2 words: School Lunch

Here we go again; The scene always seems to be the same, the old lunch lady in a har net scooping a pile of what seems to be a concoction of mud on to your tray. Then when you sit down the lunch picks it self up and walks off your plate (gross, right?). Well it’s really not that way but what is true is that school lunches often seem less then appetizing. A lot of the times it seems the food has been frozen and thawed out for your eating enjoyment. Candy bars, chips loaded with salt, and soda, it’s not healthy and its definitely not considered food to me. Being a food snob I can’t even look at my friends when they eat this stuff. It doesn't even look good but then again some people eat to live but I live to eat. My mom often packs me a PB & J, pretzels, and and orange. Well, even though the classic PB & J will always be dear to my heart, it doesn't have to be that way. Until congress passes a law about the quality of school lunches here are some tasty alternatives.

Turkey Waldorf:
Take a whole wheat wrap and place turkey, provolone, sliced red onion, watercress, dried cranberries and a celery stalk (sliced thin) in the center. Fold one end of the circle up on to the mixture and then starting with one end roll the wrap away from you. Once done tuck in each end.

OM & N: a new twist on the classic PB & J
Take 2 slices of wheat or multigrain bread . Spread Nutella on one slice and orange marmalade on the other. Close the sandwich and viola!

Roast Beef on Ciabatta
Cut a piece of Ciabatta to an appropriate length. Spread basil aioli ( in the recipe section of the website) on either side. Place your roast beef on, then sliced red onion and a small bunch of spring mix. Enjoy!

Grilled vegetable: allow extra preparation time
Prepare the pesto ( in recipe section). Slice a whole wheat baguette in half lengthwise and lightly toast. Heat a grill pan on medium heat (if you don’t have a either you can just saute). Thinly slice 1 small zucchini, 1 small yellow squash and 1 portabella mushroom. Brush each slice with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and place on your grill until even burn marks form on each side. Spread some pesto on the inside of your baguette, then place however many vegetables as you like on your sandwich. Crumble goat cheese or tear your mozzarella onto the sandwich. Finish with some cracked pepper and wrap in parchment paper ( to catch the juices) and store in fridge.


With lunches try to pack different fruits with your lunch. Although apples and oranges are good, be a little ambitious. Nectarine, mango, avocado or whatever your wild side desires. Create your own trail mix using different kinds of nuts, raisins, dried fruits, honey wheat pretzels or whatever you would like.

Some storing tips: to keep your lunch moderately cold, freeze a small water bottle overnight and stick it in next to your lunch. To find out more information on how to get REAL FOOD in schools check out the link below.
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/campaign/time_for_lunch/

Chile in my Chocolate

Goodbye Godiva, hello exotic chocolate candy bars. Bacon, Wasabi, Mushrooms, and other spices all infused into one 8 x 3 inch candy bar. I bring this up because I recently took a trip to Whole Foods where I came upon Vosges Haut-Chocolat. It’s a brand that specializes in exotic candies. Ranging in flavors from all the above its definitely an experience. I was told by the cashier that the bacon and chocolate was the most popular but they were out of them (I guess she wasn’t kidding). So I chose a Red Fire Bar. Mexican ancho and chipotle chilies, Ceylon cinnamon, and of course dark chocolate (55% cacao to be exact). As I gazed upon the box on noticed the dried chipotle chiles, the tall cinnamon sticks and one quaint little chocolate square all pictured on a sleek white background. I knew I was in for something good. I then turned the box over and read:

HOW TO ENJOY AN EXOTIC CANDY BAR: 

-SEE
-SMELL
-SNAP
-BITE
-SENSE

Well I guess my inner chocoholic took over, I just ripped open the package and took a bite ignoring the directions. At first I didn’t taste anything except chocolate. But a moment later I tasted cinnamon, and then… chilies. The flavors ran up and down the back of my throat giving a fiery “zing” to it. Fortunately it was a mild heat so I wasn’t in desperate need of water although I did take a sip (wimpy, I know). I can’t wait to try another flavor especially the bacon and the next time you’re out in a candy store or Whole Foods look for something new and exciting to try. You never know… you just might like it.

Interview with a Restaurant/Food Critic and the importance of a good Roasted Chicken

This past week I had the chance to interview a  Food Critic. Mostly you just hear about chefs and restaurants but did you know that there are hundreds of other culinary related careers out there. Food critics, food stylists, photographers, food writers, taste testers, and the list goes on. I thought it would be really interesting to see how a Food Critic performs his job. Below is my Q & A with Food Critic Bill Ciatra who writes for multiple papers, magazines and web sites including Florida Table magazine which I now blog for.

Where you always a writer?

I’ve always enjoyed writing. I majored in journalism at San Francisco State and I worked for wire services (reporting on city council, state senate, etc.)

Where you always interested in food and culinary?

I really started getting into food and wine in the late 70’s and 80’s when Sonoma County (California) was going through a “wine revolution”. I used to tour the wineries and that’s when I really started to develop a liking for food and wine.

At what point in your life did you become a food critic?

I started working at wineries such as Sebastian Vineyard. I also got a job as a line cook because it was hard to find a journalism job, so I gained a lot of experience working in the kitchen. I also went to various restaurants with my wife. All this led to my job in the mid 80’s when I edited Wine & Spirits Magazine. In 1987 I became a freelancer and wrote for anybody that wanted me. Since then I’ve written for Bon Appetite as well as Broward (Broward County Florida) and Miami newspapers. I am now also the Miami-Keys editor of the Zagat Guide, I’ve written over 600 reviews

Do you remember your first critique?

Yes, it was August 9, 1987 and I was pretty jazzed about it.

Do you let the restaurant know your coming? Do you stay anonymous?

I usually make reservations under a different name. Being a food critic limits your social time because if restaurants start to realize who you are you could be exposed.

Do you take notes when you’re tasting?

I keep a tape recorder in my pocket

What makes a good restaurant? What’s your favorite restaurant?

80% good food, 19% good service. There’s so many restaurants I enjoy. I like Café Boulud, Nobu (good sushi), Key Fisheries, Mustards Grill, Backstreet. Also the French Laundry (Thomas Kellers restaurant in Napa) is an unbelievable, one time experience.

How do you decide what to order from the menu?

You should order what the restaurant is known for, its specialty, if it’s a steak house order the steak. You should also order a range of things, fish, poultry, and items with different prices. If a restaurant can produce a good Roast Chicken, Tarte Tatin (a type of apple tart), or Caesar Salad its likely to have good everything. It’s a good test of the kitchen

Do you have a favorite dish?

When you’re a Food critic you have to like everything

How do you evaluate the food? Is there a system or scale? 

There’s no scale, but you have to look at what the restaurant is trying to do. If the food costs more money you’re going to expect a good experience. I judge the freshness and quality of the ingredients, if the dish is prepared and seasoned properly. Ask yourself “ does it make sense in your mouth. Some chefs think they’re creative and put ice cream with ham, I just label it as stupid. If a chef can produce 3 dozen perfect roast chickens then you can say you’re a good chef. The mark of good food is if the chef can crate a complex dish and it makes sense.

What advice would you  give to someone who would be interested in becoming a food critic?

You have to love it, and you’ve got to want to do it. Its not a lot of money starting out and people get tired of it, it can be a hard way to make a living. It helps to have hands on experience like I did in the past working in a kitchen.

This was a really interesting interview and I definitely learned a lot, thanks Bill. By reading this you can now go to a restaurant and give it a try, apply what you’ve learned and who knows maybe you’ll be the next big food critic. Remember if a restaurant can produce a good roast chicken your in for a treat.

...............Keep on cooking!