Bite Size Green's TV Launch

For someone who doesn't have cable, I manage to watch an awful lot of cooking shows. And this year, as I've started to learn camera and editing skills, I've watched them in a whole new light. How many dishes can you cook in a half-hour segment? What angle does the camera come in from? How often are the breaks?

To improve my skills, I signed up for classes at the Community Media Center, our local public access station. They make the studio available to the community so that anyone can share their views over the airwaves. But they have a strong commitment to quality production as well as free speech; so all crew and show creators must take training before using the space and equipment.

Each studio class produces a show as the final project; and my class voted for a green cooking show, with the title Bite Size Green. I'm tickled; and the closer we get to shooting the more I appreciate the work that goes into all those shows I've been watching in my downtime.
The most scary and reassuring aspect of this episode? Having Laura Stec as the guest.

Her participation is reassuring, because she's wonderful on-screen - articulate, funny, credible and engaging. But securing 'talent' (show biz lingo for the person on screen) of her caliber also raises the bar for our production quality - who knows who might tune in, with such a draw? Her willingness to work with us also shows that in addition to being a talented chef, excellent instructor, public speaker, and author, she's also just a really good egg. And that is why family farmers and slow food chefs are my rock stars.

Jack's Prime Burgers and Shakes

I make a point of ignoring the surveys on Treehugger, after reading their one-line question designed to hook you. In late December, the hook I noticed most (but didn't bite at) was: "Can a burger and fries be sustainable?" Pressing all my buttons, it brought up some lightly-repressed guilt over my too-many fast-food meals, and my deep desire for a place to find an affordable, guilt-free source of beef on a bun.

So I celebrated Epiphany early when I invited out a friend on Christmas eve, and he suggested a new place in San Mateo, called Jack's Prime Burgers and Shakes. Jack's was a familiar site, a prominent landmark on my ride to work each morning. I had thought to stop in for lunch; but as I really do try to avoid feedlot beef, I had passed on the indulgence. When we arrived, after 8pm and hungry, the first nice moment was the hostess' decision to seat us, despite their intention to close very shortly (early, for the holiday). Then came the real joys:

1. Chocolate milkshakes - the best ever. Served in a tall glass, and made from Double Rainbow ice cream (local) and Clover organic milk (also local). Unlike most chocolate shakes, made from vanilla ice cream and syrup, these are the darkest, most intense I have ever tried. Better than homemade, and definitely plenty to share.
2. A choice of burgers made with Meyer Ranch beef or Diestel Farms turkey - both of which raised their animals on pasture. Also, chicken in the salad entrees are free-range.
3. The fry oil for the excellent shoestring fries and addictive sweet potato fries is collected by a recycler and sold to a local biodiesel refinery.
4. Hot fudge sundaes offered for desert, with a range of ice cream flavors and served in a real glass dish (a nearly lost art, and very hard to find).
5. A top-notch veggie burger, and a nice entree salad menu for veggie friends. We tried the organic greens with homemade vinaigrette as a side dish; and it was superb.

Sustainable? I'm still of the eat-less-meat school; but when I need to quench the beef jones, it's an actual relief to have an affordable, local burger joint to visit.

Cornish Hens - Not so Gamey

Last week, America's Test Kitchen happened to have an episode on butterflied, grilled Cornish Game Hens while Grocery Outlet was selling piles of them for $2.49 each.  So we bought four, and hosted a fabulous dinner.

Not longer after, of course, we became curious about their lives.  A small bit of digging revealed that the Cornish hens are simply a cross between two popular broilers, typically factory-farmed in large chicken houses for 5 - 6 weeks before slaughter.  The word Game is just thrown in, connoting a wild outdoor life these birds have never seen.

Nonetheless, they were terribly tasty (mainly due to Basha's skill and a good recipe).  But should you see them someplace spendy (like Whole Foods, which markets them at $8.49 a pound as "poussin"), you might as well buy a small free-range broiler.  It may have a more complex flavor, from its more diverse feed and forage, will be antibiotic free, and will actually cost less.  Who knew?  Now we do.