompanied with a cucumber salad. Usually we drink beer with South Asian meals, since the flavors and hot pepper heat make for difficult wine pairing - it can be done, but it's not always a success. Enter Gewürztraminer, a Germanic grape used to make a wine that's often flamboyantly fruity, with a pronounced lychee flavor. While these wines can be made dry (particularly in Alsace) most examples one is likely to come across will fall along a continuum between off dry and downright sweet. Conventional wisdom is that a bit of residual sugar makes a wine pair better with spicy food, and Gewürztraminer is considered a good match for spicy Asian food. I figured I'd put that to the test, and it would indeed be a test for my wife, who has never found this wine to her liking and prefers dry to off dry in just about any wine. I figured making one of her favorite dishes would offset a challenging (for her) wine choice.

I wasn't completely right on that call.

To be fair, I'd warned her. When she asked for chicken and basil I told her I was going to pick up a bottle of Gewürztraminer to go with the meal. Unfortunately her ear isn't particularly attuned to German names, and she'd assumed I'd said Grüner Veltliner (her current favorite white daily drinker). When she asked for a glass before the meal I warned her that she might not like it on it's own. Confusion, then disappointment played across her face when I showed her the bottle. The disappointment only increased with her first taste. She actually said, "Yuck," proceeding to remind me that I KNEW she wasn't a fan of the Gewürztraminer grape. "It'll pair really well with the meal" I assured her. She remained skeptical, giving me a look that indicated my wine choice could be considered an ever so slight betrayal.

I put the bottle in the freezer to make sure it would be really cold. I'm of the opinion that the stronger the statement a white wine makes the colder it should be served, and Gewürztraminer makes a strong statement. Then I set about preparing the meal: Thai chicken and basil, a cucumber salad with hot pepper, onion, cilantro and chopped peanuts accompanied with jasmine rice. As an act of contrition I approached her with a handful of jalapeno peppers, figuring I'd let the heat of the dish be her call. "Two, three or four?" I asked her. "Two and a half," she replied thoughtfully. Just enough to feel some heat. Perfect.

So how did it go down at the table? I thought it was a great pairing. Truth be told, I'm not the biggest fan of Gewürztraminer either, but its flavor profile and slight sweetness fit well against the meal's spiciness and hint of sweetness. The lychee aroma wound itself around the basil's perfume, soothing the slight burn in the mouth. My wife agreed, drinking two glasses over the course of the meal. Success? Not quite. He final assessment: "I could go the rest of my life without drinking Gewürztraminer again." So for us it's back to beer with South Asian food. That doesn't undermine the effectiveness of this pairing, and I'd recommend anyone looking for an interesting change of pace to try it to see for themselves.

The Wine

I chose a California Gewürztraminer based on two criteria: I didn't want to spend much money on what I knew would be an experiment, and I wanted something between a dry Alsatian and the too-sweet-for-me German offerings in my local wine shop. New Gewurz 2006 North Coast Gewürztraminer from Alexander Valley Vineyards fit the bill. It was off dry, had just a bit of spritz in the glass and sold for $11 retail. The perfume quality of the grape is front and center in this wine, with a noticeable but not cloying hint of sweetness on the finish. I thought it was a good choice for testing the waters with this grape; it's straightforward and well made.


Thai Chicken with Basil

I've had several variations on this theme. Sometimes ground chicken is used, sometimes sliced chicken breast. Thai hot peppers are the norm, but jalapenos work well. Thai basil adds a nicer depth of flavor, but regular basil can be substituted without undermining the dish. Regardless of which choices you make the premise remains the same: garlic, hot pepper, onion and maybe some green bell pepper are stir-fried together with some chicken, seasoned with fish sauce and sugar, then hit with a large quantity of fresh basil leaves just before serving. That's all there is to it. This recipe will serve two people with possible leftovers, depending on how hungry they are.

3/4 lb sliced chicken breast or ground chicken
3-5 cloves garlic, chopped
3-6 Thai hot peppers or 2-3 jalapenos, sliced crosswise (with seeds)
1 onion, cut into crescents
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 Tbs Thai fish sauce
1 tsp sugar (or more, to taste)
leaves from a large bunch of basil, washed and roughly chopped
oil for frying

Heat a wok (or large frying pan). Add enough oil to just cover the bottom and begin frying the garlic and hot pepper. Keep the moving for a minute and add the onion and green pepper. Add a little more oil if it starts to stick. When onion is about halfway to translucent add chicken and continue keeping things moving in the pan. Add fish sauce and sugar, continuing to stir until chicken is cooked trough. Turn off the heat and add basil, stirring to work it evenly through the dish. Serve immediately with basmati or jasmine rice.


Cucumber Salad with Peanuts

For the salad:
cucumber slices
thin slices of red onion (or shallot)
a couple fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded, deveined and roughly chopped

For the dressing:
tsp fish sauce
tsp sugar
juice of one lime
pinch white pepper

To garnish:
few sprigs cilantro
handful of finely chopped peanuts

Arrange salad ingredients attractively on a plate. Mix together dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Garnish and serve.

If you really want to get crazy you can rehydrate a few dried shrimp in warm water, chop them up and add them to the dressing. I don't always keep dried shrimp around, but they make a nice addition to this salad.

Photos by Cynthia Lamb

Not Your Same Old Pasta Sauces

For many of us pasta was one of the first things we learned to make. As a result just about everyone I know can make a decent red sauce, whether it's a quick marinara, a Bolognese or a long simmering Sunday gravy. Mixing things up with the occasional plate of oil and garlic or cacio e pepe isn't much of a stretch for the home cook, nor is making your own vodka sauce. Where else can a pasta lover look for inspiration? Here are three dishes from Italy, Greece and the Middle East that can add some variety to your pasta repertoire. They're all quick sauces that can be made in under half an hour, but they reward the relatively small effort in preparation with big flavor and exoticism.

Bow Tie Pasta with Asparagus Sauce

I first had this in Italy while on a Spring tour with folksinger Rod MacDonald. We'd played a gig in a town right near the Slovenian border, then gathered for a lavish meal at a local restaurant with a group of locals. The pasta was amazing, and I asked the chef (who looked like he could easily work security for a major label act) what it was. His English was good enough to explain the dish to me; the sauce was mostly white asparagus and the liquid in which both the asparagus and pasta had been cooked. I figured I'd try making it sometime in my own kitchen if I was lucky enough to find a good source for white asparagus.

Unfortunately white asparagus is exotic here (even in NYC), commanding a price I'm unwilling to pay on the rare occasions I can find it at all. If I were going to make this dish it would have to be with the much more common (and affordable) green asparagus. I did a little research and found out that green asparagus gives a good result with the addition of lemon zest to balance out its more assertive flavor. I prefer Romano cheese for this dish, since it plays well against the assertiveness. This ends up not being exactly the dish I remember from tour, but it's excellent, in addition to being quick and easy.

This recipe will sauce half a pound of pasta, which is enough to feed two hungry people as a main course or four people as part of a more elaborate meal. Wide pasta works well for this dish; I usually use bow ties.

One bunch asparagus, thick ends cut off
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese (more if you prefer a richer sauce)
zest of 1/3 lemon, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lb wide pasta

Boil asparagus in a large pot of salted water until bright green (about 2-3 minutes). Remove asparagus from water and let cool. Cook pasta in the same water. While pasta cooks place asparagus and olive oil in food processor and blend to a smooth paste, adding a tiny bit of the cooking liquid if necessary. When pasta is still a few minutes from being done reserve a cup and a half of cooking liquid. Drain pasta and return to cooking pot with asparagus, lemon zest and cheese. Bring back to heat adding the reserved cooking liquid to make the sauce. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes as the sauce thickens. Taste and decide how much salt and pepper you want to add, if any. Serve immediately.


Red Sauce With Beef and Sweet Spices

Here's a simple twist you can put on your red sauce to completely change its character: replace whatever aromatic herbs you'd normally use (basil, thyme, oregano) with a blend of allspice, nutmeg and a pinch of clove. This moves your sauce in a Greek direction, instead of Italian. Cinnamon also works in this dish, but for some it might bring back unpleasant memories of a 3-Way in Cincinnati. (Consider yourself lucky if you don't get that reference). Sweet spices are good in long simmering sauces using stewing beef, but here's an equally good quick sauce version with ground beef. This recipe will sauce half a pound of pasta, and can be made in the time it takes to cook the pasta.

scant 1/2 lb lean ground beef
small onion, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic
15 oz can whole tomatoes, broken by hand
spice blend (1/2 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, pinch cloves and/or cinnamon, to taste)
salt and pepper, to taste
small bunch parsley, finely chopped

Brown meat in frying pan. Drain some (not all) of the fat off. Add onions with a pinch of salt and fry until nearly translucent. Add garlic, spice blend and black pepper and fry for another minute or two. If it starts to stick at any point add a little olive oil. Add tomatoes and let simmer until some of the juice has evaporated. Add parsley, stir, and you're ready to sauce the pasta. This sauce is just a little on the thin side; if you prefer a thicker sauce you can add a little tomato sauce.


Middle Eastern Yogurt Sauce

Yogurt on pasta - apparently it's big in the Middle East. I didn't know this until I wandered into the Idle Time bookstore in D.C. while appropriately killing time before a gig at the 930 Club. There I found a secondhand copy of The Arabian Delights by Anne Marie Weiss-Armush. That's where I got the idea for this recipe. Of course I'm never one to stick to recipes, and over the years my version has diverged from that of Ms Weiss-Armush. Her book is still a source of inspiration, and I recommend it to anyone interested in Middle Eastern food.

Again, this is enough to sauce half a pound of pasta. When I say serve immediately I really mean it in this case. The hot pasta quickly soaks the moisture out of the yogurt, overly thickening the dish as it cools. It's so good it won't be difficult to polish off quickly.

1/3 lb lean ground beef
4 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp allspice
ground nutmeg, to taste
1 1/2 cups yogurt (I prefer whole milk yogurt)
small bunch parsley, finely chopped
toasted pine nuts or almonds, to garnish

Brown ground beef in frying pan. Drain off some (not all) of the fat. Add pinch salt, generous amount of black pepper, garlic and spices. Continue frying for another two minutes, adding a little oil if necessary to keep from sticking. Add yogurt and parsley, stir and remove from heat. Pour over cooked, drained al dente pasta, and top with toasted nuts. Serve immediately.

Lebanese Fish Recipe

Eating fish is supposed to be healthy, yet many of us rarely cook the stuff at home. I suspect one reason is a lack of simple and delicious ways to prepare fish. This recipe is simple, easy and a home run as far as deliciousness is concerned. It's nothing more than fried fish (I like a flounder fillet) with a sautéed topping. The topping has a typical Lebanese flavor profile (garlic, parsley and cumin), so it pairs well Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. It's very good with some bread or rice and a shepherd's salad (tomato, onion, cucumber, parsley, olive oil, vinegar). Vegetables sautéed in olive oil and garlic (I like the combination of zucchini, carrot and bell pepper) are a good match as well. Throw in a glass of crisp white wine and you have a nearly perfect summer meal.

For the topping:

1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
pinch salt
ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
olive oil for sauté

For the fish:

1 flounder fillet (about 3/4 lb)
1 Tbs flour
oil for frying

Method:

Sauté onion in olive oil with a pinch of salt. When it's nearly translucent add garlic and spices. After a couple minutes add parsley and vinegar, and sauté for another minute. Set aside. Heat oil in frying pan. Lightly dust fish with flour. Fry fish for two minutes on one side, flip it over and fry for just under a minute on the other. Flounder will break apart when overcooked. Don't sweat it if the fillet breaks apart when you flip it or remove it from the pan. Plate the fish and spoon the topping over it. Serves 2 with side dishes described above.