How to be Treated like a VIP at Restaurants

Monday, October 20, 2008

These 9 awesome tips come courtesy of Tim Ferriss, author of the fantastic 4 Hour Workweek. If you read The Reluctant Eater, and have similar food habits, then you probably won't be eating out all that often. So when you find a place you love, why not make your presence known?

My favorite tip:

Ask the waiter to ask the chef two questions: First, What does everyone order, and Second, what does almost no one order but the chef thinks everyone should. Then order them both.

You'll probably end up with the two best dishes on the menu, and make a memorable impression on the chef! Read the rest of Tim's tips.

Food Buzz: What the Foodies are Saying

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

I just stumbled across the site foodbuzz where people submit posts and recipes, which are then voted up or down by readers so that the cream rises to the top.

For the full experience, I used foodbuzz to help me with breakfast, and settled on Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes, courtesy of Whole Grain Gourmet.

Generally I prefer thin pancakes, but with whole wheat you generally end up with a thick, dense stack that is a chore to finish by the end. These however, lived up to their billing, and were suprisingly fluffy, sweet, and generally fantastic. It's true, you can basically eat them without syrup. I added a little bit of Ela Family Farms Peach Butter here and there, which ends up tasting more like apricot than peach even though the only ingredients are peaches (?). I vastly prefer (and obsess about) their Peach/Apple, Peach/Pear, or Pear/Apple.

Take a look at foodbuzz, and if you sign up, befriend thereluctanteater!

Where Can I Find Local, Sustainable, Organic Foods?

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Check out the Eat Well Guide. Just put in your zip code and how far you are willing to travel. Viola, you get:

• Co-Ops
  
• Farmers
  
• Farmers Markets
  
• Online Shopping (which seems like an odd category, since location seems irrelevant)
  
• Organizations
  
• Restaurants
  
• Stores

There are other ways to search as well, but the coolest is "Plan a Trip". Enter your driving directions, and it lists all of the local, sustainable, organic establishments along the route. What a great way to keep eating healthily on your road trip!

Take a quick look at this great resource. Did you find any new places near where you live?

World Vegetarian Day: October 1st

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Sorry that I'm only giving you one day to prepare but tomorrow (September still only has 30 days, right?) is a special day to kick off Vegetarian Awareness Month. Check out the World Vegetarian Day website. I particularly like that they explicitly welcome non-vegetarians.

I'll avoid meat for the day (which is a shame because I had my eye on some grass fed elk at the Boulder Farmers Market) as well as blabbing about the event to anyone who will listen. How will you celebrate?

Promoting a Healthy Food Lifestyle: Cool Foods Campaign

Monday, September 29, 2008

Kudos to the Cool Foods Campaign who urges us all to "Take a Bite Out of Global Warming". Their goal, which eerily mirrors my own, is to "educate the public about the impact of their food choices across the entire food system and empower them with the resources to reduce this impact".



The Cool Foods Campaign pledge is listed below, with my comments in parentheses.

Top 5 Things You Can Do To Take A Bite Out of Global Warming

1. Eat Organic (However, be aware that local farmers often do not have the time & resources to become "certified organic", even though their food would technically qualify as such)
   
2. Reduce Meat & Dairy Consumption (The whole "cruelty to animals" argument never resonated with me, but reducing my impact on the environment does! As for dairy, pay attention to how your body reacts...humans stomachs were not made for bovine dairy)
   
3. Avoid Processed Foods (After the initial shock, this is easier than it sounds)
   
4. Buy Locally Grown Foods
   
5. Say No to Packaging (and bring your own grocery bags to the store with you!)
   

I've signed the pledge, but I must admit, it was too easy - I'm already doing it with this blog! For those of you who don't have your own public platform, an easy way to promote your eating lifestyle, I've found, is to subtly brag about it to friends. Rather than ask them about their own habits, say things like: "I had the most amazing Sesame Tofu with Wilted Bok Choy last night".

Maybe I should start posting some recipes?

PS - According to the Cool Foods Campaign - 18% of worldwide greenhouse gasses come from livestock...that's more than transportation!

Cooking Lessons in your Underwear

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Another tip from The Accidental Hedonist, who points us to Rouxbe. Rouxbe is basically an online cooking school. There are currently almost 200 recipes with full instructional videos (although after your 30 day trial expires, you have to pay for the videos - $99/yr or $199 lifetime). 

There are also 100 recipes without videos, and user submitted recipes. Recipes are rated by people who have made them, and often a discussion ensues in the comments section where you'll pick up some extra tips. Also, there is a full range of cooking school videos, as well as short drill down lessons like: how to pick out olive oil, how to remove a chicken tendon, what is lemongrass, etc.

The first lesson is entitled "Wheat & Gluten", which actually turned out to be pretty interesting. I now know more about different types of bread than I ever though I would, and sadly, I realized that I've been cheating all along with my new breadmaker. I would love the lesson, because the first exercise is to make pancakes. You actually set some aside some of the batter and stir it an extra 2 minutes too long, and compare the results. To my surprise, it made a huge difference in the quality of the breakfast.

This looks like an amazing resource for budding chefs who want to learn all the extra little tips most normal people don't know about. My next assignment: pizza!