Which came first?

Just a few "nuggets" of info regarding chickens...and eggs. Wow, did I really just write that?

I've read a bit about eggs and the conditions that many chickens are raised in. And of course there was the almost overly informative Food Inc. If you haven't seen it yet, get thee to a video store, or put it on the top of your Netflix.

I've bought eggs at Rainbow market many times. They have a chart showing lots of info about the farms whose eggs they carry. It contains items like, organic feed, kept in cages, which are fairly obvious in their "goodness" and "badness" respectively. But then there are some things which aren't so obvious, like beak clipping. I realized I really don't know anything about it...and maybe it isn't such a bad thing. Anyway, I wanted to know more before passing judgement as almost all the egg producers do this (not that numbers make it right).

So one day last week I was looking at a couple of online organic grocery delivery sites and wanted to find out more about the egg, poultry and other meat products they carried. (Yes, for those of you who lived through the dot com/bomb era, they're trying grocery delivery again, with an organic spin this time.) I started looking up a bunch of farm and ranch sites...it was fascinating. Once the weather is better I'm going to go on few tours. Judy's was one of the sites I looked up, I've seen her eggs in several stores, and decided to send an email with some questions. A few days later I got a response...from Judy herself no less (at least that's what I'd like to believe).

My email:
I saw a chart recently that showed that you clip your chicken's beaks. I thought I would go to the source for this info rather than relying on someone else's chart.
Do you clip their beaks? If so, why? Is it because they are kept inside and get more agitated that way?
If they are kept inside in houses, how much room does the average chicken have? I have seen pictures, etc that show hen houses where they hardly have any room. I'd like to know about the conditions your chickens are kept in.
Thanks so much for your time.

"Her" response:
Steve,

We nip our chickens top beak at 8 days old. The veterinarian states it is no different than trimming a dogs nails. We do this because chickens are cannibalistic regardless of their living conditions. You can see them pecking on each other at one day old. We tried not doing it and lost too many to cannibalism. Our chickens enjoy large, open-sided barns with curtains. This allows natural sunlight in and we roll up curtains if the weather is too cold. The chickens are free to roam the building, nest, roost, or fly up in the rafters if they want. The chickens do not go outdoors because of the threat of disease from migratory birds, predators, and salmonella. Rodents are the number one carriers of salmonella. We are in the process of updating our website to include pictures of our ranch and chickens.

Judy 

I'll be interested to see the pictures they post. This sounds fairly reasonable, but would chickens have survived as a species if they killed each other off on a regular basis? Survival of the fittest is one thing. Now, are these the absolute best conditions chickens can be raised in? No. But it really doesn't sound bad. I say no, because of a couple other sites I saw. Marin Sun Farms is one that looks amazing. Check out this video...can you help but smile?

Which leads to my next step in chicken education...a chicken raising class. I just got my 18 Reasons (a local food group started by Bi-Rite Market) newsletter this morning. I bought a ticket for an informational session on raising chickens. Sould Food Farms is presenting...looks like they sell chicken and eggs at the Ferry Building and at several farmer's markets. I'll be very interested to hear what they have to say...and of course, I'll be asking my same questions about beak clipping. I think one of my next avenues of exploration and education will be the vendors at Farmer's Markets. I just don't trust some of them, so I'm going to start taking names and doing some research.

Some day I'd LOVE to have chickens. When I was home seeing my parents last week, I visited some friends from high school. They live outside of Salinas, basically on a Martha Stewart set. Their house/compound was amazing! Paul is a wood worker and has a huge workshop where he does beautiful work. Rori is a homemaker in the highest degree. She has a quilting and sewing studio off the house. She's going to be starting a business making quilted scarves out of scrap wool. The one she showed me was beautiful. (I'll let you know when you can order one.) And yes, they have a chicken coop. I know it would take work...and you'd have to clean up the shit...but it looks so fulfilling to go out and get fresh eggs and have chickens clucking around the yard. And they got along with the veritable herd of cats they have.

Who BUT someone unemployed has time to do all of this? I had been thinking about this before leaving Wells...it really seems like there is a void to be filled...for a company who can aggregate information about food, and farms, and food sites, etc., and actually put up some information and comparison so people can more easily decide what is important to them about the food they eat. I'd think they farms would be behind something like that. Hmmm...we'll see what comes of that idea...and please email me if you have any thoughts in that direction.

Do my chickens need to have gold plated roosts? Is it good for them to be outside all the time if they could be? And which DID come first...?

I love this city!

Tonight I went to the monthly Rumpus at the Makeout Room, just over on 22nd St. I mentioned therumpus.net in my very first posting. They are an online magazine focused on culture vs. pop culture. They have a monthly event called, strangely enough, the Monthly Rumpus. And for any of you who remember the details of my post, there was this guy I saw twice talking to homeless people, with the most shining, loving, focused look on his face. Stopping and talking to him on the way home from my last day of work was the only reason I knew about The Rumpus. He is their only "paid" employee. Tonight was his birthday, and a benefit...which is how he gets paid.

I love this city and the Mission in particular. There's a coffee shop/bar a couple blocks from my house that regularly has great live music...often classical or jazz. And then there's an event like tonight's. It seemed a new incarnation of the variety show concept.

There were several authors who read excerpts from their books: Tony Dushane, Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk; Kevin Sampsell, A Common Pornography (very funny about his growing up in rural WA); Ethan Watters who was just on the Daily Show being interviewed about his book, Crazy Like Us, The Globalization of the American Psyche (yeah, a different level of smarts in that one); Robin Ekiss, a poet...I'm not the biggest fan ever of a lot of poetry, but I LOVED hers and am going to buy her book, The Mansion of Happiness; and last but definitely not least was Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, whose smart humor reminded me of witty pens like Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris...he has definitely gone on my "to read" list.

They were interspersed with a couple musical and humorous acts, but the "shining" moment, literally, was a hoopdance by Richard Porter. A guy with bleach blonde hair, in tight striped pants, dancing with glowing hoola hoops to Cirque du Soleil-esque music. SOOO COOL!...or should I say "sick"?

I linked to his profile, but check out the rest of his and his performance partner's site. I didn't know there was something called hooping, or that it has an international following and community, or that there could be instructional classes, much less a DVD, or that there are Hoopie awards. I know I saw Michelle Obama do a little hoola hooping, but that is nothing compared to this!

 

 

This seemed like a natural progression for my bending light series of photos. IF ONLY I had thought to switch modes and take a video of this! Ah well, this is all a learning experience.

So sign up for their email and join me at the next one. I'd love some company next month.

My next new outing is a walk in Golden Gate Park (and probably the beach as well) on Saturday with forageSF. I'm not sure I'm ready to start scarfing down edibles from the wilds of SF, but I think it'll be a really interesting time learning about what is edible in the area and actually seeing where it grows. And I'm sure there'll be some good pics to post as well. More to come...

Sunday's Gingerbread Pancakes

Actually it was Sunday before last...but just hadn't posted this. So I'm cheating and rolling back the posting date.

Awhile ago I bought a gingerbread cookbook by Chronicle Books. I LOVE their books...beautiful photography, interesting collections. I've been wanting to make one of the pancake or waffle recipes and last night I was looking through it. The one whole wheat recipe needed to sit overnight, so at about 12:30 I made the batter...whole wheat flour, lots of spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg), I added some crystalized ginger, dark brown sugar (not alot), orange zest. That is one of the few times I've made a breakfast dish ahead. It was SO nice to get up, make some coffee and just heat up the griddle. I had the first plate (with a little pumpkin butter and maple syrup, YUM) and then realized I hadn't taken a pic. But I still needed to make the rest of them...will have to see how they reheat after being frozen. And since it didn't look right without syrup, I had to eat these as well (what I sacrifice for the shot!)...also really good with pecans and more ginger.

And two quick musical notes (ha)...

I had mentioned Steve Taylor before...plays piano (and a whole bunch of other instruments) and can sound like Elton John. Well, he has a new album and preview of songs...really good! Can't wait for the album.

Also, the site his preview is on is great.  Chasing The Moon. The currently featured artist, Kacey Johansing is really interesting. This site does a great job of featuring artists...great filming, great sound quality.

"Being alive is art itself."

I know I promised (both my few random readers, and myself) to follow up on my experience down in Big Sur...and I'm going to. But I really need to dive back into my book and the passages I highlighted and my journal and process it more.

But for now...yesterday I decided it was time for a more cultural experience and decided to go to a matinee of Avatar.  ;-)  I went at 1:15 to the IMAX 3D and it was sold out all day. Again I say...WHO ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE??? In this case it seemed like an entire school (what age? I don't know, I'm too old to tell) was at the Metreon. Uhhh...these lawless youngsters need to make some room for their unemployed elders.

So I walked through the Yerba Buena Gardens (they really did a nice job on this space) and had a pot of green tea at Samovar Tea Lounge. If you like tea at all and haven't been to one their locations, treat yourself sometime soon. They have some nice lighter food; the tea soup is great.

Then I walked by the Yerba Buena Center which I haven't been to in forever. Decided this was the universe telling me it really was time for a more cultural experience and walked through their show, When lives become form: contemporary brazilian art, 1960's to present. My title quote is from Helio Oiticia, from the show. His mural is adorning the front windows of YBC.

Such wonderful colors, and the transparency...some pieces are more translucent and others clearer.

The show is a nice mix of photography, painting, sculpture, mixed media, film, music...ya get the picture. Just a few hightlights...
- sculpture composed of fruits and veggies cast, then I think made of some type of paper-based material painted to look like bronze
- a couple photos by Lucia Koch, one looking up at the sky out of a corrugated light bulb box...I thought it was more of an abstract at first, very cool
- a video of a japanese designer's fashion show who made dresses out of organic paper with intricate laser cutouts, then at the end of the show, all the models shredded their dresses on the runway (they had black leggings and tops on underneath)...caused quite a stir
- a music video of Fernanda Takai (did a couple quick searches and she's not available in the U.S. iTunes store, I'll be trying the latin music store on Mission today)...she's a contemporary singer with a wonderful voice. I've come to the conclusion that if I were straight, I'd be with a brazilian woman (Fernanda's voice inspires me, not especially her looks)...something about their spark, accent... yes, for those of know me I have a proclivity towards latin men as well

For $7 the show was well worth it.

So I had some fun with my iphone camera on the way out down the staircase shown above with the window mural in the general direction of the christmas light swirls I posted before. I think I'm going to work on a series and call it something like Bending Reality...or Bending Light and Form...more to come on that.

 

 

So much fun. I love the spontaneity ...not knowing what will appear. I guess that got me in the mood to wave my iphone around more, so I stopped after I left at the "corrugated" metal wall of the YBC. I was amazed at what came from those 15 minutes "gesturing"...

 

  

   

Liquid Reality? Whatever I call it, I'm loving taking these images. To this point I had only tried lights at night...this opens up a whole new world. Now I need to try printing them larger to see what the 3mp iphone images do when blown up.

I love how true Helio's quote is...life really is art. Happy Saturday everyone!

Creamy Potato, Cauliflower and Leek Soup...and Chet Baker

I've been wanting to make soup...something in the potato and leek direction...but also been craving pureed and/or roasted cauliflower. So to save time and possibly increase the pleasure I decided to combine the two.

If you're interested in the details of the soup keep on reading, if not, just skip the next big chunk...

Here comes my stream-of-consciousness, don't-have-to-think-too-hard list of ingredients and prep steps combined: sauteed chopped 3 leeks, 1 onion, 1 fennel bulb in olive oil and butter until soft, then about a half cup of vermouth and then a carton of low sodium chicken stock...added as I finished chopping them, a carrot, button mushrooms, a small head of cauliflower and four russet potatoes (I was going to add a little more variety here, but didn't like the look of the other potato choices at the corner market, and they didn't have parnips), and three bay leaves (not chopped)...when they were done I added a couple scoops of mascarpone cheese and sour cream (left over from the weekend's mushroom gravy), a few glugs of buttermilk, a few slices of New Zealand grass-fed sharp cheddar I have from Trader Joe's (really good), a little grated parmesan, maybe a teaspoon of thyme, salt and pepper...and then pureed with the new Cuisinart stainless immersion blender I got from my sister for Christmas (thanks Carol!). It works great...I started and then realized I hadn't taken out the bay leaves...only two came out. Oops!, but that last one was totally gone. Then I tasted to figure out what it needed, after opening and sniffing quite a few bottles, I added a decent splash of aged sherry vinegar, maybe a half teaspoon of allspice and another of fresh grated nutmeg, and just a little chopped parsley. Served mine with a sprinkle of truffle salt on top.

OMG...that soup was soooo good...just what I was craving and more! And yes, I actually remembered to take a few pics before my bowl was gone.

While I was cooking, and eating, I was listening to a couple Chet Baker albums I recently got from iTunes. I'd heard his name before, but never really, at least knowingly, listened to him. What an amazing, and belated, jazz discovery! If you don't know him and you like jazz at all, click these links and take a listen to a few previews on Amazon. The first album, Chet Baker Quartet Plays Standards, sooo mellow and relaxing, an awesome album! And the second, My Funny Valentine, is a mix of instrumental and vocals. He had a different voice, pretty high, but nice. Who knew Chet Baker went so well with Potato, Cauliflower and Leek soup on a cold night. Life is good.

Breakfast inspired by mom's country biscuits and gravy

So after my silent retreat and fasting for 36 hours, mom made biscuits, gravy, sausage and eggs for breakfast. That's the official breakfast of Tennessee where my dad is from...and also his sisters who taught my mom how to make it correctly. Of course she sent me home with some extra biscuits...what to do...what to do?

I had some uncured bacon just waiting for me to open in the bottom drawer in my fridge. And I was craving mushrooms, to that blossomed into a gravy of sorts with a couple strips of crisped bacon, sauteed shallot and mushrooms, vermouth (yes, love to use that as a cooking liquid, try it, it isn't just for martini's anymore), baby spinach, little roux (flour and butter cooked together), nonfat milk, little mascarpone cheese, little sour cream, little grating of parmesan cheese, and a little of my new favorite seasoning, Sunny Paris (shallots, chives, green peppercorns, French basil, French tarragon, chervil, bay leaf, and dill weed) from Penzey's Spices. (Back to Penzey's in a moment.) I scrambled a couple eggs, put on top of a warmed up biscuit, and spooned the gravy on top. HEAVEN! Though I'm sure any true-blooded southerner would roll their eyes at my bastardized, California-ized, liberal interpretation. And yes, I ate it all before thinking of taking a pic. Will try to get better at that.

So I first ran across Penzey's years ago on a business trip to Minneapolis. I had to let the locals from the office there know about it. Very clean, simple, wood floors and tons of shelves filled with every spice you've ever heard of and more, all with large testers for you to smell. There wasn't an even remotely close store for quite awhile, so I had to make due with the site. Which you'll know is utilitarian at best, if you've already clicked the link above. I actually linked you in several clicks as they seem to want to dissuade  you from actually getting to the spices themselves. But sign up for a catalog if you're at all interested, they are fairly good, and often have a discount sticker on the cover. Luckily there is one down in Menlo Park now. Another great spice they have is Aleppo Pepper (a Turkish crushed red chili) that Vicky, aka cat lady and one of the previously unknowing locals I mentioned earlier and used to work with, is now completely hooked on.

Can you tell I was watching cooking shows and reading food blogs this am? More ponderings on my reading and time in Big Sur later. Happy Sunday!

What the...?

So I went down to Big Sur for three nights for a silent retreat at a monastery. I'll write more about that this weekend. It is amazing to spend time with yourself and NO other input.

But what happened to me that I'm sitting home on Friday night watching Bill Moyer's Journal on KQED with two journalists from Mother Jones talking about obstacles to financial reform??? OK, so actually what caught my eye is what I thought was the other part of the show, which is a segment with Greg Mortenson ("Three Cups of Tea") about education in Afghanistan...but now that we've reached the end of the hour they tell me that that topic is next week.

I am actually astounded at what these journalists are talking about...all that is happening and not happening in Washington in the financial realm. Basically DC is owned by Wall Street and the major investment banks...they have given more examples of legislation that has been passed in the last 10 years that is SHAMELESS. I'll admit I'm too tired to detail this out...but we (average people) are footing the bill for the financial elite in this country. I know this sounds trite...but much of what I've heard on this in the past has been in the general or abstract. It is much different when you hear about multiple, specific examples of legislation that is written, lobbied for, and funded by Wall Street that benefits Wall Street and no one else. And at this point, there is no one to turn to to affect a change.

This is definitely NOT what I thought my first post back would be about.  :-)  Evolution on many fronts. More to come.