Just Foodies

Emperor, Fish and I

As most of us know the fatty acids contained in fish are considered critical for a healthy body and mindm but if you've been eating fish either canned or fresh you might have more in common with this guy than you ever would've guessed. So, what exactly do you, the health conscious fish eater have with the first Qin Dynasty emperor? Simply put, mercury.

The early Qin Shi is thought to have died from mercury poisoning after consuming mercury laced tonics in his fruitless effort to become immortal. Unless you want to retry his fateful immortality experiments it is important that you make informed decisions on the amount and type of fish you consume.

Although there are very specific guidelines given by the FDA that track average mercury levels in commonly eaten fish that you should look at, a simple rule you can follow is to eat fish at the bottom of the food chain. Although the mechanism by which mercury accumulates in fish contains several variables such as location, diet and levels of fatty tissue, in general fish that eat other fish will contain higher levels of mercury than fish that don't.

Take for example the diet of swordfish versus sardines, the FDA cites the mercury concentration in swordfish at 0.976 parts per million compared to sardines at 0.016 parts per million. As you could guess the diet of a fish that has a sharp pike attached to is generally predatory with its staple diet including octopus and mackerel, compared to the sardines, who often have no teeth at all and instead filter feed plankton. The same comparison can be done with shark and anchovies, with similar results.

Besides diet, another important factor that contributes to mercury levels in fish is the average life cycle of the species. The longer a fish has lived the greater the chance for high levels of mercury accumulation.

This information is especially important for women who are either pregnant or could become pregnant in the future. Just as in fish, mercury levels in humans can take years to naturally dissipate once consumed, potentially causing harm to a fetus.

So next time you are looking for a fishy treat, remember two things, mercury won’t make you immortal and do your best to always eat fish with short life cycles at the bottom of the food chain.

Steven Smith Teammaker - A Unique Tea Experience

Encore!

After creating and selling Stash and Tazo Tea companies, Steve Smith is once again creating delightful teas. Whether you are looking for green, white, black tea or herbal infusions, Steven Smith Teamaker has a product that is right for you. The teamaker has set-up shop in Portland, Oregon.

My favorite, the peppermint infusion is full bodied and so fresh. I think it is the best peppermint tea I've tasted. The uniquely shaped pyramid tea bags contribute to the appeal. Oregon peppermint leaves are the wonderful secret ingredient.  In fact you can learn the source & lot number of every ingredient used in these teas by entering the batch number online.

I've also indulged in a special blend created for Churchmouse Yarn and Teas in Bainbridge Island, WA. The Tea is #512 Church Mouse No. 512. This tea is wonderful!

Check out his complete selection online, these teas are still hard to find locally unless you are lucky enough to live in Oregon.

Southern Exposure Herb Farm - Cooking Classes & Foodie Fun

Spring has finally reached lower Michigan.  I celebrated by attending two great foodie experiences at Southern Exposure Herb Farm. This unique foodie destination is located in the countryside between Battle Creek and Marshall Michigan. It is well worth the drive, plan to arrive a little early so you can tour the grounds and enjoy their flowers.  Southern Exposure holds both workshops and specialty dinners. The workshops are either focused on gardening  or food and usually include a meal. They also have foodie tours such as a recent adventure to North Chicago for a Food Tasting & Cultural Tour.

Workshop

Do You Dream of Chocolate was a fun night focused on CHOCOLATE. Chocolate lovers could  indulge in their favorite food and learn a bit too. As we gathered at the table for dinner, we worked on a Chocolate quiz.  The quiz was interesting and full of fun facts about chocolate including the average  annual chocolate consumption of chocolate in the US (11 lbs) and what country is the largest producer of Cocoa beans (Ivory Coast - West Africa).  After a delightful dinner and decadent chocolate dessert, we traveled to different locations on the farm to extend our chocolate knowledge and tastings.  Recipes and techniques were demonstrated and shared.   

Specialty Dining

Our next experience was a relaxed and exquisite dinner event called An Evening with Mozart. On this brilliant spring evening Southern Exposure Herb Farm was decorated for Spring. A dogwood tree in full bloom greeted us and the garden beds were groomed for spring. A high degree of attention was paid to every detail, as displayed in the beautiful table arrangement.

The menu was based on Mozart's favorite foods:

• Chef Elsie’s Shrimp and Corn Chowder
• Colorful Spring Salad of Cucumber and Feta with Herb Buttermilk Dressing
• Baked Salmon Fillet with Fresh Pineapple and Ginger Chutney
• Oven Roasted Herb Potatoes
• Roasted Spring Vegetables
• Linzertorte with Whipped Cream
• Pinot Noir selected by our Sommelier

Southern Exposure Herb Farm is a delightful experience for Foodies whether you choose to enjoy specialty dining or a hands-on workshop. I hope to join to next Chicago Food Tasting and Cultural Walking Tour!

Read more about Southern Exposure

Juustolepia Cheese

During a recent trip to the University of Wisconsin at Madison, we enjoyed delightful  "Badger Blast" ice cream at the Babcock Hall Dairy Store.  Badger Blast is a chocolate lover's delight that includes premium chocolate ice cream laced with dark chocolate flakes and fudge swirls.  

Babcock Hall has an operational dairy processing pilot plant.  The plant can pasteurize milk and make cheese and ice cream.  While many food science students use the facility to learn food processing techniques.  The Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research also offers short courses. The four-day "World of Cheese Education from Pasture to Plate" short course looks very interesting. The course is designed for culinary professionals and covers all aspects of cheese-making and cheese-handling.

Another trip discovery was a unique cheese called Juustoleipa. This Finnish style cheese that was originally made from reindeer milk, of course, the Wisconsin version is made from pasteurized cow's milk.  The name means bread cheese and the slice of cheese I purchased was about the size of thick slice of bread.  After the cheese has ripened the cheesemaker bakes the cheese.  This step gives the cheese a mottled brown appearance on the surface almost like french toast.  Another interesting thing about this cheese is it squeaks as you eat it. 

This cheese is usually served warm with jam or honey.  I enjoyed the mild flavor and the texture was similar to Halloumi.  I recommend trying this cheese.  I enjoyed enjoyed the cheese dipped in coffee a traditional Scandinavian way to enjoy Juustoleipa.

34 Degrees Rosemary Crispbread - Outstanding Crackers!

Looking for the perfect vehicle for your favorite cheese?

Check out these amazing rosemary crispbread type crackers by 34-degrees.

There are four flavors, natural, rosemary, pepper and sesame.

Recently I purchased the rosemary crackers with a blue brie style cheese.  It was an amazing combination.

The crispbread are made with out additives and 19 crackers are only 130 calories!

If you can can't find them at your local store they are available in a six pack from Amazon.