Tag: Food

Expensive Being A Meat Eater

For most people it is grilling season….I grill year round so I am in the middle of my season…..but it is Memorial Day weekend the unofficial start of Summer and the grilling season.

All across America grills are being fired up in preparation for those burgers or steaks or chicken…..and there may be a future that is not too pleasing.

I am a die hard meat eater…..although I am not a big fan of lamb but all others will be on my menu at some point…..my favorite is bison but it is already expensive.

So when I read a report about the possible coming of more price hikes on meat I was just shaking my head….

Plenty of grocery staples are going to start costing more in 2025 thanks to inflation, supply chain disruptions, and the implementation of President Donald Trump’s proposed trade tariffs. Meat is one grocery item that’s frequently imported from other nations, and as a result, consumers will see its cost rise as these tariffs take effect. From poultry to veal, meat across the board is about to get more expensive — even Costco foods like beef and seafood will likely start to see price changes.

While these tariffs, which charge international companies to export goods to the U.S., will theoretically raise the nation’s revenue and stimulate domestic production, the reality is that this higher cost of offshore trade will likely get passed onto consumers through elevated in-store and online prices. In some cases, countries have responded with retaliatory tariffs. China, for example, announced a tariff boost from 34% to 84% (and eventually up to 125%) on imported U.S. goods, though fortunately, both countries agreed in May to significantly slash these respective increases, if only for a three-month period.

While tariffs are not the direct reason for every jump in price across the industry, they may prompt ripple effects when combined with other economic and environmental factors. Here are the meats worth keeping an eye on.

Let’s begin with my favorite…..beef….

Certain types of beef, like wagyu and Kobe (a variety of wagyu), are known to be expensive. But more affordable varieties, like ground beef and sirloin steak, have long been meal staples for those watching their spending, as they’re filling, high in protein, and generally quite accessible. In the coming months, however, these go-to foods might pose a budgeting issue for the average American consumer.

Since the start of the pandemic, supply chain issues have already boosted the cost of bovine meat, and while that particular industry challenge has eased somewhat, new economic difficulties are once again threatening to place this ingredient out of reach for some. The domestic cattle population, which currently sits at around 86 million, is the lowest it’s been since 1951, according to USDA data. Imported beef from countries like Canada and Mexico helps fill out the U.S. supply — a boon during summer grilling season when U.S. demand for beef is at its peak — but 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports may result in higher costs getting passed onto consumers. Additionally, in May 2025, President Donald Trump suspended Mexican beef imports for 15 days following an outbreak of screwworm among the country’s cattle, further straining trade relations.

According to data from the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, the average price for a pound of beef in April 2025 was $5.80 — an increase of nearly 13% from the previous year (via USA Today). Over the course of 2025, the USDA forecasts that beef prices will continue to rise at least 6.3%.

Veal

Veal is essentially a younger, more expensive version of beef. It comes from male calves, specifically those that are under 18 weeks old. Like lamb, there’s plenty of controversy surrounding the production and consumption of veal, but it remains a staple on restaurant menus and in butcher shops across the country.

Like beef prices, the cost of veal is expected to rise at least 6.3% over the course of 2025, according to USDA data. The agency states that “tight supplies and continued consumer demand” are the cause of increases across the bovine meat industry, and one reason for this tight supply is consistent drought. According to the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), the latter half of 2024 set drought records, with all states experiencing some level of dryness except for Alaska and Kentucky. Since some domestic beef producers grow their own cattle feed, lack of precipitation often leads to less food and smaller herds.

A swell of inflation in January 2025 and proposed tariffs affecting U.S.-Mexico trade will no doubt also play a role in elevated veal costs. As Jason Walker, co-owner of California’s StarWalker Organic Farms, told The New York Post in February 2025, current record-high prices at cattle auctions are great, “If you’re selling cattle … If you’re buying cattle, it’s not a great thing.” As more ranchers attempt to sell, their herd sizes continue to shrink, thus perpetuating the cycle.

Pork

As beef prices rise, many consumers may start opting for more affordable proteins like pork. There are plenty of ground pork recipes you can make on repeat to get as much value as possible out of this ingredient, but it’s still not immune to the effects of economic upheaval. Per USDA data, pork prices will likely rise at least 1.8% over the course of the year, and while this may seem negligible considering larger projected increases like those affecting beef, people grocery shopping on a budget are likely to feel the squeeze regardless.

Increased demand due to seasonal shifts in consumer behavior may also impact prices. In May 2025, economist David Anderson, Ph.D. told National Hog Farmer that the meat industry gets “a seasonal run going into Memorial Day” and that “demand during grilling season can influence prices across most everything beef, poultry, and pork.” Furthermore, data shared by the USDA in April indicates that domestic pork production in 2025 will equal just 28.1 billion pounds — a 350 million-pound drop from March projections. Dips in production paired with increasing demand may signal further price hikes.

As a result of the ongoing trade war, pork exported from the U.S. into China also faces a potential 81% tariff, which may threaten profit margins and supply in the American hog industry. While tensions appear to be easing as certain tariffs are slashed, market uncertainty remains.

Chicken

While some consumers may find themselves relying more heavily on chicken as an affordable protein source as red meat prices continue to rise, that affordability may only be relative. USDA data indicates that throughout 2025, the price of chicken will likely increase by about 1%. This isn’t a huge margin, but as other grocery staples also grow more costly, higher chicken prices will only contribute to financial strain for many shoppers.

Both labor shortages and the increased price of feed have raised overall production costs in the poultry industry, and these increases will likely become evident throughout the year as chicken products receive heftier price tags. While tariffs won’t necessarily factor into these increases directly, this was a possibility when China’s tariffs on U.S. poultry exports from companies like Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride were on the rise back in April. Regardless of direct tariff impact, American consumers’ increased reliance on this bird is hard to disentangle from rising beef costs.

In the short term, chicken prices may also rise to meet demand leading up to summer occasions like Memorial Day. Beef is the most popular meat to grill over the holiday weekend according to data shared by GV Wire in 2024: On average, 34% of people named steak as their meat of choice for Memorial Day that year, and while burgers came in second with 19%, chicken managed to snag third place with a respectable 18% (beating out ribs with 11% and hot dogs with just 5%).

Turkey

Much like chicken, turkey is another type of poultry that will see price increases throughout 2025. The USDA’s 101st Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum highlighted “declines in turkey production” in 2024, resulting from decreased prices over the two previous years. In turn, this reduced production — now forecast to decrease 3% in 2025 for an annual total of 4.97 billion pounds — is slated to drive up turkey prices during the year. The agency also noted declines in turkey exports during 2024, which may further strain availability.

Furthermore, in late April 2025, the Veterinary and Food Administration confirmed the presence of avian influenza in certain turkey products imported from Denmark. As health authorities continue attempts to quell a similar virus in chickens — the same one driving up the cost of eggs nationwide — the U.S. turkey industry might experience changes in supply and, as a result, price.

As far as tariffs are concerned, turkey does not appear subject to the same rise in costs Americans are seeing for other protein staples. Much U.S. turkey is produced domestically, and in fact, according to USDA data, chicken is the more commonly imported poultry. For example, between May 4 and 10, 2025, 367 metric tons of turkey were imported to the U.S. exclusively from Canada, whereas chicken imports from Canada, Chile, and Mexico clocked in at 1,599 metric tons over the same period. With President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports in effect, however, turkey prices may continue to fluctuate.

Fish

The seafood market was seemingly one of the first to see effects from President Donald Trump’s tariffs. By mid-April 2025, U.S. fish vendors were noticing price increases across the industry, especially on products from places like Canada and Brazil. Imports from countries across Asia, such as China, Vietnam, India, and Indonesia, are also likely to see price changes. Steep tariffs on items like cod, halibut, and swordfish have upended production for many vendors, who must now seek out alternative trade partners to keep consumer prices in check.

Norway, a major salmon supplier for the U.S., has faced a 15% tariff since April. According to SalmonBusiness, this could drive up prices by $7 or more per fish. Demand for domestic seafood options will likely rise as these tariffs take effect, and this in turn could further impact prices as well as local supply. According to April 2025 data from Expana, salmon fillets exported from Europe saw a 12% price increase over the course of a week, while Chilean fillet exports rose 6% over the same period. The time-sensitive nature of transporting non-frozen fish may also exacerbate these industry changes. Prices will no doubt continue to fluctuate as trade negotiations continue — especially since about 85% of seafood in the U.S. is imported, according to WFAE.

Shellfish

Much like fish such as salmon and halibut, shellfish is another type of seafood that will see major price shifts as a result of tariffs. Shrimp, lobster, crab, and scallops are just some of the items in this category that have already seen price surges as international vendors navigate new trade limitations.

As an example, let’s take a look at the shrimp industry, which will see tariffs ranging from 10% to 32%. One reason these increases will notably affect shoppers is that most of the shrimp Americans consume annually — over 90%, according to The New York Times — is imported from countries like India, Indonesia, Ecuador, and Vietnam. While Ecuador is only subject to 10% tariffs as of this writing, the other countries listed are (or initially were) subject to much higher rates. Indonesia, for example, could see tariffs as high as 32% under President Donald Trump’s plan, thus making consumer goods imported from the island nation that much more expensive. Vietnam, meanwhile, would have been subject to 46% tariffs before negotiations slashed this number to 10%.

Not everyone in the shellfish industry is pessimistic about these changes, however. The East Coast Shellfish Growers Association expressed support for higher import tariffs in a March 2025 letter to an assistant U.S. trade representative, citing “substantial government subsidies and reduced regulatory costs” as two major advantages offshore competitors have over U.S. shellfish farms — advantages the group believes tariffs would remedy. Other entities like Get Maine Lobster emphasize that domestic shellfish options will remain tariff-free amid a shifting international market.

Read More: https://www.mashed.com/1865103/meats-grab-before-prices-increase/

Be prepared for the coming increases….or switch to that tasteless crap called….plant based meat.

Happy grilling my friends.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

That Magnificent Burger!

First get the crap out of the way….Haley loses to Trump in South Carolina (go figure)….time for her to think about retiring.

Another Sunday and what better time to learn something….especially if it is something about America’s favorite food.

It is getting to be March and that magical time we call Spring….and all across the Deep South people dusting off and rolling out their grills and one of the first things we do is cook burgers.

I admit it I do enjoy a good burger….mine is with cheese with mayo and brown mustard….put the garden on the side….but as good as a burger is where did it all begin?  (Surprise!  A little history.)

Close your eyes and picture a hamburger. Whether the version in your imagination is bursting with lettuce and tomatoes and oozing ketchup or not, it’s a sure bet that the image in your mind’s eye includes a bun. Without a bun it’s not a hamburger, though—it’s just a hamburger patty, or what used to be known as a hamburger steak (or hamburg steak).

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering who invented the first hamburger, you’re not alone. Below, discover more fascinating details about the history of hamburgers, from their minced beef-with-suet recipe origins to White Castle’s legendary “sliders,” and more.

Exactly how a dish named for a German city evolved into one of America’s favorite foods is a riddle wrapped in a mystery on a sesame seed bun.

The earliest reference to the ancestor of the hamburger appears in an English cookbook from 1763. In Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy, Hannah Glasse explains how to make a Hamburgh sausage. The recipe calls for mixing minced beef with suet, spices, wine, and rum and stuffing it into a gut, which is then smoked and dried. Except for those final steps of converting it into a sausage, the minced meat and fat with spices could be considered a hamburg steak, which is defined as a dish of salted and smoked minced beef.

The first glimpse of hamburg steak occurred around the 1870s, when this dish began popping up in restaurants. In San Francisco, a menu from the Clipper Restaurant dated 1871 to 1884 lists Hamburg beefsteak for 10 cents, the same price as stewed mutton, tripe, or salmon. A tenderloin steak was 20 cents. 

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/56926/history-hamburger

Now you have learned everything you need to know about the amazing burger….I mean burgers are so popular there is even a pop song about them….

For full disclosure….while I truly enjoy a big thick burger today I will be grilling a couple of tenderloins with baked potato and a salad.

Enjoy your day and have a burger life will look so much more bright.

As always….Be Well and Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–12Jan24

Damn I love a good burger!

And then there are things like the Big Mac.

Do you like the Big Mac? How about a double Big Mac….interested?

Well Bubba you can have it your way for a limited time….coming soon to a menu near you.

The chain just announced it will be taking its Big Mac and multiplying the meat by two for a returning menu item. That’s right: the Double Big Mac, with its four (count ’em, four) burger patties, is back after a four-year hiatus.

The Double Big Mac features four 100% all-beef patties and is topped with pickles, shredded lettuce, finely chopped onions, a slice of American cheese and Big Mac sauce, all sandwiched between a sesame seed bun.

The hefty hamburger will be available at participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide starting Wednesday, Jan. 24, for a limited time. A McDonald’s USA spokesperson says the price of the Double Big Mac is determined by each individual restaurant and may vary by location.

The regular Big Mac already costs about $7…..that would make a double to cost about $14….seriously?

Who the Hell is that stupid?

That was rhetorical no need to answer.

For about $4 more I can have the best burger in my area…and this burger is a bison burger.

For those weight watchers….the double Big Mac will have 740 calories and that does not include the fries or the sugary drink.

It also has 46g of carbs…..45g of fats…..and 1370 mg or sodium.

In other words while you are enjoying a trendy crappy meal you can entertain yourself by listening to your arteries slam shut.

This is a stupid idea and even stupider idea to eat this junk.

Of course that is my personal opinion and not a professional one.

I hope everyone has a great weekend….and as always….Be well and Be Safe.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

History For A Sunday

I like to throw some knowledge in for my regular readers and at the same time try to add a little history to keep in interesting.

But first I saw a report last week about a delivery van in Alaska for Krispy Kreme donuts and 2 bears got in the van and ate 25 cartons of donuts.

And I thought….hey, donut.

Who does not like a cup of coffee and a warm doughnut?

And that is the history lesson for this Sunday…..the doughnut.

Doughnuts, with their rich history dating back centuries, have undergone a remarkable evolution, becoming a cherished part of culinary traditions worldwide. From their humble beginnings to the innovative creations found in artisanal shops today, doughnuts continue to captivate taste buds and bring moments of joy to people around the globe.

Doughnuts are a popular and beloved pastry made from sweet, fried dough, often shaped as a ring or a filled ball, and adorned with various toppings, glazes, or fillings. The origins of doughnuts trace back through centuries and across cultures, from ancient Native American settlements to the Dutch immigrants in America, each contributing to the doughnut’s development. Learning about their history not only sheds light on the ancient traditions of different societies but also highlights the ingenuity and creativity involved in transforming a simple fried dough into an iconic and diverse pastry.

Fried dough has been a part of culinary traditions worldwide for centuries. Evidence of fried dough consumption can be traced back to ancient Native American settlements, while sweetened fried dough was enjoyed by the Romans and Greeks in antiquity. The doughnut’s historical origins are often attributed to Dutch immigrants who arrived in 17th- and 18th-century New York, then known as New Netherland.

These immigrants made fried dough balls known as “olie koeken” or “olykoeks,” which translates to “oil cakes.” The word “donut” is believed to have Dutch roots, coming from the word “oily cakes” or “dough knots” (oliekoeken or oliekoecken). Dutch settlers brought their tradition of frying balls of sweet dough to America in the 17th century. These early American donuts were often made with nuts or fruit inside.

These early treats closely resembled modern-day doughnuts but lacked the iconic ring shape. Instead, they were filled with fruits and nuts in the centre to ensure even cooking, addressing the issue of the dough in the centre cooking more slowly than the outer portions. Doughnuts, with their Dutch and European roots, were brought to America by early settlers.

It was in the United States that these fried dough treats truly found their identity. In the 19th century, Elizabeth Gregory, the mother of a New England ship captain, is believed to have created the iconic doughnut hole by removing the centre of the dough to ensure even cooking. The term “doughnut” gained popularity during this time as well.

https://www.slurrp.com/article/from-dutch-origins-to-wartime-solace-exploring-the-fascinating-history-of-doughnuts-1694092820451

Just a little something brighten your Sunday….a sweet treat and some knowledge….

Enjoy your day and as always….be well and be safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

“All You Can Eat”

I live of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and in the last 20+ years we have had casinos, lots of them, to attract tourists and generate tax revenue and each of these establishments has advertised their buffets….basically because there are about a bazillion seniors in the area and for some unknown reason they are drawn to buffets.

Each casino tries top the next on buffets….one bills its wide array of crab, another its prime rib and yet another with ‘international cuisine’….but sadly the days of the $1.99 buffet are no more….now a days it starts at $20 and goes up from there.

But yet the crowds still flock to the deal of the century.

We Americans love our buffets….especially the elderly and the obese….

Being the history buff that I am I had to research buffets and their origins.

Excess and America have always played in the same sandbox. From our portion sizes to our wines to our politics, we Americans like things big. There’s no better example of our love of excess than the buffet, that cultural touchstone of culinary decadence that is so archetypally American. When all is said and done, what is more American than the almighty buffet?

Despite its ability to represent our ethos so perfectly, the word buffet originated in France. It comes from the 12th century bufet, meaning bench or stool. Since the 19th century, the word buffet in English has referred to a meal served from a sideboard.

And it’s not just its name that comes from elsewhere, either. History provides us with images of gods and nobles, royalty and the rich, even esteemed biblical figures, bathed in bread and meats, grapes and wine, gold and silver, sharing momentous occasions, sharing communal dining, and sharing rewards reaped from the wealth of abundance. These are images of the wealthy sharing, in essence, what we have come to know as the buffet.

The American iteration of this culinary institution owes some props to the Swedes, for the concept of the smörgåsbord or “smorgasbord” – a side table where one could opt for a pre-dinner drink or snack – that came to the States in 1939 during New York’s World Fair. The smorgasbord, which literally means “butter-goose table,” was an excuse to ease into the main meal by standing among family, friends, or peers, celebrating the initiation of dinner.

https://vinepair.com/articles/the-buffet-a-cultural-history-of-an-american-institution/

Basically we Americans can thank the World Fair for the introduction…..but of course we had to add our little take on things and the American ‘all you can eat’ buffet was born.

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

That Burger

Nothing is more American than the hamburger, right?

Personally I truly love a good burger…..and there are more crappy ones than good…..mine is about 8 oz cooked on a grill….served with a bun with brown mustard and mayo…..the garden is served on the side with blue cheese dressing…..cheese is optional……

All that said I thought I would look at the origins and the history of that all-American burger………..

1200s  The earliest burger ancestor is invented (modern historians surmise) by Mongol horsemen, who stash raw meat under their saddles while wreaking havoc across Asia. Postride, the pounded meat is tender enough for the cavalry to eat raw.

1747  A hamburger prototype—called Hamburg sausage—crops up in the pages of Hannah Glasse’s English cookbook, The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy. The recipe calls for minced beef seasoned with suet, pepper, cloves, nutmeg, garlic, wine vinegar, bay salt, red wine and rum, smoked for a week in a chimney. 

1802  The Oxford English Dictionary defines the Hamburg steak as a “hard slab of salted, minced beef, often slightly smoked, mixed with onions and bread crumbs.”

1829  The first documented patent for a mechanical meat cutter is granted to someone now known only as E. Wade. One G.A. Coffman of Virginia improves on Wade’s invention, receiving a patent 16 years later for his meat-grinding apparatus. 

1840s  Sailing on the Hamburg-America Line, German emigrants chow on minced, salted beefsteak, a recipe borrowed from the Russians. The dish becomes known as the Hamburg steak and later goes mainstream in the U.S.

1873Delmonico’s in NYC advertises a Hamburg steak on its dinner menu—the first printed menu in America—for the then-princely price of ten cents.

1885  Running out of pork, Frank and Charles Menches make do by serving a ground-beef sandwich at the Erie County Fair in Hamburg, New York. The brothers claim to have invented the hamburger, as does 15-year-old Charlie Nagreen of Seymour, Wisconsin, who delivers a similar sammie at the Outagamie County Fair that same year.

1900  Louis Lassen of Louis’ Lunch in New Haven serves ground beef cooked on a vertical boiler and sandwiched between two slices of toast. A century later, the Library of Congress officially credits Louis’ Lunch for selling the first hamburger in the States.

1904  The hamburger makes its national debut at the St. Louis World’s Fair, thanks to a burger stand by Fletcher Davis of Athens, Texas.

1916  A fry cook named Walter Anderson creates a short, squat bun specifically made for hamburgers. Five years later, Anderson cofounds White Castle, the world’s first burger chain.

1928  An early example of a cheeseburger turns up on the menu at O’Dells diner in Los Angeles, served with cheese and chili for 25 cents.

1935  The trademark for the word cheeseburger is awarded to Louis Ballast of the Humpty Dumpty Drive-In in Denver. However, good-guy Ballast never enforces his exclusivity rights, leading to widespread use of the term.

1940  Richard and Maurice McDonald open McDonald’s Bar-B-Que in San Bernardino, California. Eight years later, the brothers renovate the restaurant, refocusing the menu on their 15-cent hamburger.

1948  With the launch of In-N-Out in Baldwin Park, California, Harry and Esther Snyder open the first drive-through burger joint. In 1976, the Snyders’ son Rich takes over the family business. A devout Christian, Rich starts printing discreet references to Bible verses on the chain’s paper containers (e.g., John 3:16 shows up on the bottom of beverage cups and Revelation 3:20 on the crease of burger wrappers).

1950s  New York’s ‘21’ Club unveils the first “haute” burger, made with duck fat and fennel seeds. It costs $2.75 (today, it sells for $30). Fifty years later, Daniel Boulud introduces the $32 foie gras– and truffle-laced DB Burger to the menu at DB Bistro Moderne.

1968  The world gets a taste of McDonald’s newest creation, the Big Mac, sold for 49 cents.

1984  Wendy’s debuts its famous “Where’s the beef?” commercial, starring Clara Peller. The memorable catchphrase is borrowed by former Vice President Walter Mondale during that year’s presidential election.

1989  Seymour, Wisconsin’s Burger Fest serves the world’s largest hamburger, weighing a whopping 5,520 pounds (a record that still holds). A forklift is used to place cheese atop the behemoth patty, enjoyed by an estimated 13,000 diners.

1994  Quentin Tarantino releases the cult classic Pulp Fiction and John Travolta schools the world on the “Royale with cheese.”

2001  Burgers make up 71 percent of all beef served in commercial restaurants.

2004  Danny Meyer’s burger-stand superstar, Shake Shack, debuts in New York’s Madison Square Park.

2009  PETA offers Hamburg, New York, $15,000 worth of nonmeat patties to change the town’s name to Veggieburg. Hamburg declines.

2013  Maastricht University physiologist Mark Post debuts an “in vitro” burger, a five-ounce patty composed of synthetic meat grown in a Netherlands lab from cow stem cells. The test-tube burger is the world’s most expensive—not to mention the grossest-sounding—coming in at a cool £250,000 (about $385,000).

There you have a short history of the burger….now when you consume your favorite burger you will know the history behind the juicy treat……

In closing I will let Jimmy Buffet  sing you out the door….

Have a great Sunday and enjoy your burger.

I Read.I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Dietary Fads

I use to blog about food, Food Nazi was the title of that site….I covered all foods and trends.

From time to time I write about the subjects here on IST…the fads, the trends and the news about food.

In these days of people putting emphasis on the body image there has come out many new diets and fast….the newest one I read about is called the Daniel Fast……(for your “good” Christians this is biblical based fast)….

The Daniel Fast has grown in popularity following an endorsement from Chris Pratt in early 2019. This short-term fasting approach is actually based on a passage in the Bible. Unlike other fasting methods, the Daniel Fast restricts what you can eat rather than when you eat. It’s essentially a vegan diet without any sugars, refined carbs, caffeine, or alcohol. So what can you eat on the Daniel Fast then? Here’s what you need to know. 

The Daniel Fast is a method of spiritual fasting based on the prophet Daniel’s experience fasting according to the book of Daniel in the Bible. There are two passages in specific that the Daniel Fast is based on: 

All that is well and good….but the Hell can you eat?

Ask and thou shalt receive…..

  • Whole grains: Barley, brown rice, buckwheat, farro,  grits, millet, oats, popcorn, quinoa, rice cakes, rye, sorghum, spelt, whole wheat, whole-wheat pasta, and wild rice. 
  • Beans and legumes: Black beans, black-eyed peas, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), great northern beans, kidney beans, lentils, peanuts, pinto beans, and split peas.
  • Nuts and seeds: Almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, natural nut butters (no additives), peanuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, pistachios, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, soy nuts sunflower seeds, and walnuts. 
  • Vegetables: All vegetables whether fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned. 
  • Fruits: All fruit whether fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned (so long as it doesn’t contain added sugar). 
  • Oils: Oils can be used minimally, but not for deep-frying. 
  • Herbs, spices, and seasonings: Includes salt and pepper. 
  • Soy products: All soy products including tofu. 
  • Unleavened bread: Whole grain breads made without yeast, sugars, or preservatives. 
  • Water: Distilled, filtered, sparkling, spring, and mineral waters allowed. 
  • 100-percent fruit juice: Natural, 100-percent fruit juice is allowed but should be had sparingly

All that and it sounds like vegan to me…..but everybody thinks their silly plan is the best.

Another fad that will good away…..

Me?

I eat my usual stuff in moderation and I am doing well and healthy.

If this “fast” is not to your liking maybe the EU has something for you……

Mealworms got approval for EU plates Wednesday from the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), based in Italy’s city of Parma — better known for its tasty pasta, tomatoes, ham and cheese. 

Actually larvae of the darkling beetle (Tenebrio molitor) and typically fed to pet reptiles and fish, the yellow grubs could soon be the first “novel food” cleared for sale across the EU, assuming the European Commission adds its endorsement.  

Rich in protein, fat and fiber, they could be eaten whole or as a powdered ingredient in snacks and noodles, assuming their original fodder was free of contaminants, concluded the Italy-based EU agency.  

https://www.dw.com/en/eu-food-agency-approves-mealworms-as-human-food/a-56216471

Now does that not sound just yummy as Hell?

Please see your doctor before you try any drastic diet or fast to make sure it will not be disastrous for you.

Be Well….Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Pizza!

During this pandemic the consumption of pizza has gone up…..

I am a traditionalist I like my pizza pretty straight forward….toppings…..the works sans anchovy. But I do not understand the necessity for a hot wings pizza or a chicken taco pizza….but all that aside….does anyone know the origins of the fabulous pizza?

Pizza is the world’s favourite fast food. We eat it everywhere – at home, in restaurants, on street corners. Some three billion pizzas are sold each year in the United States alone, an average of 46 slices per person. But the story of how the humble pizza came to enjoy such global dominance reveals much about the history of migration, economics and technological change.

People have been eating pizza, in one form or another, for centuries. As far back as antiquity, pieces of flatbread, topped with savouries, served as a simple and tasty meal for those who could not afford plates, or who were on the go. These early pizzas appear in Virgil’s Aeneid. Shortly after arriving in Latium, Aeneas and his crew sat down beneath a tree and laid out ‘thin wheaten cakes as platters for their meal’. They then scattered them with mushrooms and herbs they had found in the woods and guzzled them down, crust and all, prompting Aeneas’ son Ascanius to exclaim: “Look! We’ve even eaten our plates!”

But it was in late 18th-century Naples that the pizza as we now know it came into being. Under the Bourbon kings, Naples had become one of the largest cities in Europe – and it was growing fast. Fuelled by overseas trade and a steady influx of peasants from the countryside, its population ballooned from 200,000 in 1700 to 399,000 in 1748. As the urban economy struggled to keep pace, an ever greater number of the city’s inhabitants fell into poverty. The most abject of these were known as lazzaroni, because their ragged appearance resembled that of Lazarus. Numbering around 50,000 they scraped by on the pittance they earned as porters, messengers or casual labourers. Always rushing about in search of work, they needed food that was cheap and easy to eat. Pizzas met this need. Sold not in shops, but by street vendors carrying huge boxes under their arms, they would be cut to meet the customer’s budget or appetite. As Alexandre Dumas noted in Le Corricolo (1843), a two liard slice would make a good breakfast, while two sous would buy a pizza large enough for a whole family. None of them were terribly complicated. Though similar in some respects to Virgil’s flatbreads, they were now defined by inexpensive, easy-to-find ingredients with plenty of flavour. The simplest were topped with nothing more than garlic, lard and salt. But others included caciocavallo (a cheese made from horse’s milk), cecenielli (whitebait) or basil. Some even had tomatoes on top. Only recently introduced from the Americas, these were still a curiosity, looked down upon by contemporary gourmets. But it was their unpopularity – and hence their low price – that made them attractive.

https://www.historytoday.com/archive/historians-cookbook/history-pizza

A suggestion–make your own pizza so it is done the way you like it….perfect toppings they will be fresher….it is really not that hard….

And now the FYI portion of this post……

But for those with zero imagination…here is a short video…..

Enjoy!

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Food Thoughts For A Saturday

It is Summer and I grill just about every night…..chicken, pork, burgers, steak and veggies…..so on the weekends when I try to be an FYI blog I want to write about FOOD.

BBQ!  Personally I do not like BBQ…to me it is only a way to cover up bad cooking skills…….I use BBQ sauce for dipping only…..(a recipe to follow)…….

But what about BBQ?  What is the history?

Ask and thou shalt receive……

Yet while barbecues may be dear to the American soul, they are not native to the US. Instead, they trace their roots to the indigenous peoples of North and South America – and their troubled, often confusing, history says more about colonialism, war and migration than it does about freedom.

https://www.historytoday.com/archive/historians-cookbook/history-barbecue

The news from the UN is not all that promising about our future food supply…..

The global food supply is on the brink of disaster, according to a newly published report by the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

More than 100 experts contributed to the report, which concludes that climate change is already negatively impacting food production in real ways. And the problem is poised to get even worse if global temperatures continue to increase — though it’s not yet too late to avoid a total catastrophe.

https://futurism.com/the-byte/un-warning-climate-change-food-expensive

The world has a hunger problem and food shortages……a problem that goes way under reported in the era of Trump and such…..but what has been done to try and find a solution to the problem?

It’s not like you can make food out of thin air. Well…it turns out you can. A company from Finland, Solar Foods, is planning to bring to market a new protein powder, Solein, made out of CO₂, water and electricity. It’s a high-protein, flour-like ingredient that contains 50 percent protein content, 5–10 percent fat, and 20–25 percent carbs. It reportedly looks and tastes like wheat flour, and could become an ingredient in a wide variety of food products after its initial launch in 2021.

It’s likely to first appear on grocery shelves in protein shakes and yogurt. It could be an exciting development: Solein’s manufacturing process is carbon neutral and the potential for scalability seems unlimited — we’ve got too much CO₂, if anything. Why not get rid of some greenhouse gas with a side of fries?

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/08/nasas-idea-for-making-food-from-thin-air-just-became-a-reality-it-could-feed-billions/

How many enjoy a lobster now and then?  With garlic butter and lemon?  Did you know that the lobster is considered the cockroach of the sea?

Why? Well first of all, it’s called a “cockroach of the sea” because it literally looks like what would happen if I turned normal cockroaches into water-breathing creatures and filled them with white meat. Lobster = cockroach meat.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/michelleno/lobster-is-gross

As promised this is my homemade BBQ sauce recipe…..after years of trial and error this is the best…at least for my tastes.

  • 1/4 onion minced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey (I use Old Crow)
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup blue agave
  • 1 tablespoon of chipotle powder

Saute onions and garlic for about 7 minutes

Add onions, garlic and the rest of the ingredients to a pan and bring to a boil

Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes

Either strain or use a immersion blender to make the sauce smooth

Sauce will keep for about a week in the refrig.

Enjoy!

Damn I am hungry!

Hope all have a good Saturday and I will be back Sunday with more Stuff……

“Lego Ergo Scribo”

Sunday–09Sep18 #2

I like to think that I am a foodie but I do not indulge in “food porn”….in case you are not familiar with the term…..taking mouthwatering pictures of delicious foods and proliferating them throughout various social media websites as status updates, thus tempting all those not even currently hungry into getting a food hard-on and getting food-horny and blowing all of their heroic dieting efforts to hell.

One of my favorite dining experiences is in a traditional American diner and that is where we pick up this post…..there is something magical about the taste of food prepared on an old flat grill……now for a cultural look at the American diner from the Smithsonian….

On page and on screen, few settings carry the cultural weight of the humble American diner. Inviting us in with slick chrome and blinking neon, the diner is coolly seductive. It appeals to our baser impulses with outsized portions of high-cholesterol breakfast and pie, wins us over with chatty waitresses and classic jukebox jams, and reminds us, in a fundamental yet inscrutable way, that America itself isn’t always what it seems.

A diner is where Pumpkin and Honey Bunny make their move in Pulp Fiction; where Tony sits down for his final meal on The Sopranos; where the adrift young men of American Graffiti gather to discuss their futures; where Danny and Sandy’s date gets crashed in Grease. Diners suffuse the writings of hard-boiled authors like Jack Kerouac and James Ellroy. In “Twin Peaks,” the otherworldly Washington State locale dreamed up by David Lynch, the Double R is a community mainstay.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/mystique-american-diner-jack-kerouac-twin-peaks-180964680/

For the musical interlude try Tom Waits’ look at the American Diner……

AS long as I am doing the food thing this day….how about a  farm….an underwater farm and NO it is not algae……fruit and veggies…..

Beneath the blue waters 100m off the coast of Noli in northwest Italy lies a cluster of balloon-like pods pegged to the seabed by ropes half a dozen or so metres long. Inside a range of produce is being grown, including red cabbage, lettuce, beans, basil and strawberries.

It may sound like something you’d find in a science fiction novel, but this is the work of Ocean Reef Group. With the help of agricultural experts, the Genova-based scuba diving company is applying its knowledge and technology to finding new ways to produce food.

https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/aug/13/food-growing-underwater-sea-pods-nemos-garden-italy

If there is more info you would like then their home page may help…..

http://www.nemosgarden.com/

Hopefully all will enjoy your Sunday…I shall…..later my friends.  chuq