Plan B

I often joke that if the world officially goes to hell in a hand basket, I moving to Kauai buying a donkey, a goat, and a duck and growing mangoes and avocados. 

This sounds like something of a drastic idea, and I will forgive you if you take this declaration with somewhat of a grain of salt. However, despite the fact that it is mostly said "tongue in cheek" there is some truth to it. 

The other day I was chatting to a chum over an adult beverage, and in one of those slightly tipsy "let's discuss life, universe and the nature of existence" conversations, we - and don't ask me to explain how we reached this point- began talking about the Mayan Calendar and the supposed apocalyptic prophesy the calendar foretells. Now, despite the lateness of the hour, full moon and wine this was actually a pretty level-headed conversation. Both of us came to the mutual consensus that we don’t buy into the doomsday aspect, but that there is a shift coming, and a big one and that, and call me a dirty hippy but I think that shift is going to see a lot more folks ruminating over similar ideas of my own. In other words, I honestly feel like (to quote one of my favourite artists) “The times, they are ‘a changin’ ”.

I was merrily wandering around my beloved local farmer’s and I noticed how many demographics were equally happily strolling like myself. Young, Old, Black, White and Hippies and Yuppies skipping hand in hand…ok I used some artistic licence there, but I think you catch my drift. The point is people were communing the way they always have in regards to food production/purchase and consumption.  Food is not just something I ingest but an axis upon which an entire community revolves. It is simply not good enough to nip over to Krongles or Pubbly Wiggly for whatever high fructose laced, preservative laden semi food product you can lay your hands on. Instead it feels to me that folks are beginning to make more informed conscious efforts regarding the WWWHW (who, what, why, how and when) of what comes to their plates in the evening.

We have reached a tipping point. A system that constantly feeds without ever replenishing resources will inevitably collapse upon itself, sucking dry the very fabric of that which itself depends. Perhaps Agent Smith was right:
“You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus.” 

We are tremendously viral in our attitude toward the earth and it’s natural resources. Current methods of agricultural practices implemented by Agribusiness or what I like to refer to as Big Agriculture, rape our landscape, leaching the soil of vital micro-nutrients and minerals. Traditional farming practices involve careful selection of seeds and the constant rotation of crop and animals to ensure that the soil and earth are replenished. This type of practice does not occur in what I can only refer to as a bastardisation of a millennial old practice that was doing just fine and dandy until modernity decided to stick its nose in. The saying is, if it aint broke don’t fix it. It wasn’t and we tried to and we messed it up beyond belief!

Something has to change.

But how? Certainly it would be something of an exercise in futility to expect corporate agriculture so suddenly have a change of heart and start farming sustainably or give animals the dignity they deserve, after all they give their lives for us. It has to come from the bottom up! It has to come from us, the consumer. It isn’t impossible; it is happening all around me, I can feel it. There is something moving is the masses, there are a growing number of people who are no longer satisfied with taking food production at face value.

Ignorance is bliss? No, ignorance is the evil and corroding thread. Ignorance, or more precisely wilful ignorance, maintains the status quo and allows companies like Monsanto to continue on with their atrocities behind closed doors (see later blog on Monsanto, or watch the movie The world according to Monsanto http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH4OwBYDQe8).  Yet, with more and more people seeking out the truth they are turning to more sustainable agriculture, seeking out ethically produced animal products from local farmers markets, and starting their own urban gardens. These aren’t just dirty hippies like me, wearing Birkenstocks and weaving bracelets out of hemp and their own self loathing, but every Tom, Dick and Sally. Teachers, Lawyers  and professionals are all participating in a strong movement toward a better future for ourselves and our progeny, and these are the folks who I want to be around when the proverbial shit hits the fan.

I think I am right, I feel like I am right. I hope that I am right… but if not I am gonna need some help harvesting my mangoes if anyone is interested?

Good eatin' y'all, love THE EPICUREAN.

Shark Fin Soup: A Recipe for Disaster

"Sharks have been around for 400 million years. Are we going to let them die out because of ignorance about the origins of what we eat and because of human arrogance? "http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/shark-fin-soup.htm

Approximately 73 million sharks are killed each year simply for their fins - this is a conservative estimate, some environmental groups say that the figure is nearer 100 million.  Fishermen can achieve a much greater yield if they harvest only the fin; so the shark is pulled clear of the water, its fin is sliced off, the fish is thrown back into the sea where it sinks to the bottom and dies slowly.  With shark fin soup fetching up to and sometimes in excess of $100 a bowl in restaurants this type of fishing proves to be quite lucrative for the fin fishermen.

Pile of dead sharks with fins removed

Fins drying in the sun

Sharks are magnificent creatures, they have stood the test of time and evolution, it is quite staggering to think that modern man could potentially wipe them out in half a century.  However one feels about sharks (love them or hate them) it cannot be overlooked  that  they have been top predators of the sea for millennia and their demise will have a drastic effect on the oceanic eco-system.   

  "Maintaining the populations of top predators is critical for sustaining healthy oceanic ecosystems,..Despite the vastness of the oceans, its organisms are interconnected, meaning

 that changes at one level have implications several steps removed." 

- Charles Peterson, a professor of marine sciences biology and ecology at the Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill  Science Daily

Nature has a way of working things out - sharks reach sexual maturity at a late age and produce small litters.  Nature worked it out this way because if they reproduced like rabbits it would mean that their feeding habits would deplete the rest of marine life.  So ecologically this works out well, however, the downside of this is that due to our current shark fishing methods we are killing at least twice as fast as sharks are reproducing.   As top predators not only do sharks prevent over-population of other fish they also eat weaker members of other ocean species thereby improving the gene pool.  Sharks are scavengers and they clean up the oceans by eating the dead and the dying - Primitive Ways.

But here's the thing, shark fin is tasteless and inedible; the fin has to be cooked for a very long time until the cartilage separates and softens (at this point it has a noodle like appearance).  The flavour comes from the base of the soup - usually chicken broth and shiitake mushrooms.  It is purported to have wonderful health properties and has been used as an aphrodisiac for centuries.  These claims are erroneous, and in fact the mercury levels contained in the fins today have the opposing effect  - ingesting mercury can cause impotency, and in high levels is dangerous to overall human health.  Any health benefit will come from the shiitakes not the fin; and any aphrodisiac properties are most likely as a result of inflated ego arising from it's prestigious associations.

So if it's tasteless what is the appeal of shark fin soup?  Apparently it is the texture - it creates a gelatinous quality to the broth, and from what I have read, in Chinese cuisine the texture is almost as important as the flavour.  So if texture is key then there are a whole host of alternatives which will provide the required texture and consistency,  from vegetarian options (agar agar and other sea vegetables) to animal options (offal containing cartilage)  - some Chinese grocery stores sell a frozen "mock-fin" concoction.
I also believe that a big part of the 'kick' originally came from the idea of dominating and killing a 'fearsome' wild animal. The same kick which hunters get out of displaying a head over their fireplace of a wild animal that they have killed: instead of the moose's head or the deer-skin rug the early Chinese had a shark fin in their soup.

The history of shark fin soup can be traced back to at least the Sung Dynasty in China (960 A.D), some believe it can even be traced back as far as the Han Dynasty over 2000 years ago.  It was a delicacy for the aristocracy and was reserved for special occasions and celebrations, in part due to the length of time it took to prepare (a few days).  And most likely their would be no waste - the flesh of the fish would be eaten and the skin used as rawhide. With improved fishing vessels and new techniques of fishing the shark fishing industry started to expand in the mid twentieth century but from what I have read I don't believe that this delicacy posed a real threat to the shark populations until the 1980s when there was an explosion in the demand for shark fin soup. This was mainly due to the rise in the new middle class in China and consequently expendable income.  It became part of the new status symbol to provide this delicacy at weddings, banquets and business events to reflect the importance of the host and to bestow great honour on the guests.  Add to this today's global nomadic tendencies, and an increase in a taste for global cuisine.

There is a glimmer of hope on the horizon - Some countries are taking control of shark fishing and in particular in fin harvesting,  For example the Bahamian Islands have banned shark fishing altogether whilst Taiwan has banned  fin-harvesting; fisherman must catch the whole fish and arrive back in port with the fish in tact Wild Aid.   The state of California (the largest consumer of shark fin soup outside of Asia) is pushing for a total ban on the supply and purchase of shark fins. These bans and partial bans could potentially reduce the number of sharks killed, however, until the demand is reduced then the effect might have little consequence  - where there is a demand there is always a way to supply it.  A restaurant in Bangkok which is rated in the top three in the city serves 300 bowls of it a day, mainly to politicians and celebraties, the price ranges from about $30 to $160 a bowl (Bt800 - Bt1500) depending on the size and the scarcity of the fin; this is despite a movement in Thailand to ban the indiscriminate killing of sharks.  We have to make people aware of the catastrophic results of our current shark fishing industry, we have to make people aware that if we continue to consume shark fin soup not only will it become a scarce commodity but so will sea-food in general.  I believe that if people were aware of the real facts and their implications many would think twice about some of the choices they make in what they eat.

Shark populations have decreased by approximately 80% in the last 30-50 years.  This current shark fishing is not putting food on the table it is catering to an elite.  This current butchery of sharks is not only barbaric and a total waste of life but in the bigger picture will have a catastrophic knock on effect; it will result not only in the decimation of sharks but in ocean life as we know it today, and the whole of the fishing industry.  What is a lucrative business for some fishermen today will take the livelihood away from fishermen in the future.

If you would like to learn more then please check the following websites Wild Aid and Threatened with Extinction.
If you would like to help - please sign the Global Pledge to ask world governments to protect and conserve our sharks.
- THE ACTIVIST

Two Sides of Bacon

We were welcomed with open arms by Ben and Kellie Deen of Savannah River Farms when we visited a few weeks ago.  As humane and responsible farmers who have respect for the land and their animals they have nothing to hide.  Their devotion to their 160 acre farm and their livestock was a wonderful thing to witness. Despite the hardships of farming in the blistering heat of southern Georgia, and the frustrations associated with dependence on Mother Nature, they work tirelessly and with devotion embodying what 'real' farming is all about.
For Ben Deen it really is in his blood, born into farming stock for him there is no other life.  Kellie Deen on the other hand married into farming when she met Ben, but has taken to it like a duck to water and animal welfare is of paramount importance to her.  That's why the Deen's farm has, amongst other accolades, the stamp of Animal Welfare Approved

The Deens raise pastured beef, pork and chicken and are just trying out lamb - although Ben Deen finds the sheep a bit of a handful as they are constantly escaping from their field into pastures new ('the grass is always greener' I guess).  The hogs are of particular pride to the Deens and there were a couple that Kellie assured us will die of old age and not at the processing facility.  Abattoirs are a whole other issue when it comes to animal welfare; which are euphemistically (in my opinion) referred to as processing facilities; there are not enough of them and the USDA inspectors on site (not enough of those either) are concerned more about the processing procedures and less about animal welfare (and yes a blog will follow!) In the early days of her farming career slaughter was problematic to Kellie but she has come to terms with it in her own way and she and Ben ensure that their animals have as dignified an end as possible.  The Deens are very fortunate that they have a 'processing plant' only an hour and a half's drive away (which I think may be Animal Welfare Approved) and they always try to transport around 4am  so that their animals avoid the harsh heat of the day, and are not subject to heat stress and dehydration.  But back to the hogs - when we went to visit they were running about the pasture and had plenty of woodland for foraging for which their snout is designed!!  Amazingly one of the sows had given birth to a litter of piglets only five days before our arrival and the day we went to visit was the first day that momma brought them out for viewing, so it was special for all of us, including the Deens - I guess it's stuff like that which makes the hard times worthwhile.  Pigs are very intelligent creatures and momma has 'counted' every head and will search and search if one head goes missing.  Sow's are nest builders - and this is an incredibly important part of the birth cycle for pigs.  The Deen's sow had been allowed to build her nest in the woods ready for her delivery date.

The Deen Hogs

Compare this picture of pastoral bliss for the hogs at Savannah River Farms to those of hogs kept in the harrowing conditions of factory farms:  The pregnant sows are kept in gestation crates...which are so small that the sow can't even turn around...

Pregnant Sows in Factory Farm Gestation Crates

 -

...then following delivery the sow is moved to a farrowing crate where she can feed her young (after the piglets have had their tails and teeth cut - without anaesthesia).

The sow is simply a milking machine. She will be impregnated again soon, returned to the gestation crate and the whole cycle will begin  again. It will continue until she is spent, usually lame and in pain - then she will be slaughtered.

I

Teeth cutting in a factory farm, minus anaesthesia

It IS possible to have cruelty-free bacon.  It might cost a few cents more but it has to be worth it, not only for the well-being of the animal, but also for the health of the consumer and the health of the environment: there are more than a few environmental issues associated with factory farming, one being the lagoons of shit - literally - that industrialized farms produce (subject of a later blog).  A humanely raised hog will produce quality meat; pigs raised in factory farms are stressed, fearful and diseased and this reflects in the meat that they produce.  Pigs are lively intelligent creatures so confinement in unnatural conditions sends them crazy, they spend hours gnawing at the bars of their cages out of boredom, frustration, and plain insanity.
There are hog farmers all over America raising pastured pigs and producing quality affordable pork.  Some of these farmers are small scale and sell mainly at farmer's markets and local restaurants but others are big enough to sell to national supermarkets including Wholefoods, one such producer is Thompson Farms in Dixie, GA (we plan to visit this farm in the fall and will post our findings). What theses humane farmers need is support from the consumer's dollars and support from the government, including federal protection from the bullying tactics of conglomerates such as Smithfield Foods Inc.  Smithfield is the largest pork producer in the world and is responsible for pushing factory farming to incredible limits. It was the first company to introduce gestation crates and it looks like it will be the last to phase them out as unfortunately Smithfield has renegade on its promise to phase out all crates by 2017: it has now decided to continue their   use indefinitely; Smithfield's broken promise. But let's face it, what incentive do they have to discontinue something which keeps the bank ledger very much in the black:  in 2010 their profits were staggeringly large in view of our economic oppressed times - all as a result of their cost effective cruel methods of raising pork.  I wonder how Mr C. Larry Pope (CEO) sleeps at night  - I guess a very large bank balance is a wonderful sedative.

There are a number of websites which can provide information on pasture/humanely/ethically raised livestock in the U.S., here are just a few, Certified Humane;  Animal Welfare Approved;  Eat Wild.
And for our UK bloggers and readers RSPCA;   Compassion in world Farming;  Farm Animal Welfare Committee and The Pig Business

To end on a happy pig note here are some pictures from Caw Caw Creek Hog Farm, Savannah River Farms, and happy big butts at Thompson Farms.  If I'm going to end up as bacon then a least let me spend my days as nature intended - roaming in pasture not caged up on concrete - THE ACTIVIST.

Caw Caw Farms

Savannah River Farms (The Deens)

     

Happy pigs at the feeding trough

Food for Thought

I love food! Right, ok Kate, good for you, now please explain what you mean by that….

I suppose that is something of a sweeping, rather generalised statement, food being a somewhat broad category if you will.  However, in essence I mean just this I love food that is to say actual, real, coming from Mother Nature food. 

Let me clarify. As a reformed philosophy major (there is only so much black coffee and cigarettes a girl can consume in a lifetime) I was taught that a argument supported through negation is weak, but as far as I know my philosophy Professor isn’t here  – unless he is reading this blog in which case I am sorry Professor. Wirth- so I shall cross over to the dark side and give examples of things that are not (by my definition anyway) food, in order to shed light on that which is. 

Twinkies

In the event of nuclear fall out, Twinkies, cockroaches and Keith Richards shall rule the earth. In fact I think this was covered once in a family guy episode, but I digress.

Twinkies- in fact the genetic experiment that is any Hostess treat- are not food. 

However, according to the website for Hostess products. Nothing says ‘Murrrica like Twinkies. In fact the website is pretty darn tootin’ patriotic with a recipe for “ Patriotic Twinkie Pie”

Patriotic Twinkie Pie

Items Needed:

• 6-7 Hostess® Twinkies, broken or torn into 1" pieces
• 1 pint fresh blueberries  (fruit?)
• 1 lb. fresh strawberries, sliced (more fruit?…. Now hold on just a minute there, lets not get crazy)
• 2 packages (5.1 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix (that’s more like it)
• 6 cups milk (non organic, non-GMO free, non-antibiotic free red blooded American milk)
• 1 container (12 oz.) frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed (mmmmmm non-dairy, from good ol’ American non-cows)

Directions:

Place half the Twinkie pieces in a 6-quart glass trifle bowl or trifle dish. In a separate bowl, combine the pudding mix and milk and stir according to the package instructions. Spoon half of the pudding over the Twinkies. Spread the blueberries over the pudding. Top with the remaining Twinkie pieces. Spoon the remaining pudding over the Twinkies spreading evenly. Spread the sliced strawberries over the pudding. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, until completely chilled and set. Top with the whipped topping just before serving.

YUMMUY…

Just by the by President Clinton put a Twinkie in time capsule. I hope he stuck a flag in it too!

Cheez Whiz

As a general rule, any product that substitutes a ‘z’ for an ‘s’ is not food, and should most likely be avoided. In fact this is generally a good rule of thumb when perusing the isles of your grocery store, avoid sloppy spelling for the sake of catchy marketing and you will generally be ok. Cheez Whiz (and further more is Frankensteinian counter part Easy Cheese) are so far removed from actual food I don’t know where to begin! Falling under the banner of “processed cheese foods” (part of me just died inside whilst writing that). In searching the old interweb, I had to laugh in one product description provided by Wikipedia:

Origin   United States

Source of Milk      Cows

Texture    Thick sauce

Aging time   n/a….. N/A?! is that because it is one molecule away from Windex that it is chemically and biologically impossible to age? Prying minds want to know.

Both of these examples are pretty accurate instances of what food most surely is not, and in fact in the game of "Animal, Vegetable, Mineral" I am pretty sure a new category would need to be created: Chemically derived food like product. So what is food? Food is community, it is love, it is sustenance, it is life giving and life affirming. 




What, as a nation, is our seeming insistence in consuming all manner of products that are so synthetic, so processed, so fake that it is almost impossible to call them food at all. Taken in isolation, the chemicals that go into making some of the top commercial foods are enough to make the mind boggle. Sounding like something so far removed from anything edible it is enough to make one, if not simply me, gag.

Note, that I am not just talking about obvious craptacular choices such as Twinkies and Cheez Whiz, but innocuous seemingly healthy packaged and processed food such as granola and breakfast bars.

Take for instance Kellogs Nutrigrain bars. Reading the list of 56 ingredients looks more like the shopping list for a chemist than a cook. Not to mention, the bars contain TBHQ (Tertiary Butylhydroquinone), a form of butane to preserve freshness that is also used in perfumes, varnishes and oil field additives: [inset Homer Simpson] “mmmmmmm TBHQ grrrrrrrlllll”. Not to mention the inclusion of Vital Awareness’s and my own personal nemesis, High Fructose Corn Syrup.

…In other words: NOT FOOD.

It is my belief, and the growing consensus of medical science, that the cause of the western diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease are directly correlated to the rise in high sugar, highly processed foods and- I would argue- the increased consumption of animal protein, that we in the US of A consume with reckless abandon.  Sugar and animal protein are cheaper and more readily available than ever before. This shift away from making and eating real food, more importantly, whole foods in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables for the sake of convenience is quite literally killing us.

I have heard the argument that eating healthy is expensive… BOLLOCKS. I am sorry, those who know me, know I have something of a sailors mouth… but honestly it simply isn’t true. Here is why:

The Sticker

Whilst I would love, love, love, if everyone could eat organic fruit and vegetables, I recognise that organic, as in trademark USDA organic, is more cost prohibitive than conventional produce. However, USDA organic is a trademark that farmers have to pay for, and a lot of local small-scale producers simply cannot afford to pay for the inspectors to apply the brand name to their product. The thing is, most of the famers are completely organic, and probably use more organic means to their production to those who are able to pay for the USDA stamp; and it is these cats that you can find at your at your local farmers market, selling their wares at generally lower costs…. Which brings me to my next point.

Farmer’s Markets

Utilising farmers markets are the best way to get the freshest, seasonal produce on the market, not to mention you are boosting local economies, that in todays troubled economic times, is pretty spectacular.

The other weekend I went to my regular farmer’s market and came home with:

2 jars of jam (one was given to me as a gift)

1 loaf of fresh bread

1 block of grass fed cows milk feta cheese

½ pint of homemade ricotta (this was also given to me as a gift)

1 punnet of heirloom tomatoes

½ lb. burgundy string beans

5 squash blossoms (one was thrown in for free)

2 parsnips

7 large heirloom ochre

5 heirloom peppers.

A mushroom log, that will provide me with multiple fruits of gourmet shitake mushrooms.

1 bag of organic home made dog treats

(a two Bloody Mary’s with big green egg smoked heirloom tomato juice) for a grand total of $55.

Now I think, and correct me if I am wrong, this is pretty great value, not to mention a few items the farmers and producers threw in free of charge because a) I was enthusiastic and inquisitive, and b) these folks genuinely care about your patronage and will work out a deal with you if you talk to them.

Local farmers depend on word of mouth and will provide you with the best produce because you are your best advertisement. Not to mention, the closer you get to your local producer, the more great deals and occasional freebies you will encounter.

Meat

Ok, so ethical, humane and sustainable meat is more expensive than conventional factory farmed meat. It costs far less to cram your animals into cramped unsanitary living conditions and provide them cheap subsidised food that their bodies are unable to digest and them drag them to slaughter than it is to provide them within adequate space, free roam of grass pastures and ensure proper and humane processing…. Huh go figure. However, the truth is that we consume far more animal proteins than we actually need to and, like I already said, our consumption of animal protein in favour of a more plant-based diet is detrimental to our health. If we cut down on animal protein, limiting it instead to humanely raised and organic produce, and up our grain, bean and lentil intake (which, I might add are ridiculously cheap, incredible satisfying and bloody tasty) we will save money. I did this for two years whilst a poor post-grad student living in Toronto, and let me tell you I didn’t deprive myself either physically or gastronomically.

Health

With 66% of the USA obese, I think we can all agree that we are not in a great place health wise. Considering the increase of heart disease, stoke, diabetes and cancer attributed to this rise in obesity, the cost of health care in astronomical… now, tell me how expensive living healthy is.

OK so I am going to get off my soapbox now, but in all seriousness, America is an amazing nation in regards to food production. Growing up in England, we only really had two ecosystems: Flat and damp and hilly and damp. Insofar as eco-diversity goes, we were somewhat lacking. America, on the other hand is blessed with an abundance of diversity, and can pretty much grow anything. Yet, it doesn’t. The utilisation of most of US grassland for the sake of corn and soy production to both feed mass amount of cattle and chicken and produce processed and fast food,  has raped the soil and taken up valuable growing land.

I suppose what I am trying to say is: support your local farmer who is farming the way farming used to be, that is to say, environmentally sound, humane and sustainable. Visit local farmers, and shop responsibly. You will live longer, feel better and provide a better world for your progeny. Remember we vote with our dollar. We have the potential to change the current system!

In many ways the Agricultural Revolution was incredible thing, in that it enabled farmers to produce more efficiently and cut losses, and, lets face it a farmers life ‘aint easy. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and Spiderman would not be happy with what has emerged.

With that in mind, I want to end with a quote by a the former US Congressman Charlie Wilson, (TX-D):

“These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game”.


Good eatin' y'all, love THE EPICUREAN

Not leaving 'mushroom' for the competition: 2 fun guys Shitake logs...oh no she went there!!!!!

There is nothing more that THE EPICUREAN loves then someone who is doing what they are passionate about, and passionate about what they do: She is lucky enough to run into a couple of folks most Saturdays at her local farmers market.

Yesterday THE EPICUREAN took a little field trip to the "laying yard" for 2 Fun-Guys, and what a treat it was! Not only did she make off with some pretty delicious treats -a little blue oyster mushroom buddy for her shitake log she already procured from these two mushroom enthusiasts and some banana peppers she snuck away with was an added bonus- but some wonderful information as well:

                                         ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 


Howard Berk and Todd Pittard are the masterminds behind the 2-Fun-Guys, which began two years ago as an enthusiastic side project and is blossoming into a small scale production that has so much potential. Not only are these two chaps committed, but they are producing an amazing product. At my visit to his back yard 'shroom factory. Howard (1 fun guy) demonstrated both of these wonderful attributes to this positively awe struck lass.

The set up.

First you find some logs.

Pulling up to Howard's driveway, I was met by a stack of logs - which in turn affirmed that google maps had done me proud.

The logs provide the best woody womb in the Autumn months, when the carbohydrates and sugars  are contained within the pulp of the tree rather than expended in the leaves. Fresh logs taken from fallen trees are the best, and considering the rampant storms that we here in the good 'ol south are subject to, it would appear these boys are not in short supply.

Holes are drilled into the log, and then either thimble or dowel spawns are plugged into the holes and sealed with cheeses wax. These spawns are colonized with the mushroom Mycelium, and this is what gives life to these tasty little morsels of love.

thimble spawn

dowel spawn

Mycelium refers to the vegetative part of the fungus; thread like structures that branch out in long filaments. It is through the mycelium that the fungus absorbs nutrients. The log, once inoculated, becomes a incubator for these hair like filaments, and (so long as the longs are kept wet) will fruit some of the most flavourful 'shrooms. The logs themselves take about 6-12 months to fruit depending on the strain and the type of spawn used. As well as logs, the guy's also have mushroom bags, which fruit in a shorter period of time, and are spawned in wheat straw and rye berries. These are great for the city condo dweller with limited space!

The beauty in this type of production is sustainability. The use of the tree logs, rather than straw or saw dust in most commercial mushroom manufacture, means utlising and capitalising on natural found products. Fallen trees, or logs and branches present a prime growing environmnent for our sporocarps, turning what would be dead into something bursting with life. Carting my new log home  I couldn't help thinking: It's alive....ALLIIIIIVEEEE!!!!

The Shrooms.

Now this is the part where the science geek in me is trumped by the food nerd! The truth is in the tasting!

howard selecting my new log

2 fun guys aren't producing your run of the mill white button mushrooms that you can pick up in your nearest super market. Rather, these blokes are producing some beautiful rare and exotic breeds, including many different strains of shitake as well as blue pink and golden oyster mushrooms. The gastronome in my head does a little touchdown dance when thinking about it.

I am the proud owner of not one, but two, yes TWO, mushroom logs. My first log- inoculated in February of this year- is a wide range shitake mushroom, which according to Todd and Howard produces a meaty 'shroom with a lobster like quality. My second log, inoculated in late November of last year is an blue oyster and should fruit soon. I am like a giddy school girl waiting for Christmas morning I tell you! 

The laying yard

Now, those who know me, know that I will never pass up an opportunity to sample someone's wares, and Howard was kind enough to give me a wee nibble of some of the pink oyster mushrooms that were in fruit in one of the many grow bags hanging under his deck. OMG (yes that is right, OMG) y'all. Howard had mentioned that this particular strain has a slight bacon like quality in its flavour, and after sautéing a few in little butter I couldn't believe it. The taste was absolutely incredible. The mushroom has a meaty texture, and a more succulent well rounded mouth feel than your commercial counterparts, and there was indeed a slight ham quality to the taste. It reminded me of the flavour one gets in a good mortedello: subtle, savoury and succulent.

Each strain has its own unique flavour profile, and that is what makes 2 Fun Guys so special in what they are doing. Turning the seemingly mundane, into the gourmet and reframing what we think of when we think of mushrooms.... so please I beg, if you get your hands on these puppies don't - for the love of god- don't dump them in a vat of Cambells soup! savour them, nurture them, give them a wee splash of white wine and butter if you want, but trust me when I say, these bad boys speak for themselves.

The Boys

Todd and Howard are not only fun guys, but pretty darn great guys as well. Their mutual commitment to producing a superior product is perhaps only out shone by their commitment to local, and sustainable agriculture. Todd champions the Pure Food Movement, a facebook group committed to shedding light on large corpro-gulture conglomerates such as Monsanto, and promoting a GMO free world. Howard has worked closely in organising local farmers markets, and his back garden speaks for itself in the wide variety of heirloom vegetables he grows as well as the heritage chickens that strut around and dig up his marigolds. 

Visit Brookhaven Farmers Market on Dresden Rd in Atlanta, and most Saturdays you can spot these two enthusiastically engaging with curious customers, and answering questions such as "why are you fella selling a pile of wood"..... Not only do they know their stuff, but you will receive care instructions about your particular strain, as well as an e-mail when Howard or Todd's 'shrooms are fruiting so that you can scamper up to the wood behind your house to check on your own babies (or maybe that is just me?).

Go ahead, visit their website: www.2fun-guys.com, or follow them on Twitter @2funguys…. Just look at these faces! Don't you just want to touch their 'shrooms? 

I love what these boys are doing. I love their drive, their care and their spirit. I love their mushrooms. I know that there is nothing but great things ahead for these chaps, and if anyone deserves it, these two do.

When I a first sat down with Howard  (Todd is hiking the Inca trail with his lovely wife, so I shall excuse his absence) I asked him "Why, Mushrooms?", he laughed as said "Yeah, why mushrooms?"... now I get it!

Good eating y'all, Love THE EPICUREAN

If God was a Fromagier

I think I can remember the exact moment when I moved from being a food-lover to a full fledged foodie: the moment one could say where I passed the point of no return! Now, don't get me wrong here, I had always been a lover of all things delicious- the enjoyment of all things yummy- but it took a very special something, a very special moment in time to realise the cosmic hold the truly marvelous epicurean experience can take. For myself, the burning bush moment came one seemingly normal evening with a old chum.


Myself and a fellow muncher had planned a pleasant soiree, just the two of us, to a frequented little haunt in my adoptive home town of Atlanta. The place in question was Krog Bar; the wine bar cum tapas restaurant of the Kevin Rathbun empire, and still to this day one of my favourite places to go to when visiting Atlanta. One of my 'go to' things to snack on at Krog- whilst sipping on one of their awesome wines-by-the-glass selection, which is both extensive and very reasonably priced- is the three cheese tasting plate, and this particular evening this was the name of the game! I believe we chose a Spanish sheep's milk, a blue and then an artisanal cheese neither of us had of before.

This cheese was a triple cream cheese that the knowledgeable and no nonsense waitress informed us was quite possibly the best cheese she had ever tasted. I was not convinced. Growing up in England and spending a large amount of time on continental Europe, I thought I had carte blanche ruling on what was a good cheese. However, I decided to humour the sweet girl and take her advice; dubious as to the validity of the accolade. Oh how the mighty do fall!
Our cheese arrived and we quickly dug into our usual favourites, almost forgetting the the non-descript creamy white mound perched at the corner of the plate. I was the first to 'give it a go' and after one bite, I was a goner! never have I wanted to embrace my server with the kind of ardour and sincere veneration that I did at this moment. This cheese was like nothing I had ever tasted. It was- and I don't use this wording lightly- like heaven in cream form! the buttery goodness just melted on the tongue. The mouth feel Divine. The taste impeccable. From that moment on, I knew that I could never again take food lightly, that food was a very serious business, one in which I intended to succeed. The absolute sumblimity of this cheese, transformed me. What you might ask could hold such power, such majesty . I shall tell you. The cheese in question: La Tur.

Ok so all joking aside, La Tur is a bloody good cheese. Meaning The Tower, after the town in Piemonte Italy from where it heralds, this triple cream soft-cheese is made from equal parts goats, sheep and cows milk. This blending of three milks accounts for the mushroomy bouquet and the incredible silkiness that the cheese offers: really it is like ice cream it is so smooth. However, this is not to say that the cheese is flat, or one dimensional; quite the opposite in fact. There is a supremely thin edible skin on the cheese that is subtly piquant, and tickles the tastes buds just so, before the full impact of the La Tur glides over your tongue. Like I was saying, this really is quite the 8th wonder!

I like my La Tur pretty much as is, but if you want to complement the mushroom with a more floral note, I would spread it liberally on crostini, (or even a slightly warmed piece of ciabatte) and drizzle very lightly with wild flower or raspberry honey- this accents the bouquet and perks up the creaminess to a whole new level.


So you see, La Tur is where it is at baby! If Parmigiana Reggiano is the undisputed king of Cheeses, then La Tur is the Kings sexy brother who you wouldn't take home to Mum, but you sure wouldn't kick out of bed in the morning. Which probably accounts to the delightful adoption into myself and my cohorts vernacular. Since my own introduction and my eagerness to share my new found love with my friends, every experience that goes above and beyond the awesome, the sheer fabulous, is now forever referred to as "a La Tur moment".



Good Eatin' Y'all! love THE EPICUREAN

FOIE GRAS: The Activists view

There has been quite a bit of activity in Atlanta recently about the ethics around eating foie gras, including demonstrations by animal rights organisations outside restaurants that serve it. So here's my opinion on foie gras and in particular a commentary on a few points raised by a local restaurateur in defense of his decision to keep foie gras on the menu.  I am responding to these points because I believe that they are representative of the viewpoint of many who are attempting to support the consumption of foie gras whilst being mindful of animal welfare: and in view of Mr Hopkins commitment to organisations which promote local and responsibly farmed  food I believe animal welfare is one of his concerns.

What is foie gras - literally translated means 'fatty liver' and more specifically a goose or duck liver that has been fattened due to force-feeding of the bird, a process known as gavage.

Restaurant owner and chef Linton Hopkins was one of the targets for the protestors and consequently he defended his decision to serve foie gras in a public statement Restaurant Eugene - in defense of foie gras   Below are the points from his statement that I wish to discuss.

Mr Hopkins cites a quotation from his supplier which says "The first evidence of foie gras is found in ancient Egyptian history, some 45 centuries ago".  Foie gras and the raising method of gavage were part of the ancient Egyptian culture (2500 B.C.), however, just because something has been practiced for centuries doesn't make it right: a fallacious argument.

Second Mr Hopkins goes on to say - "We recognize that an animal sacrifices its life in order for us to eat which is why our kitchens are dedicated to using every possible part of the animal so that nothing goes to waste".  Admirable ethic and one that has been practiced for centuries (up until the last fifty years or so until meat became a sterile plastic wrapped item in super market refrigerators).  So on this basis does Mr Hopkins buy the whole goose and use the liver in his foie gras offerings, or does he buy the livers wholesale by the pound?  It's my guess that he buys liver wholesale by the pound from his foie gras supplier (Guillermo Gonzalez from Artisan-Sonoma Foie Gras).  Liver is offal,  foie gras is a delicacy and is  produced simply for that purpose:  it's not about preventing waste, it really is about catering to gourmands. And here's the thing, the principal of using up every part of the animal so as not to waste any part of it and to be mindful of its "sacrifice" (Mr Hopkin's word) is literally about that,  using every bit so that there is no waste, either for the animal, the producer, the butcher and the pocket of the consumer. My dad was a slaughter man and a butcher, and when it came to the food at home we were economically prudent.  I know what it means to be resourceful when it comes to eating the offal (literally meaning the off-fall when an animal is butchered), When I was growing up we had cow heel pie,  boiled and pressed cow's tongue, the lining of cows' stomach and udders (tripe and elder), sheep's kidney, to name but a few items of offal. There was nothing fancy in this, it was economical slow cooking based on the ethic of not being wasteful, and being as resourceful as possible.  Foie gras does not fall under this category -  today it is a designer food item and, outside of France, served in fine-dining restaurants.  I know Mr Hopkins serves offal in his gastro pub Holeman and Finch presumably under his ethos of using every part of the animal, but it's my guess that this is not the motive behind his choice to serve it in Restaurant Eugene -  I am guessing that Mr Hopkins is meeting a demand.   

I will finish with this: 

- a human liver weighs approximately 3 pounds; the average weight of an adult human is 150 pounds:

- the duck foie fras at Artisan-Sonoma farm weighs 1-2 pounds ber lobe of liver ; a duck or goose at harvest time weighs between 8 and 16 pounds.

This adds up to an extremely large duck liver that I believe can only come from intense force-feeding, which brings me to my last point of contention. The foie gras producer, Mr Gonzalez states that the birds are force-fed and that it is "non-injurious" to the bird to have a funnel inserted in its oesophagus...because its oesophagus is "pliable and expandable...and it does not have a gag reflex".  Water birds do have a very different oesophagus to humans but in my opinion it is not acceptable to force-feed an animal at any time, the only exception being would be to save its life certainly not to cater to the whims of the gastronome palette.  (There may be alternatives to force-feeding and THE EPICUREAN will talk about this in a later blog).

The liver produced for foie gras means that the bird's liver is bigger by 10 times its normal size, the liver at this point is already diseased and if the bird was not slaughtered would die of its condition.  Again in my opinion this is not acceptable; and do we really want to be eating diseased meat?   

I believe that for the most part the production of foie gras is extremely cruel, and the birds are kept in the most harrowing conditions at foie gras farms, including farms in the U.S.A. The ducks at the Artisan-Sonoma farm may be pasture raised and have a better life than most birds raised for their liver, but in my opinion any animal feeding management which forces the bird's liver to grow to around an eighth of its total body weight is inhumane and unethical. Bottom line do we really need to eat foie gras? For the most part it is an elitist delicacy, and if it were no longer served - except under the principle of using up the off-fall (offal) from butchering - would not leave us hungry.

If you are still undecided about this particular delicacy - below are some links which may help you make a decision including the website for Artisan Sonoma Foie Gras.  

- THE ACTIVIST

Artisan-Sonoma Foie Gras    Roger Moore's You Tube expose on Foie gras   What is Foie gras  Wholefoods stand on foie gras