Posted by Jeremy Scheller | 0 Comments

Greek Leftover Pork Sandwich – The way lunch should be eaten.

Lunch today was fantastic.

Made a little greek sandwich using some leftover pork (sauteed with a small knob of butter and a bunch of red pepper/red chili flakes sprinkled on it) with a little microgreen salad, red wine vinaigrette, feta crumbles, black olives and small yellow grape tomatoes.

Pistachios and a Clausen Pickle on the side.

Posted by Jeremy Scheller | 0 Comments

The Perennial Plate

If you haven’t seen the web documentary series, The Perennial Plate, I suggest you head on over and take in a few episodes.

Current episode (70) takes a look at the stunning beauty of Motana and a rancher who’s concern for the land translates to a healthy ecosystem full of wildlife as well as healthy animals who go on to become healthy meat. Really beautiful cinematography and stories that represent the history and future of food.

Check it out.

The Perennial Plate Episode 70: The Cows and The Horses from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

Incidentally, the guy in Episode 3 in Milan, MN is living my dream when he turned his garage into a greenhouse that basically produces family veggies year-round in Minnesota. Love it.

The Perennial Plate Episode 3: A trip to Milan, MN from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

Posted by Jeremy Scheller | 0 Comments

Guajillo Chili Tacos with Sweet Corn Relish

I’ve been a major bust in the kitchen lately. My wife will tell you, there’s been a few inedible meals. Most profoundly disgusting was a beer battered fish that tasted like a soggy fish mush with an even soggier pancake wrapped around it. (I pan-grilled a steak about an hour later because of the emptiness in my stomach. That helps. Steak always does.)

Last night, Sarah gave me the nod of sweet redemption. A pat on the back. A declaration that this was “by far the best thing you’ve made in a while.”

I got the hankering for tacos yesterday. Took my lunch break to run by the store to get what I needed and stopped at home to throw together a quick marinade. Here’s what I came up with…

Marinade:

Give the chilies and garlic a quick chop then throw it all together and give it a good zip in the magic bullet or blender.

• 4 Guajillo dried chilies (these aren’t hot, but pack a ton of flavor)
• 3 Large garlic cloves
• 1 Tbls. Sea Salt
• 1/2 Tbls. Ground Pepper
• 4 Tbls. Olive Oil
• Zest and juice of 1/2 a Lime

Refrigerate, pan fry:

I used some ribeye steaks I had on hand, but you could probably use nearly any cut of meat if you give it enough time to marinade and/or slice it small enough. Cut the meat up into thin 1/4′ slices or small cubes. Pour the marinade over and put it in the fridge till after work (about 4 hours). To prepare, heat up a little squirt of vegetable oil in a large skillet on high heat. Cook it hot and fast while moving it around a bit to get all sides done quickly. Should only take about 5-6 minutes.

Fixins:

• Sweet Corn Relish

Posted by jeremyscheller | 0 Comments

My latest venture…A new food blog.

Times change. Passions grow. Hobbies morph.

I’ve recently started a new blog exploring my love of food and cooking. Have a look at A Knob of Butter.

Posted by Jeremy Scheller | 6 Comments

Food Blog Love.

Great foodie sites with beautiful photography. To me, they go hand in hand. Since you can’t taste or smell through the net (yet?), I think it’s essential to provide beautiful photos to help the flavor pop off the page. I’m going to start sharing some of my favorite food blogs that consistently get it right. Here’s 3 for today.

Not Without Salt

La Tartine Gourmande

Seven Spoons

Posted by Jeremy Scheller | 0 Comments

Ferran: The Inside Story of El Bulli and the Man Who Reinvented Food.

Today I began reading Ferran: The Inside Story of El Bulli and the Man Who Reinvented Food.

I’ve seen a few shows on Ferran Adria. Most notably @NoReservations 2 shows devoted to the man, his team and the incredible inventive and revolutionary food of his world renown, now closed restaurant, El Bulli in Spain.

He is a man devoted to finding the way to prepare food to maximize is greatest potential for taste. He is a legend. He is a food DaVinci. He set the bar to which foodies proximate their palettes.

Should be a good read.

Posted by Jeremy Scheller | 2 Comments

Chipotle – The new ad campaign for ethically produced food. – LOVE!

Chipotle recently dropped this new campaign to highlight their practice of working with farmers who raise foods ethically and treat animals responsibly. It’s a brilliant 2:20minute video and worth your time.

It’s an issue on my mind constantly.

Where does my food come from? The idea of corn syrup makes me sick. Slaughtering sick animals makes me repulsed. Pumping animals full of antibiotics so they can eat the cheapest food that makes them have constant health problems…is an abomination to the land and the animals.

You simply have to know where food comes from, and for that matter, what your food is made of…

The American diet has cost us our health, but a little education can fix that. It’s one of the reasons I buy beef for our family from Thousand Hills Cattle Co. A place I’ve now visited, seen the animals, seen where they get processed and trust the organization.

Thanks Chipotle.

Go buy a burrito.

For further reading/cooking, check out Good Meat. I’ll have a book review in a week after I try one or two more recipes, but there is a great story and running theme of ethical and healthy eating that can be found throughout.

Posted by Jeremy Scheller | 0 Comments

“My cows only have 1 bad day” — My trip to Thousand Hills Cattle Co.

A few years ago, I read Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Many of us did, right?

For me, it completely changed my relationship to food. For the first time, I understood food as something more than what you find in a box in the grocery store. I started to see the bigger picture. A story about the land, about people, about business and about health.

I learned so much from that book that it has become for me, one of those quintessential books that you look back on as a catalyst moment. A manifesto for change.  I’m still learning and still trying to write the next chapter of my food story so it’s healthier than the last.

Nonetheless, one of the most impacting narratives I gleaned from Pollan’s book is the need to switch to pasture-raised, grass-fed beef. Conventional, Industrial, Corn-fed beef is killing me. The cholesterol. The weight… Sure, I could cut out meat entirely, but, I’ve tried that several times, and it’s just not going to last for me. So, now, I’m more concerned with eating the best possible meat. I’m not going to go into the laundry list of reasons as to why it’s important to not eat grain-fed meat, maybe you should pick up the Omnivore’s Dilemma, or scan the net for some info of your own to learn more about that. But, I will advocate for it. I will continue to work toward making all the food we eat in the Scheller house more just, more natural, more in line with nature’s intent.

100% Grass-fed Cows.

I recently ventured about an hour out of Minneapolis to Canon Falls, MN, home of Thousand Hills Cattle Co. (THCC)

At THCC, the cattle eat grass, only grass. And THCC wants you to come see their cows. 

They’ve been having monthly Open Houses at THCC over the last few months.

Essentially, you go to the main office, hear from Todd Churchill, the founder of THCC. You snack on some of the product. Make a visit to the processing plant and watch the animals get processed. And then end the tour with a visit to the cows. A visit to the land. A visit to the eco-system that provides the healthiest meat you can buy.

I loved the tour. Even the killing floor at the processor. I like the story, oddly….Mrs cow grows up in green pastures. Not force-fed with grain that makes it sick. Takes proper time to grow and put a little meat on her bones (ahem). Then as Todd says, “My cows only have 1 bad day.” And that’s her trip to the processor.

After the tour, I placed an order for some heart healthy red meat. Yum.

Posted by Jeremy Scheller | 0 Comments

There are 1 billion obese people, and 1 billion hungry people — The 30 Project

Saw this video link from @Bittman at the NYTimes.

I like the approach of this. It’s a great way to ignite a conversation around creating a true, crowd sourced vision for the next generation of our food system. Check out the video and let me know what you think.

Learn more at 30Project.org

Posted by Jeremy Scheller | 0 Comments

Chickpea Tomato Salata

I’m always trying to find a way to make use of the fresh tomatoes from my garden. You can’t beat the sweetness and flavor of a homegrown heirloom.

Because of the large portions of meat I eat, my wife has me convinced I’m going to die of an early heart attack. Long story short, I’m trying to eat a lot more beans. You know, the musical fruit. Chickpeas are about the easiest bean for me to choke down. Combine the fresh tomatoes and the chickpeas and here’s a lovely fresh little salad.

Chickpea Tomato Salata:

• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 or 2 small tomatoes or a combo with grape tomatoes
• 1 large garlic clove very finely minced
• 5-6 fresh basil leaves finely sliced
• shaved parmesan or romano (go crazy and use feta or a nice bleu cheese)
• a few splashes of olive oil
• juice of 1/3 of lemon
• lemon zest
• cracked pepper and sea salt to taste
• maybe some dried chilies or red pepper flakes if you like to spice it up