Drawing With Ketchup

Well I finally started my volunteer work. I went today to volunteer during lunch at Whittier Elementary in Boulder. After getting my tour of the school and getting some background about their ever evolving lunch program from the principal I crossed the threshold into the controlled chaos that is an elementary school lunch hour…

In reality the kids were unbelievably well-behaved and other than a few glasses of spilled milk — luckily no one cried — there were no hiccups. Most of the time I was at the window where the get their food, handing them their trays and squirting ketchup on to their sloppy joes — my drawing consisted of smiley faces and Yankees logos. The funny thing is that the window where the pick up their food is too high for the younger half of the kids so I had to help them so that they didn’t drop ground beef all over the place.

The most amazing part of lunch was the eagerness with which the kids attacked the salad bar. Heaping vegetables and fruit onto their trays with visible excitement. There’s no way I would have been eager to eat jicama when I was in first grade.There are still lots of steps to take but this is a sign of definite progress.

I should mention that the food isn’t that bad — I had a veggie patty (albeit with lots of ketchup!) and a salad with peppers, jicama, and chickpeas. Much better than nuggets and fries washed down with a sugary snapple.

Well it’s better than a research paper…

Every class at CU tends to culminate with a final paper or exam — sometimes both. Hours of library time is spent either cramming or typing untill the end. Research papers tend to be the bane of them all — requiring hours upon hours of research before even beginning to write. Journal article after journal article, searching for that evidence to back up your thesis.

Having a service learning class changes the traditional structure of assessment; sure we have to still write a paper but in this instance we are writing about our own experiences. Going out and volunteering somewhere that piques your interest will make for an easy write at the end. Spending fifteen hours working at a homeless shelter will surely provide enough for an engaging paper; starting a paper with an anecdote is a sure way to knock out a page or so.

Service learning is also a way to encourage students to go out an participate in the community that they live. It’s hard to find time outside of school to do some volunteering so making it part of the class is perfect — so much better than homework. My general feeling is that most CU students don’t spend much time participating in the greater Boulder community, this is a perfect opportunity for us to get involved politically, civically, and/or benevolently.

More ways to waste time/prepare for food class…

These are some of my favorite food blogs all of which provide me entertainment and salivation on a daily basis. Enjoy.

Restaurant raving:

http://www.taxigourmet.com/

http://midtownlunch.com/

http://blondieandbrownie.blogspot.com/

http://www.cakespy.com/ — This one actually is a bit of both.

How tos:

http://rasamalaysia.com/

http://www.whiteonricecouple.com/

http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/

To Beet or Not to Beet

Boulder has long been at the forefront of environmental and political change, for a long time being a liberal oasis in a red desert. Boulder also may be one of the easiest places to easily eat local and organic (we’ll never overtake Berkeley or NYC though) with a wealth of available local produces as well as top-notch restaurants specializing in seasonal cuisine — I had the pleasure of dining at the Kitchen recently and was extremely impressed. Of course it comes as no surprise that when local farmer’s began discussing the use of Round-Up Ready sugar beets the issue did not pass quietly.

“Boulder County is the “epicenter” for organic and natural. If Monsanto were to gain support for its GM products on county land here, it would be a big win for them.” — Boulder Weekly

A vocal group of  six Boulder County farmers — not including the small family farms we see on 13th street every Wednesday and Saturday — have petitioned the county government to allow them to plant Monsanto’s GMO sugar beets on 960 acres of county land. A 2003 decision to allow Round-Up Ready Corn had an addendum that required all GMO plants to be approved on a case-by-case basis. The primary argument against the plants is that there has yet to be any significant long-term testing on GMO plants and their environmental and health impacts. There are simply to many questions left unanswered.

My opinion of GMO plants is still up in the air. While I don’t support Monsanto in the slightest I am not necessarily convinced that technology and gene modification should have no part in our food. What I do believe is that untill we know more about the issue we should hold off from planting the seeds for fear that we could be creating some significant impacts that may be irrevocable. This is why I am trying to volunteer with Fresh Ideas group as they try and keep GMO seeds out of Boulder County.

Time to move forward

I have always been fairly conscious of the ills in the way we as Americans eat, we have almost fully succumbed to the agriculture-industrial complex. What we eat is now grown and/or produced by a handful of multi-national corporations with serious environmental and economic impacts on the world.

For our food writing class we have read the locavore’s bible “Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan — nothing new but he has become the preeminent voice on food in this country. We have also watched “The Future of Food” and “Food Inc.” — seemingly identical documentaries that try and make you give up Doritos and Oreos. Both of the documentaries were well made, but neither really told me much that I didn’t already know. It did however instill a bit more passion in changing the way I eat: more farmer’s market produce, less meat, etc.

My biggest issue with changing the food system in this country is how to make it affordable. Food Inc. was the only of the three to detail how hard it is for poor families to eat healthy yet they weren’t able to offer up many solutions. Its easy to spend $20 at the farmer’s market and only come out with produce for three or so meals. Changing the food culture in this country is going to require keeping the food cheap while raising quality, there’s no way around that.

The U.S. will never return to the days of the yeoman farmer. We will never shop for all our meals at a Parisian style open-air market. We have to look forward and try to create a new system for food production, distribution, and consumption. I think the local movement is holding on to an ideal from the past, this will only stunt progress. If we have the technology to have created mega crops and ways of super-sizing livestock I am confident that we will be able to discover a way to sustainably grow healthy food without costing the consumer too much. Who knows, maybe science will create plants that can thrive on low-nutrient, urban plots, providing food for the neighborhood. Maybe I should have gone into biology.

Best class ever…

This semester I needed to fulfill my writing requirement, to my surprise a class entitled ‘food glorious food’ was offered. Eagerly I signed up and I have found it to be a great experience, I get to write about food for school. This post is my personal essay about a food experience that was important to me, of course I wrote about eating at the lamb stands.

It is said that New York is the city that never sleeps. Nothing epitomizes this better than waiting forty-five minutes in line at three AM for the famous halal cart at 53rd and 6th. Everyone from cab drivers to bridge-and-tunnel club goers vie for a spot in line looking to sate their hunger with chicken and lamb over rice. The city doesn’t run on a three square a day schedule, sometimes lunch comes in the middle of the night. Thankfully a high percentage of immigrants work the graveyard shift and they’re demand for a quality meal cheap greatly benefits my life. Many a night growing up in New Jersey would end in us making the thirty minute trek into Manhattan for the simple pleasure of sitting on the curb eating out of tinfoil platters.
Our most recent trip to the stands was no exception to the fame of the cart; the line was barely deterred by the steady rain. Luckily I befriended the umbrella holding cab driver in front of me who allowed me to share under his cover while we both waited. He spoke little English but laughed and flashed me a bright smile when I first ducked under his umbrella. We didn’t speak but were connected somehow, be it by the camaraderie of suffering through the line or simply because of a shared belief in kindness to strangers. We eventually moved towards the cart where I am always mesmerized by the controlled chaos of it all – it’s like watching the flickering of a campfire or a Zamboni, it’s impossible to look away. I gave a nod in thanks to my savior from the rain as he ordered and moved down to wait for his food.
The five-man team of sidewalk chefs, decked out in their yellow “Kwik Meal” t-shirts and stained aprons, form an assembly line to handle the inundation of orders they receive every night. When I finally got to the front of the line I enter into the machine: placing my order and handing over my five dollars to the cashier then moving off to the side as my food moves down the assembly line. It’s quite a sight seeing this all in action. First — after the cashier of course — is the rice man, doling out helpings of yellow, fluffy, turmeric seasoned rice into tin platters. Next are the two guys responsible for all the meat — wielding dual spatulas as they deftly fold pounds of chicken and lamb upon itself so it is always warm and fully cooked. They dole out the respective meats on top of the rice and move the platter down the line to the finisher who tops off the dish with a little salad and pita before placing on the cover, crimping down the sides and sliding it down the line. Here the platter is placed into the ubiquitous “Thank You” plastic bag and the orders are called out to the ever-antsy customers.
Luckily this process is amazingly “kwik” and soon I am popping off the top of my platter and squirting on a healthy dose of their homemade white sauce. This sauce is what sets this Halal cart apart from the hundreds of others in the city — I have no idea what is in it and their is no indication the world will ever know the secret, though I suspect it is heavily mayonnaise based. Regardless it is addictive and I have no problem enjoying its (suspected) full fat goodness. Their hot sauce, another one of their coveted secret recipes, is not to be used liberally. I am a spicy food guy but this is on another level, anything more than a few drops is a mistake and will just ruin the plate so handling this squirt bottle requires surgical-like precision.
It really is amazing that this cart exists at all. The Bangladeshi owner and founder – now usually seen in a more supervisory role always wearing his iconic and somewhat ironic toque — was originally a sous chef at the venerable ‘Russian Tea Room’ before leaving his job and realizing that midtown is starved for a quality cart. Being the heart of the cab driving industry in the city hundreds of late night cabbies were looking for good cheap food that at least resembled what they were used to eating. Many of them are Muslim and needed a quick source of halal, meat butchered under Islamic guidelines. The halal cart and its Chicken and lamb over rice are really a unique NYC creation being influenced by Middle Eastern, Indian, Egyptian, Bangladeshi, and even Greek cuisine. Eventually the general public took notice and the word spread about this magical cart and soon it became a phenomenon. It seems that the halal cart is the new hot dog cart. “Hot dogs are for tourists,” says one cart owner.
The rain was still steady as we prepared to dig into our steaming plates. We found refuge under a shuttered deli’s awning, sitting against a wall. The smooth cold concrete was the perfect seating area while the rumbling of idling diesel engines and conversations in Hindi provided the perfect ambiance. Our noses — when not running from even the few drops of hot sauce — were still being tantalized by the smell of greasy griddled meat but also by fresh rain on the pavement. There is something amazingly satisfying about the griminess of the city and the omnipresent sounds of engines. There is nothing fake about this meal, no pomp or fluff trying to make it more than it really is. Maybe this is why I am so drawn to eating outdoors; I am simply an eater of the people!

A Baker’s Daughter’s Dozen Please

Note: I prefer the spelling DOnut to DOUGHnut.

Boulder, for those of you not familiar, is a donut wasteland — a beautiful place to live, but no source of deep fried dough in sight. A good donut and a cup of coffee can be the perfect breakfast when the donut is fresh and the coffee doesn’t suck; but let’s face it even bad donuts will do the trick almost every time. Luckily practice has been moved to Prospect Park in Wheat Ridge, conveniently located down the street from a 24 hour Winchell’s Donuts. I had never heard of this western donut chain but it was assured to me that it was definitely a step up from Krispy Kreme (most overrated of them all) and Dunkin’ (the standard). Luckily I now had something to get me through practice.

Sure enough as soon as we left the field we raced to the donuts as our hunger and childhood desire forced us out of the car and into the store, surely shocking the lone employee. We had already decided that with five of us a dozen donuts would be most economical, luckily at Winchell’s a dozen somehow equals 14 donuts. Raised, cake, and crullers; fritters and filled; cream and jam; iced and sugared; no option was missing. We opted for a bit of everything as our donut preferences were all different.

A Feast

I went straight for the glazed twist and I was shocked by how tasty it was — honestly one of the BEST I’ve ever had — especially good when dipped into my lukewarm coffee. It was raised but dense enough to be satisfying, reminding me of the classic honey bun found in every convenience store (a childhood favorite). The strawberry, sugar donut was far from perfect — honestly one of the WORST I’ve ever had. They need to work on their jam injection, it was all in one spot making for one sugar rush of a bite. The chocolate cake was pretty good as well as the cruller. Lemon filled was pretty bad, though really who orders lemon donuts anyway…

Let’s face it donuts aren’t difficult and it may be the one food where chains are just as likely to put out a quality product as a local bakery. Winchell’s puts forth a great effort in giving out quality donuts and, with a few notable exceptions, it does a good job of it; I would put that twist up against any bakery. It’s probably a good thing that there are no Winchell’s around, 24 hours a day of donuty goodness may be too much for me to handle. For now it’ll remain an occassional post practice dinner.

High Mountain Diners

When Sean Con comes to town chances are we will find some good places to eat at, not to mention all the meals we will cook together. Our camping trip up to the mountains was thankfully filled with both: dinners around the camp fire and late, leisurely breakfasts at a couple of roadside diners. One of, if not the, best thing about traveling regardless of where and what you do, is discovering new places to eat.

After night one in the bush — and after a especially filling dinner of sausage and beans and corn — we stopped at the Red Rocks Diner on Rt. 133 right off the highway in Carbondale, CO. We had heard from a friend that someone had brought an old diner car to the mountains and we had to check it out. We pulled up and were instantly impressed by the chrome diner car as well as the 1930 Ford parked outside — no less impressive was the 75 year old woman who started her up and drove off. Of course this being Colorado, a couple of rusty vintage cruiser bicycles were locked up out front. After walking in and surveying the surroundings, I was a little hesitant as the decor was very kitschy 50’s style, I worried this place was just a faux-retro diner where more energy was focused on the look of the place rather than the food and the service — luckily I would be proven very wrong.

Classic

We were greeted by an extremely friendly waitress (even by diner standards) who even had a little flirtatiousness to her — we later learned she is a bartender by night, surely using her chattiness to earn bigger tips from guys like me. The menu was standard diner fare with a glut of breakfasts, burgers, and full plates. The one catch was that, breakfast was only served until 11:30, a small sacrilege in the diner world and having sat down at noon we were a bit disappointed — I guess that’s what we get for leisurely drinking coffee and reading at the campsite. After our regret passed, we moved over to the lunch section of the menu where I was please to notice that their beef is sourced locally from the Nieslanik Ranch in Carbondale. As I tend to be a shameless locavore I ordered the barbecue burger — sauteed onions and mushrooms, barbecue sauce, and cheddar and jack cheeses. Of course I ordered my burger on rye bread with onion rings instead of fries, something I’ve picked up from my dad, but clearly the best way to eat a burger.

The burger ended up being pretty tasty and easily surpassed the average burger found at most Jersey diners. The almost sweet sauteed onions and mushrooms were perfect with the sauce and the cheese but ended up being a bit messy with sauce squirting out when I bit into it — probably my fault for opting against a normal bun. The onion rings were good, but nothing spectacular. SC had a surprisingly good salad and a bowl of exceptional chili. After a few more jokes from our waitress — who was unbelievably chipper despite having already worked six hours and had to be at her bartending job at three for another eight hour a shift (OY!) — we paid our bill and got back on the road in search of our next campsite.

As we headed down I-70 hoping to make up some miles before setting up camp that night, we stopped in to Eagle, CO for gas and some information. A friendly woman pointed us back a few exits to her favorite campsite, outside of Dotsero. Most importantly we drove by the Eagle Diner and found our breakfast spot for the next day. I love the way the architect used the classic diner lines but used an adobe looking material to evoke Southwestern design, very cool. The next morning we returned hungry for a serious breakfast — after a most enjoyable night camping river side — we were stunned when the interior of the Eagle Diner was identical to the Red Rock. Upon further investigation it turns out that the Eagle Diner is a sister diner of the Red Rock — along with a diner in New Castle, CO. While the fascist breakfast rules apply here as well, we arrived with more than enough time to break fast. The place was packed, as any diner should be on a Saturday morning, and the waitresses were all over the place wielding pitchers of water and pots of coffee.

Shockingly I had a big appetite and was looking past the usual bacon and eggs for something that would fill my insatiable stomach — green chili smothered chile relleno, eggs, hashbrowns, and beans. It was a feast, the chile relleno was deep fried in a tasty batter and smothered with a delicious pork green chili, this on its own would have been enough for some. The green chili was one of the better representations I had tasted, but the pork was a little tough and could have had a bit more stewing — its possible that this was the end of a batch and I’m curious to how it would taste fresh. The addition of perfectly cooked eggs and decent hashbrowns made it a breakfast and thus I knew it would be my most important meal of the day, the tepid refried beans I could have done without and left them virtually untouched. Sean Con of course got exactly the same thing he orders every time we go out for breakfast: scrambled eggs with onion, potatoes, and rye toast.

The Red Rock and Eagle Diners were winners, great examples of homstyle diner food served quick and cheap. Now I could have done with out the 50’s flare and they need to serve breakfast all day, but these are small prices to pay for a good diner. I highly reccomend them the next time you pass through Aspen or Vail, or even if you are jamming to Vegas in the middle of the night.

Campus Coolers

When summer time hits I can think of only one drink (well other than a crisp Pilsner) to quench my heat induced thirst, iced coffee. Summer days in Jersey were always punctuated with a large (32 oz.) iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts, and at under $2.50 it was a steal. My addiction grew once I started working at Starbucks and would drink a couple Ventis to get me through those shifts. Now while spending my first full summer in Boulder I have been treated to a wealth of gourmet coffee options, three great ones right on campus. It is refreshing that when remodeling three main building on campus, instead of opting for chains or boring school operated kiosks CU opened the bidding to local shops looking to open an outlet for students. In the last two years Vic’s, Folsom St., and The Laughing Goat have opened up shop to provide a quick jolt to students.

My leisurely summer has included a couple classes that force me to trek up to campus for a couple hours each day, iced coffee is the reward for my endeavor. My first foray was back in Spring Semester at Vic’s — with four spots, quickly becoming a local mini chain — and was very happy with their iced coffee. Simply it tastes like cold refreshing coffee, no special methods here. This cup was perfect for me, I like my coffee black and it was smooth enough on its own so need for milk and sugar. It was also not hyper-caffeinated so I wasn’t jittery having it after my usual morning cups at home.

Folsom St. Coffee was the next installment in the ever burgeoning campus coffee scene. This one is in Muenzinger so only a few flights down from my class, convenience is a must as I am always running late to my ONE class. However this is the most polarizing of the three being extremely bitter even for my tastes and being the most expensive ($3.31 for a large, oof). The call it a cold toddy, which is a different style of brewing — letting cold water sit in coarse grounds for over twelve hours — and apparently produces a much stronger bitter brew. This is one of the few times I’ll add anything — soy milk and one splenda thank you, I like the nuttiness of soy and splenda mixes better into drinks than sugar. This is also the most caffeinated of the bunch and I have to be careful to remember how many cups I had in the morning. Basically if I have time I’ll stop elsewhere but this is far from a bad last resort.

The newest addition to the campus scene is centrally located in the renovated Norlin Library — The Laughing Goat, one of Boulder’s “hippest” coffee shops. They provide one of the better cups of coffee around and I was excited by the prospect of having easy access to them. I finally got a chance to stop into the new library, which is beautiful, finally I see where all my tuition money is going.  Suddenly I was a little worried when I saw they advertised their “cold toddy,” that quickly would disolve when I took my first sip. It was nice and smooth, but with a distinct flavor that Vic’s didn’t have, and not at all overly bitter. I had no problem drinking this one black and at the price (under $3) it was perfect. My biggest concern was they they only had the bubble top , the kind used for frappucinos, rather than the normal lids which is one of my pet peeves. The whole thing looks a bit out of whack, but I got over it.

Regardless of all my kvetching I am really happy that CU has reached out to local businesses to set up shop on campus, it would be a travesty if all we had were chains.  All three of these places will not let you down and I suggest if you are have to be on campus that you patronize them. As a plus they all use compostable cups and straws so no need to lug your reusable mug around, though they can be quite a fashion accessory.

Double-dub

I spent the last 5 days in glorious NJ, with two days at Wildwood (14-0 and two trophies). Lots of playing and even more walking made me really hungry, as if I need an excuse to eat. Here is a play by play of the eating fest that always happens when I head homeward.

Friday: Bagel, lox, plain cream cheese, tomatoes, and red onions. Eaten over coffee with SC after he beat me again at tennis. (I’m beginning to think its cause I can’t play clay). For dinner had two dollar slices on the boardwalk — trust me, spend the extra buck or two at one of the Hot Spots for good pizza. However the crappy slices were overshadowed by being with all my old friends; even Art was there. Later that night after Tim (my bro-han) met up with Tip and Jenny we shared some deep-fried Oreos, easily the best of the shore’s deep-fried concoctions.

Saturday: Pepperoni slice at the Hot Spot was awesome (Shelley knows), especially after playing six straight games and having eaten nothing but a banana (and Pabst). Finally after going undefeated for the day (8-0) Rubin and I hit up a WaWa for some subs. Man there’s not much better than ordering a sub on a computer, the only problem is my tendency to overloaded my sub with toppings and it became kind of a mess but still delicious.

Sunday: While driving with Rubin to get subs the day before we passed by a donut shop, I was so pumped so I walked over there in the morning for a donut and coffee. However it turned out to be some “hip” cafe serving crepes, lame. So I got coffee and left, luckily someone ordered a pizza the night before so a cold slice of pepperoni was a nice breakfast on the way to the beach. As Rube and I tried to complete the dream season I put off eating shore food till the end of the day. Trust me a spinach and ricotta slice washed down with a pepperoni slice tastes much better after 6 games and two trophies (fine they were both non-comp. but still MJ was proud). Thankfully I was hungry by the time we got home as it was time for the cam-fam BBQ, MJ & SC set out quite a spread for all those who came to visit. It was great to have everyone come stay with us even though I spent most of the time at the grill with SC, no place better. Sausage; Jerk chicken; potato salad; corn, bean, rice, & cilantro salad; fennel, spring greens, & orange salad; and then brownies and balsamic berry fruit salad for dessert. My parents are the best.

Monday: SC picked up bagels from Sonny’s (best bagels around) for us all, what a treat. Later he wanted to show me a Cuban place in Newark owned by the guy he bought the bar for Ricci’s from. Rubin, e-claire, and I met him at HANDS and off we went to downtown Newark for lunch. Mi Gente is a small place with a few tables that does mostly take out business for the universities, government buildings, and courthouse; but man is it good. SC and I split a Cuban sandwich and a recession special (1 entree and 2 sides) which was roast pork shoulder, rice and peas, and plantains. We took it all to a park across from City Hall and enjoyed our excellent lunch, one of the best Cuban sandwiches I’ve ever had. For dinner that night my buddy Steven No.5 came over for a dinner of grilled pizzas using left overs from the night before: jerk chicken, chutney, and red onion & a tomato, pesto, sausage pie. Both came out great and it was a true “boop boop” moment as we were all tossing pizza dough in the kitchen together.

Tuesday: Jelly donut from Supreme and a black coffee on the way over the Vinnie’s basement to bottle the latest batch of wine SC had made. Cabernet Franc, Merlot blend and honestly it wasn’t bad, a nice red table wine. Drinking wine in a dank basement at 9 in the morning is truly quite an experience. For lunch we headed back to Newark where MJ was finishing up a trial so we went to McGovern’s tavern down the street from the court house. This place was a true Irish bar that has been here god knows how long. Corned beef & swiss on rye washed down with a Yuengling was a great last lunch in NJ. Of course today also happened to be the opening of Daily Soup — a project that HANDS had been working one for some time and is a true turning point for the Valley renaissance.  Now I was here for their frozen yogurt; they have over 30 mix ins ranging from all typers of nuts and fruit to nilla wafers to cayenne pepper and cherry tomatoes. Anthony, the proprietor, wants people to step outside of their comfort zone and try something that will tantalize all their taste buds. I’m a big fan of the salty-sweet combo so I chose pretzels and cashews with chocolate frozen yogurt and we also sampled the “banana pudding.” (hey its low fat!) The frozen yogurt was delicious and really hit the spot, I also was able to try some crab-tomato stew which was also fantastic. I really hope they do well and wish them the best of luck.

What a great weekend getting to hang out with all the old crew and the blogosphere (sorry Amy). I think I need to take a week to recover but I am already excited for next year.

Weekend Totals:

6 slices of pizza; 2 bagels; 2 fried oreos; 2 cam-fam bbq’s; 1 donut; 14 games won; 2 trophies; infinite amounts of pabst & yuengling.