Plus:
T H E FOODI S S U E
Everything you never needed to know about donuts
THIS is what YOUR PIZZA
could look like Recipes on page 8
33 3 3 TIPS & TRICKS
• Match wine with a meal • Fuel your all-nighters • Cook cappelletti
INDIANA DAILY STUDENT
AND MORE
THE FOOD ISSUE [ What’s Inside ]
this issue
12 Not just a rug man
foods, 16 Local local faces
As Soviet tanks invaded the Afghan capital in 1979, Nasir Jallal knew his life was about to change. Now a Bloomington restaurant owner, Nasir welcomes the hardships and the freedoms of life in America.
Area farmers share why the slow food movement has never been stronger.
10 Countertop confidential Your guide to keeping leftovers fresh, matching wine with a meal, cleaning a crusty oven, and more. ore.
every issue 4
7
Editor’s Letter
6
Know-It-All
8
Tip Jar
Turn your comfort foods into restaurant-quality cuisine.
Vol. 2 • Issue 4
Cover photo by David E. Corso www.idsnews.com/inside
9
An inspector tells us what’s behind closed kitchen doors.
Students share family recipes from around the world.
[
Confessions
Please recycle
[
A Better U
Can greasy burgers and pizza really cure your hangover?
22
INside Out
Find out what’s in a donut (besides the hole).
ONLINE ONLY: I love you, but you eat meat: How relationships survive diet differences INside • 3
Special Thanks Joseph Campbell Joe got roped into helping photograph the farmers’ market at Harmony School on a blustery February morning. The local farmers and sellers warmed up to his personality, and he got a great time-lapse shot for “Who are the faces behind B-town’s locavore movement?” on page 16. Katie Myrick Katie didn’t just design the “How to...” feature on page 10. She collected all of the objects for the photos and helped art direct the latenight photo shoot too. Katie proved herself a trooper by doing all this with a severe cold and after a 2,000-mile drive back from her recent internship. Chip Cutter We’ve been trying to get Chip to write something for INside all year. But when we finally get him on board, disaster strikes (of course) – his computer crashes, and he has to rewrite the whole story! We appreciate the extra effort, Chip. You can read “Hung up by your hangover?” on page 9.
4 • INside
Letter from the Editor Since we’re getting oh-so-close to the end of the semester, one of my goals for this issue of INside was to publish a magazine that you’d want to keep around all summer – whether you’re staying in Bloomington, leaving for an internship or “real world” job, or just putting around at your parents’ house. And what better way to entice college students than with food? So in turn, this issue is chock full of “news you can use” – tons of tips, tricks, and tidbits that you can actually put into play in your own kitchen. From spicing up your comfort foods (page 8) to cleaning your oven (page 10) to cooking dessert over a campfire (online only), The Food Issue offers up ideas for the seasoned cook and the Ramen-lover. This is the last INside of the semester – but not the last issue ever. At the beginning of the year, we weren’t sure that would be the case. I want to take the time to thank the late director of IU Student Media, Dave Adams, for taking a chance, but to also thank our adviser, Nancy Comiskey, for keeping this publication on its feet. Even more importantly, I want to thank you, the INside reader. This is my last issue of INside as editor. I’ve appreciated serving you the past year, and I hope you’ve had as much fun as I have. I don’t know who will be the next editor, but the only way he or she can make INside better is if you offer up feedback. Visit our Web site, and leave comments about
Editor Kelsey Peters whips up some scrambled eggs, and you can, too. Find out how on page 10.
the stories. Or shoot off an email to inside@ idsnews.com. The new editor will be laying out the issues for the fall in the next couple weeks, and so it’s important to let us know what you loved, what you hated, and what you want to see in INside next year.
– Kelsey Peters, Editor QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CRITIQUES? E-MAIL THE EDITOR AT INSIDE@IDSNEWS.COM
KNOW-IT-ALL
Global grub By Shannon Burruss • Photos by David E. Corso
IU students share family recipes that will leave any food connoisseur hungry for more. Bon appetit!
Biryani - 1 lb. rice - 2 large onions, chopped - 2 garlic cloves, minced - 1 tbsp. ginger - 1/2 tsp. chili powder - 1/2 tsp. pepper
Yuca con Mojo - 3 lb. yuca - 2/3 cup olive oil -1/2 Spanish onion, sliced - 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced - 1 lemon - salt and pepper Place yuca in a pot of boiling water. There needs to be enough water to cover the yuca. Add a teaspoon of salt to the water. Continue boiling until the yuca is soft. This is similar to boiling potatoes, but yucca will require a bit more time. Then strain the yuca, and set it aside. In a separate pan, make the mojo. Heat olive oil, and add onion. Cook onion in oil until soft. Squeeze lemon juice into the oil and onion mixture, and add garlic. Cook for 30 more seconds after adding garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour mojo over yuca, and serve. “When I eat yuca, it reminds me of eating an American baked potato ... My dad's from Cuba and his mom would usually make it at Christmas or Thanksgiving.” Nick Chavez, Freshman Nick was born in Fishers, but his father is from Matanzas, Cuba.
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric - 1/2 tsp. cumin - 1 tsp. salt - 2 tomatoes, chopped - 2 tbsp. plain yogurt - 1/2 tsp. cardamom - 1 cinnamon stick - 4 tbsp. vegetable oil
First, pour the vegetable oil into a large frying pan. Fry the onions with garlic until soft. Next, add chili powder, ginger, turmeric, salt, pepper, cumin, and tomatoes into the pan. Fry for five minutes, stirring constantly. Add in yogurt, cardamom, and the cinnamon stick. Cook on low heat, and stir occasionally until the mixture is thick and smooth. Add hot water if the mixture becomes too dry. Then, add pre-cooked rice, and stir until the rice is evenly coated with the spice mixture. Many times potatoes and chicken are added to the rice for a more filling dish. If you choose to do so, add the pre-cooked potatoes and chicken into the skillet before adding the rice. “Biryani is an Indian rice dish that we make during festival times and big gatherings because the flavor and spices are so alive.” Madhuri Reddy, Sophomore Reddy was born in Terre Haute, but her family is from Hyderabad, India.
Cappelletti - 5 eggs - 3 1/2 cups flour - 1/3 lb. pork tenderloin - 1/3 lb. sausage - 1/3 lb. chicken breast
- 1/3 lb. ground beef - 1 cup Parmesan cheese - 1 cup Romano cheese - 1 tsp. nutmeg - pinch of salt
For the pasta, put flour in a mound on the table, and make a hole in the center of the mound. Crack the eggs in the hole, and slowly knead the ingredients together. Roll out the sheet of pasta, and cut two-by-two squares. Set aside. Boil all of the meats together, and shred finely. Combine the meat mixture together with the Parmesan and romano cheeses, nutmeg, and salt. Place a spoonful of the stuffing in the center of each pasta square. Take diagonal corners of the square, and fold them into each other to create a triangle. Then, take two edges of the triangle, and wrap it around your finger. This will create a shape similar to a tortellini noodle. Pinch the edges to keep the noodle closed. Lastly, boil the noodles for three to five minutes or until the noodles are tender. Serve with your choice of sauce. “Cappelletti is like a big stuffed noodle we eat around Christmas time. Years ago, Italians in my region would kill pigs in November, so around Christmas all the people had in the house was pig.” Alexandra Zago, Freshman Alexandra was born in St. Louis, but her family is from Turin, Italy.
See www.idsnews.com/inside for printable recipe cards for these dishes! INside • 5
CONFESSIONS
THE DIRTY WORLD OF DINING OUT: a From rats in booths to mold and sewage backups, Monroe County’s Chief General Food Sanitarian Sylvia Garrison shares her dirtiest tales. By Joe Jasinski
Q: WHAT IS THE INSPECTION PROCESS LIKE? A: First of all, they’re unannounced. We try to do the “higher-risk” places – places where food is made from scratch, where large volumes of food are cooked – more often than the “lower risk” places. Typically, Mexican, Asian, and “Mom and Pop” restaurants fall under the high-risk category. Q: HOW MANY RESTAURANTS DO YOU INSPECT, AND HOW FREQUENTLY ARE THEY INSPECTED? A: Roughly about 500 licensed restaurants in Monroe County. We add on top of that temporary events such as Taste of Bloomington and the farmers’ market. We try to inspect restaurants on an average of twice a year, but it is based mostly on risk. Q: HOW ARE THE RESTAURANTS EVALUATED? A: We break violations down into “critical” violations,
things like insects or rodents, no hot water, poor refrigeration, or people not washing their hands after using the bathroom, and “non-critical,” like a hole in the wall or a light being burnt out. Q: WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON RULES BROKEN BY RESTAURANTS? A: I would say food storage issues: not covering foods stored on the floor, not labeling properly, personal hygiene issues (not wearing gloves, no soap, and towels at hand sinks), “soiled” food contact surfaces (knives, meat cutters). Q: ARE RESTAURANTS WHERE YOU REPORT CRITICAL VIOLATIONS CLOSED IMMEDIATELY? A: Most critical violations, we give the restaurant 24 hours to correct, and we go back the next day. Obviously, no hot water, lack of power, no refrigeration, sewage backups, and severe roach infestation are all immediate closures.
We’ll bend over backwards for you. IU Credit Union Access 4,000 surcharge-free ATMs nationwide.
Transact at more than 2,500 shared branch locations
6 • INside
iucu.org
CONFESSIONS
restaurant inspector spills Q: WHICH RESTAURANTS ARE TYPICALLY THE MOST SANITARY? A: Chain restaurants. Almost 100 percent of the time, these restaurants have their own internal quality control people. Q: WHICH RESTAURANT HAS THE PERCEPTION OF BEING NASTY BUT IN REALITY IS RATHER CLEAN? A: After a night of bar-hopping and drinking, a lot of students like to finish their evening at places like the all-night “greasy spoons,” and the place that comes to mind is White Castle. They are actually an amazingly clean facility and consistently do well on their health inspections reports. Q: YOU’RE A FOOD HEALTH INSPECTOR. DO YOU EVER EAT OUT? A: Absolutely. I think that I tend to judge places more on first impressions when I walk into the dining room now. If I see an unsanitary condition in the dining
room, that makes me wonder, “What is going on behind those kitchen doors?” Q: HOW MANY RESTAURANTS HAVE YOU CLOSED DOWN? IS IT YOUR SOLE DECISION TO SHUT DOWN A RESTAURANT? A: Less than 10 in my 30-year career. You always have to run it by your boss. But the decision in the field rests solely on the inspector’s shoulders. Q: WHAT IS THE MOST DISGUSTING THING YOU’VE FOUND WHILE INSPECTING A RESTAURANT? A: I had a rat infestation in a small Greek restaurant (not in Bloomington, thankfully!). And I mean, I’ve seen a lot of roach infestations, but I’m not talking about little tiny rats, I’m talking about ... big ones. It was so bad that the rats were living in the booths where people sat, and there were rats’ nests found under the seats. That takes the cake.
Photo by Zach Hetrick
INside • 7
TIP JAR
SPICE UP YOUR LIFE By Kristi Oloffson • Photos by David E. Corso
We asked three Bloomington chefs how to rev up the foods we love and eat the most. From frozen pizza to macaroni and cheese, learn how to add a lot of taste – without a lot of money.
GRILLED CHEESE FARMbloomington’s Daniel Orr suggests using whole-grain instead of white bread. Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the bread. Instead of American, use cheddar, goat, or Brie cheese. To add something extra to the sandwich itself, Orr says cook it with thinly sliced apples in the middle. Cost to take your grilled cheese from good to gourmet: $3 Also try: • Using a panini press – or just a George Foreman grill – to cook the sandwich. • Including bleu cheese and bacon. Or try bacon and tomatoes, Grazie! chef Chris Winkle says. You can even add spinach.
MACARONI AND CHEESE Orr calls it “the classic comfort food.” He suggests adding wild shitake or oyster mushrooms to the boxed version of mac ‘n’ cheese. First, saute the mushrooms with garlic, butter, salt, and pepper in a separate pan. Then, fold the sauteed mushrooms in cheese for a complete meal. Cost to take your mac ‘n’ cheese from mom’s to master chef’s: $4 Also try: • Chopping 2 to 3 scallions and folding them in with the mushrooms at the end. • Mixing in sausage or chicken to make it a more filling meal. • Winkle recommends simply adding spices like black and red pepper along with veggies and meat. If you’re not starting with the blue box, try different types of pasta, like tortellini or bow tie. • Anatolia owner Osman Cekic suggests mixing tomato paste or sauce with mixed spices – garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper – and adding it on top of the mac ‘n’ cheese.
FROZEN PIZZA Adding bacon and eggs is Orr’s favorite way to “doctor up” a frozen pizza, turning it into breakfast pizza. First, crack two eggs right on top of the pizza. In another pan, cook a few slices of bacon. Use smoked mozzarella or Gouda cheese, add the bacon, and bake. Cost to take your pizza from boring to brag-about breakfast: $5 Also try: • Topping your frozen pizza with goat cheese, olive oil, vegetables, sea salt, and cracked black pepper, Orr says. • Adding crushed red pepper, Parmesan cheese, oregano, and Italian seasoning to spice it up, Winkle says. *Approximate prices based on the amount of each ingredient used.
8 • INside
A BETTER U You’ve just finished a wild night of drinking, and you’re starting to feel it. But can greasy pizzas and hot breadsticks, or any food for that matter, cure those hangover blues?
HUNG UP BY YOUR HANGOVER? By Chip Cutter • Illustrations by Adrienne Dye
Once a hangover sets in, alcohol has already been absorbed into the bloodstream, and food won’t make much of a difference, says Mary Jo McClintic, a registered dietitian at Bloomington Hospital. The same goes for cold showers, hot coffee, raw eggs, or other hangover remedies – most of them simply don’t work. The best way to beat a hangover, then, is to just let it run its course. McClintic advises getting rest and drinking plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. Even though food won’t help the hangover, it can make a big difference before a night of partying. “Definitely one of the worst things you can do would be to drink on an empty stomach,” she says. “It’s a good thing to be well-nourished and well-hydrated before you drink.” Her tip? Eat a balanced meal with carbohydrates (breads and pastas), proteins (tofu,
fish, or lean meats) and healthy fats at least 15 minutes before you start drinking. You’ll feel full, causing you to drink less. The food will also soak up some of the alcohol, she says, so it won’t enter your bloodstream as quickly. For pre-party meals, she says a simple turkey sandwich is a satisfying, healthy option. A pizza is fine, too, as long as you stick to a piece or two and skip the fattening toppings. But healthy eating also requires some planning. Once you start downing drinks, McClintic says it’s common for students to relax and lose their inhibitions. “If you’ve been drinking alcohol, you might make poor nutrition decisions,” she says. Counteract that by getting plenty of healthy foods in advance, McClintic says. That way, when it comes time to eat, you’ll have a variety of nutritious choices ready and waiting.
Can your diet affect your mood? Heidi Boruff, a registered dietitian for IU’s Residential Programs and Services, says these foods can help you feel...
AWAKE
ENERGETIC
Complex carbs, protein, and fat can help jumpstart your morning. Boruff’s breakfast favorite? Pancakes (carbs) rolled around peanut butter (protein and fat) and bananas. Fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens. All of these contain B vitamins, which help you utilize the energy in your body.
Turkey sandwich with cheese on whole grain bread. This healthy option releases tryptophan, which RELAXED can trigger the brain’s feelgood chemical, serotonin.
WIRED
SEXY
SLEEPY
Peanut butter – it has carbs, protein and fat, and it slowly absorbs into the body, giving you energy all night. “I put it in everything when I was in college,” Boruff said. Feeling frisky? Strawberries, oysters, avocado, bananas, and honey could put you in the mood. Warm milk, turkey, or anything else with the amino acid tryptophan (which might be why Uncle Harry passes out on the couch after every Thanksgiving).
INside • 9
HOW TO... Ever feel lost in your own kitchen? Sit back, grab some Tupperware and a Brillo pad, and take advice from the experts. BY LINDSEY ALEXANDER | PHOTOS BY DAVID E. CORSO
10 • INside
...KEEP LEFTOVERS FRESH
...MATCH WINE WITH A MEAL
Vicky Getty, director of the didactic program in dietetics at the HPER, says the key to leftovers is getting them cooled down quickly. Bacteria grow quickest between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit, and food shouldn’t be kept at that temperature for more than two hours. To reduce the temperature quickly, food should be separated into small containers. Just putting it in the fridge, Getty says, won’t do, because a large portion-size of hot food won’t cool quick enough to be healthy.
Butler Winery’s co-owner Susan Butler says wine functions as a palate cleanser to make food taste better, so pairing the right wine with the right meal is very important. White wines go well with white meats and white sauce pastas, and red wines should be coupled with red meats and red sauce pastas. If it has an oak tint from an oaken barrel, it goes better with spicier, heartier dishes, while light-bodied dry reds are best with less spicy foods and in warmer climates. Never drink dessert wines with a meal because of their higher alcohol and sugar contents; they fit nicely with sharp cheeses or fresh fruit, Butler says. One of her favorites is the black currant wine, a drink made of an Indiana fruit that tastes delicious paired with dark chocolate, she says.
EXTRA TIP Spaghetti and meat sauce can be stored together in the fridge and reheated with a little bit of water over the stove or in the microwave. It lasts for three to four days.
...ORGANIZE YOUR FRIDGE After waking to the joy of sour milk or stinky cheese, do not fear. It’s not too late to give your refrigerator a makeover that will make your life simpler and odor-free. Getty says fridges should be organized from top-to-bottom with foods that don’t get cooked (like fruits and veggies) on the highest shelves and meats on bottom. This way, the juices from the meats don’t spill on things that won’t be properly cooked. Fit the beverages wherever you can. And as for those pesky eggs, the safest place is probably on the bottom shelf, so they stay cool and can’t crack onto anything else. But if all else fails, Getty says, the door is acceptable, unless you have it open much of the time.
EXTRA TIP To get crumbs out of a toaster, switch the latch at the bottom of the appliance. Empty it over a trash can, and out go the crumbs.
EXTRA TIP Butler says the best way to choose wine is with experience, and she encourages students to attend a free wine tasting instead of blindly guessing in a grocery store aisle.
...SCRAMBLE AN EGG Break the egg into a bowl, and beat it with a fork. Add a little milk – about one tablespoon of milk per egg – and pour the mixture into a pan with oil or margarine.
EXTRA TIP Poaching eggs is no longer advised, Getty says, because the egg is not cooked at a high enough temperature. Even a runny yolk is not suggested because the yolk doesn’t coagulate. About one in 20,000 eggs is contaminated with salmonella.
...CLEAN ... CLEAN AN OV OVEN Although there are many oven-cleaning products on the market, Getty says the best and most “eco-friendly” way to clean that oven before your lease runs out is with a good old-fashioned Brillo pad. It’s easiest to clean an oven when it’s warm (not hot) because when it’s cold, spillage is harder to remove. Getty says to reduce making messes in the oven in the first place, put your dish of choice on top of a cookie sheet while it’s in the oven. That way, if it overflows, you just need to wash the cookie sheet, not the whole oven.
EXTRA TIP To get stains out of teapots and coffeepots, boil vinegar and water inside them before washing them.
...STIR-FRY You don’t need a wok to make tasty stir-fry. First, cook thin strips of meat in a pan. Set the meat to the side, and cut up vegetables into small, thin slices, Getty says. INside suggests baby corn, snow peas, and bamboo shoots. Then, put a drop of oil in a pan – just enough so the vegtables don’t go dry – and boil it. Fry the vegetables for a few minutes in an uncovered pan, making sure not to let them absorb all the oil so they don’t lose nutritional value. The vegetables should be soft but not limp. Then, put the meat back in the pan, and add any spices at the end – try salt, pepper, red pepper, thyme, or sage.
EXTRA TIP Steaming and microwaving are about equally healthy ways to prepare foods, but Getty says microwaving isn’t as “good for the quality taste-wise.”
ONLINE ONLY: LEARN HOW TO MAKE CAMPFIRE COBBLER AND HIKER’S TUNA SALAD ONLY AT WWW.IDSNEWS.COM/INSIDE. INside • 11
After a privileged upbringing in Afghanistan, Nasir Jallal found his life changed when the Soviet Army invaded Kabul in 1979. As a young man unwilling to fight, Nasir fled the war-
12 • INside
The restaurateur, the rug man, and the unassuming entrepreneur
-torn country. A new life and new opportunities awaited him in Indiana.
Intricate, handwoven rugs hang on the walls of Nasir Jallal’s Third Street restaurant. The designs are reminders of a life gone – the joy and trepidation of a young Afghan and his costly voyage to a new and hopeful world.
By Brian Spegele | Photos by Jacob Kriese
A
small, gray calculator, resting to the left of the restaurant’s register, is not just a measure of the man’s success; it’s a gauge of his aspirations. The owner, Nasir Jallal, chomps on a final bit of his wife’s homemade naan. It’s 9 on a Saturday night, and Mac Mediterranean has nearly emptied. Through the thin walls, there is laughter from the adjacent – and still-bustling – Mother Bear’s Pizza. This is the kind of laughter Nasir wishes would fill his restaurant. Students’ youthful gusto brings an innocent smile to Nasir’s face. These were the days and dreams deferred for Nasir while a student at Kabul University in Afghanistan. These are the opportunities
INside • 13
he wishes for his three daughters. Nasir’s journey is a story of close calls – his life already a series of tough pitches. Dipping curve balls and the occasional zipping-past-your-face heater have sent him crashing to the dirt several times already. Each time: Get up, Nasir. There’s work to be done, money to be made, laughs to be had, and better lives to build for each of your children.
T
he naan is gone. Nasir grabs a toothpick and props himself against the wall; his right leg rests on the booth’s bench. He’s tired. Today, Nasir spent more than 12 hours at the restaurant, his turquoise sweater unchanged since two days earlier. His mind wanders as new ideas for business ventures add the slightest tint of green to his dark brown eyes. Real estate developer? Sure. Ice cream shop owner? Why not? Accountant? Now, that’s the one. The get-rich-quick mentality is half an attempt to “live as the Romans do” and half an effort to snub anything that reminds him of the horrors he experienced decades prior when Soviet soldiers invaded Afghanistan. Nasir jumps to his feet, skitters to the front of the restaurant, and snatches up the gray calculator.
14 • INside
“If we had notebooks to write in, we didn’t have any books. If we had a book, we didn’t have any pens.” He reasons a series of gibberish calculations, muttering to himself and occasionally looking up to seek a nod of approval. This is the idea that could make him rich, he reckons. Clang go the dishes, ringing powerfully from the restaurant’s kitchen. This is not a life that has made him rich – not yet at least. “Right now, I’m just getting by,” he says. But it’s a better life than he’s ever known. The restaurant’s front door swings open – the bells tied to the door handle chime merrily – and a middle-aged couple, dressed in nearly matching blue wind pants, stumble in, cherry-nosed from outside’s icy cold air. Already, the kitchen has closed, but Nasir doesn’t dare send the customers away. The couple appears nervous as Nasir jumps up to greet them. “Do you want to eat here or somewhere else?” the husband asks his wife – just the way husbands do when they want to pass along the burden of decision. “Oh this looks fine,” the wife responds. Nasir rocks back and forth on his feet, facing the couple,
pretending he cannot hear their deliberations. “You want to go somewhere else?” the man urges through his teeth. His daughters decided just to grab pizza next door. Why chance a bad meal on this empty, foreign place? “This looks fine,” the wife responds through her own teeth this time, craning her neck in the husband’s direction. He’ll eventually lose this battle when Nasir negotiates the price for a buffet dinner. He is a charming salesman.
“I
f we had notebooks to write in, we didn’t have any books. If we had a book, we didn’t have any pens,” Nasir says. The husband and wife devour their platter of Afghani fare – asking for seconds – and Nasir sits with them the whole time they eat, sharing stories from his former life. “So, are you from Greece?” the husband asks. “No. I’m from Afghanistan,” Nasir responds. The man’s eyes open wide with embarrassment. The newfound freedoms Nasir has encountered in his eight years in America are a far cry from
what he describes as the rigidity of life back home. A hand-woven American flag (hand-woven in Pakistan, that is) rests folded neatly in Nasir’s office. He’s a master weaver himself, a skill learned after fleeing his homeland. The rumble of the invading Soviet tanks as they thrashed down the streets of Kabul in 1979 still echoes in Nasir’s mind. The Afghan Army attempted to draft the young man to help ward off the Soviet attacks, but Nasir refused. This was not his war to fight, he says. Kabul was unstable; the Cold War suddenly knocked on Afghanistan’s door. Electricity was unreliable at best, gunshots whistled in the streets, and Soviet MiG aircraft soared overhead. This was no longer the city where his father, a doctor, took young Nasir to Buzkashi matches to watch the mighty horseman compete for possession of the beheaded goat. His father pushed Nasir, and as a boy he studied hard, despite the state of his country, eventually earning a master’s degree in logistics. But Kabul changed, and it was time for Nasir to leave. Photo by Jacob Kriese
A
gain, the naan was gone. The couple wasn’t ready to leave. Their daughters had finished their pizza next door and joined their parents inside Nasir’s restaurant. “That family was just so happy, man,” Nasir remarked a few days
A regular patron at Mac Mediterranean enjoys the Saturday lunch buffet. Traditional rugs and tapestries decorate the walls of the small restaurant.
later, the toothy smile returning to his face. Nasir’s brothers and sisters have dispersed since fleeing Afghanistan, settling wherever visas
allowed. “Beggars couldn’t be choosers,” Nasir says. Holland, Sweden, and Finland are among places continued on page 21
It’s 5:00 AM. Do you really want to drive to the airport?
Indianapolis-Bloomington
812-339-7269 www.ClassicTouchLimo.com INside • 15
locavore movemen
Who are the faces behind B-town
think you’ve heard it all about the local food movement. Maybe you’ve embraced it a adding locally grown food to your cupboard or at least thought about it. Or maybe you’re sick hearing about it, viewing it as more of an expensive trend than a lifestyle. But no matter what you is impossible to deny what people around the state are starting to realize: Bloomington does loca You might
By Whitney Mitchell
A
ny given Saturday morning from April through October, the normally bare asphalt lots adjacent to City Hall transform into a bustling marketplace, hardly recognizable as hundreds of people from the community flood downtown Bloomington to get a taste of local goods. Everything from fresh sweet potatoes and apple pie to green eggs (yes, they do exist) and legs of lamb crowd the long tables the farmers command. It goes fast, though. By noon, there might be only be a few sparse cobs of corn or a jar or two of clover honey left for late shoppers. Junior Sarah Almuhairi is proud to call herself a “locavore” – Oxford
American Dictionary’s 2007 word of the year to descri ers. And while the ideas of supporting area farmers a deep roots in Bloomington, the movement continues of interest and availability is not a problem in this you turn: from the year-round farmers’ markets, local stores, on-campus dining facilities, area food banks, a ington restaurants with Southern Indiana flare. “I think it’s easy to forget that there’s an amazin of the college scene,” Almuhairi says, who does alm
These Bloomington restaurants and groceries cater
to the
locavore and support area farmers by working with the
Local Growers Guild: Bloomingfoods • Trulli Flatbread • Upland Brewery • Limestone Grille • FARMbloomington • Laughing Planet Cafe • Bloomington Bagel Company • Roots • Lennie’s Brew Pub • Sahara Mart • Pizza Express • Nick’s English Hut • Oliver Winery • Restaurant Tallent
16 • INside
Dave Tallent
Rebekah Fiedler
Koy DePompeo
Cathy Crosson
Award-winning local chef Owner, Restaurant Tallent
Owner, Fiedler Family Farms
Harvest Lodge Catering
Former IU School of Law professor, Small farm owner
Nina C
IU graduate s Bloomington Coff
e nt?
n’s
and started
of reading and
r thoughts, it
al best.
be local food consumand eating locally have to pick up steam. Lack town. It’s everywhere l food-infused grocery and renowned Bloom-
ng community outside ost all of her summer
local food,
Photos by David E. Corso
student, ffee Roasters
local faces
Cole
photo by Joseph Campbell
On a Saturday morning in late February, local farmers and shoppers gather at Harmony School on Second Street for Bloomington’s weekly winter farmers’ market. The outdoor farmers’ market at Showers Common opened the first week of April.
INside • 17
Dozens of eggs are on display at Teresa Birtles’ table at the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market. Birtles sells eggs individually and by the dozen, depending on what customers need. The egg color varies depending on the chicken that laid them. Birtles owns Heartland Family Farm in Bedford, where she raises chickens and grows an array of vegetables. She specializes in European varieties of vegetables, which she sells at the farmers’ markets and to area restaurants.
defining
organic The USDA has a
strict set of standards
that must be followed for farmers to label their food as
USDA organic. On the most basic level, organic foods are those grown or containing ingredients that have
produced without antibiotics, chemicals, fertilizers, and pesticides.
been
The USDA also says organic farmers must emphasize the use of
renewable resources and the
conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for
future generations. To see the full list of requirements, check out http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexNet.htm.
18 • INside
Photo by David E. Corso
grocery shopping at the farmers’ market. She’s also trying to start an IU campus chapter of Slow Food, an international organization dedicated to eating healthful and local. “There’s such a diversity in the type of town and type of people that are here, and when you eat locally, you get to experience what an interesting food city Bloomington really is.” So why choose local? Taste is a primary reason – the food is grown and picked at its freshest, locavores say. Many argue that eating locally is better for the environment, since the food travels shorter distances. Others cite health and nutrition as key reasons, as the food is usually devoid of pesticides and other chemicals shown to cause health problems. The farmers, and those who buy from them most, say that the personal relationships forged with the growers and a renewed sense of community top their list of reasons. “When you eat an apple that was picked off the tree a few days ago, you can taste the difference than something you’d get at the grocery store,” Almuhairi says. “The farmers are growing it for the way it will taste, not how well it’ll ship.” In an age of interstates and corporate farming, a person’s connection to their food might be disappearing. But these growers attempt to restore
that bond by connecting a face to the hand behind the plows. The Bloomington’s Community Farmers’ Market is a local food treasure troves. The winter farmers’ market, held at Harmony School on Second Street, is smaller than the outdoor summer market, but with orchard apples, crisp green heads of lettuce, and an assortment of meat cuts, customers might find more locally grown food in the off-season than they would expect from Southern Indiana. “Every food product you could imagine is being grown within a 100-mile radius of Bloomington,” says Jean Kautt, marketing director of Bloomingfoods, co-op grocery stores that offer a wide selections of food from local farmers, especially during the height of the growing season.
T
eresa Birtles, a regular vendor and buyer at the Bloomington market, has been selling her vegetables and eggs to the community for nine years. Birtles owns and runs Heartland Family Farm in Bedford with her three daughters and her young granddaughter, who she says is more a taste-tester than a farmer. Last summer, Birtles’ youngest daughter, 9-year-old Emily, woke at dawn
every morning to help her mom work the four-acre farm. Emily raised between 1,500 and 2,000 plants last year. “In the summer we work like crazy women ... it’s just a blur that goes by at 100 miles per hour,” Birtles says. In the winter months, the pace slows down. Birtles splits most of her time between homeschooling her daughter and caring for her chickens. She gathers eggs three or four times a day and develops post-market products, like tomato sauce, from her summer harvest. Birtles’ rare European vegetables have become known among local restaurateurs. Her heirloom tomatoes – ranging in color from purple to yellow – are as diverse in taste as in appearance. The nonhybrid seeds, originating in the 1940s or before, are rare, often cherished by the families who pass the seeds down through generations. Chef Dave Tallent is among those to embrace the availability of local food from Birtles and other growers. The owner and head chef of Restaurant Tallent in downtown Bloomington says there’s no doubt in his mind that food he gets from area farmers tastes better than what he would get from a corporate food delivery service. Culinary school in New York was the chef’s first opportunity to cook with local ingredients. “There was a little co-op near the restaurant
What will be your path this summer?
I worked at, and the chefs at the local restaurant would get a fax list from the co-op saying what foods were available from farmers that week,” Tallent says. “That was the first experience I had with a farmer bringing me the food, and it was kind of an eye-opening thing. I thought it was pretty cool from the get-go, and I remember saying to myself that if I ever have my own restaurant, that’s exactly how I want to do it.” He lived up to his word, and when Tallent arrived in Bloomington, he visited the farmers’ market regularly, both to get food and get his name out to the farmers. He now receives regular weekly deliveries from farmers, with some even growing food Tallent specifically requests.
W
hile the general notion among students is that buying organic and local means spending a fortune on groceries, many have begun to argue life as a locavore isn’t so expensive. “A lot of my friends say they have no money or time to buy local and cook, but I don’t think many of them realize it’s not that much more expensive to go to the farmers’ market and pick the exact amount of what you need,” Almuhari says. “If cost is an issue, just think about where your food dollars are going. Your money is going to
Photo by David E. Corso
Harvest Moon Flower Farm sells greens at the winter farmers’ market. The farm, located in Spencer, specializes in growing organic flowers for local restaurants and events.
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08 INside • 19
Photo by David E. Corso
Mushrooms from Homestead Growers are on sale at the farmers’ market at Bloomington’s Harmony School. Located in Sheridan, Homestead Growers specializes in growing exotic mushrooms and has been a family farm for seven generations.
farmers in this area who actually grew the food, and you are putting good, fresh food in your body.” In many cases, buying organic food (not necessarily local) is more expensive. Birtles says just because something isn’t labeled organic doesn’t mean it’s not good, whole food. Conversely, just because a food carries the organic label doesn’t mean it’s the best option out there. “The USDA has, in effect, kidnapped the word organic,” she says. “It’s very hard to be certified organic if you are a small-scale farmer because of all of the requirements the government
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imposes. And just because something says it’s organic doesn’t mean it’s sustainable for the land and the best quality food. But if you’re working with a small, family farmer, that person has infinite knowledge in working his land.” Those who truly can’t afford to build local, healthy food into their diet have plenty of places to turn for a nutritious meal. Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, Hoosier Hills Food Bank, Worm’s Way, and other organizations in the area make it a priority to get good food to the people who need it most. Hoosier Hills’ “Plant a Row for the Hungry”
program brings food from local farms into the distribution mix. The program asks farmers and gardeners to plant one additional row in their garden and donate the harvest to Hoosier Hills. Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard is a grocery-like food pantry that provides meals for low-income families. A rarity in most food banks, it offers a variety of local produce. “Many of the folks that come here have to choose between paying their rent and buying food,” says Brooke Gentile, executive director of Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard. “When people are in a situation like that, they are going to buy the cheapest food possible.” She says cheap food is often highly processed and packed with preservatives that are known to predispose people to illness. “Just by providing these (healthful) foods to people, we help them learn about the benefits of eating well so they can be healthier in the long run.” The pantry also has plant starters for those who want to start growing at home. Gentile noted there is a real interest in food growing among the pantry’s clientele. “It really is inspiring to get a glimpse of seeing someone grow their own food and taking that next step and providing for themselves.” With the farmers’ market and the eat-local movement in full swing, locavores see a booming future ahead for the Bloomington food community. “I think we are on the brink of a new way of living and eating,” Kautt says. “More and more people are becoming aware of what’s available locally to them. There are more than 170 farmers selling at the market, and there’s a tremendous amount of interest in supporting them.”
Nasir continued from page 15
his family ended up. But for Nasir, the tales from America began to pour in. His brother had married an American and told Nasir of this country – of fancy cars, of riches, of peace and of security. The couple’s blond, teenage daughter closes her cell phone, crosses her legs, and listens closer. The clambering of the pots has stopped. All the dishes are clean, the coriander tea finished. Still no peep, however, from Nasir’s wife and daughters as they dallied back in the kitchen, waiting for word that they could go home. “You have such nice daughters,” Nasir says. The father shoots his daughters the “look-howlucky-you-have-it” eye. The teenage girls have given in to the eccentric restaurant owner’s stories. But Nasir calls his restaurant just a hobby. “Pretty nice hobby,” the husband retorts. Rug weaving brought Nasir to America, and it’s tough to escape Mac Mediterranean without Nasir thrusting at you a business card for his rug shop. He cross-promotes his rug store by hanging colorful carpets on the restaurant’s walls. They blush shades of orange and red; the intricate designs are distinctly Middle Eastern. He knows many of the weavers back home. He knows the scenes where these rugs are woven. He knows their work – two weeks per rug, three weeks, maybe more. Nasir’s not getting rich off his restaurant. It is likely he never will. Many of the tables sit empty on weekend evenings, as the owner ponders ways to draw in more students. As much as he wants their money, it’s their company – the youthful gusto – that keeps Nasir smiling. The naan is gone, and the couple’s last swigs of tea have grown cold. The family bundles up in jackets. Outside, a Bloomington winter whistles on. They swap e-mail addresses and hug as the husband promises he will tell all his family about Mac Mediterranean. “I’m just a rug man,” Nasir says. The wife stares incredulously. “You’re so much more than that.” And with a final farewell and merry jingle from the bells tied to the door, the family has gone. Nasir turns, his smile wide. “That family, they were just so happy,” he says. “And did you see how happy those girls were?” With that, his day is through. He disappears behind the curtain into the kitchen. “All right guys, time to go,” he tells his wife and children. He calls himself “just a rug man.” Those knowing no better might just believe him.
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INside • 21
INSIDE OUT
Mmm, donuts
HOMER SIMPSON CRAVES THEM, POLICE OFFICERS MUNCH ON THEM, AND AMERICA APPARENTLY RUNS ON THEM — BUT DO WE ACTUALLY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT DONUTS?
By Rachel Skybetter • Photo by David E. Corso
CIRCLE OF LIFE It takes three heartbreaking hours to make yeast donuts from beginning to end, although most of that time is spent waiting for the dough to do its thing. After they are formed into the desired shape, the donuts are fried in a soybased shortening (not lard!) for 45 seconds on each side. They are then topped and ready to eat. Cake donuts are less popular but also only take a mere 30 minutes to make. COUNT ’EM One donut won’t kill you, but it’s tempting to reach for that second or third. Glazed donuts contain between 200 to 250 calories, depending on the size. Typically, the more ingredients 22 • INside
there are, the more calories. Dunkin’ Donuts’ most gluttonous treat is the chocolate coconut cake donut, weighing in at 370 calories. Krispy Kreme’s unhealthiest donut is the apple fritter, at a whopping 380 calories. OH, HOLE-INESS Donut holes are deceiving too – about four of those little guys are equivalent to a whole donut. At B-town’s Crescent Donut Shop, donut holes are literally the center of the dough, with the exception of the cake donut holes, which are made from scratch. WHERE’S THE CREME FILLING? Unless you’re buying store-bought donuts,
which are often glazed with a powdered sugar concoction, the glaze on homemade fresh donuts is a mixture of sugar, water, honey, maple, apricot, and other flavors. Creme and chocolate fillings are made in-house, but jellies and jams are typically purchased from a supplier. BAKER’S DOZEN Crescent’s donuts are made in the wee hours of the morning so that they’ll be fresh at 5 a.m. The day of the week determines how many to make, with the beginning of the week being slower than the weekend. Owner Peter Sharpe estimates they make 250 to 300 dozen – up to 3,600 donuts – on the weekends and just 150 dozen on Mondays. Either way, that’s a lot of donuts.