A Drive-By Food Post

I can't remember the last time I baked a ham, until this past Easter. I tried this baked ham recipe and it was so good, I made it again just last night, but substituted some sesame ginger sauce for the 4 t. of butter, and it was again oh-so-tasty! Here's how it looked today, before I made myself a ham & cheese sandwich for lunch:

A little Jambon still life with one of my paintings in
the background and last night's super delicious baked ham.

(Just Another) Melange Monday

Smoked chicken and avocado grilled cheese
on left; smashed potatoes on right.
The potatoes still need work.

Hello everyone - I do hope a good weekend was had by all! It's Monday ... and time for melange.

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As I wrote last Monday, I'm determined to use my Pinterest food board to broaden my culinary repertoire. Up this week: smoked chicken and avocado grilled cheese from The Unorthodox Epicure and crispy smashed potatoes from Love Grows Wild. 

These two were my Saturday night dinner menu; while I hope you'll pardon my night-time-with-fluorescent-lighting photo, I can heartily recommend the sandwich. And I mean heartily. This is far more than mere grilled cheese: chunks of white meat chicken (mine wasn't smoked) and cured sun-dried tomatoes (I switched out the red peppers) sit atop two types of cheese, topped with fresh avocado and lime (I omitted the cilantro and added tarragon), all grilled on mayonnaise-buttered sourdough bread. Now clearly I do not have mad grilling skillz, nevertheless this combination is a winner. Oh.My.Bob.Yes.Indeed. And very filling. These sourdough slices were small, yet I could not eat more than two halves.

The crispy smashed potatoes weren't quite as successful, but I think I need to give them another try with fingerling yukon golds instead of just the smallest foraged regular yukon golds. I found that mine wouldn't really smash - they just crumbled either in half or many pieces, and I think it's because they were too big and needed more boiling time. The one in the photo above was probably the best I could reproduce from the recipe. I will say that these were still tender, I still completed them in the oven with olive oil and kosher salt and they were fairly tasty. I found them a far better bed for poached eggs on Sunday and, along with a few sun-dried tomatoes, sourdough toast with orange marmalade and freshly brewed coffee, they made a tasty recovery.

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Abby Glassenberg of While She Naps recently blogged about why she doesn't monetize her site, that is, engage in affiliate marketing. You can certainly buy her products from the site, but otherwise it's free and clear of any professional conflicts. While she wrote it more succinctly that I may have I, too, fall into the non-monetized site camp for pretty much the same reasons. While Abbey's site is more fully developed than mine (I do not yet have my own domain), I also write book reviews and go on (sometimes ad nauseum) about yarn producers and dyers. I want to do that from a place unfettered by any potential conflict of interest. That doesn't mean I won't like the people whose yarn or book I may review or mention; it does mean that you can be certain I'm not earning one penny from anyone anywhere from the copy. I do provide many links to other sites, but that's for the reader's reference as well as providing appropriate links for copyright, nothing more. 

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Finally, I leave you with yarn from yet another design I've finished for future publication. I love, love, love this stuff. Alpaca and silk are a great combination, and this yarn really works up well. I've also started an Etched Ice Cowl as a model thank-you in this same fiber (different colorway). I let the model handle a bunch of my old swatches in order to let her choose what yarn she wanted me to use for her cowl, and she pretty instantly chose the Baby Alpaca Silk. A good use of swatches, I thought. 

See you in April!

It's Monday ...

... time for melange! I haven't written one of these in a while, so I'm thrilled to be able to once again.

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Now that the lion's share of work is done for Leather, Lace, Grit & Grace (we're on to promotion and stuff), I've made a promise to myself that I will utilize my Pinterest food board more. I've been amassing quite a lot of food pins and have yet to really make a dent in trying them. 

What you see on the left is lunch leftovers from yesterday's dinner of Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs with Potatoes (pinned originally from Simply Recipes). I love chicken. Love.Chicken. Love.It. Especially the dark meat. And, since this is a quick, one pot dish, it's definitely right up my alley. The directions are clear, the ingredients list short and easily purchased (if you don't already have everything in the house), and the result was truly tasty. I omitted the garlic (sometimes it doesn't agree with me, but I like it), and used liberal amounts of fresh tarragon, as well as the two teaspoons of dijon mustard (mine was honey dijon). I cannot tell you how out of this world the potatoes turned out - the chicken provides the requisite amount of fat, and the vinaigrette enough acid to compliment the fat. The fresh tarragon made it taste like spring. I've got a little still left over, and I'm savoring the thought of it. Definitely two thumbs up for this recipe.

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I have been on a southeast Asian-inspired film jag. I am also amazed that all three films I've recently watched starred Irrfan Khan, although I probably shouldn't be surprised. For an excellent double feature, I'd recommend Life of Pi and The Lunchbox. I read Life of Pi with a group of people in my Ravelry group and we all enjoyed it. I was a little hesitant to finally watch the film adaptation, but enough time had passed between the reading and the watching, so I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Ang Lee is truly brilliant and I cannot believe how life-like the CGI tiger turned out. Unlike Life of Pi, The Lunchbox is a small film, but was equally enjoyable. Both films made me hungry. 

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Finally, I leave you with fiber from another recently completed project for publication later in the year. I cannot wait for everyone to see this design - I totally loved making the sample. Until next time ...

It's Monday - Time for Melange

My July 4th cake - a lot like last
year's July 4th cupcakes. I did
manage to finish up using the
red + blue icing.

Hello everyone - we are post-July 4th holiday weekend here in the U.S., and I hope everyone had a great time. While I was busy with projects (like, all day!), I actually took a cooking time out around 5:00 pm and made myself this version of bangers and mash (chicken apple sausage with parmesian/garlic potatoes baked in the oven, along with some rustic grainy mustard mixed with a little apple butter) as well as the cake. Can't go wrong with chocolate cake and homemade white icing. We also had a great evening for fireworks - this was the last of our sunset at about 9:15, an hour before the light show:

The gold/pink-ish color on the buildings in the distance is actually the remnants of the day's sun. Sunsets never cease to amaze.

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Isn't this Louisa Harding beaded
Grace and Mulberry Silk just stunning?

 It has been difficult in the first half of this year to not  talk about all the projects I'm working on (and continue  to work on - see above). I can only imagine how  others interpret all of the yarn I've been trotting out yet  don't seem to have any finished projects to show for it.  Just wait ... and of course, I revealed three newly  published projects on the 1st. I'll have more to say  about them at the end of the week, but please do take  a look at yet another photo of yarn currently on the  needles/hooks. I certainly am not complaining about  all of this yarny goodness - it's been a real pleasure  working with so many varied yarns. The nature of  designing (at least for me) is one of some secrecy.  Even if I were not contractually obligated to remain  silent until publication, I am always closed-mouthed  about what I'm currently doodling or drawing. I know  that might seem counterintuitive in our social media-  saturated world, yet it's the way I am. Everyone's got a  process, and that's mine.

At least for the moment.

(Just Another) Melange Monday

Hello everyone - it's Monday, time for melange.

Sorry, taken with crappy cell phone camera

 I am in the process of reading Ann Mah's Mastering the Art of French Eating (on which I will have more to say, probably next week), but knowing that Ann would be including a lot of French food history in her memoir, I thought I would re-read portions of Linda Civitello's Cuisine and Culture: A History of Food and People to prime the historical pump. If you've not read too much food history, this is a good survey book to start with. As an undergrad I read (in what now feels like a parallel universe) Changes in the Land which, while not a history of food but ecology, pretty much planted the seed in me concerning food history. I had never really thought of food and its impact on cultures until that undergrad watershed moment. 

Civitello's book is a fascinating (if somewhat facile in places) look at how we've come to our 21st century views of food. A few (of so many!) interesting notes as they pertain to France: (1) Catherine de Medici introduced the fork to France more than a century before Louis XIV's indulgent dinners at Versaille (at which he always ate with his fingers); (2) the first Paris cafe was opened not by a Frenchman but an Italian (which cafe Mah briefly describes in her steak frites chapter); and (3) the Enlightenment brought us the term nouvelle cuisine, which actually referred to "wicked dishes": dinner guests were always "presented with wicked dishes, that is to say with just those dishes that make you eat even when you have no appetite at all." Oh the things we've done for food (myself included). 

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I am a huge Cirque du Soleil fan. A long while ago, I saw Alegria live and was completely mesmerized with the acrobatics, costumes and great live music, as well as impressed with the show's excellent use of the hero motif and Cirque's ethos. Recently, I rented World's Away and I highly recommend it. Again, it's as close to mythic storytelling as you'll get this side of science fiction/fantasy, and their use of light, costume and music to tell a tale is unmatched.  

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Finally, I leave you with what's currently on my hooks/needle. Isn't this a wonderful colorway? And of course, it's alpaca, so I couldn't ask for anything more.

More Notes From the World of Pinterest

Pinterest is definitely a very intriguing place: you just never know what will strike people. I only follow a few boards, and have only a few followers, so these numbers came as a complete surprise to me:
 
1. Scandinavian Interior - originally pinned from Sea of Girasole blog

I love the circular metal fireplace thingy at the back of the room, as well as the clean lines and palette. I thought I was the only one, but apparently not - more than 150 people have repinned it from my board alone. Who knows how many others have pinned it from elsewhere. Scandinavian-inspired interiors are hugely popular.
 
2. Egg Poachers - originally pinned from this retail website

Now I love poached eggs, and it seems so do a few other people. These egg poachers have been repinned over 45 times from my Pinterest food board. I do note that a reviewer pretty much trashed it on the retailer's site, but I think they have potential. Here's why ...
 
3. My Food Pin Remake: Sausage Potato Mushroom Gratin
 
I made this recipe over the weekend (Sunday brunch), and I must say it was rather tasty. I made a few ingredient changes, which I'll cover at the end of the post, and then I added two poached eggs on top. I poach my eggs freeform and while I do a pretty decent job, I think those egg poachers and I are destined to become friends. Here's what the recipe looked like on the plate:

And here are the ingredients I used:
 
8 oz. bulk mild italian sausage
5 oz. organic cremini mushrooms
1 1/2 lbs organic red potatoes, washed, unpeeled, diced
1 large red onion
kosher salt to taste
pepper
generous sprinkling of cumin
1/2 c. chicken stock
about 2 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
3 heaping fistfuls of monterey jack + cheddar cheese (it was the cheese I had on hand, no swiss as the original recipe calls for)

I found I didn't need all the other spices the original recipe called for - the italian sausage was quite flavorful all on its own. The big addition was the maple syrup, and it's worth it. It adds just the right sweet note to make this dish good-morning-sweet-salty good.

Fiber ... and Some Pinning Notes

Happy Friday everyone! On the fiber front, here's where I stand with my Tunisian Meets Tartan bag:
 

The three pieces of the bag were whipped up fairly quickly. Now I need to add the "tartan" (and I'll get to add that pop of heathered plum) and then commence finishing. However, my JAL participants requested more time, so we'll be at it through the end of October. If anyone is interested in joining us, there's still plenty of time. I probably won't pick this up again for a week or so, as I have a very full design plate at the moment.

 
As I blogged a little while back, I have a Pinterest account. I have been enjoying pinning things that catch my eye and inspire. Most of what I pin is by and large inspirational or fanciful ... except for ... well ... the food. Since I love to cook and eat (!), I've pinned many pins to my food board with the intention of trying the underlying dish. Recently, I did just that, and I thought I'd share my results with you (your results may, of course, vary):
 
1. Lemon Crinkle Cookies: (originally pinned by someone else from KitchenMeetsGirl.com)

 

To the right is what the cookies look like in the original pin/blogpost.

I repinned these onto my food board because I love citrus, the cookies look darn delicious, and sounded too easy to put together. I expect the last point should have been the tip-off for me, since 2 of the 4 ingredients are highly processed (box cake mix and whipped topping). They were, however, as advertised - super easy to put together, as you can see in my before baking photo:

My finished cookies actually looked pretty good:

However, then there's that eating thing. While I am not opposed to convenience food (especially boxed cake mixes), I usually doctor them up after baking, because they are a little ... well ... bland. These cookies look far better than they taste. If I ever made them again, I would definitely punch up the lemon flavor with some fresh zest or even a little squeezed juice. Ultimately, though, I didn't really like the texture of them - they were a little too cake-like for me. But, again, you might want to whip up a batch and check them out for yourself.

2. Chicken Broccoli Casserole (originally pinned by someone else from MyNameIsSnickerdoodle.com)

Now, folks, I love me a good casserole - one pot, in the oven, resulting in several meals - oh yeah. I had roasted a chicken earlier and after having two meals with the dark meat (my eating m.o. when it comes to chicken), this seemed like the perfect way to use up the white meat plus the fresh broccoli I had in the fridge. But again, the recipe calls for canned cream of chicken soup. I haven't actually used canned soup of any kind in quite a while, and even though this dish came out perfectly fine:

I don't think I'll be making it again because of the processed, flavorless taste of the soup mix. There were some intriguing comments on the original blog entry, one of which noted the cook used alfredo sauce; another added curry. I think the massaman curry paste I tested recently for America's Test Kitchen would be a fantastic substitute here, omitting the cheese and probably subbing in a different veggie (although I did like the fresh broccoli in this - it was a great bright note amid the flat sauce), since there's a lot of ginger in the curry paste. As you can see, I'm pretty much remaking the entire dish.

So, while these pins will come down from my food board, there's one really good lesson learned - if there's too much prepared or processed food in the ingredients, I should skip it and move on. I don't begrudge any cook convenience but for me, my tastes have just radically changed. C'est la vie.

A totally gratuitous George Bailey photo ... and,
yes, he really was sleeping "on" the chair just like that

Now don't forget to head on over to Andrea's at Wisdom Begins in Wonder to see everyone else's tasty fiber plate this Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday. May your weekend be filled with flavor ... and of course, fiber.

Tasty Lemonade

Happy Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday, everyone. I hope those in the U.S. had a great Thanksgiving. I had a great day, but it was turkey-less. Don't be sad, though. I'm not.

I usually order a fresh turkey and then pick it up on Wednesday prior to the big day, but this year I didn't. Big mistake. I was too busy to get out and do my Thanksgiving food shopping until early Wednesday evening. Of course, the store was all out of fresh turkeys by that point. Frozen turkeys were the only big birds left - and they were big. Too big. I would never have been able to thaw it in time to cook it. So, I went to the on-the-spot Plan B - cornish game hens. I brushed them with a sauce of orange marmalade and balsamic vinegar during the last half of cooking time, and they were indeed tasty. Don't be put off by the slightly charred-looking skin, it was yummy.

On the fiber front, I also have some finished items to talk about. Both were gifts for a holiday swap. My giftee really wanted some fingerless mitts, so I found a quick (at least for me) pattern in this year's Knit Simple holiday edition.

I worked these up in some fingering weight wool from Lollipop Cabin (too bad she's not dying fiber anymore, I did love her colorways and smaller environmental footprint) held together with some laceweight kidsilk (Debbie Bliss Angel) and was pretty pleased with the result.

Another gift I whipped up - a striped version of my recently-published L'Hiver Slouchy Hat. I used the two-fiber cocktail from the mitts and added some Lion Brand Wool-ease from stash. It feels almost neapolitan:

Slouchy hats are tough to photograph when not on someone's head. I did the best I could with my cell phone camera. Actually, all of the photos today are from my cell phone. Necessity and all that.

Finally, I hope everyone will skip Black Friday and wait for Small Business Saturday (November 24, tomorrow) to commence their big holiday shopping. Saturday's spirit is tailor-made for many of us who love fiber/design/textile arts and want to support the artisans who provide all of us with so much beauty and fiber and design fun. So I hope you'll wait until Saturday, and then buy a pattern from an indie designer, or some yarn or fiber from an indie producer, or a book from an indie publisher. Oh all right, if you must, you can buy any of these things today.

And if all else fails, head straight for dessert.


Anyone for a little Pumpkin cake?

Now don't forget (after you cut that slice of cake), to check out The Wonderwhygal's blog to see how everyone else is getting ready for the holidaze. I'm going to enjoy my left-overs and work on a few other projects I need to get done.

My Fantasy Crafty Fiber Day

Well, it's day 6 of this year's Knit and Crochet Blogging Week, and I'm officially exercising my wildcard right to fill you in on my perfect crafting day.  Remember, it's my fantasy.

Where: NYC (it could also easily be Paris or Milan)
When: Probably fall
With Whom: My guy (when is he going to show up, anyway?)
                      and then meet up with 4 of my fibery gal pals

Morning: My guy and I have a leisurely continental breakfast in bed, delivered by room service at our boutique and oh-so-fashionable hotel. We listen to NPR, he reads or gets updated on his electronic device of choice and I get some comfy crafting done on my latest project.

After dressing, my guy goes his separate way (hey, he's entitled to his own fun) and I meet up with the 4 crafty gals - it's time for fiber shopping. We take a quick horse  'n buggy ride through the park to get our green fix, then head first to the LB store - the window is always so enticing, and I can stock up on some of their LB Collection fibers. Next up: Purl Soho for more yarny fun (as well as some serious button stash enhancement). Finally (before lunch): Habu Textiles, for my fix of fiber inspiration.

Lunch: In Chinatown or Tribeca, me and the crafty gals enjoy great food and even better conversation during which we revisit our purchases and oogle over all manner of stash enhancement. Oh yeah.



Afternoon: We head to Brooklyn for a visit with Jared Flood (who has graciously agreed to see us), so we can get a tour of the studio (because he gives tours all the time), pick up some yarn (because of course he's got some at the studio just waiting for us) and we get a sneaky peek at what the studio is working on. Perfect. Then, back to the hotel.

Evening: Drinks with my guy and the gals (with their SOs) where we all compare notes on the day. Dinner someplace relaxed and very leisurely, sans electronic devices. A nightcap in the oh-so-fashionable boutique-y bar or perhaps a blues club, if one is close by.

My fantasy crafty day is filled with fiber, friends and city fun - not to mention good food and no chores whatsoever. Now that's inspiring.

On Food ... and Heroes

In case anyone missed it, Monday was the first annual U.S. Food Day. Created by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, this event was devised to promote a series of healthy eating and social justice issues. 

As anyone who has read this blog for any length of time will know, food is a passion of mine. My eating regime continues to undergo refinement - it's definitely a work-in-progress. So, as a way to celebrate, albeit a little late, I'm leaving all of you with a montage of food and related photos I've taken throughout the past year. I'd love to hear what thoughts the food photos bring up. I think food is a hot-button issue for most people, so hearing your take on this new food awareness day would be very cool.

Finally, I cannot get out of the way of hearing about the life of the late Steve Jobs. No less than three high profile interviews with his biographer have been conducted and published since Sunday - on 60 Minutes, on NPR's Morning Edition and yesterday on Fresh Air.

I must admit, I previously knew little of the details of Steve Jobs' personal life. However, after hearing this series of interviews, I am convinced that Jobs was a modern-day hero, in the Joseph Campbell sense of that word. Imperfect to be certain, but with one of the clearest visions, as well as the will and determination to see that vision come to fruition, I am in no doubt that Jobs' presence in this life will be greatly missed. I know I will miss his impeccable aesthetic sensibility.

Food and heroes. They can be interchangeable, no?



The famous fishmonger of Pike Place Market



Yummy Bon Appetit chocolate chip cookies



Sicilian-inspired appetizers at the Palmento book event

 

Pumpkin breakfast "pudding" from
my trusty crockpot



The perfect bowl of sugar























Fresh blueberries




The perfect summer bowl of strawberries



Anyone for a little budget tuna
noddle caserole?

Signs of last fall ...

... juxtaposed against signs of this fall. Fiber and candles round out the scene.

It's a Process Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday

I say it's all about process this week, because ... well ... it just is, at least for me.

Initially, I've got several projects in process, but the one that I can share with you right now is Andrea's shawl of red awesomeness. It's about 50% completed, and here's a process pic taken several days ago:

Even in this raw, unblocked state it is some kind of amazing. I cannot wait to complete it! I'm absolutely loving working with Andrea's handspun. It's very sproingy and has a slight thick and thin quality to it. Along with a few specs of vegetative matter here and there, it all adds up to rustic yarny goodness.

I also need to provide a word or two here on my blogging process. Since I've been using this new computer, with more internal safeguards and bells and whistles, there are some blogs on which I cannot post comments that I used to be able to before, and really want to again! I've changed my Blogger settings in the hope that might do the trick ... and it did for a few blogs. But the combination of my new security settings and certain bloggers' comment settings are making it impossible for me to completely join in the fun. So to those who I used to leave comments but haven't in a while ... it's not the copy. Really. 

Finally, what process discussion would be complete without the food that sustains the process? I had a great meal a few weeks back of charcuterie and frites that was just about perfect. I shall leave you with a wonderful pictoral food memory that I hope will inspire your Labor Day feasts (if you're in the U.S.):

These frites were perfect, the grainy mustard a nice acidic note
to the charcuterie, and the hard cider was almost like drinking
a cream and apple tart. Oh yum!

Definitely check out Andrea's blog to see how everyone else is exercising their fibery labor rights ... and have fun while not working over this Labor Day weekend. 

To 40 Revolutionary Years

The kitchen in my self-renovated apartment during my undergrad
days. I didn't quite realize at the time the magnitude of the wall art
bought for a yard sale song.

There's been much online chatter recently about a certain Huff Post blogger's feminist views, at least in my online reading circle.

I thought it appropriate, therefore, to pay homage to that bad-ass foodie rebel and artist, Alice Waters. Her inspired creation, Chez Panisse, is celebrating 40 years of ground-breaking food vision this weekend. For everyone in the U.S. (myself included) who enjoys the bounty of local farmers' markets, has at least a passing understanding of the concept of buying local, in-season produce, meat and fish, and who celebrates the harvest bounty each year, we really have Alice to thank.

What I didn't realize until I listened to Alice explain it herself, is the ground-breaking way she treats her employees at Chez Panisse.  I suppose it should have come as no surprise that her treatment of the humans with which she comes into contact would be as humane, as well ... as just so darn right as her approach to food.   

Thanks Alice, for taking a vision, a stove, and the local farmers you nurtured, and giving everyone (including The White House) inspiration to do better when it comes to the food we eat and the people who produce it.

Now that's a bad-ass feminist by anyone's definition.

Notes from the (sometimes) French and Food and Weird Happenings Front

I recently attended the 3rd annual Urban Craft Uprising. Held at least twice per year (always summer and during the holiday season, but the uprising is expanding), this is an artist's and DIY-er's dream. All kinds of handcrafted items are curated at each show, and since one can usually speak directly with the artist, there's usually an up-close-and-personal kind of feeling to each show.

This year was no different. Along with my usual stop at the Yarnia booth (where I picked up this cone of salmon-colored yarny goodness), I discovered a new treat - preserves from Deluxe Foods. Using a traditional French method (basically, no pectin), Deluxe produces preserves and fruit butters that let the fruit flavor shine through. Given that it's berry season, they had two different types of strawberry preserves to taste. I instantly swooned at the slightly sweet-tart taste of the strawberry balsamic preserves, so I scooped it, along with some apple butter, up for a treat on my morning toast.

However, there was more French goodness going on outside right near the UCU, as the weekend Bastille Day celebration was taking place. Any excuse to get food, wine and music together is just fine by me. I did attempt the ring toss for a bottle of wine. My ring tossing skills need improvement.

Additionally, I have been enjoying the initial bounty of the summer harvest at my local farmers' markets. I have a bunch of fresh rhubarb from which I'm going to attempt to make chutney. If it's successful (aw heck, even if it's not), you'll hear more about it. In the meantime, if any of you have fresh rhubarb and are looking for recipes, I'd suggest checking out The Rhubarb Compendium. Who would have thought that rhubarb would inspire such a website?

Finally, I leave you with a note from the "You've Got To Be Kidding Me!!!!" file. A Ms. Bass in Michigan, after receiving a warning and a ticket, was charged with a misdemeanor for growing vegetables in her front yard. It seems growing vegetables in one's front yard is a potential violation of a local municipal law indicating that one must cover the yard with "grass ground cover, shrubbery, or other suitable live plant material". Hmmm - I wonder how the municipality might miss the fact that veggies seem to fall within the "suitable live plant material" part of the law.

Anyway, an actual trial date was set for next week, but when a gale force of negative press blew through the local prosecutor's office, the charges were dropped. Mr. Bass described it as something akin to finding "some judge in his pajamas" to dismiss the charges in the middle of the night.

It would seem the summer heat is getting to some folks. Do enjoy the summer food bounty - but, hey, let's be careful out there!



Dipping toes in this small wading walk might help alleviate some
of the summertime weirdness gripping certain Midwest law enforcement



Food and Books and TV Oh My!

These blueberries, sprinkled with a
little sugar, were so good.

As some of you know know I spent a week blogging about my adventures trying to feed myself for a week on the U.S. equivalent of one British pound per day.

At about the same time, a few blogs I read wrote scathing reviews of "Extreme Couponing," a cable television show I have never watched. While I can't believe people actually pay to watch this show, it clearly has struck an apocalyptic, voyeuristic nerve.

I wanted to counteract "Extreme Couponing" with highlighting a show - on free, network television - that is making an earnest effort to change bad eating habits at the root: kids and schools. I'm talking about Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. If you haven't seen this one-hour show, take the time to check it out. This Friday will, I think, be this season's finale.

And what a finale it just might be. Last season, Jamie attempted to change eating habits in the school system of the "fatest city in America" - Huntington, West Virginia. He took a lot of public verbal flogging, but did manage to work with city, federal USDA officials, as well as the public school system's cooks in an effort to get them off processed, pre-packaged meals and onto an eating regime based on whole, fresh foods. At the same time, Jamie also opened up a kitchen in Huntington, where kids and their parents could learn how to cook in a more healthy manner. All this was filmed and televised. I gave the citizens of Huntington a lot of credit for allowing Jamie's cameras unfettered access. It was a cold, stark, most often unpleasant truth.

So why the potentially big finale this year? Because Jamie set hit cooking sights, and cameras, on the Los Angeles Unified School System. The school system has definitely been unified - in sending him packing. When he first started filming, the show wasn't on the air, and so school officials (basically, the former head of the school board) gave him the run-around, and even sent police in to monitor the scene. However, since the show's airing commenced in June, things have drastically turned around for Jamie, thanks to his own ingenuity, as well as the sacking of the school board head.

Most importantly, Oliver is showing, in some amazing ways, the huge flaws in our public school system's dietary approach. One such approach had to do with a school bus, a dump truck, and sugar. Fill in the blanks. 

And, since many children in public schools rely so heavily on this food (for many, it's their main source of food), he deftly links childhood obesity and food-related diseases (most notably diabetes) to the school lunch system. What the cameras in Los Angeles are also recording is the cultural and socio-economic intersection of our public school system's food approach, and Oliver doesn't even need to address it. One need only watch.

You might be able to catch previous episodes on ABC.com, if you're so inclined. Oliver is likeable, and his way with the kids easy, respectful and caring.

Aditionally (since you know I'm all about the books), please take the time to read In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan's absolute tour de force on why we need to chuck out all prepackaged "foods." A truly clear and gifted writer, Pollan's entire approach can be summed up in seven words (found on the back cover, so I'm not giving away the store): "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Besides, any book with the subtitle "An Eater's Manifesto" would get my attention every time. You'll be glad you picked it up.

Finally, I found a relatively unknown book right around the time I was getting ready for my weekly food odyssey that some might find useful. Quick-Fix Healthy Mix by Casey Kellar and Nicole Kellar-Munoz offers an amazing array of home-made substitutes for much of the pre-packaged foods many of us rely on so heavily. (Ok, I know I have.) After this mother/daughter team gets through the basics of things like recipe sizes, shelf life, and the necessary tools to put these mixes together, they walk the reader through virtually every inch of one's kitchen, providing healthful, homemade alternatives that can be prepared and stored by everyone. No special kitchen skills are needed. From breakfast to soup and bean mixes to barbeque sauces and other condiments, I cannot tell you how jam-packed the 200+ pages of this book are. It has been a truly pleasant surprise.

Have a good week. I'm off to hull some fresh strawberries.