Grilled Cheese - like we used to have when we were kids?

Last night I was watching America's Next Great Restaurant. Partly because there was nothing else to do, and partly (ok a big part) because I have a bit of a crush on Curtis Stone. Let's face it, there were times where the only reason my kitchen got cleaned was just in case I ran into him in the grocery store and ended up on Take Home Chef. Then I realized that living in Quebec, I probably was not going to see him at the local store.

Anyway, I was watching and listening to the contestants pitch their ideas. Some were interesting ideas - some I would just pass right on by ~ thank you very much.

There was one contestant who made a comment that kind of bothered me however. It was the last person to be chosen to be part of the top 10. The guy with the grilled cheese idea, Eric Powell. I think grilled cheese is an awesome food - along with a cup of tomato soup is one of my favourite comfort foods.

Here's a quote from the NBC website about Powell and his concept:

"Powell's plan of attack came during a drunken brainstorm with best friends, to liberate them from corporate misery. They decided on a concept based around the simple idea of the grown-up grilled cheese sandwich. Instead of wonder bread and Kraft singles, Meltworks features the use of top-notch ingredients like Gruyere, fresh veggies, all-natural meats and freshly baked breads."

When asked about his concept he actually said something  about how he wanted to change the grilled cheese we all grew up on - bread and processed cheese.

Wha????? THAT was the sandwich we all grew up on? It was not the grilled cheese I grew up knowing. The grilled cheese of my childhood was two pieces bread with a nice hunk of cheddar cheese inside, either toasted or fried on the frying pan.

The grilled cheese my kids have grown up on is homemade bread with cheddar cheese either done in the toaster oven, or for special done in the frying pan.

"plastic" or processed cheese is a banned substance in our house. When there is so much good cheese out there - why on earth would that fake stuff be in my fridge?

When we lived in Quebec I used to buy local cheddar cheese that was so stringy it was more like mozza. The kids loved having a bite of their sandwich and trying to see how far it would stretch. Here in Rhode Island, I buy Cabot cheddar which is pretty tasty cheese.

I appreciate that he's trying to upgrade the quality of grilled cheese sandwiches - but some of us have always had pretty high standards!

(runs off to make a grilled cheese and a cup of tomato soup for lunch....)

That added ingredient....

Jenna and I made Bananaberry Bombs from one of my all time favourite cookbooks - Looneyspoons.

Every recipe I have ever made (and trust me I have made a LOT) from this series of books has been delicious - with the added bonus of being healthy as well. I made these muffins last week while visiting my sister, brother-in-law and my new baby niece.

 I had been searching for a while for a new healthy treat for Jenna to take to school. She had been on a banana muffin kick. But, the thing that bothers me about most muffins is they have as much fat and sugar as cupcakes. How could I justify that as a good choice for Jenna's snack?

Now, these muffins still have sugar - 1/2 a cup (although we used less) - but it also has oat flakes, wheat bran, and whole wheat flour (also a bit of white). So at least there are some healthy components. Added to that are bananas and blueberries. Finally, something I can send that I am happy with and that Jenna finds yummy.

Jenna and I mixed everything up, loaded it into the muffin tray, and as I was putting them in the oven Jenna said "Wait Mom, did you put in the extra ingredient?"

I said "No - what ingredient?" (I have to say I said it with a little sigh - I thought we were done, I was thinking it was cutting it close to getting her ready for school.... again this was a lesson for me to slow down and enjoy the moment).

Jenna says "You know, the extra ingredient - love. Did you put some in? I put a lot of extra love in mine so they will taste extra yummy."

Oh,  that extra ingredient. The single most important ingredient you can put into homemade food. Love. It does make it taste extra yummy.

Home Cooking Channel

I think Jenna should have a cooking show. Seriously. Not just because she's my daughter and I think she's fantastic. Of course that's part of it. But, it's a niche that is not being met as of yet. There's tons of cooking shows on TV - some good, some not so much. There's no show that consistently includes children cooking and having fun in the kitchen. Jenna loves her time in the kitchen and has learned so much. Even though I am the "teacher", I have learned an incredible amount from her.

I have been thinking for a while that there needs to be a kid cooking show. Of course I think Jenna should be the chef. She is so incredibly comfortable in the kitchen. But, it wasn't until the other day that I realized how easily this could happen. I was on FaceTime with my sister and Jenna and I were making pizza. She was rolling out the dough and throwing it up into the air - all while on FaceTime showing how she was doing it.

Seriously, if Charlie Sheen can broadcast live out of his house, why can't we? At least Jenna teaching other kids (and moms) how to cook from scratch, how to enjoy the kitchen, and how to make healthy (and sometimes not so healthy) foods is of some sort of benefit to society!

Something to think about!

Grinding It Out

I have gone kind of library crazy the past few days.

One of the books I just got out is called Grinding It Out and it is the story of Ray Kroc who took over the McDonald's Corporation and made it into what it is today. I am only on the first chapter, but I was quite taken with how he started the book out:

" I have always believed that each man makes his own happiness and is responsible for his own problems. It is a simple philosophy. I think it must have been passed along to me in the peasant bones of my Bohemian ancestors. But I like it because it works, and I find that it functions as well for me now that I am a mulitmillionaire as it did when I was selling paper cups for thirty-five dollars a week and playing the piano part-time to support my wife and baby daughter back in the early twenties."

I found the first sentence in particular to be almost ironic. Here is a man who says that we should each be responsible for our own happiness and responsible for our own problems. Yet, so many of us in this country blame McDonalds for making us fat and unhealthy. Is it really their fault? Is it not more my fault if I choose to drive up to their place and order a supersized meal of everything?

I am interested to read this book. It was published in 1977, so before the supersized generation sprung up. I stopped going to any fast food restaurant 6 years ago and I have no plans to start up again. But, I am curious to read the history of McDonalds.

For supper here, it's leftovers. Left over Indian chicken, vegetable biryani and naan bread. All homemade, from scratch, from last night. Yummy tummy!

Food and my mood

I escaped from the house yesterday and headed over to the library. I love the library because I can check out a million books (or as many as I can carry) and it's free!

I found a book on mood and food that I checked out. Not that I'm pissy all the time, but I certainly have my moments. I had already decided my morning coffee ritual was making me crankier rather than happier. I went to a lecture at Kipalu about food and mood and found it fascinating.

I also checked out a Marian Keyes book to balance things out.

A Social History of Corn

After 2 years of being sidetracked by other books and things, I picked up my copy of Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma this weekend. I am having to go through it slowly as I'm finding there is so much to absorb I often have to put it down, walk away and spend some time thinking about what I've read.

I spent a great deal of time this weekend reading lines from the chapter on corn to my poor husband who just wanted to hang out and be Superbowl ready. I found it fascinating. From entertaining tidbits such as the fact that the phrase "cornhole" comes from the fact that people used the husks as toilet paper, to the importance that corn has played throughout our history. I knew that for the native Americans it was an extremely important source of food (although, I do not recall learning anything about its importance in my Canadian history classes - I understand that in many areas it would have more difficulty growing - but I am curious to find out what role it played in Canada).

I was not aware that corn played an important role in the slave trade. Although, to be honest, the longer I live in the States, the more I am aware of how ignorant I am of American history - that may be something that is common knowledge. I didn't know that when it made its way to Europe that it made many people sick. Or, that on the frontier it was a great "source of fiber and animal feed, a heating fuel and an intoxicant."

This is such a superficial account of corn and its ties to American (and world) history. It has left me intrigued to find out more.

Food Adventures at Kripalu

I was fortunate enough to spend the week before Christmas recharging my soul at Kripalu. As proof that I always am where the Universe wants me to be, there were several programs running about food during my stay.

It was exactly what I needed to make me more aware (again) about how important food is to my health. I had thought I was eating a lot of vegetables- but after a couple of days of eating at Kripalu - I go veggie there - I realized how much I've been filling up on non-veggie food. Not that I need to cut out all the other foods - just how much I need to be eating more fruits and vegetables.

Monday I went to a cooking demonstration with Adrian Bennett who was a chef at Kripalu