QR Codes Connect Produce Buyers to Suppliers

From Port Townsend Washington--Super Fresh Growers add QR codes to their packages so customers can scan this information to their phones for further purchases. Some QR's are used here, but not at local markets as far as I can see. I did see QR's on bedding plants this spring though.



According to this blog,
http://blog.seattlepi.com/videoblogging/2011/08/12/successful-qr-code-campaign-connects-consumers-to-superfresh-growers/, Fresh Food Growers reported 2,000 hits in three weeks from the QR packaging.

Chayote, Mirliton--a relative of the locals--zuchinni, cucumber, melon?

On Saturday we'd bought some Colorado Olathe corn from a truck as we drove over to Marble for Marble Fest. On the way back we stopped at the store to get additional items for dinner. Daughter brought a chayote for the dinner, or a mirliton as she has come to know them in New Orleans, where the Merliton Festival is held. We were amused by and curious about this vegetable.

As far as we could see, Chayote is not grown in Colorado, though it is in some other states. We read about what it was and where it came from, then found some recipes. We cooked it as a side: boiled till tender, sauted in butter which we had bought for corn on the cob, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and topped with a squeeze of lime. For future times, a sprinkle of sweet paprika might be nice too.

Nice little chayote. I think I feel guilty that we drew eyes on it before we cut it up! I'm still thinking about it as a side. As I looked over many of the recipes, I saw that it was often put in things, covered with cheese, that type of activity. Recipes like that tends to send a signal that it needs to be hidden or disguised!

Summer Tables Around the Roaring Fork

That summer is for festivals, markets, and getting out is a gross understatement. And I've been able to do the same. This post includes a bunch of sites up and down valley. What I'm sharing here contributes to Rand McNally's designation of Glenwood as America's most fun city also.

In the past weeks, I've eaten or had drinks at Tempranillo in Basalt, Wild Fig in Aspen, Zheng's, Pullman, Juicy Lucy's and Fins in Glenwood. (I'll stay home this winter--right.) 

And here are experiences to repeat: Great Gazpacho at Tempranillo, creamy humus with some texture, airy baba ganoush on the Plato del Sol at Wild Fig. 

As for Zheng's, if you like ginger and martinis, they can be convinced to make you one, even if it is not on the menu if you tell them how to make it :). Their yellow and green curries are very nice. We've been sharing one curry entre and sharing the cucumber salad too.

So two carnivores and two vegetarians walked into Juicy Lucy's: They ordered the Sahara Pinotage/Shiraz.

One of the guests was from South Africa and gave it a pleasant nod (also for the price/bottle). He enjoyed the elk steak and sides. Though this was dinner, one guest asked for salmon on a house salad, usually served at lunch. No worries, and our diner said JL's typically do a nice job with the salmon. As for the veggies, they liked the salad and the stuffed portabello, but wouldn't re-oder the artichoke.

The service at JL's is very good--word has it there is a 60 hour training for wait staff.  We hope their roof top dining area opens soon.

Foodie in China

Beijing Server in Han Costume with Handheld for Orders

As I finally post this, it is dated, but I thought aspects were worth sharing.

Our son studied in Beijing during his junior year in college and most recently in Nanjing for the past 2 and a half years.

Food and Good Company in Nanjing

We were in Nanjing at Johns Hopkins Nanjing Center for son B’s graduation from the Master’s Program on June 10th, and this was my fourth trip to China. The food experience in the major cities has provided a mix of Chinese and western food. 

After graduation ceremonies at the Center for about 140 Master’s and post-bac, certificate students, graduates and families proceeded to a buffet style sit down dinner—huge assortment of  mostly Chinese dishes, and KFC chicken (a favorite here), plus western style desserts like ice cream. Beverages included beer, and the assistant director walked to individual tables to toast graduates. Enoki and tree-ear mushrooms were plentiful in a couple tasty dishes I had.

For lunch yesterday we were at a small local place with plastic chairs called Jin Yin Restaurant (The Gold and Silver Restaurant on the street of the same name). After writing down our order, we set back for the dishes coming our way from the kitchen. We had really good greens and outstanding spicy eggplant—I have had great eggplant on every trip. Last night we went to Pisa Pizza, a place opened by a guy who was a chef for Magic Johnson (see the pic). No dried red pepper, but those who ordered the margharita pizza said it was the best ever had==the swirls of pesto on it certainly made it look appealing. We’ve had croissant and coffee fixes from Skyways German bakery and deli. You have to know these places are goldmines around the international campus housing.

Oh yeah. We had beers and some people had Nanjing/Mexican food at a place called Behind the Wall. Part of our party ate Mexican in the garden, but one other friend went nearby to bring us orders of dumplings. 

Our buddy brewer Yan “Master” Gao provides his micro brew there—USA food and beer reviewer Emily Hutto had just come out with an article about his brew in the US, but couldn’t get it to us fast enough to carry it over to him. We are still hoping the PDF makes it his way.

Food and Family in Shanghai

I was the familial newbie to Shanghai, having only been there briefly this past fall. We were at the Holiday Inn in the Pudong district.

We decided to spend our last night together out dining and enjoying the wonderful sites of the modern contrasted with the period architectures of the French Concession. We started in the lobby lounge and had gin tonics (lots of tonic, billed separately from the gin), nuts, finger sandwiches and fries. Sad finger sandwiches. I loved the center piece though—rose petals in bowl w/ a little fish keeping us company as he or she swam around.

Jin Mao: The dining place Cucina is located on the 56^th floot of the Lin Jaio building. D’s penne and eggplant was quite tasty, and the expresso was good. What I will tell you about our dish of gnocchi was as if a vodka reduction was made pasty by the starch of the gnocchi water  and the sauce had little taste. We who eat little salt opted for salt to give it something. My advice in these situations: if you have a mediocre dish, hope that you have extraordinary company to distract you. 

After strolling along the Bund, B decided to take us to a bar called Barbarrosa for a nightcap. Barbarossa is tucked away in a park and surrounded by a moat of lotus—inside, we ordered cocktails—a nice lichee martini, sour lemon drop (we think it was made with lime) and a sour Grand-marnier cocktail called Feng-Shue. I’d vote for the lichee repeat.

How Schools Can Impact Eating Habits of Kids

One of my continuing issues is how to help people enjoy healthy food. More and more attention is given to the rising rate of obesity and propensity for diabetes. To see the Post Independent feature a photo of the a cooking camp by twenty-two of our area school cooks in the Live Well Colorado camp was wonderful.

Here's an additional video that features a boot camp offered by two established chefs in the Denver area:

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.