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The Five Second Rule: Picking Up Food Off the Floor

Posted by roodonfood on March 17, 2014 in Pop Culture

Do you pick up food off the floor by invoking the “five second rule?” A preliminary study from Aston University in the U.K is backing up that claim. The study covered two of the most common bacteria, E. Coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Their findings support the idea that there really is such a thing as the five-second rule for moist snacks, such as wet pasta and sticky gummy bears.[Source: NPR’s The Salt “Five Second Rule Science: With Carpet There’s No Rush“]

Dry foods like potato chips and cookies didn’t pickup many more bacteria even after waiting 30 seconds. And if you drop food on the carpet, the risk is even lower. Obviously wet items will pick up more on carpets, especially if you have pets.

The findings are still preliminary and much of this depends on how clean your floor is. Scientists at the Smithsonian remind us that it’s like playing “Russian Roulette with your gut.” Picking up food comes with risk so if you’re going to do it, make it quick.

Tags: 10 second rule, five second rule, food, Gluten Free, is it okay to pick up food off the floor, Vegan, vegetarian Permalink

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Sweet Saturday: Parle Fab! Hide and Seek Strawberry Sandwich Cookies (Product of India)

Posted by roodonfood on March 15, 2014 in indian, Snacks, Sweet Beat

Fab! Strawberry
Image Source: http://grabgrocery.com/product-details.php?product_id=492

Parle is the largest biscuit maker in India. This strawberry sandwich cookie falls under their chocolate chip Hide and Seek line. The package contains 9 pieces. Off the bat the candy-ish strawberry aroma hits your nose. They’re studded with chocolate bits and it has a satisfying crunch. The filling is creamy and doesn’t taste as artificial as I expected. In fact, these cookies are very close in flavor to the chocolate and strawberry elements in astronaut ice cream. Though this is artificially flavored, I’d make an exception and get these Parle Fab! Biscuits again. (Especially if astronaut ice cream isn’t available).

Fab! Cookies

Tags: cookies, indian food, indian snack reviews, indian snacks, parle, parle fab!, parle hide and seek, sweet beat Permalink

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Breakfast in Other Countries

Posted by roodonfood on March 14, 2014 in Pop Culture

As an American, I grew up eating eggs, toast, bacon, pancakes, cereal, oatmeal, grits etc. I’ve often wondered though what people sit down to eat for breakfast in other countries.

This video via Buzzfeed answers that question. My favorite from this list would probably be the Indian dosa with sambhar or the Vietnamese Pho. Which of these would you try for breakfast? Are you from outside the U.S? What’s a typical breakfast for you? Did they get it right?

Tags: breakfast, breakfast in other countries, breakfast outside the U.S, food Permalink

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Product Reviews: Primo Spicy Aged Egyptian Cheese

Posted by roodonfood on March 10, 2014 in Brooklyn, gluten free, Product Reviews

Primo Mish

I’m a fan of spreadable cheeses, making a point to seek them out whenever visiting an ethnic neighborhood or store. But my streak of uneventful spreadable cheese purchases came to a halt at Fertile Crescent at 570 Atlantic Avenue the other day. This “Primo Spicy Aged Egyptian Cheese” was in the dairy case of go-to spot for tahini, pomegranate molasses and shea butter. At only $2.95 and made with fermented cheese, ghee, cumin, salt, and pepper it sounded like an interesting option.

After plopping down the item for purchase their was a brief pause, followed by the cashier saying “I don’t think you will like this cheese. This is Egyptian. You will find it too salty.” Having never been refused purchase of anything anywhere, it felt a bit like a challenge. He conferred with the owner and produced a straw with some to try. It was salty (maybe double the amount in feta) but also pleasantly smoky and spicy. I learned that this type of fermented, aged cheese is called mish and is meant to be consumed in conjunction with other things.

After confirming my desire to purchase it, the otherwise serious Egpytian proprietors began to whip out suggestions to maximize the mish experience. The store owner suggested having it with tomatoes! And also oil! Another equally forceful Egyptian man, not affiliated with the store said tahini is best. Thankful for the input and a little taken aback by all the help, I headed home post-purchase.

Tasting
It spread well on pita. With olive oil the mish’s creaminess really sings. The cumin provides smokiness and the pepper the slightest heat. With oil and tahini, the contrasting textures and flavors make it even more satisfying. Unfortunately, it’s not time for good tomatoes yet, so that suggestion has so far gone untested.

Conclusion
This spreadable cheese is fantastic because of the Fertile Crescent team’s suggestions. By itself, for most American palates it would be too salty. If no one manages to talk you out of it, mish is worth trying out in conjunction with tahini and oil. Have you tried this treat before?

Primo Mish

Tags: brooklyn, cheese, egyptian cheese, egyptian food, fertile crescent brooklyn, food, mish Permalink

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Sweet Saturday: Lindt Wasabi Dark Chocolate Review

Posted by roodonfood on March 8, 2014 in Sweet Beat

Lindt Wasabi

Wasabi, with its gone-in-seconds-sharp-mustard punch seemed like a daring combination to have with chocolate. This was a gift from my brother around Christmas time. He said after seeing the strange flavor combination he thought of me. (haha).

This Lindt bar contains at least 47% cocoa solids which means at least by European standards, it’s considered dark chocolate. Interestingly, the U.S has no set definition for dark chocolate but Europe sets the bar at at least 35% cocoa solids.

On opening the bar, the nostrils sting just a touch. The wasabi smell is clear (although it uses artificial flavors). Breaking off a piece, the dark chocolate is pleasantly creamy which isn’t surprising since it’s on the low-end of the darkness scale. The wasabi flavor hits quick and disappears quick. The slight heat is interesting but it’s another case where one piece is enough. In terms of intense flavors I’d much prefer chili.

I give Lindt credit though for trying something different. This will appeal to folks who like the endorphin rush of wasabi. The bar is made of sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, milkfat, artificial flavors and soya lecithin.

Tags: Candy, chocolate reviews, food, lindt wasabi, wasabi chocolate Permalink

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Chilaquiles Verdes or Nachos in Green Tomatillo Sauce

Posted by roodonfood on March 6, 2014 in gluten free, Recipes, vegan

Chilaquiles Verdes

Chilaquiles Verdes is another food like Sopa de Lima I came across in Mexico. It’s a pretty way of saying soggy nachos in green sauce. Which name sounds better to you? Despite the unappetizing translation it’s a very tasty breakfast or snack. With breakfast, the dish will often include a sunny side egg on top. It also lends itself to tofu scramble on top if you’re vegan/vegetarian. Other versions use red salsa in place of green (in which case the name changes to chilaquiles rojos).

Making chilaquiles verdes from scratch involves two steps: frying tortilla strips and creating the sauce. Epicurious provides an easy recipe. Or if you’re pressed for time many brands like Goya and La Costena make ready-made sauces. For the strips, regular tortilla chips from Calidad or Santitas work well.

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
2 dozen tortilla chips
1 cup of salsa verde
½ onion, chopped
handful of cilantro

Method:
In a pan pour the cup of salsa verde and heat on low. Once the salsa begins to warm, add in the chips. Stir and flip the chips occasionally ensuring they’re all coated in sauce. When the chips are slightly soggy but not breaking they’re ready to serve (1-2 minutes at most). On a plate served the nachos garnished with the chopped onions and cilantro. If desired, serve tofu scramble or an egg on top.

Tags: chilaquiles verdes recipe, food, Gluten Free, mexican food, nachos recipe, Vegan Permalink

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Chicken Soup with Lime or Sopa De Lima Recipe

Posted by roodonfood on March 5, 2014 in gluten free, Recipes

Sopa De Lima

I first tried sopa de lima at Paradisus resort in Cancun, Mexico. While I had misgivings about the selection of foods (no tacos?), they did have a few options I’d never seen including this one. On initial glance this Yucatan specialty looks like standard chicken soup until you taste the generous squeeze of lime that gives it the signature tang.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
1 pd chicken thighs or legs
½ onion, chopped
2 medium potatoes, chopped small
6 cloves of garlic, chopped small
1 carrot, chopped medium
2 oz spinach
1 celery stick, chopped small
2 bay leaves
2 tomatoes, chopped or a few spoons of tomato paste
1 jalapeno, chopped small
1 guajillo chili, chopped small (to impart smokiness)
2 cups chicken stock
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 t oregano
Juice from one lime ~1 oz
Optional: Cilantro

Method:
Add about a tablespoon of oil to a pot and turn on to medium low. Toss in onions, bay leaves, jalapeno, guajillo and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes. Now add in remaining ingredients except lime juice, chicken and chicken stock. Once tomatoes begins to soften add in chicken and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low about 20 minutes. When the chicken pieces have cooked all the way through remove them from heat. Let it cool for a few minutes then shred the chicken and place meat back into pot. Finally add in lime juice and cook for an additional 5 minutes. If desired include cilantro and tortilla chips for garnish. Serve hot.

Tags: chicken soup recipe, chicken soup with lime, food, Gluten Free, lime soup, mexican chicken soup, mexican soup, sopa de lima recipe Permalink

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Happy Birthday To Me

Posted by roodonfood on March 3, 2014 in Brooklyn

This cold March day is my birthday. To celebrate I enjoyed the simple pleasures of a cappuccino, black and white cookie and J.R.R Tolkien’s the Hobbit which was a present from brother. So please enjoy and don’t forget that it’s also National Cold Cuts Day too.

Tags: Birthday, food, the hobbit, tolkien Permalink

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Sweet Saturday: Paczi Polish Jelly Donuts

Posted by roodonfood on March 1, 2014 in Food Adventures

Paczi

Paczi are traditional Polish donuts with fillings like rose and plum jam. They’re particularly popular on Fat Thursday the celebration before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of lent. A few years back I got a bad impression of Paczi after purchasing a couple from my local kielbasy shop. Upon opening the bag, we got a strong whiff of smoked meats. Venturing to take a bite it even tasted of kielbasy (though it was a jelly filling) . Needless to say we began to refer to them as meat donuts. After a friend posted about Paczi and how good they were, we decided to give it another shot. At Eagle Provisions, a Polish run grocery store they were selling both rose and plum (powidl) flavors for a buck each.

Given the aforementioned baggage my first bite was small. It tasted…like a donut. It took a few more bites to get to the filling. The rose flavor was actually delicious. It’s sweet and rich but doesn’t taste as fake as jelly donuts can. It’s a perfect match for the breadiness of the paczi. The plum was nice. The filling not unexpectedly tastes like prune jelly.

If you’re in an area with a Polish population, check out a few paczi. They’re only available for a few more days. Have you tried these donuts before?

Paczi

Tags: fat thursday, food, paczi, paczi day, polish food Permalink

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Korean Chicken Stew (DakDoriTang) Recipe and Love of the Winter

Posted by roodonfood on February 28, 2014 in New York City, Recipes

RoodonFood Dakdoritang – Spicy Chicken Stew

Based on all the complaints on Facebook, winter has few fans. Maybe it’s the icy roads and stir craziness but most people want this season, one of the snowiest ever, to be done. As a runner I’ve started to enjoy cold weather runs. I had to adjust to multiple layers of clothes and occasionally a balaclava but now I don’t dread it (unless it gets to single digits).

The other upshot of the winter are the stews. I’ve come to love Korean food, and they are a stew crazy culture. This simple recipe uses gochujang, a hot pepper paste made from fermented soybeans, chilies peppers, rice, and sugar. In addition to spice, it imparts a tang from the soybeans, a touch of sweetness and a beautiful red hue. I purchased a small tub of it at Hmart for about $4.

Gochujang – Hot Pepper Paste

Gochujang – Not as intense as it looks.

This recipe is close to traditional. If you like additional spice, consider purchasing some gochujaru (chili flakes). To make it a one pot meal the rice was added directly into the stew. I’ll be ready when spring arrives with fresh produce and sunny days, but until then it’s stew and soup time.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
1 pd chicken thighs or legs
½ onion, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped in big pieces
2 medium potatoes, chopped in big pieces
1 oz spinach
1 cup of rice
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 T ginger paste
2 T gochujang paste
2 T soy sauce
1 T sugar
salt to taste
green onions (optional – for garnish)

Method:
In a wok or deep pan, add a little oil and turn on to medium-low. Toss in onions, ginger and garlic. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Now toss in chicken. Let the chicken brown slightly (a couple minutes on each side, turning once. In a bowl, mix soya, gochujang, and sugar well. Pour the mixture into the pan along with rice, carrots, potatoes and spinach. Finally, add in enough water to mostly submerge the contents. Bring to a boil, then down to low. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning to your liking. Garnish with green onions if desired. Enjoy your one pot meal and don’t forget to toast Old Man Winter.