Book Review: Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human

An interesting new book, Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human by Richard Wrangham.

"Contrary to the dogmas of raw-foods enthusiasts, cooked cuisine was central to the biological and social evolution of humanity, argues this interesting new book. Harvard biological anthropologist Wrangham dates the breakthrough in human evolution to a moment 1.8 million years ago, when, he conjectures, our forebears tamed fire and began cooking.

Starting with Homo erectus these innovations drove anatomical and physiological changes that make us adapted to eating cooked food the way cows are adapted to eating grass. By making food more digestible and easier to extract energy from, cooking enabled hominids' jaws, teeth and guts to shrink, freeing up calories to fuel their expanding brains. It also gave rise to pair bonding and table manners, and liberated mankind from the drudgery of chewing.

This accessible book ranges across nutritional science, paleontology and studies of ape behavior and hunter-gatherer societies; the result is a compelling analysis of natural history and of cooking's role in daily life. Wrangham offers an interesting take on evolution—suggesting that, rather than humans creating civilized technology, civilized technology created us."

Pssssssssssst. Cheese tasting today.

Cheese tasting today at 1PM with Alex. Pass it on.

Catering? We've got you covered!

Take a look at this beautiful fruit tray we recently completed for a catering order.

We here at Zaleski & Horvath MarketCafe are ready and able to help you with all of your catering needs! From colorful fruit trays, like the one shown here, to passed appetizers for your black-tie event; we can cater to your needs. Our coffee catering will bring some zing to your next meeting and our sandwich trays are great for parties and get-togethers. These are just a few examples of the many catering options we can do for you.

We offer catering for all types of events and for events of all sizes. The catering section of our menu is only a sample of what we can do for you! Stop in today to discuss your catering needs.

**Please note: Since we are committed to using the freshest ingredients, we request 48 hours notice for any catering order to ensure product availability and quality.

One of our favorite cheeses...

Covadonga

Milder, but with just the same creamy texture as La Peral, Cabrales or Valdeon. Covadonga is a delicious blue cheese from Spain. Made from a blend of pasteurized cow and sheep’s milk, it is fresh, mildly spicy and delicately salty. Blue veined with medium flecks of Penicilium Roqueforti and no rind, it is perfect for salads, on grilled meats, with fresh mushrooms, on pasta and rice dishes.

DETAILS:

• Region: El Escorial
• Cheese Type: Soft Blue
• Milk Type: Blend of pasteurized Cow & Sheep's Milk
• Aged: 2-3 Months

Come in and try it.

It was bound to happen...

We have the first of the Z&H swag. The Pig on the Pretzel t-shirt is here. So is the first in a series of clever ballcaps.

Yep, I said clever.

A Guanciale recipe for you. Go on, try it.

Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Time: 45 minutes

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/4 pound guanciale, in 1-inch slivers 1/4 -inch thick
• 3 cups canned San Marzano tomatoes (about a 28-ounce can)
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes, or to taste
• Salt
• 1/4 cup grated aged pecorino cheese, more for serving
• 1 pound bucatini.

Directions:

• Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet. Add onion and garlic, and sauté over medium heat until transparent. Add guanciale and sauté until barely beginning to brown.
• Break up tomatoes and add. Cook about 15 minutes, crushing tomatoes with a spoon, until sauce has become somewhat concentrated and homogenized. Season with chili and salt and stir in 1 tablespoon cheese. Remove from heat.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add bucatini and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and transfer to skillet. Gently reheat contents of skillet, folding pasta and tomato sauce together until they are heated through and pasta is well-coated, about 5 minutes. Fold in remaining cheese. Check seasoning and serve with more cheese on the side.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Focus on Pork: La Quercia Guanciale

We love La Quercia Guanciale here at Zaleski & Horvath MarketCafe, it is made from selected, organic trimmed, pork jowls.

Guanciale is often associated with dishes of Roman origin like Buccatini all’ Amatriciana or Spaghetti alla Carbonara. A key feature is the collagen in the meat. In combination with the creamy fat, the collagen gives anything cooked with guanciale a smooth, silky, succulent covering. For example, you can braise vegetables with it to make a voluptuous and healthful fresh vegetable pasta sauce—something as simple as leeks, guanciale, and a splash of white wine; great served on fresh or egg pasta.