The wonders of spring really have me going - the trees, beautiful in all shades of green; flowers blooming one after the other and in my tiny garden lettuce has started to poke through the soil. So much growth, I mused in admiration and wondered what greenery would be available at the Farmer's Market. It's still too early for the regular produce, but something most be available even is this northern part of the country.
I took off to the Farmer's Market at Shaker Square, one of the larger ones in the area, and there I found something I'd never seen before: Japanese asparagus.
It's a curious little plant, not native to this country, and finding information about turned out to be a challenge. Just the name is strange, Japanese asparagus. I searched the internet and came first up with nothing, but then a Latin name: Aralia cordata.
Aralia cordata is in Japan called Udo and one of spring's early vegetables. There are supposedly two kinds of Udo, though. One, called Shiroudo, which grows in dark spaces and should therefore end up being white. The other one, called Yamaudo, is growing in full sun and grow up to two meters tall. Just like asparagus the end result is different depending on how one grows it.
The vendor recommended I just split the vegetable lengthwise and then sauteed them with salt, pepper and a little brown sugar. I did and although it wasn't the most amazing food-experience in the world, it was a taste of spring.
Invented in 1930, the Twinkie has somehow become an American institution. Essentially the Twinkie is shortcake with vanilla cream filling and as such it shouldn't be that bad. However, Twinkies are the kind of treat you find in vending machines, in gas stations and ... all other place where shelf life is number one. Taste, well, that ends up much further down the list. Consequently, what once was just flour, sugar, eggs, butter and some kind of dairy product; is now a chemist dream. And a corn farmers dream. Since 1930, no more than six different corn products have been snuck into the Twinkie. We have corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, modified corn starch, corn starch, corn flour, and corn syrup solids. Ah, the wonders of corn subsidies!
Watch the documentary King Corn on PBS and the romantic corn filed will never be the same again.
Anyway, I've had my Twinkie and I can honestly tell you I won't eat one again. Ok, if I end up stranded after a nuclear blast and Twinkies are the only edible thing around, I might grab one. We can glow together - Twinkie and I.
"How can you eat like that," my friend said. She eyed me from tip to toe. "And be skinny."
I had just told her about my latest discovery in the art of American comfort foods - Banana Cream Pie. A buttery pie crust filled with banana slices, a sinful vanilla cream and, on top of it all, a sweet meringue. Oh, so sweet and the banana flavor - mhmm - it'll make your belly dance.
"A lot of exercise," I answered my dumbfounded friend. "And no soda -- unless it comes with alcohol." Truth to be told, though, I'm not entirely sure why I'm not larger because I've stuffed myself full of this lovely pie.
It sounds like poetry, don't you think. And it sounds so much more appetizing than, I don't know -- gourmet food. This is the kind of food that'll give you a hug when you're feeling down or it'll play with you up when you're full of life. Comfort food is food you return to.
I've been thinking a lot lately about comfort food. Why, I'm not sure, but I think I'm a little bored with the pretentious cooking that is supposed to save humanity from obesity and malnourishment. The vitamins and minerals, fibers and bacteria - it's so scientific. I recall Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivor's Dilemma, saying that humans have managed to survive without buying special Omega-3 foods for quite some time now - it hasn't even been necessary to think about. However, with industrialized food certain nutrients have gone amiss, which has led to an entire new business - food that has these things added one way or the other. Smart business'.
Anyway, I don't want to talk about industry now. Instead it's all about comfort.
The other day I went to Nature's Bin, my local store specialized in organic products, to pick up a container of yeast. They have great yeast for $3.20 per pound and it's sold in about ½ lb container. So, I was going in there to spend about $1.5. Of course that didn't work - especially when I found a kit for making dog biscuits: MacPherson's K-9 Cookbook.
Our dog, a 100 pound and 12 years old Akita named Maas, loves puppy treats and she'll do just about anything to get one. For instance, during our morning walks we pass by - and eventually around - an elementary school where crossing guards stand to get the little children safely across the streets. One of the guards, an old lady so bundled up in clothes I barely know how she looks like, is equipped with puppy treats and as soon as Maas sees her she'll take off so fast I'm hanging like a rag-doll behind her. It has gone so far, Maas is now running down all the crossing guards - and anyone else dressed in a shiny west.
