Isn’t it kind of odd to take grilling advice from a city girl who has never owned a barbecue, or a backyard to put it in?
Trust me, this makes perfect sense…
When putting food on skewers to grill this holiday weekend, use two skewers, placed about 1/2″ apart from one another. This will secure the food, and prevent it from swirling around on the stick when you turn them.
Yeah, you’re welcome.
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While flipping through a popular health and wellness magazine today, I was a little surprised at some of their nutritional suggestions.
I am an armchair expert, admittedly with no formal training in nutrition and look to articles written by others to provide me with much of my information. Through this process, I have a heightened awareness of what is good for you, and what is not. Clearly, some of what I read falls into the latter category.
First up on the agenda: The 2013 Healthy Food Awards.
In this segment, 175 readers blind tested foods that the editors and contributing registered dieticians selected and deemed healthy.
The winners all came in a package, something that generally doesn’t spell “super food” to me.
With categories like “best potato chip”, “best nuked popcorn” and “best chewy granola bar” on the list, it’s hard to grasp the concept of these foods being healthy.
The next page featured celebrity chefs’ recipes using kale, which they dubbed “the holy grail of health.”
Alex Guarnaschelli’s Kale and Watercress Soup has white potatoes, whole milk and heavy cream. It is 252 calories per serving.
I don’t know about you, but the soups I usually enjoy are closer to 80-120 calories per serving. The potatoes, when pureed, should be enough to give the soup a creamy texture, making the heavy cream and milk unnecessary. Using broth instead of the dairy, would probably add more flavor to the soup, and a fraction of the calories and fat.
Instead of the suggested garnish of low fat sour cream, how about recommending a dollop of fat free Greek yogurt? It is lower in calories and fat than the sour cream, and is higher in protein and contains healthy probiotics.
As an avid and well-informed reader, I am concerned that a magazine of this type, would feature foods that are processed, high in saturated fat, and not the best, healthiest versions available. This is not a food magazine, where the flavor and ingredients take center stage, nutritional aspects be damned.
This is a magazine about healthy eating, fitness and wellness. They owe it to their readers to provide them with informed choices. High fat, high calorie soup is not healthy, just because it has a trendy super-food in it.
Processed foods laden with preservatives, huge amounts of sodium and a few unpronounceable ingredients, often in potentially toxic packages, are not healthy, just because they are organic, or lower in calories than their counterparts.
So how does the average consumer get real information about the seemingly healthy foods that are not in fact, as healthy as they seem?
Let me introduce you to a not so secret weapon called Fooducate.
Fooducate is a website and an app for smart phones that offers nutritional profiles culled from a huge database of supermarket foods. The free app allows you to scan the food’s barcode, and it provides a breakdown of the item’s nutritional data from a list of ingredients to calories, fat and sodium contents, chemicals and preservatives, information about what makes it a good or bad choice, and sums it up with a letter grade. It is a valuable resource for those who want to make wise decisions in the food aisles. The app also offers daily tips, and can help zero in on gluten free or diabetic friendly foods as well.
Perhaps the experts featured in my magazine might benefit from swiping a few of the foods they list, before awarding them best healthy food status.
photo: Glasshouse Images
Garlic is not only tasty, but it’s also good for your health. Studies have shown that consuming garlic, from a supplement or the actual plant is proven to reduce blood pressure as much as some prescription drugs. Eating four or more cloves per day, is also thought to lower bad cholesterol (LDL)by 9% and the risk of colon cancer by 30%.
The downside of garlic is the pungent odor on your breath, which can linger for several days. Unless you are looking to fend off a vampire attack, that can be an unpleasant side effect. According to a new study in the Journal of Food Science, drinking a glass of low fat milk along with your garlic heavy meal can keep your breath smelling fresh. Researchers are also testing the effects of lemon juice and green tea, in preventing the dreaded garlic breath.
So, go ahead and indulge in a garlicky meal, just be sure to drink your milk. Your bones, and your significant other will thank you.
photo: Glasshouse Images
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What if you could just inhale your coffee, getting a quick caffeine buzz, rather than actually drink it? How about getting your chocolate fix, with out the calories?
A new product called “Le Whif,” allows you to do just that.
Developed by Harvard University professor David Edwards, who pioneered inhaled insulin; Le Whif is an inhaler for the senses.
The plastic “puffer” is placed between your lips, and tiny particles small enough to become airborne, but too large to enter the lungs, descend upon the tongue to offer the taste and sensation of eating chocolate or drinking coffee.
Watching video footage of people enjoying Le Whif out socially, is reminiscent of other ‘inhalable” substances illegally enjoyed at clubs and parties.
In an attempt to bring a healthy vibe to the product, the company has also introduced breathable vitamins.
The price of huffing your treats isn’t cheap…each lipstick tube like canister costs about $2.50.
Personally, I’ll pass. How about you? Would you try Le Whif?
Cream of tartar is a natural substance often used to stabilize egg whites and whipped cream. It is derived from tartaric acid, the white powdery substance that forms in the barrels during the wine fermentation process.
While it’s commonly known for it’s culinary uses, cream of tarter also has hidden talents when it comes to cleaning.
Make a paste of cream of tartar and water and use it to polish your stainless steel appliances and cookware.
Mix it with a little lemon juice to polish copper.
Cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide can lift off that nasty bathtub ring. Apply it to the ring, let it dry, and wipe the solution and the ring right off!
It’s also a great way to remove mildew from grout.
Did you know that you can mix it with baking soda to make baking powder in a pinch?
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I haven’t been posting many (un) recipes lately. I have been busy with work and other commitments, and I have been falling back on my old standbys rather than creating new ones. This weekend, I was committed to trying something different.
We had a violent storm rip through the city on Saturday afternoon, and when the thunder, lightening and torrential rains subsided, I headed out pick up some ingredients for dinner. I ran into a friend along the way, who decided to accompany me on a trip through Chelsea Market, making the journey much more fun.
Inspired by a recipe from Andrew Carmellini, I began foraging through the market.
First stop, the newly renovated Lobster Place. Oh how I missed my fabulous seafood market during the several months they were closed! It has finally reopened, with an expanded space, immense selection and an attached restaurant.
It was there that I picked up fresh cod filets, cleaned squid and a small bottle of clam juice.
Next stop: The Manhattan Fruit Exchange for fresh produce. I added a red bell pepper, a bunch of basil and some baby arugula to my stash, and moved on.
My final stop was Rana, where I bought some homemade fettuccini to use as a base for my concoction.
The result?
Oven Braised Cod in Spicy Tomato Broth with Calamari
In a large sauté pan, (with a lid) sauté some thinly sliced garlic in olive oil. Add a red bell pepper sliced into thin strips. Toss in some hot red pepper flakes, and add about a ½ cup of dry white wine. Bring it to a boil and add about a cup of clam juice and 2 cups of marinara sauce. At this point, it’s ok to use a simple marinara sauce from a jar if you don’t want to take the time to prepare your own.
Simmer on the stove for about 15 minutes, until the red pepper softens. If the sauce starts to get too thick, add a little more wine or clam juice. Pour it into the blender, and puree until smooth. *
Season the cod filets with salt and pepper and place them in the sauté pan. Pour the tomato broth over the fish, cover it, and cook it in a 375-degree oven for about 12 minutes or so.
When the fish is done, carefully remove it from the pan, and set aside, covering it to keep warm.
Return the pan to the stove, and add the calamari (squid) cut into rings.. Simmer lightly for 2 or 3 minutes until they are fully cooked. Avoid boiling them, as they will get rubbery. Add some chopped basil and arugula to the pan and mix thoroughly.
To serve: Place the cooked fettuccini into pasta bowls. Place a fish filet on top of the pasta, and pour a generous amount of the sauce and calamari over the fish.
Make sure you have a spoon, or a big piece of crusty bread on hand, because you will want to lap up every last bit of that rich, spicy sauce!
Remember, this is an unrecipe. If you can’t find fresh calamari, try rock shrimp, bay scallops or clams instead. Or be adventurous, and use a little of each!
Even simpler, just cook the fish and use the flavorful sauce on it’s own, without the added seafood. It will still be delicious! If you choose to use a bottled sauce, you may need to adjust your seasonings a bit. If the sauce already has a lot of garlic, you may not want to add anymore at all.
Enjoy!
* Be careful when blending hot liquids! Place a kitchen towel over the top of the blender, and use a few cautious pulses to get started. You only need to experience the explosion of scalding hot liquids when the top blows off the blender once, to learn to practice caution.
photos: Glasshouse Images
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A century ago, a humble tradition began in Naples, Italy called caffe sospeso, or “suspended coffee.” In this Neapolitan custom, a patron purchases two cups of coffee, so that someone less fortunate can enjoy one later. The barista keeps a log, and the benefactor and recipient rarely meet.
This lovely display of generosity without the expectation of gratitude fell by the wayside over time. Now, with Europe’s looming financial crisis, suspended coffee is gaining popularity across the continent.
The pre-paid cup of coffee is a show of social solidarity as the formerly prosperous population deals with economic woes.
Why not try paying it forward the next time you visit your local café, and purchase an extra cup for someone down on their luck?
It is a small but meaningful gesture that will make someone’s day special.
photo: Glasshouse Images
Monday night marked the annual “Met Ball,” honoring the opening of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s latest exhibition entitled Punk: From Chaos to Couture.
Much speculation lead up to the event, as to how the theme would be handled by the revelers, hand selected by Vogue’s high priestess herself, Anna Wintour.
Well, today we have the answer, and in most cases, it was handled poorly.
While a few went all out, (Madonna you go girl!) many opted for odd choices that left them looking awkward and uncomfortable. Below are some of our favorites, who embraced the movement and looked pretty in punk:
Madonna at the Met
Miley just being Miley
Sarah Jessica Parker channeling Carrie Bradshaw in Giles
Kim Kardashian in a custom slipcover by Riccardo Tischi
Beyonce in Givenchy
And after couture came utter chaos. What made these attractive young women embrace old age, instead of punk?
Nicole Richie goes grey
Kate Upton goes matronly
Nicki Minaj left us speechless
Anna Wintour in Chanel
The grande dame of the evening may have inadvertently been the most punk of all. While others tried to conform to societal expectations, Ms.Wintour bucked the norm, and showed up in a demure floral Chanel gown. What looked the least in keeping with the theme,may just have out- punked everyone.
Tonight I had the opportunity to attend a book launch party for “Carried in Our Hearts,” by Dr. Jane Aronson, with essays by many parents and children who have experienced first hand, the joys and traumas of creating a new family through adoption.
I am honored to have my story, originally posted here, be a part of this beautiful collection.
If you are seeking for a last minute Mother’s Day gift, take a look at this book, sure to melt the heart of any Mom, regardless of how her family was formed.
There was not a dry eye in the room, as people read from the book, and recounted their international adoption experiences.
Dr.Aronson, who is not only a highly acclaimed pediatrician specializing in international medicine, but also the founder of World Wide Orphan’s Foundation, has taken on the role of mentor, fairy godmother and stork, to many families across the world. Her goal through WWO is to transform the lives of orphaned children and help them to become healthy, independent, productive members of their communities and the world.
Won’t you join me in celebrating the heartwarming stories of families who were formed not by blood, but by love this Mother’s Day?
Finding a perfectly ripe avocado in the supermarket can be difficult. Some are hard as rocks, and others have already turned to guacamole.
To speed the ripening of an avocado that is too firm, put it in a paper bag with a banana, and seal the bag. The ethylene, a natural gas released by the ripening banana, speeds the ripening of other fruits around it. Be warned, storing bananas with other already ripened fruits could cause them to spoil more quickly than normal.
photo: Glasshouse Images
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