The Clean Plate Ranger

Americans are fat. We all know that we are bordering on obesity. We've heard the statistics over and over again. On average, Americans are 23 lbs over their ideal body weight. The fact is that American's are becoming more accepting of a larger sized self. The older I get, the harder it becomes to loose "that 10 nagging pounds", and I've finally discovered why.

Because my parents drilled into my head, at a very young and impressionable age, to eat everything on my plate.

I don't blame them, really, because their parents drilled the same thing into them. In fact, if we are looking to place the blame, we can blame World Wars 1 and 2. As a result of World War 1, our government created the "Clean Plate Club" because of the limited amount of food in the country. The Clean Plate Club, first established in 1917, was a movement that began after Congress passed the Food and Fuel Control Act . The act enabled President Woodrow Wilson the power to regulate the distribution of food, which was becoming scarce. Wilson appointed Herbert Hoover as the head of this task and his job was to make sure that the precious food Americans had didn't go to waste.

Hoover targeted small, school aged children, with the Clean Plate Club pledge:

 “At table I’ll not leave a scrap of food upon my plate. And I’ll not eat between meals, but for supper time I’ll wait.”

And so it began a generation of Americans who were taught never to waste food. That generation were our parents parents, who then raised our parents to believe in the same pledge. Then along came the Great Depression and World War 2 and once again food in America was scarce. The Clean Plate Club was re-established in schools across the country and another generation reinforced the importance of never wasting food. They taught their children and so on and you see where I'm going with this?

Flash forward into the future, and here we are Super Sizing everything and eating whatever and whenever we want to, yet we still fell the need to never let it go to waste. Old habits die hard, and Americans continue to overindulge and take home "doggie bags" so that not a scrap goes to waste. I noticed that when a large plate of food is put before me I immediately feel a pang of guilt, like I need to finish it and if I don't I've committed a crime of some sort.

And we wonder why we are 23 lbs. over our ideal body weight? Go figure.

El Jefe And The Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I recently watched the movie "Chef" on On Demand. It was good and I recommend it highly for a light fun movie watch, BUT I will caution you....DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE HUNGRY. This movie is food porn at its highest degree and after viewing it I found myself absolutely ravenous!

Since watching the movie, I can't stop thinking about the grilled cheese sandwich the chef cooks for his son. I have watched the clip below from YouTube about 6 thousand times and I think I got it down, but I'm literally guessing on the type of cheese he uses. I'm thinking the orange cheese is sliced cheddar mixed with some Gruyere, to make that yummy, cheese pulling goodness. It's just about all I can do to not make it grilled cheese night every night in our house! 

I recommend the movie, but the grilled cheese and Cuban sandwiches are the reason to watch. 

And do yourself a favor and have something with you to eat. Something you really like because your are going to need it.

This is the clip from You/tube. I couldn't get it to embed for some reason. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BTfctEmg5w

Fab 5 Summer Finds

1. Ramen! I just realized that my great big bowl of sodium from my college days has undergone a makeover. Ramen is in Vogue all over the country. Ramen restaurants have become a new destination for a big, healthy bowl of deliciousness. An incredible meal in a bowl, this is not your daughter's Ramen! Now I'm hungry...

2. Nothing says summer like a gorgeous pair of wedge sandals. Simple, chic and comfortable wedges elongate the leg in summer shorts and give you a sexy addition to any outfit. Jeans, shorts, skirts and maxi dresses-the options are endless. Owning even one pair of neutral wedges can take you through an entire summer of fashions! Of course I can never have just one pair..

3. Hot dogs-what is it about a hot dog fresh off the grill on a hot summer night? It just makes me happy. We all know the bad rap that hot dogs have gotten in the past, as far as fillers and ingredients, but there are lots of hot dog brands out there that are made up of good ingredients. Pearl is my favorite. I like my dog old school. Mustard only. Maybe, if I'm feeling adventurous, I'll add some diced onion. Couple that with a Corona and a lime and I can die happy. 

4. This is a new development. I've become concerned about exposing certain parts of my body to the sun without an SPF 50. In the past few years I've always armed myself with SPF 30 for my face, but after a discussion with my doctor this month, we both decided that a woman of my *ahem* age should protect the decollete (chest and neck) and the face with at least an SPF 50. Eve Lom's Daily Protection SPF 50, is my favorite weapon against damaging sun rays and the aging process.It's a 2 in 1 daily product. A powerful anti-aging moisturizer and a SPF protector. Available at The Candy Bar: BUY NOW 

5. I just finished this book and I have to tell you that I may re-read it all over again! Sophia Amoruso is the founder and creator of NastyGal.com, a fast growing multi-million dollar company. I love this girl! She happened upon her success by doing something she was passionate about. She created her FREE advertising buzz on social media that directed her shoppers to her eBay sales. Her concept was simple: BUY LOW/SELL HIGH. Or sell a bit higher. With her eye for style and photography, she built her brand by utilizing social media to create a cult following with her 90,000 devoted My Space followers. Even if you are not a retailer(like I am) this book is a quick and inspirational read for any #GIRLBOSS.

Hot Diggety Dog!

It's the second word in the old classic advertising campaign for American car maker Chevrolet,

"Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet."

Hot dogs are as American as all of those beloved things, and a summertime staple on everybody's grill. How you like your hot dog can be compared to how you like your coffee, right?  Mustard, onions, ketchup (must be Heinz) and relish are the classics, but there is a new wave of foodies that are challenging and old American classic. 

Celebrity Chef Rachel Ray showed us how to dress up the hot diggedy dog in new and exciting ways on GMA this morning! She prepared 7-Layer Hot Dogs with such ease, and set my stomach churning and yearning for this delightful  take on-what?- designer hot dogs?

Rachel Ray's 7-Layer Hot Dogs

Ingredients

1 cup canned spicy vegetarian refried beans

Half palmful ground cumin

4 Jumbo hot dogs (butterflied open only if crisping on griddle)

(Cooking Spray, if crisping)

4 good quality hot dog buns

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

1 cup corn chips, such as Fritos, lightly crushed

1 cup crema

Guacamole

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

Salt

2 avocados

1 large jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped

Small handful of cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1 large or 2 medium cloves garlic, pasted or grated

Pico de Gallo

2 to 3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 jalapeno chile, minced

A couple tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1 lime, zested and juiced

Salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

For the Guacamole

In a medium bowl, douse the onion with the citrus juices. Salt liberally and let stand 10 minutes. Scoop the avocado flesh into the bowl. Add the jalapeño, cilantro, and garlic and mash with a fork until fairly smooth. Adjust the salt.

For the Pico de Gallo

In a small bowl, add the plum tomatoes, onion, chile,cilantro, lime juice and zest and season with salt andpepper.

For the Hot Dogs

Place a medium pot of water over high heat and bring to a simmer. Turn heat to low, add hot dogs and cook until heated through. This will only take a few minutes. If crisping the dogs, place a griddle or skillet over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray. Add the hot dogs cut side down first to the pan and cook until crisp, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn over and crisp the other side for another minute.

To assemble:

Slather some refried beans on the inside of the bun and add a sprinkling of the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. Place a hot dog in the bun and top with some crushed fritos, guacamole, pico de gallo and dot with crema.

Holy guacamole! I know what's for dinner tonight. Rachel the great, also served up several other options for creating a hot dog smorgasbord. Check these out:

Seattle Dog

Spread the hot dog with cream cheese, then top it with grilled onions and sliced jalapenos.

Pastrami Reuben Dog

Wrap the hot dog in pastrami, layer on a slice of Swiss cheese, melt. Top with sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing.

In a Pickle Dog

Top the hot dog with pickle relish, cucumber wedges and dill pickle wedges. Sprinkle with celery salt.

Pimento Cheese Dog

Spread the hot dog with store-bought pimento cheese, then sprinkle with crushed buttery crackers, such as Ritz.

It looks and sounds soooo fun! I'm serving 7 layer and Pastrami Ruben Dogs tonite!

I'll let you know how they come out...

Barbara Lynch, You Did Your Girl Julia Proud!

"I was 32 when I started cooking. Up until then, I just ate." Julia Child

So I gotta tell you what I did last night, cuz it was one of the coolest things I've done in a while. As you may know, yesterday was what would have been the famous TV chef Julia Child's 100th birthday. It was a pretty big deal, especially around here where she lived for many years. Google even spelled out their name in "Julia-esque" fashion yesterday.

My BFF, had emailed myself and another girlfriend a few weeks back and had shared with us this email:

Join Chef Barbara Lynch and her team on Wednesday, August 15th - what would have been Julia's 100th birthday - for an entertaining and delicious tribute to America's first lady of cooking during national Julia Child Restaurant Week.    As part of the national JC100, a 100 day celebration of Julia and her incredible legacy of culinary teachings, Menton will be among 100 restaurants across the country to participate in Julia Child Restaurant Week by presenting recipes from the JC100 (100 of Julia's most cherished recipes that were handpicked from the 3417 in her cookbook canon by a jury of culinary luminaries including Judith Jones, Dorie Greenspan, Amanda Hesser, Thomas Keller, Danny Meyer, Jacques Pepin, Ruth Reichl, and Anne Willan). The festive fête will commence with passed hors d'oeuvres and then continue with a seated dinner. Guests will be arranged at communal tables to encourage the sharing of stories and laughter, while enjoying a four course menu with wine pairings. The four-course menu will feature recipes from the JC100 selected by Menton's chefs, along with a few Julia-inspired surprises.

So I said, "Hell yes!" and the three of us made a plan. Last night we arrived at 6:30 and were immediately welcomed into the gorgeous Menton restaurant by a well dressed man carrying a tray of rose champagne! Oh, yeah! I couldn't have been happier. We then proceeded into an open reception filled with glamorous guests. Passed hors d'oeuvres like tiny pancakes topped with salmon mousse and cheese puffs, were plentiful and the rose champagne flowed freely. I noticed on  one of the high top bar tables, a jar filled with Pepperidge Farm Goldfish.? I thought they seemed a bit out of place amongst such opulence, but I figured that there must have been a reason. 

My suspicions were confirmed when Chef and Menton owner Barbara Lynch approached us at the reception and spent 15 minutes chatting with us like she had known us forever. Barbara, a South Boston native, and a Boston "Celebrity" chef could not have been more humble or interesting. She chatted with us about food, Boston and a wee bit about Julia and she shared with us that Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers were Julia Child's favorite snack!

After a few too many rose Champagnes, in beautiful glasses, we retired to the main dining room for dinner. We shared a table with two couples who's wives were both celebrating their birthday's and more wine, a 2011 Chateau Pradeaux Bandol Rose in Magnum was served along with tiny, scrumptious, croissants. We toasted, and chatted and made small talk with our new and gregarious table guests and the first course was served; Heirloom Tomato Provencal, with Sourdough, Herbs de Provence and Anchovy. Did I see black tomato's? It was outstanding. 

Did I mention that the wine was flowing? I hardly doubt that a moment went by that my glass was not tended to nor my questions answered with such passion and knowledge. Barbara Lynch stood up and spoke and told of how she met the famous Julia and a bit about some of their first dealings. It was fascinating to hear first hand, about the kind of woman Julia Child was and it was quite evident that Barbara and the staff had put a lot of time and care into making this event a memorable one. 

It was then on to a new glass and a  2007 Chateau Simone Palette Blanc and a mini baguette of bread. After a short video of Julia clumsily, yet matter of factually showing the viewer how to cut and clean several large fish, the second course was served: Bourride; Monkfish with Saffron, Camarones. Light, yet full bodied and utterly delightful. At this point, I was enjoying myself so much, I could have retired home at that point a happy girl. 

The rest of the evening flowed smoothly like the next wine, that was served in a triple over sized red wine glass, a 2006 Chateau Simone Palette Rouge, that was dreamy. The Saddle of Lamb, served with Ratatouille, l'Anglaise and Rillette is pictured above. At this point I had begun to drink just as much water as wine, which was very smart, and just when I thought I couldn't eat another bite they blew me away. 

"Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all." Julia Child. 

Barbara came out to speak of her last trip with Julia, when she was ill, yet still full of life, and she asked her what would she like to eat. A ninety something Julia Child responded, "I think I would like In-and-Out Burger". She shared with us those last memorable moments with a culinary icon and her joy for good life and good food was almost palpable. She ignited the final course, a Baked Alaska, for all of us and we stood and sang "Happy Birthday" to Julia. 

The final dessert wine was served, a 2007 Chateau Soucherie Coteaux du Layon et Chaume, and the Baked Alaska was plated and served with Brown Butter Rum and a fig jam. 

I could hardly help myself. It was the most scrumptious dessert I have ever had the honor of being served and the same goes for the evening I had just experienced. 

To the staff at Menton and to Barbara Lynch: Outstanding,...Bravo on a job well done. Somewhere in heaven I know Julia is smiling. 

Killing Me Softly

So I'm watching Rachel Ray the other morning while working out, and it just so happens that the entire show dedicated to burgers...

Ok? I'm there sweating it out, trying to attain a summer lean and she's cooking up burgers that would make a dead zombie salivate. It was like a bitter sweet nirvana. Now, everybody in The Daily Dandy household loves burgers but nobody more than My Guy. I would have to say that a juicy, delectable burger is his most favorite go to food in the world. He like them plain, too. Nothing except ketchup. Me? The more toppings, the better.

This book is not for the slight of heart. One look at the cover burger reveals Ray's  natural zest for hearty eating. The text book size cookbook contains over 200 recipes including: Sloppy Chipotle Joe's, Bloody Mary Cheeseburgers, Portebello Burgers, French Onion Burgers, Boeuf Bourguignon Burgers and my personal favorite, Brooklyn Beer Chili Sliders. There are also other recipes done Rachel's way for fries, ketchup and interesting toppings.

I wonder what Wimpy would say about "The Book of Burger" if he were alive today? Would he gladly pay you on Tuesday if he could buy the book today?

I'm not sure about Wimpy, I think he'd probably rather have the burger, but I'm thinking it's the perfect Father's Day Gift for My Guy. That way I can add it to my cookbook collection pronto!