I officially finished M. Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma this past week. If you haven’t read his books, I’d highly recommend them for an in-depth look at what our food system has become. Seriously scary.
Many of Pollan’s sentiments regarding food echo my own, and I’ve definitely become enlightened on the whole industrial organic scheme and the crazy ingredients in packaged products. I don’t eat many, but even the ones I occasionally buy sometimes make me cringe.
For example:
Ingredients: ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT FLOUR, SOYBEAN OIL, SUGAR, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, LEAVENING (CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA), SALT, SOY LECITHIN
Hello, sketchy ingredients.
Enter this version:
Ingredients: whole wheat flour, salt, turbinado sugar, baking soda, olive oil, butter.
Much, much better. I left out the extra salt and butter because you’ll find these already have plenty of butter.
Now, there is no way I could possibly make as many crackers as some autobot-powered machine. However, I also was ill-equipped (no clue where my rolling pin is…I used a can of olive oil spray). I think the yield should really be between 40-50 crackers (mine was closer to 30).
These crackers are also pretty awesome with peanut butter dip [greek yogurt + PB + vanilla extract + cinnamon]. And you don’t have to eat 60 billion because they definitely are more filling than those of a certain brand.
Maybe I was excited to eat them. Or maybe I was excited that it was 40 degrees outside = perfect running weather. Or…maybe it was that extra hour of sleep I lost…
I also outsmarted my super sensitive smoke detector by taking out the battery…success!
What did you do this weekend?!
***Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by the craziness happening in Japan. I can’t even completely comprehend the situation but am most certainly thinking of all who are grieving…
There definitely are some sketchy food products out there!
ReplyDeleteAwesome!! This book is on my kindle wish list and I am looking forward to reading it. Thanks for sharing your recipe!!!
ReplyDeleteWoo! You made crackers, impressive!
ReplyDeleteI made a five course dinner for friends this weekend.
One of my favorite books! His book In Defense of Food is FANTASTIC as well -- have you read it? amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the cracker recipe! I have it bookmarked! =)
xoXOxo
Jenn @ Peas & Crayons
I love this recipe! I bet they would be good covered in chocolate :)
ReplyDeleteThe ingredients in the Ritz crackers are so scary! Yay for a healthy version :)
ReplyDeleteMaking crackers is on my "list." The ingredient list on most store-bought crackers is frightening!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
So impressed! I would love your version SO much more. Maybe with some peanut butter?! =D
ReplyDeleteNice work! These sound much better than those Ritz. I loved The Omnivore's Dilemma and I recently gave it to a co-worker to read, and he said it's a "pain in the neck" because he is learning way too much about our food!! haha
ReplyDeletelove your version I am with you not keen on processed foods :-) enjoy the weather hugs
ReplyDeleteAs a rule, we don't buy processed foods for our house anymore (well, like 99% of the time). Surprisingly, Triscuits only contain three ingredients: wheat, sunflower oil, salt. Isn't that amazing, when it's the same company that produces wheat things, which has an even longer ingredient list than Ritz?!
ReplyDeleteWill you come make me homemade ritz??? :)
ReplyDeleteThose look fabulous! I hate all the fake stuff in foods, although they are so easy to just grab off the shelf and eat. I need to start a dinner club since I like to make more things when I'm sharing it with others...
ReplyDeletethese crackers look amazing! I have to try them. I really love Michael Pollan's books-- they should be a must-read for all Americans.
ReplyDeleteduuuuuuuuuuuuuuude. you want to make me those crackers?! pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease?! hahahah! they look good. maybe that's on my to do list this upcoming weekend. i did have lots of pie though...although i'm not sure how "unenriched" it was hahah
ReplyDeletePreservative free snacking! Yes yes baby!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on finishing Omnivore's Dilemma!! The crackers look fabulous!
ReplyDeleteYou can come home and make those anytime. Also I've noticed signs at the club for Abby and also she had her first class last Thursday. Have you been in touch with her at all?!
See you soon!
sweet crackers and dip! i had to read that for one of my grad classes, i think gastronomy class.
ReplyDeletemy thoughts are with japan too, I just can't even imagine that level of devastation.
Oooh, I love your homemade Ritz crackers! My friend recently made some cheddar crackers that tasted so much better than the red-box kind.
ReplyDeleteI love making my own food, and you have probably noticed that we like this idea of at least knowing we can do as we have tried so many things with our from scratch weekends. We haven't done crackers, but that is on the list.
ReplyDeleteThese look awesome!! And I agree, it's almost ALWAYS better to make your own food. And it usually tastes a whole lot better too :)
ReplyDeleteSues
ahh one of my next attempts is to make crackers! hahah love how you used an olive oil spray can! i would have done the same :). seriously, i'm all about clean eating too.
ReplyDeleteYES---love making things like that from scratch! yours look great!
ReplyDeletelook at you! you're like your very own ritz factory haha. i would have went to town with the whole batch and peanut butter dip! so yummy and healthy!
ReplyDeletei love that you used a can of olive oil spray to roll these out--you are one determined baker!! these look absolutely amazing and obviously so much better than the fake stuff!
ReplyDeleteOoh, I love that you have a homemade recipe for Ritz! I used to love those as a little kid, but my mom never bought them for us (too processed!). I'll definitely try out your recipe sometime though, thank you! And I've never read the omnivore's dilemma, but it's one of the like 20 books I'm dieing to read:) I added you to my blogroll btw!!
ReplyDeletelook at you, making your own crackers! you're awesome Emily : )
ReplyDeleteIt really is just crazy that a lot of the big food companies continue to produce this terrible 'food'. Your recipe looks amazing... can't wait to try it!!
ReplyDelete