Eat Simply, Eat Well - Live Well
Our friends tire of us talking about food all the time... but we can't help it. As we age, food becomes ever more important to us. And, as we search for new and interesting products, not only is it fun, but we learn so much from the people who make or grow the foods we sell — the historians and scientists who have spent their lives researching these wondrous foods and ingredients. And, all this data makes us ponder about the condition of the food chain and the healthiness of the ingredients we eat.
The Chinese have used all types of ingestible ingredients to help promote long term, long lasting health. Not looking for a quick solution to a lifelong issue, and using history as a guide, they have a long list of foods that help with a plethora of ailments. Not just for when things have gone wrong, which is how we tend to view medicine of any kind, but as a way to make us healthy now and continue to be healthy into our old age. To eat food to stimulate the system, and to soothe as well.
This is our first stab at making a list of our favorite foods that we have started eating regularly and in earnest over the last ten years. Not because they are good for you, but because they taste good and add so much to our daily lives — even if it is only for a moment in any given day. These are the "additives" to our diet, pure and simple and easy to use -- once you have them hanging around with you in the kitchen.
The part that we can't seem to let go of (and which drives our friends crazy) is that any food, no matter what it is, impacts your body — whether it be today or tomorrow. What you eat today, you may indeed "pay-for-it" down the road. Eat Simply, Eat Well, Live Well.
Who would have known that there are so many really good things for you that are fun and delicious to eat too...
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| 1) |
 Okay, so we all know that it's good for you... Olive Oil. Any of ours are good for you because they have been pressed within the last year... But, don't be fooled. Cheap olive oil can be old, "watered down" with other lesser quality oils, or not even olive oil at all. Though it may not matter, some oils come from other countries than what's on the label. Look for "made in" and DO designation on the label — and not just "bottled in" or "product of". Perhaps the easiest oil to have on hand, quality olive oil can transform dishes from "normal" to "special". Think bread, fleur de sel and the perfect olive oil, like Rock Hill Ranch, to add spice, olive flavor, and character to a wonderful fall day. Perfection!
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| 2) |
 Small as they may be, Sesame seeds contain an abundance of nutrients: protein, minerals like calcium, and polyunsaturated oils. They nourish the lungs, improve blood circulation and increase energy. White sesame seeds are more often used as food garnish, while black sesame seeds are used as medicine for the liver and kidneys, and to darken prematurely grey hair. Sesame seeds, drop them in any dish... early or late... they look good and are good for you!
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| 3) |
 Rice bran oil is really good for you and fun to use... Okay, so truth be known, I can't help but use butter when I fry 'cause it adds so much and tastes so good. But I use less butter now and a lot more rice bran oil. It is good and, if you must, as I do, make fried foods, then this is the way to go... Add duck fat for truly great french fries, or have rice bran oil sitting on your stove (it doesn't mind the heat) at the ready. It is so simple and easy.
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| 4) |
 Freeze dried Wasabi capsules. Well, it is like a miracle in a pill. All the health benefits of fresh wasabi in a pill. It might work for you or it might not. For those that it does work, it is worth it! Our son has controlled his asthma, his eczema, and his allergies with a little wasabi. The Wasabi roots, rhizome, petioles, and leaf, all freeze dried together.
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| 5) |
 Fresh organic garlic contains compounds that fortify the bodies immune system, fight against common colds, coughs and other kind of respiratory ailments, and heal an ailing heart. In most Chinese cooking, garlic is quintessentially a flavor enhancer. New this week: Bailey Roc Organic Garlic from Anselmo's farm.
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Reed Avocados: In case you forgot, there are at least 10 good reasons to eat at least one avocado every day. Claims and scientific proof aside, is there really truth when it comes to food? Whether or not any of these claims are true, Reed Avocados are one of those things where the joy of eating one makes the health a sidebar to eating well!
- Helps Prevent Prostate Cancer
- Helps Defend Against Oral Cancer: Seeking out pre-cancerous and cancerous oral cancer cells
- Helps Prevent Breast Cancer: High in oleic acid
- Helps Maintain Eye Health As We Age: High in carotenoid lutein
- Helps Lower Cholesterol: High in beta-sitosterol
- Helps Your Heart Stay Healthy: 23% of the recommended daily value of folate.
- Helps Prevent Stroke: The high levels of folate
- Improves Fat-Based Nutrient Absorption: Especially lycopene and beta carotene
- Great Source of Glutathione: An important antioxidant which helps prevent aging, cancer, and heart disease.
- A Rich Source of Vitamin E: One of the best fruit sources of vitamin E
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| 7) |
 Oats for breakfast. I have said it before, and I will say it again; when Graham Kerr came to visit the biggest impression he made on me (besides him being one of the nicest people I have ever met) was that he had oatmeal every morning to be and stay healthy. I do it now. I try every morning to have a small bowl of oatmeal, and it does make me feel better, almost like a drug. And, when I don't have my oatmeal, I miss it. Oatmeal is high in fiber - including the soluble form of fiber which can help lower cholesterol. It also has plenty of slow-digesting, complex carbohydrates that keep your energy levels up and your blood sugar stable until lunch.
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| 8) |
 Beans: Canned, dried or re-fried, it doesn't matter, beans are good for you. Like oatmeal, beans are extremely high in fiber, which keeps you regular and may also reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease. Beans are also very versatile and come in a wide range of varieties, all with slightly different textures and flavors. The best approach is to eat a variety of different beans, including black beans, pintos, kidney beans, cannellini beans and Garbanzos (chickpeas). Why? Because along with protein and fiber, beans are also very high in antioxidants, the chemicals which give beans their distinctive color and may help neutralize free radicals that can cause cellular damage in the body. By eating plenty of different colored beans, you are taking advantage of the full spectrum of phytochemicals unique to each variety. Beans are very versatile and can be added into all kinds of recipes. Including them alongside grain-based foods (like pasta) or rice results in a complete protein. Beans can be added to pasta dishes, rices, soups and even made into salads.
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| 9) |
 Little fish, big fish... There is no way around it, fish is good for you. Anchovies, Sardines and Salmon — their good qualities far outweigh any possible bad ones. Don't think of an anchovy sandwich, or sardine soup — think of those little guys as a great flavor enhancer. Chopped fine, pured, and added to a salad or on pasta with capers and a touch of Meyer lemon olive oil.
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| 10) |
 An apple a day, or a vinegar a day, has kept the doctor at bay for centuries, or so they claim. Vinegar is so versatile - and so much better than wine when cooking... But, make sure you get vinegar that is still alive! Guiseppe's vinegars are very special and even have the "mother" floating around in the bottle — that's a good thing! Deglaze a pan, add to meats to enhance the flavor, or to make a gravy. Research, studies and more have shown Apple Cider Vinegar may have amazing health benefits and helps the body with a wide range of aches and pains, along with many common ailments. Whether it is Gravenstein's Apple Cider Vinegar, or any of the vinegars we have, a splash of it here or there creates magic in the kitchen!
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Inside of the amazing pluot
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Most people have never heard of a Pluot. We didn't know too much about them either — until we went to visit the Stennes Family a few weeks back. Developed in the 1990's, they are a great combination of usually about 3/4 plum and 1/4 apricot. Much like a plum, but with great apricot overtones, they are worth trying if you have never had one before. Flavorful, juicy and sweet. The Dapple Dandy Pluots are sold out — but it is not too late to order some Flavorich or Flavor Grenades - both of which are scheduled to ship next week.
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| Though we only met once for a moment one afternoon at ChefShop.com's retail store in Seattle, it surely felt like we knew her for so long because of her cookbooks. By chance and by good fortune, Sheila Lukins graced us with a moment of her time during a very busy book tour. She sat at our counter and shared a little of her life with us. It seemed to me that The Silver Palate Cookbook, published in 1982, was the cookbook of my age - setting the standard for flavor and style as we learned how to cook for ourselves. Selling 250,000 copies in it's first year, it broke all cookbook sales records and has sold over 2.5 million since! She replaced Julia Child as the food editor at Parade Magazine, where she wrote a monthly column. It was an interesting and enjoyable moment in time as we talked about a wide range of topics - all centered around cooking, her travels, and her food knowledge which she so easily shared. Thank you, Sheila Lukins, for your sharing of your palate - a Silver Palate, indeed! |
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Plouts are just coming into season here in the Pacific Northwest, as are all the other wonderful stone fruits, like Peaches, Nectarines and Plums. Pluots have many of the color and flavor characteristics of plums, combined with the sweetness and texture of apricots. Most plouts are 3/4 plum and 1/4 apricot — so that's no surprise. Although there are few recipes out there that specifically call for pluots — you can use them in any recipe that calls for plums, or even nectarines. And they make a great pairing with berries of all kinds. Since pluot flesh comes in all sorts of different colors depending on the variety, I try to pick a berry with a contrasting color if I can.
This weeks recipes are all adapted from Alice Water's cookbook, "Chez Panisse Fruit" (Harper Collins, 2002) - one of our staple go-to cookbooks when we want to do something interesting, simple and easy with our fresh fruit of the season. Her recipes are always easy to make, and simply delicious!
Pistachio-Stuffed Pluots
Pluot Raspberry Crisp
Pluot Tart
Pluot Sorbet
Pluot Melba with Raspberry Coulis
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