Apple or apple?

So, I heard on NPR the other day that scientists at Cornell University have developed a brand new variety of apple.  It’s apparently a delicious cross between tart and sweet.  I want to write a blog post about it, but I can’t remember the name (or anything else about it).  Good thing for Google.  I type “new apple” into the search field, and get this:

I guess I probably should have guessed where that search string might lead me.  Straight to the iPhones.

But, I still don’t know anything about the new apple variety.  What shall I search next?

“New apple variety” gets me where I want to go.  The new apple is called SweeTango, and it’s a cross between the Honeycrisp and the Zestar (Zestar?).  It was also developed by the University of Minnesota, not Cornell (I must not have been listening very attentively to the story – sorry NPR).

According to developers and growers, it’s got tons of flavor – all of the Honeycrisp’s crispness and juiciness, but enhanced flavor, with a hint of fall spice.  Sounds positively spectacular.  And, it will be available in early September, whereas most premium apples don’t hit the markets til much later in the season.   The Sweetango just got a limited public release this past weekend, in a few select cities (closest to here is Rochester, NY).  If it’s as successful as they hope, it should be widely available in 2010 or 2011.  We can expect to pay about $1 more per pound for Sweetangos than we pay for “regular” varieties.

Sounds to me like the Sweetango would make an incredible apple pie – but I gotta wait until next year.  Unless I can get to a Rochester farmers market this month…

The new Sweetango apple

Finding Bananas in the Dark

According to a new study, bananas emit a fluorescent glow when they ripen, giving monkeys in the dark jungle a clue as to where to find the choicest fruit. I love how nature provides for its creatures, in mysterious and fascinating ways.

And, in other banana news, there’s a curious product on the market called the Banana Bunker. It claims to prevent bruised bananas, but it looks more like it prevents STDs:

Banana Bunkers come in a variety of fun and exciting colors!

Famous Last Words: Farewell, Oscar’s

In my bacon post from 3 days ago, I mentioned the legendary Oscar’s Adirondack Smokehouse in Warrensburg, and how we enjoyed some of their delicious bacon at our B&B.  I also mentioned how we didn’t get to stop there, but would definitely visit it next time.

Well, sad news tonight:  Oscar’s Smokehouse is reportedly “engulfed in flames”.

Upcoming Food Events

I apologize in advance if this next post seems a bit self-serving.  But, this is MY bully pulpit…

There are a couple of GREAT food events coming up in Schenectady County over the next two months.  Yes, I am deeply involved in planning them.  That’s one of the things I love about my job – I have the flexibility to get involved in projects that I am passionate about!

Anyway, here are the events – hope to see you at one or more of them!

More restaurants will be added to the current offerings, so be sure to check back here (or www.rootswisdom.org) for updates.

If you’re interested in learning more about the films we’re showing, here are some handy links:

Eating Alaska

Black Gold

The World According to Monsanto

And, if you live anywhere in the WAMC Northeast Public Radio listening area, you can hear me and my colleague Debbie (from Roots & Wisdom) as guests on the Roundtable – Friday, September 18 between 10 and 1:30am.   Get station info at WAMC’s website (where you can also listen online, in case you don’t live around here and are interested in hearing my beautiful radio voice).

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Bacon, But Were Afraid to Ask

Whilst perusing the interwebs this evening, I stumbled across a headline entitled, “September 5 is International Bacon Day.” Naturally, I was intrigued.

What does one do on International Bacon Day, besides the obvious?  Does one hang crisp-fried bacon strips from the mantel?  Dress up in costume and go door-to-door, begging for smoky-cured pieces of fat?  Adopt a pig?  The mind boggles.

I popped “international bacon day” into Google, and was treated to many, many results (4,910,000 to be exact). A couple were blogs, and several were very “official” bacon-related sites.   Since I know how much you all love bacon, I thought I’d share some with you (URLs, not actual bacon), in case you were wondering (as I was) how to prepare for International Bacon Day:

• InternationalBaconDay – the blog that launched the holiday.  Created by The Bacon Boys, this blog really is the definitive source for all things bacon.  It also offers countless ideas for celebrating IBD, including a movie marathon featuring films starring…wait for it…Kevin Bacon.
  
• Bacon Today: Daily News on the World of Sweet, Sweet Bacon (Daily?  There’s that much bacon news?)
  
• The Royal Bacon Society: The Ultimate Bacon Resource
• BaconFreak.com, Where Bacon is Meat Candy (there’s even a bacon theme song that plays when you open the site)
• BaconJew: I’m a Jew and I Love Bacon (this one just made me laugh)
• Lords Of Bacon: Reviews of bacon and bacon related products. This blog also includes a handy list of ALL bacon-related blogs.  There are a lot of them.  Seriously.  People apparently have more time on their hands than I do.
• A page on Etsy ( a site to buy & sell handmade stuff), where you can purchase a bacon case for your iPhone, among other bacon items.
• BBQ Addicts features a heart-stopping bacon/sausage/bacon recipe called the Bacon Explosion.  I would advise against ever trying this recipe.  It might make you die.
• And finally, Pork Magazine – “the business magazine for professional pork producers”.  This trade industry website includes endless fascinating porcine features, such as “Young Pig Resources,” cash hog prices, featured videos from World Pork Expo 2009 in Des Moines, Pork Mobile (graphic below), and of course, a link to follow them on Twitter (twitter.com/porkmag).

Pork Mobile!

Loyal Readers, when it comes to obscure food news, I’m here for you.  I do the research, so you don’t have to.

Incidentally, this past weekend Bob and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary with a trip to an incredible B&B in the Adirondacks.  At breakfast each morning, we were served the most incredibly delicious bacon.  It was from Oscar’s Adirondack Smokehouse, a legendary smoked meats & cheese purveyor in Warrensburg, NY.  We drove through Warrensburg on our way home from Chestertown, but did not see Oscar’s, otherwise we would have stopped in to stock up on some smoky goodness.  Next time!

Support Gay Marriage? Eat Some Ice Cream!

Ben & Jerry’s, everyone’s favorite ice cream company (well, mine anyway), has temporarily renamed its popular flavor “Chubby Hubby” in honor of gay marriage, which was just legalized in Vermont.  The new name?  “Hubby Hubby”.   From the press release:

Ben & Jerry’s, known for its euphoric ice cream flavors and dedication to social justice, celebrates the beginning of the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples in Vermont with the symbolic renaming of its well-known ice cream flavor “Chubby Hubby” to “Hubby Hubby.” In partnership with Freedom to Marry, Ben & Jerry’s aims to raise awareness of the importance of marriage equality and, to show its support, will serve “Hubby Hubby” sundaes in Vermont Scoop Shops throughout the month of September.

Check out the new label, which features two men in tuxedos on top of a wedding cake:

I love it.  But, what I don’t love is the fact that B&J discontinued the all-time greatest ice cream flavor: Coconut Almond Fudge Chip.  Occasionally, rarely even, you may be able to find the flavor in a scoop shop, but since we don’t have one near me anymore (Schenectady’s closed years ago and the Albany & Saratoga ones are too far away), I am mostly SOL.

Seen in the Produce Section

I felt like saluting.

Culinary Education

My favorite kitchenware store, Spoon & Whisk in Clifton Park, is offering cooking classes for the fall.  Lots to choose from: Holiday Baking, Regional French Cuisine, Gluten-Free Cooking, and several others.  The Regions of Italy class is sold out, according to their website.  I have to go over there and sign up for the Flavors of India Class, since it’s my favorite cuisine and I’m pretty well-skilled in the other class offerings.

I actually signed up for a class held earlier this month, but for absolutely ridiculous last-second reasons beyond my control, I was unable to attend.  It was a “Lemon Desserts” class.  Hopefully they’ll offer it again.   The classes are taught by regional experts, including Chef Christopher Tanner, Executive Chef & Professor at Schenectady County Community College, and Judge for the American Culinary Federation.   Classes are $45 per person.  The class fee is non-refundable, but you can transfer your registration to someone else.

In related news, SCCC has released its Fall 2009 Casola Dining Room Schedule and menus.  If you’ve never eaten there before, I suggest you make a reservation and try it out.  I had lunch there recently, and enjoyed a lovely duck cassoulet.

What’s cool about the Casola Dining Room is that it’s staffed entirely by SCCC culinary students: both front of the house and in the kitchen.  The students rotate between FOH and kitchen duties throughout the semester, overseen by professors.

Lunch is served Tuesday-Friday, with seatings at 12 and 12:30pm.  Dinner is served Monday and Wednesday evenings at 7 and 7:30 P.M.   If you plan to dine there, keep in mind their new (and very strict) reservations policy:  reservations can be made at 518-381-1391 two weeks in advance of the desired date, starting at 10 am daily. Because they only take 50 reservations per seating, they often sell out within 10 minutes, especially in the most popular weeks.  So, set your alarm!

The three course gourmet meal (served with with coffee or tea) is $18.67, including sales tax and surcharge. No alcohol served, but you can BYOB for a corkage charge of $3.00 per bottle.

Here’s the rundown of the weekly menu themes (week of):

• Oct. 5: Cajun/Creole
• Oct. 12: Autumn harvest in New York
• Oct. 19: West Coast
• Oct. 26: Puerto Rico
• Nov. 2: Mid-Atlantic
• Nov. 9: Pacific Northwest
• Nov. 16: Southwestern
• Nov. 23: Southwestern (open Monday and Tuesday only)
• Nov. 30: Midwestern
• Dec. 7: New England

You can download/view all of the menus here.

One final thing: rumor has it that Schenectady County may be offering a culinary boot camp at SCCC in 2010.  Sounds like it’s going to be a 2- or 3-day class, teaching basic skills and advanced techniques in a particular cuisine.  I’ll keep you posted as more details emerge…

Disgusting Food Files – Dissecting a Slim Jim

What’s Inside a Slim Jim?

Those things are nasty, and now I know why.

Apparently, Anyone can Have a Cooking Show

Except me.

I just found out (a bit late, admittedly) that The Food Network has given a cooking show to…Brian Boitano.  Uh, yes.  You read that right.  Brian Boitano, Olympic figure skating champion.   Huh?

From the Food Network website:

Everyone knows Olympic figure skater Brian Boitano is a champion on the ice, but he also gives a gold medal performance in the kitchen! In the new series, Brian demonstrates his culinary skills and passion for one-of-a-kind entertaining. In every unpredictable episode, Brian hosts get-togethers at his San Francisco home. With a humorous and knowledgeable approach to cooking, Brian puts his unique spin on irresistible dishes like Chicken Paella Burgers, Pear and Almond Crostata, Crab and Avocado Crostini, and Bourbon Bacon Apple Tarts.

In (what I must admit) is a clever cultural reappropriation, the title of the daytime series is “What Would Brian Boitano Make?”, a send-up of  the song “What Would Brian Boitano Do?”, which was a goof on Boitano himself and part of the prototype cartoon for South Park that spawned the series.  Apparently Brian has a sense of humor, too.

I haven’t seen the series yet, and I don’t really plan to, but the trailer is entertaining enough.  And, as most celeb chefs do, Boitano has a catch-phrase: “Bodacious!”  Yikes.

Series premiered August 23, airs Sundays at 1pm ET.  Until it gets canceled.