Raw milk and cheese, in brief

Two posts in the same day!

My best friend, Elliot, who writes the blog Eat Raleigh emailed me a question about raw milk and cheeses made from raw milk. Since I have been asked this question a few times before, I thought I would state my opinions on my blog.

I have observed different camps on this subject as well as numerous consumers who have been misinformed about the topic--but that is not a new theme in the world of food. Some would argue that one major deterrent to healthy eating is the confusion present in the general public about nutrition (and food safety).

So, in brief, when an animal is milked, the resulting substance is considered 'raw' milk unless it is processed with a heat treatment known as pasteurization (think scientist Louis Pasteur). Such a heat treatment does not kill all presence of microorganisms, but it greatly reduces the chance that pathogens are going to end up in your milk. There are regulations about milk in place to look out for the greater good of our population. Without regulations, milk and many other foods would be adulterated and there would be higher risk of illness from consuming harmful bacteria. To my knowledge, sale of raw milk is only legal in around half of our 50 states.

There is talk about health benefits of raw milk and better flavor. I won't argue against the flavor, because I do believe that raw milk can often produce a more complex, unique cheese flavor. However, it seems to me that the jury is still out on potential health benefits of raw milk. The dangers presumably out weigh the benefits.

In a perfect world, all food producers/processors would have impeccable health standards; their operating conditions would be extremely sanitary and they would operate on a small scale. In reality, most of the food industry operates on a large scale, which in my opinion increases the chance of contamination. Large scale animal facilities often have high incidence of disease, causing the need for antibiotics.

Concerning raw milk cheeses. Many classic European cheeses are regulated so that they are always made with raw milk. This ensures the unique terroir component of the cheese character. There are a growing number of artisanal American cheeses that are also raw milk. The U.S. FDA requires that all raw milk cheeses sold in the U.S. are aged at least 60 days at temperatures not less than 35 F. In theory the aging process ensures a safe product--and hopefully a delicious one!

Bottom line. I think dairy producers are the key part of the equation. If a dairy farmer has good practices, the milk may be safe to consume raw. For most producers, it seems like pasteurization benefits both the consumer and the milk company. There is less risk of illness and therefore less risk of lawsuits. If a cheese maker is talented and creative, chances are their cheese will be of high quality regardless of whether or not the milk is pasteurized. But, if production or distribution conditions are out of spec, even a pasteurized product can pose a threat to consumer health.

I personally would not feel comfortable feeding young children, with developing immune/digestive systems, any raw milk products. And that applies to any immune compromised individual or pregnant woman as well---why risk it?

As for me, I prefer to buy pasteurized organic milk (but I often by non-organic because of price). I will indulge in just about any cheese I am offered, whether it is pasteurized, raw, runny, or 3 years old!

I said good bye to brevity a while back, but I must add: Aren't there more pertinent issues than raw milk out there in the world? Like whether or not a child has any milk?

On the web:
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2004/504_milk.html
http://www.realmilk.com/

New year, not much new cooking

We all change focus from time to time and for me that has meant a rather uneventful month in terms of cookery. I have a few treats that are in line to be posted, but I will start the month with some gastronomic musing. I have been reading two books related to food and travel in the past few months: Stolen Figs by Mark Rotella and French Lessons by Peter Mayle. Reading accounts of culinary experiences around Western Europe may be somewhat unhealthy for my psyche; I find myself discontent with the scene in Philadelphia--I want to travel and eat like these authors!

Mayle's book is teaching me lovely knowledge about culinary traditions of France, such as frog legs and AOC (name controlled) chicken. But, my book on Calabria hits home becuase my Italian heritage originated in Calabria. Both books depict unforgetable eating experiences in off-the-beaten-path restaurants, where generously portioned comfort food is enjoyed in lieu of fancy fare.

Rotella describes a meal in Catanzaro, Italia:
"After an antipasto of soppressata, freshly smoked ricotta, mozzarella, and peppers, a most typical Calabrese dish appeared before us: penne with sauteed tomatoes and spicy sausage, topped with a fresh grating of parmigiano. Then... a plate of braciole--thinly sliced veal, rolled around bread crumbs, ground pork, and parmigiano cheese, covered with fresh tomato sauce. Alongside was a layered dish of thinly sliced zucchini, eggplant, mozzarella, and [more] soppressata."

And then the waiter says, "I recommend only fruit--something to help the digestion" for dessert.

I think it would be refreshing to have a server suggest something like that in the States! Reading about food is a hobby of mine because so much of a place's culture comes across through the food.

Omelette Epiphany

As do many foodies, I thoroughly enjoy the versatility of the egg. A truly delicious and nutritious food! This morning I set out to make a quick, French style omelette for breakfast--not knowing that the few minutes in the kitchen would be worth blogging about...

The other night before bed I read about Peter Mayle's experience at a pretty sacred truffle festival in the French town of Richerenches. The book is French Lessons and the topic of discussion at the end of the chapter was omelette aux truffes, which makes my mouth water with curiosity. Mayle writes about his experience getting some omelette advice because even a simple omelette takes some know-how to perfect.

Then, perhaps because I had truffled omelette on the brain, I stumbled upon the Philadelphia City Paper Meal Ticket blog only to find a great video clip of Julia Child preparing omelette bliss. I thought I had my egg cookery down pretty well, but I think my omelettes are often too dry. I was enlightened to see Julia's eggs go from from pan to plate in no time at all; not to mention the fact that no spatula was necessary.

So today I cracked a couple eggs to copy the technique I saw this French Chef demonstrate: Let the pan heat up (longer than the eggs will be in it). Two eggs, salted and just beaten to combine yolks & whites. Generous butter in the pan. A quick toss around the pan, a flip onto the plate at the precise point that my paranoid American mindset chimed in and said, "those eggs look like they need a bit longer."
Try it yourself if you want to know what it tastes like. All I have to say is amazing. All along I have been meticulously over cooking and folding my omelettes, often using more egg than is actually necessary. I wanted something neat and tidy. Well, today's omelette was roughly tossed, delicate, moist, buttery and a mellow-yellow color with a pleasant glisten. It was a purist omelette--no cheese or fillers necessary--so one could really enjoy the egg flavor. I devoured it promptly.

Unemployed brownies

A quick post about quick brownies. Making brownies from scratch is quite simple and I find the results to be more fulfilling than box mix brownies. Perhaps that is my unemployment talking, the part of me that enjoys having a free afternoon to do a little baking. But really, with no mixer required and very little mess, I made some decadent dark chocolate brownies from this recipe out of SAVEUR (what can I say, I've had the same issue on the coffee table for a while). If you want late night snacks for a few days, make these brownies and make sure you have enough milk to wash them down.By using dark baker's chocolate (72% cacao) and a hefty dose of cinnamon, I jazzed up this recipe which needed no jazzing up. The result was a highly addictive fudgy treat with a deep brown color. I recommend using a smaller pan than the 9x13 inch listed in the recipe; I like my brownies to be thicker. I used a 8x8 pan and baked it a tad longer than the directions told me to. This produced a very thick brownie, very moist in the middle with a pleasantly crunchy exterior. If you are into it, sprinkle some walnuts on top before baking.