Jodi Kasten's Open Salon Blog

GMOs - Friend or Foe? (Foodie Tuesday)

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:11:48 -0500

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are not something most Americans think about. When I was in Britain five years ago, every other story on the news was about the dangers of GMOs and how they were sneaking into the food supply. GMOs sounded like a very bad thing according to the folks at the BBC, yet outside of fluff stories on the 24-hour news-go-round about glow-in-the-dark kittens, I had never heard of GMOs here in America.

Since then, most of us have heard about what a GMO is – an organism (living thing) that has been genetically altered using genetic engineering. This means that the genetic material of one living thing has the genetic material of another living thing basically injected into the genetic structure, resulting in a new organism which possesses different characteristics which could not be achieved through regular breeding or cross-pollination. This practice aims to create stronger, longer lasting and more nutritious foods.

On paper, this sounds like a magnificent idea. But, especially in Europe, GMOs are strictly controlled. Many argue that we are unsure of the implications of genetic modification. Few believe that a super-race of killer tomatoes is going to take over the world and enslave the human race, but many do believe that GMOs may eventually cause health problems. However, the most compelling argument against the use of GMOs seems to lie in the possibility that GMO crops could overcome traditional crop varieties, which could result in the extinction of our traditional food crops.

By law in Europe, any product containing more than .9% GMOs must be labeled, yet in America, there is no system of labeling at all. However, more than 70% of the processed foods in America are made with GMO produce. Most of these products involve genetically modified corn. Some GMO food crops are resistant to commercial herbicides or are able to produce pesticidal proteins from within the plant, or “stacked trait” seeds, which do both. This means that spraying an herbicide to kill weeds will not kill the crop and the crop itself will be resistant to pests without ever needing pesticide.

In 2007, Monsanto’s GMOs were planted on 246 million acres worldwide, a growth of 13 percent from 2006. In the corn market, Monsanto’s triple-stack corn – which combines weed control with insect control – is the market leader in the United States. U.S. corn farmers planted more than 17 million acres of triple-stack corn in 2007, and it is estimated the product could be planted on 45 million to 50 million acres by next year.¹

This means that, unless you are allergic to corn, you are virtually guaranteed to have consumed a GMO if you are an American.

Monsanto’s business practices have been reported to be shady in the extreme, with reports of farmers being threatened and intimidated along with accusations of market rigging and violations of anti-trust laws. If you’re interested in Monsanto’s hand in our agricultural industry, I highly suggest Vanity Fair’s 2008 article “Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear.”

But, how does this fit into your pantry? Most people don’t know or care about the speculative fears of environmental impact, disturbing the food chain or possible health risks. We aren’t seeing anyone walking around with arms growing out of their heads yet. So, are GMOs really evil?

The biggest argument against GMOs in my opinion is evolution. If we introduce crops which are herbicide resistant and which contain their own pesticidal properties, weeds and bugs will become immune to them and, eventually, more chemicals will need to be used in producing crops.

Furthermore, GMOs are patented and therefore more expensive. Third-world countries do not have the economic power to buy the seeds, yet they will have to deal with the insects and weeds which will be more resistant to traditional method farming. In the end, the effort to produce crops which will feed more people more efficiently will probably hinder the hungriest citizens of the world from growing their own food.

Of course, all of this is theory. GMOs have the ability to produce better foods which rot more slowly and have better nutritional profiles. Unfortunately, what might happen can be much more frightening than a tasteless tomato. It seems that it all comes down to corporate responsibility and oversight, which we aren’t especially talented with here in America.

GMOs can be used to cut down on pesticide use. They can be used to breed stronger, healthier animals. There are many positive attributes to the GMO technology. GMOs are not all bad. It seems that GMOs are like a superhero - it’s all about how we use the power. If you research GMOs and truly believe they are not something you'd like to support, your best bet is to buy locally and organically. But, even then, chances are the produce has been impacted either directly or indirectly by GMOs.

Should you be eating GMOs?
Chances are, you already are.

[1] James, Clive (2008), "Executive Summary", Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2008, The First Thirteen Years, 1996 to 2008, ISAAA Briefs,.

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Your Call Is Not Very Important to Me. Please Hold!

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:11:31 -0500

I strive to be an extremely polite person. Really, I do. The last thing I want to do is hurt anyone's feelings. But, I suppose that I was born lacking the gene that allows me to enjoy talking on the phone. I love whiling away twenty or thirty minutes giggling with my mother or my best friend, but those conversations have a purpose.

I believe that all phone conversations should begin with the words, “Are you sitting down?” If you can’t open with those words, I’m not sure I want to take your call.

Those words can be delivered in different ways.

Really good gossip:
“ARE YOU SITTING DOWN, HONEY?!? ‘CAUSE YOU AIN’T GONNA BELIEVE THIS!”

Really bad gossip:
“Are you sitting down? Amy just lit Bob’s golf clubs on fire in the front yard.”

Horrible news:
“Are you sitting down? Get a cup of tea, we have to plan Aunt Charlotte’s funeral.”

Great news:
“Are you sitting down, baby? We’re gonna be RICH!”

If you can open with that phrase, I’m all ears. It doesn’t have to be good news, just informational. That’s what the phone is for – information. The absolute worst phone calls don’t involve death, destruction or the word “inoperable.” I have been party to those sort of calls and they do suck, but at least they tell you something. Action is involved.

The absolute worst calls involve one simple word.

“Hey.”

That’s it. Just “hey.”

So I ask, “Hi! What’s up?”
Next comes the death knell:
“Oh, nothing. Just called to see what you’re doing.”

…

I am often tempted by the beautiful siren of sarcasm at this point:
“Well, I was in the garage about to cure cancer with an Etch-A-Sketch, duct tape and some Fruit Stripe gum, but now I suppose the world will have to wait.”

Maybe I could tell the truth:
“I was elbow-deep in toddler poo, but now it’s more of a hose situation than a baby wipe issue. Do go on.”

In my opinion, we should revert to the “good old days” usage of the telephone.
::In my best old lady voice::
Back in my day, the telephone was used to deliver news. I am actually old enough to remember the old party line in my grandparents’ house that could fill a young lady chock full of neighborhood secrets if one were only quiet enough. Back then, if the phone rang after dinner someone had died. Before I left for college, my parents still didn’t allow me to receive calls after 8 p.m.

Today, if there is some small bit of knowledge we would like to impart, we email, tweet, Facebook or text message. Actually speaking with our VOICES to people imparts a sort of intimacy and importance to our words. I enjoy this state of affairs greatly. This means that I have several moments to construct a reply that is both kind and intelligent.

It's not that I want to contribute to the growing personal disconnection we have now in society, but when left to my own immediate devices, I often sound like an idiot. This is why I cannot abide “hanging out on the phone.” I will invariably come out with something which will make me sound like a deranged psychologist, "So, how do you feel about three-tined forks?" Horrific!

I will not be so sexist as to believe that no man has ever spoken the words, “Are you watching Guiding Light right now?” but for the most part, women are the phone offenders in my world. Yes, there are actually ladies I know who will call me on the phone and want to watch a television program together. (Inexplicably… while on the phone.) These are people who live within driving distance of my home. WHY?

Several years ago, I had one of these “phone hangers” make my acquaintance at our Unitarian Universalist Church. We have since left the UU because they were too conservative, which is probably very telling. After we parted ways, she continued to call “just to talk” but faded away after I obtained that magical service called “Caller ID.”

I didn’t want to be rude, but I didn’t want to spend two and half hours on the phone making that hanging up sound. You know the one, “(::mild lip smacking noise with a tongue cluck::) Well, I should really get some dishes done…” To which she responds, “You’ll never guess what I had for lunch yesterday!”

I ran into Ms. Phone Hanger last night at the grocery store. After exchanging pleasantries and giving her a white lie to spare her feelings as I rushed off she said, “I’ll call you! I still have your number!” I called back over my shoulder, “Follow me on Twitter!”

Image: 1000awesomethings.files.wordpress.com

Follow me on Twitter!
(No, you may NOT have my phone number.)

Resuscitating Dignity

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:11:48 -0500

Why, as Americans, are we so unhappy and hostile? We’re better off than ever before in terms of equality and freedom. Racism, sexism and other “isms” aren’t gone, but we have a black president and a female Secretary of State. The economy may be in the toilet, but we have opportunities that don’t involve tent cities and Mujahedeen raping us if we go out for firewood. So, why is everyone pissed off at each other?

I believe the answer to that question is dignity. Volumes have been written about the “uselessness” of manners, but basic etiquette is not what I am talking about. I’m talking about honor and dignity. I firmly blame the 1970s. We were all taught, parent and child alike, that we were all special and unique snowflakes. Achievement and responsibility took a back seat to the “teaching” of self esteem. We were told that we were all precious gems worthy of the best in life.

At some point in the past 30 years, the “everyone gets a trophy” mentality actually eroded the most important part of our self-worth. It took away accountability. If, win or lose, we all deserve to get the prize then we resent anyone who has something which we do not. We have lost our ability to be dignified in victory or defeat because we weren't taught how to be good winners or losers. There's just no value in it.

The introduction of the internet finally put the last nail in the coffin of accountability. We can scream and abuse anyone we want on the internet without ever having to see the damage we have done, though it is no less real. Of course, bad behavior has always existed, but now instead of the rare pistols at dawn we have the all-too-common screaming match, either virtually or in the real world. Last week, I had to call 911 because a man and a woman were fistfighting in front of my child's daycare. I was appalled to realize that it didn't bother me so much because the woman was kicking his ass.

We have all become more important than anyone else in our own minds. If we can hide in a car, on a phone or behind a screen, there’s nothing stopping us from victimizing others to make ourselves feel good. We have no dignity as a society.

Stellaa wrote a great piece about political correctness the other day. She talked about the twisting of the term and the sentiment to justify bad behavior. I think that is spot on, but I also believe it goes even further. Political correctness is simply a facet of the social construct. It’s a set of rules that have evolved over time to instruct us about what constitutes non-discriminatory behavior.

When it is taken to extremes (i.e. “personhood” – “butcheress” – “womyn”?!?) it becomes ridiculous. But, throwing it all out makes us look like fools. Etiquette is very similar. It’s a social construct that makes others comfortable in our presence because they know how to behave in a situation. When we toss that out, everyone starts yelling and nothing gets done.

Political correctness may have been warped into a pejorative term, but so has kindness. Kindness and dignity should extend to all people, not just the ones we agree with. The demonization of political correctness is just a symptom of the larger problem. It’s not that we don’t have respect for people of a different race or sex, it’s that we don’t have respect for anyone.

People’s sense of self-worth is no longer tied to the dignity and honor of being kind or fair to others. In fact, “I’m just being honest” has become the battle cry of the masses. You may be honest, but no one is listening to you anymore because you’re a jerk. The most cruel and breathtakingly bad behavior I’ve seen recently was between two white, liberal women who are family members. One liked Hillary and the other liked Obama. Hillary is now Obama’s Secretary of State, but those women haven’t spoken in over a year.

Manners and kindness are optional and the very first people to tell you that are people who have use for neither. Why? We have lost the value of giving everyone a “fair shake.” Now, victory lies not in improving the world, but in making ourselves look and feel good. We prowl the internet searching for inconsistencies in arguments and minutiae to tear apart so we can be right and victorious.

Dignity is embodied in the person who will do right without reward. Honor is about being fair, even when no one is watching. It's about the person who finds an error in a blog and privately (politely) messages the author so they might correct it, rather than blaring what an ignorant idiot the author must be. It's about the guy in a hurry that takes the time to tell someone they left their lights on, rather than chuckle about how the idiot won't be able to start his car. Dignity is doing right when no one is watching.

We have lost the value of our reputations. We have warped the idea of “honesty” into meaning “brutality.” People who have knowledge or experience are pointed out as elitist. People who have talent are marginalized as inconsequential. People who have hope are ridiculed as naïve. Our inflated sense of self-worth lulls us into thinking that simply breathing makes us smarter than everyone else. Then, we all wonder why we are angry and lonely. Our dignity is completely wrapped up in our sense of superiority, rather than in what we do to show kindness or humanity toward others. Humility has become a joke.

Emotionally, our society is all stick and no carrot. Anyone who believes that people should be nice to each other is ridiculed by all the people who aren’t as "stupid" as they are. It is the new conformist behavior. If we want to fit in, we must kill the parts of us that feel anything for other people. We are teaching our children that people who are less fortunate than they are invariably system abusers, drug addicts and liars.

The American mentality of “pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps” has morphed into applying to everyone but ourselves. When we lose our job, it’s a tragedy. When someone else loses their job it’s because they were stupid. Everyone believes that they are a genius and anyone who doesn’t agree with them is an idiot. Whatever happened to the value of seeking common ground?

A large part of dignity is the belief that we all deserve better. How can we have positive change if everyone EXPECTS everyone else to fail? We need to think more of ourselves and of each other. Let’s start to entertain the idea that maybe the rest of the world isn’t populated with idiots. If we begin to see the dignity and humanity in others, maybe we’ll find ours again.

Be excellent to each other.
Party on.

Image: legaljuice.com

What a Bunch of Tripe! (Foodie Tuesday)

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:11:14 -0500

In July, I wrote a post that involved pho. I was asked by EatJax.com (my “real” job) to review a pho place called “Bowl of Pho” this past week. There had been a great deal of confusion on that past post about exactly what pho is and how it is prepared, so I decided it would be a good time to bring all of you along with me.

If you're unfamiliar with pho, pronounced "fuh," it is a beef broth soup commonly served with various beef cuts, rice noodles and vegetables. Pho originated in Northern Vietnam during the mid-1880s. The dish was heavily influenced by both Chinese and French cooking. Rice noodles and spices were brought in from China and the French made the eating of red meat more popular. It is believed that the word "pho" is derived from "pot au feu," a French soup. Vietnamese cooks merged the Chinese, French and native influences to make a dish that is uniquely Vietnamese.

Normally, I have had rare beef pho. This is the pho broth, rice noodles, vegetables and slices of rare beef. Often, the beef is cooked solely by pouring the scalding broth over the beef pieces. Well-done beef is available for those who prefer it.

I ordered my pho with all of the possible meats - rare beef, beef flank, brisket, tendon, tripe (cow stomach) and meatballs. Pho is served in some places using other meats, but beef is most common.

First, there are quite a few condiments involved in eating pho.

Hoisin, Sriracha, ground chilies, salt and pepper are most common and are often on the table when you are seated.

Usually after any appetizers, your server will bring a plate of greenery which you may add to the pho according to your tastes.

This particular plate of garnishes includes lime wedges, sliced jalapeno, saw-leaf herb, sweet Thai basil and bean sprouts, which are all very common. Add these herbs and vegetables to the pho according to your taste. Some of these, especially the basil and saw-leaf, are strong flavors, so take a little nip of them before adding them to be sure what you’d like.

The heart of all pho is the slow-simmered broth. The broth should be fragrant, as many spices are used in the preparation. It should also contain just enough fat to make it tasty. The aromas of five-spice and beef are powerful and pleasing. The vegetables should be crisp and fresh while the noodles should be firm but not crunchy or mushy.

I do realize that not everyone is going to be willing to try tripe on their first trip to a pho purveyor.

Honestly, other than a chewy texture, I wouldn't have even noticed the tripe or tendon. But, for less daring folks, most restaurants offer various combinations of pho meats as well as other soup offerings. There are numerous salad, rice, noodle and dessert dishes as well as extensive soft drink menus at many Vietnamese restaurants.

I had a beautiful glass of limeade that was unlike any other I’ve had. It tasted like real lime rather than RealLime©!

Pho is yet another example of the worldly cuisine quickly making its way into the repertoires of American palates. Of course, your experiences with pho may vary from mine, but as our world expands, we owe it to ourselves to step out of our comfort zones and try the delicious menus showing up in every corner of our country. Remember, it wasn't so long ago that the majority of Americans refused to eat sushi!

Happy eating!

Last Gasp Gazpacho

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 09:11:59 -0500

I would like to face the fact that summer is over. In fact, fall is my favorite season in places that actually have an autumn. It may not have been 88° on Halloween where you live, but you can still enjoy a taste of summer. I suggest serving this with your favorite tummy-warming Southwestern entrée and a few temporary clicks of the thermostat.

Last Gasp Gazpacho

2 lbs. ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered (see note)

2 medium red bell peppers (about 1 lb.), cored, seeded and cut into rough chunks (1 in.)

2 small cucumbers, seeded, one with skin, one peeled, roughly chunked

½ small Vidalia (or other sweet) onion, peeled and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup sherry vinegar

black pepper

5 cups tomato juice (use V8 or other veggie juice if you like a sweeter, more complex flavor)

dash up to 1 tsp. Sriracha or other sweet hot sauce (optional)

1. Using the blade attachment of a food processor, process tomatoes only until they are broken down to your desired size. I use about 6-8 pulses of my processor for ¼ - 1 in. chunks. Transfer to a large bowl that can be sealed later. (Good quality plastic wrap is okay.)

2. Process peppers and cucumbers separately in the same way, dumping them in with the tomatoes when finished.

3. In the large bowl with your veggies, add the onion, garlic, salt, vinegar and ground pepper to taste. Allow to stand about 5 minutes until vegetables begin to release their juices.

4. Stir in tomato juice, Sriracha and ice cubes. Cover tightly and refrigerate to mingle flavors – at least 4 hours. This will keep up to 2 days.

5. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, remove any ice and serve very cold.

Note: I use Campari tomatoes, which come in handy 2 pound packages like this at Sam's pretty much year-round:

If you’d like to get very fancy, try floating a little island of avocado crema in your bowls.

Avocado Crema

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
¼ cup buttermilk
juice of 1 lime
¾ cup sour cream
½ tsp salt

1. Put the avocado in a blender with the buttermilk and lime juice. Puree until very smooth, adding some of the sour cream if necessary to create a smooth puree.

2. Scrape the avocado puree into a bowl, add the sour cream, and whisk well to blend. Stir in the salt.

3. You can use a funnel to pour this into a squeeze bottle, drizzle it on with a zip-top bag with the corner clipped off, or just stick a spoon in it and dollop some on top.

This is a non-avocadoed bowl. Still mighty tasty!

all photos copyright © 2009 by jodi a. kasten • all rights reserved

If you enjoyed this article, please visit my foodie blog where every day is Foodie Tuesday!

Gazpacho recipe is a modified version of “Quick Food Processor Gazpacho” from cooksillustrated.com
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