The Grain Confusion

Despite the last post, I still found myself lost at Stop & Shop this week. There were actually several more varieties of grain than listed in the articles I linked. I did see "multi-grain" and "nine-grain," but I also remember seeing five and, fifteen, and other number grains as well. I ended up choosing an "oats & honey" whole grain, which I am pretty sure but not positive, is actually a whole grain. The fact that there are this many unclear labels boggles my mind. And according to another recent article on whole grains, the labeling situation doesn't appear to be getting any better.

"The problematic and unresolved issue is how the FDA may or may not regulate claims related to whole grains on food packaging."

The article goes on to state that self-policing among whole grain competitors will be the best solution to this problem. But regardless, the fact that companies are allowed to number their grains without any further explanation seems unfair. On the other hand, companies (as stated in the article) are not supposed to identify grains as being a "high or excellent source." Apparently, there is a new system for identification, but it only looks more confusing to me.

"The Whole Grains Council, a group comprised of researchers and companies such as General Mills (GIS), Interstate Bakeries (IBCIQ) and American Italian Pasta Company (PLB), developed three whole-grain stamps to correspond with different levels of recommended consumption: good source (a half serving), excellent source (full serving) and 100% excellent source of whole grains, meaning a full serving and all the grains are whole grains."

Unless the information inside the parenthesis is included in these source statements, I think everyone will be completely lost.

Gettting The Whole Gain?

White bread and whole milk. For years, I lived on these, always steering clear of the other variations. But recently, my mother convinced me to make a change. Now, whether at Stop & Shop or ordering a sub during lunch hour, I almost always choose whole grain bread and skim milk. My mom must be paying attention to the news.

This past week, I noticed a huge volume of whole grain related articles popping up in my Google alerts. While this isn't a new topic, there has been recent debate regarding what actually constitutes whole grain. The FDA defines whole grain for everyone in a February 16 article from the Washington Post titled "FDA offers guidance on whole-grain food" by Sally Squires. Within the article is the FDA definition of whole grain. It is also below.

Under the draft guidelines issued Wednesday by the Food and Drug Administration,
whole-grain foods should contain the three key ingredients of cereal grains:
bran (the fiber-filled outer part of the kernel), endosperm (the inner part and
usually all that is left in most processed grains), and the germ (the heart of
the grain kernel).

On the same day, Sonia Reyes wrote in Brandweek a piece called "Whole or Not? Food Makers Try To Define Grains." The Whole grains good for the diabetic heart" in the Health and Fitness section of February 13th edition of "The Sunday Morning Herald."

Again on monstersandcritics.com, a February 17 consumer health story titled "Eat To Live: Know your whole grains" by Julia Watson explores the importance of whole grains and how different grain labels have confused consumers. This article, like those above, mentions the different labels, such as "multi-grain" and "seven-grain" that really are not the same as whole grain.

This recent influx of information should help all consumers avoid the false advertising of whole grains that still exists.

OLEANA Dinner, FINALE Dessert

As far as my reviews go, I obviously can't eat out at the best very often as a student. That wasn't the case on Valentine's Day.

We started at Oleana (Turkish, various Mediterranean) in Cambridge.Lucky for me, when I made the reservation just two weeks in advance, the only times not reserved were 10:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Because we had dessert reservations, we actually wanted 5:30, so I got lucky. Anyhow, I had been wanting to try this place for nearly a year ever since I read about the chef, Ana Sortun. Since Oleana opened in January of 2001, it has received significant recognition, including "Best Pastry Chef" and "Best Al Fresco Dining" by Boston Magazine. The James Beard Foundation also nominated Oleana for "Best New Restaurant in America." Most recently in the spring of 2005, the JBF named Sortun the "Best Chef Northeast." The praise was worthy.

First from the "Pret A Manger" list, I had the American Bean & Walnut Pate with Homemade String Cheese. This list, as explained by the kind French waiter, was similar to tapas. Knowing this, I wasn't surprised when the $4 dish was simply a few shavings of string cheese along with two fairly small mounds of the pate. Together, the pate on the cheese was about as good as any cheese, dip, cracker combination could be.

For an appetizer, I had the "Fried Mussels & Hot Peppers with Turkish Tarator Sauce." I know it says fried, but for whatever reason I was still surprised when it was placed in front of me. I guess I had never had my mussels fried, despite having eaten them hundreds of times. They were awesome, but varied from piece to piece. You could usually tell by the shape, but sometimes I suspected half mussel, half pepper and I got all pepper. These peppers complimented the mussels and the sauce well but were quite hot. When I found the biggest piece to contain three peppers, I needed an entire glass of water to cool down. The strep, literally living out its final hours inside my throat, actually went fairly unbothered. One or two pieces were also just soft pieces of butter basically, as there was nothing inside the fried shape. But all in all, these were some of the better mussels I've ever had.

The Garlic and Almond Soup with steamed almond milk, chorizo and fried date was equally as good. Similar to a French onion soup, this one tasted like it had bits of bacon in it, although they may have been small pieces of almond. On the side was fried date, which was good dipped in the soup. Eating the date itself was like biting through a complex chocolate bar. The first layer was a fried, breaded crust, followed by the sweetness of the red date.

For the meal, we had the flattened lemon chicken with Za'atar & Turkish cheese pancake and the homemade sujuk with sweet potato kibbeh and sumak onions. As usual, it took me nearly 20 minutes to decide between fish or meat and then an additional 10 to decide on which meet, but I was happy with my decision. The sujuk came served in the form of two sausages, one of about average size and one half as big. It was served over the onions and a sweet sauce alongside a small mound of sweet potato kibbeh, which tasted similar to what sweet potato cuscus might taste like.

As good as the sujuk was, the less original choice, the flattened lemon chicken, was even better. The chicken was cooked perfectly. It was tender and juicy, but the cheese pancake underneath really made the meal. It was probably the best chicken entree I've ever had. I only wish I had more ways to describe what that really meant.

At the end of a small side dish, two appetizers and two entrees, we were pretty much full but would have gotten dessert had we not had reservations elsewhere. Maureen Kilpatrick, the pastry chef, has a history with Sortun, and after spending time apart, they reunited for the opening of Oleana. I will certainly make a trip back solely to try of the desserts.

Unaware of the next destination, I was excited when we arrived at Finale. I had heard about it but never been. We got the Molten Chocolate Cake, one of Finale's signature desserts, and the seasonal sampler. The cake was small but very thick and filling. The outer crust protected the inner hot, gooey chocolate. I used the small scoop of coffee ice cream to help get down the rich cake. The picture does it justice. The seasonal sampler was an assortment of pieces and/or sauces of pear, peach, lemon, orange, milk chocolate, almonds and butterscotch. I didn't get to try much of this, but again the picture is worth more than any words.

Streptococcus: The Anti Food Blog

Well, strep throat certainly is a damper on a food blog. It was five days of soups, and five days in which I probably ate a total of four meals. I had a fever between 101 and 103 last Tuesday that lasted until about Saturday. The Tessalin pearls I was prescribed to numb my throat were useless. They took at least 15 minutes to dissolve, and when they did, I found my entire tongue to be numb but my throat unaffected. I am just now, over five days later, able to swallow most foods with little pain. I can say that I gained an appreciation for having a healthy throat.

I did manage one somewhat memorable trip to Legal Sea Foods in Copley Square with my dad. We split a tray of six oysters to start, as we usually do at Legal, because we have been led to believe that all the seafood is inspected. My Prince Edward Island oyster went down quite easily, so easily in fact that oysters may be my food of choice when I am unable to swallow. The shrimp soup special, which the waitress insisted would have more of an herbal spice flavor than a hot, spicy buffalo chicken flavor, did not agree with my throat.

I decided to go with the Falafel Salmon next. The salmon was served quite hot inside a very thin layer of falafel crust. The falafel worked, but the actual salmon was all I really ate because it slid down my throat with ease. The tea at the end of the meal completed a success experience dining out with strep throat.

It was also my first time eating at the Legal in Copley, and it turned out to be one of the better spots. We sat by a large window overlooking Boylston street on the left and much of Boston on the right. The view made the experience slightly more memorable than that at the Legal near Kendall Square in Cambridge. Although Kendall's Legal is littered with decorations and is one of the nicer versions, the fake boats and extra water-like poles were not as valuable as a view of Boston.

Legal Sea Foods aside, my biggest revelation of the week had to be the usefulness of Throat Coat Tea. My roommate told me about the tea on day two or three of my strep. I used it for days four and five of strep, and it made the world of a difference. It worked better than pretty much anything I had been using, in terms of easing the pain of swallowing so that I could eat and drink. The tea is made by Traditional Medicinals and is available at tealand.com.

Three Quarters Football, Four Quarters Food

I was going to write a pregame food suggestion post before the Super Bowl but decided against the idea. I felt there was too much material already out there rehashing the same ideas as every other year. Instead, I have decided to recap my own experience and observations from Sunday.

My friends and I made a trip down to one of my roommate's girlfriend’s parent’s house. Upon arriving, we all made our wagers, introduced ourselves and began eating and preparing for the game. Our preparation included only prosciutto-wrapped melon balls (below), but they went fast. The host prepared the rest.

Aside the melon balls is bruschetta with shrimp and an artichoke dip with chips.

As the game started and progressed, my interest digressed. I am a big football fan and had a wager on the Seattle Seahawks winning, so it makes sense that I stopped watching the game midway through the third quarter on Sunday. But many more than I withdrew attention early in the ballgame and refocused it elsewhere.

On the left (above) is a casserole with noodles, green peppers, mushrooms and an assortment of melted cheeses. On the right is a not so popular platter of different meats, including salami, roast beef and two kinds of turkey and ham.

Mini sausages (left) made the menu at this household, but are unlikely to show up much until next Super Bowl. On the right, a shrimp cocktail and kielbasa with a honey mustard sauce were both frequented items.

We refocused our attention on chatting with the 30 or so relatives, friends and other people we did not know. We watched as everyone left the television screens for more beer, and more food (I was shocked to learn from my boss today that this Super Bowl was amongst the highest rated television shows in history). The food selection, unlike the game, was not at all boring. It had spice and kick and as I suspected before 6:30 p.m., it stole the show from the game.

The spicy, chunky chili would have ranked high amongst the best chilis offered at last month's chili cookoff in MIT's sports information department.

Also interesting were the statistics, not of the football game, but for the most popular foods ordered nationwide for both delivery and take-out. The final stats, according to the AP National Restaurant Association survey cited in Monday’s Boston Globe read pizza, 58 percent, chicken wings, 50 percent, and subs or sandwiches, 20 percent. The link to the Boston Globe article “The go to players make their move” by Christine McConville is below.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/02/06/the_go_to_players_make_their_move/

I would have thought pizza and subs would have pulled in more cash and the chicken wings significantly less. But then again, I have noticed a rise in establishments specializing in wings recently.

The NRA also found that one out of every seven Americans got take-out or delivery for the big game. That leads me to wonder what percent order take-out or delivery on the average day because Americans don’t eat very healthy.

M--anageable walk, I-nexpensive, T-asty

Manageable walk doesn't really fit for this title, but the point is that the food options around the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are excellent. Granted, most all of Cambridge has great food, but as an employee of the Sports Information Office in MIT's Athletics Department, I can say that after six plus months on the job, I have been more than satisfied with my lunch hour.

The Athletics Department is located in the Zesiger Sports & Fitness Center on West Campus. Right next to the ZSFC is the Stratton Student Center, which contains many things including a hair salon (where I get my hair cut), a souvenir shop, a Bank of America, but most importantly several eateries. First and foremost, there is Laverde's Market.

Laverde's Market has been my lunch shop of choice for six months on at least 90 percent of days. Why? The market has pretty much everything a regular convenient store, and a sub shop, and a diner might have. For breakfast: cereal, pastry, muffins, 20 different kinds of coffee, any bagel sandwich assortment, lox and bagels even.

For lunch, there are fresh, pre-wrapped subs. There are small hot dinners in plastic containers ranging from pasta to chicken wings or chicken over rice. The subs are the biggest commodity but are as good as or better than your typical quickie sub shop. The chicken subs, barbecue, parmigiana, honey-mustard, etc. are all excellent. The chicken comes in breaded strips that are much juicier and tastier than the usual half moon cutlets you would get. And if you buy more than one in a day, the eleventh free sub will come sooner than you think. Coffee works the same way. If you buy 10 coffees, the 11th is free.

For dinner, there is everything offered for lunch.

For lighter eaters or spenders, there are also roll-ups. The Mediterranean, the oriental, the Aegean, the Brazilian are four of these well-priced $3 offerings. While not as filling as a sub, these roll-ups are priced to buy and could likely convince a normal brown-bagger to bring some cash into work instead.

On an off day, Anna's Taqueria is a fabulous substitute for Laverde's (or vice versa). This taqueria is one of the best around, and the turnouts every day are evidence of that. During peak lunch hours, the line is long, but the service remains fast, almost too fast at times. The employees whip together your burrito, quesadilla or taco faster than you can tell them what ingredients you want. Still, everything always seems to come out right.

While they taste great, the burritos, quesadillas and tacos are also cheap. The tacos range from $2.05 to $2.15, while the burritos and quesadillas go for $3.05. Of course, the super burritos with extra chicken, streak, vegetables or whatever it may be go for an extra $0.80.

There is also the option of a Mexican Plate. The plates, "a bed of rice topped with choice of filling plus beans, corn tortillas, salsa and hot sauce," available include chicken (regular or grilled), steak, carnitas or chili verde, al pastor and grilled vegetables.

With a drink, a meal at Anna's usually will come to around $5.50, but at $3.05, the regular burritos and quesadillas are still a steal.

In six months, I have ventured only once to find food elsewhere. I went to the second floor of the student center to Lobdell Food Court, where there is plenty of seating and three more choices for food: Japanese sushi and stir fry at Sinkansen Japan, Middle Eastern chow at Sepal of Watertown and an Italian shop with different pastas and salads. I stopped in at the Italian shop and got a dinner sized ziti and meatball plate with a dinner sized salad for around $5. Not bad, but Lobdell Food Court is open only from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Another popular choice for MIT students and others is Alpine Bagel Café and Cambridge Grill. Unfortunately, I can’t attest to the food because I’ve never given it a chance. But it’s always packed.

That’s it for what is a “manageable walk” or in other words, in site from my office. But there is more for those closer to central or east campus. At central is the Bio House, Bosworth’s, Building 4 Café and Steam Café. On the eastside are Pritchett Dining, Refresher Course, Forbes Family Café and The Faculty Lunch. There is also the R and D Pub, located in building 32 at 32 Vassar Street.

Laverde’s and Anna’s have taken quite a tole on my wallet in six months, so I may have to cut back and start bringing lunch in on occasion, but don’t let that stop you. The prices at these places are excellent, until you multiply them by five days a week, four weeks a month and then by six months. In the end, the food situation at MIT is great and should be considered when looking for a job at or around the home of the Engineers. But people may want to steer clear of the Sports Information Department.

Boston Shawarma - Maybe The Best Fast Food Near Northeastern

“Business is good,” said Boston Shawarma manager Faezah Homdani. Still, I am hard- pressed to believe that business couldn’t be better. To say I discovered Boston Shawarma would be ridiculous. The small, Lebanese restaurant is located on 315 Huntington Avenue in Boston, Mass, right by the Northeastern University campus. That being said, this review is meant to be most beneficial to Northeastern students, whom I suspect many have never ventured through Shawarma’s door.

For those who have made their way here, they likely remember being welcomed by Fledine Gille, Homdani’s main employee. Gille is first at the store every day, and even though Shawarma is open from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (long, late hours for Boston), he will turn the lights on and serve you at 10:30 and maybe earlier. No matter what time of day you stroll in, the small TV in the corner will be playing Lebanese music video after video on a TV station like MTV from the early 90s. There are six tables to sit at and a bar with stools by the big window overlooking Huntington Avenue.

There are plenty of students who eat at Shawarma, but a variety of people come in for many different things. Today I saw a kid come in just to buy cigarettes. Another man stopped by to get 20 baklawa. But most of the people do come for the food.

The sandwiches, with meat roasted on the shawarma machines, are all “wrapped in freshly baked pita bread and prepared with lettuce, onions, herbs, tomatoes, pickles, tahini sauce or garlic spread” according to the menu. You have five of these sandwiches to choose from, and all are made up either of ground lamb or beef, or chunks of chicken or beef. For those looking for Vegetarian variations, there are an additional nine sandwiches including hommus, tabbuli and stuffed grape leaves to name a few. For both the meat and veggie sandwiches, you have the option of adding hommus or baba for an additional 50 cents.

Salads and homemade pies are also on the menu. The salads include of course, the Shawarma salad and four others I have not yet tried. Two spinach pies, two meat pies and Manaish-bil-Za’atar (oregano, sesame, oil) round out the pie list, but there are plenty more desserts. The pastries include three different size baklawa, three different kinds of rice pudding and a few other cakes.

Perhaps the best deal offered at Shawarma is the dinner plate. Available in all variations of meat and veggie sandwiches, the dinner plates also come with small plastic bowl of rice tahini sauce, hommus and pita bread, and a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce. Sometimes the salad will come with green peppers as well. While all of the dinners are great, I personally favor the Kibby and Soujok right now.

The soujok is served as a heaping pile of spicy meat over a bed of yellow rice. A good idea with this spicy dish is to mix both the rice tahini sauce and the hommus with the meat. This is a great combination and cools down both your mouth and the meat. While you’re at it, you may want to make a sandwich with the pita bread, hommus and meat. The salad also can be a cooler. And of course, a drink would be the most sensible option here.

A large bottle of water is probably the best way to go here because a smaller drink isn’t likely to last the length of the meal. However, with a sandwich, salad or other item, the Goya nectar drinks are healthy and delicious. While the guanabana (a member of the custard apple family) is my favorite of the Goya drinks, the pear, the fresa (strawberry) and peach mango are all good.

At the end of a meal at Boston Shawarma, there is a feeling of fullness, healthiness and completeness. A plate in particular, accompanied by a good drink, is very filling and healthier than many other quick stop eats nearby. For Middle-Eastern sandwiches, salad and desserts, or a change in pace from the dining hall and nearby mediocre pizza establishments, or just good food in general, Boston Shawarma is all that.

Free delivery is available at 617-536-3577.

Pictures of Boston Shawarma coming soon.