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Camino Mágico Prepares to Launch Major Campaign
in Houston (cont'd)
Fiesta will be distributing these guides in over 25 stores and will make them a centerpiece of their Cinco de Mayo celebration. In an interesting twist, Fiesta store managers 400 miles away in Dallas are asking to be considered “in the greater Houston area” so they, too, will be able to share Camino Mágico with their customers.
Camino Mágico, a 16-page passport-size bilingual booklet, was designed with careful attention to communicating ideas visually with warm colors and vivid graphics. The guide starts as a mother and daughter enter the supermarket and see wonderful foods on the horizon. A winding orange road beckons them to continue through the book, beginning by introducing the family to nutritional tools: a colorful, newly redesigned Latin American Diet Pyramid facing a calorie control guide and a plate showing the healthy distribution of food groups.
The road leads next through seven pages of meal ideas and suggestions, ranging from Pescado Veracruz to Banana Roll-ups. Each meal or snack suggestion includes healthy ingredients from Camino Mágico sponsors, offering specific examples of foods that fit well into the Latino Pyramid.
Throughout the book, Camino Mágico’s advice is personalized with occasional Secretos de Sarita – tips and hints from a Latina mother. "Una manera de darle sabor a las comidas sin muchas calorias es con salsa..." "One way to add healthy flavor without many calories is to use salsa..." The booklet concludes with the basics of reading food labels, a supermarket shopping list keyed to the Pyramid’s guidelines, and a supermarket map putting Camino Mágico's suggestions in a real-world context.
Oldways and the Latino Nutrition Coalition created Camino Mágico to intercept behavior at the supermarket and encourage healthy purchases of foods that can be part of traditional Latin American meals. By helping in every step from inspiration to planning and purchasing foods, Camino Mágico offers Latinos the information they need to improve their health habits.
The Houston launch will be followed by a strong coalition-building campaign at the Food Marketing Institute show in Chicago, and with a partnership with the Jewel-Osco supermarket team. Jewel-Osco will take a novel approach at distribution by handing out brochures during health fairs scheduled to take place throughout the summer. Launches in New York, Los Angeles and Miami will follow, with many variations and adaptations of the guide planned for regional markets.
We would like to thank Mission Foods, Alliance Enterprises, ConAgra, the Florida Tomato Committee, Goya Foods, The Peanut Institute, Tampico Beverages, Unilever, the U.S. Potato Board, USA Rice Federation, White Wave Foods and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board for their interest in improving Latino health by sponsoring Camino Mágico.
Supermarkets or community health groups who would like to distribute Camino Mágico, or healthy-food manufacturers interested in becoming sponsors of future editions of the guide, are invited to contact Liz Mintz (617-896-4818 or liz@oldwayspt.org). Please join the LNC in making Camino Mágico a huge success and in enabling Latinos to lead healthier lives.
A Gastronomic Tour through the Crossroads
of Istanbul, Turkey
The jet lag has cleared, and we are readjusting to the skyline of Boston, so different from our view of the Blue Mosque, the Aya Sofya and the Bosphorus—the sights of Istanbul.
From March 17th to 24th, Oldways and Ana Sortun, of Oleana restaurant fame, guided a sold-out Culinaria tour through the fragrant markets, harried bazaars, and world-class restaurants of Istanbul. One focus for the trip was Ana’s gorgeous book, Spice; our Culinaria members looked forward to learning about the inspiration for both Ana’s book and her restaurant. The second focus was the “old ways” of Istanbul – culture, history, ingredients, preparations, customs – and bringing these old ways back to an American table, into our own kitchens and homes.
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We started the week off with a cooking demonstration by Musa Dagdeviren, a world-renowned chef with a knowledge and passion for Turkish cuisine that completely amazed the whole group. Musa owns and runs three restaurants on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, and publishes a stunning magazine on Turkish cuisine that features historical Ottoman recipes. He focuses on recipes that are in danger of being forgotten, or are rarely prepared in a more modernized Istanbul kitchen—a perfect way to learn about the old ways and about spices! Chef Dagdeviren and his restaurants have earned many rave reviews including a spot on the 2006 “Saveur 100,” a list of the best and most exciting chefs, restaurants, foods and drinks from around the world.
While this was a wonderful way to start our week, it was only the beginning! Ana guided us through markets that displayed fresh red mullet, sardines from the Black Sea, and glistening turbot, incredible produce, freshly baked börek, honey-sweet baklava, and lokum (Turkish delight). Ana created a Spice shopping list for us including pomegranate molasses, Urfa pepper, Aleppo chiles, sumac, baharat, za’atar, and more. Ana then offered a tutorial on essential Turkish spices, letting us know what roles they play in certain dishes as well as their place in the kitchen and Turkish cuisine as a whole. Then she turned us loose to buy as many spices as we could carry—and that would fit into luggage and through U.S. customs.
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This market tour was also a great opportunity to try some of the street foods that the city has to offer. We noshed on fried mussels with tarator sauce, hot tripe sandwiches, and Turkish ice cream – all were delicious. Food is surprisingly good at all points of the spectrum in Istanbul; street vendors and tiny ‘fast food’ joints turn out food that is high in quality and big on taste.
Ana and her sous-chef Cassie Kyriakides offered a more formal lesson at their cooking demonstration on Wednesday afternoon at Feriye restaurant. Ana created four dishes from her book Spice, and we tasted them as she went. It was a real treat to learn about the inspirations and sources of these dishes, which gave us new insight into the Oleana menu and our surroundings, and which we will use to tackle new dishes and flavors at home.
We also focused on Istanbul’s old ways, saving time for some of the cultural and architectural wonders that the city has to offer. Tours through Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, and the Hagia Sophia were on our list. We also made a pilgrimage to the Grand Bazaar to shop for special copper cooking pots and picked up a kilim carpet or two on our way.
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On Thursday, long-time Oldways friend, journalist, and Turkish culinary luminary Engin Akin treated the group to a once-in-a-lifetime luncheon at her elegant home above the Bosphorus. (Engin is also on the Saveur 100, gracing the cover of the January 2007 issue.) As she shared her table and kitchen with us, she shared some of her knowledge of Turkish and Ottoman cuisine. These were recipes that she might not make on a daily basis, but that represented the culinary history of her country. Engin, like many of the other top chefs in Turkey, works actively to preserve the traditional foodways and recipes that have been passed down by family members and teachers. We tasted a sweet and savory salad that included pomegranate seeds and tiny olives. Engin also prepared a roasted chicken stuffed with rice pilaf, flavored with cinnamon, nuts, and raisins, as well as hand-made manti, a bite-sized Turkish pasta. We learned that the smaller the manti, the more respected the guest, as each piece takes surprising deftness and skill to produce. It was a meal and an afternoon that we will never forget.
Our gala dinner was that evening, and we were graciously hosted by Vedat Basaran again at his restaurant Feriye. Vedat has been sharing his passion and incredible knowledge of Ottoman cuisine for many years. He is also an old friend of Oldways, having participated in an Oldways International Symposium in Istanbul in 1993 and in New York in 1995. Vedat and his staff prepared an Ottoman feast at a spectacular banquet table set for kings and queens. It was truly a gala affair, and we were honored to be there and thrilled to receive individualized menus with Ottoman calligraphy by Vedat himself! Muhammara (a red pepper and walnut paste), beautifully grilled calamari, lamb three ways, and candied pumpkin were just a few of the delights served.
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On our last day in Istanbul, we visited a breakfast shop in the Besiktas neighborhood to taste kaymak cheese. This tiny shop has only a handful of tables and is run by an elderly man and his wife. Kaymak is made from buffalo milk and cannot be found in the U.S. It is light and airy, with a creaminess that is difficult to compare. For breakfast, it is served with fresh honey drizzled on top, and we were offered toast with hot milk or Turkish tea to wash it down. There are not many places like this one, and it felt like we were looking back in time as we sat in that shop. This was truly the old ways!
It was an unforgettable journey, with so many stories and people to thank that they can’t all possibly be included here. The hospitality of our hosts was extraordinary—we can’t wait to go back!
For more information on future Oldways Culinarias, please contact Jessica Musikar at jessica@oldwayspt.org. For a list of past trips, visit www.oldwayspt.org/archives.html.
Travel Down Under to the Tasting Australia Conference
Have you always wanted to visit Australia? Do you love great food and wine?
If you do, don’t miss the opportunity to travel to Adelaide, South Australia for the 6th Tasting Australia to be held October 13-20, 2007.
We’ve been visiting the state of South Australia since 2000, and have found it welcoming, full of incredibly interesting places to visit, and brimming with great foods, wines and restaurants.
South Australia is home to many of Australia’s finest wines and wine regions (the Barossa, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley to name a few), and is also a world leader in sustainable lamb and meat production and sustainable aquaculture.
Its capital, Adelaide, hosts Tasting Australia, the famous bi-annual food and wine event. Celebrating the very best Australia has to offer in food, wine and beer, Tasting Australia offers a dizzying array of events over eight days including:
• hands-on cooking classes with celebrated chefs;
• wine tours;
• two days of sessions at the Writer’s Festival;
• two days of sessions at the Adelaide Food Summit (on childhood nutrition issues);
• incredible meals at Adelaide’s finest restaurants; and
• Feast for the Senses, an outdoor beer, wine and food festival.
TV presenter and restaurateur Rick Stein and legendary cookbook author, writer and movie star Madhur Jaffrey have already signed on, along with leading Australian journalists, food writers, cookbook authors and chefs.
For more information, sign up for the Friends of Tasting Australia newsletter by visiting: www.tasting-australia.com.au/Bookings.html.
New MedMark Helps Consumers Quickly Spot Healthy Mediterranean Diet Foods On Crowded Market Shelves
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Oldways Adds to Its Consumer-Friendly Toolbox of Guides to Locate Health-Promoting Foods and Drinks
The concept of “eating patterns” lies at the heart of the pleasures of a healthy traditional Oldways table. This concept was a cornerstone of Oldways when it was established 15 years ago. Its details are laid out in our new book, The Oldways Table, with 90 wonderful essays and 100 terrific recipes.
A goal of Oldways has always been to help consumers find legitimate Mediterranean foods and drinks when they go shopping. To do this, we have now developed a packaging symbol called MedMark, which we will license to manufacturers for products that meet clear standards derived from our well-accepted definition of the traditional healthy Mediterranean diet, and its graphic companion, the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.
MedMark is a postage-stamp-sized graphic dominated by an amphora, the pottery jug used for 3,000 years by Mediterranean cultures to store and ship their foods and drinks. The idea is to help shoppers rapidly identify the foods and drinks on supermarket shelves that are a part of the healthy traditional Mediterranean eating pattern. Manufacturers whose food and drink products are compatible with this eating pattern will apply to Oldways for permission to license MedMark. If the product conforms to strict MedMark standards, Oldways will grant permission to use MedMark, and the manufacturer will pay a small fee gauged to the costs of monitoring product conformity and quality.
MedMark joins the Whole Grain Stamp developed by Oldways and its Whole Grains Council, and the Camino Magico brochure that Oldways developed for its Latino Nutrition Coalition. The objective of each of these consumer guides is to help harried shoppers quickly identify healthy foods and drinks as they rush through their supermarkets.
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 Supermarkets and convenience stores are the busy intersections where most Americans shop. It is here that consumers must sort out the information overload of dietary advice they receive from newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, the internet, and conversations with colleagues at work, and with friends and family.
These supermarket intersections are very crowded. An average supermarket stocks more than 45,000 items – foods, drinks, toiletries, pharmacy items, alcoholic beverages, cleaning supplies, magazines, greeting cards, videos and DVDs, flowers, auto and garden supplies, firewood, and so on. The range of choices is wondrous, and increasingly includes additional options like organic, free range, fair trade, gluten free, shade grown, sustainable, and more.
It was different in the old days, when we shopped in separate markets: butcher shop, fishmonger, bakery, general merchandise, beer, soda fountain, sandwich shop, diner, wine and cheese emporium, and many more, too. Most of the items in these shops were grown, raised or produced locally or regionally. We knew the shops’ proprietors, who in turn knew personally the farmers who grew or raised what they supplied, and the fishermen who caught or dug what they supplied. Our grocers could assure us of quality from their own personal knowledge. It’s sad but true that for the most part, these days are gone forever.
“Going to the supermarket” is often a time-pressured event – what to buy? How much to spend? Fresh or frozen? Perishable or “stays fresh for weeks?” Real food or techno food? Healthy or “a treat?” Baby in the cart’s crying. School’s out, gotta rush home. And so forth.
Buying groceries is the “waist of the hourglass,” the place that divides often-conflicting desires. “Eat healthy” can conflict with “Buy what we like to eat.” “Save money” can conflict with “top quality.” “Avoid junk foods” can conflict with “buy healthy snacks.”
Another overlay adding to shopper pressure is trying to make sense of the conflicting advice in the media about what foods and drinks “are healthy,” and which “are not healthy.” A classic example is the carousel of dietary advice in the last decades: in 1985-1995 the mantra was “fats are bad, carbs are good;” but in the 1995-2005 the mantra had reversed and become “fats are okay, carbs are bad.”
Lost in this maelstrom of mixed messages is the solid advice that wise eating and drinking is about a sound balance among the big three nutrients – carbohydrates, fats and proteins – while taking care to include a broad range of micronutrients that range from antioxidants to vitamins to minerals.
Fortunately, there are some consistent threads amid these tangles of conflicting dietary advice. Eating more whole grains is one of these threads; others include preferring unsaturated fats and oils over their saturated cousins; eating fish regularly; learning to eat more greens; good hydration; and embracing the idea of “pleasures of the table” so that meals are times of enjoyment during the day.
Another essential concept beginning to take hold is the principle that patterns of consumption are more important for promoting good long-term health than are any single foods or ingredients. The sensible focus is the entire meal, or an entire dish, and not a single food or single nutrient. If the phrase “eat a balanced meal” sounds old-fashioned, it is. It’s what was taught in Home Economics classes in grade and high school before they were axed by budget cuts. Some schools still teach students about the rudiments of healthy eating and drinking, but the curricula often fail to reflect sound up-to-date science.
The Mediterranean diet is an eating pattern that has stood the test of time over 50 years of nutrition science evaluation, and is now judged to be “the gold standard” for healthy eating. This judgment is based on thousands of studies published in top-level journals by high-level academic researchers in dozens of countries. As this newsletter goes to press, the just-concluded annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology again confirmed the heart-protective qualities of traditional Mediterranean diet patterns.
This is very good news: eating the Mediterranean way means eating wonderful plates of pasta with great-tasting sauces, savory hot and cold soups of all kinds, grilled meats and fish, lots of vegetables drizzled with fruity olive oil, fresh ripe fruits, vibrant wines and good coffee, and, occasionally, delicious sweets and desserts. This is the magic Mediterranean diet touch – “everything in moderation” – which brings with it satisfying meals, good health, improved energy levels, and long-term weight control.
It is also good news that the time-tested Mediterranean dietary pattern is easily adapted to Latin, Asian, Vegetarian, African-American, and Indian foods and flavors. This means that the gold-standard Mediterranean eating pattern can delight us with the dishes of most cultures: a plate of beautifully-sauced pasta, or a spicy stew of pork, white beans and Mexican vegetables, or a lemon chicken with steamed white rice and bok choy. We may have a glass of Tuscan red wine, or a crisp Mexican or Chinese beer with this dish, and a dessert of fruit and small cookies. With each of our dishes, we’ll have enjoyed a pleasing balance of tastes while consuming a healthy balance of nutrients.
Filling the Void
OUR GOAL: AT LEAST ONE WHOLE GRAIN OPTION
EVERYWHERE AMERICANS EAT
Consumers looking for whole grains in restaurants often find nothing but a black hole. They scour the menu and search the breadbasket and come away sorely disappointed. Now, building on the success of the Whole Grain Stamp in bringing more whole grain choices to the supermarket aisles, Oldways and the Whole Grains Council have launched a pair of creative programs to turn things around in restaurants.
The first program, a grassroots consumer campaign called Just Ask for Whole Grains, started March 5. As an article in the Hartford Courant aptly put it, “The new "Just Ask" campaign of the Whole Grains Council... urges customers to be a gentle thorn in the side of the nation’s fast-food joints, dining halls and restaurants. Even if you think these places don’t offer whole grain options, the Council wants you to ask anyway. You might be surprised to learn they do. They might be surprised to learn someone wants it.”
And that’s exactly what’s happening. Hundreds of diners are logging in to the WGC website each week to report where they ate, and whether whole grains were available. “I asked if they had anything better...and it turns out they had brown rice and quinoa!” “They have whole grain pasta—all you have to do is ask!” “We love the whole grain crackers some restaurants are adding to the breadbaskets.” Now, having unleashed the power of the dining public, we’re turning to the other end of the equation, and launching, on May 1, a companion program for restaurants called The Whole Grains Challenge. Under this awards program, any food outlet that offers at least one whole grain choice on the menu for 30 consecutive days during May, June and July 2007 is eligible to win prizes, and more importantly be featured prominently in national media coverage designed to bring their award-winning ways to the attention of the dining public.
Every operation that enters the Whole Grains Challenge will also receive a free restaurant membership in the WGC for the remainder of 2007, and will be eligible to place a whole grain symbol next to qualifying dishes on their menus.
Our next focus will be Whole Grains Month in September, when we’ll announce the winners of the Whole Grains Challenge and partner with the 150+ members of the WGC to run special promotions for whole grain products.
Efforts will culminate with our Just Ask for Whole Grains conference, to be held November 5–7, 2007, in Kansas City. In keeping with the Just Ask theme, our conference will answer key questions about whole grains, including Why more consumers should Just Ask... How consumers decide what to eat... Where whole grains fit in today's busy lifestyle... Who is saying "yes" to whole grains... and What resources can help restaurants, retailers and consumers move to whole grains. Thanks to early conference sponsors Bob’s Red Mill, ConAgra, Frito-Lay, General Mills, Harvest Time Bread, and Schwan Food Company. If you’d like to join other health professionals, marketing executives and government leaders at this conference, visit www.wholegrainscouncil.org for more details.
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LOOK WHO'S ASKING FOR WHOLE GRAINS!
“I asked for whole grain pasta at my favorite Italian restaurant and they didn’t have it so they got some for me.”
—Michele G., Dallas, TX
“I decided to ask for a healthier dinner. It was supposed to have white rice but I asked if they had anything better in the back they could throw in for me and it turns out they had brown rice and quinoa!”
—Kathleen K., Applebee’s, Portage, MI
“I asked for whole grain bread at Otto’s Diner....They had it...whole grain toast with my super omelette.”
—Karin C., Lancaster, CA
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Boston Food Experts Spark a Lively Debate
around The Oldways Table
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This past month saw a Boston food event that had all the local food celebrities dishing (pun intended) on the best topic – food! Setting The Oldways Table: A Discussion and Reception in Harvard Square was a great success. Seven well-known food experts and Oldways Table contributors, including Chefs Steve Johnson and Marian Morash, Harvard Professors Hannia Campos and Frank Saks, Restaurateur Sari Abul-Jubain, and Yankee magazine’s Food Editor Annie Copps, discussed with Oldways founder Dun Gifford what they eat and drink in the context of the “perfect” Oldways meal: taste and pleasure, nutrition and health, organics and sustainability.
The Oldways Table authors and contributors talked about the foods and meals they feed their friends and family, and what important food issues define and create their own culinary habits. With only 90 minutes and seven panelists, the time flew by as the conversation took an interesting turn. The focus shifted from current issues and important choices such as choosing organic options, supporting local farmers, and eating balanced, nutritious meals to HOW to make these changes. Captivated audience members wanted to know how they could get involved and make a difference. The overwhelming reaction from the panelists mirrored Oldways’ current grassroots campaign—encouraging consumers to Just Ask for Whole Grains!
“Just ask your restaurant if the vegetables are from a local farm,” said Steve Johnson of Rendezvous Restaurant in Cambridge. “You’d be surprised how far your request will go. Ask your local fishmonger to provide more choices from New England. Shop at your farmer’s market. Ask for what you want, be it organic, sustainable, local or healthier and eventually you will be heard.”
Oldways has been dedicated to educating the consumer to eat healthier by working with nutritionists, scientists, retailers, importers, chefs and writers, as evidenced by the wealth of experienced and knowledgeable contributions in The Oldways Table. Now Oldways is working directly with consumers, with initiatives like its highly accessible book and the “Just Ask for Whole Grains” campaign.
Dun Gifford reiterated the theme of consumer demand, saying, “We make the choices of what we eat and what we buy and our collective action will eventually be reflected in the food choices.”
The discussion continued as the audience of close to 100 adjourned to Casablanca restaurant for a reception that brought food, drink and friends around the Oldways table.
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How You Can Make a Difference
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SHARE—Send this newsletter to your friends and family so that more people join the Oldways family to be informed and educated about food.
ASK—Don’t forget that now is the time to Just Ask for Whole Grains and nominate your favorite restaurants that offer whole grain fare (www.wholegrainscouncil.org).
BUY WISELY—Continue to support the “old ways” by purchasing from local farmers. One way to do this is by joining Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). At Oldways, we’ve joined Siena Farms (www.sienafarms.com), a local CSA owned and farmed by Chris Kurth, who supplies many Boston and Cambridge restaurants with incredible vegetables. In case you’re not in Boston to enjoy the bounty of Siena Farms, you can find your own local CSA or farm through Local Harvest (www.localharvest.org).
LEARN—Read stories and recipes about the history, traditions and beauty of food in the much celebrated book, The Oldways Table. A collaborative effort between Sara Baer-Sinnott and K. Dun Gifford with the help from numerous contributors, The Oldways Table continues to receive rave reviews and is a great start to eating wisely and supporting a sound organization. Available at www.oldwayspt.org. |
The Oldways Table Launches to Critical Acclaim
"Straight talk about healthful eating - from a respected force in the international food world."
—Specialty Food Magazine
"An eclectic resource - a treasury of 100 recipes, a dietary guide, and a tribute to the world’s most influential food traditions."
—Gourmet News
“A thought-provoking gem. For those who believe we can and should eat, drink and cook better, The Oldways Table will read like a Bible.”
—Kansas City Star
“Sure to become a classic for both food lovers and nutrition enthusiasts alike”
—National Post (Canada)
“You’ll be pleased you purchased it.”
—Chicago Daily Herald
“Oldways cares about how things taste as much as it cares about how good they are for you… plenty of recipes for good, honest food.”
—Cincinnati Enquirer
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The Oldways Table at Borders
Oldways also set the table at Borders bookstore in Boston on March 7. Paul O’Connell, chef and owner of Chez Henri in Cambridge, joined us for a cooking demonstration and lively Q&A discussion. While preparing the recipe he contributed to The Oldways Table, a tasty chipotle aoli with crispy plaintains, Paul also talked about his quest for quality, local ingredients. Dun and Sara followed Paul’s presentation by walking the crowd through a tasting of olive oils, cheese, and balsamic vinegar. |
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