At Last! A Conversation With Giada De Laurentiis

I guess it's no secret that I like and admire Giada De Laurentiis. I have previously written a couple of pieces defending her from jealous and/or uninformed detractors, scribblings which several thousand of you have read, thankyewverymuch. In those missives I openly admit that my opinions are based solely upon television viewing, for I had never had the pleasure of meeting Giada in person. Until recently. And the results of that meeting have placed me even more firmly in her corner. Bad-mouthing nitwits, twits, and gits should be ashamed of their ignorance. Giada De Laurentiis is a truly nice person.

My only critique of my first “Giada Experience” is that, unlike Bobby Flay and other culinary celebs I've hooked up with, Giada's retinue is more reflective of her Hollywood roots. She has “handlers” and “people” and agents who form barriers and hold up hoops through which one must jump in order to get close to their “star.” Now, at the risk of sounding conceited, folks, this was not my first rodeo. Over a career spanning nearly forty years in the entertainment business, I have developed calluses on my elbows from rubbing them with “stars.” I have shared stages and backstages with celebrities of every stripe and agents, handlers and “people” just don't impress me. And they seldom deter me, either.

Thanks to some quality interference running from PR maven extraordinaire Jill Collins, I finally got some face time with my personal culinary goddess between demo shows at the recent Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show in Atlanta. And, man, was it worth the effort.

First, a few words about Giada's live demo show. Warm. Fun. Engaging. Charming. Open. Enjoyable. Much like the woman herself. No pun intended, but people were eating out of her hand the minute she stepped onto the stage. She fielded questions from the audience, cooked side-by-side with eager volunteers, and presented delicious food in a manner that said, “C'mon. You can do this, too.” Kind of like a live, interactive version of “Everyday Italian.”

Back in the “green room,” it was pretty obvious that Giada was a little tired. Even so, she was unfailingly warm and gracious as we were introduced. Seated in a large overstuffed chair, she seemed even more diminutive than she does on TV. But that dazzling smile – the one that so many goofs criticize as “fake” – was, indeed, very real and immediately lent an open and friendly aura to the conversation that followed. Because the room's seating arrangement wasn't exactly optimal for small recording devices, Giada obligingly allowed me to sit literally at her feet as we chatted. And never once did I drool on her shoes.

RJ: Let me start by clarifying two things: First of all, your name is “Giada.”

GDL: Yes....

RJ: It has two syllables: “jah-dah.” It's not “gee-ah-dah.”

GDL: It's not. It's actually “jyah-dah.”

RJ: Means “jade.”

GDL: Correct, it does. But, you know, I answer to almost anything. So a lot of people who can't pronounce my name, I just tell them to call me “G.”

RJ: And the other thing to clarify is the fact that, yes, you really are a cook. You really are a chef. You do have formal training, you do have experience. I know you don't need any defense from people like me, but I have actually written some things defending you against the people who have always said, “Oh, she's just a pretty face.”

GDL: (sighs) I know.

RJ: But, no, that's not true. You really do have the background to justify your position in the culinary world, correct?

GDL: I do. I think that … I think it's going to be an ongoing battle forever. But that's okay. I think that the proof is in the pudding, and I truly believe that if I didn't have the culinary chops and I didn't write recipes that worked and that people loved, I guess I wouldn't be here almost ten years later. And you know, I think that people will talk about you regardless, and it doesn't matter whether you're doing great or you're not doing great, up or down, there's always going to be haters and there's always going to be people who like you and you just can't please everybody. My food isn't for everyone. It just isn't. It's my food, the way I like it, and some people will like it and some people won't and that's okay.

RJ: Well, now, you know, I talked to some people in line here before...this morning...for your book signing, and one of the questions I was asking them is, “Why are you such a fan of Giada's? Why do you like Giada De Laurentiis?” And I got the same answer....

GDL: They're all like, “Wait! That's who I'm here to see? It's not Paula Deen? This is the wrong day!” Just teasing.

RJ: ... but I got the same answer from a lot of them, and that was, “because Giada's food is so approachable. It's so easy. You know, I watch Giada on TV and I think, 'I could cook like that.'” Is that kind of where you wanted to go when you started out with “Everyday Italian” and through the progression of shows and things you've done since then? To make your food and your cooking accessible to people?

GDL: I think when I started “Everyday Italian” my goal was to allow people to be able to make really good, easy Italian food at home. The way my mom did. And I think that most people believed that in order to get great Italian food you had to go to an Italian restaurant. You couldn't possibly recreate those dishes at home. And I wanted to demystify that. My mom made great Italian food, very simple. You know, there were four kids to feed and I felt like, wait a second...I don't think you guys realize that great Italian food is actually very simple and that if you go to an Italian's house in Italy, you will not find the same food that you find in restaurants that's all gussied up. Italian food is not gussied up. And that's truly what my ultimate goal was. And I like to eat simple, good, clean food. You know, I'm not saying I'm a low-fat cook or a gluten-free cook or any of those things, but I like simple, good food. Just like many of my counterparts on Food Network do. Everybody has they're own spin on the food. This is my spin on my Italian food and all I ever wanted was for people to see it and to think, “I can do that, and I think my family's going to love it. And I can do it pretty easily and pretty quickly. And it's going to turn out every time and I'm going to wow my friends and family without spending tons and tons of time in the kitchen.” And I'm hoping that, ultimately, that has always been my goal and that is what I … you know, every time I write a recipe, that is what I'm thinking about.

RJ: There's your show and a lot of other shows that pioneered on the Food Network that we call the “dump and stir” shows, but it seems more now – and without biting the hand that feeds you too much – it seems more like we're going to shows about food as opposed to shows where you create food. Do you see that as a trend or do you think there's a place for both?

GDL: I definitely think there's a place for both. I think that's also why Food Network started the Cooking Channel, because there were a large group of people who really wanted to go back to the traditional just straight cooking show. They're really looking to learn and I think that Food Network...like MTV did. They started out with music videos but then they went to reality shows and you saw very few music videos, and so everybody sort of after awhile drifts apart from their main core audience. And so to go back to the core, they started Cooking Channel. And I think that my show, “Giada at Home,” at this point is more of a lifestyle show. Yes, there's recipes and cooking and I do teach you how to cook, but I also teach you how to live a certain type of lifestyle. Entertaining tips, etc, etc. And “Everyday Italian,” which is now on the Cooking Channel, is straight cooking demo, and so I do believe that there is a place for both things. People are looking for both. And there are some people that aren't looking for both and there's a place to find either one. So it's just amazing how it has exploded. Look at you, doing a job that you probably didn't think you could do ten years ago or didn't think there was a niche for it …

RJ: True.

GDL: ...so and now you do. Now there is.

RJ: Final thought: where do you think food is going? What do you see the direction...I ask everybody this. I asked Bobby Flay last year – it's my stock question. But what direction do you see food taking in the next few years? It's gone from cooking everything out of a box and a can, now we have more emphasis on fresh ingredients and things like that. So where do you see the trend?

GDL: I think people want healthier food. They want healthier, clean food and they want to know what's in their food. And I think people are starting to get away from buying canned and boxed items and realizing that it's really not good for you in the long term and not good for our children, and they're starting to...ah...look at...there's farmers markets all over this country. Five years ago you couldn't find that. Maybe you found it once a week in maybe a big city. Now you find them everywhere. People are looking for fresh, simple ingredients. People want to eat well, but they want creative ways to do that. So I really see a shift changing. I think people are getting away from fast food. I think they are getting away from processed food and boxed food. I think people are really spending time learning to actually cook food from scratch. And gardening. I think a lot of people are starting to plant little gardens in their backyard...

RJ: Again.

GDL: Again. It's so cyclical, you know what I mean?

RJ: Yeah, had one when I was a kid.

GDL: Yeah, but then we got away from it. Because of convenience. And because we wanted things quickly. Now we realize that that convenience is actually killing us and killing our children. So we're going to go back to what our parents did. And maybe spend a little more time understanding what we're putting in our bodies. You know, I think we spend a lot of money on a lot of superficial exterior things and we're not taking care of this vessel that has to carry us through a very long lifetime. And every single thing that you put in your mouth has a payoff. You will pay, one way or the other, for every single thing. And we should treat our bodies like a temple and only put the best stuff in it. That's where I think we're going. I think we're starting to realize that.

RJ: You could write for my blog.

GDL: I think it's wonderful! I do! I'm so proud that Americans are so interested in food. When I moved here with my family thirty-some years ago, it wasn't like this. TV dinners were the rage. That's what everybody ate.

RJ: There's been a sea change and I think you're part of it. People like you and your colleagues at the Food Network. I think...

GDL: I think Food Network has had a big impact. It's wonderful that they've embraced it. I mean, they could have chosen not to. And they did. And after 9-11 people are hungry for tradition and culture and love and connection. I mean, that's what food does for people. It connects people. And that's what they want. They want some kind of connection with somebody and I think that Food Network does a great job of giving them that in many different forms.

RJ: I thank you for your time. I know you're busy and I appreciate it.

GDL: Thank you.

RJ: Giada De Laurentiis, grazie mille!

GDL: Grazie ti!

Book Review: "To Romance, With Love" by Dave Valletta

I was cruising the vendor booths at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show in Atlanta a few weeks ago. Tucked away among the merchants selling everything from orange juice to exotic sea salts was a small cubicle occupied by a charming and friendly couple, Dave and Denise Valletta. They weren't hawking barbecue sauce or kitchen gadgets; they were selling romance.

I'm a firm believer in the romantic possibilities of the kitchen. I have frequently spoken and written on the subject of cooking as a form of couples' therapy. My wife and I live in our kitchen. It's where we exercise our culinary passion to create delicious food. It's also where we go to talk, laugh, and have a good time together. Whether commercial or home, there are no “chores” or “tasks” in our kitchens. There is no drudgery, only mutual enjoyment of a shared activity. So I was immediately drawn to and intrigued by Dave's book, “To Romance, With Love.”

Subtitled as “A Cookbook for Lovers and Those Who Want to Be,” the book is 115 pages of fun. The first thing you'll notice is the book's unique design. It's a sturdy spiral-bound hardback with slick, glossy pages that are intended to actually be used in the kitchen. The text is cleverly divided into chapters with headings like “Ready for a Romantic Dinner,” which outlines the “ingredients” for the perfect romantic evening. “Being Equipped to Romance” lists the pots and pans and kitchen tools you'll need to execute the recipes contained in the book's later chapters. There are also chapters on “The Passionate Pantry,” “The Menu,” and other nuts-and-bolts topics as well as some cute chapters with titles like, “The First Time Ever She Saw Him Cook.”

One of the book's most interesting features are the recipes themselves. They are all organized on individual “menu” pages that are neatly tucked into their own little pockets. For instance, the “I Got You, Babe” menu consists of an appetizer of bruschetta followed by an arugula w/ tomato and Parmesan salad. The entrée is Chicken Marsala with a vegetable side of asparagus with garlic. The dessert “suggestion” calls for strawberries with chocolate sauce. There's a gorgeous photo facing the little pocket containing the menu card. On the reverse side of the card are the actual recipes for the entire meal. As a bonus, the pocket also contains a shopping list for all the ingredients. I mean, a real list you can actually take out and carry to the grocery store.

To add to the fun, the pockets all feature quotes on love and romance. The quote accompanying the “I Got You, Babe” menu on page 33 says, “A happy man marries the girl he loves; a happier man loves the girl he marries.” – Anonymous.

According to his bio blurb on Amazon.com, “Dave Valletta has had a lifelong romance with food. Ever since his mother first showed him how to prepare sauces as a young boy, Dave developed a love for cooking. He continued to experiment with different flavors, putting his own sumptuous spin on classic meals. He is a frequent host for friends and family, who ultimately convinced him that he needed to share his unique recipes with others."

"Although Dave is passionate about cooking, the true love of his life, and the inspiration for this cookbook, is his wife Denise. For the past 26 years they have enjoyed a loving marriage filled with great fun, food, faith and four wonderful children. As a hopeless romantic, Dave uses every opportunity to romance his wife and believes that is the key to a happy successful marriage. He truly believes that preparing a romantic night for your spouse is one of the most rewarding experiences."

"Dave has spent the last three years compiling his delectable recipes and romance tips to create 'To Romance, With Love', the ultimate guide to igniting the flame in any marriage.”

Part cookbook, part advice column, and part philosophy of love and romance, “To Romance, With Love” is a wonderful addition to any lovers' kitchen – or, as the subtitle indicates, to the kitchen of anyone desirous of being a lover. Any couple, newlywed or old retread, will benefit from the advice and techniques contained within these pages.

The recipes, text, and photographs for “To Romance, With Love” are all by Dave Valletta, who states that the book is “not possible without Denise Valletta.” It is richly illustrated by Christine Kerrick and is privately published by To Romance With Love, LLC, ©2009. Available through www.toromancewithlove.com, the book is also listed on Amazon.com.

Buy a copy today and cook something for – or, better still, with – someone you love tonight.

Out With the Old Pyramid and In With the New Food Plate

I seldom have to second guess myself or struggle to take a position on something. That said, I've written and rewritten this post three times over the course of the last four days because I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with me. Am I the only food writer in the world who is not rapturous over the USDA's newest dietary icon?

Quick quiz: what's the first thing you associate with a pyramid? Egypt, right? Pharaohs, camels, sand, etc. Now, what do you associate with a plate? Ding, ding ding! You've got it! Food!

Somebody in Washington did some cogitating and the decades-old “food pyramid” employed by the USDA to outline and depict its dietary recommendations is going bye-bye, replaced by a “simpler” and “more symbolic” plate. Okay, so maybe the “plate” looks suspiciously like a pie chart, but at least it's a step in the right direction. Anything's better than the universally ridiculed and reviled “pyramid.” Or is it?

I'm trying to like the new plate, I truly am. But while my colleagues are all composing symphonies in praise of the fabulous innovation, I keep catching glimpses of the man behind the curtain.

Now, the government has been in the “dietary recommendation” business for a long time, issuing its first edict back in 1894, long before many of the current foundations of nutrition were even known. (No vitamins back in those days.) They came up with the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) around 1941. The “Basic Four Food Groups” soon followed. Conceived in the 1950s, the “Basic Four” consisted of 1) meats, poultry, fish, dried beans and peas, eggs, and nuts; 2) dairy products, including milk, cheese, and yogurt; 3) grains, such as wheat, rice, oats, and corn; 4) fruits and vegetables. A fifth “basic” group -- fats, sweets and alcoholic beverages – was added in the '70s. But now that the “Basic Four” (or Five) was established, the problem became one of proportions. How much of what group was one supposed to consume? A nifty graphic representation of some kind was called for and so came about the first “Food Pyramid.”

Officially called the “Improved American Food Guide Pyramid,” it was introduced in 1992, although the concept had been kicked around and tweaked since the late '70s. The pyramid depicted a wide base of bread, cereal, rice and pasta (6 to 11 servings) followed by a divided layer of fruits (2 to 4 servings) and vegetables (3 to 5 servings). Next came the bifurcated level for meats (2 to 3 servings) and dairy (2 to 3 servings). Capping the pyramid was the “fats, oils, and sweets” group, with the recommendation “use sparingly.”

The pyramid was criticized immediately by the meat and dairy industries, both of which accused the government of attempting to marginalize their products. Nutritionists of every calling took potshots at everything from the pyramid's indiscriminate lumping of fats together regardless of nutritional value to the similar wholesale inclusion of all proteins as being equal. The lactose-intolerant objected to the high priority assigned to dairy products, the vegetarians howled about the preponderance of meat and dairy, and everybody complained about the overall lack of clarity. For instance, the 2 to 3 servings from the meat group was intended as a maximum recommendation, while the 2 to 4 fruit servings was supposed to be a minimum, information not really made clear by the pyramid.

The whole structure was turned on its ear – literally – in 2005 and relabeled “MyPyramid: Steps To a Healthier You.” Unfortunately, the graphic was even wackier than the original. Gone were the horizontally stacked building blocks, replaced by brightly colored vertical stripes theoretically depicting the proper proportions of each food group. But while it made for an eye-appealing picture to put on cereal boxes and such, it was deemed clumsy and vague in its purpose. And the idea that throwing a guy walking up a flight of stairs set into the side of the thing was supposed to indicate the addition of exercise to diet was whimsical at best.

But now it's out with the Pyramid and in with the Plate. “My Plate,” to be exact, and you can check it out for yourself at www.choosemyplate.gov.

The new icon is divided into four sections representing protein, grain, fruits, and vegetables. For some reason, dairy products get their own plate. Go figure. There's also a fork to the left of the plate, indicating at least that somebody at the USDA knows how to set a proper table.

Like the last version of the pyramid, there are lots of bright colors. But although First Lady Michelle Obama calls the new symbol “a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we're eating,” it doesn't seem that the plate is any better at outlining a healthy diet than was the pyramid.

At first glance it's pretty obvious that the green section representing vegetables is the largest. The brown(ish) slice depicting grains is slightly smaller but still larger than the red and sort of purple sections that show fruits and proteins, respectively. And there's dairy, a little blue plate over on the right. If you look at it the way the government wants you to see it, you'll realize that the fruit and vegetable sections, although unequal in size in and of themselves, comprise the entire left half of the plate, indicating – in the USDA's vision – that fruits and vegetables should make up half of your daily diet. Grains and proteins – the right side of the plate – should be the other half, with more grains that proteins because the larger grain section is on top of the smaller protein section. And then there's dairy, a little unexplained blue plate over on the right. No more fats, sweets, and alcohol apparently. Not even a napkin ring for them. The little guy climbing the stairs is gone, too, so it seems exercise is no longer a part of the picture.

There are no suggested servings – nothing to tell you how much of this or how little of that to consume. No percentages, no portion sizes, nothing advising you of what substances to limit or avoid – no real information at all. Just another pretty, colorful picture.

You likely don't want to know how many of your tax dollars went into this redesign boondoggle, but rest assured, the “experts” say that the plate will help people make better food choices because many people found the pyramid to be too complicated. Let's see...a wide base for grains with a smaller layer divided between fruits and vegetables, then a smaller layer divided between meats and dairy, and finally a tiny little top layer for fats and sweets. My goodness, yes. It's easy to see how that could confuse somebody. It's much simpler to say that half of your diet should come from two food groups and half from the other two, because, mathematically speaking, two halves make a whole, right? Except for that little portion of dairy out there in right field that doesn't seem to belong anywhere and we just won't talk about fats and sweets, even though diabetes and obesity are rampant.

“My Plate” is certainly less cluttered than its triangular predecessor. I mean, it's a circle divided into four slightly unequal parts. (Plus a separate little circle off to the right.) How much simpler could an icon be? But for all its alleged clarity and simplicity, does it really tell you anything?

In fairness, if you actually take the time to go to the previously cited site, all the information you could ever desire is both copious and clear. The website is an absolute font of diet and nutrition knowledge, jam-packed with all kinds of facts and figures and tips and ideas. But until the Feds figure out how to put it all on a cereal box, My Plate is no different than MyPyramid. It's a pretty picture that is not really worth the thousand words it took to describe it. (Actually, 1368 words, but who's counting?)

Memorial Day -- A Day of Remembrance, Not a Day to "Celebrate"

This post comes under the "whatever else pops into my head" category since it has nothing to do with food, travel, or entertainment. Or does it?

Memorial Day, as it is "celebrated" in the United States today is all about food, travel, and entertainment. And sales. Don't forget the sales.

It's the "unofficial beginning of summer." Most people are off work and they head to the beach or the mountains or the backyard for a long weekend of grilling and eating and drinking and partying. That, to them, is the reason Memorial Day exists. "Happy Memorial Day," I heard some dope on the radio proclaim.

Stop!

Look up the word "memorial." My dictionary says,"Something designed to preserve the memory of a person, event, etc." Nowhere does the definition include the words "party" or "sale." Memorial Day is not a "happy" occasion and it is not to be "celebrated." It is, rather an event to be reflected upon and observed. It is not all about the beginning of summer, unofficial or otherwise, and it is most certainly not a time for merchants to exploit as still another excuse for a "sale."

Originally called "Decoration Day," -- from the practice of decorating the graves of the war dead with flowers and flags -- the day is intended to honor and commemorate US soldiers who died in military service. Think about that before "Happy Memorial Day" next passes your lips. Originally conceived to honor the Union dead from the Civil War, it was first observed on May 30, 1868 -- a date chosen specifically because it was not the anniversary of any battle or conflict -- following a proclamation issued on May 5 of that year by Gen. John A. Logan, acting in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of a veteran's organization called the Grand Army of the Republic, in which he stated that Decoration Day should be observed nationwide.

Although considered a "Yankee" holiday at its inception, the South followed suit and created a day to commemorate its dead. That day was frequently June 3, Confederate President Jefferson Davis' birthday. But time healed the rift and by the close of World War I, Decoration Day or Memorial Day was observed with equanimity across the nation, honoring the dead from all wars.

My grandmother still referred to the day as "Decoration Day" in the 1960s, but the term "Memorial Day" was first applied in the 1880s and came into common use following World War II.

Still observed with patriotic parades and speeches when I was growing up in the '50s and early '60s, the transmogrifying of Memorial Day from a day of quiet and respectful reflection to one of riotous partying and crass commercialism began in earnest when the day was included in 1968's Uniform Holidays Bill, enacted into law in 1971. The measure was designed by some idiot to do nothing more than create convenient three-day weekends to appease the masses. Thus Memorial Day was stripped of its original date of observance to become a "Monday Holiday."

Several groups, including the VFW, advocate returning Memorial Day to its traditional date. In its 2002 Memorial Day Address the VFW stated that "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed a lot to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day." I wholeheartedly agree. Check out the site at http://www.usmemorialday.org/ where you'll find more information about a movement to restore Memorial Day to its proper status.
Inasmuch as there is a lot being said about keeping "Christ" in "Christmas," should there not be equal energy expended to keeping the "Memory" in "Memorial Day?"

If there must be a "beginning of summer" ritual, all well and good. Party, get drunk, overeat, and spend egregious sums of money if you so desire. But let's name it accordingly. We've managed to transform the Easter vacation of my youth into "Spring Break" and other PC euphemisms, so let's call the last weekend of May "Summer Saturnalia" or something and leave Memorial Day out of the whole wretched excess to be observed as it was originally intended.

Excuse me, but I have to swing by the cemetery on my way to the big party at the beach and tell my uncle who died in World War I military service about the latest sale we're having in his honor.

News Flash: FDA Says Pink Pigs Are Okay!

Okay, so you know the FDA has been forcing you to overcook your pork for, oh, the last million years or so, right? But no more! Rejoice, swine lovers, for the Food and Drug Administration has finally come to its collective senses and sanctioned something that most of us have already been doing for years; cooking pork to a lower temperature.

The new recommendation for whole cuts of pork is 145°F as measured with a food thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat. This reflects a significant lowering from the previously established 160° mark and will now result in a bit of (gasp!) pinkness showing up in “the other white meat.” (Oops! Sorry. I forgot. The people who push pork now want us to “Be Inspired,” so just pretend I didn't mention “the other white meat.”)

Anyway, as I said before, from restaurant pros to savvy home cooks, nobody has paid any attention to the 160° recommendation in many, many years. With the exception of the FDA, everybody else figured out long ago that the restriction was outdated and unnecessary and that it produced dried out, badly overdone pork. So why did the Federal Food Folks recommend it in the first place? That I can tell you in one word! Tradition! No wait! That was Tevye in “Fiddler On The Roof.” The FDA's word was trichinosis.

Once upon a time, illness caused by the larvae of the parasitic trichinella worm often present in raw or undercooked pork was a real cause for concern. Mild cases of trichinosis produce the usual unpleasant enteric symptoms of nausea, heartburn, diarrhea and the like. Severe cases – where the little buggers reach the central nervous system – can be fatal. But due to decades of vastly improved farming and processing methods, the incidence rate of trichinosis in the US is down to fewer than 40 cases a year, and those cases are generally attributable to ingestion of wild game. And besides, trichinosis bacteria drop deader than little hammers at 138°. To illustrate a case in point, there once was a little kid back in the early '60s who used to love snacking on raw bacon. My.....er, his mother used to scream “trichinosis” every time she caught him doing it, but he persisted until he reached an age at which he realized for himself how disgusting the practice was. And still he survived without ever contracting the disease. That would likely not have been the case in an earlier time. (Please, whatever you do, realize that that was an anecdote and not an endorsement of eating raw bacon!)

The nutritional nature of pork has changed over the years as well. According to the National Pork Board, today's pork is fifteen percent leaner and twenty-seven percent lower in saturated fat than the pork products of twenty years ago.

There are a couple of caveats attached to the new guidelines. For one thing, the FDA now officially recommends something intelligent cooks already practice; allowing cooked meat to rest. The “official” rest period for pork cooked to 145° is three minutes. (Carry-over or residual heating during that time will likely result in a finished temperature of about 150°.)

Secondly, cooks and consumers should be aware that the new numbers relate only to cuts of whole pork. Ground pork should still be cooked to 160°.

And the FDA wants you to know that the changes only apply to pork. Safe cooking temperatures for other meats remain unchanged. For instance, you still need to cook poultry to 165°.

But if you're okay with a little pink in your pork, the government is now okay with it, too. No more hockey puck pork chops. The Fed says you can now safely enjoy those tender, succulent, medium-rare chops, tenderloins, and roasts you've probably already been enjoying, much to your grandmother's horror and chagrin. Of course, some people are never satisfied. Michael Symon, the “Iron Chef” with a pig tattooed over his heart, regrets that the FDA didn't lower the temperature another ten degrees. I'll bet he used to eat raw bacon when he was a kid, too.

One forty-five is in! So pig out!

A Visit to Atlanta's East 48th Street Market

A Slice of New York's “Little Italy” in the Capital of the New South

I love making great little discoveries. So many travelers rely on familiar franchises and comfortable chains. I know of a man who is so addicted to a particular fast food drive-in chain that he plans his travel itinerary based solely upon that franchise's locations. And that's a shame because by doing so, he is denying himself the experience of landmark local places like “The Beacon” drive-in in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Such people miss out on so many marvelous opportunities to sample unique local flavors and customs. Life's too short to always be so bland and boring.

That's why I'm so thrilled with the East 48^th Street Market, my latest bonanza in suburban Atlanta.

A note to small business owners: it pays to target your advertising dollars. As a subscriber to La Cucina Italiana magazine, I often check the section in the very back that lists Italian gourmet shops and stores across the country. I've seen the East 48^th Street Market's listing in every issue for years and have always thought “I've got to find that place someday.” And the time finally arrived.

In town for the 2011 Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show at the Cobb Galleria Centre, I was staying nearby and decided to see where the East 48^th Street Market was located in relation to my hotel and the show venue. Google Maps said it was only a few miles away in Dunwoody. I took a look at their website, which further convinced me that I needed to check them out. So with my iPhone GPS showing the way, I headed off on my culinary safari.

Now, my brain kept telling me that the East 48^th Street Market should be on East 48^th Street, so I couldn't quite understand why I was heading for Jett Ferry Road. My brain also kept telling me that I was looking for a big, free-standing Whole Foods Market-type edifice, so I was brought up kind of short when I almost missed the little place nestled down amongst a bunch of small shops and storefronts in a neighborhood strip mall. Albeit a rather nice strip mall in a very nice neighborhood. Having come this far, I committed to take the plunge.

As it was late in the afternoon, there were only a few patrons in the store when my wife and I entered. Since we were actually on our way to an Atlanta Braves game, we were appropriately attired in Braves t-shirts that immediately drew comments as soon as we walked through the door. Within two seconds of entering the place for the very first time, we were already talking baseball with the proprietors and patrons as if we were long-time regulars. That's a line-drive single.

A series of doubles and triples followed as we perused the merchandise, discovering dozens of Italian specialty items that we had previously only seen online. (I loaded up on my precious “doppio-zero” flour.) I started making calculations regarding how much room I had in my luggage versus how much money I had in my bank account. I could have done some serious damage to my financial well being.

The home runs started coming fast and furious as we placed our orders for food. Read almost anything else I've written and you'll know what I ordered first: pizza. And it was delicious! I splurged and had two slices while my wife devoured her generous portion of Penne Bolognese. I stole some of her breadsticks – hey, she wasn't able to eat them all – and was transported by the perfect texture and taste. Although billed as “Italian breadsticks,” these were not the grissini tradizionali duro, but rather a grissini morbidi e leggero. I'm a big enough man to admit it; my soft breadsticks are good, but these were great. All the food was casalinga fresca, by the way, and extremely reasonably priced. The vendors at Turner Field lost money on us that night. We were absolutely stuffed.

But what really made the place a grand slam – since I seem to be stuck in “baseball metaphor” mode – was the people. As I said before, we were treated like friends as soon as we walked in and we were like family by the time we walked out. Not too surprising, I suppose, since the East 48^th Street Market is a family owned and operated business. And il capo di famiglia is Charlie Augello.

I could have talked to Charlie all night – and I nearly did! Only the fact that Tim Hudson wouldn't hold that first pitch until we got there motivated me to get up and go. But over the brief course of time that I sat at his table enjoying both his food and his conversation, I learned that Charlie, a first-generation Italian-American, is a native New Yorker, born and raised on Manhattan's East 48^th Street. Hence the name of the business. He told me all about his journey from corporate America to suburban Atlanta, from being an engineer with a background in sales and marketing to owning an Italian market. (Atlanta was his ninth stop along that road.) He talked at length about his wife and children, all of whom are involved in his pursuit of a dream. The best accounting of the family's story, written by wife Anita, can be found on the market's website here: http://www.e48thstreetmarket.com/about_us.aspx.

Besides his family, Charlie's other most obvious passion is for quality Italian food, and his store reflects that passion. Along with the delicious prepared food we consumed on the premises, we purchased a variety of things to stock at home. I already mentioned the “double-zero” flour, the only flour sanctioned by the Vera Pizza Napoletana for use in authentic Italian pizza dough. We also came away with some marvelous speck and prosciutto di Parma, as well as some freshly made mozzarella. I picked up a common but somewhat hard to find brand of tomato paste that I like to use and my wife indulged her sweet tooth with some homemade biscotti and a couple of Baci, decadent little chocolate and hazelnut kisses made in Italy by Perugina and marketed in the US, but also rather hard to find just anywhere. And we acquired a bottle of Rosa Regale from Charlie's abundant wine selection.

Sidebar: When I returned home and made some of those ingredients into mozzarella in carrozza and pizza Margherita, I couldn't tell whether I was in heaven or in Italy. Fantastico!

We loved the 48^th Street Market so much that we abandoned plans for a post-MCES dinner at an upscale Italian restaurant in favor of going back and having more of Charlie's cibo favolosi after the event. I only wish I could have convinced Giada De Laurentiis to come with us. She would have most definitely approved of the place. According to Charlie, Marcella Hazan did when she visited a few years ago.

Unfortunately, I don't live close enough to Atlanta to be a regular, but the East 48^th Street Market is now a “must stop” destination whenever I am in town. And all is not lost; they ship nationwide.

Visit the East 48^th Street Market at 2462 Jett Ferry Road in Dunwoody, GA (30338.) Call them at 770-392-1499. And be sure to check out their website at www.east48thstreetmarket.com.

Tell Charlie I sent you.

A Taste of Home After Nature's Fury

Much of West Central Alabama is still reeling and recovering from last week's horrific tornado outbreak. But in the midst of it all, some sense of normalcy is returning and things are moving forward. One of those things is the upcoming Taste of Home Cooking School show scheduled for Saturday, May 7 in Trussville, Alabama, a Birmingham suburb mercifully spared much of the devastation experienced in other parts of town.

The show is slated for 2 p.m. at the Trussville Civic Center, with Michelle “Red” Roberts demonstrating some marvelous recipes and techniques gleaned from the pages of Taste of Home magazine, one of the country's most popular publications for the home cook.

Unlike the Atlanta iteration of the massive Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show from which I have just returned, a Taste of Home show is a great deal smaller and more intimate in its scope and execution. Whereas the MCES prefers the big city and big venues, Taste of Home finds its niche in smaller communities with less grand auditoriums. Many of the elements are the same. MCES features hundreds of vendors from all over the country. There'll be vendors in Trussville, too, but by and large they'll be local folks. And there will be live cooking demonstrations. But instead of a firmament of multi-starred chefs and food celebrities preparing elaborate dishes on the cooking stage, there'll just be Michelle whipping up some simple, everyday fare that any average home cook can duplicate. There will also be goodie bags loaded with samples and coupons and other neat stuff as well as tons of door prizes. Among the best door prizes are the dishes that Michelle cooks up. She gives them away to audience members, dishes and all. And Trussville attendees are in for a special treat; a free one-year subscription to Taste of Home. That premium alone is worth more than the price of admission.

Make no mistake, I never miss a Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show when I can help it. But likewise, I seldom pass up the chance to get together with some local foodies for a little down-home fun at a Taste of Home show. You shouldn't either.

If you're going to be a thousand miles from Trussville, Alabama this Saturday (or if you're a thousand miles from Trussville no matter what day it is), don't worry. There's probably a Taste of Home Cooking School show coming to your area. They're pretty good about spacing them out all over the country and you can find one in your neighborhood by logging on to www.tasteofhome.com and clicking on the "Cooking Schools" tab and proceed to “Find a Show."

Trussville's still there, folks, the show is still on, and I will have sufficiently recovered from the fine time I had in Atlanta over the weekend to be in attendance myself. For you folks in Canada, South America, Europe, and Asia who will likely not be there, I'll file a full report next week.