Lost Foods of New York City: Vichyssoise

Reported by: Joel Noe

Source: Capital New York | USA
First Reported by: Leah Koenig | CNY - USA

Quick: what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of cold soup? 

Chances are pretty good that it’s gazpacho, or perhaps some kind of smoothie-textured fruit soup. But flash back a century and any New Yorker’s answer to that question would undoubtedly have been one and the same: vichyssoise—the ultra-creamy, chilled potato and leek soup that stole the city’s (and the country's) heart in the early 1900s.

Vichyssoise has, as its name suggests, distinctly French roots, but its soul belongs to Manhattan. The dish was created by a chef named Louis Diat, who modeled it after a beloved leek and potato soup his doting mother made him as a boy growing up in Montmarault, France. In 1910, the 25-year-old Diat moved to New York to be chef de cuisine at the just-opened Ritz-Carlton hotel. Seven years later, he offered his first bowl of crème vichyssoise glacée to hotel diners.

The soup was a feat of seasonal magic making. Diat's mother's version had been served like most soups are: warm. But according to Diat’s 1957 obituary in the New York Times, "The hotel took special pride in its summer roof-garden restaurant, and [Monsieur] Louis worked hard at dishes to tempt appetites stunned by New York summers." His ingenious solution was to take the hearty potage of his youth, thin it with ample amounts of milk and cream, and serve it chilled. He named the dish after Vichy, the well-known spa near his hometown.

Customers were immediately delighted. A 1950 New Yorker profile of Diat reported that he “put [the soup] on the menu every evening that summer, and every summer thereafter. He took it off during the cold weather, but got so many requests for it in all temperatures…that in 1923, he put it on year-round."

Like many New York hotel chefs before him, Chef Diat specialized in developing flamboyant, French-inspired recipes, which he liked to name after customers and celebrities. During his remarkable 41-year tenure, he dreamed up countless dishes including: Chicken Gloria Swanson (chicken sautéed in white wine and cream and served with mushrooms and truffles), Fillet of Sole Lincoln (sole cooked with oysters and shrimp) and Pears Mary Garden (stewed pears crowned with raspberry ice and sauce). But Diat's greatest and longest-lasting legacy was his vichyssoise.

The soup soon migrated from the Ritz-Carlton to menus across New York and the country, where it stayed popular for decades. As late as 1960, nearly half a century after it was first introduced, pioneering food writer Clementine Paddleford wrote, "Today, every New York restaurant of any rating serves the soup, and no two alike." In 1971, vichyssoise gained real (if unfortunate) street cred as a truly “American food” by landing at the center of a botulism scare. A tainted can of Bon Vivant-brand vichyssoise was traced to the death of a man in Westchester County, New York and the paralysis of his wife. As a result, the food company recalled the offending product and, thanks to its heavily tarnished image, filed for bankruptcy a month later.

Today, vichyssoise is not an entirely lost food. Classic and updated versions are available at a handful of restaurants across the city—like the caviar-dotted ramp vichyssoise served at Saxon and Parole or Lucien’s cucumber and mint vichyssoise made with fat-free buttermilk and garnished with grilled shrimp. But Diat's original is simply too French and too rich to enjoy wide rotation in today's rustic-food-minded, fat-phobic culture.

Luckily, in the privacy of one's own kitchen, there is no one around to shame you out of folding heart-stopping amounts of butter, whole milk, and heavy cream into the soup pot. And while Diat insisted that his soup be served icy cold, if that does not appeal or the season doesn’t quite call for it, it tastes equally delicious warm.

Crème Vichyssoise Glacée
Recipe slightly adapted from the one included in Chef Louis Diat's 'New York Times' obituary.

Serves 8-10

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 leeks (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced
4 cups chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups whole milk
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
chopped chives to garnish, optional

1. Melt the butter in a large pot set over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion and let cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes and stir to coat. Add broth (or water) and salt, and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are very soft, 30–40 minutes. Remove soup from heat, season with pepper, and puree in a standard blender working in batches (or with an immersion blender) until smooth.
2.  Return pureed soup to a pot set over medium heat. Add milk and half-and-half and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. Stir in heavy cream and pass soup through a fine mesh sieve, discarding any solids. Let cool, then cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving (the soup thickens slightly while chilling). Garnish with chives if desired.

Healthy Fixes for Junk Food Cravings

Reported by: Joel Noe

Source: Calorie Count| USA
First Reported by: Carolyn R. | USA

The thought of satisfying your sweet tooth and junk food cravings probably conjures up images of chocolate chip cookies, salty fries, and Cherry Garcia ice cream. These delectable treats wouldn't be a daily doable if you're aiming for a healthy calorie-controlled menu, but there are ways to satisfy cravings with foods that can be a part of your daily diet. These fixes will help you enjoy the healthiest “junk food” in your own kitchen. 

Pie Pushers

If pies are your calorie nemesis, a few fruity swaps and sweet spices can save you hundreds of calories and offer the same texture and taste that you expect from a dessert.

• Bake apples with cinnamon and instant oatmeal for a crispy apple pie fix.
• Grill peaches coated in a sprinkle of brown sugar and vanilla extract, served with Greek yogurt will do for peaches and cream.
• Broil grapefruit with a little grated ginger and a swirl of honey and add a crumbled graham cracker for crunch. 

 Ice Cream Lovers

A frozen banana (peel and chop prior to freezing), and a tablespoon of cocoa powder blended together makes a great swap for chocolate ice cream. You can try using an ice cream maker to make avocado ice cream as well, but bear in mind you'll still have to add milk and/or cream (vegans use soy milk), and sugar of some kind to get closer to the texture and taste. 

While avocado ice cream won't save you many calories, at least you'll boost the healthy fat quotient. This lime ice cream option also looks scrumptious. Of course, there are more simple options such as freezing flavored Greek yogurt, but thawing in the refrigerator or microwaving for 10 to 20 seconds can be hit or miss depending on the yogurt brand.


Fried Food Fiends

The crispy, salty, satiating fat-feel of deep-fried foods is what attracts many to
fast-food places, but you can drive home and still get your fried food fix without as many calories. Julienned and baked sweet potato, carrots, or even green beans make excellent "fries". Just be sure to add the spices that make them work: a little salt and pepper, grated Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder will do the trick. Use olive oil spray on these to ensure a bit of crispiness and you're in fry heaven. For onion rings or fried chicken you can afford to use a light batter and get your bake on. Some use whole-wheat flour, corn flakes, and/or breadcrumbs, a little milk or beer, and eggs. A light spray of oil will do the crispy trick in most cases.

 
Cheese Chompers

The taste of cheese is all its own and replacing isn't as easy as you might think. This means pairing lower calorie cheeses such as grated Parmesan, crumbled feta, and goat cheese with healthier options and limiting how much of it you eat. Add a serving to salsa, hummus, or salad dressing to get that cheesy taste and dip in sliced fruit or veggies to get the fiber that will keep your hunger at bay. When you're eating it alone, go for smoked, spiced, and full-fat and eat slowly so that your taste buds can fully savor the flavor.

As long as you keep to a serving every once in a while, you can enjoy the tastiest treats the food universe has to offer. Don't deprive yourself of the food you love, but when you know you've had much too much, try a tip to keep you from going overboard.

Your thoughts...Where are you on the junk food spectrum? Do you skip them at all costs, eat the calorie-laden real thing within moderation, or have you found healthy swaps that are just as satisfying?

French MP slammed for WWII gay deportation claims

Reported by: Joel Noe

Source: La Local (France)
First Reported by: France24 | La Local, France

French politicians from across the divide have slammed Christian Vanneste, a member of parliament from President Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMP party, over comments he made denying France deported gays during the occupation

French politicians from both sides of the spectrum condemned MP Christian Vanneste on Wednesday, following comments he made denying France had deported gays during World War II.

A member of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative UMP party, Vanneste represents France’s northern regions in parliament. In a video interview posted on the French website LibertéPolitique.com, Vanneste harkened back to World War II while answering a question on family and homosexuality in France.

“There is the famous legend of homosexuals being deported during the Second World War”, Vanneste said. “Let’s be clear about that. Obviously, Himmler had a personal score to settle with homosexuals. In Germany, homosexuals were persecuted and deported…There were no [deportations] elsewhere. Other than the three annexed regions, homosexuals were not deported from France”.

Vanneste made a number of other homophobic comments during the interview, even going so far as to label many gays “narcissists”.

Political backlashA spokesperson for socialist presidential candidate François Hollande issued a scathing statement deeming Vanneste’s diatribe as “not only homophobic, but also as denying the Holocaust”. Holocaust denial can be a very serious criminal charge in France, punishable by prison time.

Even the MP’s own party scrambled to distance themselves from his comments.

“He should be immediately kicked out of the UMP”, tweeted France’s junior minister of housing and UMP member, Benoist Apparu.

Fellow parliamentarian and the party’s only openly gay member Franck Riester also slammed Vanneste’s discourse, labeling it as “undignified”, and calling for “strong sanctions” against him.

In response to widespread outrage, the UMP has said it will likely bar Vanneste from the party and remove him as a candidate in the country’s upcoming legislative elections in June.

Despite the whirlwind of criticism, Vanneste has stuck by his remarks.

“I have nothing to take back, I have said nothing reproachable. I think the whole thing is stupid”, Vanneste told French daily Le Monde. “If I am wrong [about the facts], then I will make amends, no problem”.

Renowned French lawyer and Nazi-hunter Serge Klarsfeld has supported Vanneste’s claims, saying “I have never seen a document declaring the deportation of homosexuals in France”, adding that while gays were surely deported, it was not specifically because of their sexual orientation.

It is the second time in little more than a week that France’s shameful past under the occupation has been resurrected on the political scene. On February 7, Serge Letchimy, a Member of Parliament for French Caribbean territory Martinique, accused Interior Minister Claude Guéant of flirting with Nazi ideology after he declared that “not all civilisation are equal”.

Swiss Co-op caught selling old meat as new

Reported by: Joel Noe

Source: Der Local(Switzerland)

First Reported by:  Meritxell Mir | Der Local (Switzerland)

 

 

 

 

Former employees of supermarket chain Coop have said that they were occasionally ordered to take old packaged meat off the shelves, repackage it and put it for sale again as fresh meat, even after the expiration date. 

Thomas Lehmann, a former worker at the Coop store in Plaffeien in west central Switzerland, accused the company of breaching food safety laws on SF’s show Kassenkurtz. The TV programme investigated the allegations and found some witnesses.

“We used to sell this meat as if it was fresh without our customers knowing,” Lehmann said. 

Coop workers would wait until the sell-by date before unpacking it and selling it again as fresh meat. Chicken breasts and beef fillets remained on sale for several days after their expiration dates, the ex-worker alleged. 

Lehmann also claimed that non-organic meat was labelled at the counter as organic meat, and that imported produce was sold as Swiss. 

He said these reckless practices were undertaken on the orders of his superiors. But the former butcher said he disliked the deceit and confronted his bosses, internally reporting violations of food labelling practices. The arguments turned into a bitter dispute and Lehmann eventually lost his job.

Coop spokeswoman Susanne Sugimoto said the company was aware of these allegations but dismissed the charges as part of a “labour dispute.” According to Sugimoto, the company tightened its controls after Lehmann alerted management, but said that no infringement had been found.

But Kassensturz got in touch with three other former workers, who confirmed Lehmann’s version of events. One of them went even further by saying it was not only red meat that was sold after the expiration date, but also fish.

 

Chupacabra on rampage in Russia

Reported by: Joel Noe

Source: Russia Today TV 

First Reported by:  Russia Today TV

A string of livestock mass-killings by an unidentified creature has struck fear into Russian farmers. A number of towns from Chelyabinsk in central Russian to the Moscow region have suffered, with the death toll from the latest attack reaching 30.

­Farmer Vasily Velikodnev found the butchered sheep in their fold on a September morning in Kolomna region, some 100 km south of Moscow.

He was immediately struck by the manner of the killings. According to the farmer, the tendons in the sheep’s back were ripped,  in order “to cut their arteries and suck out their blood” – a trademark of the  Chupacabra, a mythical blood-sucking creature, whose existence is barely questioned by many in Central and North America.

Only three of the savaged sheep had succumbed to their wounds. Most of the rest Velikodnev had to relieve of their suffering with his own hands after calling the authorities.

The latter provided him with a list of the usual suspects: from stray dogs, lynxes (who do not inhabit the area) and foxes to migrant workers from Central Asia. Speaking with RT, the head of local administration, Svetlana Telnova, dismissed some of the wilder speculation, saying stray dogs were the most likely culprits.

“Our veterinary doctors have dismissed the talk of drained blood. All the sheep had a working heart muscle, so there is no Chupacabra,” she added.

However, Velikodnev believes that the vets have not delivered the final word on the savagings, and shepherd Aleksandr ruled out the theory of the stray dogs.

“My main question is, how did they get in? Look at the fence, a dog is simply incapable of overcoming such height!” he told RT.

And dogs or lynxes would have eaten at least one of the sheep, while the attacker in question merely bit each of them in the same spot. As for the migrant workers – no signs of an unauthorized entry were found at the farm.

“Despite the rain that fell the night before, we didn’t notice any unusual footprints at all,” Velikodnev told RT.

A significant quantity of blood –  30 creatures were virtually drained! – vanishing without a trace, led locals to the conclusion that the unknown attacker had consumed it on the spot, which would have taken a healthy chunk of time. The sheep were kept in a spacious fold, so catching each would have taken at least two to three minutes, according to Velikodnev, which means the intruder was present for more than an hour.

“We suffered a similar attack back in May, which left eight sheep and Styopka the goat dead, but then the animals had toothmarks on them, so we figured the dogs were to blame that time,” Velikodnev recalled.

Just days after the incident in Kolomna region a similar case was reported in a small town near Chelyabinsk, where an unknown attacker broke into a rabbit cage and tore its inhabitants apart.
Rabbits have been dying in their dozens following two similar attacks in other small towns in the Chelyabinsk region.

The first reports of the "Chupacabra vampire" being spotted in Russia appeared as early as April 2006.

 

­Goat-killing vampire

­The term Chupacabra – deriving from the Spanish words chupar (to suck) and cabra (goat) – first appeared in 1995 after an attack on sheep in Puerto Rico which left eight dead animals with identical small wounds in the chest area and completely drained of blood. Other reports of similar incidents in various parts of Central America came to light followed by more in other regions of the world.

Descriptions of the mysterious Chupacabra’s physical appearance vary. According to some, it is a reptile-like creature with a pronounced spinal ridge. Others say it looks like a hairless dog bred with a kangaroo, with the latter’s ability to jump up to six meters. Some sightings mention an unusual red glow in the creature’s eyes.

Unlike conventional predators, the Chupacabras are believed to drain the prey’s blood and/or internal organs and never touch the flesh.

There have been several reports of the creature being found dead. However, all the carcasses examined by scientists were found to be coyotes infected with a parasite that left them with little fur and thickened skin.

One of the greatest Brazilian footballers of the early 21st century, Ronaldinho, was nicknamed Chupacabra for his unusual appearance in the early days of his career.

What is Sexology?

Reported by: Joel Noe

Sources: Health Choices of Canada

First Reported by: HealthChoises.ca, Canada.com

You may have heard of sexual health physicians, sexologists, and sexual health psychologists…. But what’s the difference? Renee Lanctot, DHS, discusses different aspects of sexology.

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA NOW - best argument with coherent commentary

Reported by: Joel Noe

Source: Hadassah Broscova

First Reported by: Hadassah Broscova,Carpe Articulum Literary Review

Hadassah Broscova Editor-in- Chief at Carpe Articulum Literary Review has strong arguments for Marijuana legalization in this amazing video clip as part of her SOCIAL COMMENTARY series.

My thanks to Hadassah for allowing me to use this vedio.

Please write your comments and opinions about this matter. Thank You

The Future Is Here: Man Invents Hoverbike

Reported by: Joel Noe

Source: Environmental News Network

First Reported by: Karina Grudnikov, Inhabitat

Images: Inhabitat/Chris Malloy

 

 

If you ever want to check out some amazing, mind-boggling, earth-friendly inventions, Inhabitat is the site to go to. Each visit to the website leaves me more and more in awe of the genius brains behind the newest, eco-friendly creations.

To get my point, look at the image below:

 

 

  That Star Wars-esque machine is a hoverbike, invented by Australian Chris Malloy. According to Inhabitat, the bike may be able to fly up to 10,000 ft. and reach a speed of 173 mph. (As it is still being tested, the bike has yet to actually be allowed off the ground!) Using regular unleaded fuel, you can expect to fly about 92 miles on a full tank.

According to Malloy’s website, he is working on the bike and funding its creation/testing almost entirely by himself (although there are volunteers that are helping him.) As it hasn’t even gone through testing untethered yet, Malloy isn’t selling any completed hoverbikes; however, it is possible to purchase a working prototype for around $40,000. Good luck trying to fly this around your backyard!

 

 

As Tafline Laylin of Inhabitat writes, “In an urban context, the hoverbike would be an absolute nightmare.” But for other things - such as search and rescue missions - this could become the transportation of the near future.

The Explosive Truth About Veggie Burgers

Reported by: Joel Noe

Source: Environmental News Network

First Reported by: Tafline Laylin, Green Prophet

  

If there is anything to be learned from America's industrial food machine (in case you missed Food Inc. and other seminal critiques), it is this: nothing can be trusted. Until recently, many vegetarians have been all too happy to jump on the veggie burger bandwagon for a yummy protein fix, believing in earnest that theirs was a healthy choice that benefits the environment. Including me.

But a recent report published by the non-profit organization Cornucopia Institute reveals that most non-organic soybean-based goods produced in the United States are bathed in a highly explosive mix of petrochemicals that are used to extract the soy protein. And hardly anybody seems concerned to address what could be a public health nightmare.

Before petrochemicals


In the 1950s, the United States abandoned the former practice of extracting soy protein mechanically (using pressure) in favor of a newer, more aggressive method. Now, soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, and textured soy protein are all soaked in chemicals that separate out soy oil from what E Magazine calls "defatted soy flour" that is then processed even further.


These chemical baths typically consist of 50-60% n-hexane, a heavy industrial solvent and degreaser, along with a remaining mixture of cyclohexane, methycyclohexane and methypentanes — none of which sound especially delicious.


A gulp of Hexane


The European Union only permits the sale of soy products that have less than 10 parts per million hexane residue, but the United States has no such restriction. Nor is it necessary for producers in the US to test whether their products contain traces of harmful petrochemicals. As a result, it is unknown to what extent consumers are being exposed to them.


Cornucopia recently set out to get an idea. They submitted soy samples to an independent lab, which discovered soy protein containing 22 and 14 parts per million hexane each. But studies demonstrating their carcinogenic properties or the consequence of oral exposure, according to E, are still lacking.


The Seedy Side of Soy


But here is what we do know: higher than usual numbers of brain tumors have been reported in people who work in the protein-extracting industry.


Highly explosive and responsible for killing plant workers and drivers who transport it, hexane is also linked to polyneurophathy (muscle weakness, nerve damage) and global warming. E magazine suggests that in 2009, soy and grain production using hexane, which is an air pollutant, issued 19 million tons of carbon dioxide into the earth’s atmosphere.


Adults might take their chances and eat soy-based foods such as fitness bars, tofu, soy milk, and soy cheese, but for babies, the prospect is particularly insidious. Enfamil, Similac, and Nestle all rely on hexane to extract protein from soy products, while Vermont Organics, Earth Best, and Baby’s Only in the United States offer much more wholesome alternatives.


Why do companies insist upon bathing food products in neurotixins (and why is the American government reluctant to enforce better controls?) Money. Extracting protein from soy chemically is more efficient than doing the same using mechanical pressure, and it’s cheaper.


Unless you’re eating USDA-certified organic veggie burgers and tofurkey, which ensures that no chemicals have been used, we definitely recommend our readers consider a safer method of obtaining protein.