By Catharine L. Kaufman—a.k.a. The Kitchen Shrink

When baseball fever heats up again, be prepared for the wholesale abandonment of ‘peanuts and crackerjacks’ in favor of foods never before associated with ballparks—foods that are even beginning to crowd out the hallowed hotdog and popcorn.

In fact, in- or off-season, you’ll find it easy to catch up with the new ‘with-it’ trend of munching on healthier fare during sports events, especially since a modest, fresh produce-laden Farmers’ Market has set up shop during games at New York’s Yankee Stadium. For $1.50, health-conscious fans can now buy fresh apples, pears, bananas, oranges, peaches and nectarines or a pineapple fruit cup. The New York Mets quickly followed suit, and with 200 pounds of produce consumed per game at these two venues alone, it looks like franks may soon lose their addictive hold on sports fans.

Nationwide, ballpark and stadium concessions are also catering to the growing Latino fan base by offering Cuban empanadas and salsa chicken with sweet plantains and a side of rice and beans, as well as Puerto Rican, Mexican and other ethnic delicacies—many of which are also favored by non-Latinos.

Whether fans cheer or boo the menu changes depends on their determination to deny any connection between what they eat and the size of their gut and butt—not to mention the condition of their arteries.

Concession stands, luxury ballpark suites, club level lounges and full-service restaurants Coast-to-Coast now serve a smorgasbord of ethnic cuisines and regional specialties. Some stadiums are even trying to go green—and we’re not talking about grassy diamonds either.  Among the environment-nurturing signs is the banning of drinking straws and replacement of cans and plastic beverage containers with biodegradable cups made from corn.

The greening of not just baseball but all sports venues also means that Ye Olde Frank is upstaged by the somewhat healthier “haute” dogs made from grass-fed, organic beef—such as the high-end Niman Ranch varieties from cows raised humanely, without hormones and antibiotics.

Some California ballparks—San Diego’s Petco Park among them—have been serving these thick, well-seasoned franks and the likewise organic, spicy andouille sausages. Other unconventional choices at Petco Park include coconut prawns, crab cakes and fish tacos—and you can whet your whistle on microbrews, beers from around the world, non-alcoholic beer, Napa Valley Chardonnay and a cup of frozen lemonade conveniently delivered to your seat at no extra charge. True to its health-nutty image, California is also where sports fans can eschew meat without giving up its illusion by feasting on soy- or veggie-dogs and burgers.

On a recent visit at the impressive AT &T Park in San Francisco, my family and I sampled a baseball buffet that catered to almost every palate and dietary whim. The international food display ran the gamut from Mexican chicken fajita salads, burritos and quesadillas, to assorted Asian dishes that included sushi and veggie fried rice, and such Italian favorites as fresh baked pizzas and salad-stuffed flat breads. The overwhelming scent of garlic that permeated the concession stands could have knocked every flu bug and vampire out of the ballpark—although, to our surprise, it emanated not from the Italian dishes, but from some irresistible French fries that were saturated with it and from the aptly called ‘40-clove garlic chicken sandwiches.’

Local specialties representing the city’s famed Fishermen’s Wharf included a mouthwatering Dungeness crab sandwich on griddled sourdough, which was paired with a California white wine—although no one frowned on those who opted for beer instead.

Color me inspired by the new upscale ballpark food. So much so that I’ve created a healthy gourmet seafood chili that can be slathered on a seafood dog or enjoyed solo. Wow your friends with a touch of class that contrasts this down home dish by serving it with an elegant flute of champagne—err, I mean sparkling wine (since Champagne is now a trade name owned by, and reserved for the French region of that name)—at your next baseball, football, basketball or tiddly-winks game get-together. Be prepared for their gratitude—perhaps even to be hoisted on their shoulders and carried around in a triumphal procession.

Cheers!

Nouveau Baseball Seafood Chili

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 cup of minced cilantro

1 sweet red pepper, diced

1 Anaheim chili pepper, roasted and sliced

1 1/2 tablespoons of chili powder

2 teaspoons of ground cumin

1 cup of Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 cup of yellow tomatoes, chopped

2 teaspoons of white wine

Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

1/2 pound of fresh water shrimp, peeled, de-veined

1/2 pound of New England scallops

1/2 pound of firm-fleshed fish like snapper, cod or orange roughy, cut into chunks

1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream for topping

Heat the oil in a deep skillet at low heat. Sauté the onions and garlic until tender. Mix the peppers, spices, cilantro and tomatoes and cook over low heat until the tomatoes become pulpy. Add the wine and stir well. Add the seafood and fish and simmer for about 12 minutes. Transfer to a large soup tureen. Top with the cheese and sour cream.

(Your culinary queries and comments are welcome at kitchenshrink@san.rr.com.)

Our blog won its category at the San Diego Press Club’s 36th Annual awards event on October 20, 2009, when yours truly was honored with the SDPC’s prestigious Excellence in Journalism Award.

According to the judges, my “Slaughterhouse Blues” exposé of the beef industry (posted a click away under our “Food Safety” section) won this coveted award for its merit as an “Extremely detailed and researched story on the sad and scary state of beef production today.”

Not to brag–OK, just a little–this Award reinforces the FreeRangeClub’s original mission and our unflagging dedication to serving you as both a food safety watchdog and information resource for healthy gourmet cooking, economical meal planning, waste prevention, smart grocery shopping and proper food handling.

I am also proud of the fact that from the beginning, this blog has been swimming against the Web-based tide of sloppy reporting and recycled, often invented or otherwise unreliable information; and continues to pursue such rock-solid “old journalism” values as craftsmanship, ethics, in-depth research and multiple-source fact-checking in order to provide you with the most accurate and timely information–and thus earn your trust and following.
Dina Eliash Robinson
Editor in Chief

Slaughterhouse Blues

by Dina Eliash Robinson

Scary Video —- Earlier this year, an undercover video shot by members of the Humane Society of the United States revealed that Hallmark/Westland Meat Co. of Chino, California—a major meat processor—was using torture to move ‘downer’ cows to slaughter and into the nation’s food supply. ‘Downer” is a name used for animals who collapse and cannot move under their own power. Since these symptoms are associated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or “mad cow” disease, federal law prohibits the inclusion of such non-ambulatory, or ‘downer’ animals in the human food supply.

the rest of the story……..

Hope you are among the lucky ones blessed with big hearted friends who love to open their home for seasonal feasts where host and guests contribute their own favorite dishes, wines, conversations, music and stories. Ours are Giovanna and Tony DiBona—headliners and producers of the colorful, nationally popular, musical extravaganza, Roman Holiday.

Here are some of the dishes we’ve been sampling at the DiBonas’ over the years at Valentine’s Day, Christmas and other occasions. Hope to share many more party recipes with you in the future. We credit cooks who are willing to reveal their recipes and give us permission to tweak them into healthier versions (i.e. with less cholesterol; using fruits, herbs and spices instead of sugar and salt; and fresh—preferably organic— ingredients replacing processed foods, additives or preservatives).

Stuffed Jumbo Shells Stuffed with Spinach & Cheese

Lynda Lauerman created the original recipe of this happy-making dish. We tested the healthier version below, using organic ingredients. Adjust proportions to the number of servings you need.

1 box or pack of jumbo pasta shells

1 container of 15-oz Ricotta cheese (we prefer creamy goat cheese because it is lower in cholesterol and, because goat dairy contains different enzymes, much easier to digest—especially for those with lactose intolerance)

1 and ½ cups of shredded hard goat cheese (“Drunken Goat” cheese is delicious)

2 whole eggs

½ cup egg whites

½ cup olive oil

½ lb or more of fresh (or 1 and ½ package of frozen) spinach

1 large onion

6 cloves of fresh garlic

¼ cup dry basil or 5 sprigs fresh basil—leaves only, chopped fine

1 large jar of organic tomato pasta sauce (one that contains mushrooms and tomato chunks adds flavor and body)

½ cup vegetable broth

1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon red (sweet) paprika

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

Pinch ginger

Pinch cinnamon

Pinch nutmeg

• Cook pasta shells ‘al dente,’ following package directions. Strain & coat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Set aside.

• ON LOW HEAT, sauté chopped onions until translucent

• Add chopped garlic & sauté for 30 seconds

• Add chopped spinach, sauté for 1 minute, then add vegetable broth (or water)

• Take pot off the burner and let it cool

• In a large bowl, mix well and blend the cheese, eggs, egg whites, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, basil, cinnamon, nutmeg, Cayenne, paprika, ginger & Worcestershire Sauce

• Coat liberally with olive oil a Pyrex casserole or baking dish of appropriate size to the number of shells you have cooked

• Ladle a thin layer of the tomato pasta sauce and spread on the bottom of the Pyrex

• Now is the time to heat up the oven to 400º

• Combine and mix well the onion-garlic-spinach to cheese-eggs-etc. blend and the cheese-eggs-etc. mixture

• Stuff pasta shells with the above mixture and place in Pyrex

• Cover shells with pasta sauce—use 2 jars if necessary

• Spread shredded hard cheese on top

• Place into oven and bake for 10 minutes at 400º, then turn oven down to 375º and bake for another 40-50 minutes—or until stuffing is fully cooked.

NOTES:

(1)  If the top is browning too early, cover loosely with foil to give the dish time to bake thoroughly. Make sure stuffing is hard enough to slice.

(2)  Adjust recipe to your liking. We left out salt and sugar for health reasons, but it won’t spoil the dish or its health effect if you add a pinch of sea-salt to the stuffing and a teaspoon of honey to the tomato sauce (to cut down its tartness.

Enjoy!

======          =========          ===========

Asparagus & Tomato Salad

Both the phallic-shaped asparagus and the luscious tomato that translates to “love apple” in many languages, have been favored as aphrodisiacs since ancient times. So it’s not surprising that my hot-blooded Transylvanian-Hungarian ancestors have come up with a recipe that combines both of these tasty—and nutritious—vegetables, while also giving them a spicy kick typical of their cuisine. The sweet, sour and spicy flavors symbolize the many variations and stages of love.

Dina Eliash Robinson

(Preferably, with organic ingredients)

10 Fresh Asparagus Spears

2 Large Heirloom Tomatoes

1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tablespoon Honey (or more, if preferred)

Pinch of Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Dry Basil—or the leaves of 2 sprigs of Fresh Organic Basil, chopped

½ teaspoon Sweet Red Paprika

1 cup hot (filtered) water.

Cut off hard ends of Asparagus and steam spears for 1-2 minutes

Slice Tomatoes

In a bowl, mix Apple Cider Vinegar with Salt, Basil, Paprika and Honey

Scald with hot water and stir well until all ingredients are fully blended

Place Asparagus and Tomato slices in a flat bottomed glass container and pour liquid over it—if not completely immersed, ladle liquid over veggies for 20 seconds or until it the latter has absorbed the former.

Cool, refrigerate for 2 hours and serve as an appetizer, salad or side dish.

Served as a refreshing, cold soup during the warm months (our preference), or hot at any time of the year, this JAZZy Improvisation is so packed with nutrition, fiber, rich flavors and chewable ingredients, that it can satisfy as a meal by itself.

Ingredients can be substituted, depending upon whatever similar leafy and root vegetables are available at cooking time.

Since this soup becomes more flavorful with time and stays fresh for 10-12 days on the refrigerator’s colder (low) shelves, it is OK, and practical, to prepare larger quantities and serve it at intervals of 2-3-4 days, in rotation with other dishes. Use organic and locally grown ingredients when available.

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh Kale (or Rainbow Chard)

1 bunch fresh Arugula

1/3 medium size Red (or other) Onion

5 cloves raw Garlic

1 large fresh Celery Root

3 stalks Celery

1 Parsnip

2-3 large Carrots

1 large or 2 medium Heirloom (or other) Tomatoes

1 medium bulb Fennel

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ cup chopped fresh Basil (or 2 tablespoons dried Basil)

¼ cup chopped fresh Tarragon (or 1 tablespoon dry Tarragon)

1/8 teaspoon dry Rosemary powder

1/8 teaspoon dry Thyme powder

½ teaspoon sweet red Paprika powder

¼ teaspoon Turmeric

¼ teaspoon Ginger powder

1 cup Rice Milk

3 cups Organic Vegetable Broth

2 whole Eggs

2/3 cup Lemon Juice

1 tablespoon Honey

Pinch Cayenne Pepper

Pinch Sea Salt

Wash and peel veggies (see  “Save Water, Health & Time” under this blog’s “Food Safety” category for tips on fast, easy and thorough produce cleaning).

Slice leafy items into 2 inch or narrower strips—except for the herbs (basil, tarragon), which should be finely chopped.

Chop root vegetables, fennel and tomatoes into bite-size chunks and mince onion and garlic into smaller pieces.

Prepare all ingredients before you begin cooking.

On low heat, sauté onions in olive oil until translucent.

Add garlic and continue sautéing (and stirring) for ½ minute.

Add tomatoes and continue sautéing until they are soft.

Add the fennel, root vegetables and 1 cup of the vegetable broth, cover pot and simmer until root veggies begin to soften.

Add the leafy veggies and fresh herbs. Cook & stir for 1 minute, then add the dry herbs and spices, one by one, stirring them into the mix thoroughly.

Add the rest of the vegetable broth. Cook for 5 minutes. Add hot water to cover the veggies, plus 2-3 more inches of water.

In a blender, mix and beat eggs, honey, lemon juice and rice milk until frothy.

When all the ingredients in the soup are soft enough to eat, remove pot from heat and wait 2-3 minutes for it to cool a bit.

Very slowly, pour mixture from the blender into the soup, stirring all the time to prevent the eggs and rice milk from curdling.

Adjust flavor to your taste. Lemon, honey and salt should be well balanced to provide a tangy and savory flavor.

Cool soup and refrigerate.

by Dina Eliash Robinson

Possessed by an irresistible elation at the news and sight (on TV) of the First Lady’s organic garden, I wrote her a snail-mail letter of thanks for this worthy endeavor. In it I also drew Mrs. Obama’s attention to our recently posted article urging the President to give beets (which he reportedly dislikes) another chance. My note ended with a cheeky request for comments and some of the Obama girls’ or White House Chefs’ favorite recipes.

To my surprise and delight, an answer and recipe arrived—both bearing Michelle Obama’s signature.

Excerpted below are the first two paragraphs of my letter. We are, however, posting the First Lady’s reply in its entirety, because of its valuable message and eloquent description of the steps we can all take to improve our own and the nation’s health through better nutrition.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

June 25, 2009
Dear Mrs. Obama:

Thank you for setting a great example for the country with your organic garden and focus on healthy eating. Making food our medicine, as Hippocrates advised, is the most effective and economical way to improve and maintain the nation’s health.

To honor your planting and educational leadership, we posted a letter to President Obama on www.FreeRangeClub.com (our food safety watchdog and healthy gourmet cooking blog), in a lighthearted attempt to persuade him with historical and nutritional information to reconsider his aversion to beets. The letter also includes several recipes—some of them featuring dishes in which the crimson root is skillfully hidden among various other tasty ingredients that disguise its flavor and thus prevent its detection by even the most beet-sensitive taste buds.
(……..)