food of the new millennium

Last night for dinner, I ate something I've never eaten before.

I had read about this product in Wired magazine more than a year ago, and wondered if it would ever make it to my grocery store shelf. Now, of course, when you think of food magazines, god save you if you consider Wired one of them, but this was the most appropriate venue for me to learn about this amazing new food product. It is truly space-age technology.

And i found it in the frozen food section at RALPHS, not Wholier-Than-Thou Foods, not some weird Santa Monica health food store... right there across the aisle from the corndogs and frozen White Castle burgers.

it looked like chicken
it tasted like chicken
it felt like chicken when you chewed it
It even smells wonderful!

but it was a completely non-animal product.

I brought out some barbecue sauce, some Kecap Manis, and was ready to bring out the arsenal of odd condiments i keep to give this stuff a flavor, if needed, to choke it down.

All it needed was a FORK. It was delicious.

While I was eating it, i was coming up with all kinds of recipes for how I could use it. Instead of chicken in a parmagiana sandwich. (tomato sauce, mozzerella, parmesan, over ciabatta) On a bun with a pickle, lettuce, tomato and mayo. Served with a mushroom-wine sauce over pasta. OMG my mind was racing.

Are you ready to hear what it is yet?

OH - wait, the best part, was that to make it, you take it straight of the freezer, put it on a paper towel in the microwave, and make it go for 60 seconds. POOF, it's food.

It's called QUORN. It's a mycoprotein. It's made from a type of mushroom. I only just discovered it for sale, but it's been on the market for a while. I just never saw any advertising for it so I never knew it was available here.

Seriously, you need to try this stuff. There is even a link on their website where you can find out where it's sold where you live. It's not THAT expensive, and it's really, really good for you. Try it. I'm sure you'll be as pleasantly surprised as i was!


Last thing I ate or drank: latte and home-made banana bread for breakfast.

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