Eating Better

Want excellent information on living a healthier lifestyle?  Want to cut dollars off the grocery bill and know which food is okay to buy non-organic?  Don't care about organic?  Think about it.  Maybe you should.   

I am a strong advocate for organic food.  Yes, it can be expensive, but not always.  And yes, it supports an industry that now can be as misleading as the big food giants have been. 

In this country in particular we have become accustomed to large portions, perfect looking food, and excess in general.  Consider eating a better balance of food and a higher quality and maybe the super-sized snacks won't be so attractive.  The healthier we eat, the less opportunity we have for future illness. 

Many reliable sources, including the Environmental Work Group, a highly respected non-profit organization with a mission to "....use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment" have created easy to follow lists for what to buy organic, and what isn't necessary to buy organic.  Here's their list of produce, dirty (loaded with pesticides) and clean (not so much):

Dirty - Multiple pesticides found on these fruits/veggies - Best purchased organic - always wash produce regardless of where or how you bought it


Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Domestic blueberries
Nectarines
Sweet bell peppers
Spinach
Kale
Cherries
Potatoes
Grapes (Imported)

(This is one of the those times when I like frozen organic produce.  The produce is blanched on the spot, and then flash frozen.  Pesticides are gone.  Flavor and nutrition is locked in.  Buy a reputable brand and make such things as spinach omelets, cherry tarts, etc.)

Clean - fewer pesticides, considered safe, not absolutely necessary to buy organic but as always, please wash carefully

Onion
Avocado
Sweet corn
Pineapple
Mango
Sweet peas
Asparagus
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet potato
Honeydew melon

Want a downloadable version of EWG's 2010 Shopper's Guide? click here.

Always, ALWAYS, wash your produce.  Even if you buy organic, you simply don't know who has touched the produce or where it has really been.  Be safe.  Soap and water, as my mother always said, never hurt anybody (well, some soap, but that's another blog...)
And in case I haven't given you enough of a nudge, read what the Washington Post had to say about strawberries.

Happy Eating!

My New Best Friends

Curious?

I'm not much of a plastics person, especially in the kitchen.  I really do love quality stainless steel cookware, glass storage containers, and I'm having a torrid affair with my chef's knife which was a lovely gift from good friends.

I love to cook, not full meals daily for a family, of course (I'll leave that to my friends Rosemarie and Cathy who have fed their families well over the years and have received many, many compliments).  I would perish.  More importantly, they would.  But I love to cook simple meals for myself and friends and occasionally go full out and be totally creative with it. 

How do we reduce kitchen stress while trying to be good to the planet, our wallets, and keep our cooking integrity?  I think this is an ongoing game of sorts and I'm always looking for kitchenware that does not interfere with the quality of the food.  Technology provides us with some really cool tools now and then.  Here are some of my new favorites from Fusion Brand, not new on the market, but new to my favorite things:

The iceorb

Isn't this the sexiest ice tray you've ever seen?



(multi purpose...) @$16.00

but how to resist that figure and that shade?

You need at least two!

cupcooley

Starbuck's should marry them.  If you're still using paper cups then try these and buy a few for your bag and car.  They are cute, reusable, and they will save a few trees, and @ $4.00, well, why not? 

Here's the cutie of the bunch, in my opinion:

thefoodloop

You can wrap just about anything and cook it. Beats twine.  Beats all those ways we wrap food that we won't tell anyone about.  Beats everything I've seen.  @ $10.00 for a package of four (and isn't the color magnificent?), it's a good deal.  Personally, I have not fried (excuse me, "sauteed") anything wrapped in one of these, but that's me.  I do, however, use them for steaming and poaching (there is one for the grill which is flameproof and they also have a mini loop)

But here's my absolute favorite of all the Fusion Brand products:

thefoodpod

This is so alien looking that I love it.  It holds several heads of broccoli.  You can boil one dozen eggs.  Consider the possibilities.  (I'm thinking you could probably hand wash your delicates in one also (let me know how it works if you're brave enough to try but please don't tell me you used the same one for the broccoli) and @ $15.00, I think this is something you'll want to use all the time.

Take a look at Fusion Brands products. What I really like about them, besides the colors and the design: 

Their products are made of FDA/EU food-safe silicone and BPA-free nylon

(Note to Fusion Brands should you see this blog post:  I could use a few more iceorbs.  They are fabulous at keeping the cat's drinking water cool in this weather, thanks)

The Food Cure For Kids

I don't believe in following gurus but I do like to pay attention.  Sometimes it really pays off.  Great book, published recently by Oz Garcia, PhD, well known nutritionist to the stars and author, and Natalie Geary, MD,  physician author of the popular blog modernmums we have: The Food Cure For Kids.

Quite the interesting read on how to feed and educate your children about healthy food.  Here is Oz Garcia on Fox Five News  discussing the book, the issue of childhood obesity and how we can combat its ill effects.

Online Parents Magazine has an interesting article about healthy snacks for kids.  Even though I don't have kids, I read it periodically.  Knowledge is knowledge wherever you get it.  Their emphasis is health and happiness for future generations.  So that's a good thing all around.  Here's a photo teaser from their health snack article.

Dr. Geary's blog, modernmums, has an interesting article about The Food Cure For Kids in addition to other excellent nutrition information for kids.  Well worth the read.

And something close to my heart which I see becoming more mainstream for kids is yoga.  I've been in and out of it for years and currently am more in it since, for me, is an excellent way to soften the blow of stiffness that comes with aging.  Why not for kids?  And why not for you?  A few links for you with a few interesting people.

Oz Garcia and Russell Simmons doing some yoga      

Yoga for Kids Silly to Calm

Angel Bear Yoga

I hope this information happily whets/wets your appetite.  Old/new.  Change is a good thing. 

Namaste'

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REMINDER:  Check out the jbax Amazon store link in the upper left of the blog......some of my favorite things.

Edible Blogs - Brief, I promise

In case you don't know what to make for the holidays.....

Eggnog Latte Cupcakes... courtesy of Judy In Her Natural Habitat

Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake courtesy of Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Chocolate Biscotti courtesy of Ciao Chow Linda

Happy Baking......

Namaste'

The Art of Eating II

I've kicked the TV habit. Now I'm addicted to food blogs, good ones........and in my search I came across TasteSpotting The online subtext is "a community driven visual pot luck". And is it ever. The site is updated multiple times throughout the hour.


They have created an amazing resource for recipes and blogs, all in one place. All food types are represented. People submit their dishes with mouth watering photographs and when you click on the photo you are directed to their blog/website. Sample photos are below, although you'll have to visit the site to see the blogs and recipes - and when you get into each blog, you'll be spending time, looking around......as I have.

Crusty country bread topped with goat cheese, fresh sauteed spinach, and finished with a lightly fried egg. Simple and yummy.

Acorn squash risotto with toasted seeds and fried sage leaves. Have you ever had fried sage leaves? Wonderful.

Dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, and chopped nuts dessert dip - for all those Halloween treats.

Whether you're a cook, an eater, or a voyeur........happy food drooling.

Namaste'

The Art of Eating

M.F.K. Fisher didn't know what a shirataki noodle is, and perhaps you don't either, which is why I'm blogging about this wonderful little food.

Real foodies will know that The Art of Eating is a collection of essays by M.F.K. Fisher (1908-1992). She was one of America's best known food writers - ever. It is largely autobiographical, and includes commentary and recipes from her life and travels and is, in my opinion, a damned good read. Whether you cook or just love to eat, take a glance. The narrative is far more important in this book than the recipes.

But when M.F.K. Fisher was eating and writing, shirataki noodles were non-existent, at least the tofu shirataki was. For those of us following a low-carb diet due to weight loss or, in my case, diabetes (I'm still not on meds....diet controlled so far), or gluten intolerance, giving up pasta, rice, and potatoes can be devastating. For me, it's been pasta - until now.

Nothing beats a plate of pasta but it can spike your insulin and cause havoc for foodies with gluten intolerance. And nothing compares to really good quality pasta. Tofu shirataki is close, not perfect, but close enough for me. Finally, I have something to slap bolognese sauce on. House Foods is the brand I use.

Photo courtesy of House Foods

They are in your local supermarket wherever they stock cold foods, tofu, and those interesting little bits of odd health food hot dogs, etc. (and if not, ask for them) or you will find them in all good health food stores. Here are the stats on tofu shirataki noodles:

Water packed in plastic, not freezable

2 servings per 8 oz. package

20 calories, 3 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber per serving (you can eat the entire bag!)

No cholesterol

No sugar

Gluten free

Vegan

Dairy free

10% calcium

Tofu shirataki comes in three styles: Spaghetti, Fettuccine, Angel-Hair

I think these were originally designed for use in Asian dishes but I've had them with my mother's bolognese sauce recipe and they are really good. As I said, finally I have something to put the sauce on because I'd grown accustomed to just eating it as is. I've made the noodles with garlic, olive oil, and pecorino romano. And shrimp. And chicken. The endless possibilities. So its up to you to be creative and check the tofu shirataki link above and search out recipes. You truly are limited only by your imagination.

The one and only drawback is this: they aren't made from semolina so they do have a slight textural difference. Whether its the liquid they are packed in or the way they are made, something gives them an Asian aroma, that hard-to-pinpoint fishy aroma but all you need to do is rinse them well and stick them in boiling water for no more than 2 minutes. And the texture has been described as rubbery. However - however - who cares? Get over it! It's better than no pasta at all and you can adjust to just about anything when you have to or, at least, I can.

They are divine in soup, and if you have children they're a healthy alternative in mac and cheese. So, while I won't really endorse a food, I would like to encourage you to try these because they're good, inexpensive (and aren't we all trying to trim a bit of fat in all areas?) and they are quick to prepare.

If you do try them, be fair, do a good job in your kitchen, be creative, and let me know what you think. If you're a true foodie, you will find a way to love them because they are a viable opportunity to have "pasta" without guilt and, as Martha would say, "it's a good thing".

Namaste'

Blame It On Julia

Remind me not to see another food movie for awhile. Dangerous thoughts run through my head.
If I could literally be anything in the world without considering talent or ability, I would have chosen to be a blues singer. Alas, I sound like Yoko Ono on drugs. My second fantasy would be a pastry chef in a grand restaurant, but once I realized how much I truly loved baking (and I'm really good at it), I gave it up for health reasons. I could make a cake in my sleep. Ask any of my friends about my cupcakes. Really good eating. And nice to look at because I try to put a bit of art into everything I do and, well, sometimes I get carried away. Note these:

I promised a really wonderful group of people that I would make them something sweet and what they inquired about is not easily transportable so they're getting this cheesecake.

I chose cheesecake because I've been making this for over 30 years and its something I can make without licking the bowl, without eating half the raw batter and having my insulin spike like a lie detector test on a lying thief. And I chose it because its really yummy and because it needs nothing to adorn it (except a few stars......but no sauce, no filling, nothing, just the core essence of the cheesecake). In its own true self it is perfect, like the people we care about, flawless even with cracks, a taste you want to have often, and definitely worth splurging on because when we see what true decadence is, and how easy it is to find, we want to embrace it fully. The people we meet and invest ourselves in are the true decadence in our lives, at least they are in mine, that richness that only comes with quality ingredients, understanding how to put them together, the right amount of warmth, and knowing when to open the door and let them breathe.

Really nice people. I'm quite grateful.


Namaste'

The Art of Pleasure

I finally saw the movie "Julie & Julia" in which the lives of Julia Child and modern day blogger, Julie Powell, are paralleled. See it if you haven't because it is delightful. However, I warn you, you will leave hungry and possibly wanting to cook.


There are the obvious delights: learning that Julia Child had a wonderful and warm relationship with her husband Paul, somewhat sexy also. Meryl Streep is flawless and Stanley Tucci, well, how can you not love Stanley Tucci. Amy Adams, Chris Messina and all the other actors were wonderful. But why would I mention a movie on my blog? Because it is about pleasure, it is about bliss, not just food (although the food was amazing), and pleasure is an art, perhaps the truest art of all because it is simple and it is our right as humans. And bliss is a state of being we often feel is difficult to attain. With all that spirituality, religion, and politics running around loose, sometimes we think life needs to be lofty and it really just needs to be real.


Joseph Campbell said Follow your bliss and it has been said in many ways by many people but his quote is my favorite. Really, following your bliss is following your pleasure. Doing something because you simply love it can and should be its only real reward, although following your bliss will bring you the security you need because within you there is a sense of peace not found by people who are doing things just for money and without great pleasure, and following your bliss puts you on the path you probably should have been on in the first place, before you believed everyone else about who you were.....I think I've said that before....LOL


Julia Child began as most women did, as an ordinary cook. Yet she wanted something to do other than just "be", something with purpose, with pizazz; always a happy eater she fell in love with food while living in Paris. She took cooking lessons to feed her loving husband, Paul, and to de-mystify French cooking for those of us who were "servantless". She fell in love with french cooking to the degree of an obsession and in doing so, changed the world of home cooking.


Julie Powell held a non-bliss job and decided she needed something more. Another cook looking for passion that was right there in front of her and she began her blog The Julie/Julia Project (you will need to navigate your own way through the blog but it is fabulous reading) which later became a book and then the movie. It began as a self-challenge, to cook her way through Julia Child's magnificent book (and one of the first cookbooks I read as a young woman) Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year. And she did. Brilliantly.

If you want a taste of what it means to Follow Your Bliss, watch the movie and read the original blog by Powell. A simple dedication to something you truly love brings meaning to life. To me, that is art in its fullest form. Just being happy with who you are, what you "choose" to do, and how you pass your time, when done with gusto and fearlessness is an amazing thing.

Namaste'