June 2013 – THE DUDE OF FOOD

Kudos to this spatchula maker.

http://www.farberware.com

http://www.lifetimebrands.com

A couple weeks ago the Dude of Food needed a new ‘spatchula’ and ended up purchasing a Farberware “slotted turner”. It turns out there was a problem with the one I bought and I wrote the company an email to inquire about it.

The problem was the first spatchula they sent me was super flimsy and wasn’t worth the plastic it took to make it. To the credit of the company, they were interested in hearing about my experience and what happened. After we spoke they were more than happy to replace the product. Today the new product arrived and the replacement is heavy duty, solid and overall is a much better made product. All is good in the kitchen again.

Thank you Farberware and parent company Lifetime Brands, for supporting your customers and standing behind your product line. Maximum respect. You can bet the Dude of Food endorses your kitchen gear and when I need new kitchen utensils you can bet I will be looking at your brands.

Malbec – TERRAZAS de los Andes 2010

Another fine wine from the Mendoza region nestled in Argentina.

TERRAZAS de los Andes Reserva Malbec 2010

Produced and bottled by Terrazas de los Andes, Argentina.

Selected grapes of the Mendoza region terraces, found a little more than 1,000 meters above sea level, make their way into this wine. The selectivity of this wine is probably why it is imported by the Moet Hennessy company.

Personally, this wine is almost as good as my still favorite Malbec, Bodega de ELENA. The Terrazas is kind of similar to the Elena, but I found it to be a touch lighter in body and flavor when landing on the tongue. The Terrazas is flowery and fruity. Perhaps the Terrazas could be imagined as a Merlot version of the Elena if it were imagined as a Cabernet style of the same producer.

The Terrazas is a good wine, reasonably priced and will be gone before the other bottles that folks brought to the party.

For comments or contact with the Dude of Food, please visit me at

Yelp as Dude Food G.

Red Rock Malbec Reserve 2010

Grown and bottled by Red Rock winery Healdsburg, CA

This Malbec is grown here in California, not Argentina.

The flavor of this reserve wine lacks the depth of the Bodega de ELENA Malbec, which is my current favorite. It is not a bad wine, but if looking for a reasonably priced California red, I’d go Murphy-Goode Cabernet.

Glazed Swai with zucchini isn’t what it appears.

Swai is not expensive but it tastes mediocre. I made the dish pictured to the right and it was pretty tasty.

What it doesn’t tell you is that Swai is raised in the Mekong River.

The Mekong River is one of the most polluted waterways in the world. Numerous factories get rid of their chemical waste by dumping it into the river. While pangasius fish (Swai) can survive in such an extreme environment, they absorb all these contaminants. As omnivores, they eat whatever is available in the environment. Some breeders feed the fish trash and rotting matter to cut down the cost. Pangasius fish bred in such circumstances, certainly contain these toxic chemicals.

Injecting the fish with hormones helps to stimulate their growth. Certain breeders are able to make their fish grow four times as fast than they do in a natural habitat. Frequent use of antibiotics serves to control disease but can lead to the contamination of meat and development of antibiotic resistant pathogens.

Reliable farms utilize the clean areas of the rivers or breed the fish in artificial ponds. Frequent water changes and filtration maintain the quality of water, so that the fish avoid absorbing the pollutants. Trustworthy breeders feed the fish food scraps, dedicated fish pellets and rice bran. The carefully selected diet leads to healthier fish and improves the quality of their meat. Limited use of the antibiotics allows the fish to break the toxins down, instead of accumulating in the bodies of Swai fish.

To choose the safe fillets, check if the meat has been tested for the presence of the antibiotics and contaminants. Try to avoid panga fillets of unknown origin, as there’s a good chance that they are imported from these shady farms. The responsible shopping habits serve to reinforce the correct commercial breeding techniques. They protect the consumers from ingesting the toxic ingredients.

Bottom line, cheaper isn’t always better.

Dude of Food Fact – Cellulose (wood chips)

Wood Pulp is A Popular Food Additive

Think you won’t eat wood? Think again

Cellulose is added to many foods as a thickening agent, lending texture and boosting fiber content.

This reduces the need for expensive ingredients like flour and oil.

While cellulose comes from wood, it is the same structure as cellulose found in celery, serving as a source of dietary fiber.

The Dude of Food thinks this kind of information should be more clearly marked on food labels.

In the case of the Mozzarella cheese above, the front of the label says organic. They are not lying, but I’d rather have flour and oil.

Tivoli Cookware

Tivoli, Italy is an amazing place.

I bought a new Tivoli light blue enamel sauce pan with a glass lid and am really happy with its addition to my kitchen. For the price, it looks cool and cooks evenly. It will be good for sauces.

For a look at Tivoli products visit them at

http://www.tivolicook.com

“Grazie Tivoli”, the Dude of Food.

Delicious Catfish Po’ Boy

New Orleans has much history and many things cultural to share that a creative human can appreciate and enjoy.

The city has flavored many musicians, jazz and otherwise as well as helped season many top chefs.

Another gift of New Orleans is the Po’ Boy sandwich. (www.poboyfest.com/history)

Pictured here is my homemade tribute to the Catfish Po’ Boy with pepper jack cheese. Ingredients procured and fish fried at Ralph’s market seafood section.

https://www.ralphs.com/stores/grocery/ca/venice/venice/703/00281?cid=loc_70300281_gmb

Celebrity Kitchen LA – Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin

Imagine that table filled with platters of various appetizers, while us guests sip sangria served up by kitchen mermaid Rachael Ray and enjoy the smells of BBQing meats by another of my favorite grillers wafting in from outside through the open french doors to the patio.

In the meantime, the musical entertainment plays and we wait for the Dude of Food to throw the fresh coconut crusted cod in the pans heating up on the grill of this kitchen in the home of some fabulous people for all to enjoy

Malbec – Espuela Del Gaucho 2011

Product of Argentina.

The Dude of Food Wine Review — Espuela Del Guacho

Imported by WX Imports, Novato , CA

www.espueladelguacho.com

This low priced gaucho Malbec tastes more like the boot sweat of a gaucho.

I may have gotten a bad bottle, but this was my least favorite of all the bottles tasted by the Dude of Food.

The 2012 was much, much better.

MURPHY-GOODE Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Murphy-Goode Winery Santa Rosa, CA

MURPHYGOODE.COM

This wine owns a heavy leg but stands on the taste buds gracefully, reminding the senses of a bouquet of sweet berry tastes. The flavor doesn’t linger long on the red carpet, before it melts away, providing opportunity for another pleasurable encounter.

For under $13. this was a pretty good wine.

Murphy-Goode cab is not a bad wine, but if you like a heavier, full flavored red wine, then the Bodega ELENA de Mendoza offers a bit more bang for a little less bucks.