Chile Relleno

Chile relleno , literally “stuffed chile (pepper)”, is a Mexican dish which originated in the state of Puebla. There are many variations; while the chiles (poblano [from Puebla], pasilla, Hatch, Anaheim), cheeses (queso Chihuahua, asadero, Monterey Jack) and preparation methods might differ, the end results is consistent – yummy cheesy peppery goodness. Comfort food To me it is comfort food. I didn’t like it when I was a kid but I grew to enjoy eating…
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Israel – food

#2 of 5 – for more context see the main post Any trip to a new place requires trying new food, of course. Mediterranean restaurants abound where I live so I was familiar with a few staples: hummus, falafel and pita bread. I found the hummus in Israel to be good overall (fresh, savory and creamy) but not a standout, though to be fair I also was not seeking out any top rated hummus places. Falafel…
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Israel

My recent business trip to Israel was a success work-wise and also for me as a cultural and history learning opportunity. I didn’t know much about Israel before my trip. After doing some reading on the 14 hour flight, meeting with people and seeing some sites – I straightened a few things out and I now have a deeper appreciation for this unique state. This is my “primer” on some things I learned and saw: History:…
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“In Defense of Food”

I am slowly catching up on recent movements and literature about the food system. In the case of the book In Defense of Food, by the UC Berkeley professor, journalist and author Michael Pollan, I am about 10 years late. No doubt things have changed in the last decade, but I’m sure the core messages in his book remain intact. So what is the problem? Our food system has changed drastically in the past 70 years…
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Favorite vegetarian options

Le Boulanger: Margherita sandwich – toasted sandwich with a healthy chunk of mozzarella with balsamic vinaigrette, tomato on a ciabatta roll Puesto: Esquite – grilled corn, queso, crema, chile, lime; served off-the-cob in a bowl – sweet & salty goodness Veggie burgers ala Jane: hand made from scratch for the 4th of July. potatoes, carrots, chickpeas. light crispiness, smooth texture inside and goes well with crunchy raw onions and tomato from grandpa’s garden. so much…
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Favorite non-meat protein options

Siggi’s yogurt – Icelandic-style yogurt called skyr – even more strained (more source milk per cup) than Greek yogurt. Just enough fruit flavor (berry and cherry are my favorite) with less sugar than most yogurts. The milk is from grass-fed cows.
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“Eating Animals” (the movie and the concept)

Summary: my thoughts on the movie Eating Animals, the problems it highlights and my plan going forward On Friday June 8, 2018 I went to see the new documentary film Eating Animals which is about meat production today and over the past ~50 years. It is produced by Chris Quinn, was based on the book by Jonathan Safran Foer (which I haven’t read) and is narrated by Natalie Portman. There was a discussion panel afterwords with…
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Favorite fish options

Smoked Alaskan salmon on bagels with cream cheese – what my daughters refer to as the Alaska breakfast   California bowl from Rubio’s Coastal Grill – with beer-battered wild Alaska pollock – avocado, beans, salsa and special sauce. The flavors all blend quite well and it is filling without  … mmm
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Select meat options

My aim is to eat less meat overall – I just don’t need it in every meal. The meat that I do consume should ideally be humanely raised, of higher quality and known provenance. Whole Foods follows the 5-step animal welfare rating system developed by the Global Animal Partnership and also requires meat producers to follow its own standards. Not everyone is convinced, however – PETA filed a lawsuit against Whole Foods, claiming that their system is misleading, not consistently…
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Where does your meat come from?

Ask the simple question to restaurants, food vendors and see how they react and what they say … Starbird Chicken, Sunnyvale (14 Jun 2018) Via email on their “contact us” page. Answered on June 19. Summary: from Northern California. Depending on availability they get it from Pitman’s (Mary’s), Petaluma Poultry, Zacky Farms or Foster Farms. Delivered fresh from processor near Modesto. At a minimum, all chicken is (non-GMO) veggie fed, USDA process verified, all natural,…
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