Slow Food USA's Take 5 Challenge! and a Recipe, too!

Recently in the news there has been a lot of discussion about the affordability of good, healthy food. Articles have reported that fruits and vegetables are too expensive, while others have suggest it is the unavailability of vegetables in the abounding food deserts of the USA and how it is advertised that cause quality produce and food to be expensive. Local, healthy food should be available to everyone, and it shouldn't have to come with a high ticket price. Slow Food USA has come up with a challenge for us to eat a meal on September 17th, 2011 of entirely slow, local foods at the cost of $5 per person (the cost of an average "fast-food" value meal). Across the nation people will be hosting dinners, attending dinners, exchanging ideas, recipes, sources and "mmms." Slow Food recognizes that $5 for a meal is not exactly inexpensive for many people, but the challenge is to show that for the same price of a McDonalds quarter pounder meal (or less) you can have a nutritious, delicious and local meal shared with friends. Will you be Taking the $5 Challenge? 

On September 17th I will be! I have yet to decide exactly how I will celebrate my meal, but hopefully it will be something to share with friends. Since I heard about it I've been brainstorming possible menus, venues, sources and dinner guests. To get us all rolling in the right direction here is a recipe for Eggs in a Nest of Zucchini (inspired by the recipe in Animal Vegetable Miracle) which I made for less than half of $5! This recipe would also make for a great Meatless Monday staple. And as we all know, cutting meat out of our diet one or more times a week is good for our bodies, our planet and our wallets as well! 


After the recipe you will also find some sources for ingredients and information in New York City and the Albany, NY area.

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Eggs in a Nest of Zucchini

Serves 1 (may be multiplied)

Fried Zucchini Blossoms - a Perfect Summer Treat

I've been wanting to try zucchini blossoms for a couple years now. The short season and floral nature of the orange and green blooms is alluring. They were always a bit expensive for me, but today at the market I found a box of 10 for $3 and decided today was the day. After 2 weeks of reading various posts and recipes I knew it was time. I got them home and went back out to the store get some frying oil and ricotta and lemons for stuffing. I loosely used the Bon Appetit recipe that had me drooling on my desk last week. 

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

A pile of lemon zest, cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of kosher salt mixed with whole milk ricotta made for the perfect filling. 

After cutting out the stamens with scissors, I stuffed each flower with the filling.

Giveaway!: The Locavore Way by Amy Cotler

***UPDATE***
Some readers have told me they have been unable to comment on the post-- if you have been having trouble, too, please send me a message on 
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CulinaryLibrarian or 
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OR email me your response: theculinarylibrarian[at]gmail.com


I will extend the contest to Sunday at 4:00PM EST! 


As promised, now that I have reached 400 followers on Twitter I am doing my first giveaway! One of you will win a copy of Amy Cotler's The Locavore Way. Just in time for the height of Farmer's Market season you will have an amazing resource for the best ways to find and enjoy local ingredients.

The Locavore Way at the green market

Cotler's book is a powerful petite volume full of tips and tricks for finding the best local produce and getting the most out of it when you bring it home. I purchased the book last summer during my trip to Portland and it has helped me relearn how to shop and eat locally. Cotler includes great lists such as: "15 Ways To Become a Locavore," "Ways to Make the Most of your CSA Bounty," and a full list of local fruits and vegetables in "Play With Your Food." Many, like the one below, are perfect for copying and posting on the fridge as a reminder to eat and shop locally.

Beginning with a history of Farmer's Markets, U-Pick stands and CSAs, Cotler gives a great overview of today's options with an appreciation of how we came to them. While reading through the book you will find yourself becoming a greater proponent of locavory and learn new ways to seek out the produce growing nearest to you. 

Celebrating 1 Year of The Culinary Librarian!

Today marks the 1 Year Anniversary of The Culinary Librarian! 

First and foremost I would like to thank all of you! My readers! It is a complete pleasure to write knowing I have a great audience to read my work. I hope you have enjoyed 12 months of food and photos. May your mouth water for the next 365 days to come! 

In honor of the anniversary I have collected my favorite photos/stories from each month of 2010 for this celebratory post. Some come from blog posts, some from Facebook posts. Enjoy this look back at a year in the life of The Culinary Librarian! 

January

Fallen Chocolate Soufflé Cake

Last year around this time a few of my very good friends went off to my beloved Paris for a visit and since we like parties so much we had a little French-themed send off for them! I provided the dessert-- this decadent (yet very easy to execute!) soufflé cake. Making chocolate soufflés has been one of my favorite things to do since I fell in love with them at my old resto of employment, the now closed Carmine's Restaurant in Albany (replaced with the fantastic Grappa '72). Since I knew individual soufflés to be a breeze, I selected this cake  as the perfect start to a Parisian vacation. I also love the black & white tiles of my old apartment's kitchen and the butcher block that provide a very French background to the rich cake. 

The full post from January 2010: Les Joies du Chocolat-- sans peur!

February

For the Love of Duck

Welcome Autumn! Squash, pumpkin, and all things orange!

"When autumn comes, it doesnt ask. It just walks in, where it left you last." -John Mayer

Autumn is by and large my favorite season! I love all the colors, the crispness of the air, the smell of fallen leaves, and all the warm delicious food that comes back after a summer of cool foods and homes too hot to cook in. Many a harbinger signals the change of seasons before the equinox arrives; children head back to school, the temperatures start staying below 80*, Starbucks brings back my favorite drink- the Pumpkin Spice Latte, and you see the vibrant colors of the summer harvest mixing with the muted colors of fall-- dark green acorn squash, pale sandy colored butternut squash, bumpy gourds, bright orange pumpkins, light and dark green mini cabbage- brussel sprouts, flowers of deep burgandy, marigold yellow, and rich burnt orange. 

Locavore Limelight: Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal Vegetable Miracle"

Just finished "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life" by Barbara Kingsolver. This food/memoir/local eating guide follows Kingsolver, her husband, Steven Hopp, and two daughters, Camille and Lily, on their quest to eat local for a full calendar year-- producing much of their food from their own garden and animals. Their venture is very successful and Kingsolver's literary voice is a pleasure to hear from about this hot topic. 

In 2005, when Kingsolver and her clan were moving from their Arizona home back to their farm in Virginia to begin a life of locavore eating this way of life had yet to become popular yet. By the end of their year of food locavore was a buzz word and trying to eat closer and closer to home was trending. They are largely successful and this books give great insights into the trials and tribulations of feeding oneself off one's own land. 

Culinary Destination: Portland, Maine

During my vacation in Albany I was fortunate enough to be able to accompany my dad on an overnight business trip to Portland, ME. I went to Maine as a child with my parents but they are not times I really remember. Recently my friend The Creative Culinarian moved from NYC to Portland so I also was able to see her briefly which was a real treat. 

                                           
 My day in downtown started at the Standard Baking Company, 75 Commercial Street. As per recommendation from Tiffany I enjoyed a ham & cheese croissant. Here they top these delightful French treats with sesame seeds adding a level of crunchy texture that pairs nicely with the pillowy texture of the croissant. The ham inside is meaty and hardly fatty as some sliced ham can be; the cheese is melted down to a sauce-like nature-- not hardened as some cheese croissants can get after sitting. All of this made for a warm delicious breakfast I paired with a fresh iced tea sweetened                                                                              with simple syrup.