When is hummus really hummus?

May 29, 2014
I got a chuckle out of this. Why hasn’t someone gone after those who are applying the name of the dish made with meat and chiles for such things as “Vegetarian Chili” which hardly a hint of any actual chile in it.

 

whitneyinchicago / Creative Commons

A bowl of homemade hummus.

by Dan Bobkoff[1] Wednesday, May 28, 2014 – 05:56

Sabra has spent millions of dollars making hummus mainstream in the U.S. Now, it wants the Food and Drug Administration to rule on what is and is not hummus.

The word “hummus” means chickpea, and Sabra wants the FDA to rule that new, chickpea-free dips like black bean hummus and edamame hummus should not get to use the name.

Instead, the company wants the FDA to define hummus this way: “The semisolid food prepared from mixing cooked, dehydrated, or dried chickpeas and tahini with one or more optional ingredients,” says Greg Greene, Sabra’s director of marketing.

If it succeeds, the FDA will issue what’s called a Standard of Identity. Lots of foods have these, determining what can be labeled juice, or mayonaise, or this one for milk: “The lacteal secretion of an animal.”

The National Milk Producers Federation has been fighting names like soymilk and almond milk for years now. To milk producers and Sabra, these FDA definitions help avoid customer confusion.

It’s also, of course, about money: If you’ve invested a lot marketing milk or hummus, you don’t want some newcomer stealing your identity.

Featured in: Marketplace Morning Report for Wednesday May 28, 2014[2]

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Spring! Ferns, Fungi and Ramps

May 10, 2014

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All from Golden Harvest.  Golden chestnut mushrooms from NH.

Now It’s Spring!

April 13, 2014

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Omelet with Ramps and goat cheese from Golden Harvest. Lamb bacon from Carl’s. Jessica’ s Brick Oven Tuscan Pane toast. We both thought the bacon was too salty but went really well with the omelet.

How About Fried Sauerkraut Cakes with Kielbasa and Krack Kale?

April 1, 2014

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It’s been awhile since I’ve done this so time to try it again.  Turkey Kielbasa,  Applesauce.  David’s Devil Dust and miso on the kale.

The original recipe is from Gourmet February 2005 and I imagine you can still find it online but it is pretty simple.

To make the fried sauerkraut cakes get a pound of good, fresh sauerkraut, in the refrigerator case, not the canned variety. My wife is really picky so I spluge on the best. Drain it on paper towels to get it dry as possible. Mix two large eggs lightly beaten, 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup chopped scallion greens, salt and pepper in a bowl and add the dried sauerkraut and stir.

I find that large cast iron skillet or griddle works best. Non-stick just doesn’t cut it. Heat it up and add a bit of oil. Drop in 3/4 of a 1/4 cup measure of the kraut on to the pan and mash down with a fork to shape. Yep, its not very much at a time.  You can get three or four in a 12″ skillet. They should get golden brown in about 4 minutes. Remove to paper towels on a warm plate and continue.

Meanwhile slice up the kielbasa on a nice jaunty diagonal and saute in another skillet in some oil with lots of smoky paprika added if you like. I like both the color and the smokiness. Not too hot, and keep turning them. You want color but not burnt.

The internet abounds with recipes for crispy kale, or Krack Kale as we call it here, it is addictive. You cut up some kale, toss it with oil and seasoning, this time I used David’s Devil Dust and some miso, your choice, and then bake in a hot oven for about twenty minutes. Great fun, lots of crunch but not for a first date.

Get yourself some good applesauce to go with it. We have some 100+ year old apple trees and I am been making an not too sweet sauce from them.

Yummy Tostados

March 25, 2014

Carl’s Meat Market in Kittery had some Maine Family Farms fresh chorizo, from hogs raised in Maine, and I used some in these tostados for lunch today.

     

I started with a tostados I toasted a bit, just to get them crispy, then added heated Goya refrieds to them. I have found these are the best canned refrieds around, other than homemade. Then the crumbled, cooked chorizo. And queso fundido leftover from Saturday night. Ran all that under the toaster oven broiler a bit to get the cheese gooey again and the topped with shredded lettuce and cilantro tossed with a leftover olive oil, vinegar, herb dressing from a few weeks ago. Good thing I only made three! If I had made more we would have eaten more.

New England Boiled Dinner

March 17, 2014

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It’s almost St Patrick’s Day and time for our annual cooking of the corned beef.  A few years ago we discovered that Carl’s in Kittery makes their own and it’s the best.  Followed a Bittman recipe we have used before.  With two sauces.  Guiness Mustard and Horseradish Cream.  A really nice wine paring: Bookcliff Cabernet Franc given to us by our friends Deb and John.

Local Bacon Fix

March 16, 2014

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Carl’s in Kittery has Maine Family Farms uncured bacon from Maine farms.

Seaport Kittery has local caught redfish. I’m going to try some

February 9, 2014

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Catfish!

January 20, 2014

Market Basket flyer says they have catfish this week. I’m going to go get me some.

St. Patrick’s Day Dinner 17 March 2012 New England Boiled Dinner

March 16, 2013

St. Patrick’s Day Dinner

17 March 2012

New England Boiled Dinner

Corned beef and cabbage with two sauces, marked as favorites in Epi. need better horseradish next time. I had a Murphy’s Stout with mine but Kathy had Trunbull Pinot noir. Very good.

4 1/2 lb brisket from Carl’s, the Bittman recipe