What will be on your Thanksgiving table?

This year I get to host Thanksgiving for the first time. It will be the coming together of two families (mine and Sir Cakewalk's) and their quirky holiday traditions and the beginning of some new traditions.

The primary holiday food tradition in my family centers around one thing: green bean casserole. I know many families include this in their sides line-up, and I know that when made the "traditional" way it's just a bunch of processed and canned junk with little nutritional value, but for us it has special significance. It was one of my favorite dishes made by my grandmother, who passed away over a decade ago. None of my biological grandparents are still living, so keeping any little tradition alive is important to me. (This is also why I might make mincemeat pie this year, which my mom just told me her mom always used to make....even though the name of it scares me.)

But gb casserole has even more meaning for my sister and I. I have been a vegetarian for the better part of my adult life, and my sister doesn't eat read meat. During many a holiday meal, the only thing we really had to look forward to was the gb casserole. Thus, it had to be made exactly to our specifications, which we honed over the years to exactly fit our tastes. To me it is the ultimate comfort food and something I cannot do without during any holiday meal.

Did you know that green bean casserole has only been around since the mid 1900's? Stay tuned for a post about it's history and cultural significance.

I will also be considering all of the personal preferences of those sitting around the dinner table when putting together the menu:

• Vegetarian
• No red meat or pork
• Can't eat peppers
  
• Doesn't like mushrooms/onions/brussel sprouts/greens
• Diabetic
• Diet friendly
• And the list goes on.....

But despite all considerations, I have had a tremendous amount of fun putting together my holiday menu. I have allowed for any and all input from participating parties, but made some stipulations of my own:

1. I want as much of the food as possible to be homemade. Nothing canned, boxed, or pre-fab...within reason. Exceptions will be made for the gb casserole which has to be made with a certain type of canned green bean and a specific canned soup. ;)
2. I want to incorporate as much local produce and items as possible. I will be using my papa spud's order for this, and also visiting the farmer's market, Maple View Farms for dairy, and trying to find a local turkey if possible.
3. I want to incorporate as much organic produce as possible. Hopefully, by purchasing some things locally, this will not be too difficult.
   
4. I want to put a spin on old favorites (unless it is someone's favorite dish that cannot be altered.) To find ideas, I'm scouring my favorite books and websites including Eating Well, Whole Foods, Animal Vegetable Miracle, The Healthy Kitchen, Best Recipe Cookbook, etc.
   
5. Special diets will be considered. If someone is diabetic, watching their weight or vegetarian, I want to make certain they have ample choices for good food.

So without further adieu, here is my Thanksgiving Menu, which still might change a bit here and there. If you'd like to know what recipe I'm using, or if you have ideas to share, please contact me.

• Turkey (Local or at least free range)
  
• White wine gravy
  
• Green salad (Local greens and homemade dressing)
  
• Light southwestern cornbread stuffing
  
• Green bean casserole
  
• Homemade mac n cheez (haven't chosen a recipe yet)
  
• Homemade rolls.....or rolls from Le Farm
  
• Collards from VA
  
• Brussel Sprouts sauteed with a touch of butter and light mustard sauce OR Sauteed broccoli with garlic
  
• "Light" parmesan mashed potatoes
  
• "Light" sweet potato casserole with ginger, spices, honey and orange zest
  
• Baked okra (Rice House recipe)
  
• Ginger cranberry relish or cranberry/cherry marmalade
  
• Mincemeat pie
  
• Pumpkin flan
  
• Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Looks good, don't it? ;) I can't wait to cook a somewhat FLOW menu for family in my new kitchen and sit down to a scrumptous meal. Then we will duke it out over Tripoley!

What are you having?

Food Club

I would love to start a cooking/eating club (once our fancy new kitchen is complete.)

My idea would be to have one dinner at a member's house once a month, with a different member hosting each month. That person could cook something based on the vegetable of the month, or a new recipe they want to try, or a recipe they love to make and want to share. I think it would be fun if some people helped to make the meal and take some of the duties off of the host...making it a more hands-on activity.

The group would be different somehow than just a group getting together to eat....although that is always a nice thing. Maybe by adding a nutritional or experimental element. Or maybe by making it kinda like a book club and having the group do a little research ahead of time on the main dish or some highlighted item.

I think it would be a great way to learn about new foods, try new things and recipes that you might not otherwise try, and have fun with others.

Is anyone doing anything like this now?

Anyone have any other ideas on how to make the group unique and interesting?

Does anyone in the Raleigh/Cary/Durham area want to start one with me?

Ewwwwww!!!!!!!! But true.

This is one way to get the point across. (As seen on the NYC subway.)

Vegetable of the Month: Greens

Many in the nutrition field affectionately call these guys "green leafies." While all veggies are good for you and you should strive to eat a wide variety of them, green leafies have some of the most nutritious bang for your buck. They provide Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, and Fiber...amongst other things. They have no fat (unless you use it to cook them) and are very low in calories. Plus they taste great when they are prepared properly.

Growing up I hated green leafies. In fact I hated many vegetables (even as a vegetarian) but that's another story. What I eventually realized is that your tastes can change AND that liking some things is all in the preparation. Veggies taste completely different depending on whether they are canned, frozen or fresh and depending on whether they are overcooked (as most green leafies usually are), cooked with fat, or cooked with various seasonings. Check out the cookbook, "Best Recipe" for information on greens and how to cook the various types. Now, I haven't found a green leafy I don't like, assuming they are made well.

Here are some of my favorites:

Collards
Collards are apparently the oldest known greens in the cabbage family dating back to ancient times.

I learned how to cook them by asking the person who sold them to me at the farmer's market the first time I decided to make them myself. It was easy and tasty.

1. The night before you cook them, pull the leaves off of the center stalks and tear into rough pieces. You don't need to chop them or make them perfectly sized. Rinse them in a colander.
2. Soak the greens overnight in a large pot of cool, salted water. This will make your kitchen smell! It does not mean the greens have gone bad. And it is not an indication of the taste or smell of the future cooked greens. I promise!
   
3. Before calling it a night, prepare the vinegar "sauce." Mix half a chopped onion into a cup of white vinegar. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate.
4. When ready to prepare, drain and rinse the greens, set aside.
5. In a large skillet with a lid, saute chopped garlic and onion with a little olive oil.
6. When the onion is soft and browned, add the greens.
   
7. Add some broth, either chicken or vegetable. The amount depends on the amount of greens. I usually add a little...like a half cup and make sure that moistens them enough. If not, I add a little more.
   
8. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pot, and allow to simmer just until the greens start to wilt, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to overcook.
9. Remove from heat and plate up. Allow each person to pour the vinegar/onion over their greens.
   
10. Eat!
    

Swiss Chard
I first had swiss chard in a soupish chicken concoction a friend devised and convinced me to make. Basically, you boil a large pot of broth and add chicken breast chunks, chopped chard (leaves and stem), onion, potato, carrot and whatever else you want. Allow to simmer for awhile until the chicken is cooked and very tender. Drain all of the items unless you want to eat it as a soup. Shred the chicken with a fork, and place some on each plate along with a ladleful of the veggies. This can easily keep for days or can be frozen as a soup and thawed later for more than one meal.

I love throwing chard into a soup or simply sauteing it. Also try Rainbow Chard.

Other greens include:

• Mustard
• Turnip
• Broccoli Rabe
• Kale
• Beet Greens
• Tatsoi (see previous post on CSA for a recipe)
• Spinach (Did you know many kids will eat and love baby spinach if served raw? If you think you don't like it, have you tried it raw?)
  

So be like Popeye this November and Go Green!

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man,
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
I'm strong to the finich
Cause I eats me spinach.
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.

Except....don't eat spinach out of a can like he does...YUCK!!!!!!!

Do you eat with FLOW?

Before posting further on FLOW, I would like to get some general feedback, opinions, questions, etc from you. Feel free to answer any of the following questions, or comment on anything else you deem relevant. This will help me gauge where to take the conversation next.

• Do you care about fair trade?
• Do you know what fair trade means or how to identify if something is fair trade?
• Do you try to eat local foods?
• What does local mean to you? 100 miles? Within the state?
• Which is more important, eating local or eating organic?
• Do you know what organic means? Do you understand all the organic lingo on nutrition labels and packages in the grocery store?
• Should WalMart be allowed to sell organics?
• Are organics only for the rich?
• If we try to eat organic, should we also purchase other household items that are organic? Where do we draw the line?
• Do you try to eat whole foods?
  
• Would you like to incorporate more whole foods into your diet but don't know how due to time or monetary constraints?
• Have you read/seen any of the following? If so, what did you think?

1. Fast Food Nation
2. Animal Vegetable Miracle
3. Omnivore's Dilemma
4. In Defense of Food
5. Super Size Me
6. Food Inc
7. Slow Food Nation

Alright, shoot.

Go with the FLOW

I have not yet heard or seen the phrase or term used except jokingly by Sir Cakewalk. So I would like to now unofficially coin the term "F.L.O.W." If someone has already laid claim, I extend my apologies.

What is FLOW?

I'll get to that shortly, but first some personal info. I have been received a resurgence of inspiration from the book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle." I have been listening to it on audio CD during my travels around the state this week. It has brought back some of the passion about food and food culture that I felt during my graduate studies. And while I have no intention of becoming as extreme as the author and denouncing all food that isn't produced within a certain radius of my home, I do want to include even more local and organic foods in my meals than I currently do and begin making some food at home, like bread and cheese.

I intend to post more about this topic, how it has inspired me, the controversies and debates it brings about (I know a lot about all angles of the arguments and do not think it is a simple cut and dry matter), my plans and goals, etc. But I will break it up into more manageable bites.

For now I will simply explain FLOW and give you the 2 second wikipedia explanation of each point....again, more to come in future postings.

F = Fair Trade
"Fair Trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries and promote sustainability."

L = Local
"The local food movement is a collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies - one in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular place."

O = Organic
This definition will prove a bit tricky. And since most of you have a vague notion of what organic means, or should mean, I will leave it for later.

W = Whole Foods
This definition is also quite tricky. Many define whole foods as just the opposite of processed foods. But any food that has been altered via chopping, cooking, baking, milling, etc has been processed, technically speaking. That is, even frozen vegetables and homemade bread are "processed." The best definition I found stated that whole foods are fresh foods that have not been technologically altered or processed by any means other than those of standard cooking procedures. Or, I like to use another concept that I coined, featured in my thesis, the whole food/processed food continuum. This idea at least takes into consideration that some foods can be mildly processed but are still free from chemical additives or technological alterations and that some foods are just more processed than others.


Now, don't get upset or start worrying that you have to abandon all your current habits and eat with FLOW in order to be healthy. I simply want to start opening the discussion and sharing what I know about each of these concepts so that I can hopefully inspire you.

OOT

For most of this week I will be out of town on business. There will be a fair bit of coming and going, so I might have a chance to post, but not as frequently as I would like.

So I would like to give you the floor this week. Please email me or comment on this post with any nutrition / food questions or thoughts you might have.

ttfn!