That's about all I have to say about it today.
November 05, 2009
November 04, 2009
Raw Vegan: days 2/3, musings on evolutionary theory and cashews.
Remember, I'm doing all of this for charity. You guys raised $750 for a great cause and going raw vegan for a week was what I said i would do. Please consider making a donation to Project Birthday in the name of my gastronomic misery this week,.
First off, I have to say that if I had to go full vegan without the raw part it wouldn't be a problem. For a week, a month, the rest of my life if all the other animals disappeared I wouldn't have a problem. There are plenty of things to eat and tons of delicious preparations available even when you cut out every animal product known to man. In fact, there's a pack of vegan sausages in my refrigerator that I'm deliciously eyeing for breakfast on Monday morning. I will be able to eat meat again by then, but I think they are stupendously delicious and I don't really care what they are made from.
I have been doing a ton of reading about raw veganism in the past week and have realized that in a way, the entire thing is based off of a very narrow and grossly inaccurate interpretation of evolutionary theory. When it comes to food, I'm a firm believer that you will be much healthier if you eat what your ancestors ate. Pre 1950-ish, people ate whatever grew around them. If your mix of genes allowed you to prosper on your local diet, you lived longer and most likely reproduced more. If your mix of genes didn't work well with the food around you, you probably died younger and may not have reproduced at all. Over any amount of time in this situation, it stands to reason that the local population would be genetically selected to do well on the local grub.
They tried this with the Hawaiian diet. When placed on a diet of traditional Hawaiian foods, Hawaiians lost weight and greatly improved their health. Similar people that tried the diet but were not from the same geographic area didn't do nearly as well.
If you're looking for a diet, I would start with this approach first. Although the more mixed ancestor group you are, the harder it is to isolate which diet you should be following. Girlfriend Actual lost three dress sizes on the Mediterranean diet, eating the same stuff that the Italian side of her family had consumed for centuries. She hasn't tried a Scottish diet yet, and I'm not sure there is one, unless you are to eat nothing but oats, haggis, and the severed limbs of Englishmen.
A great many raw vegan websites and books try to use this approach to justify why raw veganism is healthier for you. They claim it's how humanity has been eating for thousands of years and what our bodies really want. But this isn't necessarily true.
- Humans have been cooking food for a long, long time
- Humans have been eating meat for a long, long time
- Humans have been hybridizing crops for a long, long time. Modern corn is a man-made creation. Nature did NOT give that to us
- You would have to claim that no evolution (food wise) happened since the modern human popped up on Earth. To think that natural selection based on local diet didn't occur during at least the last 4000-5000 years is ludicrous and marginally ignorant
In addition to all that, it seems many raw vegans (and the majority of raw vegan bloggers that I've found) aren't even really raw vegans. Most of them hover around 75-80% raw vegan (by calorie) and reserve 20% for cooked vegan food. In addition, it seems most raw vegans have to go regular vegan or vegetarian during pregnancy to ensure that they have the right mix of vitamins for their baby. Now, call me an ass, but pregnancy and childbirth are sort of your biological imperative. Shouldn't The World's Best Diet(tm) accommodate pregnancy? You would think.
Of course, I tried to find answers to these and many other questions on the many raw vegan forums that are all over the internet. However, that wasn't even possible because every raw vegan forum I went to was full of people arguing whether this product or that product was raw vegan. How much was it heated? The water was heated before being added to the fruit, does that count? Do I need to get a blender with a blade that doesn't heat up while on puree mode? Fermentation of this sort of tempeh will go over 118 degrees... what about that?
And then there was this hilarious discussion on whether freeze drying constituted "cooking".
On and on it went. I wanted to ask how many of them use salt. While traditionally made sea salt is sun evaporated, rock salt is routinely blasted from the earth using explosives (I'm not kidding). Pretty sure that temperature gets above 118.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think a raw vegan diet is a bad idea. I just don't think it's the best idea for most people. Your body is not meant to have a diet this restricted. Vegetarianism and regular veganism are both things I'll probably try for a while in the future, and for a lot longer than a week. Perhaps I'll even try raw foodism without the vegan restriction.
Don't want to eat other animals? I'm sort of with you. Want to swear off processed food? Great idea. But heat? Heat?
My raw vegan friends out there, you guys really do have my utmost respect for sticking with this lifestyle and remaining healthy. You guys probably put a lot more work into it than I am.
Nevertheless, you guys paid for it so I'm sticking with it. So, what have I been eating?
These are some wonderful dehydrated shiitake mushrooms. Best snack ever! (not counting beef jerky)
Raw cashews.
About those cashews... Back when I was a kid, my mother told me never to buy whole cashews. She said that there was no such thing as whole cashews, that the halves naturally split during processing. Whole cashews, my mother said, were just cashew halves that were put into a special gluing machine that sorted like halves and pasted them together. The "glue" was some sort of cashew butter so that the producer didn't have to declare another ingredient on the label.
I always thought this story was sort of crazy until on one trip to Thailand we visited a factory and lo and behold, there was the cashew sorter gluer machine. Now, I know people in the nut industry (really) who tell me whole cashews really do exist and that what I saw was some scammy nut wholesaler trying to sell his cashew halves at whole cashew prices. Apparently cashew growing and processing techniques have improved of late and the plants now yield a much higher percentage of whole cashews.
But every time I see a cashew like this, I wonder.
Another raw coconut macaroon, this time with raw cacao added. These things are spectacular. I would eat them regardless of my self imposed dietary restrictions. Note the "yummy tax" bite inflicted by Girlfriend Actual.
Raw broccoli and Vegenaise. Ok, folks, Vegenaise is a revelation. I'm serious. Vegenaise is the third best mayo I've ever had (behind Trader Joe's and the obvious best mayo in the world, Duke's). And it's this good while remaining vegan. I could eat the entire jar with a spoon. If you love mayo you have to try this stuff.
Actual made me sliced english cucumbers with salt, pepper, and chili flake. Amazing. And no, they weren't yellow, I was messing with the white balance on my camera and failed like a total photon00b :(
I'm feeling ok for now. My energy level has been sort of low but it has improved steadily as my body gets used to a completely different set of foods. I'm sure it will keep getting better as the week goes on.
Lastly, I had to replace the snow leopard default wallpaper on my Mac. The leopard looks way too hungry and has a smidge of blood around its mouth. Every time I saw the picture I thought about steak.
It's been replaced with a much cooler picture :)
November 02, 2009
Raw Vegan: Day 1
You all know how hard this is for me, Sir Meatatarian.
This was my breakfast. I forgot to plan for my raw vegan meal and the company cafeteria didn't have anything but bananas and apples that were raw vegan. Silly me.
This was my attempt at assembling lunch from the cafeteria salad bar. Two controversial foods in this bowl. The first are the black olives. Most likely they came out of a can, which means they were definitely heated above 120 during the canning process. Also, along with the cold pressed olive oil I used some balsamic vinegar. The grapes are heated at some point in the process of making balsamic vinegar. Whatever. I was hungry!
I was still starving by the time we left work hours later. We ended up stopping at three different stores to assemble my raw vegan fantastic dinner.
Organic raw lemon garlic dill sauerkraut. Amazingly good. Almost overwhelmingly sour between the natural fermentation and the lemon juice.
Raw macadamia nuts. A little harder than the roasted variety but much sweeter.
Kohala won bok kim chee from Hawaii. Not very sour and doesn't contain fish sauce like traditional kimchi (yay for this, so I can eat it this week). This stuff has the perfect salt level for me.
BEST DESSERT EVER. Raw vegan coconut macaroon. Chewy and wildly delicious.
Look at that texture. Now, it's not the best coconut macaroon I've ever had, but it's in the top three. I'm eating the other one RIGHT NOW.
Lastly, my wine pairing. Best four dollar wine I've had in a while!
October 25, 2009
Cake Sister Labs experiments with Mimosa Cake
Earlier in the day we had been told by Cake Sister that she was doing some sort of super secret cake testing at Cake Sister Labs. This was confirmed when we received the following text later in the afternoon:
When we arrived, we found Cake Sister Labs in a sort of mad scientist disarray. Something was definitely going on.
Cake Sister was in the middle of making a super experimental cake for us to try. Or, as it turned out, four cakes in one. Each of the four quadrants of the cake were a different filling combination.
Cake Sister explains what she does with the cake layers:
Then the yummy fillings go on...
With all the different fillings, the experimental cake was starting to look like a Boston Creme Pie. Well, it had champagne custard in it, so it was more of a Rheims Creme Pie.
Cake Sister explaining to Girlfriend Actual why it does this, and why her normal cakes won't:
Finally, the finished experimental cake. Note the four quadrants denoted by candied orange peels.
Cosmopolitan Girlfriend thought it was some sort of elaborate dream sequence. Don't worry Cosmo, the cake is real, and you get to eat it!
Cake tasting gets under way...
The Table of (cake) Judgment. Most people busy scribbling down tasting notes.
One of the tasting pieces, showing off all the filling, screaming EAT ME
Girlfriend Actual was not willing to share her super secret tasting notes.
Here's Cosmo's ballot so you can see what all was tasted.
Until Cake Sister finalizes funding to start the Cake Sister Empire of Cakes, her cakes are limited to family and friends. More for me, none for you. Sorry!
Oh, and I can't end this without posting a picture of Cake Cat.
October 22, 2009
October 17, 2009
October 15, 2009
Better Foods Deli: Meet my favorite deli in town.
Better Foods has been my favorite deli in Roseville for quite a while now. The problem is that I break into hives when I go anywhere near the chutes and ladders area of Roseville.
Luckily I was right down the street looking at a house with Team Orange. I actually considered buying the house solely on the grounds that it was in walking distance of Better Foods Deli.
Better Foods Deli is not a Jewish deli. It's a neighborhood Italian deli with the best Italian pork products you would ever want in a sandwich. These guys use the good stuff. How many delis can you name that actually use Columbus salame products?
The decor in this place ROCKS. You can tell it's a neighborhood eatery. I know a few people who live around this place and they eat here at least once a week. I would too! CHECK OUT THAT MENU BOARD!!! WIN. With decor like this the sandwich could taste like Olive Garden and I would still love it. Luckily for everyone, their sandwiches are really spectacular.
The front counter and the back seating area. Check out the awesome wall art and local Norcal sports team memorabilia.
The lines get long really fast. They take time making their awesome sandwiches, so it's totally worth the wait.
Our culinary journey starts with deviled eggs. Not too sweat, not too creamy, all dense with yolky goodness and just the right amount of sweet pickle. Almost as good as my future mother-in-law's. ALMOST.
Actual's hot corned beef. Juicy, salty corned beef with lettuce, pickles, mayo, and mustard all on a fresh sourdough roll. Jewish deli nuts... back off, this is an Italian deli in California. They can do whatever they want with their sandwiches, and the result is damn good. Actual says the fresh roll is especially, wildly, totally, nomlicious.
Here's my sammich. Same as Jody's, minus lettuce, plus onions and jack cheese. Oh and I swapped the corned beef with a layer of prosciutto and a layer of toscano salami. This sandwich lasted all of 90 seconds. OM NOM NOM!
Now I just need a new job that will hire me an assistant to drive down to downtown Roseville and pick me up some sandwiches from Better Foods. Holy crap this stuff is good. Can't believe I forgot about this place for so long.
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October 13, 2009
Lisa and Dan's Big Ohio Adventure!
Today I was sitting there, eating some potato chips... thinking about all the foods from my hometown and home state that I miss and can't get here.
That's right everyone. Yod craves Ohio food.
Meet the first two members of Chomplespondents: Lisa and Dan. These two are my pals from high school who luckily for me still live in our hometown and can find all of the stuff I have odd cravings for. They are standing in front of my first grocery store which used to be called Acme Click. Their claim to fame was that they were the only store for a long time that actually had filet mignon. Some of these pictures are from another store in town called Fishers Foods. I'd say about 50% of my current BMI began life as stuff sold at Fishers. I refuse to post a picture of Fishers though... they changed their exterior styling and it makes me sad.
The Chomplespondents program will be going into full swing in a few weeks, so be ready!
Pickled eggs. Deep red pickled eggs (beet juice contributes the color). PICKLED EGGS! I know many people find these things to be completely foul, but these are the nice lightly pickled ones from Fishers. They are also refrigerated which helps them not get too pickled. See those tall containers? I can eat one in one sitting EASY. Well, until the cholesterol takes hold. If you ever find some good Midwestern pickled eggs (versus the sour, rancid Southern ones) please give them a try. They are amazing!
Gold'n Krisp potato chips. I'll take these over the other "regional lust" brands of chips (Utz, Tim's, etc) anyday. In fact the only chips I like more than these are Rusty's Island Chips, however, one 2oz bag of Rusty's costs more than that entire bag of Gold'n Krisp pictured here. Note the "Internationally Known" printed on the bag. LOL. Well, I'm Asian. Does that count?
Probably one of my favorite foods on the planet and definitely on my short list for last meal foods. Trail Bologna is made in Amish country. It's hard to describe. Sort of like a smoked low moisture cotto salami with a finer grind on the spices. It's almost impossible to get outside of Ohio, mail order or otherwise. Last time I was in town I brought back an entire bag of the stuff.
And then this inexplicable display. Ok, while they are individually very delicious, they are GROSS TOGETHER. A SMOKED SAUSAGE DOES NOT GO WITH PICKLED EGGS. Gawd. But maybe they are just trying to capture my business in case I walk in one day. In which case, they are a success.
The Chinese food station at Fishers. It wasn't very good back then, so hopefully it has improved. I remember trying every single item there and the only thing I could eat was the fried rice.
Speaking of supermarket cuisine... check this out. It's regular supermarket sushi... or is it. I have NEVER seen this here in CA. Cream cheese roll?!!? WTF?!?! Is this for people where California Roll is too much to handle? Maybe... you should just not eat sushi.
The best spaghetti sauce on the planet: Mid's. This is the sauce that beat Classico and Prego up in middle school. Crazy megaton tomato flavor. Note that I said spaghetti sauce, not pasta sauce. This stuff belongs on a bed of delicious spaghetti and only spaghetti. If you grew up on this stuff, you're ruined for life. The only sauce that can match Mid's is Rao's, and Rao's costs 10 bucks a jar.
And now: my favorite processed cold cut. For most people this doesn't mean much, but I have been a lifelong connoisseur of processed meat. This is by far my favorite of the cold cut category. Dutch Loaf is a salty spicy loaf made from a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe. But this isn't any Dutch Loaf. No, this is the stuff from Sugardale, my favorite purveyor of cold cuts on planet Earth. Everything they make from their bacon to their ham is fantastic, but their Dutch Loaf is out of this world. Those of you out there who would never even share a room with a piece of bologna, you have to try this stuff. It's magically coldcutlicious!
And lastly, Lisa trying to get bonus points. Lisa! You're already the first Chomplespondent! You're in for life unless I catch you at Olive Garden!
October 11, 2009
My birthday lunch and the death of a red velvet cake kitten
We decided to all meet for lunch on my birthday at Rudy's Mexican Gourmet. This eatery has been featured at least four times on this blog, so we though it would make a good place to meet up and have some food on my birthday. I just opened a tab and let everyone order away...
Rudy's has Mexican Coke in the glass bottle that's sweetened with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. WIN! (if you drink sugared soda, that is)
Girlfriend Actual opted for Rudy's mammoth taco salad. It's about the size of the Taco Bell taco salad but contains at least three times more ingredients than the fast food version. Also it tastes far faaaar away better.
Naruto Girl was in a loopy mood, as usual. After so many people have told her that she could make it big in the modeling industry, she's stopped letting us take pictures of her "for free". Then again, she lives in Work Girlfriend's house "for free" and eats my food "for free". But hey, I don't bother arguing with 16-year-old girls. That stopped being a worthwhile proposition when I graduated from high school.
This is Sharon, aka Mrs. Rudy. In this picture she seems to be presiding over a battle between Naruto Girl and Work Girlfriend. This seems to be one of those "add your own caption" moments.
Fried ice cream! This is my birthday present from Sharon. Great as always. Note the very unflattering picture of me that I did not crop out... this is apparently payback for all of the unflattering pictures I've posted of all the women involved in this blog.
And now my birthday cake! This is a red velvet sugar free cat shaped cake. It's supposed to look like Ebby, my wonderfully eccentric black cat. The problem is that the spray on black cake color didn't stick to the sugar free frosting and caused the urban digital camo pattern that ended up on the cake. This being a Cake Sister cake, it tasted tremendously good.
We'll all be at Fancy Food West in January, so pastry/cake product manufacturers, be ready. If you make an awesome spray on cake color product, we're THERE.
OMG YOU KILLED EBBY! YOU BASTARDS!
Mourning the decapitation of my cake cat.
