Latin/Caribbean Cuisine
- Latin American Food Summit
- Bourdain Visits Latin America
- The Growing Food Crisis
- Anthony Bourdain Visits Colombia
- Safe Traveling
- King Corn
- Kiva
- Celebrating the Potato
- Chowhounds
- Tom Kime's "Street Food"
Posted by
Timothy Dzurilla
Timothy Dzurilla
Representatives from 26 Latin American and Caribbean nations are meeting in Caracas, Venezuela today for a three day conference addressing the rising costs of food.
A world summit on the issue is planned for Tuesday in Rome, where world leaders hope to find some solutions to the increasing food crisis.
Yesterday, the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development published a report warning that food prices may not decrease for another decade as global consumption trends acclimatize to new demands and shifting eating habits globally.
The World Bank reports a global rise of 83% in food costs as a result of new eating trends (such as the increased consumption of meat in the quickly emerging economies of China and India), demand for bio-fuels, severe droughts and floods attributed to global climate change and deforestation, and skyrocketing cost of oil (and therefore the cost of transportation of produce).
The results of this have been as benign as an increase in Spam and Ramen noodle sales in the United States to violent riots in Haiti costing the lives of dozens.
Some of the most recent proposed solutions have been re-examining the illegality of genetically modified foods in Great Britain, a "fat tax" on high calories foods in the United States, and shifting to different staple crops such as potatoes in corn and rice dependent societies.
The World Bank recently gave $1.2 billion in food grants to augment the sums already approved by many developed nations to help offset the unaffordable costs in developing nations.
Yesterday, the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development published a report warning that food prices may not decrease for another decade as global consumption trends acclimatize to new demands and shifting eating habits globally.
The World Bank reports a global rise of 83% in food costs as a result of new eating trends (such as the increased consumption of meat in the quickly emerging economies of China and India), demand for bio-fuels, severe droughts and floods attributed to global climate change and deforestation, and skyrocketing cost of oil (and therefore the cost of transportation of produce).
The results of this have been as benign as an increase in Spam and Ramen noodle sales in the United States to violent riots in Haiti costing the lives of dozens.
Some of the most recent proposed solutions have been re-examining the illegality of genetically modified foods in Great Britain, a "fat tax" on high calories foods in the United States, and shifting to different staple crops such as potatoes in corn and rice dependent societies.
The World Bank recently gave $1.2 billion in food grants to augment the sums already approved by many developed nations to help offset the unaffordable costs in developing nations.
Posted by
Timothy Dzurilla
Timothy Dzurilla
Anthony Bourdain has been just about everywhere in the world and now he's looking to eat South America.
I recently flew back from Cuba (sorry for the lapse in material, but the nation has very little eternal modes of communication including internet) and caught on the plane an article of one of my favorite food adventurers, Anthony Bourdain, and his journies through South American. Here are some of the highlights of the interview and things to look for while you travel:
"Since you travel to many cities and eat all sorts of dishes, do you get sick often?"
Bourdain: I have only been sick twice: once in France (which is funny because that is the food I generally have at home) and another time in Namibia, where I already knew I would get sick. But, in general, I believe that whenever there is a queue of people, it is impossible for me to be the one to get sick, since the job of the people around the world is not to poison others, but rather give them pleasure in their dishes."
To be completely honest, I wasn't impressed with the rest of the article on the Copa Airlines flight with chef Bourdain, but these are good words to live by when traveling.
"Since you travel to many cities and eat all sorts of dishes, do you get sick often?"
Bourdain: I have only been sick twice: once in France (which is funny because that is the food I generally have at home) and another time in Namibia, where I already knew I would get sick. But, in general, I believe that whenever there is a queue of people, it is impossible for me to be the one to get sick, since the job of the people around the world is not to poison others, but rather give them pleasure in their dishes."
To be completely honest, I wasn't impressed with the rest of the article on the Copa Airlines flight with chef Bourdain, but these are good words to live by when traveling.
Posted by
Timothy Dzurilla
Timothy Dzurilla
The building food crisis is having mixed effects in Latin America. While many are struggling to make ends meet, others are propering from the demand of other staple crops
"A rapidly escalating global food crisis has reached emergency proportions and threatens to wipe out seven years of progress in the fight against poverty, Secretary-General [of the United Nations] Ban Ki-moon warned Monday," reports the NYTimes.
The increase in staple food prices due in part to demand for biofuels and the high price of oil, is putting strains on many Latin American nations. Particularly countries that depend upon mais imports, such as Mexico, to feed their populations.
But, this issue has become a mixed blessing for some nations. As the price of rice and corn rises, it is making other staple crops, such as soy and potatoes, more attractive.
Reuters reports, "As wheat and rice prices surge, the humble potato -- long derided as a boring tuber prone to making you fat -- is being rediscovered as a nutritious crop that could cheaply feed an increasingly hungry world."
The same is taking place in parts of Argentina with their soy crops.
The UN declared 2008, the official year of the potato. As a way of attracting attention to other, healthy, staple options.
It's still unclear how this problem will unfold.
The increase in staple food prices due in part to demand for biofuels and the high price of oil, is putting strains on many Latin American nations. Particularly countries that depend upon mais imports, such as Mexico, to feed their populations.
But, this issue has become a mixed blessing for some nations. As the price of rice and corn rises, it is making other staple crops, such as soy and potatoes, more attractive.
Reuters reports, "As wheat and rice prices surge, the humble potato -- long derided as a boring tuber prone to making you fat -- is being rediscovered as a nutritious crop that could cheaply feed an increasingly hungry world."
The same is taking place in parts of Argentina with their soy crops.
The UN declared 2008, the official year of the potato. As a way of attracting attention to other, healthy, staple options.
It's still unclear how this problem will unfold.
Anthony Bourdain Visits Colombia
Posted by
Timothy Dzurilla
Timothy Dzurilla
Chef, writer, traveler, Anothony Bourdain visits Colombia for a culinary adventure through this complex country.
Anthony Bourdain is a personal hero of mine as he travels the world in search of food, culture, and life lessons. Recently he was in Medellin, Colombia where I am currently doing research. Here are a couple thoughts of his on the area:
"It stands to reason that Cartagena is fantastic. But Medellin? Who knew? Among other adventures, The crew heads into neighborhoods where--only a few short years ago--even the police dared not go. And finds one of the most vibrant, welcoming, hospitable and food crazy destinations yet. The surprise of the entire series. All of us on the crew were absolutely shocked and smitten by Colombia." from his travel blog.
La Semana: "What dishes surprised you in Colombia?"
Bourdain: "Sanchoco was one of my best experiences and this dish has put you in front of many other countries."
La Semana: "What are some other culinary highlights of your time in Colombia?"
Bourdain: "Morcilla [blood sausage], chunchullo, and aguardiente [anise flavored booze]... I drank a lot of aguardiente."
interview with La Semana magazine in Colombia. (roughly translated)
"It stands to reason that Cartagena is fantastic. But Medellin? Who knew? Among other adventures, The crew heads into neighborhoods where--only a few short years ago--even the police dared not go. And finds one of the most vibrant, welcoming, hospitable and food crazy destinations yet. The surprise of the entire series. All of us on the crew were absolutely shocked and smitten by Colombia." from his travel blog.
La Semana: "What dishes surprised you in Colombia?"
Bourdain: "Sanchoco was one of my best experiences and this dish has put you in front of many other countries."
La Semana: "What are some other culinary highlights of your time in Colombia?"
Bourdain: "Morcilla [blood sausage], chunchullo, and aguardiente [anise flavored booze]... I drank a lot of aguardiente."
interview with La Semana magazine in Colombia. (roughly translated)
Posted by
Timothy Dzurilla
Timothy Dzurilla
What do you do when your search for food takes you to dangerous places? A few tips on staying safe in dangerous countries.
Rarely does good food come to you. A fish usually won't jump onto a nearby plate and commit suicide with parsley and a lemon wedge. You have to go to the food. Finding good restaurants, fresh ingredients, new recipes is a journey.
At times, this is a bit of a painful process: poor service, occasional knife nicks and burns, and illnesses.
There are ways to protect ourselves from some of these problems, like taking care with knives or street food, but what about when your search for food takes you to dangerous places?
Here are a couple of tips I've put together to help keep you alive on your quest.
Basically,
At times, this is a bit of a painful process: poor service, occasional knife nicks and burns, and illnesses.
There are ways to protect ourselves from some of these problems, like taking care with knives or street food, but what about when your search for food takes you to dangerous places?
Here are a couple of tips I've put together to help keep you alive on your quest.
Basically,
- Don´t carry what you´re not willing to lose. A photocopy of your passport works in most places.
- Only take photos with other people. Cameras are easy to snag and our pastey legs give us away as tourists immediately.
- Meet people through people you trust and build friends and networks that way (unfortunately, that cute girl in the bar is probably working for someone).
- Eat enough street food and get sick enough that you can eventually eat anything (not a fun process but terrific for the waistline!).
- Let your favorite embassy, friends, and family know where you are and how frequently you will be in contact.
- Never, EVER go out drinking without friends.
- After dark call a taxi service for a cab (the million dollar cab ride is a pretty pricey fare...)
- Don't get brave. Things seem normal after a while, but always keep your wits about you.
- Have fun! If people know who you are and understand your intentions, they are more likely to watch your back.
Posted by
Timothy Dzurilla
Timothy Dzurilla
This documentary explores the corn production process in the United States and should be seen by any corn-consumer in the nation.
"King Corn" is a documentary about two guys, Aaron Woolf and Curt Ellis, who move out to Iowa to work on an inhereted piece of land to track the path of corn from seed to feed.
Throughout their toils they meet with locals, explore the difficulties of having a farm, and delve into the corn production process in the United States. The film, directed by Woolf, chronicles their adventures while depicting the problems of over production on the economy, the environment, and small farmers across the country.
This process of over production has an effect all over Latin America. Many small farmers in Mexico, for example, can no longer survive on their corn crops because of the flooded market. In many of the villages I visited, it was expected the men in the family go to the United States for a couple of years, usually undocumented, to suppliment the money made from harvests. Free trade and modernization takes its tolls as economies evolve.
"King Corn" focuses on the corn production process in the United States, by following a one acre yield throughout the entire process. The film presents the process for what it is, better or worse, making it refreshing compared to the heavy handed, oppinionated documentaries of late.
The film is in theaters now and will be shown on PBS, Tuesday, April 15th on Independent Lens.
Throughout their toils they meet with locals, explore the difficulties of having a farm, and delve into the corn production process in the United States. The film, directed by Woolf, chronicles their adventures while depicting the problems of over production on the economy, the environment, and small farmers across the country.
This process of over production has an effect all over Latin America. Many small farmers in Mexico, for example, can no longer survive on their corn crops because of the flooded market. In many of the villages I visited, it was expected the men in the family go to the United States for a couple of years, usually undocumented, to suppliment the money made from harvests. Free trade and modernization takes its tolls as economies evolve.
"King Corn" focuses on the corn production process in the United States, by following a one acre yield throughout the entire process. The film presents the process for what it is, better or worse, making it refreshing compared to the heavy handed, oppinionated documentaries of late.
The film is in theaters now and will be shown on PBS, Tuesday, April 15th on Independent Lens.
Posted by
Timothy Dzurilla
Timothy Dzurilla
Microlending is one of the most transformative ideas in social development to come along in a while. Kiva.com makes it easy for anyone to participate.
I recently helped finance a Bolivian restauranteur expand operations of his modest establishment. I am not a professional financier, nor am I particularly well-versed in the art of economic development.
Through the webiste Kiva.org it was easy to research projects and entrepreneurs in need of small loans, choose one to support, and make a small loan.
Microfinancing, made popular by Nobel lauriate, Muhammad Yunus in 2006, has changed perceptions of how to address poverty and how to distribute capital in developing nations. One of the biggest hurdles for this model is how to connect the capital to those who need it.
Kiva networks with microfinance organizations around the world to find prospective entreprenuers and then provides an easy to use virtual network to connect lenders to those in need of capital.
My small loan, along with those of a dozen others, is making the expansion of a Latin American restaurant a reality. The $776,450 loaned just this week is giving hundreds of businesses, families, and individuals around the world the opportunity to grown, expand, and prosper.
Through the webiste Kiva.org it was easy to research projects and entrepreneurs in need of small loans, choose one to support, and make a small loan.
Microfinancing, made popular by Nobel lauriate, Muhammad Yunus in 2006, has changed perceptions of how to address poverty and how to distribute capital in developing nations. One of the biggest hurdles for this model is how to connect the capital to those who need it.
Kiva networks with microfinance organizations around the world to find prospective entreprenuers and then provides an easy to use virtual network to connect lenders to those in need of capital.
My small loan, along with those of a dozen others, is making the expansion of a Latin American restaurant a reality. The $776,450 loaned just this week is giving hundreds of businesses, families, and individuals around the world the opportunity to grown, expand, and prosper.
Posted by
Timothy Dzurilla
Timothy Dzurilla
The United Nations declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato (IYP) in an effort raise the awareness of the "importance of the potato".
Potatoes were domesticated in the Andes over 8000 years ago and were brought over to Europe in the 15th century. Potatoes have slipped in popularity in Latin America, even though Peru is home to 500 varieties of tubers. Hopefully, the attention of IYP with bolster the power of the potato both in Latin America and around the world.
The four major reasons for declaring 2008 the time of the tator the UN gives on the official IYP website are as follows:
Potatoes are grown world wide
Potatoes are the planet's fourth food crop after maize, wheat, and rice and are grown from "from China's Yunnan plateau and the subtropical lowlands of India, to Java's equatorial highlands and the steppes of Ukraine" on 75000 square miles of farmland.
Potatoes feed the hungry
Pound for pound, the potato provides more nutrients, more reliably, more rapidly, and more resiliently (potatoes are thought to have prospered in 18th century Europe even through wars because they are protected underground from crop burning tactics) than any other major food crop. They can also be grown on less land and in harsher climates than any of the other majors.
Potatoes are good for you
Potatoes are great sources of carbohydrates, vitamin C, potassium, and "protein of a fairly high quality, with an amino-acid pattern that is well matched to human requirements". In fact, it would be possible, though monotonous, to survive solely on potatoes.
Demand for potatoes is growing
From fried to mashed to twice-baked to scalloped the potato is something to celebrate.
Also try out this recipe from Colombia called, sancocho!
For more information about potatoes, check out the official International Year of the Potato website or the Centro Internacianal de la Papa (International Potato Center) website.
The four major reasons for declaring 2008 the time of the tator the UN gives on the official IYP website are as follows:
Potatoes are grown world wide
Potatoes are the planet's fourth food crop after maize, wheat, and rice and are grown from "from China's Yunnan plateau and the subtropical lowlands of India, to Java's equatorial highlands and the steppes of Ukraine" on 75000 square miles of farmland.
Potatoes feed the hungry
Pound for pound, the potato provides more nutrients, more reliably, more rapidly, and more resiliently (potatoes are thought to have prospered in 18th century Europe even through wars because they are protected underground from crop burning tactics) than any other major food crop. They can also be grown on less land and in harsher climates than any of the other majors.
Potatoes are good for you
Potatoes are great sources of carbohydrates, vitamin C, potassium, and "protein of a fairly high quality, with an amino-acid pattern that is well matched to human requirements". In fact, it would be possible, though monotonous, to survive solely on potatoes.
Demand for potatoes is growing
From fried to mashed to twice-baked to scalloped the potato is something to celebrate.
Also try out this recipe from Colombia called, sancocho!
For more information about potatoes, check out the official International Year of the Potato website or the Centro Internacianal de la Papa (International Potato Center) website.
Posted by
Timothy Dzurilla
Timothy Dzurilla
It's always unnerving strolling into a new city and trying to figure out where to eat. Many people turn to the familiar flavors of national chains; chowhounds seek more.
"Foodies eat where they’re told. They get excited about the hot new restaurant/cookbook/ingredient. They’ll go to unfamiliar neighborhoods to eat, but only with their Zagat securely in hand to guide them to The Accepted Places. Chowhounds, by contrast, are iconoclasts who spurn trends and established opinion and sniff out secret deliciousness on their own. The places they find and frequent today will show up in newspaper reviews in two years and in Zagat in four (by which time the restaurants usually will have grown crowded, overpriced, and lousy)" Jim Leff, Chowhound.com
I first heard about Jim Leff, the founder of the Chowhound website, in a radio interview with Christopher Lydon and my perception of dining changed.
When I find myself in a new city looking for great food, I turn to the Chowhound online community where like-minded folks have taken the time to chew through the streets to find the best scraps in today's blandscape of freezer-to-frier, one-menu-fits-all, of American cuisine.
This intrepid community of gustatory thrill-seekers uses chowhound.com like famous explorers Richard Francis Burton and Henry Morton Stanley used the Royal Geographical Society headquarters: you can post questions, research sites, interact with fellow discoverers, charter an exploration in hopes of the next great find, and post your findings so that others may follow in your footsteps.
So the next time you find yourself in a new place and the group you are with is leaning towards the same old familiar fare, hop onto the Chowhound website and find something really impressive.
"There’s so much great food happening right now, much more than there ever has been in the past. We’re in a flowering, a zeitgeist of deliciousness. … People can go out and just almost throw a nickel and find something great." Jim Leff
I first heard about Jim Leff, the founder of the Chowhound website, in a radio interview with Christopher Lydon and my perception of dining changed.
When I find myself in a new city looking for great food, I turn to the Chowhound online community where like-minded folks have taken the time to chew through the streets to find the best scraps in today's blandscape of freezer-to-frier, one-menu-fits-all, of American cuisine.
This intrepid community of gustatory thrill-seekers uses chowhound.com like famous explorers Richard Francis Burton and Henry Morton Stanley used the Royal Geographical Society headquarters: you can post questions, research sites, interact with fellow discoverers, charter an exploration in hopes of the next great find, and post your findings so that others may follow in your footsteps.
So the next time you find yourself in a new place and the group you are with is leaning towards the same old familiar fare, hop onto the Chowhound website and find something really impressive.
"There’s so much great food happening right now, much more than there ever has been in the past. We’re in a flowering, a zeitgeist of deliciousness. … People can go out and just almost throw a nickel and find something great." Jim Leff
Posted by
Timothy Dzurilla
Timothy Dzurilla
Tom Kime champions the importance of street food as a gateway to culture in his travel book full of great recipes and beautiful photography.
This week I reviewed Tom Kime's book "Street Food: Exploring the World's Most Authentic Tastes" and really enjoyed it.
As I have explained in the past, I love street food. It's a great way to affordably eat well, mix and mingle with locals, and take a bite out of local culture.
I spent most of the time in Kime's Latin America and Caribbean section where I found a lot of familiar recipes: bistec con chimichurri, sopa mexicana de flor de calabaza (Mexican soup made with zucchini blossoms), salsa verde, and empanadas. Many of the recipes presented were new though and I look forward to trying them out.
Kime presents the reader with a list of suggestions on how to find the best street food in a city after his world wide trip.
1. Look for stalls near a city's main vegetable market
2. Look for stalls near a port city's main fish market (the earlier the better on this one)
3. Explore around major transportation hubs, particularly bus stations
4. Follow locals to where they eat; ask around what people's favorite spots are
5. Go to packed stalls. This is an indication of good food, and a high turnover of the product making it safer for non-native stomachs.
Don't just think of these tips on your next trip to a foreign nation, these are great tips even in your own city. Fearless eating is the only way we will preserve good food in a culinary environment where homogeneity and mediocrity are becoming the standard of eating out.
As I have explained in the past, I love street food. It's a great way to affordably eat well, mix and mingle with locals, and take a bite out of local culture.
I spent most of the time in Kime's Latin America and Caribbean section where I found a lot of familiar recipes: bistec con chimichurri, sopa mexicana de flor de calabaza (Mexican soup made with zucchini blossoms), salsa verde, and empanadas. Many of the recipes presented were new though and I look forward to trying them out.
Kime presents the reader with a list of suggestions on how to find the best street food in a city after his world wide trip.
1. Look for stalls near a city's main vegetable market
2. Look for stalls near a port city's main fish market (the earlier the better on this one)
3. Explore around major transportation hubs, particularly bus stations
4. Follow locals to where they eat; ask around what people's favorite spots are
5. Go to packed stalls. This is an indication of good food, and a high turnover of the product making it safer for non-native stomachs.
Don't just think of these tips on your next trip to a foreign nation, these are great tips even in your own city. Fearless eating is the only way we will preserve good food in a culinary environment where homogeneity and mediocrity are becoming the standard of eating out.