Michael Moss of the New York Times, is the 2009 Fayefood Award Winner for “What’s in the Beef” and for courage (I can’t believe it’s easy to do all that investigative reporting in the meat industry).  Mr. Moss reported that ammonia gets injected into beef that is fed to school children, prisoners and fast food fans (at their respective institutions) across the country, without so much as a “are you sure ammonia is OK for small children” from the FDA.

The shame award for 2009 goes to:  The FDA.

On that note,  in 2010 may you eat only beef that comes from cows who wander as they should through a field, munching on grass, and plenty of vegetables to go along with it.

Watercress is a lovely little forgotten green that comes in a pretty little bunch and goes really well with a juicy, slim steak (it’s expensive to eat grass fed pasture wandering meat, so there is the added benefit of the necessity to eat less of it.)  Toss it with a little salt and olive oil or go all out and make it into a soup.

Easy Peasy Watercress Soup that I made for my husband last night and lo and behold he wants it again:

Pull the leaves from the stems of a large bunch of water cress.  Drop them into salted boiling water and let them go for about 1 minute.  Drain well, and cover with ice cubes.  Peel a yukon gold potato, somewhere around fist-sized. Saute the watercress in a few tablespoons of butter for 2 minutes, add the potato and a whole, peeled clove of garlic.  Cover with (homemade) chicken stock and allow to simmer with a lid until the potato is tender.  Puree in a blender or with one of those boat motor wands (immersion blender).  Add a tablespoon of heavy cream if you feel like it, (or a swirl of 2009 olive oil) and taste for salt and freshly ground pepper.