231 posts tagged “kcrw”

Eating Tomato Leaves: A Rebuttal

Oct 28, 2009
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A few weeks ago on Good Food, noted food scientist Hal McGee and I spoke about eating tomato leaves. Hal has been using them in sauces and in pestos. Nat Bletter, ethnobotanist who has also been a guest on Good Food, has a few things to say about this:

When my friend Pizza Hacker's asked me whether tomato leaves were safe to eat I decided to delve into this interesting ethnobotanical discussion. Apparently several chefs like the Bay Area's Chris Cosentino at Incanto, Heston Blumenthal in the UK, and noted food scientist Harold McGee have started using a few leaves as flavoring in tomato sauces, much like bay leaves. Given that tomatoes are from the nightshade family that includes such toxic or psychoactive plants as deadly nightshade, potatoes (when they're green), and angel's trumpet or datura, the idea of eating tomato leaves didn't strike me as a good idea. There are unfounded prejudices against tomatos and all the nightshades (eggplant, peppers, tomatillos, tobacco, tree tomatoes) in the West due to the only European nightshades being toxic or psychedelic plants like Belladona or Mandrake root. I am also the founder of the Nightshade Anti-defamation League (NADL) since I think they get an unfair bad rap, so I want to have an open mind about eating this potentially beneficial green.

It worries me that no one in the native range of tomatoes of Central and South America eats the leaves despite that they eat just about every other green in sight. Mexicans figured out how to eat plumeria flowers (considered toxic by most people), use psychoactive datura (kills you with just a tad bit more than what gets you tripping), and the lengthy process of making raw nasty-tasting cacao beans into something delicious, so the fact that they don't eat tomato leaves when they're so abundant and that they eat their close relative's chili greens, tells me something is weird there. It seems if something was edible, the Mesoamericans would've figured out a way to eat it.

One can't ignore the fact that one almost never sees bugs eating tomato leaves as opposed to chili leaves and there is the question of climate. Although the tomatoes in California and NY may be unstressed and their leaves marginally edible, it's unsafe to ignore history and recommend everyone eat them when they may be in hotter climes which stress the plant more and spur it to produce more toxic defense compounds. Given that many foods in small quantities can be fine, but large quantities are toxic (such as apple seeds, onions, and brazil nuts) we should take heed to history of people who have experimented with these plants for thousands of years and know the long term effects. Despite McGee's soothing argument, testing tomato leaves as food on a ruminant such as a cow with a very different physiology from ours or testing one compound, tomatine, on rats is not a good indication of what effect eating the whole leaves on humans would have in the long term. As I'm doing field work in Thailand right now I'm realizing many people eat many plants considered toxic in other cultures, yet they also do not eat any tomato leaves. I think it pays to be cautious and take heed of people who have done long term experiments with these plants rather than a few cursory studies in the last few decades. Eat the delicious tomato fruits, inhale the great smell of the leaves, but get your green flavoring from the hundreds of other delicious herbs we know are safe and nutritious, and avoid the tomato leaves!

I would like to thank Dr. Abby Cuttriss, Dr. Will McClatchey, and Dr. Michael Nee for extensive discussion, information, and encouragement on the topic of tomato leaf toxicity.

What do you think? Would you eat tomato leaves?

Culture Clash; Delicatessens; Alton Brown; Wines after War

Oct 25, 2009
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What is liquid meat? Food Network's Alton Brown explains. Food writer Jonathan Gold is a pie-lover. He shares some stories of what pie means to him. A tour of the Los Angeles Times' test kitchen. Ching Ching Ni tells us about a culture clash involving rice noodles. A delicatessen serves ethnic food of a different sort. David Sax explains how the deli is endangered. Timothy Childs works for NASA and makes chocolate. Find out what those two things have in common. Mark Peel has us over for a family dinner. And Stacie Hunt takes us wine tasting in Croatia. It's the story of wines after war. And Laura Avery takes a trip to the Santa Monica Farmers Market.

Vote: Chocolate Poll

Oct 22, 2009
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Farmers Market Bonanza

Oct 21, 2009
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Loaded with Produce

This was my cart at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market today. I was there getting produce for this weekend's event at Westfield Fashion Square. I'll be showing you how to make your own salad dressing. Then take your concoction down to the tasting table and dip in some fresh, farmers market produce. Farmer Alex Weiser will be there and so will Rachael from Chicks with Knives. So come on up to Sherman Oaks from 3-5 pm. Kids and grown-ups welcome! See you there...

RIP Gourmet Magazine; Backyard Farms; Top Chef; Tomato Leaves

Oct 12, 2009
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This week, Conde Naste announced it was shuttering Gourmet magazine after almost 70 years. Food writer Jonathan Gold gives a eulogy for this highly respected publication. And LA Times Food Editor Russ Parsons has some thoughts on what will take Gourmet's place in our diverse media landscape.

Amanda Hesser explains how she's using the internet to write a cookbook. Incredibly outspoken and confident Stefan Richter stops by with the scoop on being a reality show contestant. Waiter X, Steve Dublanica, returns to Good Food with answers to your questions about how not to anger your waiter.

Are tomatoes leaves really poisonous? Food Scientist Harold McGee has the real deal. Los Angeles Magazine's Ann Herold helps us with our backyard gardens. Tara Kolla explains what is illegal about being an urban farmer in LA. And farmer Alex Weiser shows off his onions at the Santa Monica Farmers Market.

Video of the Day: Stefan Richter of Top Chef

Oct 2, 2009
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Today's video is a look back to Season 5 of Top Chef. Stefan Richter, one of the best chefs in the competition, did not win (Hosea Rosenberg did). Watch what Stefan had to say when after being eliminated:

Stefan is going to be judging KCRW's First Annual Good Food Pie Contest on November 14. Enter your pie online and bring it to Westfield Topanga to see what this outspoken Finn has to say.

The Battleship Taco; Perfect Fruit; Bhutanese Cuisine; Pie-a-Day Goes Raw

Sep 27, 2009
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What is the world's perfect fruit? For Chip Brantley it's the pluot. He tells us about how farmers experiment with fruit varieties to create perfection. Lisa Napoli traveled to Bhutan and tells us about the cuisine of this tiny landlocked kingdom. Eating local isn't necessarily better, says James McWilliams. He thinks there are more effective ways to save the planet. In honor of picky eaters everywhere, Good Food Producer Bob Carlson shares with us how he gets his kids to eat their vegetables. Joann Cianciulli shares stories from Third and Fairfax. Russ Parsons cools off with frozen souffles. Plus, Gustavo Arellano takes us out for a Battleship Taco. And chef Ani Phyo takes the Pie-a-Day project into the world of raw food.

Best Martinis & Condiments

Aug 26, 2009
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Sriracha Sriracha

KCRW just launched a fun new feature featuring "5 Things." KCRW hosts, personalities, and staff are writing a list of their 5 favorite things - and the categories are so varied. Of course, some are food related. Take Rob Long, host of Martini Shot. His list is about, well, martinis. His favorite martini in LA? Musso and Franks.

And KCRW Music Director Jason Bentley wrote about condiments, and I'm very impressed with his choices. Ketchup, of course, is his favorite. But also on his list is Sriracha and Kochujang.

What are your favorite things?

Pie-a-Day #42: Lemon Meringue Pie #2 (Perfection - except for the crust)

Aug 24, 2009
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Lemon Meringue Pie - before broiling

I have a true sense of accomplishment looking at the piece of gorgeousness which is this pie. That is the absolute best part of cooking. (Well, aside from the eating). Cooking exemplifies the adage “If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again”. Aside from the charming Meryl Streep/Julia Child combo I think the great success of Julie/Julia is exactly this. If you want to learn how to make something in the kitchen pretty much all you need to do is DO IT! And sometimes you have to make a dish more than once, or twice, or even thrice.

For this do-over pie I decided to turn to the crazed perfectionism of Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Pie and Pastry Bible. When I don’t have an innate sense of what something should taste/feel/look like I need a very strict guide. And as I said in the previous pie post, Lemon Meringue is not in my intuitive zone. When I read her recipe I knew that I would have a nice thick layer of tart lemony filling. Who knew that the yellow color of the filling would come more from the 8 (count ‘em) egg yolks as much as from the lemon juice and zest.

As for the meringue, the previous recipe I made had me beating the eggs in a bowl over a pan of simmering water in order to bring the egg whites up to temperature and make them safe. It was awkward and took a long time. The Italian meringue I made from RLB’s book involved heating sugar with a bit of water to soft ball stage then pouring it into the already partially beaten whites. I loved watching the the foam of the whites change from big bubbles that were very foamy to tiny tiny bubbles that made up a pure white glossy fluffy mass - so beautiful.

All in all I loved the time I spent making this pie and acquireing a greater sense of mastery over meringue and custard.

If only I had made a killer crust! Oh well, tomorrow.

Lemon Meringue Pie #2

How to Trim an Artichoke

Aug 21, 2009
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Anytime we do anything with artichokes, people always ask how to trim them. Here's a video demonstration with Chef Dave Rubell and Laura Avery from the farmers market.

This week on Good Food, Daisy Tamai shares a great recipe using artichoke hearts, green beans and other fresh veggies.