Kirsten and I were excited to eat at Oak Barrel Bistro & Artisan Bakery, which recently began offering dinner service, because the restaurant sources proteins and produce locally as much as possible. I'm a little surprised at how difficult it is to find places in St. Charles County, home to 360,000 people, that use locally sourced products in their meals. Let me tell you, Oak Barrel is a jewel that I hope our county appreciates.
Learn more about Oak Barrel at their Facebook page. They're working on a website, too, at this address: www.oakbarrelbistro.com.
On this first visit, we tried the Ozark Mushroom Agnolloti (a ravioli) in a shitake-thyme cream sauce as an appetizer, a Caesar salad, the butternut squash soup, and the Sea Scallops and Shrimp Pasta entrees.
I'll just sum up this place in three words: Every. Bite. Counts. Everything we ate burst with flavor. Every item had the perfect texture. Everything on each dish paired well together.
When I really love something, I close my eyes while chewing. I found myself doing this with the mushroom ravioli appetizer. We asked for bread service immediately after tasting this dish, because we had to make sure we sopped up every bit of that amazingly yummy cream sauce.
Oak Barrel makes their food from scratch. The croutons are house-made. The pasta is house-made. The bread is baked on site. Kirsten ordered the pasta because she wanted to try Oak Barrel's fettucine -- its texture was perfectly al dente. The shrimp were cooked to perfection. So were the zucchini, yellow squash, grape tomatoes, crisp quanciale bacon and smooth smoke sherry cream sauce. You know, these were all superb ingredients, but the dish was elevated by the considerable skill of the chef. The squash was fully cooked, yet firm and flavorful. Oak Barrel buys the rare quanciale bacon -- a fatty version of bacon taken from the pig's jowls -- from St. Louis's own Salume Beddu (which we plan to make a subject of a future post). The bacon really adds a nice pork undertone to this seafood dish.
I really liked the shrimp dish, too, but I wouldn't have traded my scallops dish, which we both wanted. Sorry -- I called it first! :) The scallops literally melt in your mouth. The roasted fennel puree was a thing of brilliance, and something I don't think I can really do justice with written word. The scallops paired perfectly with the sherry beurre blanc sauce and guanciale bacon, which was a little more subtle in this meal than the shrimp fettucine.
Hurry up and head to Oak Barrel if you're interested in trying these dishes. The menu is seasonal, and in a few weeks we're told that the menu will change to lighter fare with spring produce, without so many rich sauces. They gave us a "Pay It Forward" certificate worth 10% off (basically a coupon). We were told we could give it to a friend or use it ourselves. The expiration date is April 12, and, sorry, I'm pretty sure we'll be back by then. :) I mean, we didn't even try any sweets from the bakery this time.
Mar 13, 2011
Mar 6, 2011
A New Direction: Our Quest for Real Food
By Dave
It was June of 2010 when something in me snapped. I had been eating around the edges of "real food," so to speak, for a number of years. There was the low-fat era after college, the low-carb Atkins phase a decade ago, and a fast food backlash in recent years. In between, I just ate whatever. Through it all, I never actually stopped and thought about What Exactly I Am Eating.
It was June of 2010 when something in me snapped. I had been eating around the edges of "real food," so to speak, for a number of years. There was the low-fat era after college, the low-carb Atkins phase a decade ago, and a fast food backlash in recent years. In between, I just ate whatever. Through it all, I never actually stopped and thought about What Exactly I Am Eating.
Let me be clear. What Exactly I Am Eating is not just the name of the food you're buying, nor just the calories, nor just the amount of carbohydrates, fat and protein in that food, or even whether it's organic. What Exactly I Am Eating is in the ingredients and method of food production. As I think about it now, it's hard to believe that, until recently, my wife and I never actually read the ingredients in our food products, or even wondered where the food came from. When we started reading ingredients, we discovered some very odd-sounding chemicals and food preparation. What is sodium benzoate or maltodextrin or sulfites? What's it mean when something is hydrogenated? Why was this chicken mechanically separated? We started researching these things, and the research lead to more questions. Some of them I couldn't really answer. Was Splenda really good for me? How do we know? Why consume anything created thanks to chemicals? Why consume anything that sounds like it belongs in a science experiment? Seriously, would you rather eat citrus juice or a preservative called butylated hydroxytoluen (BHT)? Would you rather use natural butter or chemically created margarine, which comes from oils and even introduces nickel and bleach into the production process?
Corn and, to a lesser extent, soybeans have gotten a lot of negative publicity, and after researching the additives and preservatives in our food, I can see why. Corn and soybeans are often altered through industrial processes to create these additives and preservatives. And, probably worse, the very meat we eat is often polluted with hormones and antibiotics -- due to the fact that these animals are fed inferior products and grown in unhealthy conditions. This ground has been covered in a number of well-read publications and books (including the must-read Omnivore's Dilemma), so I'm not hear to re-plow all that broken ground. My point is that the discovery of What Exactly I Am Eating pretty much disgusted me. I didn't really decide to change my eating habits -- I was compelled to eat better.
Thus, begins my family's journey to find Real Food and escape the chemical trap of industrialized corporate food. We found that if you want to eat better, you can. But, you'll have to sacrifice time and alter your budget. Yes, it's true: Real Food is worth more. For my wife and I, it's no longer a question of whether we want to eat Real Food, it's a question of how to do it. Here is a summary of how we try to eat better:
1) Educate ourselves. So, if you're like us, you're concerned about what you're eating. Then, first things first. We need to learn all that we can about the food that we're sold. Here are some resources I found helpful:
http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/factoryfarming/
http://www.themeatrix.com/ ("take the red pill" by watching the video at this site to learn the truth about factory farming)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/sugar-may-be-bad-but-this_b_463655.html (a very informative article about high-fructose corn syrup, which the Corn Refiners Association is trying to get renamed corn sugar)
http://www.foodrenegade.com/ (which has some great newbie tips for eating better -- this blog is what started my quest to learn more about What Exactly I Am Eating)
I also suggest reading Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan (referenced above) and Real Food by Nina Planck.
Here is a telling quote from Dr. Joseph Mercola, who wrote the article above about high-fructose corn syrup: "There is plenty of data showing that fructose is not safe -- but the effects on the nation's health have not been immediate. That is why we are just now realizing the effects of the last three decades of nutritional misinformation."
The bottom line is that you, as a consumer, must decide what you think is safe, because our food system's regulators do not put the burden of proof on the food industry, and they're often late to acknowledge real problems.
Fortunately, there is a lot of good information out there. We'll share what we find from time to time in future blog posts.
2) Read ALL ingredients. Every time you pick up an item at the supermarket, read the ingredients. If you don't recognize an ingredient, find out what it is. See if you're comfortable eating it. If you see a hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil in the food, like the margarine I mentioned above, you'll find that this is a vegetable oil that's been chemically altered. Partially hydrogenated oils (often labeled hydrogenated oils) are what cause harmful trans fats.
This is the type of information you find when you start researching the stuff actually found in our food. And, this type of information helps you make healthier choices. We'll continue to share information as we find it.
3) Eat whole grains. In our society, it's easy to get hooked on highly processed foods, so much so that we don't even really know what whole foods taste like. When we get used to the good stuff, however, we wonder how we used to eat the processed stuff. One of the classic examples is grains, and especially flour from wheat. Most of the supermarket breads, for example, are made with white flours. That is, the flour is ground from just the center of the wheat grain's seed. Whole grains use the entire seed, and as a result give you more nutrition. White flour, which is all I used to eat for many years, is now something I try to avoid at all costs. I've found that white wheat flour causes some terrible side effects, weight gain chief among them. (I've also learned that a lot of times they add bleach to the white flour to make it even whiter ... eek!) I think that you also will find that if you alter your diet to include whole grains, you'll eventually find that white flour is no longer satisfying.
I plan to share more of my experiences in future posts.
4) Try to eat locally. In a perfect world, I could go down to the local farmer and buy all the healthy, seasonal food he's harvested. We exchange some pleasantries and some cash for goods. I can see just exactly how he's raising his food, and feel good that I know my food is healthy and environmentally friendly. Yes, I can probably do this from time to time with some of our local farmers. In reality, I don't have time to do this on a regular basis. So, our family goes to farmers' markets as much as possible, and we look for places that buy from local farmers. Or, if it's not local, at least buy something that was responsibly grown somewhere. We will continue to try to find local sources for food, and we'll share those sources here when we do.
But, what about organic? Well, we do buy organic as much as possible when shopping at supermarkets, especially when it comes to produce. But, just because something is labeled as organic doesn't mean I think that it's good to eat. The label "organic" loses its luster when the product contains any kind of chemicals or preservatives. I plan on writing another post in the future that spends more time on this topic, because "organic" has become much more complicated than it should be, and it's something I am still researching.
5) Eat better ... and eat less. These two things go hand in hand, and doing the first makes doing the second easier. How so? Because good food (whole grains, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, to name a few) is more nutrient-dense, and therefore more filling. Highly refined foods do not sustain your body, and your body knows it. In fact, if you listen to your body, it will tell you if you just ate something good or bad for you. Back in my fast food days, I can remember feeling horrible after eating a McDonald's meal. Well, duh ... there is little to no nutritional value (save from maybe the vegetables in their salad) to anything that McDonald's serves.
I plan on posting more information here from time to time as we continue our search for Real Food. Our findings will be specific to the St. Louis area, I'm sure, but hopefully helpful to anyone who is trying to eat better.
http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/factoryfarming/
http://www.themeatrix.com/ ("take the red pill" by watching the video at this site to learn the truth about factory farming)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/sugar-may-be-bad-but-this_b_463655.html (a very informative article about high-fructose corn syrup, which the Corn Refiners Association is trying to get renamed corn sugar)
http://www.foodrenegade.com/ (which has some great newbie tips for eating better -- this blog is what started my quest to learn more about What Exactly I Am Eating)
I also suggest reading Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan (referenced above) and Real Food by Nina Planck.
Here is a telling quote from Dr. Joseph Mercola, who wrote the article above about high-fructose corn syrup: "There is plenty of data showing that fructose is not safe -- but the effects on the nation's health have not been immediate. That is why we are just now realizing the effects of the last three decades of nutritional misinformation."
The bottom line is that you, as a consumer, must decide what you think is safe, because our food system's regulators do not put the burden of proof on the food industry, and they're often late to acknowledge real problems.
Fortunately, there is a lot of good information out there. We'll share what we find from time to time in future blog posts.
2) Read ALL ingredients. Every time you pick up an item at the supermarket, read the ingredients. If you don't recognize an ingredient, find out what it is. See if you're comfortable eating it. If you see a hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil in the food, like the margarine I mentioned above, you'll find that this is a vegetable oil that's been chemically altered. Partially hydrogenated oils (often labeled hydrogenated oils) are what cause harmful trans fats.
This is the type of information you find when you start researching the stuff actually found in our food. And, this type of information helps you make healthier choices. We'll continue to share information as we find it.
3) Eat whole grains. In our society, it's easy to get hooked on highly processed foods, so much so that we don't even really know what whole foods taste like. When we get used to the good stuff, however, we wonder how we used to eat the processed stuff. One of the classic examples is grains, and especially flour from wheat. Most of the supermarket breads, for example, are made with white flours. That is, the flour is ground from just the center of the wheat grain's seed. Whole grains use the entire seed, and as a result give you more nutrition. White flour, which is all I used to eat for many years, is now something I try to avoid at all costs. I've found that white wheat flour causes some terrible side effects, weight gain chief among them. (I've also learned that a lot of times they add bleach to the white flour to make it even whiter ... eek!) I think that you also will find that if you alter your diet to include whole grains, you'll eventually find that white flour is no longer satisfying.
I plan to share more of my experiences in future posts.
4) Try to eat locally. In a perfect world, I could go down to the local farmer and buy all the healthy, seasonal food he's harvested. We exchange some pleasantries and some cash for goods. I can see just exactly how he's raising his food, and feel good that I know my food is healthy and environmentally friendly. Yes, I can probably do this from time to time with some of our local farmers. In reality, I don't have time to do this on a regular basis. So, our family goes to farmers' markets as much as possible, and we look for places that buy from local farmers. Or, if it's not local, at least buy something that was responsibly grown somewhere. We will continue to try to find local sources for food, and we'll share those sources here when we do.
But, what about organic? Well, we do buy organic as much as possible when shopping at supermarkets, especially when it comes to produce. But, just because something is labeled as organic doesn't mean I think that it's good to eat. The label "organic" loses its luster when the product contains any kind of chemicals or preservatives. I plan on writing another post in the future that spends more time on this topic, because "organic" has become much more complicated than it should be, and it's something I am still researching.
5) Eat better ... and eat less. These two things go hand in hand, and doing the first makes doing the second easier. How so? Because good food (whole grains, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, to name a few) is more nutrient-dense, and therefore more filling. Highly refined foods do not sustain your body, and your body knows it. In fact, if you listen to your body, it will tell you if you just ate something good or bad for you. Back in my fast food days, I can remember feeling horrible after eating a McDonald's meal. Well, duh ... there is little to no nutritional value (save from maybe the vegetables in their salad) to anything that McDonald's serves.
I plan on posting more information here from time to time as we continue our search for Real Food. Our findings will be specific to the St. Louis area, I'm sure, but hopefully helpful to anyone who is trying to eat better.
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