Mar. 02 2010

Regardless, Pollan’s book brought up many questions and thoughts. He speaks of the age of Nutritionism, a time period we are currently experiencing where reductionist science has taken food and divided it up into macro and micro-nutrients (e.g. Carbs, proteins, fats being macro and vitamins and minerals representing the micro) in order to figure out how certain things work. This boom in Nutritionism has perhaps complicated things more than not. I’m not putting down reductionist science but in this case it tends to make a bigger problem rather than a smaller one. What the studies that they do can’t measure is how different nutrients might react along with others. Different combination’s produce different results. We all know too much sugar isn’t a good thing and that it spikes insulin, but if eaten with or after eating fat, the absorption process is slowed. The division of all of these nutrients has produced “food” products that advertise a certain health claim. “Nutritionism is, in a sense, the official ideology of the Western diet” (Pollan 11). Our food has become divided and industrialized in order to fit and supposedly match the fast track of “progress” that we think we are on.

Alex Ratcliffe-Lee: In Defense of Food

when was the last time you saw proper MLA citation in a blog post?  my fam is winning at the bloggin’ this week.

Jan. 17 2010

applesauce cake.

ratcliffe-lee:

tomorrow, alex heads back down to philly after break from dancing & classes.  all six of us had dinner for the last time probably until katie’s birthday in a few weeks.

mom told her story again about great grandma ackerman’s sister, who worked at grand central station as a reservations agent, memorized the timetables for the entire united states rail system.

i also whipped up some apple sauce raisin cake.  mom and pop’s wedding cake.  from the recipes of grandma eliza taylor ratcliffe (1900-1986), edited by mom and eva taylor barclay in 1993:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups applesauce (homemade or McIntosh store bought)
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and a little more
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1 cup raisins
  • Pinch of allspice
  • No eggs
  1. Preheat oven to 325o - 350o
  2. Cream butter and sugar, add applesauce and spices.
  3. Add flour.
  4. Bake in greased and floured 13”x9” pan until cake leaves sides of pan and springs back when you touch the top.  Leave in pan.
  5. When cool ice with white butter icing.
“I’m sorry, I don’t measure very much, so can’t help you too much, experience is the best teacher, do it when you are not having company. 

Lots of love, Grandma”

Aunt Eva says Grandma always put a good meal on the table even though dinner was always being interrupted by people coming by to talk to Grandpa because he was in politics.  Many evenings dinner was rushed because Grandma had to have her sons, Bob and Jackie, dressed and ready to go with Grandpa to the Preakness Farmers’ ball games.  Grandpa managed the team and Uncle Roy played on it.  Grandpa always had to have his sons along with him at the games.

nice evening with the fam.

Feb. 26 2009

Jan. 20 2009

Jan. 08 2009

Dec. 07 2008

Dec. 01 2008

Nov. 27 2008

One reason is that dumping more than 100 billion pounds of food has a financial cost. The last official estimate put that figure at $96 billion in 1997 dollars. Considering inflation, rising food prices and the fact that the amount of waste has grown with our population, that number is probably more like $150 billion now. In these lean times, the savings gleaned from reducing food waste could help pay for another stimulus package.

Sep. 11 2008

I felt different emotive sparks start to flicker all through my head. I wanted to turn and grind the fish in his face. I wanted to drop under the table and crawl away. I wanted to fall to my knees, kiss his hand, and beg him to leave me alone. I wanted to cut the freaking fish correctly. I wanted to sleep. I wanted to remember where my right hand was. All these things in turn, in reverse, simultaneous.

19 Months

first-hand experiences from jonathan dixon, former staff writer for Martha Stewart and new student at the Culinary Institute of America (via).

Jul. 24 2008