http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2005/10/04/foodand-cats-in-the-news/ Thu, 09 Sep 2010 22:37:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.2 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2005/10/04/foodand-cats-in-the-news/#comment-1015 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2005/10/04/foodand-cats-in-the-news/#comment-1015 Welcome, Agnes--<BR/><BR/>Guess what? I agree with you. <BR/><BR/>I utterly despise "fat-free" yogurt and sour cream. UGH! Nasty stuff. Gummy-textured with weird off-tastes. <BR/><BR/>You are right, Americans, for all that we are all obese and godawful fat (or at least, so the media tells us), are horrified of fat. Well, some of us are, anyway. I'm not. I eat fat, just not in copious amounts. <BR/><BR/>That is the thing--moderation. Americans cannot do the moderation thing, I guess. I don't know why. But have the full-fat yogurt and just eat a little bit less of it, okay? Or the full fat sour cream and don't have it every damned day. <BR/><BR/>I do drink lowfat organic milk, mainly because the whole milk is so rich--it tastes almost like drinking straight cream to me--this is because for years I drank conventional milk which just doesn't taste like much. <BR/><BR/>BTW--Brown Cow brand makes full fat yogurt, as does Seven Stars Dairy. They are both fantastic and full of flavor. As for full fat sour cream--Horizon, which probably shouldn't wear the USDA Certified Organic label because of their farming practices, does have very tasty full fat sour cream, and Organic Valley, which is a series of locally owned co-op dairies puts out really nice full fat sour cream.<BR/><BR/>I am sorry for the culture shock--there is good food here in the US--even some of it processed--but you have to look for it. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, welcome to my blog--and thanks for commenting! Welcome, Agnes–

Guess what? I agree with you.

I utterly despise “fat-free” yogurt and sour cream. UGH! Nasty stuff. Gummy-textured with weird off-tastes.

You are right, Americans, for all that we are all obese and godawful fat (or at least, so the media tells us), are horrified of fat. Well, some of us are, anyway. I’m not. I eat fat, just not in copious amounts.

That is the thing–moderation. Americans cannot do the moderation thing, I guess. I don’t know why. But have the full-fat yogurt and just eat a little bit less of it, okay? Or the full fat sour cream and don’t have it every damned day.

I do drink lowfat organic milk, mainly because the whole milk is so rich–it tastes almost like drinking straight cream to me–this is because for years I drank conventional milk which just doesn’t taste like much.

BTW–Brown Cow brand makes full fat yogurt, as does Seven Stars Dairy. They are both fantastic and full of flavor. As for full fat sour cream–Horizon, which probably shouldn’t wear the USDA Certified Organic label because of their farming practices, does have very tasty full fat sour cream, and Organic Valley, which is a series of locally owned co-op dairies puts out really nice full fat sour cream.

I am sorry for the culture shock–there is good food here in the US–even some of it processed–but you have to look for it.

Anyway, welcome to my blog–and thanks for commenting!

]]> http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2005/10/04/foodand-cats-in-the-news/#comment-1014 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2005/10/04/foodand-cats-in-the-news/#comment-1014 Not that I disagree on the general idea of your section on "chemicals" in organic food, but...<BR/><BR/>You don't *need* xantham gum to get a non runny yoghurt (or sour cream, or...), as long as you are willing to go for the full fat version.<BR/><BR/>I am always flabbergasted to see how hard it is to find full fat dairy products in the US, and even more so full fat *organic* dairy products. Looking at the available selection in stores, it looks like that the people that go for the organic products are even more likely than the average American (or should that be the average Californian?) to be terrified of fat, and that's saying a lot.<BR/><BR/>My husband bought organic sour cream last week -- of course it was low fat. We bravely tried it out (nothing else to put on the quesadillas that night) but ended up tossing the 3/4 full pot after dinner. Low fat, low taste, weird texture.<BR/><BR/>My first look at the yoghurt aisle at the local supermarket was a horrifying experience of culture shock to my sheltered French sensitivities. Five years later I still haven't recovered. Not that I disagree on the general idea of your section on “chemicals” in organic food, but…

You don’t *need* xantham gum to get a non runny yoghurt (or sour cream, or…), as long as you are willing to go for the full fat version.

I am always flabbergasted to see how hard it is to find full fat dairy products in the US, and even more so full fat *organic* dairy products. Looking at the available selection in stores, it looks like that the people that go for the organic products are even more likely than the average American (or should that be the average Californian?) to be terrified of fat, and that’s saying a lot.

My husband bought organic sour cream last week — of course it was low fat. We bravely tried it out (nothing else to put on the quesadillas that night) but ended up tossing the 3/4 full pot after dinner. Low fat, low taste, weird texture.

My first look at the yoghurt aisle at the local supermarket was a horrifying experience of culture shock to my sheltered French sensitivities. Five years later I still haven’t recovered.

]]> http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2005/10/04/foodand-cats-in-the-news/#comment-1013 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2005/10/04/foodand-cats-in-the-news/#comment-1013 See, that is what I get for making assumptions! Well, I guess I will have to wait a little longer to find out who my quiet Kiwi reader is. <BR/><BR/>I see you snagged my Antonio Bandaras line and used on LJ--good on you! Glad to make you laugh.<BR/><BR/>A lot of food additives started out as food items--I learned that while in culinary school, but I had also read up on it a bit while on my own, pre-internet. Nowadays, no one really has an excuse not to find out what xanthan gum is before heralding the Apocalypse because it is in organic yogurt.<BR/><BR/>Fiber in industrial baked goods is a good idea--and it is quite possible to do it while making the stuff taste good. Few people have time to bake their own bread, for example, and it is quite possible for bakeries to do a great job, using whole grain products and minimal food additives. There are a couple of bakeries in central Ohio that do fantastic jobs with whole grain products that are tasty, yummy and good without feeling heavy or "health-nut" like.<BR/><BR/>I just wish somebody could come up with a way to make whole wheat pasta that didn't taste like rotten gummy cardboard, though. Blah. See, that is what I get for making assumptions! Well, I guess I will have to wait a little longer to find out who my quiet Kiwi reader is.

I see you snagged my Antonio Bandaras line and used on LJ–good on you! Glad to make you laugh.

A lot of food additives started out as food items–I learned that while in culinary school, but I had also read up on it a bit while on my own, pre-internet. Nowadays, no one really has an excuse not to find out what xanthan gum is before heralding the Apocalypse because it is in organic yogurt.

Fiber in industrial baked goods is a good idea–and it is quite possible to do it while making the stuff taste good. Few people have time to bake their own bread, for example, and it is quite possible for bakeries to do a great job, using whole grain products and minimal food additives. There are a couple of bakeries in central Ohio that do fantastic jobs with whole grain products that are tasty, yummy and good without feeling heavy or “health-nut” like.

I just wish somebody could come up with a way to make whole wheat pasta that didn’t taste like rotten gummy cardboard, though. Blah.

]]> http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2005/10/04/foodand-cats-in-the-news/#comment-1012 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2005/10/04/foodand-cats-in-the-news/#comment-1012 Well, I'm just a fan of the kiwi bird, not a New Zealander. I enjoy your column a great deal. I'm currently a contract worker for Sara Lee Bakery, where I've learned a great deal about food additives while packing up people's files for shipment to a new office, or thinning them down. (Hey, they pay me $15/hr. for it!) Xanthan gum was a surprise to me, as were a number of other additives which turned out to be natural products once I read about them. By the way, look for the baking industry to start pushing fiber as the next new trend. This is no bad thing. Well, I’m just a fan of the kiwi bird, not a New Zealander. I enjoy your column a great deal. I’m currently a contract worker for Sara Lee Bakery, where I’ve learned a great deal about food additives while packing up people’s files for shipment to a new office, or thinning them down. (Hey, they pay me $15/hr. for it!) Xanthan gum was a surprise to me, as were a number of other additives which turned out to be natural products once I read about them. By the way, look for the baking industry to start pushing fiber as the next new trend. This is no bad thing.

]]> http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2005/10/04/foodand-cats-in-the-news/#comment-1011 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2005/10/04/foodand-cats-in-the-news/#comment-1011 Most fast food is undigestible by me these days. I find this to be inconvenient, but I guess it is better than being able to eat it and eating too much of it.<BR/><BR/>Both of those are great resources, btw--I love them. Most fast food is undigestible by me these days. I find this to be inconvenient, but I guess it is better than being able to eat it and eating too much of it.

Both of those are great resources, btw–I love them.

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