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Engaging stories of love, joy, comfort and friendship with proven scrumptious, healthy recipes, we celebrate LOVE as the secret ingredient for wonderful food!

Guest Post: ‘Don’t Eat Anything With a Face’

December 6, 2013 by Mary 8 Comments

Hello everyone! My name is Sophie Johnson, and I am posting on Mary’s behalf.

Wednesday night, I had the pleasure of representing The Daily Meal and LOVE- the secret ingredient at a fascinating event at the Kaufman Center in New York City. I would like to share my experience with all of you. Feel free to contribute your own thoughts!

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The award-winning debate series, Intelligence Squared U.S., concluded its fall season with ‘Don’t Eat Anything With a Face”, moderated by ABC News correspondent, John Donvan.

The debate was centered on physical, psychological, environmental, and moral impacts caused by the American consumption of animal protein.

Not surprisingly, the topic ignited a strong reaction from vegans and omnivores alike. The program’s chairman, Robert Rosenkranz, announced to audience members that the online response prior to the debate was so great that the Intelligence Squared website was unable to handle the massive increase in traffic. None of their previous events have ever sparked so much interest.

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What made the public feel so strongly about something as basic as food? Rosenkranz speculated that it was because our dietary choices have become a form of branding.

Choosing to buy organic and locally grown foods, or to only consume a plant-based diet is part of our identity that broadcasts our personal values to the rest of the world. For example, being a vegan implies that you value your own health and the well being of other species and the environment. However, is it possible to be ecological, ethical, and health conscious while still consuming meat? The debate’s four panelists sought to answer that very question.

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In his opening argument, Dr. Neal Bernard, M.D. testified to the negative effects that animal products have on our health. He grew up in a family where meat, specifically red meat, was present at just about every meal. In his early twenties, he was dissecting a cadaver when his instructor pointed out a hard substance lining the cadaver’s blood vessels. “There’s your morning sausage,” said the teacher.

Since then, Dr. Barnard has devoted his practice to the study of how a person’s diet affects body weight, chronic pain, and diabetes. He cited cases where patients suffering from type-two diabetes were cured simply by switching to a strictly plant-based regimen. He went on to say that other studies imply that people who consume meat have a greater risk of Alzheimer’s and even cancer.

Countering Dr. Barnard’s argument, Chris Masterjohn, Ph. D., a Nutritional Sciences Researcher and blogger for The Daily Lipid, cited his own personal experience. Masterjohn lived as a vegan for several years and developed several health problems including lethargy, irritability, anxiety, and tooth decay during that time. He claims many fat-soluble vitamins and minerals, essential to bone, dental, and even psychological health are most efficiently obtained by eating meat. Masterjohn suggests that the maladies Dr. Barnard attributes to meat are actually the result of modernized food processing as supported by the research of dentist and nutrition advocate, Weston Price. Beginning in the 1920s, Price studied how dental health of people living in developed areas differed from those living in less modernized surroundings. He found that the developed areas had a far greater rate of tooth decay, which Price attributed to a diet of refined grains and sugar. Masterjohns concluded that a simple, unprocessed, well-balanced diet would not carry any of the negative effects Barnard presented.

Gene Baur, the president and Co-Founder of Farm Sanctuary, an organization that rescues animals from commercial farms. He was most concerned with the ethical aspect of the debate. Baur stated, referring to our ability to gain nutrients from plant-sources rather than ‘murdering’ animals, “If we can live well without causing harm, why wouldn’t we do it?”. He added that whenever animals are raised for consumption, no matter how humanely, there is always exploitation.

Joel Salatin, a third-generation alternative farmer, disagreed with Baur. Salatin expressed his deep love, compassion, and respect for the animals he raises. He also argued that environmental integrity depends on the cycle of life. Plants feed prey which feed predators, which die and decompose to provide nutrients for the plants. Everything that lives must die.

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Both sides of the debate could agree that large-scale commercial farming was a dangerous industry, and presented data on the nutritional quality and ethical considerations that were lacking in modern food productions.

‘Don’t Eat Anything With a Face’ was a lively discussion with emotions running high for both parties. However, it would appear from this debate that the information on health defects relating to the consumption of free-range, grass-fed, ‘happy’ animals as part of a balanced diet is still unclear at this point.

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That said, it would suggest from Salatin’s use of the word ‘dressing’ instead of ‘slaughtering’ when referring to an animal’s final moments, that even he feels some guilt about it. So, health concerns aside, will meat-eaters ever be able to feel like their brand identity is as morally intact as their vegan counterparts? Perhaps not.

What do you think?

– Sophie

Photos by Samuel LaHoz

Filed Under: Meat, Travel, Vegetables Tagged With: Chris Masterjohn, Debate, Don't Eat Anything With a Face, Ethics, Gene Baur, Health, Intelligence Squared, Joel Salatin, John Donovan, Neal Bernard, The Daily Meal, vegan

LongHouse Food Revival promises to be pretty amazing!

August 30, 2013 by Mary Frances 24 Comments

I’m so absolutely excited to have been invited to attend the LongHouse Food Revival 2013, a gathering of 100 visionary thinkers and influential decision makers in food, which will take place next weekend, Sept. 7 and 8, at a historic diary farm in Upstate New York.

Every year, LongHouse Food Revival chooses a subject to explore and presents its discoveries in documentary film, radio, broadcast, spoken word, live cooking, interviews and visionary art. This year their focus is on the Saffron Diaspora — looking at the original Spice Trail and exploring the various religions and cultures that arrived to the United States on a wave of exotic spices, ingredients and dishes. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could promote tolerance with all of this.

And you all know about my love affair with spices!

On Saturday evening, chefs from across the country will come together to cook us a “live fire” feast from the Saffron Diaspora. I’ll be sure to share as much of that as I can with you in photos later. As they describe it, this year’s feast will be “a world tour of flatbreads, spiced ice cream, saffron martinis and music from Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road.” Doesn’t that martini sound amazing? And it must be a beautiful color – I’m so ready!

This year’s speakers include Los Angeles Times’s food critic Jonathan Gold, blogger Elissa Altman, author Naomi Duguid, NPR’s Kathy Gunst, Food Network’s Katherine Alford, NYU Food Studies Director Krishnendu Ray, cookbook author Molly O’Neill and many more. I’ll be going as a guest of The Daily Meal, this blog’s affiliate.

Another part I’m looking forward to is first annual Food Flea they’ve planned for Sunday, a marketplace of “ideas and innovation for individuals, media outlets, publishers, organizations, brands, start-ups, farmers and producers.”  I’m sure I’ll be meeting a very special bunch of food people there.

If you’d like tickets to next weekend’s festivities you can go to the event website and purchase access to one day only, or the whole weekend.

It’s going to be a special event and I would love to meet you there!

OMG – the whole goat! Chef Magnus Duruji (aka The Nigerian BBQ King) in a trial run for the live fire feast. Doesn’t he look happy! Photo courtesy of Cook N Scribble, producers of LongHouse Food Revival.

OMG – the whole goat! Chef Magnus Duruji (aka The Nigerian BBQ King) in a trial run for the live fire feast. Doesn’t he look happy! Photo courtesy of Cook N Scribble, producers of LongHouse Food Revival.

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: cooking, food, food conferences, roasting a goat, Spice Trail, The Daily Meal

Memorial Day Melange

May 26, 2013 by Mary Frances 14 Comments

Strip ad of Kitchen Aid appliances in shiny red. It is Memorial Day weekend, the beginning of summer. It is 45 degrees with gale like winds here in upstate New York. It is way too windy for a bike ride, besides we’re all wearing winter coats.

My husband is about to build a fire, waiting for me to open the flue (my job as he somehow messes up the closure when he does it.) And oh no, we haven’t screwed up the environment?!? And why do we call Memorial Day a holiday? Okay, so it is a day off from work but really, we should all keep in mind what this day is about and remember all of those lost or maimed in the name of defending our country for freedom for all of us.

This week has been so hectic with the test kitchen tours and then the champagne breakfast on Friday, not to mention we had a dinner party Friday night (more on that later) and then came upstate yesterday, having dinner with our dear friends Margaret and Wayne. Margaret made a wonderful eggplant starter with spinach, pine nuts and cheddar cheese and a fantastic shrimp and chorizo paella. They had a fire too! Lovely evening!! The Friday morning champagne brunch was a wonderful place to meet all kinds of people in the food business, not just bloggers, hosted by XO – they own The Knot, The Nest and The Bump. I got to have further conversation with Anna Curran from Cookbook Create (they create custom cookbooks!) and learned more about The Daily Meal, who are the wonderful folks giving away the Kitchen Aid mixer! Meanwhile Kitchen Aid is really pumping up the design aspect of all their products. I just saw this ad today in the May issue of Elle Décor. (I am always dreaming of refurnishing my house.) That mixer would sure look great sitting on my countertop here in the country!

So I wanted to share with you some tidbits I learned on our kitchen tours. Did you know that there are 25,000 food bloggers in the United States alone? So we all have to support one another! Did you know that Bon Appetit tests their recipes 4 to 6 — and sometimes even 12 — times before publishing them? They really want to Ginger lime and seltzer drink that is refreshing for summer.ensure success for the home cook.

Even for cooks with access to just basic ingredients, they want to know if that recipe will turn out for them in a good way. So nice of them! They prepared for us a wonderful ginger lime drink. You make a simple syrup with fresh ginger. Let it cool, add fresh limes and some lime juice along with seltzer or club soda and you have the most refreshing drink – for when summer does get here!

And then lastly, here’s me with Amanda Hesser from Food 52. It is her New York Times cookbook that my sons gave me, and Zach wrote in, that became the inspiration for starting this blog. It’s in the About section. She is looking at my LOVE card as I just told her the story of this blog.Amanda Hesser and Mary Frances of LOVE-the secret ingredient.net. Photo courtesy of claywilliamsphoto.com

Filed Under: Cookware and tools Tagged With: Amanda Hesser, Bon Appetit, Clay Williams photography, Cookbook Create, custom cookbooks, Food 52, ginger lime drinks, great summer drinks, The Bump, The Daily Meal, The Knot, The Nest

Test kitchen tours!

May 23, 2013 by Mary Frances 60 Comments

Yesterday was such an interesting, exhilarating and exhausting day!!

I enjoyed a day of touring test kitchens as part of Internet Week here, as a guest of Anna Curran from Cookbook Create, a site where you can make custom cookbooks. (Great gift idea, right?) We visited the kitchens of Bon Appetit, The Daily Meal and Food 52. Each one made us a little something special to eat, and we even had wine at The Daily Meal!

All of them were so helpful and sharing of information. We were 13 bloggers chosen for this day, and lucky ones at that. It was all good fun and useful information, plus I met some great new fellow bloggers!

These are the lovely ladies I spent the day with: Alejandra from Always Order Dessert, Amie from The Healthy Apple, Caroline from Taste, Love, & Nourish, Carrie from Poet in the Pantry,  Diana from Appetite for China, Daina from The Hungry Fan, Heidi from Brooklyn Allergy Mom, Jennifer from Savory Simple, Jen from Champagne Problems, Kimberly from Mom in the City, Lisa from Nutcase Crunch, Melinda from Kitchen Tested, and Sloane from Allergic Girl.

Here are some pics from the day.Bob Appettit magazine covers.

We started at Bon Appetit! They served a delicious fresh ginger, lime and seltzer drink with horseradish deviled eggs – yummy!
Fava beans and spinach on a white plate.
At The Daily Meal they served us a fava bean, spinach, garlic and onion tasting. So pretty!
Red Kitchen Aid stand up mixer.
The Daily Meal is giving away this fabulous Kitchen Aid!! I wonder who will win this shiny beautiful tool. I would LOVE it!! (so nice of them to do this!)
Food 52 kitchen with antique shelves.
Food 52’s new kitchen in their new space with antique wooden shelves and walnut cutting top.
Two girls serving English pea soup with a garlic cream and ramps.
The girls at Food 52 serving us English Pea Soup with a garlic cream and slivered ramps.

Filed Under: Lunch, Travel Tagged With: Bon Appetit, Cookbook Create, custom cookbooks, English pea soup, fava beans, Food 52, ginger, horseradish deviled eggs, Kitchen Aid, ramps, spinach, test kitchen tour, The Daily Meal

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Mary Frances

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