Turns Out Most Honey… Isn't.

Illegal, contaminated Chinese honey is being stripped and sold in the US

 

The latest food scandal to hit America is this vast and wide-spread problem with honey. Independent testing has shown that most of the honey which is sold at the grocery stores has been ultra-filtered to remove all traces of pollen. And legally, honey with all traces of pollen removed is not technically honey.
 
Who cares? You may not be particularly upset over the news that there is less microscopic pollen in your plastic bear-shaped squeeze bottle than you thought. You may (like me) not have realized until now that pollen was supposed to be - nay, legally required to be - in honey in the first place.

 
Here's why it matters: ultra-filtering honey is an expensive and time-consuming process. No company would do it without a pretty good reason. Particularly for something as relatively inexpensive as honey.
 
But pollen is not just an interesting nutritional additive. It is also a sort of biological tracking device. By examining the pollen in a sample of honey, a botanist will be able to tell you exactly what part of the world that honey is from. (To within a few square miles, in some cases.)
 
So removing all of the pollen from the honey is the equivalent of scraping the VIN off a car. It's like wiping the fingerprints off a knife handle. Or filing the serial number off a gun. There is literally no reason to go to all the trouble unless you're trying to cover up a crime.
 
And in this case, the crime is almost certainly the use of cheap, illegal Chinese honey.
 
China has been dumping tons of honey on the international market for years. It is as cheap as it is illegal. Chinese honey contains heavy metals like arsenic (from pollution), and antibiotics (which are used to keep their poor struggling bees alive long enough to make honey). This pollen-stripped honey has probably also been adulterated with sweeteners and flavoring, to make it seem sweeter and better-tasting than it would be otherwise.
 
According to the list of violators posted by Food Safety News, there is basically no honey for sale at the store. I spotted three brands that I have unwittingly bought in the past. 
 
Of all the honey the investigators tested, all of that sold at small local farmer's markets was real. And only one major chain offers real honey with the pollen included: Trader Joes.
 
If you have never tried real raw local honey, trust me: you are in for a treat! 

McRib Mystery Solved?

The answer to the distribution mystery may lie in commodities trading

 

Willy Staley at The Awl has analyzed the McRib's availability pattern with one of my favorite tools (economics) and come up with an interesting correlation. 
 
Staley's contention is that the McRib's availability is driven strictly by the price of pork. When the price gets low enough, McDonald's buys a ton of it and ships it out (with much fanfare) in the form of McRib sandwiches. As soon as the price rises, the McRib disappears. In other words, the McRib distribution is all about arbitrage.

 
("Arbitrage" is the practice of taking advantage of price differentials in different markets. If you buy a rare Depression Glass dish at a garage sale for $1 and sell it on eBay for $50, you have just used arbitrage to earn $49.)
 
I have no doubt that there is a lot of truth to this theory. After all, as Staley points out, McDonald's is not actually in the business of making food. It is a commodities broker. McDonald's could be shipping oil or paper just as easily as it could be brokering the transactions between field potatoes and French fries.
 
But at the same time, there is clearly some room for discussion here. For one thing, the theory hinges on McDonald's not using very much pork most of the time. However, most of their breakfast offerings contain pork. Could it simply be that, due to the way they are made (i.e. with lots of filler), breakfast pork simply has a higher profit margin than McRibs? If so, then it would make McDonald's more philosophic about price differences. You can afford to pay a little more per pound here and there if you're making 98% profit on the end item.
 
And indeed, Staley quotes an alleged Hamburger University graduate who claims that the McRib has a very narrow profit margin. He frames it as a loss leader - the excitement gets you in the store, and then you buy a soda and fries to go along with it.
 
But the most damning evidence against this theory may be the data itself. Every time after the McRib is introduced, the price of pork continues to fall for a while. Could this really be true, if McDonald's was buying a nation's worth of pork? Surely this would stabilize the price, if not drive it back up. Obviously there is a lot more going on here than we can see, but I think Staley has definitely illuminated part of the puzzle.

Kielbasa Pasta Salad Recipe That is Sure to Please Your Guests


Whenever I plan a party, I try to include a few dishes that can be made the night before. This keeps me from having to rush around on the day of the party. One of my favorite recipes is a kielbasa pasta salad recipe that has been in my family for years.

You will need the following ingredients to make the kielbasa pasta salad:

1 pkg. polska kielbasa
1 green pepper
1 onion
4 oz. mild cheddar cheese
4 oz. Monterey jack cheese
3 oz. Spanish olives
3 oz. black olives
1 box rotini pasta
1 bottle zesty Italian dressing

Follow these steps to make the kielbasa pasta salad:

Step 1:
Slice the kielbasa into thin round strips, and then cut the strips in half. Toss directly into a large serving bowl.

Step 2:
Wash and dice the green pepper and onion. Toss into the serving bowl.

Step 3:
Cut the two cheeses into bite-sized cubes, and add them to the serving bowl.

Step 4:
Set your Spanish and black olives in the serving bowl whole, or cut them in half. This is based on preference.

Step 5:
Cook one box of rotini pasta in a pot of boiling water until the pasta is soft. Drain and toss into the serving bowl.

Step 6:
Empty the contents of one bottle of zesty Italian dressing into the serving bowl. Toss all of the ingredients together until everything is lightly coated with the dressing.

Step 7:
Cover the serving bowl with plastic wrap, and set in the refrigerator until party time.

Tips:

They make a turkey keilbasa that you can use instead of the polska kielbasa. This is a good substitute for those who do not eat pork products.
 

Check this Recipe out Before Fall Ends

How to Make Pumpkin Waffles

 

Before fall ends, dive into this recipe for pumpkin waffles – a great brunch hit that’s sure to satisfy.

INGREDIENTS


Makes 4 round “Belgian” style pumpkin waffles


 • 1/4 cup light brown sugar


• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch


• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour


• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 1 3/4 tsp. cinnamon


• 2 tsp. ginger


• 1/4 tsp. cloves


• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg*


• 2 large eggs


• 1 cup whole milk


• 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin


• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and warm

*Grated and lightly packed into the spoon, use 1/2 tsp. Grated and loosely scooped, this is about 1 tsp. of nutmeg. If you have to use pre-grated, dried nutmeg, use 1/4 tsp.

DIRECTIONS

1. Lightly oil the waffle iron with vegetable oil, and set it to the desired temperature.

2. Combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Whisk together to break apart the cornstarch. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and whisk to blend.

3. Separate eggs: yolks go in a medium sized bowl and whites get set-aside in a smaller bowl.

4. Add pumpkin and milk to the egg yolks. Whisk to blend and set aside.

5. Whip egg whites with a hand mixer on high until stiff peaks form – about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Set aside.

6. Pour melted butter into the yolk/milk/pumpkin mixture. As you pour, whisk to combine.

7. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix them together until just combined. A little lumpiness is fine. That will smooth out when the egg whites are added.

8. Slide the whipped egg whites out of the bowl and onto the mixture you just prepared. Gently fold them in until no white bits are obvious.

9. Once the waffle iron is heated, you’re ready to pour the batter!

 

A Need For More Alcoholic Teas

It occurs to me on this cold Saturday in November that tea is a warming drink but there is little done to make it alcoholic (at least to my knowledge).

I am, however, not an authority on this.  I tried Googling it but only found summer drinks that included sweet tea or apple teas.  It is interesting to think about because through all the years, I don't think I have heard of a warm tea that someone had put liquor of any sort into.

Yes, this may be a stretch since there are many people that put liquor in just about anything.  And I raise my glass to those who do.  But when it comes to winter, I believe hot cocoa and hard cider holds the grounds for alcohol.

This needs to change because if I believe in anything, it is the ability to get buzzed while benefiting from the properties that tea is blessed with.  So if you have any alcoholic tea ideas, I invite you to write them here because this world needs more Christmas drinks to keep people like myself warm, drunk, and hopefully healthy.

I am very sure that Chai Tea could be mixed with something like Vodka and be delicious(not the healthiest of teas but still).  If you or anyone finds a green tea drink mixed with rum or something, please please please let me know.  That would quite utterly be the best drink in my mind because of the many benefits of green tea with the added fun of rum.  It would be like having a pirate ship full of Buddhist pirates that only loot in moderation.

Good day tea drinkers.  Have fun mixing and matching.

What Are Food Cravings All About?

I've always heard that people crave food that their body needs. The classic example is menstruating women who are craving foods high in iron like chocolate, greens, and beef because their body needs iron. I have personally know many women who crave these foods at that time of the month so I do think there is something to it. These are examples of "good cravings" and you should learn to listen to your body more in these instances.

 

What about other cravings? For example, when you're lying in bed and you suddenly start craving popcorn. What is that about? You aren't going to tell me that your body actually "needs" popcorn for pete's sake.

Some people with metabolic disorders such as pre-diabetes have a very high fluctuation in their blood sugar and some cravings are just the body trying to compensate for this. You may start craving cake, chips, or popcorn because your body wants a carb injection. Of course, these are the kinds of cravings that you should try to curtail. It would be much better to eat something that is high in healthy protein than carb in these situations.

 

Carbs are often "empty calories" and don't provide as much nutrition to the body and the body senses that. So, if you eat lots of carbs, you will probably have lots of cravings. On the other hand, protein and healthy fats provide lots of nutrients and they also tend to be very high on the satiety scale compared to carbs. This means that proteins and fats make you feel more full than carbs which also helps you reduce your cravings.

Food Dehydrators: New Fad?

Everything old is new again!
As I read this recent Slate article, I found myself feeling equal parts fascinated and perplexed. Has the fine art of the food dehydrator come so far in recent years? I had no idea it had gone upscale. But I was quietly satisfied when the article's author, Sara Dickerman, admitted how many of her experiments had gone wrong.

 
To most of us, the food dehydrator is one of those strange early "as seen on TV" fads from the late 1970s. My memories of food dehydrators are inextricably tied up with my recollection of that thing where you could buy a set of screens for making your own sprouts. Each plastic screen was a different gauge (and brilliant kindergarten color). You started out by draining and rinsing at the finest gauge, and by the time you worked your way up to the heaviest gauge, your fresh mung bean sprouts were ready.
 
(Ready to be piled atop the sandwich of your child, who would no doubt make a terrible face at the very thought. Or tucked into a pita sandwich. People were big on pita bread back then. Also, carob.)
 
My own experience with food dehydrators is two-fold. First, my mother bought one when I was a kid. Filled with the promise of being able to shave literally nickels off our monthly grocery bill by making her own banana chips from scratch. 
 
She filled it with grapes, the grapes collapsed overnight into a big wet alcoholic-smelling pile of fuzzy white mold, and she sold the food dehydrator at a garage sale about two weeks later. End of story.
 
Second, I bought a food dehydrator at a thrift store in the mid 90s. Mostly because I was bored, and needed a hobby. I also had discovered a latent love of sun-dried tomatoes, so I set to work dehydrating my own. I spent the better part of a weekend processing tomatoes. Delicious, so delicious!
 
I put them into jars and displayed them proudly on my tiny kitchen counter. Then some friends came over the next day and pointed out that if I hadn't canned them properly (which I hadn't) they would give me botulism and I would die (which was lurid, but probably true).
 
Now I learn that the molecular gastronomists and other such cutting-edge culinary artists are making crazy-ass stuff like "onion glass" and "carrot tuiles." I'm tempted to give it another shot, but I'm pretty sure I would somehow just end up with a gloppy mess of moldy grapes (or worse, botulism).

Foods to Avoid on a Fat-Free Diet

There are so many healthy choices available to anyone interested in a low fat or no fat diet, but what about the foods you should avoid?  Generally, processed “wet” foods are bad ideas, such as canned meals, TV dinners and other packaged, prepared foods.

Beans
While beans are an excellent food and one that you can eat every day, beans with added ingredients can be full of fats and unhealthy additives.  Making your own beans from bagged dry beans is the best way to be sure all you are eating is healthy, nutrient-rich beans.Meats
All meat has fat, so if you are going strictly fat-free, you will need to stay away from meats.  If you find yourself in need of a protein boost, try rabbit meat.  It has the lowest amount of fat of all meats and is surprisingly delicious too.

Oils
Anything that contains oils such as olive, vegetable, palm and coconut will contain high amounts of fat.  Butter, salad dressing, mayonnaise and other condiments usually contain fats.

Vegetables to Avoid
Avocados and olives both contain high amounts of fat and should not be eaten on a fat-free diet.

Dairy Products
Even low-fat alternatives tend to have quite a bit of fat if you are aiming for a fat-free lifestyle.  It is better to avoid yogurts, cream cheese, cheeses, egg yolks and whole milk.

While this list may seem to rule out a lot of options, there are still many ways to get a healthy diet full of a variety of foods while maintaining your fat-free diet.  Stay tuned next week for fat-free foods you can eat.

A Little Place I Found

Have you heard of a place called Teavana?

It is a wondrous place for the tea lover and those who are knew to drinking tea.  Now, I am originally from Montana which lacked this shop but when I moved to Portland, I was introduced to a place that focused on something that I loved.  It was nice to feel like people understood me instead of hoping that a coffee shop might have a good tea(which they usually don't).

If you aren't located in an area where you can walk in to a store, the website is a very welcoming place with a large variety of products to keep you on your toes.  However, if you do live in a city with one, you should take a gander.

When I first walked into one and was welcomed so warmly by the associates, I felt like I could ask any questions.  Not to mention, they have the best tea pots that will warm and keep your tea warm.  It is so very nice to have tea that you come back to and hasn't gone cold.  Not to mention the amazing tea pots that come in so many designs that I could spend hours deciding.

What you will find when dealing with Teavana is a great variety of teas from awake teas to those that you want to sip on before bed.

So if you are a person that loves tea in the afternoon or loves it all day, everyday, then this store is the place for you.  I believe that any High Tea reader would find themselves lost in a Heavenly Bliss as they shop and taste the samples for that day. 

The Splendid Table - A Wonderful Food Show On NPR

Lynne Rossetto Kasper, a very knowledgeable food expert, hosts the show.

If you love food, then you'll love the weekly one hour show broadcasted on National Public Radio called, "The Splendid Table." You'll have to check with your local NPR station to find out the time for the time in your local area as it varies from place to place. Lynne Rossetto Kasper, a very knowledgeable food expert, hosts the show. Each week there is a theme and she interviews a guest for about 30 minutes. The rest of the show includes special recurring segments 15-20 minutes for listeners to call in with questions about anything food related.

 

One of my favorite segments is a short interview with a husband wife team that travel around the country eating in various diners, restaurants, and roadside food stands. They review one or two a week and the descriptions they provide are fascinating because it also includes some commentary on the local culture. Occasionally, Lynne will also interview someone writing a fascinating food blog online. One week she interviewed someone who was creating really unique dishes out of Jell-O!

I usually learn something from the show. One week Lynne was interviewing a fellow who was an expert on all the various types of sea salt. It was fascinating to learn the differences in the mineral content and the differences in the tastes and textures. She often talks to people who have traveled extensively and also people who are creating some type of "fusion food."

 

I hope you enjoy this NPR show as much as I do!

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