Showing posts with label Jamie Oliver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jamie Oliver. Show all posts

Monday, April 9, 2012

Rebel with a Cause: Foodie Elitism (Article)

http://handpickednation.com/read/rebel-with-a-cause-foodie-elitism/


It’s an interesting question: should I feel guilty for spending extra money on local/organic food? People are starving in the world and here I am eating an organic apple. While I fill my grocery basket with organic produce at a local market, other people don’t even have access to fresh produce in their stores.

Did you know over 13 million people in the US live in a food desert? About 80% of these people are in urban areas.
It’s also peculiar the kind of meaning we give food. When was the last time you heard someone say they felt guilty for buying clothing/jewelry/cars/houses/vacations and feeling guilty about it? However, food has become highly politicized as we assign labels “good” vs “bad” to food depending on how it was grown, manufactured, transported, and prepared so this is just an extension of that trend. We've polarized the issue so much that if you have the means and/or skills to cook your own food from scratch, you're elitist and out of touch which means fast food and microwaved meals are the norm.

Jamie Oliver has been a very public figure in trying to reverse this trend in order to combat obesity and health complications in the US and the UK, but this is something we're all going to have to have an active role in order to bring change.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Fifteen Chocolate Brownies

Jamie Oliver is genius, and it's not just the British accent. I found this recipe in his book, Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook. It's got all kinds of recipes in it. I've made his sticky saucepan carrots (which are REALLY good) and his brownies. I can honestly say I've never had better brownies in my life. It's better than even the Ghiradelli mix you can buy at the store. Of course, it's not as easy as adding eggs and some oil, but almost.

Fifteen chocolate brownies (p. 384)

18 tbsp butter
7 oz dark chocolate, broken up (I used a mixture of 80% cocoa and milk chocolate)
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs, beaten

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 12 inch baking pan with was paper.
  2. In a double boiler (put a large pan over simmering water), melt the butter and chocolate until smooth. Whisk dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the chocolate. Finally, add in the eggs until smooth.
  3. Pour batter into the baking pan and bake for 25 minutes. It is important to not over bake these brownies, so do not test with a toothpick.
These brownies are perfectly moist and melt in your mouth. I found they keep for several days without becoming dry--likely due to the under baking.