Current State of Affairs, Nicaragua

Nicaragua, mi Nicaragüita…

have you heard there’s strife happening now in my second, lovely home? without fluff and too much of my opinion, here’s the scoop:

 In mid April, peaceful Nicaraguan citizens took to the streets to protest President Ortega's ( 1985-1990, and 2007-present) ‘social security reform’ that reduced benefits while raising taxes, especially on the middle class.The government responded with police repression—killing 38 people in the first week of protests.

That was just the beginning of the uprising. Since then, Nicaraguans have continued to protest the dictatorship of Ortega & his wife Rosario Murillo on a daily basis, countrywide. 

Now, the travesty is worsening. People have been denied the right to peaceful protest, denied access to information (news sources have been temporarily blocked, news outlets attacked, and one journalist killed,) and denied access to healthcare, as victim are refused medical attention in public hospitals and state health officials deny autopsies to those killed by police.

The police are out of control, shooting indiscriminantly into crowds in cities all over the country.

This is the first time that i’ve learned the word “tranque” (barricade), as young protestors have fought back at government police, armed with AK-47s, by tossing coke bottle molotov cocktails from behind paving stone barriers. 

Solidarity used to be a word we’d joke about seeing as a famous communist word, used in the campaign and regime of Ortega. Now, the citizens of Nicaragua appear united in demonstrating solidarity against the oppressive government. 

The violence continues. this past weekend, during a peaceful mother’s day march, with at least 15 dead and 79 were injured by government police and supporters.

According to the Nicaragua Dispatch, we know that Nicaragua’s Conference of Bishops, the mediators of the National Dialogue, released a statement saying Dialogue cannot restart because the government continues to repress and assassinate people, denying citizens the right to peaceful protest.

Also from the Nicaragua Dispatch, new reports of government sharpshooters using high-calibre Dragunov sniper rifles. There are more than 100 dead, 1000 injured in less than two months, and the situation is worsening. People have been murdered, with no consequence. Hundreds have been arrested, or gone missing. 

There is looting and vandalism, which, to me, is an obvious effect of an erupting lawlessness, encouraged by the fact that government police seem to be targeting the wrong people- those not committing a crime by walking in the streets.

This week, in addition to other fluff, Ortega’s Foreign Minister Denis Moncada claimed the following on behalf of the Ortega government: he denied government responsibility for violence (guys- there is video documentation). He accused protesters of being terrorists themselves (and implied a conspiracy aimed at destroying security of Nicaraguan families). He also said that reports and news sources trying to blame the Ortega regime for violence are defamation and part of a criminal conspiracy to intimidate and terrorize people and hand over the country to organized crime while destroying the image of Nicaragua.

Sadly and unsurprisingly, tourism is tanking; the State Department has upgraded their travel advisory for Nicaragua to a “Level 3: Reconsider travel due to crime and civil unrest.” Nicaragua is a beautiful country of lakes and volcanoes and kind, gentle people.  it saddens me for the state of the country that so many people i love are deeply affected by this tragic dictatorship’s turn for the worst, in so many ways.

I don’t think there is an end in sight, and there are definitely horrors still to come from this government. Ortega can only rule by domineering oppression for a finite amount of time. There are vague CNN posts about this topic, and many news sources are in Spanish only and marginally publicized. Hopefully, the UN, US State Department, or Organization of American States (OAS), can help with policy changes. The latest press release I saw from OAS talks of electoral reform from 2017. What these outside government agencies will do, and how can I help force their hand? I’m not sure. 

But I do know that there are heartfelt, angry, hopeful Nicaraguan citizens, women and men, for us to support. 

To become more aware, and help in how you can, follow Nicaragua Dispatch on facebook/twitter, amnesty.org, and keep your eyes peeled for news on your local sites, and share, share, share. 

I don't have any personal photos of what's going on currently, but wanted to add some photos that capture why Nicaragua holds a special place in my heart. 

abrazos,

 Calley

In Your Eyes...

working with "pitufos" always make me smile.. .
(note the matching sneaks)
coming soon: ball caps and chef coats!

Peter Gabriel had no idea what he was getting himself into. 

Remember when I blogged about opening our new restaurant here along the beach? And I was busy, stressed? THAT WAS NOTHING. Since then, we’ve hit the ground running, with big, super VIP events, that made me want to laugh, cry and hurl (do people still quote Wayne Campbell?). I’m tired. beat. it’s been too many hours, too many days, so many special requests and new projects arising! 

 But I’m smiling. I’m actually having a blast getting my butt kicked here at work.

I've been blogging elsewhere- check it out:

for the Nicaragua Dispatch 

                     & 

updating our daily specials here at work

anyway:

 This morning, I came into the kitchen and saw one of my dishwashers kneeling on the ground, with a cook standing over him. It appeared as though she was helping him get something out of his eye. Rather than intrude, I let them be, but was eyeing them, asking around... and sure enough, she was- apparently, Fadel had a bit of “trash in his eye.” But she appeared to have a utensil. A soup spoon? I immediately tense and get a little concerned- is she scooping out his eye? Internal panic... but I calmly walk over, and he begins to get up, I ask if everything is okay. It is. But there's something kind of white around his eye. And I ask, why not just stand over the sink and wash your eye out with soap?

 Josefa replies, well, Calley, I did wash his eye out, with “leche de pecho.”

No words. I’m speechless. speechless. Apparently she had squeezed it onto the spoon... I can't go into it. Wow.

 Just when I think I’ve seen it all... bienvenidos a Nicaragua.

doozy!

Wowza. So much has happened since Thanksgiving.


Some news:
The restaurant moved two days before Christmas. To an amazing new location about 200 yards away from the old restaurant, right on the rocky shore of the Pacific Ocean.

dining room at sunset

It’s been a long project for the development project and the finishing touches are still being completed.


From Christmas to New Year’s, basically, the entire country takes a vacation. Hilarity ensues (she says with a fake laugh) as every day had major snafus that can’t be fixed because no one, including the contracted construction crew, is around for the holiday. I couldn’t document the chaos because I was so busy, but also, at the end of the day, I was just too exhausted to rehash what had just happened and was just thankful for another day to be complete.
At least one big ticket item was problematic daily. As if on cue, this normally happened right about 7pm each night. The extractor hood above the grill shorts, the kitchen fills with smoke and it seeps into the dining room, the only person with a key to the panel is on vacation, the gas convection oven had been misappropriated for propane and turned food sooty, we had power failures, refrigeration failures, generator mishaps...

making dinner rolls in the dark with a headlamp

The size of the kitchen is enormous. In fact, it took a few days to adjust. In our old location, we all became accustomed to having everything within arm’s reach, and keeping our legs fairly still... but, well, I've been going through Icy Hot like it's pure-sugar-coca-cola. Part of the solution for maintaining the giant kitchen & restaurant and having the best service possible has been to add 13 new employees!

the "before"

"after": what a happy staff!

plus, as always, a few of the same old problems, like:
I had a short staff meeting that included the statement: “no picking your nose.”
I just redid the original music selection after one awkward night at the bar, when I heard some artists now on our “do not play list:” (yes, I know people at karaoke want to know how will I know (if he really loves me), but it just sets the wrong mood for our paying guests:
N'Sync, Phil Collins, Celine Dion, Madonna, Wilson Phillips y "soft rock de las ochentas," Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Kenny G, Rod Stewart, Britney Spears, Aerosmith


Admist the chaos and too many hours of working, I took an evening to personally cater a wine pairing dinner for my boss and 11 other guests at a gorgeous house atop a ridge here at here at the Ranch. It was a really needed and refreshing change of scenery. I was chatting with a few guests saying, "It's so nice to get a night off!"... and felt good about it until they retorted: "Cooking a 4 course dinner for 12 with wine pairings is a night off?"
hmm. good point. But, I made it through! We all did! we all did (slightly somber, relieved fade to black with a herman cain slow smile). This month has been a little slower gearing up for a very busy February.


here are some fun facts:
We have a restaurant name! La Finca y El Mar
(highlights our simplicity in clean, local and ingredients fresh from the garden and ocean)
We have a new sous chef! Nick is an American, who is a great counterpart!
We have a Toyota Hilux for the restaurant! piiiiiimp!
We have a new, updated, “Calley-esque” menu coming next month! hint: homemade pastas!
We have a salamander, a pizza oven and 3 walk in coolers!

Keyner walking out of the kitchen
with our first bar food orders

We’ve got a blog to showcase our daily specials, especially great for guests and residents in the area:
www.lafincayelmar.blogspot.com


I had a wonderful holiday season, and look forward to a whirlwind 2012!


ps: vote herman cain!

Andouille and Lobster Bread Stuffing

 Here on the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua, we get excellent fresh fish. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving doesn’t revolve around ocean products. Well, I’m going to change that this year. For this recipe, we use Spiny Lobster. It’s very tasty, but there is no claw meat, and the meat doesn’t shred easily. If you can get your hands on Maine lobster, go for it! This means that the shell number will vary. Basically, to make this recipe to scale, you want one pound of raw meat.

eat me! (little corn island, 2011)

  This recipe is perfect for the Thanksgiving potluck. It takes time: you make a stock. If you want to simply add this to the chaos that you're already preparing as the main Thanksgiving cook, I suggest making the stock the Sunday before Thanksgiving (if you are a 9-5er) and lightly poaching the lobster in the stock and keeping the cooked meat on ice until game day.

Serves 16 as a side dish.

Lobster Stock (the make ahead: you can make it the Sunday before Thanksgiving, but keep the lobster meat on ice:

6 lobster tails, shell only

1 onion, cut in quarters, paper and all

2 heads garlic, cut in half, paper and all

2 Tablespoons black peppercorns, whole

1 packed cup of celery leaves (stalked okay, too... or eat them while you cook)

2 cup white wine

1 gallon water

*bring to a boil and simmer for about 1 hour, until reduced and flavorful. Strain and cool. 

To Make The Stuffing:

2 pounds baguette, cut into 1” pieces, lightly toasted in the oven or left out overnight

1 cup butter

4 medium onion, large dice

2 pound Andouille sausage, casings removed

1 pound lobster meat, cut into 1” pieces (all of the meat taken from said tails above)

1 Tablespoon dried thyme

3 cups premade lobster stock**

1 Tablespoon Kosher salt

1 Teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

In a large pan or dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cover. Stir occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the onion is wilted and slightly browned. Remove and place in a large bowl. Add the sausage, cooking and breaking up into bite size pieces with stirring utensil. If you are using precooked Andouille, cut into large dice and cook until browned in a bit more butter (yum). When almost cooked through or fully browned, add the lobster meat. Stir together and cook until the lobster meat is just cooked through. Remove and place in bowl with onions.

Stir bread into onion-sausage mixture, toss in time, salt and pepper. Then, 1/2 cup at a time, add the stock and lightly toss with a spoon until it is completely absorbed. Do not add all of the stock at once, nor add all of the stock if the bread won't absorb the last parts. This will create a mushy mess. Lightly pack into 2 greased 9 x 12 baking dishes, or one of those huge aluminum pans (easy clean up!)

Bake for about 45 minutes at 350°F, until the top is browned and crunchy.

 It’s Thanksgiving, baby! Make a lot! This recipe is simply halved for smaller occasions. That means 1 1/2 teaspoon of thyme, for the kitchen math novice.

 HERB NOTE: Dried thyme is great because you don’t have to pay $3 for a bunch and then pick off the leaves that you need in a painstaking fashion, only to have the other half of the bunch dry up in your fridge. That said, dried herbs don’t last forever. It’s like nail polish, or mascara (that you eat?). Buy small jars! When you crumble it in between your fingers, it should smell herbacious, not like dust.

*If you have fennel bulb, please, substitute for 1/2 the onion

** so over bread stuffing? substitute pre-cooked wild rice for bread, and cut bake time to 25 minutes.

***The Lobster stock makes about 2 quarts: use the leftovers for soup. What a way to spice up your Thanksgiving leftovers!

****Not Thanksgiving, but interested in making this anyway? It’s a great side dish to Pan Fried Jumbo Shrimp, Rosemary Roasted Pork Loin or served as a main course with a spicy Arugula, raisin and lemon salad.

show me your pics!

Social media and smart phones make it so easy to take photos, anytime, any place. It’s pretty ridiculous. Even being abroad, I hear the backlash of nay sayers who get sick of friends and acquaintances posting photos of food. Food. Really? 

 Well, as for me, I love seeing your food pictures! Food is not just nourishment, but a craft, an adventure, and a way to bring people together. The photos you share can be artful, or educational. What you’ve grown, created, or been served... It may be you eating a McRib. I think that counts big-time as an adventurous food. Sometimes they’re blurry. Eh. Work on that one, would’ja?

 But what I love even more than photos of food, are photos of seeing you enjoy it! I’ve been cooking professionally for 7 years. But, although you might not believe it, I’ve been eating for my entire life! And the best part of mealtime is that it brings people together. 

 During the holidays at Club P we sing (in the most awkward “happy birthday”-esque voices; I channel Tina Turner), a song called “We Gather Together,” a sung Grace that acknowledges gratitude for where our food comes from and where it takes us. It’s a cheesy tradition that, more than it’s spiritual aspects, signifies the warmth and joy of the simplicity that is being with loved ones.

 Because more important than your technique, presentation, or how expensive or organic your meal was, 

 is the love behind it. It’s contagious. here’s some of the love I saw during my trip to California; both in human and inanimate form:

Aimee helping mom plate sundaes with the most delicious homemade butterscotch brownie on the bottom

Dickie P searing Rib Eyes for the fam

Zack digging into a meatball and fava green stew 

Mateo wolfing his burger, "animal style"

greens aplenty for daily salads courtesy of Aimee's Best Raised Beds

Will plating up caramelized brussels sprouts

Summer savoring a rich chocolate cake

All American homemade strawberry shortcakes

Erin, Mat and I at Mat's new tapas restaurant in SF, Canela

Buen provecho & Happy Thanksgiving!

renunciation

definition: the act of renouncing: to formally declare one's abandonment of (a claim, right, or possession).

Have you ever thought: oh my god i need to go for a run otherwise i might get a muffin top and need new to buy new jeans, how embarrassing.

Try the Hunger Challenge (ahem starts this Sunday, September 11th. sign up for the hunger challenge HERE). I won’t even get into all of the good fortune that thought conveys. Psych: I will: 

1) the obvious: you’re well fed

2) you can afford running shoes, jeans, and new jeans

3) your schedule, stresses and lifestyle includes time to exercise and focus on your physical well being

4) you have time to focus on your physical appearance

I started my blog in order to increase awareness and support the SF Food Bank 2009 Hunger Challenge. It’s a week of eating/drinking on the same amount of money that people who require assistance from the SFFB and Food Stamps use.

I live for food. You know how some people think about what they want for dinner, right after lunch? or even breakfast? I’m days ahead.

 This has become increasingly more apparent since I’ve moved to Nicaragua and often need to plan in advance (sometimes by 2 weeks) to get groceries in a rural/island community. But this is not just for work:I can tell you right now that I have a Trader Joe’s Panang Tuna Tasty Bite and I am going to save until Sunday night so I don’t have to share it with my brother because he’ll be out of town (sorry, Mateo). 

gluttony knows no bounds:
 it takes 2 servers to bring out
a double order of our already huge nachos
(pictured: 1 lb. beef) to the bar

I waver. I volunteer with my community but I work in high end restaurants. I want to cook gastronomically but I also want to save the world. It’s a tough balance. I remember cooking at Google, with all of the included snacks, like Vitamin Water, Lara Bars, things that were free at work at we’d take advantage of (as in, take home), because, these treats were expensive, and, we deserve them ALL the time, not just during working hours, right? Eesh. But not everyone said this, anyway, I don’t remember one dishwasher I worked with sharing this thought with me. And FYI, there’s no limit to the type of people that Hunger affects:  kids, senior citizens, families; and one heartbreaking story after another affirms that there is such a thing as bad luck ((see: they should just... no, it's not that simple)). Not bad luck, like, 'oh, I'll take a staycation to save more money, or wait to get an iphone 4 because things are pretty tight...

So. Hunger Challenge (sign up for the hunger challenge HERE).Give it a shot, eh? What!!! No way. A whole week?! But I already have dinner plans on Tuesday! (Guess what, cancel them. Say no. Withhold. Besides the great conversation piece of, Oh, I can’t because I am on the Hunger Challenge, yada yada ... is the deeper, more influential feeling of having to say No to something that you want. Bienvenidos al Mundo Injusto!  Aha... awareness comes in...

Okay, I’m not convincing. And you don’t even live in San Francisco and don’t want to google your own city and participate in a local challenge.

how about ONE MEAL.

When I participated in the Hunger Challenge in 2009, the hardest part for me was being social on $4/day. September 17 is a nationwide awareness event that you can host in your own home- with friends! Show that slow food can be inexpensive, too; and sign up for the slow food $5 potluck challenge HERE

for yous guyz up for the challenge ( sign up for the hunger challenge HERE), here be:

my tips for the week:

Utilize legumes! (mix with grains: rice/bread/corn tortillas for a whole protein meal)

I am talking more than beans, here. I have nightmares reminding me of bloggers that forget to presoak the beans and end up without dinner... but what about others?

why? healthy, tasty, variety, inexpensive, and no need to pre-soak! can be cooked in under 30 minutes! Leftover legumes make great patties to fry up as you would a meatball! It’s less expensive to eat vegetarian, and these offer color, texture and variety.

examples:

* split pea soup with chopped ham

* garlicky green lentils with hardboiled egg

* golden lentils simmered with carrot and pepper chicken thighs (bone-in)

* PS: pinto beans are delicate and don’t need a presoak! Boil ‘em up!

meats:

I hope you eat pork! Sausage, bacon and ham are a great way to add a little flavor and protein to any meal. If you can swing it, poultry substitutes can have the same effect.

pastas:

If you’re going to go the pasta/canned sauce route: here’s how to jazz it up and make it super tasty:

*in saute pan over medium heat, warm about 2 Tbs. of oil (any kind will do). 

*add 2 chopped garlic cloves, cook for about 30 seconds, then:

*add can of tomato sauce, stir and cook for about 1 minute

 *frying the sauce will help get rid of a tinny flavor and the garlic will punch out some freshness!

in general: cook in bulk, but not too much bulk. Say, no more than 2 meals worth of food at once. It's a great concept: BUT you are probably trying new recipes that you've never made and making weird modifications because of budget, and don't want to get stuck eating gluey potatoes for 4 days (or throwing them away at the end of the week when you go back to 'real life').

buena suerte, and let me know if you need an extra push or any advice!

Mark Bittman can do it. click here.

 sign up for the hunger challenge HERE

sign up for the slow food $5 potluck challenge HERE

it's the time of the season

Like the rainstorms here, in Nicaragua, fruits of the season come in hard, fast, in overwhelming amounts, and then clear out.

 Fruit of the week: Sapote!

 not to be confused with Zapota, or Níspero, a common mistake (“anyone who's anyone can tell the difference, puh-lease!” she guffawed half-heartedly, her martini spilling as her shoulders moved up and down, “ha. ha. ha.” )

 The outside looks like a russet potato, but inside is bright orange, soft with a stone-fruit pit. The inside texture is often soft, like the Hachiya (bell shaped) persimmon, that you only want to eat when very soft to ensure the absence of astringent mouth feel. 

But, unlike the bell persimmon, have no fear in the fruit being slightly firm. I can’t think of another fruit that tastes so good and similar if firm or ripened. YUM. The taste is that of a fuyu (squatty) persimmon mixed with pumpkin. The locals here eat the fruit as a snack. The soft texture reminded me of Libby’s pumpkin purée, so I used the classic Libby’s recipe off the back of a can (well, the internet), and subbed in sapote- DELICIOUS. I’ve got a few Americans swearing it’s better than thanksgiving pumpkin pie. It’s also great because it is rainy, cooler and somewhat autumnal compared to other times of year in Nicaragua, which makes eating this fruit even more worthwhile.

Silvia humoring me for a photo

 I am also fortunate to work in a location with a garden the size of an Olympic sized swimming pool. Silvia and her team have worked with a Canadian organic farmer to train and learn about new products, but she’s got a natural green thumb. Being so rural, getting some fresh produce within walking distance is a great treat. 

oKra. no, no free cars

 Right now, the garden is full of okra, basil, dill, radishes, chiles, tomatillos, and more foods are sprouting up by the day. I give her seeds and pits from fruit we use to asembrar (plant) more. I use them in specials and encourage staff to use them in our employee meals, too. 

Speaking of which, let’s get real with our produce for a second. How do I get staff to eat it? For our staff meals, the best I can get on a plate for vegetables is boiled carrots or cabbage salad. Like, one tiny piece. 

 I want our staff meals to be more than filling, but hearty and healthy! I’ve got pie charts showing how much vegetable I want doled out on the plate, and our current staff meal menu now has tips on the bottom of each day, like: 

add radish to the cabbage salad! roast carrots in oven with a little oil, salt and pepper until caramelized, or add cilantro, lime and sour cream to the beets for a cold salad

dishwashers Katia and Frankie standing in front of the menu and pie charts:
one is for whiteys and one is for nationals (more rice and beans)
the slogan says: "don't be afraid to have more vegetables, they are good for your health"

lastly, one more fruit: with it’s durable, thick skin, passion fruit (calala) has a long season here. It’s also pretty well known, and may be available in foreign markets. It’s great for juice, but I’ve found it is quite tasty and popular as:

passion fruit dressing - try it at home!

*1 cup fresh passion fruit juice

1/4 cup white sugar

1 cup vegetable or soybean oil

1 Tbs. dijon mustard

1 Tbs. chopped mint leaves

salt and pepper

*Make the juice by scooping the flesh and seeds of about 8 fruit into the blender, puréeing and straining, no water added.

Add juice and remaining ingredients back to clean blender and purée until smooth. 

server Maria with a tasty calala beet salad

This dressing goes well with so many salads, even the blue cheese and bacon in a classic Cobb, but I like mine with:

roasted beets

mixed greens

toasted walnuts

feta cheese and 

grilled shrimp

if you worked bruin woods in 2001, please click here

and if you dare, challenge me to sing it with the modified lyrics 

(with practiced hands

to show you how to paint 

and make lanyards...) 

neverforget*copyright B. Johnson 2001

op ed

Bourdain: Always cracks me up. He’s a bitter old line cook who eats crazy food around the world. His latest hijinx, when asked, “who’s the worst food network chef,” involved a monologue debasing mogul Paula Deen, for her [terrible food and encouragement of US obesity], in short.

US Obesity: The debate of fault reminds me of the tragedy of Columbine and the blame placed on Marilyn Manson. If L&O SVU has taught me anything, it’s the fact that Deen never put the fried chicken in the hands of the obese. I side with the group that says that both Deen and Bourdain are entertainers. Her show, “Paula’s Home Cooking,” is not meant for everyday food, just as eating an 18 course French Laundry meal (also calorie heavy as well as pocketbook breaking) is not meant for everyday food. After working at Williams-Sonoma, one of the main things that I took away is: meat sells. cream sells. Vegetarian, Healthy, Fish accouterments get the nix before they even get tested. Maybe Deen can have an influence on the health of America, and I hope that she tries something to help Americans with food discipline. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? I’m in the mind, though, that it’s not just food we overindulge on (technology, cars, jets, salaries, bigger, faster, greed, sigh).

Bougie Foodies: Ugh. This is something that I actually do not miss, at all, from the Bay Area. It’s like living and working in a land of Monday morning quarterbacks. I think it is wonderful that anyone and everyone who can take time to make meals at home, experiment and share, does. I love seeing facebook photos of what people eat, have made, or blogs about kitchen disasters. But the ‘bougiefoodie’ is a pretty descriptive stereotype of self-made food critics with no culinary background and a subscription to some Michael Pollan newsletter, someone not in “Middle America.”

In the food service industry, most of my staffs have never eaten in a fine dining restaurant, including the one that we work in. In “Medium Raw,” Bourdain takes a butcher from a busy NYC restaurant to dine in the same restaurant, and ponders the class division: how can this man, who works with fish for 8 hours a day, never have the chance to try it? Cooking, albeit with so much fame, to make decent living out of it is tough, especially for people who want to spend time with loved ones. It’s also not all glamorous and sous vide. The USARMY doesn’t even peel their potatoes anymore. How this is outsourced is a different topic entirely, but I mention it just to note that “cooking” requires so many facets, and many of them are not exciting or intellectually challenging.

Living in Nicaragua, there is no competitive food industry, nor a competitive food knowledge non-industry (see: bougiefoodies). It is less complicated for me to balance my home eating, what I cook for clients and what I teach others to cook, all with with simple, organic & clean products and techniques. I am working in small ways, like teaching my staff to cook a great filet mignon, but also, how to give lots of vegetables (definition: produce with a bright color) to load our employee meals with healthy vitamins. Obesity is not a problem here, nor are snotty culinary-know-it-alls. 

2 great things about Paula Deen: #1: her family. She may cook with a ton of butter, but her kids and grandkids are always helping out, which is so heartwarming. Eating light and healthy is important, but the most important ingredient for a meal is love and sharing it, too (see, Carla from Top Chef). This goes for a shaved saffon geleé, or just cooking for friends at a backyard BBQ. #2: Paula Deen’s retort for Bourdain’s comments was just amazing: “[Maybe] someone had just peed in his bowl of cereal that morning and he was mad.”

the Frank Bruni article on the bourdain/deen spat

a great article from the Atlantic