Chews Wise

"What's Her Name" (USDA Deputy Secretary Merrigan) Concerns Grassley

This just in from Think Progress: The Des Moines Register asked Sen. Charles Grassley, the Iowa Republican who sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee, if he had any response to Obama's recent subcabinet appointments at the Agriculture Department. He responded by saying that he believed that most of the nominees were "well qualified" except for -- referring to Kathleen Merrigan -- "the woman from Tufts" who was confirmed by the Senate in April. 

GRASSLEY: I think everybody's well qualified to do what they're doing, and there's only one that I would raise a question about. And I probably shouldn't be raising a question except some things that I've read about where she's coming from, and I don't remember her name, but the woman from Tufts. 

QUESTION: Kathleen Merrigan. 

GRASSLEY: What's her name? 

QUESTION: Kathleen Merrigan.

Did the Swine Flu Come From a Factory Pig Farm?

While the net is buzzing with talk that the swine flu originated from a factory pig farm, the evidence thus far has been compelling but inconclusive. As Grist's Tom Philpott asks: "...could the swine-flu outbreak have originated literally in the shadows of Granjas Carroll’s hog confinements, and not have some tie to intensive hog farming? That’s a question that health authorities have to vigorously pursue."

Although the Mexican government is testing a million pig farm in Perote, in Veracruz State, so far it has not come up with a smoking gun. The first case of the flu, however, originated in the same area.

The Times reports:

Mexico’s first known swine flu case, which was later confirmed, was from Perote, according to Health Minister José Ángel Córdova. The case involved a 5-year-old boy who recovered. 

But a spokesman for the plant said the boy was not related to a plant worker, that none of its workers were sick and that its hogs were vaccinated against flu.

Potatoes v. Seed Potatoes: The Difference?

Can anyone explain the difference between potatoes and seed potatoes?

I just bought organic seed potatoes from Wood Prairie Farm in Maine - a place I've bought from before, with a wide range, if now dwindling (at this late date), choice of potatoes.

Now, I know I could Google to get the answer but wonder if my astute readers (farmers among them) could provide the answer in the comments.

I think I am going to grow these in an expandable bin. This article explains how you can get 100 pounds in a 4x4x4 bin. I don't need that many so am trying a 2x4 footprint if I can get my act together and build it.
- Samuel Fromartz

"Find Out Where Your Food Comes From" at a New Level - in the Pig Pen

A man took four days out of his life as a corporate communications consultant and actor to live with pigs. (Is this what PR does to people?) "I can honestly say I enjoyed it," Richard da Costa said in a BBC essay about the experience (publicity stunt?).

It was two months before I could eat pig after coming out of the farm. I finally cracked and hypocrisy played its role as I was lured back to tearing my former bedfellow's flesh with my teeth. And by what? Spare ribs. Chorizo. Plain old bacon.

As much as I hate to say it, they really do taste very good. But I am a responsible shopper now. I think more about where all the things that I buy come from.

As consumers, we drive all production and - by how much we value something - the methods of that production.

Often enough we turn a blind eye to where our food comes from. We may suffer the occasional pang of guilt but this will soon subside with the next two-for-one offer.

So as I trot around in my busy, aspirational, self-centred, self-important and ultimately pretty small life, sometimes, remembering my life as as an animal will do me no harm at all.

Now, here's the video on decoding pig speak.

Milk labeling fight faces deadline in Kansas

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius - Obama's choice for Health and Human Services secretary - has found herself in the middle of a fight between consumer groups and biotech interests over milk labeling. At issue: the right of producers to describe milk made without synthetic hormones, or rBGH, without additional qualifiers.

I blogged about this issue extensively in Pennsylvania back in 2007 but the forces trying to limit milk labels and informed consumer choice continue their lobbying. A number of groups and companies, including Consumers Union and Stonyfield Farms, have taken issue with the Kansas bill, which becomes law tomorrow by April 23 if Sebelius doesn't veto it. The Center for Food Safety also put up a petition here.

Which leaves the governor and Obama appointee in something of a hot seat...

(Note: the bill landed on Sebelius'  desk on April 13 and she has 10 days to review it. So the deadline is April 23. The original post erroneously said April 16. Thanks to Naomi Starkman for correcting).

Breeding Bluefin Tuna in Atlantic Gone in 3 Years

WWF said today that spawning bluefin tuna - a delicacy in some circles - could be fished out of the Atlantic ocean in just three years.

As European fishing fleets prepare to begin the two-month Mediterranean fishing season on Wednesday, spawning tuna aged four years and older are headed into history. "For years people have been asking when the collapse of this fishery will happen, and now we have the answer," said Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean.

White House Garden Seedlings Being Planted Today

I hear the White House is planting its vegetable garden today, putting in lettuce, kale, collards, onions and shallots, fennel, and other seedlings, including a few from Thomas Jefferson's estate in Monticello. This might even include a fig tree, which does well in the mid-Atlantic region. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack should be on hand too.
- Samuel Fromartz

Fromartz baguette clinic gets a little Ink in DC

So, I spend a week in Paris and suddenly I'm an expert on la baguette? Well, truth be told I've been trying to make these little long loaves for about a decade and thanks to soon-to-be-launched Afar magazine, I got the chance to take my technique to a new level by working at boulangerie Arnaud Delmontel in the 9th in Paris.

Then my friend Tim Carmen, a food writer here in D.C., was intrigued so we held a clinic. He did a good job at making the loaves as he recounts in this blog posting at Young & Hungry and in the pictures he posted.

OK, now I know I've talked about posting more bread recipes on ChewsWise, but breadmaking is less about a "recipe" than it is about technique. And technique is the toughest thing to describe, though I'll give a hint: Time is the most important ingredient. The dough we worked with was rising 36 hours old by the time we shaped the loaves. But I promise I'll give more details as soon as I can.
- Samuel Fromartz

Only in Los Angeles - Korean Mexican Taco Trucks

I recently came across KCRW's good food blog, associated with one of my favorite food radio shows. They've posted a video on Los Angeles taco trucks that proves that some of the most exciting cuisine happens at the fringe, as in the Korean Mexican taco truck. 

Alice Waters Launches Frozen Food!

Alice Waters launches a frozen food line, which her office described as “a crossover product making sustainability accessible to a wider audience," Civil Eats reports.

The “Simple Perfection” entrees, which consist of a oven-ready terra-cotta plate rubbed with garlic and sprinkled with salt are designed to be laden with seasonal vegetables by the user.

Rock on Alice! Oh, wait, that was yesterday's news...