New Recipe #12 - Green Pumpkin Seed Sauce (Pipián)

Jason really enjoys pipián at Mexican restaurants, so when I noticed raw pumpkin seeds for sale at Shaw's, I decided to make some for him. I stuck pretty faithfully to the instructions for the sauce in this recipe, but served it over sauteéd paillards of chicken instead of thighs. There was a lot of sauce--we ate it pretty heartily and there is still almost a quart left over. I noticed this recipe for it over baked goat cheese, another of Jason's favorites, so I think I will have to try that next.

If you have never had pipián, the flavor is really different and interesting. I left out the serrano seeds, so it wasn't very spicy, although it did build up a nice low heat over time. It's got a really earthy, complex flavor. Even though it doesn't blow me away immediately, I can see becoming addicted to it over time, because nothing else is like it. If it turns out to keep well, I might make it more often--it was a fairly complicated process for just one meal, but if I get three or four out of it, it could be worth it. I'm thinking about a chicken salad, in addition to the goat cheese treatment.

New Recipe #12 - Green Pumpkin Seed Sauce (Pipián)

Jason really enjoys pipián at Mexican restaurants, so when I noticed raw pumpkin seeds for sale at Shaw's, I decided to make some for him. I stuck pretty faithfully to the instructions for the sauce in this recipe, but served it over sauteéd paillards of chicken instead of thighs. There was a lot of sauce--we ate it pretty heartily and there is still almost a quart left over. I noticed this recipe for it over baked goat cheese, another of Jason's favorites, so I think I will have to try that next.

If you have never had pipián, the flavor is really different and interesting. I left out the serrano seeds, so it wasn't very spicy, although it did build up a nice low heat over time. It's got a really earthy, complex flavor. Even though it doesn't blow me away immediately, I can see becoming addicted to it over time, because nothing else is like it. If it turns out to keep well, I might make it more often--it was a fairly complicated process for just one meal, but if I get three or four out of it, it could be worth it. I'm thinking about a chicken salad, in addition to the goat cheese treatment.

Boycotting Whole Foods

Somehow it came up twice today that I haven't talked about my boycott of Whole Foods, based on their fucked-up new employee discount program.

Basically, they have an optional program whereby employees willing to have their BMI and cholesterol levels measured can get increased employee discount. People with lower numbers get higher discounts.

I sent email to them explaining my concerns and got a reply saying "it's optional!" as if that somehow made it more fair.

Now, I don't object to Whole Foods trying to encourage their employees to get healthier. If this program were based on change-over-time, I'd be okay with that. If they gave higher discounts on produce and lower discounts in the cheese department, that would be fine, too. There are a lot of ways to do this that wouldn't involve simply charging fat employees more for food. But no. I'm not even going to get into what a bad choice BMI is as a measurement of fitness. I'm just going to take my money elsewhere.

Since this story broke at the end of January, I have not shopped at Whole Foods. I get Iggy's fabulous sourdough francese directly from the bakery on Fawcett Street, mere blocks from the Fresh Pond Whole Foods, where it's a lot cheaper and fresher anyway. I've been hitting Wilson Farms and Shaws more for produce and for rarer items have finally figured out where Russo's is. I'm even making my own pickles. And in another couple of months it will be market season and my options will get even better. When I started this, I wasn't sure how long I could hold out, but like all habits, once you break it, once you take that option off the table, it gets easier all the time.

Boycotting Whole Foods

Somehow it came up twice today that I haven't talked about my boycott of Whole Foods, based on their fucked-up new employee discount program.

Basically, they have an optional program whereby employees willing to have their BMI and cholesterol levels measured can get increased employee discount. People with lower numbers get higher discounts.

I sent email to them explaining my concerns and got a reply saying "it's optional!" as if that somehow made it more fair.

Now, I don't object to Whole Foods trying to encourage their employees to get healthier. If this program were based on change-over-time, I'd be okay with that. If they gave higher discounts on produce and lower discounts in the cheese department, that would be fine, too. There are a lot of ways to do this that wouldn't involve simply charging fat employees more for food. But no. I'm not even going to get into what a bad choice BMI is as a measurement of fitness. I'm just going to take my money elsewhere.

Since this story broke at the end of January, I have not shopped at Whole Foods. I get Iggy's fabulous sourdough francese directly from the bakery on Fawcett Street, mere blocks from the Fresh Pond Whole Foods, where it's a lot cheaper and fresher anyway. I've been hitting Wilson Farms and Shaws more for produce and for rarer items have finally figured out where Russo's is. I'm even making my own pickles. And in another couple of months it will be market season and my options will get even better. When I started this, I wasn't sure how long I could hold out, but like all habits, once you break it, once you take that option off the table, it gets easier all the time.