"Packing Lunch"
August 27, 2009 - Volume 1 - Issue 16
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Food to Go!
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Whether
you're off to work or school, preparing for lunch time is a daily
dilemma! Time and nutrition seem to be at odds in the process. After
all, you barely got breakfast out of the way! But the stars are aligned
for renewed energies
applied to packing your lunch. Yes, it's the back to school time of
year, but packing a great lunch is not just for kids anymore! Packing
your lunch saves money, shifts nutrition for the better, and, in the
end, saves time. A great lunch is the perfect respite in the middle of
a busy day and offers that necessary refueling for the afternoon ahead.
In this issue, we'll offer a slew of tips for a better lunch and how to
make it easy. We complete our Knives 101 discussion with Part 2. A
review and three recipes from Tom Colicchio's new book, 'wichcraft brings fresh inspiration to sandwich-making and, therefore, lunch-making!
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Julie & Julia
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Julie & Julia Debuts
 Julia Child
(Meryl Streep) and Julie Powell (Amy Adams) are featured in writer-director Nora
Ephron's adaptation of two bestselling memoirs: Powell's Julie & Julia and
My Life in France, by Julia Child with Alex
Prud'homme. Based on two true stories, Julie & Julia intertwines the lives
of two women who, though separated by time and space, are both at loose
ends...until they discover that with the right combination of passion,
fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.
Written by Columbia
Pictures.
Watch for
Le Creuset throughout the movie!
Bring in
your movie ticket stub from Julie and Julia and receive 10% off a Le Creuset
purchase of $50 or more! Not valid on promotional
items. |
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Annual Sidewalk Sale - Sep 7th!
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Anniversary Sale - Sep 10, 11, 12
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Build a Better Lunch!
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Looking
for motivation to upgrade your lunch habits? We have several good
reasons to offer that will help overcome some of the common obstacles
to packing a good lunch for yourself or for your family.
 Stockpile Some Cash
- Even a simple lunch out can be $6-10. A packed lunch from home can
cost anywhere from $2-4. If you save $4/day for 20 workdays per month,
that's $80/month, or $960/year. To paraphrase Will Rogers, this starts
"to add up to some real money!"
Improve Your Nutrition
- Food is fuel! Lunch should provide no more than one-third of your
daily calories. High fat and/or high carbohydrate lunches can easily
exceed that one-third rule, and actually slow you down for the
afternoon. We're surrounded by high calorie and high fat options
everywhere! A Big Mac� contains 540 calories and 29 grams of fat; add a
large fry and you're adding another 500 calories and 25 more grams of
fat. Even fast food salads with fat-laden dressings can tip into the
"too much" range. Lunch is a great chance for making good on that
intention to improve your diet. Planning good food ahead of time and
packing a lunch will provide better fuel for your body!
Save Time
- Fast food really isn't all that fast! By the time you drive or walk
to the restaurant, wait in line, wait for your order and drive back, at
least 10-15 minutes have passed. A great lunch can be packed at home in
less than 10 minutes!
Use Less Packaging - Packing a lunch in reusable containers avoids fast food packaging and all of the waste that accompanies one quick meal.
Fight Boredom with Creativity and Variety - Lunch can be so much more than a peanut butter sandwich and a side of carrot and celery sticks!
- Incorporate
more fruits and veggies in your lunch with grape tomatoes, cucumber
sticks, berries, grapes, broccoli "trees," or whatever's in season.
- Avoid
packing processed foods - they're generally more expensive, have
questionable ingredients, are packaging intense, and often
nutritionally suspect with high sodium and preservatives.
- Have
a quick Plan B for those hurried mornings! A Plan B might include
freezing several sandwiches ahead of time, or individual portions of
previous suppers.
- Apportion tomorrow's lunch before serving
tonight's supper. You'll avert the risk of there being no leftovers
available after the meal.
 Enjoy
packing a good sliced bread sandwich, but don't forget about wraps,
pita bread, bagels, rice cakes, crackers, English muffins, or
croissants as sandwich foundations.- Make that apple more
enticing - slices (drizzled with a little lemon juice to prevent
browning) might be easier to handle at lunchtime. Include vanilla
yogurt for a quick dip, or a nut butter for smearing on the fruit.
- What
to drink? Skip sugary drinks. Pack a lime or lemon slice to dress up
tap water. Perhaps some herbal tea - hot or cold. You could even
rediscover milk at lunch - we're told we all need more calcium and
Vitamin D.
- Watching your calories? Packing your own lunch is a
great start. Bring an open-faced sandwich and you've sliced the bread
calories in half. Or, use a lettuce leaf for a sandwich wrapper.
- Explore
bean spreads (hummus, refried beans), tapenades, guacamole, or cream
cheese spreads with your own diced vegetable and fruit "mix-ins."
- A layer of wilted greens saut�ed in garlic is an easy solution for injecting leafy green vegetables into your sandwich.
- Make lunch kebabs of meat and cheese, veggies and fruits. You could even make some antipasto on a stick!
- Make
your own trail mix - GORP - 'Good Ole' Raisins and Peanuts' - or any
combination of dried fruits, nuts, crunch, and sparkle (M & M's?).
 - Investigate some hearty salads - bean salads, meat salads, pasta salads, veggies with pesto.
- Change
the types of bread used in sandwiches - rye, pumpernickel, oatmeal,
baguette, sesame - there are scores of bread choices. Similarly, vary
your choice of cheeses and meats.
- Dress up leftover rice or
pasta with nuts, herbs and a simple dressing of olive oil and a
flavored vinegar. Add a few leftover vegetables, and it's a complete
meal.
- Review the calorie count and nutritional profile of your packed lunch - too little, too much, or just right?
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Make It Easy!
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You're
much more likely to establish a habit of packing lunch if you have a
plan and the right set-up for food on the go! Set yourself up with
appropriate lunch tools!
Thermoses
- To keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold, use a thermos. This isn't
just a matter of having a pleasant food experience, it promotes food
safety by keeping foods out of the temperature range that promotes
bacterial growth. Beverage thermoses are typically tall and narrow, and
often double as drinking mugs. Many styles with stainless steel,
double-walled construction are available. Previously, thermoses relied
on glass inserts which had the nasty habit of breaking.
Wide-Mouthed Thermoses
- Shaped differently, constructed similarly to other thermoses, these
units are perfect for soups, stews, or your favorite chili.
The New Brown Bag
- How do you carry your lunch? The brown paper sacks of our youth are
largely gone. Today, it's about insulation! Small coolers, insulated
nylon bags, reusable canvas bags are all perfect for toting lunch, and
keep food appealing and safe.
 Ice Packs
- If you don't have access to a refrigerator at work or school, keeping
food from getting too warm before lunch time is important. Use small
gel packs designed specifically for use with food, or create your own
with frozen water in zippered plastic bags. Freezing your sandwich or
your lunch's drink provides an additional source of coolness for your
lunch pack.
Food Containers
- Lunch can be one of the most intensive meals for generating waste. In
the fast food world, Styrofoam� clamshells, cardboard packaging, drink
containers and individual packaging of all types easily generates a
mountain of trash. A modest investment i n
great food containers not only saves on trash, but creates a pleasant
meal experience. Throw in a cloth napkin and create some thrifty
elegance! Containers from other cultures are interesting and practical.
Seek out Indian tiffin tins or Japanese Bento boxes.
Silverware
- Pack the real stuff! It's environ-friendly and so much nicer to dine
with than flimsy plastic versions that break when spearing a cherry
tomato. If you're cramped for space in your lunch pack, a "spork" might
be your answer!
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Knives 101 - Part Two of Two
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Last
issue we discussed the basic parts of every knife. In this issue we
uncover the reasons for the many shapes of knives and how to choose the
right knife for the task at hand. If you've perused our knife display
cases, the different shapes of knives and their blades can be
confusing. Each knife has been designed with specific tasks in mind
with the shape of the blade directly related to the knife's function.
For our discussion we'll categorize knives into four types:
Slicing Knives - As the name implies, these knives are for slicing and cutting a variety of foods. They may have one of four edges:
- Straight edges are for normal slicing. The blade should be no more than 1/8-inch thick and no taller than 1-1/2-inches high.
- Serrated edges should be used for softer foods such as, bakery items and some fruits and vegetables.
 - Scalloped edges
(the reverse of a serrated edge) is also used for softer foods and
occasionally semi-frozen meats being sliced thinly as in the case of
stir-fry preparation.
- Hollow edges,
sometimes termed a Granton� edge, are for slicing thick cuts of meat or
other foods where the face of the cut surface might tend to crumble or
stick to the knife as with cheese and many processed meats.
Chef or Cook's Knives
- This is the basic kitchen knife and is sometimes categorized as a
"chopper." These knives are tapered from point to handle. They should
be at least 2 inches high with 6 to 12 inches of  blade
length. The 8-inch blade size is the most popular length, though the
10-inch blade is the preference of most professionals. This knife is
used for chopping and slicing vegetables and fruits, and for mincing
and dicing tasks. A chef's knife is one of the most important knives
you can own.
Fine-work Knives - This group of knives includes paring knives of all types. These knives are used for peeling, cutting out gristle from  meats,
or removing bad spots from foods. Choose a blade length that you are
most comfortable with in your hand and for the task. Boning knives and
fillet knives fall into this category and usually sport a narrow,
flexible blade that is quite handy when deboning meat, fowl, or fish.
Special Use Knives -  This
grouping of knives includes cleavers, Asian chef's knives such as
Santokus, garnishing knives, and other very, task-specific knives.
A basic cutlery set-up should start with a Chef's knife (8 or 10-inch), a Paring knife (2 � - 3 � -inch), a Serrated Slicer or Bread Knife, and a Slicing Knife
(8 to 10-inch blade). Buy the best knives you can afford adding to your
collection when you can. Take care of your knives and they will reward
you with years and years of service!
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Q & A's
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Q: How does a thermos work?
A:
Hot foods or cold foods all move toward room temperature. A thermos
provides insulation around the food in the form of a vacuum or foam
insulation neither of which transfer heat in or out very well; the hot
or cold temperature of the food is retained. To maximize the insulating
thermos' capabilities, prime the thermos with very hot water, or ice
water; let set for 5 minutes to allow the temperature to  permeate
the inside of the thermos. Then fill with the very hot or very cold
foods. A good thermos properly prepared will keep foods safe for
several hours.
Q: How is a bread knife sharpened?
A:
Bread knives, like other knives, have a serrated edge. This dimpled
edge, which is so useful for grabbing the food when cutting, is beyond
the capabilities of the average sharpener. Each indentation must be
sharpened individually with the proper tool by professionals trained on
serrated edges.  The good news is that, used properly for the right task, your bread knife will rarely require sharpening.
Q: What food safety rules apply to packed lunches?
A:
Keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold! It's recommended that food not
sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours. If the temperature is
90�F or more, then only 1 hour. Pack foods in insulated containers or
bags that retain the hot or cold temperatures of the food. Leave your
lunch in the refrigerator overnight or until you're ready to leave the
house. Take care during lunch preparation not to introduce bacteria to
your food with any cross-contamination. Lunch meat, once the package is
opened, should be eaten within 3-4 days.
Q: What is the recent controversy over unsafe plastic bottles?
A:
Some plastics used in water and juice bottles degrade when reused over
and over again potentially producing bisphenol A - (BPA). Opt for
plastic water bottles that are BPA-free or units constructed of
stainless steel for your reusable water bottle.
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Cookbook Review
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'wichcraft
by Tom Colicchio and Sisha Ort�zar. Text by Rhona Silverbush,
Photographs by Bill Bettencourt. Copyright 2009. Published by Clarkson
Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division
of Random House, Inc., New York, NY.
The clever name and the sumptuous photographs had us falling in love with this cookbook immediately! Tom Colicchio, of Bravo's "Top Chef"
show and his business partner, Sisha Ortuz, started a 'wichcraft
restaurant in New York with the idea that a great sandwich would be
appreciated and sought after. They were right, twice - through the
restaurant and through this recently released book. The cookbook goes a
long way in solving the conundrum of creating interesting sandwiches,
yet ones that are accessible in the home kitchen. The book is
organized around breakfast sandwiches, cool sandwiches, warm
sandwiches, and sweet sandwiches. Between each category, useful tips on
building a great pantry, bread basics, party fare and many more topics
are presented. The be'wiching thing about this book is the exquisitely
devised recipes where the ingredients perfectly complement each other.
With innovation and creativity applied to the humble sandwich,
Colicchio and Ort�zar have broken new ground on our behalf and to our
great satisfaction.
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Recipes for Fabulous Sandwiches
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Reprinted with permission from 'wichcraft by
Tom Colicchio and Sisha Ort�zar, Text by Rhona Silverbush, Photographs
by Bill Bettencourt. Copyright 2009. Published by Clarkson
Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division
of Random House, Inc., New York, NY. Copyright 2009. All rights
reserved.
Gruy�re with Caramelized Onions
You'll
never think of a "grilled cheese sandwich" in the same way again! The
piquant cheese choice of Gruy�re paired with the sweetness of the
slowly cooked onions fashioned a sandwich where every bite was savored.
The extra sandwich we made at suppertime, reheated nicely for lunch the
next day doubling our enjoyment.
Click here to view the full recipe.
Click here for a printable version of the recipe.
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Roasted Shrimp Salad with Tomatoes and Olives
The
authors described this shrimp salad (no mayo here!) as a shrimp scampi
sandwich. We couldn't agree more. The fresh vegetables and herbs
accentuated the garlicky shrimp. Heaped on toast that had been gently
rubbed with garlic, there was almost a panzanella aspect to this
recipe. The open-faced sandwich assembled easily for a
better-than-average lunch.
Click here to view the full recipe.
Click here for a printable version of the recipe.
Roasted Pork Loin with Prunes, Dandelion Greens, and Mustard
 This
sandwich proved to be a hearty supper meal with a perfect blend of
great complex tastes that were easy to recreate. The seared pork
tenderloin was complemented with the mustardy sweetness of the plums.
We substituted spinach for the dandelion greens and enjoyed the garlic
and vinegar flavorings of the greens with each bite of the sandwich.
The extra fixings made a great lunch the following day.
Click here to view the full recipe.
Click here for a printable version of the recipe.
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Here's to better eating through better lunches!
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Lorraine, Katie, and all of the Staff at Beyond Pots and Pans
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Tip #5: