Before I dive into the details of Beni's TWO amazing creations for Saturday (brunch AND dinner... I know, I know... I've got it really rough), I want to talk a little bit about where our ingredients came from, because I have another motive behind this blog in addition to just bragging about my husband. I'm here to sing the praises of WHOLE FOODS. No, not the market chain, but actual unprocessed, unrefined foods that aren't polluted with added sugar, salt, or fat.
If you're not a label reader, I challenge you to start reading them on everything you buy. For today's lesson, let's talk a minute about MSG. It's not just in Chinese food. It's everywhere.
For the most part, studies have shown it's basically harmless in adult humans when "eaten at customary levels". Glutamic acid and it's glutamates occur naturally in foods, especially when fermented or aged, but the process of extracting the ions and salts (monosodium glutimate = MSG) and injecting them into everything we eat as an additive seems really unnatural to me.
While the science community is split on whether there truly are detrimental health effects from MSG, as long as there are disagreements, it make sense to me to stay cautious; Especially when they are using words like "neurotoxic effects" and "neurodegenerative effects", and "particularly concerned with potential effects in infants and young children".
AND, for anyone out there trying to lose some weight (like me), there is a positive link between MSG intake and obesity in humans.
I'll save my story for how I've lost 40 pounds this year (even with this gourmet chef living in my house) just by eliminating certain foods for another day.
But for now, read your labels and be on the look out for words like monosodium glutimate, added flavors, artificial flavors, natural flavors (yes, they use the term "natural flavors" when in fact it's MSG, because they used "natural" ingredients that when fermented create their own MSG). This link has some other names for hidden MSG: http://www.msgmyth.com/hidename.htm
So enough preaching and back to Saturday's ingredients...
One nice thing (the only nice thing) about having children that are insanely early risers is that they get us up in plenty of time to hit the Fayetteville Farmers' Market bright and early and get to the good stuff before they run out. The weather was phenomenally sunny and cool and the square was hustling and bustling this weekend. Here's some of the loot we brought home with us:
Tomatoes, super sweet onion, cabbage, banana peppers, purple bell pepper, brussel sprouts (on the stalk! The boys were stoked about that one), and half a dozen veggie-fed duck eggs.
All but the brussel sprouts are featured in Saturday's meals.
Saturday morning's Soundtrack: Alison Krauss and Union Station (hence the O Brother soundtrack reference in today's post title) and a little Paolo Nutini.
Saturday brunch: Eggs in Tomato Sauce
If you've got leftover tomato sauce, this meal takes about 5 minutes, but we didn't, so Beni made fresh sauce blanching the tomatoes from the farmers' market and crushing them. *Note: This dish is supremely better with home-made sauce, but store-bought can be used if you must.
In a sauce pan, Beni cooked some crushed garlic in olive oil and then added the prepped tomatoes and simmered until it thickened up.
Once it was ready, he cracked each of the six duck eggs and gently slid them into the sauce (so as to keep the yolks whole). Next, the pan went into the pre-heated 400 degree oven until the whites were set and the yolks were still a little runny.
The eggs and sauce were then plated with a nice crusty piece of Ciabatta toast and topped with fresh basil and parmesan.
I sincerely felt like I was sitting down to a little piece of Italian heaven. The sauce was simple and delicious. The eggs were rich and creamy, and the toast added an ideal contrasting texture to the dish.
Needless to say we were nourished enough to last us until dinner time. Stay tuned to find out what became of that cabbage and those peppers.
If you're not a label reader, I challenge you to start reading them on everything you buy. For today's lesson, let's talk a minute about MSG. It's not just in Chinese food. It's everywhere.
For the most part, studies have shown it's basically harmless in adult humans when "eaten at customary levels". Glutamic acid and it's glutamates occur naturally in foods, especially when fermented or aged, but the process of extracting the ions and salts (monosodium glutimate = MSG) and injecting them into everything we eat as an additive seems really unnatural to me.
While the science community is split on whether there truly are detrimental health effects from MSG, as long as there are disagreements, it make sense to me to stay cautious; Especially when they are using words like "neurotoxic effects" and "neurodegenerative effects", and "particularly concerned with potential effects in infants and young children".
AND, for anyone out there trying to lose some weight (like me), there is a positive link between MSG intake and obesity in humans.
I'll save my story for how I've lost 40 pounds this year (even with this gourmet chef living in my house) just by eliminating certain foods for another day.
But for now, read your labels and be on the look out for words like monosodium glutimate, added flavors, artificial flavors, natural flavors (yes, they use the term "natural flavors" when in fact it's MSG, because they used "natural" ingredients that when fermented create their own MSG). This link has some other names for hidden MSG: http://www.msgmyth.com/hidename.htm
So enough preaching and back to Saturday's ingredients...
One nice thing (the only nice thing) about having children that are insanely early risers is that they get us up in plenty of time to hit the Fayetteville Farmers' Market bright and early and get to the good stuff before they run out. The weather was phenomenally sunny and cool and the square was hustling and bustling this weekend. Here's some of the loot we brought home with us:
Tomatoes, super sweet onion, cabbage, banana peppers, purple bell pepper, brussel sprouts (on the stalk! The boys were stoked about that one), and half a dozen veggie-fed duck eggs.
All but the brussel sprouts are featured in Saturday's meals.
Saturday morning's Soundtrack: Alison Krauss and Union Station (hence the O Brother soundtrack reference in today's post title) and a little Paolo Nutini.
Saturday brunch: Eggs in Tomato Sauce
If you've got leftover tomato sauce, this meal takes about 5 minutes, but we didn't, so Beni made fresh sauce blanching the tomatoes from the farmers' market and crushing them. *Note: This dish is supremely better with home-made sauce, but store-bought can be used if you must.
In a sauce pan, Beni cooked some crushed garlic in olive oil and then added the prepped tomatoes and simmered until it thickened up.
Once it was ready, he cracked each of the six duck eggs and gently slid them into the sauce (so as to keep the yolks whole). Next, the pan went into the pre-heated 400 degree oven until the whites were set and the yolks were still a little runny.
The eggs and sauce were then plated with a nice crusty piece of Ciabatta toast and topped with fresh basil and parmesan.
I sincerely felt like I was sitting down to a little piece of Italian heaven. The sauce was simple and delicious. The eggs were rich and creamy, and the toast added an ideal contrasting texture to the dish.
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