Does Bread Make You Say "Ouch"?

I love bread. It seems to touch, and satisfy, my very being. Like many people, I've tried my hand at baking it. I've enjoyed using an automatic bread machine -- I'm not a bread snob. I've relished, even when flour-dusted from head to toe with muscles screaming from kneading, baking bread from scratch. I've made the well-known New York Times-published no-knead bread recipe -- it works, see the photo above.

But many people are not so fortunate. Gluten sets their bodies to reeling. We see an increasing number of gluten-free products in the grocery stores. And some of them are better than others, not only in taste, but in ingredient content and preparation. I suspect that often, these gluten-free products are the result of necessity leading to invention. Nothing inspires one quite so much as finding a solution for the health problem of a loved one.

And that is exactly the case in the development of a range of new gluten-free products by a company called Gluten Free Treasures. Based in Menasha, Wisconsin, this young company is moving forward quickly in meeting the gluten-free needs of its community. And with the power of the Internet (with customer testimony on Facebook and Twitter) and nationwide shipping, the mail-order needs of an expanding customer base.

These products, from bread and rolls to muffins and cakes and cookies, go a long way in taking the "ouch" out for people who, like me, love their baked goods. Bravo!

And for simple fun related to breadmaking, and to help you lose your fear of flour, check out the recent book by William Alexander titled "52 Loaves: one man's relentless pursuit of truth, meaning and the perfect crust." It's a great memoir about one man's attempt to create the perfect loaf, in his spare time. When that man is highly-creative, a bit compulsive, slightly devil-may-care and a gifted storyteller, the fun can't be far behind!

*****
Update, May 2016

Unfortunately, as is the case with  so many small, start-up businesses, Gluten Free Treasure in Wisconsin no longer exists.  But, as I am sure you all know, the gluten-free movement has taken off in a big way and there are many alternatives available today.  For those who need this alternative, what a great development!

Cooking Class in Newport Beach

Do you have your chef's hat with you? I hope so, because it's almost time for the cooking class to begin. And if you're like me, everything you cook always turns out better if you wear your lucky hat!

We are at the Sur La Table housewares and cooking supplies store in Newport Beach. This shop is a veritable playground for those of us who love to cook. Frankly, even those who simply love to eat could probably find lots of inspiration within these walls.

Frequently, cooking classes are conducted in this separate area, just to the side of the display floor. These classes are often presented by individuals who have published cookbooks, by people who are chefs at restaurants in the area, by culinary instructors from near and far. Even if you don't attend a class, you can participate in the fun vicariously by browsing the store while the aromas waft nearby.

Let's go -- I see some gorgeous shrimp being taken out of the refrigerator now!

Charcuterie Window in Paris

Here we are in Paris, in the 16th arrondissement. I was on my way, on foot, from my hotel in the 15th. A nice, morning walk, past the Eiffel Tower, over the Seine, through the Trocadero gardens (all the while admiring the gorgeous fountains).

Through more streets of this pretty section of Paris -- quite residential -- on my way to the Marmottan Museum. I had been to the museum on an earlier trip and found it to be a delightful experience. A small museum, in an historic mansion, with lots of Monet paintings for me to ooh and aah over.

In Paris, getting there is often half the fun. Especially when you enjoy shop windows as much as I do. Here is the lovely display in the front window of a charcuterie, which is sort of a combination butcher shop and delicatessen. The day was a bit cloudy, so the photo isn't very bright. But the memory of those tasty items shines brightly in this tourist's heart!

Mitsuwa Japanese Market

Near the coast, here in southern California, we are experiencing weather of the "premature" variety. The infamous "June Gloom" typically brings cloudy-and-damp-and-foggy conditions to locations within several miles of the ocean -- during June. If lucky, the phenomenon gives way to our usual sunny conditions by late morning or early afternoon. If not so lucky, the gloominess -- what my Aunt Cathryn would call a "dumpy day" in the Midwest -- hangs in there all day.

The all-day variety of June Gloom has been in evidence here for a couple of weeks now. Of course, it is still far from June, but the weather calendar here and in many parts of the world seems confused of late! In times of dumpy weather, my thoughts inevitably turn to comfort food. The tried-and-true meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, sauerkraut and dumplings (my Germanic heritage coming to bear), baked potatoes and chicken. Steaming soups and stews warm heart, soul and body.

For a bit different take on that approach, I like to keep some nifty Japanese ingredients at-the-ready in my pantry. On a moment's notice, those quick-serve noodle bowls are ready to warm up the chilliest of gloomy glumness. The automatic rice cooker gets into the act and sends the fragrance of light-and-white or brown-and-nutty rice throughout the house. The curry-mix packets turn my mundane protein leftovers into a stomach-warming trip to the other side of the world!

My favorite location at which to restock my Japanese ingredients is Mitsuwa Marketplace (http://www.mitsuwa.com/). Locations are sprinkled near major metropolitan areas throughout the U.S. For me, the nearest store is in Costa Mesa. That location, at just a stone's throw from the popular South Coast Plaza shopping mall, is a special type of shopping complex all its own.

In addition to a large grocery store, the complex features a Japanese book/video/music shop, cosmetics counter, Japanese health goods and vitamin shop, appliance shop and a baked confections counter. From time to time, temporary counters are set up to allow vendors to offer clothing, jewelry and sometimes even those terrific slip-on sandals with dozens of little bumps all over the inside of the sole to allow the do-it-yourself approach to foot massage!

On top of all that, I have had the pleasure of spending countless happy moments at the pottery and dishware shop, admiring (which all too often has turned to purchasing) a huge array of small-and-colorful dishware, teapots, lacquerware and chopsticks. The delicate Japanese designs of that dishware seem to amplify the flavors of every food they grace. Steaming miso soup just tastes better, somehow, when sipped from a gleaming, lacquerware bowl.

Right across the aisle from all of these dazzling retail offerings, a mini food court of Japanese restaurants beckons. The requisite display of those kitschy, plastic, look-alike foods helps Japanese-heritage and other customers make their selections for a tasty meal. Though one needs to order and pick up one's meal at a counter, the ever-careful pairing of food with serving ware is maintained by these restaurants. Pretty dishware makes the meal seem tastier -- and MUCH more Japanese -- than it ever would on a plasticized paper plate!

In most cases, eating before grocery shopping always seems to damp down my spending a bit. At the Mitsuwa Marketplace, my reaction is the exact opposite! Inspired by all the good, Japanese food that I have just eaten -- and all of the delicious items that I have just seen at tables all around me -- I hit the grocery aisles ready to load up on everything I can to enable myself to recreate the same dishes at home!

As if I weren't inspired enough already, weekends at the Mitsuwa grocery feature lots of samples to introduce new products and special offers. How CAN they taste so delectable when I am already SO stuffed from my lunch?

In addition to the huge variety of staple products, the produce, fresh fish and meats, prepared sushi, bakery and liquor departments offer tasty specialties. A charming little alcove houses a mini teahouse counter, staffed with a knowledgeable expert to help with any questions about Japanese teas or the formal Japanese tea service.

As I emerge from this treasure trove of Japanese culture, loaded down with plastic bags filled to the brim with more new flavors to try, I always marvel at what a great, small world our planet has become. Comfort -- and comfort food -- has shown up virtually on my doorstep from around the world. That's enough to drive an Ingredient Sleuth's June Gloom packing!

Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods Market Produce Department

One of the local PBS television stations in Southern California (KLCS-TV in Los Angeles) is re-broadcasting some of Julia Child's old cooking shows -- always a delight! In these episodes, Julia was the ever-willing cooking student while guest chefs and experts prepared delectable dishes.

Seeing these shows reminds me of another interview that she gave near the end of her marvelous career. The interviewer asked her how she would persuade people to eat organic products.

In her throaty warble, she said something to the effect of “Well, you know of course, I would simply tell them why I use organic products as often as possible – they just taste better!”

And there you have it! The Ingredient Sleuth has to chuckle at Ms. Child’s astute commentary on human motivations. I find it somewhat difficult to justify prying my wallet open to pay more for a product simply because it MAY be healthier. Somehow, that always seems like a long-term investment – easier to put off for the future.

But, if I know that the product in question is just going to taste SO much better – now -- my short-term gratification impulse goes immediately into overdrive. Zap! The wallet cooperates with only a faint whimper!

Whole Foods Market is capitalizing big-time on this realization. Founded in 1980 as a single, small store in Austin, Texas, this grocer is now the world’s leading retailer of natural and organic foods. There are 178 stores in North America and the United Kingdom.

The stores are large, supermarket-sized, spacious and filled with plenty of products to complete even the most-extensive of shopping lists. Whole Foods believes in local sourcing all over the world from small suppliers who are uniquely dedicated to providing the highest-quality products.

In California, for example, three suppliers were recently publicized in a Whole Foods newspaper advertisement that announced a regional “community support day” in which 5% of that region’s Whole Foods stores’ net sales was donated to California Certified Organic Farmers organization (to assist with organic certification programs, trade support and educational programs).

I really like the idea of buying products that have come from suppliers with profiles like these:

BE WISE RANCH, San Diego: A major supplier of organic heirloom tomatoes to Whole Foods, Bill Brammer has been farming organically for almost 30 years and assisted in the definition of the organic standards that define the industry today.

T & D WILLEY FARMS, San Joaquin Valley: Tom and Denesse Willey grow organic basil for Whole Foods and also specialize in organic winter squashes. They believe it is their life’s mission to educate people about the benefits of sustainable farming, so that our precious farmlands are available to support healthful foods for future generations.

WINDROSE FARMS, San Luis Obispo: Bill and Barbara Spencer began farming organically because of Barbara’s sensitivity to pesticides. For Whole Foods Market, they specialize in herbs and provide mint, basil, rosemary, dill and other seasonal varieties.

In the Whole Foods produce department, all produce offered is labeled with its geography of origin and is clearly identified as either “organically” or “conventionally” grown. Over time, as more and more organically-produced products have become available in larger volumes, the organic share of the produce complement has grown.

The stores feature foods that are free of artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners and hydrogenated oils. Bakery, meat, fish, cheeses from all over the world, ready-to-eat deli items, vitamins, wines (organic and otherwise) – ingredient sleuth heaven!

Some of my favorites:

• organic Yukon Gold potatoes,
• 365 (Whole Foods' private label brand) Italian sparkling mineral water,
• sage honey,
• free-range organic chicken,
• Les Coccinelles (the ladybugs!) red wine,
• nutty Emmenthaler cheese from Switzerland,
• those organic winter squash from T&D Willey Farms,
• tiny-and-pink lentils in bulk bins ...

is it possible to have dozens and dozens of "favorites"? For me -- yes!

Whole Foods has been included in Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” every year since 1998 and holds the #30 position in 2005. And then, to top it all off, CEO John Mackey recently began a blog (www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blogs/jm) which includes commentary on the business and social issues related to the company's role in the retail grocery industry.

At the Whole Foods Market website (www.wholefoodsmarket.com), internauts can search for whatever food topic interests them. There is a huge assortment of sensible recipes there as well. There is NOT, however, an online shopping service. But, there IS a list of the current 178 locations with street addresses and phone numbers for shopping expedition preparation!

Let’s see – where’s that shopping list of mine. My closest store location is 20 miles away, in Tustin, but there are favorites to be bought – because they will just, simply, TASTE so good! So, as Julia would warble, “Bon appetit!”

Sausage Counter at Mattern Market 

Farmer's Market -- Irvine, CA 

Farmer's Markets -- and VI!

Farmer’s markets are alive and well, year-round, in California. With seasonal crops of something-or-other, California never ceases to amaze me as I drive through the surprisingly-frequent open areas. Granted, there is plenty of cement jungle and urban sprawl, but fields of strawberries, tomatoes and produce of every description appear where you may least expect them.

Whether these fields of plenty belong to individual family farms or large-scale producers, they help to keep us connected with the magic of growing things. Who wouldn’t be impressed? One day, you are driving along the freeway and see rich, brown earth plowed in straight rows that converge as they reach the middle distance, way out there, somewhere.

Before you know it, the next freeway trip, days later, discloses the very same field, now dotted with short, green plants, in the same straight rows. As you zip past, at freeway speeds (if you’re lucky and the freeway gods are smiling!), you catch a glimpse of the leaves’ shapes. Were those tomato leaves … or radish … or squash? Your eyes feel as if they can’t quite reach out and make the connection – yet you would like to know.

As the days pass, and the freeway beckons again, eyes strain once more to catch a revealing glimpse of vegetation-in-progress. Have yard-high, wooden stakes been added? Aha! It must be tomatoes! Are the leaves still too small to focus on from your vantage point, but spreading horizontally, hugging close to Mother Earth? Of course! It must be strawberries! Have the leaves become huge, reaching out to clasp hands with each other, plant to plant, in every direction? Ah yes! It has to be squash – or maybe pumpkins that will reflect children’s late-October smiles in shiny, orange skins!

The vegetation identification (VI, to we sleuthing types!) is confirmed, some time later, as crates of fruits or vegetables line the edge of the field. Workers labor, hats and scarves protecting heads from sun, stooped over the now-lush rows of bounty, as they collect the ripe produce that will feed all of us soon. Perhaps, as we sit down to comfortable dinner tables, we will sense the aching legs, sore necks and calloused fingers that this harvesting entailed – and be grateful not just for the food but also for those who worked so hard in order to bring it to us.

The realization of the good, honest labor that food entails is one of the things that I love about farmer’s markets. It helps me to remember that the food on my plate didn’t just fly into those plastic packages in the supermarket. Real people did real work, hard work, honest work – and lots of it – then hoped, and likely prayed, that step-by-step the growing process would proceed without the trouble that Mother Nature sometimes delivers.

When I see the smile on the face of the farmer, as he or she entrusts the fruit of back-straining labor to me, I also see the fulfilling pleasure that comes from production. What a lovely way to honor each other – producer and consumer – as we all make our way in this world. Little wonder that food straight from the fields seems to taste sweeter and nourish us more-fully. We have become part of its picture, part of its circle of life.

In my mind’s eye (that’s the same one that makes hindsight 20-20, by the way), I can still see the face of the farmer who tended his small display of herbs recently, at a Saturday farmer’s market nearby. I told him that I needed some nice, fresh cilantro. He smiled with gentle eyes and then stretched calloused hands over the stacks of fragrant herbs piled on the well-worn, wooden table. He chose two bunches of bright-green cilantro, turned them over carefully in his hands, smelled them, smiled again, then proudly handed them to me for my inspection. “Here, these are the best ones,” he said. Actually, I only needed one bunch – but I bought both. How could I not?

As planting season begins anew, the picture is drawn again. Each seed, leaf, vine and worker colors in the part that only each can paint in this way. It is the hope of the Ingredient Sleuth that each of us may experience the revitalization of the year’s harvests, as they progress from season to season.

The bounty is out there – or will be soon, in colder climates – as farmer’s markets set up in parking lots across the land! To help you find locations near you, here are some websites that list details about farmer’s markets coast-to-coast. Check them out and, if you possibly can, please go! You’ll find the best produce and meet the nicest people there. If you think of it, please tell them that the Ingredient Sleuth sent you!

www.cafarmersmarkets.com (California farmer’s markets, searchable)
www.farmersmarketla.com (Los Angeles’ famous farmer’s market, established in 1934)
www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm (U.S. farmer’s markets by state, searchable)
www.localharvest.org (U.S. farmer’s markets by state, searchable)

(A link to the nationwide farmer’s market index will be maintained in the Ingredient Sleuth website’s sidebar, on an ongoing basis, for your convenience.)

Farmer’s markets have many items to offer. Products that I have seen recently include eggs, cheese, bread, flowers, fish, seafood, sausage, nuts, honey, herbs – and, of course, fruits and vegetables! If you prefer a more “observational” approach to exploring the wonders of the outdoor market, you may enjoy Paris in a Basket: Markets – the Food and the People (Konemann Publishing, Cologne). This book, by Nicolle Aimee Meyer & Amanda Pilar Smith, explores outdoor markets in all twenty of Paris’ districts, with enough gorgeous food, people and Paris photos to make you feel as if you’ve spent a glorious day strolling through the culinary capital. Vegetation identification – from the armchair!

Bon appetit!

Rice Selection -- 99 Ranch Market 

Rice Makes the World Go 'Round!

The warm, sweet, nutty fragrance approaches the restaurant table, tickling our waiting noses, arriving ahead of the waiter. He smiles, carefully placing the steaming bowl of rice at the very center of the table. The accompanying meat and fish dishes assume secondary position, around the perimeter.

In your mind’s eye, you may be picturing a multi-course banquet from one of my Far East excursions. Of course, I have enjoyed many sublime meals in Asia and experienced eye-opening rice flavors there. But the dining venue that always springs to the front of my brain when I smell fragrant rice cooking in my own kitchen – and the setting of the wafting fragrance in this essay – is a small Thai restaurant in Regensburg, Germany! I don’t know if the restaurant is even there any longer (but I hope so), yet it has been the definition of fragrant rice to me ever since.

By some counts, there are 40,000 different varieties of rice. That seems as incomprehensible to me as it does you, by the way! Even the Ingredient Sleuth sometimes just shakes her head in amazement that borders on disbelief. There are, however, many remarkable varieties to be savored. Here are some of the kinds that I like to keep in my rice repertoire, from time to time:

Long Grain – kernels are 4 to 5 times longer than wide, light, fluffy; most-commonly served by Chinese restaurants

Medium Grain – kernels are shorter and wider than long grain, more likely to cling together than long grain

Short Grain – kernels are short, plump, almost round, very likely to cling together

Arborio -- kernels are large, creamy when cooked, release their starch during constant stirring with liquids to make Italian risotto; originally from the Po Valley in Italy

Basmati – kernels are long, thin, dry and separate when cooked; aromas similar to toasted nuts or popcorn; native to India and Pakistan, now also grown in the U.S.

Jasmine – kernels are long, thin, moist and clingy when cooked; aromas similar to toasted nuts or popcorn; native to Thailand. Now also grown in the U.S.

Brown – kernels may be any length, clingy, with nutty flavors and aromas; only the hull has been removed, leaving the bran layers in place (maintaining the high levels of minerals and B-complex vitamins) and retaining their brown color

Sweet (Glutinous) – kernels are short, plump, chalky white, opaque, extremely sticky; kernels lose their shape when cooked; used for desserts and sushi

Wild – not technically a rice, but a type of grass that has similar (water-based) growing conditions to rice

Grown and consumed worldwide, rice stands like a unifier of nations. I wonder how many people in the world would not recognize rice upon seeing it. Little wonder that it blends so well with foods of diverse ethnicity and that it unifies multitudes of ingredients in a single dish. Like a wise diplomat comfortable in any setting, it knows how to exist peacefully with its neighbors, adding just enough personality to keep things interesting.

A good assortment of rice has become available at many mainstream grocery stores. Often, supermarkets ‘file’ their specialty rice on the foreign-foods aisle (even though so much of it is now grown domestically) rather than the rice-beans aisle. International grocery stores, especially Asian markets, offer a huge variety. Large Asian grocery chains such as Mitsuwa Markets (http://www.mitsuwa.com/) and 99 Ranch Markets (http://www.99ranch.com/) carry many kinds and specialize in large-sack quantities. In addition, it seems that most college towns have at least one Asian market, many of them charming mom-and-pop operations with friendly and courteous owners; look under ‘Grocers & Markets – Retail’ in the phone listings. And there is always Internet shopping for rice of every description.

It’s fun to sample various types, starting small, with a one-pound bag, and then seeing where it takes you. I never expected to carry home five-, ten- or twenty-pound bags of rice from the grocery – but I do. Very cost-efficient and good for the strength training, too! And, very importantly to a globe-trotting ingredient sleuth, I could never have developed my chopstick ability without short-grain rice for home-based practice -- its clinginess somehow shortens the distance between the plate and the mouth! (Am I the only one who practices chopstick maneuvering at home?)

After all is said and done, love, not rice makes the world go ‘round, just as the song says. Hmmm, we do throw rice at weddings! There has to be a love-rice, world-spinning link there somewhere, doesn’t there?

Trader Joe's 

Trader Joe's -- A Southern California Institution

Ahh, 'tis the weekend and the thoughts of cooks turn to ingredient acquisition. Since its early days at locations throughout southern California, Trader Joe's is the market that comes to mind. And now, this is true in major metropolitan areas throughout the United States. Trader Joe's (www.traderjoes.com) has grown and its expansion verifies the attractiveness of its offerings.

Many know the pre-expansion stories. Once acquainted with the food products offered, loyal TJ's customers returned again and again and again. Those who moved away to areas that were not an easy commute to a TJ's store also returned -- with empty suitcases suitable for stashing away a few favorites for a trip to new-home locales. Southern Californians received desperate messages from friends, asking for just ONE more shipment of a care package of TJ's items.

The TJ's institution maintains loyalty beyond belief. So, what do they offer, that promotes such enthusiasm? Simply lovely ingredients and products, at the attractive price points achievable by volume purchasing, from around the world. Whew! A lot to offer -- even more to deliver, consistently. And that's what impresses we customers so much.

Today, many of the products offered bear the Trader Joe's registered brand, including a slight variation to the Trader Giotto's, Trader Jacques's, etc. (you get the idea) branding on imported items. Staples such as oils, vinegars, pastas, rices ... refrigerated items such as dairy products, meats, fish, produce ... wines, liquors, liqueurs, mineral waters .... organic household products, soaps, lotions ... the list is endless and wonderful. Certain new items are promoted, periodically, in a printed mini-magazine (the current issue is usually viewable at www.traderjoes.com) that is distributed by mail and in-store.

People meet strangers in the aisles and sing the praises of something new that they have just sampled and enjoyed. Recipe ideas are exchanged and cooking triumphs described. Just yesterday, at another grocery store, as I waited in the checkout line, the man in front of me turned around to ask, "Do you know where the nearest Trader Joe's is?" Clearly, he was in need of an ingredient that could better be purchased at TJ's! I pointed him in the right direction, he thanked me gratefully and off he went, happily on the track of his cooking plan for the weekend.

Sadly, Trader Joe's does not offer online shopping at this time. But, the recent expansion into many major metropolitan areas offers the chance to check into a location near your home, or as you travel. And, of course, there's always the care-package approach from your TJ's-adjacent friends throughout the country .......