Sprouts! An Unintended Outcome

Sometimes looking for one thing means you stumble upon another (don’t look for sugar snap peas before June). At the Farmer’s Market this morning, my unintended find was Sunflower Sprouts. “Ah Ha” (I said to myself…although if I had said this aloud, no one would have noticed in the bustle of the market) “ I am going to use these as a substitute for lettuce in this afternoon’s BLT” (as in bacon lettuce and tomato sandwich).

Nutty and full of body, I had a hunch that they would make a nice stand-in for the L part of the equation and even add a bit of crunch.

Sprouts are germinated plant seeds and although some sprouts are toxic (don’t go in your garden for random sprouty stuff), many (just like these) are nutritious and very good for you.

Buy sprouts as fresh as you can, eat them as soon as you can and until then, keep them refrigerated until you are ready to wash them thoroughly in cool water and enjoy.

PS The BLT was superlative. Farm raised bacon, whole wheat bread, hydroponic tomatoes (like sugar snaps, they are not in season just yet), sprouts and some lovely French mayonnaise.

April in Paris: The French Paradox

Your shoe is untied! Really! OK, it’s not untied, and that is the end of my April Fool’s moment. What I really think of in April is Paris. And why not? It’s always good to have a dream and I may not have been there in April, but I have been there on occasion (Cathy used to call Paris home). It’s my next favorite place after Brooklyn. But I digress…

Let’s get on to something about food. “The French Paradox” is all about food. This is not something I made up (and no April Fool’s joke). The paradox of the French is that they manage to eat all manner of things that we Americans consider ‘bad for you’ (cheese, meats, wine, pastries…I’m getting hungry!). The paradox part is that as a culture, the French have lower rates of obesity, heart disease and other health problems that we associate with eating.

How do they do it? Paul Rozin, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, has compared the eating practices of people in the United States and France. He suggests that it’s not so much what we eat, but how we eat and what our cultural relationship with food consists of. The French have a pretty strict set of rules regarding food, here they are.

• Eat small portions
• Do not snack
• Do not eat alone
• Take your time

Doesn’t sound too difficult does it?

I think it also helps that the French eat food that (with the exception of white flour and sugar) is not processed. They also spend more money and effort on the quality of their meals and have a real appreciation for what is in front of them. They also walk. Exercise is part of eating.

So… while we may not be in Paris, it’s possible to bring a little bit of France to our own lives in the form of healthy food culture and perhaps a nice long walk.

Bon Appetite!

Sparrow Grass and What the Romans Knew

Asparagus at the farmer's market is a sure sign of spring (it's nice to have a reliable indicator...the weather is behaving oddly these days). Full of fiber and antioxidants, low in sodium and cholesterol, asparagus possesses a list of vitamins as long its history. Asparagus is mentioned in the oldest surviving cookbook (which is Roman and dates back to the third century) and fell out of favor in the middle ages to return in the 17th century and gain popularity and the name 'sparrow's grass'. But you don't need to know that. It's delicious. Anything else is pure bonus.

PLUS... It's literally a 'snap' to prepare. Choose firm unwrinkled stalks (they can be thin, fat, purple, white or the usual green) with intact spear tops. After washing them in cold water hold a single spear from both sides of the stalk and gently snap off the base. It will naturally break off where the woody part finishes and the tender part begins (you can discard the woody part). Now you can steam, poach, broil or grill. Sparrow grass is great hot, cold or at room temperature.

Try poaching for starters (it’s the easiest way with the least amount of clean-up). Simply put an inch or so of water in a large fry or sauté pan and when the water boils add a little salt and the prepared spears. When they are barely tender (don't over cook! We are talking just a couple of minutes at the most-test with a sharp little knife) remove, drain and serve with a little melted butter, salt and pepper. The Romans were on to something!

Thinking of a tattoo? or Why Grains?

Thinking of a tattoo? How about:

Grains Good/ Processed Foods Bad ?

OK, not the trendiest motto (how about another option? ‘My Mother is Beautiful in Everyway’). All right, I know it's rather lengthy, but this is very important stuff and worthy of permanent residence somewhere close to your heart. If you are not willing to emblazon ‘Grains Good/ Processed Foods Bad’ in some discreet place, how about really giving this some thought instead?

Unlike refined flour, whole grains are rich in nutritional benefits and fiber. All of which translates into reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer and digestive problems. Not stressing your system with processed food (especially refined corn products) will help to protect you from chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

There’s no time like the present to start the shift towards foods that are healthy and full of benefit. No one is suggesting that you give up white flour and sugar overnight… but once you start on the path of whole foods (and eating only those things you can pronounce), I will personally guarantee that you will feel better and possibly drop those pesky extra pounds without feeling hungry or slighted in any way.

FYI, here’s a link to the USDA site that really spells it out:

http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/grains_why.html

You Must Believe In Spring (Greens)

Sylvia came home the other week and I’m wrapping my head around the fact that she really doesn’t want to cook. You know what? That’s OK. Once you know your demons, it’s a lot easier to take them to task. And what (you might very well ask) has this to do with Salad Greens? Instant food. That’s what. Along with an insulated bag of fairly healthy microwavable meals, Sylvia’s bag contained a box of this stuff and a bottle of salad dressing. Sylvia?! It doesn’t get much easier than this!

So, now that I have unburdened myself with that part of the story, I thought that you might like to know something about boxed greens (apart from the fact that in order to be a healthy-greens-eating member of the community, all you need is a box of this ready-to-go greenery and maybe some salad dressing).

Michael Pollan reports in his book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, that these organic baby spring greens are grown not all mixed up like in the bag (or box), but in raised flats containing one sort, thickly planted and leveled by a laser beam. When they get to the required height, the harvester can more easily cut the leaves and hence the uniformity expressed in the box. Strips of sweet alyssum (a very pretty little flower) help to attract pests. Once the leaves are harvested, all the sorting, mixing, washing, drying and packaging as well as transport happens at a steady 36 degrees.

There is so much more to this box of greens than meets the eye. I’ll write more later, but this will get your full appreciation jump-started for the miracle of instant salad and a simple box of green.

Something New: Ugli Edition

With a face that only a mother could love, let me introduce you to (and I’m not kidding) the Ugli Fruit. Actually, this is my introduction too. An early trip to the Food Coop (an activity not for the faint of heart given how crowded it can get on a Sunday) got me thinking of the blog and how last time I wrote I encouraged you to learn something new. So, I plucked up my courage and the most unusual thing I could find. Here’s what I’ve learned so far…

For starters, this cross between a grapefruit, orange and tangerine, is also known as a Jamaican Tangelo. A little more reading on Wikipedia informed me that this particular fruit is not yet ready to eat. In the Coop I had picked the bright green fruit that had fewer blemishes than it’s companions and seemed firmer. Well, if I had been this fruits’ mother, I would have known to pick one of the orange colored fruits, which is what an Ugli Fruit looks like when it’s ripe. I’ll photograph this again when it’s ready to eat and we can all have our Ugli Edition 'learn-something-new-everyday' moment together.

Not Always a Dangerous Thing!

Life is busy! Getting to the blog requires time and there hasn’t been a whole lot of that going around. Cathy, the Pastry Chef Sibling, is back in Brooklyn packing all her belongings (and considerable baking supplies) for the move to Wales. We are a little disheveled around here to say the least.

BUT… people have to eat and a meal is a good way for Cathy to have time with friends before her departure. So what to serve? I quickly grabbed the most recent copy of Bon Appetite and choose a recipe from the ‘quick and easy’ section (I think that’s what it’s called). Dinner was a success. Grilled asparagus, shallots and chicken cutlets with quinoa on the side. What’s quinoa? There’s a future blog entry for certain about this grain, but right now, I’m thinking about sources.

For last night’s meal the original idea came from a magazine. Gourmet may not be around anymore, but if you cruise the magazine section at your local bookstore, there may be something there that appeals to you. Magazines deal with seasonal suggestions and often have sections about technique… usually with an illustration to help. Then there is always the companion website as well.

Last night, I knew that I wanted to add quinoa to the menu, but as I haven’t cooked it all that often (and truth be told, I like to use a recipe for most things), I needed to get some help. Doing a search on www.epicurious.com/ (a recipe site) got me started and then I cross-referenced it in one of my basic books, How To Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman. By looking at a couple of sources, the principles about how to cook this particular grain were easier to grasp.

I know that cook books can be daunting, which is why I started this blog to begin with, but I suspect that some of you (are you listening Gerald?) may be ready to expand your culinary horizons. Don’t be afraid of a little more information, it’s not always a dangerous thing!