Pan is a term of ancient origin, deriving from panna a Celtic word. What makes it different from other utensils was its flat bottom. This is all pans and sauté pans, while very different in shape, are nonetheless called “pans.”  The frying pan remained unchanged for many years. Whether made of tinned copper or cast iron, the frying pan had a broad, shallow body and a long handle to keep the cook’s hand out of the fire.  In America, we often use the word “skillet,” especially when writing about cooking.  It just sounds better, less greasy and more appealing, a funny thought since most open hearth pans with legs were once called “spiders.”

Because I am The Organic Chef and because I live on an organic farm, my wife recently bought me an antique wood burning stove.  Inside the oven, I discovered BLACK GOLD, a set of antique cast iron pans. What a chef’s delight. It brought to mind my first introduction to a cast iron pan.  I think back on my first cast iron dinner … The memory is truly a treasure.

I was doing my first tour of many under a very traditional Northern Italian chef. I was cleaning under the broiler and Chef happened to be standing next to me soooo… I asked “Chef, why is this old pan always under your broiler? We never ever use it.” He said, “you have never used a cast iron skillet?” I said I had never seen a cast iron skillet. Chef made me what he called “Casino Chicken” (a roaster cut into 16 pieces dusted with tapioca flour, salt and pepper, fried in 1 pound of hot frothy unclarified butter for 45 minutes ’till good and done 20 +/- minutes per side), simple and good.

Wait a minute! Chef was cooking for me? What was it about this pan that would compel Chef to cook for an apprentice? Needless to say the meal is one I will never forget. The magic from the pan was in the meal and now was within me. I was hooked making everything from tarte tatin (using any fruits available), breads, cobblers, upside down cakes, chocolate clafoutis with fruit and or nuts, blackened anything. Chef finally ask me one day “Are you through, Al?”  I told him “for now.” He smiled.

If you are one of the fortunate ones to have a family hand me down, somehow the history makes the cooking even better. Perhaps it is the cast iron itself that screams history from meals passed? Maybe it is a great memory of grandma frying up some chicken?  There is a good feeling you get from cast iron that no other cooking vessel can give you.

Go in search for some Black Gold. Find it and you will be rewarded with a treasure indeed.

Cast iron frying pans must be seasoned before use and periodically afterwards. Many traditionalists maintain that a cast iron frying pan should never be washed, but rather wiped clean after each use. Washing destroys the anti-stick finish that forms through use and will promote rust. If you need to scrub, use kosher salt and a terry cloth that you will find will become its only purpose. Keep that cloth with your pan.

*some facts from Wikipedia

Make the time to visit local farmers markets and/or farm stands in your area.  I am not talking about the road side stands where the vendors drive to the produce depot in the wee hours of the morning and purchase industrial produce and then sell them on the side of the road.  These guys are easy to spot, you just come straight out and ask them where the produce came from or a simple “did you grow this yourself?” works.  If all else fails, just look at their hands. If they touch the earth, the earth touches them.   I’m a meat guy, and Wild Boar, Gator, Fowl, Venison, Rabbit and anything else I can find to trade is in my freezer.  I have beef, my wife makes great jam, and everyone does something that someone else needs. 

Farmers need marketing help, web site help, chores done and most will just give to you for free.  The hunters and trappers I have come to know have more inventory than they can eat.  Trappers are usually hired by builders that are displacing animals and the guys I know are really cruelty free types.  Most place all the live animals they can in homes but the fact is that sometimes the meat ends up in the freezer.   Treat your barter buddy fairly and get to know them.  If I wouldn’t have them over to my home for dinner, I wouldn’t trust them to provide me with food.  Remember this is an equally beneficial marriage. Below you will find a recipe for Wild Boar Tamales I recently cooked up with the Chef’s while visiting the Colony resort on Long Boat Key, Florida. “IT’S WILDLY DELICIOUS,” but you can use any wild game in place of the Boar.

We used ¼ of a Wild Boar:

Trim the Boar and save the fat for rendering.
Cube all the lean and stew for approximately 4 hours
Add to taste: Garlic, Cumin, Fennel, Salt and Pepper
Stir occasionally, taste often.
Allow to cool slightly and shred (We used a food processor)

For the dough I used Organic Masa corn flour and to it added chopped Green Olives without seeds or pimentos and chopped Cilantro, use plenty of both to make a dough.  Skim fat off the top of the pot and use it as the binder for the dough.  The dough should be soft not at all like bread dough, almost at the point of crumbling. On a moistened corn husk place a layer of dough covering about 2/3 of the corn husk Banana leaves can also be used be careful not to use too much dough. Banana leaves are quite a bit larger than corn husks. Place the dough directly in the center. Fill with a tablespoon of the meat mixture and roll the dough over the meat mixture using the husk in a side to side motion. Bring the edges together and fold over the ends. Tie them with butcher’s twine and steam for about 20-25 minutes. Tamales can be made in advance and reheated the next day, put into a  lunch box and even grilled they are  always a winner don’t forget the Aji.

For the Aji:
2 Bunches Organic Cilantro
One Yellow Organic Onion
Three Each Organic Peppers:
Yellow
Green
Red
Two Bottles of your favorite hot sauce, we used Texas Pete here.

Finely dice the cilantro. Dice all peppers and onions. Combine ingredients and LET SIT for a couple of hours. The chefs love this simple and delicious old family recipe.

Coronary Artery Disease (or CAD) is the single leading cause of mortality in the United States, accounting for over 900,000 deaths annually. More than two of every five Americans die of cardiovascular disease.  Why are we all so broken hearted?  BIG FAT LIARS!

Labels lie, and food marketing programs lead people to believe they’re doing good and that there is “good fat” and “bad fat.” The truth is rapidly becoming apparent that the standard recommended 30% fat in the American Diet is not low enough and that people have absolutely no idea how much fat they consume.  The average American eats 4.7 lbs. of trans fat per year and the USDA recommends that people consume no more than 1.6 lbs of this toxin a year, even though it’s being banned in part in New York City  because it’s so bad for you.

Fat is fat. If you eat it and are not lucky enough to be genetically blessed with resistance to heart disease, you will likely end up with cabbage.  In my house, we eat organically and try not to consume more than 10% of our calories from fat.  Always discuss it with your doctor, especially when it concerns children.  Our family has heart disease that can only be called a curse, it’s so omnipresent.  So, for us, we need to eat to live.  Low fat doesn’t mean boring, chemicals or that you’ll starve for good food.  Here are some tips I use to lower the amount of fat we eat:

1)      Eat Grass Fed Meats - corn fed means fat.

2)      Eat Bison, Eat WILD Venison, Boar

3)      Use applesauce instead of oil in cakes and baking

4)      Use egg whites only in omelets, cakes and pancakes

5)      Substitute NO fat organic chicken stock for oil

6)      Olive oil still has fat. Fat is fat. Even “good” fat has to be limited.

7)      Use spices - lots and lots of spices

8)      Low fat does not mean no cholesterol – CHECK THE LABELS!

9)      Total fat of all kinds, including cholesterol, is what you are looking to reduce.

10)   Stop using high fructose corn syrup.  I know I’ve said it a hundred times, but it causes your body to store fat!

11)   Get over it and just drink non fat milk

12)   Use fat free yogurt in sauces

13)   Become a friend of beans and rice

14)   Salsa is your BEST friend, we use it on beans, rice, egg whites

15)   Use rice noodles - they are fun, fat free in most cases and easy to cook

Some references to disgust yourself with just how much fat you really eat are:

www.chowbaby.com - Click on “fast food calories”

- Click on “fast food calories”www.dietfacts.com - Click on “fast food guide”

Just don’t blame me, I’m not the liar.

There is a solution - the 80% solution.  There are ways to feed your family organic, healthy and safer foods then what you are consuming right now and not blow that family budget.  Being “Pragmatic Organic” begins with eliminating the “big three,” high fructose corn syrup, trans fats (hydrogenated oils), hormones and antibiotics.

When most families make the jump to an organic lifestyle, it is a leap that is too far for them to make and land safely. Many land hard and get hurt and consequently get angry at organics and vow not to get hurt again, fool me once. ….

If you are contemplating an organic lifestyle or if you are already enjoying one, some simple steps can help you to reap even more rewards by taking stock in your food.      Getting the most out of the food you buy is value and a much better value than any super size serving.  Why would you throw out the organic bones of any type? Why throw out organic vegetables? We’ve stopped placing value on food in this country; cheap food isn’t great, it’s just cheap.  Learning to invest in food, to value it and use it to its fullest- taking stock while making stock is simple and provides some of the best food and nutrition available anywhere.  Stock can be used to cure a sore throat, make envious holiday gravy, a quick soup and super sauce.

When you go out to purchase your meats, never purchase them boneless.  Boneless is too expensive. Always try and I mean really try to purchase them from your local farmer (he will bargain with you) and if at all possible, ask him to throw you a bone, literally. Bones from grass fed or organically raised animals are little pieces of gold and if you can negotiate them into the deal, well, that would make Bob Barker proud.

If you are unable to get them for free, buy cuts of meat that have bones in them and, therefore, cost less - or just buy stock and soup bones. Some farmers may have big bone sirloins you can purchase at a great discount; these cuts have a very large bone with a good amount of meat on them.  Buy whole chickens, legs of lamb with bone in, ham shank bone in, whole turkeys, whole fish - get the idea?

When dealing with produce, ask for organic vegetables that are on the edge, ready to turn and get that discount!  This can also be done at your local grocery.  Return to your home with your bones and bounty in hand and get ready to make stock. This is where value comes in.  When you are done with your meals and those bones are sitting on the plate or in the pot and you look at them you will hear them say… roast me for a job well done. Bathe me for a job well done and finally simmer me long and slow and I will reward you with STOCK in the form of beneficial beef stock. Stock for tomorrow’s soups, for poaching, rice, polenta, roasting, basting and countless recipes. Worried about some of those expensive vegetables going bad?  Cash in some of your frozen stock and make beef minestrone or barley, maybe chicken noodle. The last line of culinary defense is soup and when you have stock available, nothing goes to waste.   
    
Stock Recipe
6-8 pounds of bones and trimmings
2 gallons tap cold water
1 -2 pound vegetables
Sachet d’Épices (sachet of herbs) usually a few parsley stems, sprig of thyme, bay leaf
a teaspoon of peppercorns and a garlic clove

Roasted bones yield a brown stock and raw bones yield a white or clear stock.

Combine the bones with enough cool water to cover the bones by a couple of inches.  Slowly bring to a slight simmer; the bubbles should barley break the surface. This allows for a slow complete extraction of all flavors.

Skim constantly for a cleaner and more stable stock (longer shelf life).
Continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by 1/3 (use a ruler, skewer or wooden spoon).  Add in your vegetables and continue to simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Do not forget to skim.  After 1½ hours, add your sachet and continue to simmer for an additional 45 minutes.
After the time has elapsed, taste your stock; if you are pleased with the taste, you are done.  Strain your stock if you are fortunate enough to have a chinois.  If not, strain it the best you can.

Use any small freezer safe container you have to store your liquid gold, the smaller the better. Remember ,it’s easier to use two small containers than to try to break a big one in half. Silicone muffin trays work well for freezing; pop out when frozen and transfer to a zip lock baggie.

Whenever I am asked to teach a culinary class, I feel honored that someone, anyone, would let me talk to them a great length about what I love to do. I go on about freshness, food miles, organic and, of course, avoiding the “BIG THREE” (high fructose corn syrup-hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides and also trans-fats). Some students listening intently, some even take notes or record the class. We go on and on stirring, mixing, chopping and laughing. I always make it a point to keep things light. Keep people loose. Letting them enjoy themselves.  After all, just because they are paying to learn does not mean it shouldn’t be fun.

The kitchen is the modern day focal point of most homes. HOORAY! People want to be where the fun is and a culinary class should not be any different.  We eat a little, maybe drink a little and definitely cook a lot. I ask my newfound friends, “What is that you like about cooking?” or “What are you looking to get out of this class?” I hear answers like: I want to learn new techniques to entertain my friends; I can cook a little and want to learn more. One thing I never hear is: I want to learn how to cook complex dishes. The stories come shortly after like some kind of support group. How they try to cook some thing out of a cookbook that look really impressive. How they saw a show that had subtitles and wanted to duplicate it. Burned, flopped, disgusting, inedible are some of the adjectives I hear.

This is my advice to my students that I will pass on to you today. Stay in the shallow end. They groan. I explain. The shallow end was a lot of fun; we didn’t really know what we were missing in the deep end.  As chefs, we were never there. The shallow end was where we first learned to swim with Mom or Dad.  Where we dove for dad’s spare change and some times got to keep it. Where we played Marco Polo or swam underwater from side to side for the first time. So as I remember it was NOT all that bad to stay in the shallow end (there were times that even though I had graduated to the deep end, I still played in the shallow end). The same goes for cooking. Enjoy yourself in the kitchen and don’t cook beyond your abilities, but always test your limits. Eventually you will be in the deep end. Remember don’t go swimming too soon in the deep end after you eat.  Learn to swim shallow first and you’ll love to cook.

With all the talk about local foods, slow food movement, carbon footprint, what do you believe?  Here is the real deal when it comes to learning the lingo.

And What’s a Carbon Footprint Doing on My Food?

Local food (also regional food or food patriotism) is a principle of sustainability relying on consumption of food products that are locally grown, especially those with regional historic and/or cultural significance. It is part of the concept of local purchasing, a preference to buy locally produced goods and services. Those who prefer to eat local food sometimes call themselves “localvores” or “locavores.” The concept is often related to the slogan Think globally, act locally, common in green politics.

If local food is full of pesticides however, what good is it really?
Sometimes an organic or pesticide-free from 300 miles away beats a
chemically laden locally grown food product.  The best idea? Know your food source and farmer.

A carbon footprint is the total amount of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of a product or service. Those who buy local are working to reduce their carbon footprint and, therefore,
global warming and other eco-concerns.

Sustainability is a characteristic of a process or state that can be maintained at a certain level indefinitely.

For example, if the Earth’s food resources are one big bank account, spending interest only without dipping into savings is sustainable food.  Examples of non-sustainable foods are those that reduce the population of a species or product or those that use the Earth’s resources to produce without replacing them.

When I tell them that it’s illegal to sell raw milk in Florida for human consumption, they start with their “wink, wink, why don’t you sell it to me as pet food?” talk. We even hear about “ cow-sharing” and other ways to circumvent the raw mik laws.

Not only do I not advocate breaking the law, I’m just not so sure how safe raw milk is or if I would want to drink it, let alone sell it to humans. The real and concrete good science still makes me err on the side of caution, which includes pasteurization.

Raw milk is frequently promoted as a “health food,” by highly publicized raw milk advocates, especially to those who are already ill or have compromised immune systems, such as patients with cancer or AIDS. Real science shows that the added stress piled onto the immune system from bacteria that can be in raw milk can be too much for an already compromised human being, let alone a healthy one. Moreover, salmonella dublin often found in raw milk can be enough to put someone who is already ill into a critical health state.

The real truth is that the farmer’s wife was boiling her milk long before agribusiness started pasturizing the stuff. In fact, farmer’s wives were often labeled lazy when their children ended up sick from milk that had not been boiled. Countries without agribusiness as enormous as the USA still boil their milk today recognizing the need for safety.

What the farmer’s wife didn’t do is create a fatty amalgamate by homogenization that had a long shelf life, hence a larger profit. Dr. Kurt A. Oster’s studies from the 1960s to the 1980s suggest that homogenized milk is a major factor in plaque formation, causing heart disease. Atherosclerosis begins with a small wound or lesion in the wall of the artery. Oster reasoned that the initial lesion was caused by the loss of plasmalogen from the cells lining the artery, leading to the development of plaque. He believed that the enzyme xanthine oxidase (XO) has the capacity to oxidize, or change, plasmalogen into a different substance, making it appear that the plasmalogen had disappeared. Heart disease didn’t skyrocket until they started messing with the fat. Oster theorized that the homogenization of milk somehow increased the biological availability of xanthine oxidase. Oster asserted that XO is found on the membrane of the fat globules in milk. Homogenization, on the other hand, would encapsulate the XO, so that it would not be digested in the stomach and intestines, but would enter the bloodstream through the intestinal wall where it causes its damage.

Surprised? Call me pragmatic but I’m just not shocked. I do recognize the benefits of a non-homogenized milk product pasteurized slowly at a very low temperature, which I happily and legally sell to customers. In my opinion, there is a happy medium, one where clean milk meets healthy milk; all grass fed milk without homogenization suits our very Pragmatic Organic lifestyle just fine.

Why am I afraid of homogenization? It’s very simple. I have cream on top of my milk in little glass bottles at my house. Remember that? Milk straight from the cow contains cream, which rises to the top. Homogenization breaks up the fat globules and evenly distributes them throughout the milk so that they do not rise. Again, it’s our palate for creamy long shelf life products that has landed us in trouble.

While the jury is still out for most people on homogenization, I will continue to drink and cook with non-homogenized pasteurized milk. Non-homogenized milk is milk that is closer to its natural state while still being relatively free of the bacteria that low heat pasteurization eliminates. To me, that’s less to be afraid of.