Dallas -“The American Table:
Food Politics and Health’ played to a packed house at the 27th annual meeting of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
The gathering April 13-16 attracted more than 1,000 participants from north and south of the border, Europe, Asia, Scandinavia, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand and the Cayman Islands, descending on this part of the Texas prairie to explore the impact culture has on food.
Wrestling with ways to get consumers, particularly parents, involved in the complex issues surrounding kids, obesity and what’s available in schools, were Nina Simonds, author and expert on Asian food; registered dietitian Lilian Cheung from the Harvard School of Public Health; and Ellen Haas, founder of FoodFit.com and a former undersecretary of agriculture for food, nutrition and consumer services. They offered some surprising observations in the panel on food politics.
Cheung is not a big supporter of diets, noting that families that sit down and eat together tend to eat less and more slowly. If consumers won’t buy into basic revisions to their lifestyles, they can’t blame McDonalds and Burger King for making them fat, she says.
Haas wants to see more easy-to-make recipes for working parents who don’t have time for 15-ingredient and two-hour meals.
“At some point we have to come to terms with the fact that there are no bad foods,’ Haas says, “only bad eating habits. We shouldn’t demonize fast food. If you want a superburger or whatever it’s called, have one. Just don’t have one every day.’
It’s not unusual here to see a who’s who of stars in the culinary galaxy, such as Rick Bayless, whose Frontera Grill in Chicago first spread the gospel of mole and salsa almost 15 years ago.
Long before there was a Nuevo Latino, there was good old-
fashioned Viejo Latino, Mexican cooking traditions that had been around for centuries. Bayless finished what Diana Kennedy started, introducing vibrant Mexican flavors to the American palate.
Across the spacious mezzanine of the Wyndham Anatole, Bruce Aidells, looking for all the world like a latter-day Santa Claus, is chatting with Cathy Barber, food editor of the Dallas Morning News. Aidells’ books – especially his most recent, “Bruce Aidells’ Complete Book of Pork,’ is one of those destined-to-be-a-classic works that restores much-needed dignity to the pig. Aidells is called the sausage king for a reason: his insistence on only best cuts and fresh herbs and spices as ingredients in myriad concoctions.
Coloradans are here, too. Some might remember Rafih Benjelloun, the Moroccan restaurateur who introduced locals to his country’s food in the 1980s, with his Mataam Fez restaurants in Denver, Boulder and Colorado Springs. Although he has sold them and now owns Imperial Fez in Atlanta, he remembers Denver fondly.
“I came along with this food 20 years ago, and the people in Denver ate it up – literally and figuratively,’ he says with a still-discernible accent. “People said the spices were too exotic, that we would have to moderate our flavors to accommodate the Denver palate, but that wasn’t true. They were so ready for something new.’
Apparently, Atlantans and the rest of the food world have also taken to Benjelloun. He and his wife, Rita, made the cover of Bon Appetit two years ago, in an article predicting Moroccan food would be the next new wave of food from another part of the world.
Sure enough, there’s the McCormick and Co. spice booth, distributing samples of two of its new products, ground annatto and annatto seeds.
The never-ending search for the new attracts people like Ellen Hird, a registered dietitian from Denver who is here for the third year.
“I come to see what’s new and to get in touch with my food side,’ she says. “The common bond here is that everyone loves good food.’
Kim Reddin, director of public and industry relations for the Greeley-based National Onion Association, is on hand to promote the varied benefits of the red, yellow and white cousin to the lily – from allyl sulfides, compounds that are said to lower blood pressure and discourage tumor growth, to quercetin, an antioxidant flavonoid.
This is the first IACP conference for Randi Levin, whose cookbook, “Cooking at High Altitude: The Muffin Lady’s Old-
Fashioned Recipes,’ interweaves family lore and personal philosophy with recipes tested at 8,000 feet.
Levin finds the conference a bit overwhelming.
“I didn’t realize how isolated I was living in my little mountain town,’ she says. “I think this hotel is almost as big as Evergreen. “And there are all these people who know so much about food. I have to tell myself ‘Yeah, but what do they know about baking moist muffins at 8,000 feet?”
Sponsored by companies as diverse as Whole Foods and Southern Comfort, dozens of workshops focus on how a diverse food community can market itself to the larger culture.
Yukari Pratt, a chef and sommelier from Japan, is also a food and travel writer who conducts culinary tours.
“We find that the more people travel, the more familiar they become with foods from different cultures, and the more they see how important healthy food is,’ she says. “And the people who can’t travel can watch the Food Network and get a sense of foods from other places.’
Indeed, the Food Network is to food what National Geographic is to travel, says Moroccan restaurateur Benjelloun.
Staff writer Ellen Sweets can be reached at 303-820-1284 or esweets@denverpost.com.
Portobello Pork Chops
When the Pork Information Bureau research showed that an estimated eight out of 10 home cooks invented their own recipes, it launched a no-fuss, “No Recipe” contest. This was the grand prize winner. This was the grand prize winner. Serves 4.
Ingredients
4 bone-in pork rib or loin chops, about 3/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups mild chunky salsa 1 cup chopped Portobello mushrooms
1 cup shredded cheese
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Trims fat from chops, if desired
Spoon salsa into a 3-quart baking dish. Arrange chops on top of salsa. Combine mushrooms, cheese and syrup in a medium bowl. Spoon over chops.
Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Serves chops with salsa.
Per servings: 320 calories;16g fat; 8g saturated fat; 93 mg cholesterol; 648 mg sodium; 14g carbohydrates; 31g protein; 2g fiber.
Texas Trail Beef Macaroni
Forget about Hamburger Helper; this made-from-scratch recipe is one of several one-pot meals from Kitchen Basics. Filling and free of additives, it’s great for the dorm, the sleepover or a home-cooked meal for working parents. Serves 8.
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
32 ounces beef stock
1 29-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
4 cups macaroni
Cheddar or Parmesan cheese
Directions
In a large pan, brown beef with onions. Drain Fat. Add garlic, stock, tomato sauce, water, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder and basil. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 110 minutes, or until macaroni is done. Top servings with Cheddar or Parmesan cheese.
Asian American Lamb Noodle Salad with Peanuts
Although this recipe is billed as a salad, it was served as a warm entree during a buffet lunch at the recent IACP conference in Dallas. It proved to be a very popular offering. Serves 16 as an appetizer or 6-8 as a main course.
Ingredients
10 green onions (white and pale green parts only), chopped
3 tablespoons sesame oil, divided use
3 tablespoons rice wine or apple juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon salad
1 pound American lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch thick bite-size pieces
6 ounces sweet potato noodles or cellophane noodles
3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided use
4-5 cups baby spinach leaves
1/4 pound snow peas, strings removed
1 carrot, julienne cut and blanched
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup coarsely chopped roasted peanuts
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine green onions, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, rice wine (or apple juice), soy sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce and salt. Remove 2 tablespoons and mix into lamb. Cover, refrigerate and marinate for 30 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce
Prepare noodles according to package directions. Remove from heat, rinse, drain and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Set aside.
In a large, nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add one-half of the shallots and stir for 10 seconds. Add lamb and cook, stirring occasionally until no longer pink, about 4-6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and keep warm.
Wipe out skillet and add remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add remaining shallots and stir 10 seconds. Add remaining shallots and stir 10 seconds. Mix in noodles and reserved sauce, cooking for 3-4 minutes or until sauce is absorbed. Add spinach, snow peas and carrots. Stir fry 3-4 minutes or until spinach is just wilted. Pour into bowl of lamb. Add peanuts, toss and serve.
