What makes us human? In order to answer that question, Richard Wrangham asks, "What made us human?" In Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human, Wrangham argues cooking not only transformed food, it transformed us. By learning how to cook their food externally, our prehistoric ancestors greatly increased their access to the energy within food. As a result, they developed uniquely human, shorter intestinal tracts. Because they didn't need to devote as much energy towards digesting their food, they also evolved larger brains, the most energy hungry organ in the human body.
If cooking made us human, then why don't humans cook anymore? Because they don't have to. Our lives used to depend on cooking. Now, our processed food and restaurant industries do the cooking for us. But cooking not only made us human, cooking also makes us human. In Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation, Michael Pollan credits cooking for connecting humans and strengthening relationships.
One way you can enrich your kids' lives with more human experiences is to invite more humans to eat with your family. A cook out is a great way to simultaneously get back to your roots by cooking with fire and gathering friends and family together for a meal.
Recently, I tried a novel technique of cooking vegetables directly on hot charcoal that I read about in Every Day With Rachel Ray. I placed zucchini, eggplant, red onions, and bell peppers right on top of hot coals and cooked them until soft and blackened. Then, I peeled the skins away, chopped the vegetables up, and added a little salt, black pepper, and fresh herbs. The vegetables were delicious, but what really made the meal special was sharing the experience with our friends. That's what made it a truly human experience.
I have something to confess. I went on a date with someone new. I had actually been seeing this new girl off and on for more than two years, but this was the first time that I took her out on an official date, just the two of us. Luckily for me, my wife not only knew about our date, she happily arranged it. Cassie went out of town with Colin to visit her parents. That just left me alone with Cailya. At first, I was worried about being the sole guardian. I actually felt sorry for Cailya. Then, I realized how fortunate I was to spend quality time with my daughter. I decided to make the most of our time together. I picked out a special spring dress for Cailya. Then, I headed downstairs to prepare our daddy daughter breakfast. I cracked two eggs into a bowl and mixed in salt, pepper, and chopped scallions. I quickly fried the eggs into a thin omelet. Then, I applied a generous coating of cream cheese with chives. I layered thin slices of avocado and smoked salmon on top. Finally, I rolled the omelet up and wrapped the whole thing in parchment paper. She took a bite of her omelet wrap and said, "Ketchup." After breakfast, we headed out to enjoy our day together. First, I took Cailya on a romantic stroll through the aisles of the local grocery store. Next, I expanded her horizons by showing her around a wholesale warehouse club, of which I am an exclusive member. After that, we went to a birthday party, celebrating the 100th birthday of the city of Mclean. While there, we enjoyed some treats. Unfortunately, I am unable to disclose what we had because this is a healthy food blog. After a short nap, I took Cailya to a Rocknoceros concert. Rocknoceros is a children's band based out of Northern Virginia. They are known for catchy hooks, clever lyrics, and humor that appeals to kids and parents alike. We enjoyed some nice snacks while we sat under a shady tree and listened to the band. After the concert, we headed home and had a light dinner. After her bath, I changed Cailya into her bumblebee pajamas. We had had a wonderful day together, and I decided to top the evening off with a slow dance and serenade. As I held my daughter in my arms and softly crooned, "In the Still of the Night" into her ear, I was reminded of the first time I sang those same words and held her mother in my arms. Back then, I was convinced that nothing would feel as good as the love I have for my wife. Now, there's another special lady in my life, and there is nothing quite like the love between a daddy and his daughter.
One of the highlights of our recent trip to Spain was the Taller Andaluz de Cocina cooking school. Held within the Triana food market in Seville, the class started with a tour of the food market. During the market tour, our guide introduced us to fresh vegetables, sweet chorizo, and paprika infused pork fat. "Traditional Spanish cuisine is not complicated. It just requires time and fresh produce," she explained. The class was taught by a chef who started cooking alongside his mother at an early age and went on to work in a two Michelin star restaurant in Northern Spain. His passion for cuisine was self evident. His advice was practical and uncomplicated. For instance, he advised cooking diced onions low and slow to get a nice caramelization. He also taught me the value of adding salt to draw water out from the center of the onion. No wonder my onions turn out black on the outside and raw in the center! Altogether, the Taller Andaluz de Cocina cooking school was a unique experience involving entertainment, education, and a delicious meal, all for a very reasonable price. One dish that exemplifies how uncomplicated and fresh Spanish cuisine can be is gazpacho. In fact, gazpacho was traditionally a poor man's food. Traditionally served as a cool summer drink, gazpacho was the original vegetable smoothie far predating the trendy green smoothie. Now, according to our friends who live in Spain, kids may even have gazpacho for breakfast. Try this recipe to make your own cool and refreshing gazpacho. Cailya, who has always loved tomatoes, slurped this dish up. Because Colin has always been weary of tomatoes, I sweetened his gazpacho up with some strawberries and told him it was strawberry soup. It worked like a charm.
We recently took a trip to Spain. And by "we", I mean Cassie and me...without the kids! We walked over 20,000 steps a day, saw many historical sites, and of course ate! The Spanish take their food very seriously. While in Seville, we went on an Iberian Ham Tour, guided by Roger Davies with Epicurean Ways. This delightful tour was a true farm to table experience. Roger picked us up promptly at 9:30 in the morning and took us in his private car on a scenic drive to a local pig farm about one and a half hours outside of Seville. When I pictured a "pig farm", I envisioned a tightly spaced pig pen with smelly hogs fighting for space. Quite to the contrary, the farm that Roger took us to was a vast, open park.
Here, pigs roam freely around on stretches and stretches of open land. A large man-made lake provides a cool respite on hot days. When they are hungry, the pigs have an ample supply of acorns provided by the many oak trees that dot the farm. Iberian ham, in fact, is distinguished from other hams like Serrano ham because Iberian pigs are raised on a natural acorn fed diet. As a result, Iberian ham is rich in oleic acid, a healthy monounsaturated fat.
After the farm tour, Roger introduced us to the owner of the farm, an exquisitely charming and loquacious lady. She generously prepared a delicious Spanish potato tortilla accompanied with slices of savory Iberian ham. We stuffed ourselves silly then traveled to see where and how the ham was made. Roger took us to a large warehouse, where thousands of legs of Iberian ham hung to dry. During the curing process, the legs are first placed into a pile of salt for ten days. Then, a generous coating of sunflower is applied. The ham is then hung from hooks in the ceiling for a minimum of two to three years. Yes, I said years. Over the course of that time period, the ham is lovingly tended to, with periodic inspections and reapplications of sunflower oil.
I was amazed by the length of the curing process. While I find it difficult to wait more than a few minutes for my food, the Spanish wait two to three years for their food! I thought of the last time I labored over something for two to three years and it dawned on me that I do have something in common with the Spanish. Just like the Spanish take care of their ham, Cassie and I have nurtured our little baby Cailya for more than two years. Yes, I just compared Cailya to cured ham. Both child-rearing and cooking are labors of love. In both endeavors, there are trials and tribulations and exercises in patience. In the end, the time spent laboring over the ones you love is more than worthwhile. In the following video, I feature a tasty creamy spinach lentil dish which gently simmers over forty-five minutes. It is definitely worth the wait! Happy Mother's Day!
"Remember when you cut my arm off?" asked Colin. "Huh?" I responded, perplexed by my son's question. "You cut my arm off. I want to watch you cut my arm off on again." "Oh, you mean the video when I pretended to cut your arm off?" "Yes. I want to watch that video again." Cassie likes to read books on normal child development. I guess she likes to confirm that our children our normal. I, on the other hand, don't like to read about child development. I know that I would likely worry anytime my kids stray from what is defined as "normal". One thing Cassie read was that boys start to get attached to their dads around the age of four. So I awaited Colin's fourth birthday with baited breath. I had suffered in obscurity for four long years! Each time Colin and Cailya would repel away from me in favor for beloved mommy, was like a dagger to my heart. Forever the bridesmaid and never the bride, I felt like the Andy Roddick of my family. And then Colin turned four and nothing changed. He continued to regard me with cordial indifference. All that changed when we left the kids with their grandparents for a week while we took a boondoggle to Europe for our tenth anniversary. Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. Ever since we returned from our trip, Colin has really taken a shining to his old man. And let me tell you, it sure feels good when the boy selects yours truly as his object of affection and idolization. Now who's Roger Federer? Me, that's who! Since Colin recognizes that I like making videos, lately, he has taken a keen interest in participating in the videography and production of my videos. And, just like his old man, he enjoys watching himself in playback. I sure do like seeing Colin take up similar interests to myself, I just don't want him to ask me to cut off his arm again. In part two of Monty Python and the Holy Grain, I feature a truly tasty Black Barley Risotto With Shrimp and Artichokes, without the violence.
Does size matter? I address this topic in the weight management classes I teach. Size matters only if you let it matter. People often remark on how skinny I am. Growing up, I found comments like that to be hurtful because size is often associated with strength and virility. At a time when I was trying to attract the opposite sex, comments like that would cut my manliness down to size. Some people associate big appetites with masculinity as well. For instance, Brian Wansink studied how people behave on first dates. While women tend to eat less than they normally would, men tend to eat more. I guess men feel they need to overcompensate for something. In Man With a Pan, John Donohue shares a collection of stories written by men who cook for their families. Shankar Vedantam explores the topic of gender bias in cooking. Studies suggest people associate home cooking with females and professional cooking with males. Jesse Green shares the perspective of cooking in a gay family. In his relationship, family duties are assigned based on individual strengths. While Jesse cooks when the couple host a dinner party, his partner is better suited toward practical day to day meals for the kids. When I thought about what makes a man manly, I realized that I need look no further than my own dad. My dad has always provided for his family. He works long hours as a cardiologist and when he comes home, he continues working to support his family. Whether he is working on the yard, or working on the house, he is always taking care of his family. Despite the fact that he doesn't enjoy cooking, I remember coming down several mornings to find that my dad had cooked up a couple of sausage links for me. Because of the example that my dad set, I strive to be a hard-working dad for my own kids. There are no male or female jobs. When I think of how I can step up and take care of my family, I can think of nothing more manly than cooking for my kids. In the following video, I show you a manly dish for Korean Mackerel Stew that you can serve your own kids:
References
Wansink, Brian. 2006. Mindless eating: why we eat more than we think. New York: Bantam Books. Donohue, John. 2011. Man with a pan: culinary adventures of fathers who cook for their families. Chapel Hill, N.C.: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
I recently read a fantastic book called, Man With a Pan. This was a fun read that featured a collection of stories from men who cook for their families. Authors ranged from columnist Shankar Vedantam, to horror novelist Stephen King, to celebrity chefs like Mario Batali. Collectively, the stories resonated with me, expressing many of the same sentiments that I have felt through my own efforts to cook for my family. Man With a Pan also inspired me to step up my game. One particular piece by Mark Bittman about how cooking taught him to become a self-sufficient man, really spoke to me. My in-laws recently came to town, so I figured it was the perfect opportunity for me to "be the man." What better way to impress the in-laws and feed the family simultaneously than to show off my new culinary skills in the kitchen? I found a recipe on Pinterest for quinoa chicken curry bowls. The recipe sounded tasty and the pictures were vibrant and inviting. It was a typical weeknight, and I confidently told Cassie, "Don't worry about dinner. I've got us covered!" I went to work preparing my mise en place, which included garlic, onions, tomatoes, and eggplant. Delicious! I had my ginger paste, red curry paste, and garam masala in the ready. Spicy! I went to bed excited to place the ingredients into the slow cooker the next morning. I slept soundly. I slept a little too soundly. I woke up late and hurriedly put the ingredients into the Instant Pot. The recipe stated that caramelizing the onions in a pan beforehand was optional, so I skipped this step. I covered all the ingredients in tomato puree and chicken broth, closed the lid, and set the slow cooker to high. In my haste, I had forgotten to put in the olive oil. Nonetheless, I cheerfully dropped the kids off at school and drove off to work. Since I was working late that day, I texted Cassie that they could get started on dinner without me. As usual, I asked Cassie to videotape Colin and Cailya's precious reactions to eating the food I prepared for them. Upon returning home from work, I burst through the door like a victor sharing his spoils. After all, "I was the man!" But wait, where were the trumpets? Where was the sound of satisfied slurps? Cassie gently said, "I videotaped the kids, but the footage is...unusable." Puzzled, I helped myself to a bowl, put a heaping spoonful into my mouth, and tasted the quinoa chicken curry. Ooh, that was one bland dish! It turns out that I had inadvertently bought and used low sodium chicken broth. Taken together, I had essentially cooked a dish with no salt, no fat, and no caramelized sugars. Of course, everyone was too polite to say anything. We just ate in subdued silence. And now for lunch, I am eating a bowl of quinoa chicken leftovers. Sometimes there will be winners, and sometimes there will be losers. The important thing is that I learn from my mistakes. Each time I screw up in the kitchen, I come away with more knowledge, which helps me in my never-ending pursuit to become a self-sufficient man in the kitchen for my family. One of my more successful dishes is muhammara, a Syrian red bell pepper dip. I use oat flour instead of bread crumbs in my muhammara. Colin stars alongside this dip in the following movie trailer for Dip Hard.
References Donohue, John. 2011. Man with a pan: culinary adventures of fathers who cook for their families. Chapel Hill, N.C.: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
