Was the change in fish consumption recommendations influenced by cash? Until recently, experts recommended women of childbearing age eat no more than 12 ounces of fish a week, and no more than 6 ounces of canned albacore tuna, because of high levels of mercury. But recently a new recommendation was released encouraging the consumption of at least 12 ounces of fish a week, the logic being that omega-3 consumption was important and outweighed the possible mercury risks. Now the New York Times is reporting that money from the seafood industry may be behind the new recommendations. Guh, and I was just about to go back to eating the nice albacore tuna too.

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Attention New York City-area readers, tomorrow night at the NYPL there's "a discussion of the complex legacy of Julia Child." Julia Child in America will feature culinary historians David Kamp, Molly O'Neill and Laura Shapiro, chef Dan Barber, and journalist and former Cullman Fellow Melanie Rehak as moderator.

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Are they breakfast cupcakes?

Normally I'm not one for muffins in the morning, but there's something about cranberry muffins (especially when they have a hint of orange and they don't have nuts) that I love. The other day I spied a package of them at Whole Foods on sale so I bought them. And each of the past few mornings have been delightful, until my husband said, "Muffins? Isn't that just like eating cake for breakfast?"

Now in my heart I know that's not true, but it's hard to argue with him. Muffins do seem to be really sweet whenever you buy them at a coffee shop. I have a sense they've gotten sweeter over the years, going from a bread-like treat with fruit to a cupcake-like treat without frosting. I'm trying to remember what muffins were like when I was younger. Were they sweet? Sort of sweet? And now, are muffins really as bad as having cake for breakfast? Because I'm really craving a cranberry-orange muffin!

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Cupcakes and birthdays and pies

"Cupcakes have recently been marched to the front lines of the fat wars, banned from a growing number of classroom birthday parties because of their sugar, fat and 'empty calories,' a poster food of the child obesity crisis." And apparently folks aren't happy about the fact they can't send a bundle of cupcakes to school with their kids on their birthday. I actually think it's a good idea to prohibit birthday treats, but for different reasons. When I was little, my school didn't allow anyone to bring cakes or cupcakes or anything on a birthday. One, it was unfair to the children whose parents didn't have the finances or time (or both) to bake such treats. And two, the kids whose birthdays fell on weekends or over a holiday break were left out from hosting their own celebration. I appreciated that because my birthday was always over the Christmas break. Seems like that logic still holds, regardless of the fat content of cupcakes.

Also in the same article, I was saddened to read "that in the modern age, the cupcake may be more American than apple pie — 'because nobody is baking apple pies,' Professor [Marion] Nestle [of New York University] explained." Damn these cupcakes, for ruining the West Village, for making kids fat, for disrupting school activities, and for making people forget about the glories of pie! If Ollie's allowed to bring sweets to school for his birthday, and happens to go to school in July, I will send him with a pie! I think I'll also bake one this weekend because the greenmarket is filled with apples, and there's nothing like a nice apple pie in the fall. Mmmmm...

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Opening oysters by sound

There's a great piece of information almost buried in the article about Spanish chef Ángel León in the October Gourmet (which is awesome, btw). Chef León isn't just a chef, but also a scientist/inventor (what chef isn't in Spain these days?) and while watching a documentary on Pompeii, he came up with a great invention:

He remembers hearing...that when the volcano blew in A.D. 79, millions of shellfish in the coastal waters around Pompeii were forced open by shock waves from the explosion. This idea sent León back to the laboratory, where he came up with a device for opening oysters by means of low-frequency sound waves. The oysters are placed in a bain-marie six at a time, and at the touch of a button their shells loosen their iron grip. No more digging about with knives is required; no nasty bits of shell are left in your oyster.

I tried to poke around a bit on Google for some information about this but didn't find anything. I'm curious about the effect of the sound waves on the shellfish. Are they killed by the waves, and in death they're opening their shells? Or are they still alive but opening their shells? Even if you use this method for shellfish shucking, you still need to detach the oyster from the shell for easy slurping. But I find this whole thing fascinating. I wonder if we'll see this method spread at all. It might be too expensive and slow. After all, the world's fastest shucker can open 33 oysters in a minute.

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A couple links I'm behind on, so you may have already heard the great news that chemo has reduced the tumor in Grant Achatz's tongue by 75% and he is set to begin radiation soon. You're still in our thoughts chef.

And in other Alinea news, Grant and his crew will be releasing a cookbook in the fall of 2008. It will contain 600 recipes and a companion website. I can't wait for it. It's great to see a chef of Grant's caliber sharing his knowledge rather than hoarding it. (See my thoughts on keeping recipes free.)

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There's a great new blog I just found out about called Food Karma Alert. The author, Cory, is a PhD food scientist/chemist and provides great links surrounding each issue he's posting about. His goal: "I'm going to attempt to briefly summarize the specific [food] issue at hand and provide references in order that we may be proactive and respond in whatever way is afforded us." I look forward to following this site and really like how easy he makes it for his readers to take action. [via Rebecca]

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Dear Advertisers in Gourmet Magazine,

Wow! As I flipped through the October 2007 Gourmet, I couldn't help but be struck by the great looks of your new products. As someone who's in the process of renovating her kitchen, I'm on the lookout for things to buy. And as you purchased advertising space in a magazine about food, I suspect you're interested in reaching me in the hopes I may buy your sinks and stoves and refrigerators. Alas, you have failed.

ELKAY, your new Avado Collection looks great. But why no mention of it whatsoever on your website? You know, the one you offer the link to in your ad? And Kenmore, you announce an entirely new line of appliances called Kenmore PRO, but the URL you give me redirects to your front page. Only with some poking around can I even locate the PRO line, and when I do, it's a Flash mess that's all style and no substance. Do you even offer a 36" stove? Who knows?

My little pile of ads that I so carefully tore out of Gourmet for research purposes is now headed to the recycling bin. I'm moving on to websites that actually provide information about the products I'm interested in.

Stainless steely yours,
-megnut

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Since I missed so much stuff over the summer, you can expect some out-of-season links to appear over the next few weeks. Like this one: Maine may have lobsters, but if you’re looking for the quintessential fried clams, head straight to Massachusetts. I've been craving fried clams for ages and reading Peter Meehan's article about juicy Essex clams has sent me over the edge. Next time I visit Boston, I'm heading straight to Woodman's.

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Fresh Direct helps you eat for two

While shopping last night at Fresh Direct (an online grocer), I discovered they offer an Eating for Two section on their website. (Note: to see the list, enter the ZIP "10003" when asked for a ZIP code, then you'll be redirected to the proper page. Annoying, I know.)

The section is great. It breaks down stuff to purchase by pregnancy dietary requirements, like folic acid and calcium, and then shows you sources of those requirements in various products. With a simple click, they're in your shopping cart. What a nice way to relieve some of the burden of pregnant eating. If only I'd noticed this when I was pregnant.

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I am stitching together a working micro farm, (total size yet to be determined) for one growing season, from parcels of donated land or growing spaces, located in assorted environments in each of the five boroughs around the city. Leah Gauthier looks to grow organic heirloom vegetables and herbs in New York City during the summer of 2009. Sounds like a neat project. [Thanks Jason.]

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Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has a blog. And while a chef having a blog to promote his new book isn't something I'd necessarily blog about, there's something really cool about seeing it on Blog*Spot. Even after all these years, it makes me proud.

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You can't single out one part [of the food system] and say something that's come from thousands of miles away is automatically less sustainable - it's much more complicated than that. The Financial Times looks at food miles and shows just how complicated the issue of sustainable food production really is.

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Dine somewhere else to-day and somewhere else to-morrow. I wish you to dine everywhere, said the editor to the writer at the New York Times in 1859. And thus began the tradition at that paper that continues with Frank Bruni today. A fascinating look not only at the way people used to dine, but also how they used to write. I'm glad the New York Times finally opened up their archives.

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In New York Local: Eating the fruits of the five boroughs, New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik goes hyperlocal and lives to tell us about it:

You go local in Berkeley, you’re gonna eat. I had been curious to see what might happen if you tried to squeeze food out of what looked mostly like bricks and steel girders and shoes in trees. I wanted to do it partly to see if it could be done (as an episode of what would be called on ESPN “X-treme Localism”), partly as a way of exploring the economics and aesthetics of localism more generally, and partly to see if perhaps the implicit anti-urban prejudices lurking in the localist movement could be leached away by some city-bred purposefulness. If you could eat that way here, you could do it anywhere.

Each day I get less and less interested in localism, perhaps in direct correlation to its rise in popularity and its growing army of fanatics.

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In 1997 and 1998, olive oil was the most adulterated agricultural product in the European Union. Is it possible all the EVOO we're using is really soy oil and canola oil with industrial chlorophyll? The New Yorker takes a fascinating look at the issue.

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Two ears long

Ollie has been growing at a tremendous rate, and he's now as long as two ears of late summer sweet corn. Will he be as round as a pumpkin by Halloween? Only time will tell.

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Chain consistency at the local Starbucks

There is only one Starbucks that I visit with any frequency, and it's one near my old apartment and around the corner from my gym. Over the years, I've thought about why I don't mind this Starbucks and I chalked it up to a familiarity with the staff. Last week I stopped in after my first visit to the gym in two months (yay!) to discover that it had been closed for a remodeling. And what I found was a completely changed store. Apparently the renovations entailed an update to the latest Starbucks concept in interior design.

As I stood there in line, taking in the rug, gold gilt mirror, and plush armchairs in one corner, and the mid-range restaurant upholstered booth in the other, I realized what had made this Starbucks different: It had developed the worn familiarity of a local coffeehouse. The few armchairs were shabby, the tables were always haphazardly arranged. The counter was banged up and the doors were chipped wood in need of attention. It was great.

But now it's got that circular Starbucks lighted sign in its window. They've redone the whole counter, changed where you pick up your drink, and installed a microwave so they can sell those wretched breakfast sandwiches. It's now just another Manhattan Starbucks. Everything that gave it its own identity and authenticity is now gone, and I haven't been back.

Ever since I've been thinking about if it's even possible to have an authentic experience at a chain. In order for the chain to succeed, it needs consistency both in product and in branding. This one, until recently, offered the consistent chain product. But the branding, at least in terms of store interior, was missing. Now that it's been restored, the spirit of the place is gone. I know consistency trumps authenticity when it comes to chains. It was foolish of me to develop feelings for that Starbucks because it seemed different than the others. Different can't survive when global sameness is the goal.

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From August 31 comes this update on Alinea chef Grant Achatz from the Wall Street Journal. A team of doctors at the University of Chicago are trying to "cure the cancer using an atypical method of treatment" rather than the standard approach that could cause Grant to lose his sense of taste. Continuing wishes for a speedy recovery, Chef.

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Alinea chef Grant Achatz has been diagnosed with an advanced stage of squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth. There's some additional information from the Chicago Tribune. This is very upsetting news, and my thoughts and hopes go out to chef Achatz and his family.

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The March of Dimes...is making a new push to dispel (pregnancy-related) nutritional misinformation and replace it with advice based on solid scientific evidence. Jane Brody reports for the New York Times that "some of the advice may come as a distressing surprise to women, who may be fond of foods or drinks that could endanger their pregnancy." A lot of what she says in the article makes sense, but some of the prohibitions are ones I've never encountered, and the reasoning behind many seems to be missing. Guess this is a timely subject these days.

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Catch up

What's Your Food Personality: Picky or Adventurous? is the Food & Wine article I was a part of, that I mentioned a couple weeks ago.

Several folks (thanks folks!) sent along that missing link to the Confit Byaldi recipe that Remy makes for Ego in the climax of Ratatouille.

And for those interested in things of the baby nature, Ollie is three weeks old today. Amazing, I can't believe it. He seems to be a blend of his parents so far, and takes after me in the gesticulation department. He always seems to be kicking his legs and flailing his arms about. He is also a tremendous eater, something I hope continues when we transition to solid food. He is a joy to behold.

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How I ate while pregnant

Rational analysis doesn’t hold sway with the pregnancy police, says Steven Shaw in a great Op-Ed in the New York Times about sushi consumption and pregnancy. His point? The prohibition against raw fish during pregnancy is unnecessary. I ate sushi while I was pregnant, and lots of other things I wasn't supposed to eat, and I'm happy to see someone ask some reasonable questions about what women consume while pregnant since the current thinking seems excessive to me. Shaw writes:

"Why take any risk?" they ask. The medical establishment and the culture at large have twisted logic around to the point where any risk, no matter how infinitesimal, is too much. So powerful is this Puritanical impulse that, once a health objection is raised, however irrational the recommended behavior, it’s considered irresponsible to behave any other way.

And let me tell you, the guilt that seeps in from the "Puritanical impulse" is powerful. Then there's the "It's only nine months" argument, like it's not that long to sacrifice. Actually, it's like nine and a half, (or nearly ten if your baby is late like mine!) and that's a very long time to be in a worked-up state about what you can and cannot ingest. Believe me when I tell you the pressure to ensure everything you eat isn't going to kill or permanently damage your unborn child is intense. I quietly struggled with that as I wrote about things for this site, especially when I wrote about changing recommendations for fish consumption (tuna good, tuna bad, tuna OK) and chemicals in food and salmonella in lettuce and peanut butter.

After a couple months, I came up with an approach that worked really well for me for the duration of my pregnancy. (Usual disclaimer applies: I am not a doctor, and if you're pregnant you should speak with yours before following any of my advice, etc.) First, I did a lot of research about every prohibition. What was the reason for it? And what was the risk and the consequence? I found that you could divvy up the guidelines into two groups: illnesses that crossed the placental barrier and affected the fetus, and those that didn't. To put it another way, would eating something make me any sicker because I was pregnant than if I weren't? Or would the outcome be the same?

Recommendations say to avoid deli meat or raw milk products because they can become contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that causes listeriosis. Listeriosis is serious, though very rare -- 2,500 cases a year in the US, but something like 80% occur in pregnant women. It can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature delivery in pregnant women. So by my reckoning, any food that could cause listeriosis was on my avoidance list because the consequences were severe. So I skipped deli meat and raw cheese and most soft cheese and NYC street hot dogs during the course of my pregnancy.

But sushi and shellfish and many other prohibited items only make you sick the same way they make you sick if you're not pregnant. Yes, you might have a lowered immunity, so you might be more likely to get ill, but the result won't directly impact the fetus. If you get a parasite from sushi, the baby won't get a parasite. And so that was my guiding rule. I ate raw oysters several times (much to many people's horror) and suffered no ill effects. Of course, I ate them in season, from reputable restaurants, and I didn't push my luck by doing it weekly.

I stopped eating soft-boiled eggs every day simply because the odds of getting salmonella increased with every day I had an undercooked egg. But I did occasionally have undercooked eggs. And I ate medium-rare meat. But I ate it, again, at reputable restaurants where I could be confident of its quality, or I prepared it myself. Getting salmonella would suck, but it runs its course in a few days. Worst case, you take antibiotics and you get better.

With all my "reckless" pregnancy eating, I did get sick once. The culprit? Chicken enchiladas from the local Mexican place. That was in my sixth month, and I didn't eat chicken enchiladas again. But I never once heard warnings to keep away from chicken enchiladas. Every pregnant woman needs to find her own balance, and it's not going to be the same for each. For me the anxiety of worrying about what I ate was worse than actually eating it. Early on, I was so worked up I wasn't gaining enough weight. And that's a much worse consequence for a developing fetus.

Why take any risk? Because life is risky. Are you going to stop driving because you're pregnant? Are you going to stop leaving the house? I found my balance between enjoying food and tolerating risk, and it included the occasional Wellfleet on the half-shell. It's easy to get overwhelmed by all the recommendations, and to live in fear of every bite of food you put into your mouth. But that makes for a very stressful, anxious, long nine (plus) months. And that certainly isn't good for the fetus.

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Guide to Mexican food.

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Some quick links and notes

I'm in the August Food & Wine magazine in an article about adventurous and picky eaters. I was one of the adventurous ones, and the pull quote they printed with my picture says, "I'll try anything once, even blubber!" Everyone was asking what would be the grossest thing I'd consider eating, and it seemed like blubber at the time. In retrospect I'm not so sure I want to try it. The article doesn't seem to be online yet, but I imagine it will appear shortly.

The recipe for the ratatouille that Remy prepares for Ego in the film of the same name is online at the New York Times. I saw it before, but can't seem to find it now. Also it seems like the byaldi in the recipe for "Roasted Guinea Fowl en Crèpinette de Byaldi with Pan Jus" from Thomas Keller's The French Laundry Cookbook is similar (the same?) as the one in the Times.

I probably won't post a lot of baby pictures here, so if you're interested in keeping up with Ollie, check out the Ollie Kottke page on Flickr. That will give you all the photos you could ever want.

Ok, back to baby feeding, watching, and loving.

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