Gourmandistan

Right now Gourmandistan can afford one annual checkup

April 23, 2010 by Michelle

We have chickens, and we’re not opposed to getting rid of some of them. (Michelle is vigorously lobbying for quick dispatch of the horrid-looking Houdans.) Now Sue Lowden, one of the current crop of crazy people masquerading as Republican candidates, thinks we should trade our chickens for health care—instead of demeaning ourselves with the just-passed health insurance reform. From CBS News: Sue Lowden, a Republican Senate hopeful in Nevada, has been widely mocked for earlier this week stating that, “before […]

Categories: Chicken keeping, News

The Route from Nose to Tail often leads through Pozole.

April 19, 2010 by Michelle

Several months ago we were offered the opportunity to buy an entire lamb from some folks just down the road, said opportunity arriving with the information that we were free to select the method in which the lamb arrived, packaged and sealed, at our door. Steve, inspired by reading Gourmandistan cookbooks such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Meat Book and Stéphane Reynaud’s Pork & Sons, believed he could get better use of the animal by insisting on “primal cuts.” Joyce […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Lamb, Mexico, Nose-to-tail, Recipes, Soups & Stews

Why we have chickens

April 18, 2010 by Michelle

Some years ago we spent a month in one of what could be one of France’s most beautiful rental homes, unfortunately in what might be the crappiest village in southern France. The townsfolk were surly, resentful and often hateful. The best food in town came off a pizza truck. The nearest “real” grocery, a few villages over, was a pit of industrial foodstuffs and meat so unappetizing it actually made Michelle cry. But every morning we’d be awakened from our […]

Categories: Chicken keeping • Tags: Chicken keeping

Something America should consider

April 15, 2010 by Steve

Gourmandistan’s “Best Baguette” award is held in semi-perpetuity by Blue Dog Bakery, and we would love to see this kind of competition fostered across America. Instead of “American Idol,” can we have “American Baguette?” In receiving the award, Mr. Bodian earned 4,000 euros and the title of “Mr. President’s Baker” — every year, the winner of the annual contest earns the privilege of baking bread for the president of France; starting this month Mr. Bodian’s bread will be served at […]

Categories: Breads & Crackers, Food, News

Pizza

April 13, 2010 by Steve

There will undoubtedly be more posts on pizza, as it is appearing more and more frequently in Gourmandistan meals. One reason is Alice Waters, whose dough recipe in The Art of Simple Food (page 60!) produces a crust that is reliably tender yet firm enough to handle just about any topping. A second reason is that Michelle was smart enough to buy a couple of pizza stones and a peel. Cooking the pizza on super-hot flat ceramic disks makes the […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Pizza

Welcome to Gourmandistan.

April 12, 2010 by Steve

We’re lucky. We live in a place with a well-equipped kitchen, where local, sustainable, delightful foodstuffs are close by—as is a city that has a vibrant and enthusiastic restaurant scene and a growing number of ethnic food markets. Plus we’re able to travel to exotic places and explore other food cultures, and obsessive enough to want to blog about all of it. And while some of our neighbors’ habits may seem strange to us (chain restaurants, processed foods, factory farming) […]

Categories: Food

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