Resolution: Let the revolution begin!!!

by Charlie Abowd

Since the end of 2003 and the beginning of this year, customers, readers and general "foodies" have contacted Karen and I to ask our opinion of the mad-cow disease problem that has recently come to light in the United States.

This problem was, of course, followed by the continuing problem with farm-raised salmon. It is predictable that these problems keep arising with the conflict of interest the FDA has with major producers and mega conglomerates that control the political fiber that ultimately controls the bureaucracy that governs our country's food supply.

The bureaucracy directly involved in the problems within our food sources is the FDA. This statement, which appeared in a Reno paper on the front page the first week of January, bothers me: The amounts of detectable pesticides (PCBs and other banned substances) are so minimal that they pose no perceived health risk.

I don't recall seeing or receiving information from my purveyors that this product may contain some traces of banned pesticides in fish and recommendations that the consumers limit their consumption to 4 to 6 ounces per week. I also don't recall the FDA or the federal government informing consumers about cows so riddled with disease that they cannot walk on their own power to their slaughter, but have to be dragged or carried by machinery to the slaughterhouse.

It took 10 years and distribution of a mad-cow disease-tainted, 61Ú2-year-old cow into the food sources of Americans, most notably Northern Nevadans (you and me, friends), to have the Secretary of Agriculture impose new regulations that ban this kind of slaughter.

The fact that it took 10 YEARS to enact such a regulation gives us a peek into the influence that the cattle industry has on the people who regulate it. There is no way you and I as consumers would ever consider such a regulation intrusive or unfair but actually a common-sense reaction.

All this brings me to the same conclusion I have always expounded: Consumers have to be the ones who industry must respond to, and in a lot of ways we have already won some small battles.

The largest segment of growth in the grocery industry is the certified-organic sector. It showed a growth of 20 percent in 2003, which is the largest segment of growth by far in the industry. Even the larger conventional stores are devoting more space to organic products. It is commonplace in the dairy section to find organic products that are pesticide and hormone free. Our poultry products are safer, and some grocery stores have included some organic products in their inventory. On a local level, there are stores that supply certified organic chicken, so it will be much easier for you to locate. Just place a call to your favorite grocery store, and I am certain the meat department staff will be happy to assist you.

All this being said, the only reason this has happened is because you the consumer is willing to spend the extra amount of money to buy wholesome products for yourselves and your children.

I know while reading this you are thinking that Karen and I buy all of our household products through our restaurant suppliers. But we buy most of the items we use at home from the same sources as you - the local grocery store. I understand the certified-organic, pesticide- and-hormone-free items can be very pricey. However, there is no telling what the long-range cost of eating these infected items might have on health issues as we get older. It gets back to the age old saying, "Pay me now, or pay me later."

The outcome of such a dilemma (the price of food items) is that we become more creative with the use of less-expensive cuts of beef. We will be saving the more expensive filets and New York cuts for special occasions. In this column, I am going to give you a recipe from one of my favorite restaurants, in Scottsdale, Ariz., for flank steak, which is a very reasonably priced cut of meat.

Concerning the source of fresh fish and the warning that farm-raised salmon contains detectable levels of PCBs and the mercury count in tuna and swordfish have been identified as potential health risks, you should limit your consumption of such products to 4 to 6 ounces per week, and pregnant women should eliminate these items from their diet. This problem leaves us with no alternative but to seek out fish markets that sell frozen wild salmon and, of course, limit the amount of tuna and swordfish we consume. I find that cooking frozen salmon, considering the way they process fish today, can be as good as its fresh counterpart.

Let's make 2004 the beginning of your revolution. Support - demand - products that are clean, that are raised in a sustainable fashion. In the San Francisco Chronicle on Jan. 4, Marion Nestle, head of the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University and one the nation's experts on the role of corporate influence on public food policy, was quoted, "Right now, the American consumer has more power when it comes to influencing what the government and corporations allow into the food supply than ever before." ("Mad Cow Scare Puts Focus On Safety Of Food Supply," pages A1 and A6).

Last week, the director of operations for one of San Francisco's most popular steak houses (Acme Chophouse Restaurant) began using his position on newly elected Mayor Gavin Newsome's transition team to lobby for a citywide food policy change. He is urging the mayor to consider banning food products that have therapeutic antibiotics, hormones and other products deemed unsafe even in minimal amounts. Although these measures may seem excessive, we cannot be too exuberant in our quest for a healthy supply of food.

Karen and I say "LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!!" As you will see by this recipe, we have not become vegetarians. We still eat meat, seafood and dairy products. We feel certain you will find this particular dish absolutely scrumptious.

West Texas Barbecued Flank Steak

With Green Chile Mashed Potatoes and

Sweet Corn Salsa

Serves 4

4 T. dark chili powder

2 T. kosher salt

2 T. granulated garlic

2 T. granulated onion

2 T. brown sugar

2 T. cracked black pepper

1 T. toasted and ground cumin seeds

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 (1 pound) beef flank steaks

2 1Ú2 cups peeled and quartered Russet potatoes

4 cups water

1 T. kosher salt (for boiling the potatoes)

1Ú2 cup unsalted butter

1Ú4 cup milk

2 T. sour cream

1Ú2 cup roasted, peeled, seeded, and pureed poblano chile

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

3Ú4 cup roasted sweet corn kernels

2 T. finely diced red onion

2 T. finely diced red bell pepper

1 T. finely diced jalapeno

2 T. chopped cilantro

2 T. fresh lime juice

To cure the flank steak, mix the chile powder, 2 T. kosher salt, garlic, onion, brown sugar, black pepper, cumin and cayenne pepper together and rub into the flank steak. Let the steak sit for 2 hours in the refrigerator. In a wood-burning grill, build a small fire with hickory wood on the side (you want to cook the meat on the opposite side of the grill from the fire). Smoke roast the flank steak for 11Ú2 hours. Set aside in a warm place.

To make the mashed potatoes, boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender. Drain the water and roast the potatoes in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes. Put the potatoes in a mixer (not in a blender or food processor) and add butter, milk, sour cream, and roasted poblano puree. Mix until the potatoes are smooth. Season to taste and set aside in a warm place.

For the corn salsa, mix the corn kernels, red onion, red bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside in a cool place.

For each serving, spoon the green chile mashed potatoes onto the center of a plate. Slice the steak on the bias, 1Ú4-inch thick. Lay the slices across the mashed potatoes, top with salsa, and serve.

This recipe is from the book, "American Western Cooking from the Roaring Fork" by Robert McGrath, who is the executive chef and owner of the Roaring Fork restaurant. The cookbook was published by Lone Star Books of Houston.

With this meal I would recommend a good hardy zinfandel such as Shenandoah Vineyards, Amador County, 2001; or Sobon Estate Syrah, 2001. Both are a perfect match. As always enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

Charlie Abowd is the owner and chef at Adele's. He and his wife, Karen, have lived in Carson City for 22 years. Charlie is a fourth-generation restaurateur.