Do You Know What You Are Eating?

Food is an experience.  Not too long ago, dining was an event.  The ingredients for each dish were carefully selected to match the importance of gathering together to share in the intimacies of mealtime.  Those ingredients didn’t travel very far from their origins either.  People knew where their food came from and what was in it.  Today we are a society of instant foods.  Technology has allowed us to demote our food experience from the most important part of life to an afterthought.  We are always in a hurry and being harried feeds the instant food giants. 

We have become a nation blind to what we are consuming and there are many issues with modern foods that are starting to come out of the shadows.  There is a need to discover the origin of what makes it to our tables.  It starts with the seed or the animal.  What has been altered within those whole entities? 

I hope you will experience a paradigm shift as you work to research the journey of your food.  Before you purchase animal products you have to know what that animal is fed, what medications is it given, has it been given steroids to increase its size, and what living conditions does the animal exist?  It sounds overwhelming to find out this information when all you want is a cheeseburger so you can get back to work on time.  However, these are important questions to ask because hidden in that cheeseburger are the evidences of what that animal’s environment was before it made its way to you.  Whatever it was fed, you are now feeding your body. 

We can ask similar questions about produce too.  What kind of seeds were used to grow our fruits and vegetables?  Are the seeds genetically modified?  Were pesticides used to ensure their survival?  What farming practices were used to ensure the soil stays rich and usable? 

I am not naïve to the challenges that face us all as we try to decipher all of the information out there.  Many of the reports on what is safe and what isn’t are conflicting.  Companies need to continue to sell their products at a profit so they downplay the issues of chemicals in our foods and food production practices.  The government has regulations in place to keep the public safe but often times those regulations don’t go far enough.  As consumers we are either too overwhelmed with all of the information or because of health problems,  become resolved to figure it all out.  There is a battle between food economics and food ethics being waged in our country as we all try to sort these issues out. 

You may say, there is too much to know.  This section is dedicated to defining terms associated with modern food production, listing what the most dangerous chemicals in our foods are and what foods they are in, and giving you sources that will help you shift into cleaner foods.  I hope you will use it as a reference to launch you on your path towards healthy food. 

What Does GMO or Genetically Modified Mean?

Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)

What is a genetically modified organism?  A GMO is an organism that has had its DNA altered in someway to improve the viability of the organism for mass production.  Genetically modified organisms are not to be confused with selective farming techniques.  Farmers have been selecting traits from the food or animals they grow to maximize the benefit of those traits.  Carrots are a good example of this.  Historically, carrots were purple, white, yellow, and orange.  The orange carrot was selected over the years for its sweetness and bright orange color which is why the majority of carrots found in grocery stores today are orange.  The other colors have become somewhat of a novelty in our day.  The same can be said for various animals.  The best of the herd is chosen to mate to ensure quality offspring. 

Altering the DNA of an organism has serious consequences. The non-profit Non GMO Project defines GMO as, “This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial, and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding.” http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/what-is-gmo/

Genetically modified seeds have been altered to prevent the plant from dieing when sprayed with weed killer.  They are termed, “Round-up Ready” because they can withstand the dousing of weed killer sprayed on them to kill the weeds but not the crop.  The FDA says they have tested these foods and found them to be safe to consume.  According to the web article from Scientific American,  “for the past 20 years Americans have been eating plants in which scientists have used modern tools to insert a gene here or tweak a gene there, helping the crops tolerate drought and resist herbicides. Around 70 percent of processed foods in the U.S. contain genetically modified ingredients.” http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=labels-for-gmo-foods-are-a-bad-idea 

This article highlights the benefits of GMO plants and supports their use in the food supply.  Scientists are working hard to try and meet the needs of an ever increasing world population by altering the genetic makeup of plants to ensure they thrive in harsher environments.  Scientific study is a good thing.  However, the problem with the current data is that it doesn’t account for the rise in health problems in our society especially over the past 20 years.  In this same time period, as advances in food technology have abounded, increases in autism, auto-immune diseases, diabetes, and many other health problems have risen too.  None of the diseases or disorders rampant in America have been directly attributed to the changes in our national food supply, but the common thread that holds our society together is that we all eat food.

An alternate opinion about GMO foods comes from “The Institute for Responsible Technology”.  They list ten reasons to become educated before eating genetically modified foods.  They include, GMOs are unhealthy, GMOs contaminate―forever, GMOs increase herbicide use, genetic engineering creates dangerous side effects, government oversight is dangerously lax, The biotech industry uses "tobacco science" to claim product safety, Independent research and reporting is attacked and suppressed, GMOs harm the environment, GMOs do not increase yields, and work against feeding a hungry world, and by avoiding GMOs, you contribute to the coming tipping point of consumer rejection, forcing them out of our food supply.  http://www.responsibletechnology.org/10-Reasons-to-Avoid-GMOs 

The nongmoproject.org is a non-profit that grew out of a desire to educate the public on better food choices.  They provide two important services to consumers.  First, they have developed a comprehensive product verification process to determine the GMO status of foods.  They are sought out by companies desiring to have the designation, "certified non-gmo".  Second, their website has a listing of foods they have certified as non-gmo to 0.09%.  According to their website, “Unfortunately, “GMO free” and similar claims are not legally or scientifically defensible due to limitations of testing methodology.  In addition, the risk of contamination to seeds, crops, ingredients and products is too high to reliably claim that a product is 'GMO free.' The Project’s claim offers a true statement acknowledging the reality of contamination risk, but assuring the shopper that the product in question is in compliance with the Project’s rigorous standard. The website url is included as part of the Seal to ensure that there is transparency for consumers who want to learn more about our verification. While the Non-GMO Project’s verification seal is not a “GMO free” claim, it is trustworthy, defensible, transparent, and North America’s only independent verification for products made according to best practices for GMO avoidance.” http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/understanding-our-seal/

The nongmoproject.org has compiled a list of the top GMO foods that are the highest risk. 

• Alfalfa (first planting 2011)
• Canola (approx. 90% of U.S. crop)
• Corn (approx. 88% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Cotton (approx. 90% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Papaya (most of Hawaiian crop; approximately 988 acres)
• Soy (approx. 94% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Sugar Beets (approx. 95% of U.S. crop in 2010)
• Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash (approx. 25,000 acres)

You may wonder why alfalfa is something to be concerned about.  Alfalfa is fed to animals we eat.  The food chain does start at our plates it starts at the food source.  Cotton is also concerning because cottonseed oil is used in foods too.  Interestingly, these raw ingredients are also used in other products such as body soap, lotions, hair products, and cosmetics.  Our skin is the largest organ on our body.  Applying products with GMO ingredients could be damaging to our systems.  As mentioned before, more studies need to be done to determine the risk. 

Those foods being monitored as a moderate risk include those listed below.  The monitored designation means these crops are watched based on GMO crops in common and also the possibility for cross contamination with a GMO crop.  

• Beta vulgaris (e.g., chard, table beets)
• Brassica napa (e.g., rutabaga, Siberian kale)
• Brassica rapa (e.g., bok choy, mizuna, Chinese cabbage, turnip, rapini, tatsoi)
• Curcubita (acorn squash, delicata squash, patty pan)
• Flax
• Rice
• Wheat

There are ingredients derived from GMO sources that are also concerning.  “Amino Acids, Aspartame, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbate, Vitamin C, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethanol, Flavorings (“natural” and “artificial”), High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Lactic Acid, Maltodextrins, Molasses, Monosodium Glutamate, Sucrose, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Xanthan Gum, Vitamins, Yeast Products.”

http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/what-is-gmo/

Fundamentally, more research needs to be done on the effects of GMO’s to the land and also to our bodies.  In the meantime, there are plenty of natural foods on the market that we know are healthy and we can support the companies making an effort by making informed purchases.  As consumers we need to look at the net affect of using GMO ingredients in our foods and other products.  Consuming a few GMO products here and there won’t likely cause problems for a person.  However, if the entire GMO chain is considered and its impact on our systems, there is cause to be concerned about the concentration of altered grains, meat, and produce that finds its way into our body systems.  Consider what your food is being fed, what you are putting on your body, and what you are putting in your body and then you can begin to see a clearer picture of why it is important to educate yourself on the products that may be contributing to serious health complications in the United States.  Awareness is the key to good health. 

For more information on genetically modified organisms, check out http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/about-gmos.html .  They have detailed the science behind GMO foods and included a statement from the Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) on the adverse health effects of genetically modified foods. 

French Bread

French bread is pretty cheap at the store but it tastes pretty cheap too because they don't use top quality ingredients.   The recipe for this dough is the same as the pizza dough, it just undergoes a slightly different process to become French Bread.   If you are going to make french bread at home regularly, I recommend getting a french bread baking pan.  The prices vary dramatically so search online for your price point.  I found mine at my local restaurant supply store and have been very happy with it.  These pans need to be greased before baking in them.  I use cooking spray and it works well.  You can also use a sprayer that allows you to put your choice of oil in and then pump the top several times to increase the inside pressure so that it will spray.  The price points and styles are also varied for sprayers so you will have to look around to find the one that suits you. 
            

Equipment:
Stand Mixer-KitchenAid works well
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
 Large Ceramic or Plastic Bowl
Plastic Wrap
Spray bottle filled with water

Ingredients:
1 package yeast-2 1/4 tsp
1 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
3 T Olive Oil
3-3 1/2 C Unbleached All-purpose flour
Cornmeal

Procedure:
1.  Combine the yeast with 1 cup of flour and 1/2 tsp sugar in the mixer fitted with the dough hook.
2.  Add 1 cup water and combine.
3.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate and begin growing.
4.  Add 2 T oil and the salt and mix.
5.  Add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time.  Do not add too much flour.  This dough should be smooth and elastic but not sticky.  The dough will be very stiff but you don't want it to be dry.
6.  Knead in the mixer or by hand until the dough is smooth and can be made into a ball.
7.  With the remaining 1 T of oil, rub it inside a bowl large enough for the dough to double in size.
8.  Place the dough in the bowl and then turn the dough over once in the oiled bowl to coat the dough with oil.  Cover with plastic wrap.  You don't want to let this dough dry out.
9.  Let rise till double in bulk.
10.  Punch down and knead on the counter for 2 minutes to incorporate the oil on the dough.  If you would like to flavor your dough, now is the time to add those ingredients.  You can add cheese, herbs, or anything you like at this point. 
11.  Flatten the dough out into an oval shape with your hands about 1/2 thick.
12.  Starting closest to you, roll the dough away from you using your thumbs to push the dough into itself and seal each time you roll the dough and it meets the flatten portion.  Continue this way until it is all rolled up.  13.  Pinch the end of the dough into the roll to seal the dough together.  This shape is called a batard.  You can slash the top of the dough then place on a parchment lined baking sheet to rise.
14.  Spray the dough with water while it is rising to prevent it from drying out.  Let it double in size. 
*15.  Bake at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Spray the inside of the oven with a water filled spray bottle 3 times throughout baking to achieve a crisp outer crust.
16.  Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before you try to cut into it.  The crust will be crispy but as it cools it will soften up.
This bread can be frozen and the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to make extra to have for another time.
* Commercial bread ovens have the ability to steam bread while it is baking.  This creates that nice crispy crust we all love on artisan breads.  To achieve this at home, you can spray the bread several times during the baking cycle to keep the bread wet.  Another way is to place a cast iron skillet filled with hot water in the bottom of the oven during the baking time.   The water evaporates during baking and achieves the same results. 

"The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast", by Caleb Warnock & Melissa Richardson

 

"The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast" is a very informative book.  Natural yeast is just another term for sourdough and the authors do a good job of defining what sourdough is.  The book is laid out in an easy to read format and offers relevant information about wheat and yeast with easy to find sources.  I enjoyed the journey described by Melissa Richards that led her to love baking with natural yeast and was struck by her candid confessions involving some of her failures as she honed her bread baking skills.  Anyone baker, either home cook or professional, is always working towards the perfect loaf.  Each batch of dough is a little different getting us closer to that "slice" of heaven. 
The recipes are easy to follow and her description of how to create your own natural yeast was informative.  The only thing I found myself questioning is whether a mason jar was really the best container to keep the starter in.  I have found a 1 gallon plastic bucket to be easier to work with because it has such a large opening and can hold more starter.  Other than that, it was a good read.  I highly recommend it for anyone starting on their journey of learning about natural yeast baking.  It is easy to locate on any internet search engine and reasonably priced at the $6.15 price point for an e-book and goes up to about $18.99.  If you are ordering it online be prepared to pay shipping or tax or both on some sites.  I was able to check out a copy from my local library to read before making the financial investment.  If your library doesn't have it you can request they get a copy and place you as the first one to check it out when they get it.