Food Smarts and NPR: Dog Biscuits
Last night, I watched Bobby Flay's Throwdown. It's a popular show, and my old pal Miriam is featured prominently, so I watched. The premise is this: someone, somewhere across our vast, proud country is cooking something better than anyone. Flay gets wind of this, and works with his colleagues (including Miriam) to make a version of crabcakes, cream puffs, hamburgers, or pizza, that's better than yours.
Much like a WWF match up, there's a lot of trash talk prior to the encounter. And then, the meet up. The challenger is surprised to see Bobby roll up to the large outdoor reception they have created for this, and apparently hasn't noticed all the dudes with TV cameras and boom mikes running about. Since the challenger is simply a cook, and not an actor (and might I add, neither is Flay), it's all very contrived and overproduced and frustrating to watch.
There's a competition, someone wins, and you can get the recipe. Yay. I like watching Flay travel the country, and I enjoy learning how to make a really great XYZ. Is it possible that I could do that in 10 to 15 minutes, and cut out all the dramatic crap?
Hey look, I'm on a reality show too, complete with a not-such-a-surprise walk up, and I'm clearly no actor. I just get really jazzed talking about food, and introducing people to things they might not know about, like roasted fennel, crispy salmon skin, and quinoa. Crabcakes? I think there are enough recipes out there. Get the best quality crab and fashion it into a cake. Lord knows you don't need another crabcake recipe from me.
I don't know what turns Flay on, but I am sure he digs the travel, and he likes meeting passionate cooks. I am sure he enjoys coming up with new recipes and working with Miriam; she's an absolute treat. So why all the fake stuff?
Do you, dear reader/television viewer enjoy that? I think you're too smart for it. I think you'd rather we all cut the fake voices, look directly at you, and have a real conversation. I think you dig Paula Deen, and you like the way Nigella's weight fluctuates, and that no one is apologizing for it. Personally, I love the way Ray fights the bulge, and admits it! I do not like the way her smile is getting increasingly tired and droopy. Poor thing; she's no actress either. She liked it when you liked her and now, well, things aren't quite so oopsy-perky.
Have you ever listened to NPR? In NY, there's WNYC. I have it on all day long. I love the cadence, the tempo, the voices, the interesting questions, the intelligence. It's better than music, the way it soothes and informs me. They're not faking anything; they can't be bothered. And they have no sponsors to please (other than a picky NY audience), so they do what should be done without compromise.
Have you watched any old movies lately? I've been on an old-movie bender (Chinatown, Citizen Kane, On the Waterfront), and I have the same thrill watching these that I do when I listen to NPR. The spoken lines are as good as any quality book I've read; these movies were written by writers. Writers who read, like, literature and stuff.
All professionals have to choose between creating crap, and creating quality. Think of all the people who used to sell high quality items that now have to reduce the quality to reduce their prices so that they can sell in Walmart. What a joy. I can recall the recent satisfaction of using a friend's ice cream scoop that was solid stainless; heavy in the hand. It was built here, in our very own quickfast country, in the first part of the century. And it had survived, without a nick, which is more than I can say for the plastic scoop in my drawer. Or did that one break? I can't remember, but I can easily pick up another for $2.99, and isn't that what's important.
No. What's important is buying a few things, but buying things of quality. Quality art; quality stationery; quality lamps. Having quality friends and quality shoes and quality books. Expecting excellence, not settling. If you require quality of your media outlets, and respond to a lack of quality by turning the television off, then you'll be doing everyone a favor. The performers who want to create quality will be happier, the advertisers will find a way to deliver messages you want to hear, and most importantly, you will enjoy content that adds quality to your life.
On this note, I recently met a working dog, and made her some special home-made dog snacks. I am not the biggest fan of processed dog food; I don't like feeding my animal food that our government deems is not fit for human consumption. The dog is part of the family, and deserves to have an owner who looks out for the quality of their life, and caloric intake.
Homemade dog treats are fun to make, pretty freaking tasty (savory treat for liver-lovin' humans, perhaps with a nice goat cheese spread), and good for Fido. It does a person good to care of those who take care of you.
Dog Biscuits
Makes 25 - 30, depending on the side of your biscuit cutters
1 cup chicken livers (1/2 pound)
1 cup cooked rice
1 handful parsley leaves (2 tablespoons chopped parsley)
2 cups flour, plus more for rolling dough
1 cup wheat germ
1 egg, lightly beaten
1. Preheat oven to 400F. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse liver, rice and parsley leaves until pureed; 10 to 15 seconds. In a medium bowl, combine flour and wheat germ. Pour liver mixture into flour mixture, and stir to create a dough.
2. Turn dough out on lightly floured surface and roll out 1/4-inch thick; cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Place biscuits on greased (or silpat-lined) cookie sheet 1/2-inch apart. Brush biscuits with egg, put in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until firm. Cool on a rack. Store biscuits in an airtight bag in the refrigerator for one week or freezer for one month.
TIP: Parsley is the ultimate breath freshener, for humans and pups alike!
TIP: Dip your cookie cutter into the flour before cutting the dough, this will keep the dough from sticking to the cutter.
TIP: Brushing your biscuits with an egg wash gives them a glossy finish.
TIP: If you don’t have 1/2 pound of chicken liver, try substituting ground chicken, turkey or beef.
Much like a WWF match up, there's a lot of trash talk prior to the encounter. And then, the meet up. The challenger is surprised to see Bobby roll up to the large outdoor reception they have created for this, and apparently hasn't noticed all the dudes with TV cameras and boom mikes running about. Since the challenger is simply a cook, and not an actor (and might I add, neither is Flay), it's all very contrived and overproduced and frustrating to watch.
There's a competition, someone wins, and you can get the recipe. Yay. I like watching Flay travel the country, and I enjoy learning how to make a really great XYZ. Is it possible that I could do that in 10 to 15 minutes, and cut out all the dramatic crap?
Hey look, I'm on a reality show too, complete with a not-such-a-surprise walk up, and I'm clearly no actor. I just get really jazzed talking about food, and introducing people to things they might not know about, like roasted fennel, crispy salmon skin, and quinoa. Crabcakes? I think there are enough recipes out there. Get the best quality crab and fashion it into a cake. Lord knows you don't need another crabcake recipe from me.
I don't know what turns Flay on, but I am sure he digs the travel, and he likes meeting passionate cooks. I am sure he enjoys coming up with new recipes and working with Miriam; she's an absolute treat. So why all the fake stuff?
Do you, dear reader/television viewer enjoy that? I think you're too smart for it. I think you'd rather we all cut the fake voices, look directly at you, and have a real conversation. I think you dig Paula Deen, and you like the way Nigella's weight fluctuates, and that no one is apologizing for it. Personally, I love the way Ray fights the bulge, and admits it! I do not like the way her smile is getting increasingly tired and droopy. Poor thing; she's no actress either. She liked it when you liked her and now, well, things aren't quite so oopsy-perky.
Have you ever listened to NPR? In NY, there's WNYC. I have it on all day long. I love the cadence, the tempo, the voices, the interesting questions, the intelligence. It's better than music, the way it soothes and informs me. They're not faking anything; they can't be bothered. And they have no sponsors to please (other than a picky NY audience), so they do what should be done without compromise.
Have you watched any old movies lately? I've been on an old-movie bender (Chinatown, Citizen Kane, On the Waterfront), and I have the same thrill watching these that I do when I listen to NPR. The spoken lines are as good as any quality book I've read; these movies were written by writers. Writers who read, like, literature and stuff.
All professionals have to choose between creating crap, and creating quality. Think of all the people who used to sell high quality items that now have to reduce the quality to reduce their prices so that they can sell in Walmart. What a joy. I can recall the recent satisfaction of using a friend's ice cream scoop that was solid stainless; heavy in the hand. It was built here, in our very own quickfast country, in the first part of the century. And it had survived, without a nick, which is more than I can say for the plastic scoop in my drawer. Or did that one break? I can't remember, but I can easily pick up another for $2.99, and isn't that what's important.
No. What's important is buying a few things, but buying things of quality. Quality art; quality stationery; quality lamps. Having quality friends and quality shoes and quality books. Expecting excellence, not settling. If you require quality of your media outlets, and respond to a lack of quality by turning the television off, then you'll be doing everyone a favor. The performers who want to create quality will be happier, the advertisers will find a way to deliver messages you want to hear, and most importantly, you will enjoy content that adds quality to your life.
On this note, I recently met a working dog, and made her some special home-made dog snacks. I am not the biggest fan of processed dog food; I don't like feeding my animal food that our government deems is not fit for human consumption. The dog is part of the family, and deserves to have an owner who looks out for the quality of their life, and caloric intake.
Homemade dog treats are fun to make, pretty freaking tasty (savory treat for liver-lovin' humans, perhaps with a nice goat cheese spread), and good for Fido. It does a person good to care of those who take care of you.
Dog Biscuits
Makes 25 - 30, depending on the side of your biscuit cutters
1 cup chicken livers (1/2 pound)
1 cup cooked rice
1 handful parsley leaves (2 tablespoons chopped parsley)
2 cups flour, plus more for rolling dough
1 cup wheat germ
1 egg, lightly beaten
1. Preheat oven to 400F. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse liver, rice and parsley leaves until pureed; 10 to 15 seconds. In a medium bowl, combine flour and wheat germ. Pour liver mixture into flour mixture, and stir to create a dough.
2. Turn dough out on lightly floured surface and roll out 1/4-inch thick; cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Place biscuits on greased (or silpat-lined) cookie sheet 1/2-inch apart. Brush biscuits with egg, put in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until firm. Cool on a rack. Store biscuits in an airtight bag in the refrigerator for one week or freezer for one month.
TIP: Parsley is the ultimate breath freshener, for humans and pups alike!
TIP: Dip your cookie cutter into the flour before cutting the dough, this will keep the dough from sticking to the cutter.
TIP: Brushing your biscuits with an egg wash gives them a glossy finish.
TIP: If you don’t have 1/2 pound of chicken liver, try substituting ground chicken, turkey or beef.
posted by Allison Fishman at 12:59 PM
4 Comments:
Amen!
And, my dog will love your treats.
Thank you.
I'm a food show nut and I can't make up my mind about Flay. I guess I love to hate him. He is clearly awkward on camera, but seems to be passionate about food.
Personally, I'm more of an Alton Brown kind of guy. Oh, and of course I love you, Allison ;-)
Hey, I've got an idea about why Flay and other food network stations really put on the artificial show, when you'd think they should really be focusing on the food ... In fact, I've done a LOT of thinking and study about this topic ...
In a nutshell, there are three things that really make people get engaged. (Research links available on request if you're a research geek.)
1. Basic attributes of the thing in question. Ingredients, expertise, pots, pans, knives.
2. The EXPERIENCE. That includes what happens in time, how the experience elicits or displays what MATTERS (hierarchy of values), and the physical environment. Here, think of narrative -- the hero's journey. Or, think of a sequence of symbolic gestures each of which opens you up -- like Whole Foods does for me when I go from produce to fresh fish to recycled paper to the butcher counter. Hey at that point they can sell me a tub of olives for $20. I'm good.
3. Associations we have with the thing in question. So, for example, that $20 tub of olives I'm willing to buy. Italian? French? Greek? I associate different things with each -- things that go BEYOND THE OLIVE! If you don't think that's critical, I dare you to not swoon over: Daube in Cavaillon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape in a cafe outside the Pope's Palace in Avignon, baignets in New Orleans with a chalky-rich cup of Cafe du Monde ...
So, why does Flay do this hooha? Someone thought that this was a way of overlaying a narrative over a cooking show.
Is there another way to do it?
You bet! Just make sure you use those three elements above.
In my humble opinion.
PS. If you want to see these principles in action with music, check out the Washington Post's experiment with violin great Joshua Bell playing at the DC Metro. Compare with Naturally 7's Paris metro performance (see YouTube).
Oh, and I think Bobby Flay is generally a one-note samba. Great chef -- for his niche.
I like Kat for her range, Mario for his focus on the flavor of the ingredients (classic Italian cooking soul).
Post a Comment
<< Home