Want to ban cheese ads being seen by Irish kids? You've two days to do so... or not

Cheese is getting cheesed off. And I'm not surprised. If you're a supporter of Irish cheese or hate the fact that cheese could soon be banned in advertisements shown during children's television, you have just a few more days to submit your views to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland on the proposed ban.

What the BAI want to do is ban ads for foods which can contribute to obesity in children. There's no doubt we have an obesity crisis in this country but under the BAI's nutritional profiling model, cheese is classed in the same grouping as fast food burgers and chips, soft drinks and chocolate bars. This is because cheese frequently has high levels of saturated fats, and there's no doubt that it does - with the average commercial cheddar made up of about 40% fat, or more.

But as we know, cheese has a very clean slate of ingredients compared to processed foods and snacks which are at the heart of our obesity problems. Many in Ireland's food sector view the ban as something that could be both detrimental to our dairy industry and also to children's diets. With research showing that many Irish children and teenagers are deficient in calcium it seems a contradictory approach to class cheese as a "bad" element of a varied diet. Particularly when you compare of dairy produce to the empty calories that children and young people are getting from soft drinks and the super high fat foods that they eat outside the home.

The proposals are also potentially harmful to the international push we are giving Irish dairy products in huge grocery marketplaces like China. This is the view of Irish artisan cheese producers, the Irish Farmers Association and summed up pretty much here in the The National Dairy Council's view on the issue -

“Restricting the advertising of cheese in Ireland will directly undermine the development of the Irish cheese industry, an industry where a huge element growth is predicated in terms of exporting increased production of Irish cheese to international consumers. The positioning of cheese in this proposed regulation as, effectively, 'junk food' could create reputational issues which may take years to reverse.”

My piece on the issue from the Irish Independent is at the link below which fleshes out the subject.

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/smart-consumer/cheesed-off-are-tv-ads-helping-to-make-your-kids-obese-3110747.html

If you want to submit your views to the BAI, you have until this Thursday 31st May to do so. Check out the link at the bottom of the page, and if cheese is your passion, let your opinions be heard. 
http://www.bai.ie/?p=2431

Eggs au Urine

While most of us who love cooking are very fond of eggs, would you eat one that's been urinated on? Well in the Chinese city of Dongyang, this time of year is the special season for - eggs soaked in urine. Though quite possibly nauseating, the urine soaked eggs are a delicacy believed to have health benefits. In fact, at this time of year, locals with buckets come out in force - collecting boys' urine from the toilets of local primary schools. For the urine must be from boys under ten known in Dongyang as "virgin boys".

The eggs are then boiled in pots of the urine which are said to emit an unmistakable scent to those who pass the many street vendors selling it.

"If you eat this, you will not get heat stroke. These eggs cooked in urine are fragrant... and good for your health. Our family has them for every meal." So said Ge Yaohua, who runs one of the most popular "virgin boy egg" stalls to a Reuters reporter.

Apparently the eggs take a day to cook, first in their shells and then without them - simmering away in the urine for hours. Then they are sold at about twice the price of normal eggs.

While I love food traditions, the food safety issues of this particular one are legion. And don't even get me started on the taste. All that ammonia? But what's interests me most about this food combination is who in God's name came up with this idea? Coq au Vin is one thing but Eggs au Urine?

Maybe it's a question not worth asking... As always, Happy Eating x

Black chicken for Halloween, anyone?

Yes it looks scary, but apparently black chicken meat is the next big thing. American chef Rick Moonen recently thrust black chicken into the spotlight after he made it into a mousse for his stint on Top Chef Masters (the US equivalent of Masterchef).

The black chicken he used is a Silkie hen - a variety of small hen which are prized for their fluffy feathers, large tassled Ugg-boot style feet and are much beloved of serious fowl fanciers who bring their beloved Silkies to shows up and down the country. I've often been told that Silkies are great layers and make lovely hens for home use, but I've never seen them on a plate before.

This particular Silkie has bones and flesh that are the shade of onyx; apparently it has a genetic combination that gives it it's unique colour, and it has a rich, gamey flavour to match.

It's a fantastic look for Halloween and I'd love to know if anyone in Ireland produces this Silkie for the pot, please let me know. Apparently the Chinese have for millenia eaten black chicken (which in China is called wu gu ji, or black-boned chicken). For them, putting the dark poultry into a stew or soup is a great remedy for curing colds, cramps, or a headache. This ties in with the Jewish tradition of using chicken soup to cure all sorts of sickness - apparently in the soup's droplets of fat lie unique qualities to boost immunity, so if someone tells you to eat chicken soup next time you're sick they may be on the right track.

So if chicken soup is a superfood, black chicken soup might even be better. Would love to get my hands on some of these black-fleshed Silkies, anyone with info, send it my way!