Chicken Came First

Used to be that the subject of gas and corn was not considered appropriate for polite conversation. And while I can’t claim the language is always polite, our clients in the protein industry (a/k/a chicken, beef, pork) have been discussing corn and gas for sometime. Ethanol that is. Now with today’s research report from Iowa State University http://www.card.iastate.edu/publications/synopsis.aspx?id=1050, I suspect it is a conversation that will soon be coming to a dinner table near you.
The study reports that US food retail prices have gone up 14%, because of ethanol. You see, there’s just not enough corn to feed both the coq co vin and the car.
Speaking for myself, I vote for the chicken. He can’t cross the road without it.

Kitchen Envy

Get a group of foodies together and the discussion frequently turns to the latest kitchen appliances and gadgets. So it wasn’t surprising that last week’s food editor tour of the Southern Living http://www.southernliving.com/southern/ kitchens generated diverse opinions about the magazine’s firm commitment to using typical midrange appliances for their upcoming remodel. Southern Living’s position is that their kitchens should resemble those of their readers, and thus guarantee similar results. To some of the editors, this non-Wolf , zero Subzero http://subzero.com/ approach sounded like the dark ages.
Had I not just returned from a weeklong kayak trip http://http://halfmoonbaykayak.com/ down a desolate patch of Baja, I might have agreed. But that was before I’d enjoyed fresh-baked calzones and rich brownies made on a very small (we were in kayaks after all) Coleman burner, aided with a little twig fire on the pot lid to create an oven effect. This was not your father’s camp food; this was a different menu every night, with gastronomic results that could come from your Wolf.
So, say what you will about state-of-the-art equipment. An innovative chef is the main ingredient on my list any day.