We started the day bright and early. at Cornell University… making ice cream! We made three different versions of black raspberry: one ice cream, one frozen yogurt, and one that was a 50-50 mix of the two. You could really taste the difference – the yogurt was super rich and tangy, while the ice cream was light and creamy. They were all good, but the ice cream was definitely my favorite.

I also learned a great shortcut: if you want to play around with making your own ice cream but don’t really feel like fussing with the custard base, just melt down some store-bought vanilla, add in whatever flavorings or mix-ins you want and then re-churn in. Kind of brilliant if you ask me – I can’t wait for the warmer weather so I can give it a try!

While our ice cream was freezing, we took a tour of Stocking Hall, which is home to the Cornell dairy facilities. The photos above are from the room where they process and bottle milk. I never realized it was so high-tech! (And total “duh” moment, but did you know that they process all of the milk as skim and then add the fat back in to make 1% and 2%? I just assumed they took out different percentages of cream, but adding it back in makes so much more sense.)

At Cornell, thy spend a ton of time and energy working with food companies to perfect the manufacturing and packaging processes so food stays at its best quality for a long time. Food freshness is one of those things that I’ve always just taken for granted, so it was really interesting to see how much thought and experimentation goes into it.

Next, we headed into a classroom for a few lectures. First, we learned about yogurt production and the way various types of yogurts are made – did you know NYS is the #1 producer of Greek yogurt in the world? You can thank Chobani for that. We also learned about a pilot program that Wegman’s is trying out to help small, artisan cheese companies get into grocery stores, and a dairy farmer spoke to us about how his farm operates.

My favorite part of the day was a lunchtime lecture by David Just, an associate professor from the school of applied economics and management, about behavioral economics in food choices and the smarter lunchrooms movement. I know it sounds terribly dry, but I promise it was anything but! It was basically about how we can use what we know about the way people (mostly kids in school cafeterias) behave to “trick” them into making healthier choices.

For example, when kids were given carrot sticks with their lunch, they mostly ended up in the garbage. But when the kids were given a choice between carrot sticks or celery, most chose carrots and most actually ate them. Giving them a choice gave them ownership and also made them stop for a second and remember “hey, I like carrots!”

They also found that changing the way foods were presented on the buffet line, like giving healthy items “fun” names and placing them in positions that are easier to reach, has an impact on what choices students made. The one that stuck we me the most was the the kids were much more likely to take a piece of fruit when it was presented in a pretty bowl instead of in a plastic bin. It’s so simple, but it really does work. I know that I’m much more likely to reach for a piece of fruit for a snack when it’s in a nice bowl on my table instead of tucked away in the fridge.

The study that I found the most surprising (and yet not surprising at all) was that at an all-you-can-eat pizza, people who didn’t like the food ate the equivalent of half a slice of pizza more than people who liked the food. Why? They were trying to get their money’s worth and felt more satisfied with better food! (It’s why I think diets always fail so miserably. “Diet food” is gross! Give me one really good cookie instead of 3 that taste like dirt.)

I could go on about this lecture for pages, but I’ll spare you the rest. It’s seriously fascinating stuff though, and I’ve found myself bringing it up over and over again in everyday conversation.

After lunch, we headed off to Cornell’s dairy barns to see everything up close and personal. I grew up in a pretty rural area with a lot of family farms, so this barn really surprised me. It was so high tech and industrial!

They made us put boot covers on, but honestly the barn was really clean. It didn’t smell bad at all (just a little like fresh cheese) and I didn’t see a single fly. They explained that the barns are  designed in a way that keeps the air circulating, which is good for ventilation and also prevents flies from landing because the air moves to quickly. Since happy, comfortable cows produce more milk, there’s a big emphasis on cow comfort, like the back scratcher you see in the photo above. When a cow butts up against it, it spins and scratches them (I could use one of those for that annoying spot in between my shoulders…) They also fill the cows stalls with sand that they can nestle down into. Other barns use waterbeds to keep the pressure off of the cows joints.

Not everything I saw made me happy though. With the family farms I’m used to seeing back home, the cows were always outside in the grass; these cows were free to wander around the barn, but they weren’t allowed outside. There was also no grass for them, since their feed is highly regulated to maximize the amount of milk they produce.

Since cows only produce milk when they’re pregnant/nursing, they’re bred right away and kept that way pretty much their whole (short) life. They’re also immediately separated from their calves after they give birth. Since younger cows produce more milk, they’re only bred two or three times before they’re sold off to the butcher in order to make room for a new lot. The farmers kept insisting that we needed to stop thinking about them as if they were people, since they don’t have emotions, but that was still a little difficult to process.

Overall though, it was a really interesting trip and I definitely enjoyed learning more about this industry!

(Isn’t this little gal the cutest?! She was just about 3 days old and she was so tiny and cuddly. She also gave great little cow kisses. Totally makes me want a pet cow.)

]]> https://www.healthy-delicious.com/nys-dairy-tour/feed/ 4 https://www.healthy-delicious.com/magical-moments-at-the-big-summer-potluck/ https://www.healthy-delicious.com/magical-moments-at-the-big-summer-potluck/#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 01:30:12 +0000 https://www.healthy-delicious.com/2011/08/magical-moments-at-the-big-summer-potluck/   

Last weekend, on a small farm in central Pennsylvania, something magical happened.

A few dozen food bloggers from all over North America gathered at Linden Gardens for the second annual Big Summer Potluck. I'm struggling to come up with words that will do this event justice.

We laughed. We learned. We cried. We hugged (for at least 8 seconds). I didn't see a single business card exchanged. Instead of "networking" we connected. Someone - I think it was Maggy - said that once you share a meal with someone, you're friends. At Big Summer Potluck, truer words couldn't be spoken.

Last weekend, on a small farm in central Pennsylvania, something magical happened.

A few dozen food bloggers from all over North America gathered at Linden Gardens for the second annual Big Summer Potluck. I’m struggling to come up with words that will do this event justice.

We laughed. We learned. We cried. We hugged (for at least 8 seconds). I didn’t see a single business card exchanged. Instead of “networking” we connected. Someone – I think it was Maggy – said that once you share a meal with someone, you’re friends. At Big Summer Potluck, truer words couldn’t be spoken.

Light. Composition. Color. Moment. Those were the elements of photography that Penny De Los Santos shared with us in the first of her two (we should be so lucky) presentations, and none were lacking this weekend. In fact, I was so caught up in the moment — listening, absorbing, just being — that I didn’t take a single picture since before lunch on Saturday.

As speakers, Shauna (who I didn’t manage to get a photo of) and Penny were mesmerizing. They spoke about what they do with so much passion that there wasn’t a single dry eye in the room. Being surrounded by so many people who I can only describe as artists was beyond inspiring.

By the time I left on Sunday, my soul was singing and I had a new outlook on life; I feel such a deep sense of happiness and peace. I’ve been inspired to turn off my inner editor and stop worrying about what this blog is “supposed” to be. To live in the moment and see the world with new eyes. And to remember that beyond the Martha Stewart facades, we’re really all just a bunch of hot blogger messes.

This post wouldn’t be complete without a huge thank you to Erika, Maggy, Pam, and Sharon for putting together such a great event. You girls really outdid yourselves, and everyone appreciated it.

I’d also like to thank the event sponsors, who provided so much amazing food. I’m going to have to find a local source for Kerrygold‘s Cashel Blue cheese and Green Valley Organics yogurt and sour cream (so good I could eat it with a spoon!). And an extra special thanks to Green Mountain Coffee, who not only kept me caffeinated all weekend, but donated the keurig that I won as a door prize. (Thanks to Kitchen Aid and Popchips too!)

*****

No recipe today. I had been planning to post chipotle chicken tostadas with fresh corn salsa, but I felt the need to write this post first. The tostadas will be up later this week. While I will continue to post recipes featuring healthy, natural food, I should also mention that this weekend has inspired me to make some changes to the way I blog. I’m not sure exactly what they will be, but I hope you’ll stick along for the ride.

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Words can’t begin to describe the weekend I just spend at the Second Annual Foodbuzz Festival, so I’ll let the photos do the talking. After a month of eating takeout while traveling, this weekend was precisely what the doctor ordered to get me back to my normal foodie-self. I’ve been home for two days now and have been cooking up a storm – I’ll be back to my normal posting schedule with tons of new recipes this week!

From the Foodbuzz Gala Dinner: Roasted Golden Beet Tart with Feta, Currants, Wild Arugula, and Basil Puree, Seared Scallops with Bonny Doon Vinyard Verjus Beurre Blanc served with Braised Fennel, Rosemary and Garlic Infused Rack of Lamb with Wild Mushrooms, Pinot Noir Sauce, and Butternut Squash Puree, Almond Cake with Oranges and Spanish Sherry Sabayon.

2009 Bonny Doon Vinyard Ca’ del Solo Albarino, my favorite of the many wines that were poured.

The best part of the festival: seeing old friends and making new ones. With Andrea from High/Low Food Drink, Yvo from Feisty Foodie, Siobhan from Blondie and Brownie and the fabulous Sophia from Burp and Slurp who I was SO HAPPY to finally get to meet!

Transamerica Pyramid. Apparently people think its ugly. I think its awesome!

Cool fountain in a little park full of redwoods. This was part of a “food” walking tour that I took with Urban Adventures. The food part was pretty much nonexistent, but it was a pretty nice tour anyway. It could have been shorter though – 4 hours walking up and down San Francisco’s hills will leave you pretty sore!

Allie and I drove to Napa, where we stopped at Domaine Chandon. I had the Etoile Brut, which I enjoyed a lot – nice and dry with lots of tiny bubbles. I would have brought home a bottle if it would have fit in my suitcase! Allie had a sparkling red, which was beautiful, but too sweet for me.

People picking vegetables in French Laundry’s garden. Talk about Farm to Table!

Scenery just doesn’t get much more beautiful than this. Napa took my breath away!

See that salsa? It’s Mrs. Renfo’s Ghost Pepper Salsa, which was launched the morning of the show. And it. Is. SPICY! We love their Habanero salsa already because it’s one of the few jarred salsas that has a lot of heat to it, but this is even hotter. I loved it, but it was fun watching other people’s expressions as they gave it a try. It has a great flavor, but was way too hot for a lot of people. If you love things that are spicy, you might want to seek this one out – but proceed with caution!

On the right is a Naan Pizza from Tandoor Chef – another brand new product that you should be able to find in the grocery store soon. I really enjoyed this pizza – despite being frozen, it tasted light and fresh. The Indian flavors were great! It was also the first of many Indian foods that I came across – I have a feeling that this will be a huge trend in the coming months! At other booths, I tried masala marinara, a “naanwhich,” curry ketchup, and several varieties of Indian simmer sauces (I was lucky enough to grab some samples of the sauces, so look for some recipes and a more in-depth review coming soon!)

Other trends I noticed: Spice mixes, Flavored waters and artisan sodas (I particularly loved the Fizzy Lizzy line – especially the grapefruit soda!), and old-timey packaging – lots of mass-produced products sold in mason jars (like those pates at the top) and other “homemade” looking containers and relaunches of products in their original packaging (Saratoga Chips comes to mind).

Rick Bayless was there! I lost my composure for a minute and asked him if I could get a picture. He was a good sport. He was there promoting his new line of Frontera products, which were amazing. The tortilla chips tasted just like homemade! I was a little confused about the “need” for guacamole mix (It’s a refrigerated liquid – just add avocado!) but I have to admit that the resulting guacamole was pretty darn delicious. I make my own guac without a mix all the time, but I’ll be tempted to buy this once in a while (at least until I figure out what his secret to making it so delicious is!).

I arrived at Grand Central around 2:00 on Saturday. I hadn’t eaten lunch and we were planning on an early dinner, so I stopped at Junior’s bakery and made quick work of a black and white cookie. It was fantastic! We hung out for a while, then headed out to the Bronx to eat at the much-acclaimed (by Mo) Tu Casa. Unfortunately, they were closed until 6 for a private party so we had some time to kill. There was a bakery across the street, so we popped in. I had a pear linzer. It was delicious! It had half a poached pear and some strawberry preserves.

Finally, we were able to get a table for dinner! We ordered a pitcher of sangria to start, along with some empanadas. Mine was beef and it was the yum:

We also had some tostones. With some awesome green sauce, Carol decided she was taking all for herself. (I had to recreate them with my own recipe for tostones with green sauce!)

Then our food came. Check out this soup! Yes, that’s a corn cob in there! I ordered the roast pork, at Mo’s recommendation. The pork was amazing- super juicy- but unfortunately, the rice was burned. they brought us new yellow rice no problem though and that was much better!

After dinner, we went to Crumbs for cupcakes. I was way too full for my own, so I had a bite of Mo’s red velvet and some of a caramel chew that I shared with Heather and Sarah. These cupcakes are no joke! The red velvet was my fave- it wasn’t too sweet at all. By this point, my stomach was killing me from all the sugar.

The next morning (after some Starbucks oatmeal for breakfast) we went out for Korean. I’ve never had it before, so I was a little intimidated. Some of it was great, but some I didn’t like very much.

First, they brought out a bunch of condiments. Apparently, they were making fun of us for eating these by themselves. Whatevs. The dandelion greens were my fave.

Then some appetizers to share: pork belly rolled in cabbage leaves (I felt very “Anthony Bourdain” by this point), some noodles with chicken, and some starchy pancakes (I think someone said they were mung bean?) that were AWESOME with a little bit of the dark sauce.

For entrees, I totally got the wrong thing. the menu said that it was strips of beef, but I ended up with a huge plate of sweet, greasy, ground beef. It wasn’t very good to be honest. I tried some of Heather’s dish and hers was much better. I didn’t order it because the raw egg freaked me out, but the bowl was piping hot and the egg cooked.

Then it was off to PB and Co, where Mo hooked us up with a great deal for free peanut butter! I got the spicy pb, and I have tons of plans for it. I also grabbed a sandwich for the train ride home- maple pb with bacon. OMG, this was so good. I was craving it again today, and I am totally going to have to get some maple pb.

One last stop for some cupcakes to bring home, and I was back on the train by 3 on Sunday! What a fun weekend! I love your girls!!

Us again (from left to right: me, Sarah, Heather, Mo, & Carol)