It has a been a rough week. The cause: an assignment that I should be able to turn around in a jiffy, but which has eluded me and, so, drags on. And on. And on. I’ve requested and received specific, clear, and helpful guidance from my editor, so the ball is in my court, so to speak. Still, I can’t wrap up this little shit.

Did you ever see the movie “How to Get Ahead in Advertising?” Richard E. Grant plays an ad exec who’s stumped trying to come up with the clever campaign for new pimple cream. The stress makes him develop a boil that grows into an evil twin that ultimately takes over his life until he becomes some kind of postnatal chimera.

It’s not that bad. Yet.

I would call this writer’s block, but I think everyone can fall victim to creative constipation, whatever it is they do. There must be times when accountants can’t get numbers to crunch, when lawyers can’t devise winning arguments, when salespeople can’t sell–fuck, I dunno–ice to eskimos.

So, after sitting at the computer, fussing with the story and making it worse with each pass and chanting “shit-shit-shit-shit” under my breath, I headed into the kitchen. Yesterday, a New York Times article about pizza caught my eye. The gist of it was that if you proof the dough a really long time–”at least 27 hours of resting time”–you’ll end up with pizzeria-like results. Heck, we like pizza, I thought, I should try this. I write about food, so I must try this. Right now. I had to be in the kitchen anyway, developing a couple of recipes for another project (another distraction, yes, but one that pays). As an added benefit, the pizza would be a helpful exercise in delayed gratification, something I rarely practice.

In all honesty, I wanted to make the pizza for “Real Housewives of New York” tonight. God, I love that show in all its incarnations, from the plastic Barbies of Orange County, to the low-rent crew in Atlanta, to the thick-as-thieves” inbreds in New Jersey. This season, my NYC bitches are particularly strident and menopausal. Well, Bethenny’s hormonal ‘cause she’s preggers (and oddly shocked that the news leaked to Perez Hilton after she peed on the pregnancy test stick in front of a camera crew). And I’m forever grateful to The Countess for her “hit” new single, which has become my new motto:

Money can’t buy you class. Elegance is learned. Oh, yeah!

Oh, yeah, the pizza.

I exercised a little restraint and ignored the recipes that ran with the NYTs story, since they called for two kinds specialty flours and making your own sourdough starter. I’m saving those distractions for another day and another stumped project, when I can happily waste hours hunting down the flour and baby-sitting the starter. Instead, I decided to try this with my go-to pizza dough. It’s more scientific that way, see, since I could gauge whether the technique made a difference.

Whoa! That dough is alive!

So I pulled together the dough, and it didn’t take up that much time anyway, and plopped it into a bowl to proof on the counter for a three hours. I checked on it every so often and, my, it was robust and bubbly. Those little yeast were busy! Things were happening. Then I divided the dough into two balls, which went into the refrigerator to proof for another 24 hours. This was hard, because I really wanted to roll that dough out and make pizza. But, no, all I could do was visit it occasionally, pulling it out of the fridge to prod it and inhale its yeasty aroma and admire its bubbliness. Oh my god! It looked like the evil boil from “How to Get Ahead in Advertising”!

I carved out some time this afternoon (OK, it was another distraction) to make the uncooked Pizzeria Mozza’s pizza sauce from the L.A. issue of Saveur. Mozza makes the best pizza in town (I think), and the uncooked sauce comes together in a jiffy so this thing wasn’t too much of a time suck. It’s good; not spectacular, but a great result for the effort.

When it finally came time to roll the dough, after letting it sit at room temperature for 90 minutes (now going on 29 hours of proofing time), it was snappy as hell. I should have let it rest a bit, but, shit, Richard was home from work, we were hungry, and the Housewives were bickering on that boat in the Caribbean, so I shaped it by hand (because, apparently, a rolling pin “abuses” the dough), tossed it around a bit, then slathered on some tomato sauce, cheese and prosciutto and slipped that fucker onto a pizza stone in a very, very hot oven.

OK, not the prettiest but, damn, it tasted good.

The outcome: Delicious crust that was airy and chewy, but tender, and definitely an improvement over the usual drill of making dough, letting proof for an hour, and then rolling it out. Next time, I’d crank the oven even hotter, and possibly hunt down that those specialty flours. Now I’m hooked.

So here I am, feverishly writing this, thinking, “Yes! This will help!” As if pizza and blogging will act like a creative enema. We’ll see about that.

Meantime, I’ve accomplished a few things:

1. I’ve learned that longer proofing time does make a superior crust, but you have to plan your pizza, like, two days in advance.
2. We had a really good dinner.
3. I realized the world has officially turned upside-down, since on tonight’s episode of RHW-NYC LuAnn was the voice of reason (surprise!), Sonja was the smart one (didn’t see that one coming), and Ramona was the sane one (that’s crazy!).I put the words “enema” and “constipation” in a post about food. Yum! Hungry now?

If you have asthma, fatty foods like butter aren't your best pal. (Photo by Alison Ashton)

If you have asthma, pass up the Happy Meal.

A new study from the University of Newcastle in Australia finds a fatty, caloric fast-food meal makes it harder for asthmatics to breathe. Even worse, the high-fat fare renders albuterol, an inhaler commonly used to relieve asthma symptoms, less effective.

The study involved 40 people with asthma, who were randomly assigned to gobble a 1,000-calorie fast-food meal (burger and hash browns) that was 52% fat or low-fat yogurt that was just 200 calories and 13% fat. It’s the first study to examine the effect of high-fat food on airway inflammation, which is the hallmark of asthma, says researcher Dr. Lisa Wood.

The results raise intriguing questions, including whether the type of fat makes a difference. Could heart-clogging saturated fat also inflame airways? And do unsaturated fats have the same effect? “We expect that saturated fat would be driving the inflammatory response, as this type of fat has been shown to have the strongest inflammatory effects in other studies,” says Wood. “We are exploring the effects of fat quality on fat-induced inflammation in asthma in our future work.”

If follow-up studies confirm the link between fat and symptoms, reducing dietary fat may be a smart–and easy–way to manage asthma.

Blueberries: No. 5 on the EWG's Dirty Dozen to always buy organic

Is organic better than conventional?

That depends on what you mean by “better.”

Maria Rodale, author of Organic Manifesto, led the panel discussion “Why Organic Matters” at last month’s Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, Calif. Thus far, she noted, much of the debate has been over whether organic food is more nutritious than conventionally produce food. The jury is still out on that–some studies suggest organic is more nutritious, while others find no significant difference.

“Forget nutrition,” Rodale said. “It’s time to shift the debate.”

Her argument: Organic is undoubtedly healthier for the environment. It’s better for the soil, and better for people, since agricultural chemicals may be linked to cancer, diabetes, infertility, and other diseases. Despite what the Environmental Protection Agency might claim, “there really is no safe dose,” Rodale contends.

In this respect, every shopper can be a food activist. Whenever you buy certified-organic food, you’re voting for a system free of pesticides, herbicides, and GMOs.

One way to start: avoid the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen–the 12 fruits and vegetables most likely to be laden with pesticides, and which you should always buy organic.  Their latest version includes:

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Kale
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Imported Grapes

Bacon-Avocado Tartine: A whole mess of issues on one plate. (Photo by Alison Ashton)

Avocados have been on my mind lately, though, of course, I welcome any excuse to eat them.

This current obsession started a few weeks ago with late-night dinner at a swanky pan-Latin eatery in downtown Los Angeles. I ordered “Tortillas Florales with Indian Butter” because I adore handmade corn tortillas under any circumstances.

“What is this Indian butter?” I wondered. Then I was served a plate of pretty handmade tortillas laminated with edible flowers–this was a swanky-danky place, indeed!–with a sidecar of pureed avocado. Of course! Creamy avocado could be considered the New World Indian version of butter (as opposed to Old World East Indian ghee, which is made with…butter). Whatever, it was tasty, and I gobbled it down, though the cynic in me couldn’t help thinking it as a fine example of creative, price-boosting menu writing.

I was at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market last week, searching for ripe avocados for a recipe that needed testing. This being Southern California, ripe fruit of several varieties was plentiful. I picked up a Bacon avocado, which has thin, smooth skin and mellow, exceptionally creamy, even buttery flesh. No, it doesn’t taste like bacon, though you know I had to ask, but is named for the California farmer who developed the variety in the 1950s. Still, the words “bacon” and “avocado” reminded me of my brother’s all-time fave treat (well, next to fried shrimp, anyway): bacon and avocado sandwiches. Fat on fat, what more could you want?
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Bacon-Avocado Tartine

by Alison Ashton February 22, 2010

Tartines seemed to be everywhere while I was on a recent trip up to Northern California’s Wine Country. These little open-faced sandwiches are simple to make and visually appealing. This one, inspired by one of my brother’s favorite childhood meals, is a big, ole schizophrenic fat fest, with heart-healthy omega-3 fats from the avocado undermined by artery-clogging fat from the bacon. Aww, well, it’s delicious. I used crunchy pink kosher Redmond Real Salt from Utah but any kind of fancy-pants salt you have on hand will do

Ingredients

2 thick slices applewood-smoked bacon2 slices sourdough bread1/2 ripe avocado1 lime wedge

Instructions

Cook the bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels. Pour off excess fat from pan. Return pan to burner, and increase heat to medium-high. Add bread to pan; cook on 1 side until toasted.Mash avocado with juice of lime wedge. Spread avocado evenly on toasted bread slices. Sprinkle with finishing salt. Tear each bacon slice in half; top each bread slice with 2 bacon halves.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 15 mins Yield: 2 servings

Goat: the other red meat (photo by Alison Ashton)

Here’s my trend prediction: Goat meat is ready to go mainstream. I’m not the first to make this forecast, but I hope it’s true this time.

Of course, goat already is mainstream in  much of the world, from Latin America and the Caribbean to the Mediterranean and Middle East to India and Pakistan. I’m sure I’m overlooking a few more goat-eating regions. But for most Americans, goat cheese is our goat product of choice, though you might occasionally sample the meat at an ethnic food fair or restaurant. You’re certainly not going to find it next the beef ribeye at the local supermarket.

In my sheltered little life, despite extensive travels and an eagerness to try anything, I’d never been presented a plate of goat before–until a recent trip to Northern California’s Wine Country, where I enjoyed goat twice in three days. The first time was braised goat served over polenta at Osteria Stellina in Pt. Reyes Station. I urged the diner next to me to order it so I could sample it, and probably ended up eating half her dinner.

“Oh, man, I have to find goat meat at home,” I said, tucking into another bite. She was nice about it. The second time, it was goat poached in whey at the two-Michelin-starred Restaurant at Meadowood resort in Napa Valley.

In both cases, I found the meat tender, yet lean, and satisfying. It’s flavor was deep and a tad gamy, reminiscent of of lamb. Henry Alford has described it as “jungle lamb.”

Good point: If you like lamb, you’ll probably love goat. If you’re one of those people who hates lamb because it’s so lamb-y, goat isn’t for you. And I’ll bet the people who dislike goat cheese (I’ve observed that many folks detest both lamb and goat cheese) won’t like the meat any better.

But I love lamb and goat cheese, and happily embraced goat meat. I went home determined to track the stuff down.

I’m fortunate to live near Culver City, Calif., which is chockablock with Latin grocery stores, carnicerias, and bakeries, and dotted with more than a few halal butchers. A quick consultation with Yelp! (hey, “the people” have helped me find an awesome vet and a great hairdresser, so I trust ‘em) led me to Sanchez Meat Co., a dinky Latin grocery/meat market with a crew of friendly butchers who actually do butcher meat. Try finding that at the local Albertson’s.

There wasn’t any goat nestled among the gorgeous cuts of flank steak, ribeye, and pork chops in the display case, but the butcher looked in his freezer and pulled out two whole bone-in kid shoulders. (When it comes to goat meat, you want a young ‘un, usually labeled “kid” or “cabrito.” Like lamb, goat gets tough as it grows up.) I didn’t have a plan for the meat yet, so he offered to cut a shoulder down into 3-inch chunks. Perfect. I took my find home, where I later turned into a ragu.

So why goat, why now? The tender texture and rich flavor, of course, but there are some health advantages, too. Goat is lower in calories and leaner than, say, beef, weighing in at just 122 calories and 3 grams of fat (1 gram saturated fat) for 4 ounces. Yet it has 23 grams of protein. That alone should earn it place next to the ribeye at the supermarket.

Steel-cut oats: good for breakfast and a whole lot more (photo by Alison Ashton)

Like, well, just about everyone else, as soon as the calender flips to a new year, I renew my pledge to eat better. As in more of the healthy stuff–whole grains, fish, fruits, and vegetables. A recent project got me reacquainted with steel-cut oats.

Also known as oat groats, Scotch oats, and Irish oatmeal, steel-cut oats are oats that have been hulled, toasted, cleaned, and cut, which renders them palatable to humans. (Cattle are fine munching on whole oats.) They have a wonderful chewy, nutty quality that makes them a beloved hot breakfast cereal. They’re rich in vitamin E, B vitamins, and cholesterol-busting fiber.

Shopping tip: Look for steel-cut oats in the bulk bins at the health-food store, where they’ll be far cheaper than the stuff sold in tins.

Steel-cut oats also have a starchy quality that lends them to risotto. Of course, we typically think of risotto as involving a starchy, medium-grain rice like Arborio or Carnaroli, but it’s a method that you can use to cook other grains and even pasta.

Steel-Cut Oat Risotto with Mushrooms and Peas

Possessed of leftover steel-cut oats, a yen for risotto, and a New Year’s desire to eat more whole grains, I made this dish the other night. If you use fresh mushrooms, skip the soaking step and increase the broth to 3 cups.

1/2 ounce dried mushrooms

2 cups hot water

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup steel-cut oats

1/4 cup vermouth or dry white wine

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/4 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese, divided

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

1. Combine mushrooms and water in a medium bowl. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain mushrooms through a fine-mesh sieve over a small saucepan. Add broth to soaking liquid in saucepan; bring a simmer over low heat (do not boil).
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms to pan; saute 2 minutes or until tender. Set aside
3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 2 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add oats; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add vermouth; cook until absorbed, stirring constantly. Add 1/2 cup broth mixture to oats, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. Repeat, adding remaining broth mixture 1/2 cup at a time and stirring after each addition until liquid is absorbed, until oats are tender (you may not need to use all the liquid). Stir in mushrooms, peas, and 3 tablespoons cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with remaining 1 tablespoon cheese. Yield: 4 servings.

Benefits: Supports sustainable farming practices south of the border. Proceeds from sales of 4 Copas’ special-edition bottles also support preservation of endangered sea turtles in Baja California.

Drawbacks: Like other organic spirits, organic tequila is pricey–4 Copas Blanco starts is $57 for a 750-milliliter bottle. And organic tequila is still new to the green scene, so it can be especially hard to find. But more producers are coming on board: Last year, the 200-year-old, family-owned Casa Noble distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, where 4 Copas is produced, received organic certification from the USDA.

Sparkling Paloma

A Paloma is a traditional Mexican cocktail combining grapefruit juice and tequila. Use fresh grapefruits, which are in season, juicy, and abundant right now. This is an easy sipper to prepare and a change of pace from the best-known tequila cocktail: the margarita.

Kosher salt, for rimming the glass (optional)

2 ounces organic blanco or reposado tequila

2 ounces organic grapefruit juice (no pulp)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon agave nectar

Sparkling water

1. Optional: Pour a thin layer of salt in a saucer. Moisten the rim of a highball glass with a damp towel. Place the rim of the glass in the salt, gently turning to help salt adhere to glass.
2. Fill glass with crushed ice. Add tequila, juices, and nectar, stirring gently to combine. Top with sparkling water. Yield: 1 serving.

Also in this series:

Part 1: Wine, beer, and spirits hop on the organic bandwagon

Part 2: Wine

Part 3: Vodka and gin

Part 4: Mix with Care

Part 5: Sake

Benefits: There are six styles of Momokawa, from lush, fruity Organic Junmai Ginjo to the traditional-style, minimally filtered Pearl. The sake is affordable enough (about $11 a 750-ml bottle of Momokawa and $7.50 for a 300-ml bottle of Organic Nama) to host a tasting for your friends.

Drawbacks: Berkeley, California-based Takara Sake’s product is made with certified organic rice from the nearby Sacramento Valley, but the rice wine itself is not certified organic. Also, it’s made in very small batches and may be hard to find.

Sake-jito

Inspired by the Cuban cocktail, this drink uses organic sake in place of traditional rum for a cocktail that’s refreshing and subtly sweet.

8 fresh mint leaves

2 teaspoons powdered sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 ounces organic sake

2 ounces sparkling water

1 mint sprig (optional)

1. Place mint leaves in the bottom of a highball glass, add sugar and juice. Muddle (crush) with a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon. Add sake; stir. Add crushed ice. Top with sparkling water. Garnish with mint sprig, if desired. Yield: 1 serving.

Also in this series:

Part 1: Wine, beer, and spirits hop on the organic bandwagon

Part 2: Wine

Part 3: Vodka and gin

Part 4: Mix with Care

Part 6: Tequila

Use organic fruit purees as mixers. Mixologist Darryl Robinson, a k a DRMixologist, who creates organic concoctions for special events and at the Hudson Bar at New York’s Hudson Hotel, always selects peak-flavor, in-season fruits. “I’ll puree them and freeze them to use later.”

“Don’t shop for your mixers in the liquor aisle; shop for your mixers in the produce aisle.” Unless, of course, it’s a bottled mixer made with organic ingredients.

Choose organic sweeteners for cocktails. Robinson uses organic agave nectar instead of simple syrup made with white sugar. He also likes organic brown sugar or organic maple syrup for cocktails made with dark-colored spirits.

Balance the flavors. Organic spirits, like a botanical gin, can taste bolder than conventional booze, says Robinson, so you may need to adjust the amount of other ingredients. His secret ingredient: organic pineapple juice. “Just a splash, even in a cocktail that doesn’t call for it, can make a difference.”

If you do use a bottled mixer, make it an organic one, like modmix or Monin’s organic line.

Also in this series:

Part 1: Wine, beer, and spirits hop on the organic bandwagon

Part 2: Wine

Part 3: Vodka and gin

Part 5: Sake

Part 6: Tequila

Vodka and gin are two examples of small producers using organic ingredients to craft first-rate spirits. Some examples include vodkas from

What makes it organic: Square One is crafted from 100% organic rye by DRinc., an Idaho-based distillery that has been certified organic since 2000. Highball Distillery’s certified-organic Elemental Vodka is produced in a wind-powered facility, also from organic grain. Vodka14 is crafted from organic grains and Rocky Mountain spring water. Made with 100% organic grain and botanical herbs in a distillery in Central London, Juniper Green is certified organic in the United States and United Kingdom, while Los Angeles-based TRU2 Gin is made with certified-organic grains and a complex blend of 14 botanicals.

Benefits: Organic vodka is flavorful, smooth, and subtly sweet. It’s nice to sip neat or in a simple cocktail. Organic grain byproducts from producing vodka may be recycled as animal feed. Organic gins are crafted with an intriguing mix of botanicals (TRU2’s blend includes lavendar, vanilla, and chamomile in addition to traditional juniper berries, for example), which makes for a complex, Old World-style spirit.

Drawbacks: Small-batch liquors, including organic vodka and gin, are expensive. Prices start at about $35 for a 750-ml bottle. Availability is limited, too. “You can go into a lot of states and not find any organic vodka,” says Gray Ottley, owner and chief marketing officer of DRinc.

Basil Gimlet

This cocktail, from Square One Vodka, is typical of what founder Allison Evanow calls “culinary cocktails,” which combine organic spirits with high-quality ingredients. Experiment with different varieties of basil–Evanow likes to use Thai or lemon basil, but any type will do. Square One’s Cucumber Vodka also works well in this recipe (so well, in fact, that this was my favorite evening cocktail last summer).

4-5 fresh basil leaves, torn

2 ounces organic vodka

1 ounce fresh lime juice

1/2 ounce light agave nectar

1. Place basil in the cup of a cocktail shaker; muddle (crush) with a muddler or the back of wooden spoon. Add crushed ice, vodka, juice, and nectar; shake for 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Yield: 1 serving.

Organic Tom Collins

A Tom Collins is a classic, simple cocktail, and an ideal way to showcase the complex botanical qualities that are the hallmark of many organic gins.

1 1/2 ounces organic gin

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon light agave nectar

Sparkling water

Lemon slice (optional)

1. Combine gin, juice, and nectar in a highball glass. Add crushed ice, and top with sparkling water. Garnish with lemon slice, if desired. Yield: 1 serving.

Also in this series:

Part 1: Wine, beer, and spirits hop on the organic bandwagon

Part 2: Wine

Part 4: Mix with Care

Part 5: Sake

Part 6: Tequila