Culinary Bytes… The popularity of kitchen gadgetry has reached an all time high with the blossoming of designer name kitchen accessories and housewares.  But for me, a lover of all things olive oil, I don’t need a designer or Hollywood starlet to tell me what tools I must have to make the most of my extra virgin olive oil. 

When I first set up house many years ago, after being nudged from the nest, kicking and screaming, the only use I had for olive oil was as salad dressing, drizzled on pasta under a layer of salted finely grated bottled cheese or as a hot oil treatment for my frizzy dark curls.   It wasn’t until I graduated from culinary school and began experimenting with all food, that I started my love affair with all things EVOO.   And, I suppose it has something to do with the age of my palate as well.  After all, taste buds and olfactory nerve cells are replaced on a regular basis, and with age, comes maturity. 

There once was a time when I could fit my olive oil stock which consisted of one bottle of whatever was on sale that month, into a tiny corner of my spice cabinet.  Now, my stock of olive oil fills an entire shelf of a walk in pantry, and soon will find its way to an under counter cooler right next to the wine, in a place well deserved. 

Just as there are certain accessories that a wine aficionado cannot do without, such as cork screws, decanters and aerators, so too, are there as many for an olive oil aficionado.   Whether it is brushes, bottles, spouts or dishes, if you want to make the most of it, there are a few accessories that you cannot be without.  

Must have gadgets for olive oil lovers

Thermometers for measuring the temperature of the oil you will use for deep frying at home are a necessity.  The recommended temperature for frying with olive oil is 365 to 370 degrees Fahrenheit.  Any lower and the food will absorb the oil leaving it soaked and unpleasant.  Any higher and you will be approaching the smoke point.

Glass bottles with pourers and funnels are a necessity if you buy olive oil in large containers.  Trying to drizzle olive oil onto a plate from a gallon can has less of a chance of success than that of a lottery win.  Plastic bottles will not do for this purpose.  Left at room temperature, olive oil stored in a plastic container such as a squeeze bottle can absorb harmful chemicals.  Recycled wine bottles are perfect for storage of olive oil.  Not only are they glass, but they are dark green or brown and block out harmful light, thereby extending the shelf life of the oil. 

Plastic squeeze bottles however, do have a place in the olive oil kitchen.  Since oil can be spreadable when refrigerated, the wide mouth of the squeeze bottle or a large opening in the tip is perfect for squeezing the spread onto toast or under the skin of a turkey ready for the oven.  Keep it refrigerated to maintain the semi-solid, spreadable texture.

Basting brushes are not just for butter.  When using olive oil in place of butter to baste poultry or give a shiny coat to baked goods, only a basting brush will do.  Not only will olive oil  perform the same as butter, but you can easily include spices and add both in one sweep of a brush.

Sprayers for extra virgin olive oil, are the newest addition to the most popular online stores for kitchen gadgets.  For those times when you just want a spritz of olive oil and a drizzle is too much, spray it on.

My last and perhaps the most extravagant of accessories is a piece of equipment, much more than a gadget.  For those of you who believe as I do that extra virgin olive oil is as essential to food as wine is to drink, a wine cooler is for the olive oil devotee who knows the only way to make sure that the ultra expensive, uber delicious extra virgin olive oil of your choice retains its incredible flavor, is to store it carefully in a cooler at 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Reprinted from Olive Oil Times, contributed by Chef Angela B 

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef Angela B. 

http://antiaginggastronomy.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ChefAngelaB

Frying with olive oil---debunking the myths

It is fairly common knowledge these days that olive oil has certain health benefits one of which is its anti-inflammatory qualities and that using olive oil in vinaigrettes, emulsions and baked goods, drizzled on or dipped into, adds an extra layer of flavor and moisture when needed as well.    But it is lesser known that olive oil presents an opportunity to gain the same health benefits from stove top cooking, in high temperature methods such as frying and sautéing.   I know what you are thinking, frying and healthy?  No such thing!   But the truth is that by using extra virgin olive oil you can have both. 

Although pan frying, deep frying, stir frying and sautéing are different stove top methods, they all have one thing in common, that is, the temperature of the cooking oil.  The object of these cooking methods is to cook the outside of the food quickly, creating a crispy exterior, while at the same time allowing the heat from the oil to penetrate all the way through.  In order to accomplish this, the oil must reach a temperature of 365 to 370 degrees before introducing the food. 

Myth number one:  The smoking point of olive oil is too low for frying. 

Some cooking oils and fats will reach what is referred to as the smoking point before reaching temperatures required for a good fry.  The smoking point is the temperature at which a chemical change takes place resulting in undesirable smoke and flavor.  Olive oil is not one of them.  The smoking point of extra virgin olive oil is somewhere between 380 and 410 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the impurities and acid content of the olive oil, the better the quality, the higher the smoking point.  So, it appears that the smoking point of olive oil is well above the temperature required. 

Myth number two:   Frying temperatures will change olive oil from a good oil to a bad oil.

Cooking fats and oils are considered dietary fats of which there are three types, saturated, trans and unsaturated.  The first two are bad, but the third, unsaturated fat, includes olive oil, a healthy plant-derived dietary fat.  The heat required to raise the temperature of olive oil high enough to fry food cannot change the chemical composition of olive oil from a good one to a bad one. 

Myth number three:  Fried foods absorb cooking oil, making you fat.

Properly fried food does not absorb cooking oil if the temperature of the oil is hot enough before food is introduced.  Otherwise, the food will indeed soak up the oil, producing a soggy, flaccid product.  You know, like those oil soaked fries you had last week from your favorite fast food chain!  Furthermore, dietary fat does not make you fat.  Excess carbohydrates make you fat.  

Not only can you fry with extra virgin olive oil, but you should.  Frying with EVOO not only satisfies our desire for Southern fried comfort foods, Asian stir fry, Mexican fajitas and Italian veal piccata, but it does all of that in addition to fulfilling our nutritional requirements for a healthy dietary fat as well. 

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef Angela B. 

http://antiaginggastronomy.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ChefAngelaB

Conundrum---sandwiches in an anti-aging diet?

Yes, it is a conundrum, sandwich and anti-aging in the same diet.  The basic concept of a sandwich is two slices of bread (refined grains and sugar) between which there is protein (meat or fish) and dairy (cheese) and/or a token vegetable (lettuce) and condiments (mustard, mayo, relish, ketchup).  Whether it is a hoagie, hamburger, club, roll, dog, pocket or burrito, it is 99.9% acid forming.  The .1% that is NOT acid forming is---the lettuce. 

One of the most difficult changes to make in a typical American diet for someone who wants to eat “smart food” is the elimination of sandwiches, that all-American favorite on which most people who work outside the home, depend for their mid day meal.  So, I asked myself, is it possible to have your bread (the sandwich kind) and eat it too, while still keeping the meal within the 60/40 rule?  I think the answer is---yes, you can.

First, the protein that fills the space between the bread can be of the kind that is the least acid forming, and a limited size portion of 3 or 4 ounces.  It is not necessary to heap on the deli meats.  You can use tuna from a can and mix it with lots of celery, celery seed, mustard seed, ground pepper, and a small amount of mayonnaise, even adding some olive oil to help arrive at the right texture and up the alkaline forming ratio.  Chopped nuts and seeds, raisins, dried apricots, chili peppers, green onions, garlic granules and fruit such as small diced apple make a nice addition.  Or, use some of the leftover dinner protein, chicken breast or turkey, thinly sliced or in a chicken or turkey salad made in the same manner as the tuna.  Slices of avocado and egg are also good sources of protein.  If you absolutely must have cheese, choose goat or a very thin slice of anything except processed American cheese. 

Next, pile on the alkaline forming ingredients, sprouts, tomatoes, thin sliced cucumber, leafy lettuce or other raw greens such as spinach, kale, arugula or watercress, add pickled onion, a roasted red pepper or ribbons of marinated zucchini.  Any of these ingredients will add to the alkaline side and should be used generously.

For a condiment, instead of prepared mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise or other store bought sandwich spreads, use tomato salsa fresca,  drizzle on a  homemade fruit vinaigrette, pepper, raisin or blueberry sauce or plain extra virgin olive oil.  GOOD FOOD, BAD FOOD, COOKING SKILLS FOR LIFE, VOLUME TWO, is due out at the end of this month.  I have filled it full of recipes for salsas and sauces that you can make at home and will add alkaline forming ingredients to any sandwich.

Last, is the bread, and here-in lies the conundrum.  All bread is made from one or more refined grains.  In order for bread to hold the contents of a sandwich, it must be made with ingredients that will result in a texture dense enough to be able to cut into slices.  This is difficult to accomplish without grains and yeast.  There are of course, alternatives to bread such as pita pockets and tortillas.  But, these too contain refined grains and don’t satisfy the American craving for bread.

What, then will satisfy that craving, make a good bread for a sandwich and not tip the scale of 60/40 toward the acid forming side? 

Essene or manna bread is derived from an ancient recipe of Judaic origin.  It is made from sprouted grains and water, without refined flour, yeast, salt or sugar, to which there are sometimes nuts, dried fruit and seeds added.  These are all alkaline forming ingredients.

Sprouted breads are made from sprouted grains, to which water, yeast and sea salt is added.  The grains include any combination of sprouted whole grains such as wheat, barley, rye, oats, millet, whole kernel corn, and brown rice.

Ezekiel bread is also made from sprouted grains, but in addition, sprouted beans such as lentils and soybeans are added as well as yeast, wheat gluten and sea salt.  It makes for a much better texture for use as sandwich bread and contains only a very small amount of alkaline qualities from the yeast and wheat gluten.  In addition, because of the combination of grains and beans, Ezekiel bread has a higher protein nutritional value than other breads.

Bread made from spelt, which is a grain, although less acid than other grains, is still slightly acid forming.  It does, however, contain essential nutrients that other grains do not. 

Whole grain bread which is currently gaining popularity in the main stream grocery stores, is better than those that have no whole grains used in the baking process.  If you choose to use a whole grain bread for your sandwiches, choose the one that has the highest amount of whole grains.  Look for the quantity in terms of grams per slice and compare. 

More and more Americans are looking for alternatives to white and wheat sandwich breads that have been a long time staple of the American lunch.  Whole food brick and mortar and online grocers are benefiting from the new interest in eating smart and whole grain is a step in the right direction.  But why not take the next step to sprouted breads or the last step to NO BREAD.  For lunch today, why not bring or buy a raw salad filled with greens, nuts, seeds, beans, olive oil and a little lean protein and skip the roll, tortilla, bread or pocket.  

For times when I feel that I must have a sandwich, this is my favorite: 

TOMATO, AVOCADO AND SPROUTS

Ingredients:  thick sliced tomato, sliced avocado, chili salsa fresca, sprouts, olive oil spread, sprouted whole wheat bread slices

Make an olive oil spread by placing extra virgin olive oil in a plastic tub and chill it in the refrigerator.  When the oil is thick, add seasonings and herbs to taste.  Fold in with a spatula or whiz quickly with a blender.  Place the tub in the freezer until the olive oil reaches a spreadable consistency.  Toast the bread and spread both slices with olive oil.  Layer the tomato, avocado, chili salsa and sprouts between the toasted slices of bread.  Cut into quarters on the diagonal and enjoy!

EAT SMART, America!

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB

Top Ten Most Popular Posts

Upon completion of six months of blogging about anti aging cuisine also known as EAT SMART or the alkaline diet, here are the top 10 most popular blog posts.   For those of you new to the blog, it will give you a chance to go back to the best posts published before you became a reader.  And, for those of you who have been reading for the past six months, it's a chance to see one you might have missed.  Although this is basically a food and nutrition blog, I occasionally get sidetracked with personal and political topics and can’t help but step up on the soap box now and then.  Surprisingly, some of the most read blogs were those that were written from atop that box.  Here they are. 

10. A CUCUMBER A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY

9.   SUGAR IS SUGAR ALL EQUALLY BAD

8.  TEN REASONS TO EAT SMART  AN ANTI AGING PRIMER

7.  FAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU FAT  CARBS MAKE YOU FAT

6.  IT'S A TAX, MR. BLOOMBERG TO BAN OR NOT TO BAN SUGAR DRINKS

5.  HERBS AND SPICES SOME OF THE SMARTEST FOODS WE KNOW

4.  HAPPY 4TH OF JULY INDEPENDENCE FROM BAD FOOD

3.  CORN FED AMERICA  FATTY LIVER, FOIE GRAS

2.  THE MORE REFINED, THE BIGGER THE BEHIND

And finally, number 1, the most read of all was a personal tribute in memory of my nephew and friend Michael "Miggs" Daly.

1.  A PERSONAL DAY, IN MEMORY OF MICHAEL

Thanks for reading.   EAT SMART, America!

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB

Keeping Food Safe

As a chef and a certified and registered Servsafe instructor of food safety, I teach my students how to avoid food borne illness in food service.  As a home cook instructor, I emphasize many of the same skills which can be used in the home kitchen to prevent loved ones from suffering the symptoms of food borne illness.  Research studies have determined that most food borne illnesses have their origin in the home, not in restaurants, and that the symptoms are commonly dismissed as 24 hour flu.  And, furthermore, that foodborne illness which may result in a tummy ache for a teen, can result in dehydration and death in the elderly, pregnant women, infants and, in general, anyone having a compromised immune system. 

But sometimes no matter what we do, contaminated food enters our homes without us knowing.  A couple of weeks ago while shopping with a student at an Ingles grocery store, I entered the produce aisle and there in the lettuce section, in front of me was a single pack of Tanimura & Antle Field Fresh Wrapped Single Head Romaine.  I immediately suffered the bells and whistles in my head, resulting from a recollection of a recent food safety recall for the very same lettuce because of possible contamination with e coli bacteria.  There it was, right there in front of me, in easy reach at my local Ingles grocer.  If I had not been alerted to the recall, I may very well have taken that home with me.

Food borne illnesses from e coli, salmonella and listeria (bacteria and viruses referred to as pathogens) have become more and more common recently and the only way to know about the possible contamination is to stay informed.  Shocking, but true, listeria contamination resulted recently in a massive recall of onions and associated deli products made with those onions as an ingredient.  I find the best way to stay informed about possible food contamination is to go to www.foodsafety.gov and register for automatic alerts.  You will be alarmed at the frequency of the alerts, but you will be informed. 

In addition to knowing where your food comes from and possible contaminations, here are five more preventative actions you can take to keep your family safe:

Personal hygiene, especially hand washing, is the one best preventative measure.   Hand washing means soap and hot water, scrub for 10 to 15 seconds, rinse and dry with a paper towel.  Your skin has a high concentration of staph and touching skin, hair, nose and mouth guarantees the spread of bacteria and viruses lurking on your skin unless hands are washed frequently.  Hand sanitizers should not be used in place of hand washing. 

Sanitizing with a solution of bleach and water can reduce pathogens on work surfaces, utensils, dishes, glassware and sinks.  Using soap alone will only clean the surfaces, not sanitize.

Time and temperature can be used to your advantage to control pathogens.  Don’t give them time to reproduce by providing optimum temperatures.  Pathogens in foods that require refrigeration, multiply fastest in temperatures between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit.    Make sure your refrigerator stays at 40 degrees or below, and the less time refrigerated foods are exposed to room temperatures the better.  The four hour rule should always apply, that is, if a food which requires refrigeration is at room temperature for 4 hours (cumulative), toss it! 

Cooking temperatures are as important as cooling temperatures.  You can find tables on many websites that will tell you the safe temperatures for serving cooked meats, eggs, fish etc., in order to prevent food borne illness.  In addition, thawing should always be done in the refrigerator, under cold running water or as part of the cooking process.  Never leave foods that require refrigeration on a kitchen counter to thaw. 

Cross contamination (passing pathogens from one surface to another) can occur when using the same utensils or surfaces for preparation of foods that need refrigeration before cooking, and foods that are eaten raw.  Always wash foods to be eaten raw, and always prepare them on sanitized surfaces with sanitized utensils.

For more on food sanitation and safety, you can purchase my book As Good As It Gets, Cooking Skills for Life, Volume 1 at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  

EAT SMART, America!

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB

A New Kind of Labor in America

Yes, I know the subject of this blog is anti-aging gastronomy, but if you have been following me, you know that on special occasions and holidays, I must digress and get on my soap box.  It is the only chance I have to do so , since all of my other writing gigs are ghostwriting for which I cannot take credit.  So, here is my Labor Day soap box!

This Monday, September 3, will be celebrated around the nation with picnics, beach parties and parades as has become the customary way to celebrate an American and Canadian holiday we know as Labor Day.  For most, it is the celebration that marks the last weekend of summer and the return to school.  But for many of us who grew up in communities where blue collar workers with barely a high school education were able to feed their family of four and provide a decent roof over their head, it is a day to reflect on the state of the American manufacturing industry, an industry which from 1978 to 2007 suffered a loss of jobs in textiles, garments, metals and electronics topping 60 percent, jobs given to foreign competition. 

Labor Day which became a national holiday in 1894 began as a coming together of union workers to show solidarity.  Ironically, the very same labor unions that were formed for the protection of those workers, has all but made them extinct.  To see what unions have done to our manufacturing industry over the last thirty years one has only to drive through any abandoned industrial park in any city.  Never again will those broken buildings  be home to American manufacturers of leather goods, textiles, steel or electronic gadgetry. 

Private sector business growth is tied to profitability.  With profit comes business growth and with business growth comes economic prosperity in the form of additional human resource requirements, added technology, more machinery, research and development, engineering design and expanded supply chains.  The bottom line is that unionized workers have a profoundly negative impact--- on the bottom line, not just in terms of compensation and benefits, but also in terms of job performance where bad performers are protected, and in the uncertainty that comes with walk outs and strikes.  Furthermore, as in the case with the U.S. automakers, when times are bad, union workers still demand the same compensation and benefits as when times are good.  As was the case with GM and Chrysler, bankruptcy is the only way out. 

So, what do those of us celebrate now, those of us who have been raised in households where along with Memorial Day and Fourth of July, Labor Day was celebrated with patriotic music and gatherings of steelworkers, sewers, pressman, autoworkers, and machinists who bragged about their college educated kids?  Well, I for one still crank up John Phillip Sousa for all the neighbors to hear, and raise the red, white and blue, not only in remembrance of our forefathers who labored to make this the greatest country in the world, but also to celebrate a different type of laborer.  I celebrate the mothers who labor first with birth followed by years of balancing two careers, to trash collectors, plumbers, stylists and carpenters, to ditch diggers, salesmen and bankers, and to all of the  service-workers who suffer greatly, getting by on minimum wage.  But most of all I celebrate the small business owners who labor 60 to 70 hours a week to make their payroll and plant the seeds of all private enterprise.

EAT SMART, America!

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB

In addition to my blog, you can now read more of my culinary “bytes” at www.oliveoiltimes.com

EAT SMART, AMERICA, AN ANTI-AGING DIET PRIMER  $ 2.99 is available now for Kindle on Amazon  and for Nook at Barnes & Noble

Chop Chop Kitchen Co-op 

Launch Postponed

We are still in need of help to build a community kitchen co-op (Chop Chop) and restaurant (Beyond the Bull) for food makers who believe as I do that anti-aging gastronomy is the antidote to age related chronic disease.  However, due to commitments and other unforeseen events, we are going to have to postpone the crowdfunding campaign for a couple of months.  I will keep you informed as to the rest of the project and when the time is right, relaunch the campaign to raise the funds needed to equip the kitchen.  That is, unless one or more of you decide that you would like to invest in a partnership or share in the profits of this sure to succeed venture.   

10 reasons to invest today

 True healthcare reform starts in the kitchen.  Anti-aging food is alkaline forming and therefore promotes wellness.  If inflammation is really the cause of chronic disease such as diabetes II, then Chop Chop Kitchen and its sister restaurant, Beyond the Bull (BTB) is the first step to healing America’s health and healthcare.

Anderson, SC needs jobs and Chop Chop Kitchen Co-op will produce 15 to 20 jobs immediately in the restaurant and 50 to 100 long term with phase 2, the manufacture and distribution of Food From The Farmacy specialty sauces created in the co-op kitchen and restaurant.

Supporting  SC food-makers and entrepreneurialism creates small business.  There is nowhere for a food maker with a great idea to get started without a commercial kitchen.  There is no funding for startup operations in food service.  This kitchen co-op will provide the commercial space for production and an office and mentor to help them get started whether it is a caterer, baker, ice cream maker, candy shop, food truck, specialty food manufacturer or event organizer.  More businesses means more jobs!

Everyone needs camaraderie and a place to hang out.  This will be it for food makers in the golden corner of South Carolina.

We all have a need to feel like we are part of something larger, something of importance, something in which we can make a difference.   The something larger in this instance is supporting a community of food makers, artisans and small business entrepreneurs who share in one passion---food. 

The Anderson community, family and friends need somewhere to eat out that offers an alternative to hamburgers, deep fried foods, pasta and barbecue.  The restaurant will serve anti aging gastronomy, no added sugar, no refined flour and emphasis on alkaline producing fresh, local ingredients.

For the sake of the next generation, we need to change the American palate and the American plate.  This is the first tiny step for the sake of your kids.

The location we have chosen is available now.   The space on Rte. 81, in Anderson, near the AnMed hospital system campus was previously occupied by a restaurant, the  interior needs no major improvements, the kitchen is large and there is an outside patio perfect for the garden.

If we succeed, doesn't that mean that you have a chance as well?

Cool stuff---in exchange for your pledge you get tickets for tastings, entrance to food markets, unlimited use of the kitchen, cooking classes, and more.

Here's one more---return on investment.  Better than real estate or financial institutions.

SAMPLE MENU

EAT SMART, America!

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB

Paleo, Paleo, Schmaleo…

It seems like every health, nutrition, vitamin, food, doctor and diet website has something to say about the pop culture diet, the Paleo diet, short for Paleolithic, so I thought I would add my two cents worth as well.  From what I have read and been told first hand by Paleo diet followers, the diet limits foods to those that would have been eaten by Paleolithic (cave) men, and that eating like a caveman promotes wellness, provides the body with high energy and prevents the common age related diseases currently on the rise.  These are noble goals and shared by proponents of other diets as well, including the one that I strongly support and advocate and refer to as the name of my blog suggests, anti-aging gastronomy. 

Eating like a caveman does not refer to using your hands and tearing meat from the raw and bloody bone.  But rather, it refers to the type of food, whole, natural, the way God intended, before man decided that it could use improvement.  As if God didn’t get it quite right!  That means, eating foods in natural form before the agricultural revolution when man went from being a hunter gatherer exclusively to sowing and harvesting such foods as grains and legumes like wheat, barley, chick peas and flax, followed by animal husbandry and raising animals for human consumption, animals that were fed by  man instead of nature. 

When proponents make their claims regarding the benefits of the Paleo diet to our modern day human bodies, they are making claims based on unspoken assumptions that may or may not be true.  First, that cavemen were in better health than more modern man, those who followed after the agricultural revolution, and second, that the human body of today is the same as those of our ancestors, the caveman, in order to benefit from the same foods.  Skeptics, on the other hand, claim that our bodies have evolved through the process of natural selection and therefore, do not process nor benefit from these foods like a caveman did.  Then there is the life span issue.  Paleolithic skeletal remains suggest 33 years was the average age for a caveman and skeptics compare that to our average age now which of course, far exceeds that, but who knows for how long at our current dependency on added sugar and refined grains.  But to reach this conclusion, skeptics assume that diet is the only factor that determines life span.  And, of course, it is not.

There is something to be said for consuming raw vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, roots and tubers.  They are almost, with just a few exceptions, alkaline producing and therefore highly beneficial to modern man as we know and study him today.  Excluding grains which are highly acid forming may not be such a bad thing.  But, in small enough portions, and in whole grain form, grains offer some essential nutrients and longer sustaining energy, more even levels of glucose.  But meat and fish, both with extremely high acid producing qualities, are foods which should be avoided or moderately consumed along with whole grains, because as we now know, acid producing means inflammatory. 

Here’s my two cents worth.  I have witnessed and experienced profound measurable improvement in my body, my husband’s and in those around me who stick to the 60/40 alkaline to acid producing diet, eliminating added sugar and refined grains, a diet to which I refer to as anti-aging.  Some would call it anti-inflammatory, a diet which includes moderate amounts of protein and whole grains, and dairy only occasionally and only of the goat variety.  I believe any diet which completely eliminates an entire food group, to me is eliminating some important nutritional elements as well.       I believe in moderation and in the notion that inflammatory foods have proven to be the downfall of American health, apparent in the chronic diseases of modern man.  If the Paleo diet consists of meat, fish and plant based food only, it is in fact eliminating an entire food group, the one that is responsible for endurance.  And, unless the diet puts a limit on the portion size of meat and fish, it leans far to the acid producing side which is highly inflammatory.  I say use common sense.  Leave the Paleo way of eating to the cavemen.  I am sure there are a lot of people out there who think there are still some around. 

This week I launched a funding campaign for a cafe and kitchen co-op.  The kitchen co-op will be a hub for the SC upstate community, a fully equipped commercially licensed kitchen for rent for the sole purpose of promoting food makers of anti aging gastronomy---artisans, caterers, entrepreneurs with ideas of starting a business and home cooks who just want to can their garden vegetables.  The café will be a full service restaurant for the purpose of providing the community with fresh local menu items and a showcase for the co-op members.  No refined grains, no added sugar, and 60% alkaline producing will be the standard for both.  Please go to www.getfunded.com and search CHOP CHOP KITCHEN CO-OP.  Pledge as little as $ 1.  Every dollar counts. 

EAT SMART, America!

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB

EAT SMART, AMERICA, AN ANTI-AGING DIET PRIMER  $ 2.99 is available now for Kindle on Amazon  and for Nook at Barnes & Noble 

The Cocktail Course

Many years ago, before I discovered the benefits of eating an anti-aging diet, I jumped on the juicing diet fad bandwagon in one of many attempts to lose the extra pounds that I was carrying around.  I was reminded of it recently when my husband and I decided to join the annual going back to school neighborhood multi family yard sale last weekend.  Going through box after box of stored memorabilia, collectibles, and household goods, was like watching an old home movie, or turning the pages of a scrapbook of our lives.

  Like hundreds of thousands of other forty somethings in the 80s, I plunked down $ 200 more or less and bought a popular state of the art juicer, hawked by a well known sports octogenarian who swore into the camera that drinking a concoction of carrots, celery and parsley, freshly juice every day was the key to his longevity and good health.  For one whole week, I juiced every vegetable and fruit I could get my hands on to try out the machine.  After weeks of juicing, I was no closer to a normal weight than before I had started and generally felt no different, although I did notice a tinge of permanent orange on the fingers of my left hand, no doubt from all of the carrots.  A decade later and 3000 miles away from where I had first used it, here it was again, it’s shiny stainless steel blade none the worse for wear.  So out to the yard it went with all the other boxes that had crossed the continent more than once and still remained unopened through the last two moves.  As the day wore on, it became apparent that no one was interested in a $ 200 juicer, not even for $ 30 bucks.  I took that as a sign. 

At the end of a long day of powerful deal making and highly impressive negotiations,  there I was at my kitchen counter pondering what to do with my  $ 200 juicer when suddenly it came to me.  I am always looking for more ways to prepare and consume vegetables that could then be served to offset small amounts of acid producing foods like protein and grains.  With experience I have been able to come up with enough interesting ways to prepare alkaline producing vegetables, condiments, soups, salads, and such for every meal except for one.  The one course that is particularly difficult with which to accomplish this balance is the cocktail course.  Yes, you heard me.  That’s right.  In my family the first course to every evening meal is the cocktail.  Now, staring at the juicer I knew I had a way to convert that course to a 60/40 (alkaline to acid producing) ratio as well.

All alcoholic beverages are acid forming, whether it is vodka from potatoes, gin from juniper berries or tequila from the blue agave.  Now, I have tried to rationalize my participation in the cocktail course by thinking of the juniper berries, and blue agave, and potatoes as vegetables, of plant origin and therefore, alkaline producing, right?  Wrong!   Sugar, fermentation and distillation yield an acidic forming product.  But, here’s the good news.  A contemporary cocktail such as an appletini or cosmopolitan, is made of anywhere from 1 to 2 oz of alcohol and the rest of the glass is filled with a mixer.  Sooooo, as I eyeball my juicer staring me in the face, I realize it is the key to rendering the cocktail course from one that is acid producing to an oh-so-good alkaline forming first course.  By juicing fresh whole parsley, celery, lemon, lime, cucumbers, avocado, tomatoes, apples, carrots, beets, lettuces, chili peppers and any other vegetable of your liking (not all together, of course) and adding good spices and herbs like cinnamon, mint, basil and red pepper flakes, you can turn an acid forming classical martini of gin and dry vermouth (fortified wines are even higher in acid forming qualities), or a contemporary one like a cosmopolitan into a powerhouse of alkalinity.  Just leave out the vermouth and bottled mixers and fill to the brim with liquid vegetables, freshly juiced including the fiber.  And there-in lies the reason why no one bought my juicer.  I do believe in serendipity. 

Eat Smart Mexican Martini (my favorite cocktail thus far)---Juice celery stalks with leaves, cucumbers and lime zest.  Add the juice of one lime.  Chill a martini glass and pour in 1 1/4 ounce of Tequila.  Fill to brim with juice.  If you like a salted rim, coarse ground sea salt will do the trick.

EAT SMART, America!

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB

EAT SMART, AMERICA, AN ANTI-AGING DIET PRIMER  $ 2.99 is available now for Kindle on Amazon  and for Nook at Barnes & Noble

A Personal Day

Today I am taking a personal day, not a day off from the office as I suppose is the context for most people, but a day to reflect on the passing of someone who will always have a special place in my heart.  My nephew, Michael “Miggs” Daly passed away on October 10, 2010.  He died in his sleep, at 35, in his own bed, unexpectedly, from complications of diabetes.  Complications of diabetes---words that are more and more familiar to all of us as the diabetes epidemic spreads across America. 

Michael was diagnosed at the age of 8 with juvenile diabetes, also referred to as diabetes I.  Although the cause of juvenile diabetes may not be the same as adult onset diabetes more commonly referred to as diabetes II, the symptoms, management and outcome may be the same depending on severity.  However, there is one BIG difference between the two, that is---diabetes II is self-inflicted and, therefore, is 100% preventable.   We Americans inflict this on ourselves by gorging on soda, sweet tea, beef, pasta, bread, and baked goods, and feeding our addiction to added sugar and refined grains.  Eliminate these foods from the diet and we eliminate the words, complications of diabetes II. 

I think of Michael every day at least once, but with the approach of Fall, he is on my mind more so not only because  it was in the Fall that this tragedy occurred, but also, because of the upcoming annual event to take place this September 30 in his honor.  Michael’s Walk is his mother’s way of honoring her son’s battle and to help raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes  Research Foundation (JDRF).    The second annual walk and timed run begins at Harvey’s Beach in Old Saybrook, CT, Michael’s favorite place to be.   You can join Michael’s family and friends in the 5K memorial run/walk along the Connecticut shore or you can donate in his memory by going to 

Michael Daly 5k Memorial Run/Walk

Michael is remembered and loved by a great many people.  This letter, written by a special friend at the time of his passing, speaks for us all.

                                         

                                              Letter to Michael’s Family and Friends

When I was 5, I had a friend named Michael who saw my shyness and coaxed me to play with others with his easy smile and sweet words of encouragement.  We played at the beach in a town named Old Saybrook.  I felt safe. 

When I was 12, I had a friend named Michael, who saw my teenage insecurities.  He went out of his way to include me in his circle of friends with his easy smile and sweet words of encouragement.  We were friends at the beach in a town named Old Saybrook.  I felt safe.

When I was 18, I had a friend named Michael who visited me, frightened and alone in Boston, my first time far away from the beach in a town named Old Saybrook.  But he was there with his easy smile and sweet words of encouragement.  I felt safe.

When I was 25, married with kids of my own, I had a friend named Michael who gave me strength and made me laugh with his easy smile and sweet words of encouragement in a surgical suite in a hospital far away from the beach in a town named Old Saybrook.  I felt safe.

Now, I have only the memories of my friend, Michael, with his easy smile and sweet words of encouragement.  Alone, for the first time, I walked to the beach in a town named Old Saybrook where my world no longer felt safe.  But, with an easy smile and sweet words of encouragement, I prayed for Michael, that he did.    (Letter from Michael’s friend, Christi Moutinho Holmes on Michael’s passing)

My nephew, Michael Scott “Miggs” Daly passed away on October 10, 2010.  He was 35 when he died in his sleep from complications of diabetes.  He was uncle, brother, son, and nephew, but most of all, friend.  If friendships were wealth, then Michael’s legacy was worth a fortune.  To Michael, the richest man in town!

For the sake of the next generation, EAT SMART, America!

Chef AngelaB