 
Here’s a healthy recipe from the folks at O Olive Oil in San Rafael, California. If you’re interested in tasting some of California’s finest gourmet delicacies, the products of O Olive Oil will help you make a wonderful start. The company’s premium products have won numerous awards and been widely praised in national media. Rest assured that this company operates sustainably. Founder Greg Hinson is also an environmental consultant with a background in reforestation, botanical gardening, and native food sources.
Ingredients for 4 Servings
• 1 Tablespoon currants
• 2 Tablespoons Cassis Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Champagne Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons Ruby Grapefruit Olive Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ½ Pound day-old bread, cut into large chunks
• 1 Tablespoon toasted pine nuts
• 4 Scallions, thinly sliced cross-wise
• 3 Coves garlic, slivered
• 4 Cups baby arugula (lightly packed)
Preparation
1. Pre-heat oven to 450. In a small bowl soak currants in Cassis Vinegar and Champagne Vinegar until plump. Drain and reserve the vinegars. In the same bowl combine the vinegars with the Ruby Grapefruit Olive Oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a rimmed baking sheet, toss bread chunks with 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil. Bake until lightly toasted. Let cool, then tear the bread into bite-sized pieces. In a medium bowl toss the bread with three quarters of the dressing and let marinade for 30 minutes.
3. In a small skillet, heat the remaining extra virgin olive oil. Add scallions and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 2 minutes; transfer to large bowl. Add the currants, bread, pine nuts, and the remaining Cassis vinaigrette and toss well.
4. Spoon the bread salad into a shallow 1-quart baking dish. Cover loosely with foil and bake for about 15 minutes, or until heated through. Uncover and bake for a few more minutes to dry out the top and brown the bottom. Transfer bread salad to a serving platter, toss with the arugula and serve at once.
To purchase an amazing vinegar made from Napa Valley Chardonnay & Pinot Noir grapes go to: O Cassis Vinegar
If you’d like to purchase a universally praised grapefruit oil go to: O Ruby Grapefruit Olive Oil
In the United States, one out of six children in small towns and big cities lives in a food insecure household, which means they do not always know where they will find their next meal. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 12 million children in the United States live in this condition – unable to consistently access nutritious and adequate amounts of food necessary for a healthy life.
That’s enough children to fill every seat in all of the professional league football, baseball, basketball and hockey stadiums and every Division One NCAA basketball stadium across the country at the same time.
The extent of child hunger has been examined by state in a new study by America’s Second Harvest—The Nation’s Food Bank Network. In 12 states – nearly one quarter of the country – more than 20% of the children live in households without consistent access to food.
“Next time you’re in a classroom, look around and think about what this means in these states with particularly high numbers,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of America’s Second Harvest. “In some states this means four or five students in a classroom of 20 kids do not consistently get the nourishment they need to grow and thrive.”
Researcher John Cook, Ph.D., of the Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, a nationally-recognized expert on child hunger, conducted the analysis.
The states with the highest rates of child food insecurity are Texas and New Mexico, where more than 24% of all children are at risk of hunger. The other states with child hunger rates above 20% are: California, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah. Washington, D.C. also has a child food insecurity rate above 20%.
America's Second Harvest is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through its network of more than 200 member food banks, the organization annually provides assistance to more than 25 million people in need, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Each year, America's Second Harvest secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of food and grocery products to support feeding programs at approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes.
To learn more about the organization's critical work and find out how you can help go to: America's Second Harvest — The Nation's Food Bank Network
Alaskan King Salmon (© Photographer: Natalia Bratslavsky | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
This Wild-Caught Alaskan Salmon recipe is the creation of Terese Allen of Organic Valley Family of Farms. Organic Valley is a farmer-owned coop that believes, “The earth's most delicious, most healthful foods are made when farmers work in harmony with nature.” The organization started with 7 farmers forming an organic cooperative in 1988. Today, more than 1,100 family farms are members.
What could be better than combining Alaskan Wild Salmon with Organic Valley’s premium organic products? Here’s what author Terese Allen has to say about her recipe:
“A whole salmon fillet is a thing of beauty, especially as it bathes in a brilliant, vitamin-rich marinade of orange juice and pineapple puree. The marinade becomes a sauce when it’s reduced and then finished with Organic Valley butter to soften and smooth it. For a garnish that echoes the vibrancy of the dish, sprinkle the baked fish with pomegranate seeds and surround it with fresh herb sprigs. The marinade/sauce can also be used with whole striped bass or halibut steaks.”
Ingredients for 6 Servings
• 1 Whole Wild Alaskan Salmon Fillet (2 pounds)
• 1 ½ Cups Organic Valley Orange Juice
• 1 ½ Cups Fresh Pineapple Chunks, Liquefied in a Blender
• 3-4 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Shallots
• Finely Grated Peel of 1 Lemon
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Organic Valley Butter, Cut into Pieces
• Salt & Pepper
For Garnish:
• Pomegranate Seeds (if available)
• Fresh Sprigs of Lemon Thyme, Rosemary, or Parsley
Preparation (about 20 minutes)
1. Place fish fillet in large glass or ceramic baking dish. Combine orange juice, pineapple puree, shallots, and lemon peel. Pour over fish, rubbing it lightly into the flesh all over. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours, turning the fish in the marinade occasionally. Remove from refrigerator a half hour before baking.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Drain marinade into a saucepan. Use paper towels to dry the fish off. Brush olive oil over entire surface of fish. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until flesh looks nearly opaque when you check inside it with a fork, 15-25 minutes. Meanwhile, bring marinade to a strong simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced by half. Just before serving, stir in the butter. The sauce may be strained or left as is.
3. To serve, carefully transfer fillet to a large platter. Spoon some of the sauce over the fish and garnish it pomegranate seeds and herb sprigs. Transfer remaining sauce to a bowl and serve it with the fish.
Serving Suggestion: Give a slight kick to the sauce by adding a touch of cayenne pepper.
Copyright by Terese Allen for Organic Valley Family of Farms ©
To visit the web site of the farmers' coop go to: Organic Valley Family of Farms
To order a world class olive oil and our favorite go to: L'Autunno Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Winery on Long Island (© Photographer: Jimmy Lopes | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
"Perfect weather for grapes -- and lots of it -- has produced the best crop the Long Island wine region has seen in years." That's how Mark Harrington of Newsday decribes the reports he's getting from Long Island vintners across the board.
Of course, winegrowers are known for their hyperbole when it comes to lauding their products, but this year's praise seems to cover the full range of the region's varietals. In past year's there have been promising seasons that were disrupted by flooding, drought, or cool weather arriving early. In 2007, conditions have been near perfect.
We've enjoyed tours of wine country on the North Fork of Long Island's East End. We were there when the fall leaves were changing on a sunny day; just gorgeous. The red varietals for tasting included merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec, petit verdot, syrah, and pinot noir. If it's white wine that suits your taste, you can sip pinot blanc, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling, semillon, pinot gris, and Gewurztraminer.
If you'd like to read the Newsday article cited above go to: LI wineries say harvest is best in years
For plenty more info on Long Island Wine Country go to: The Long Island Wine Council
 
Milk, Dark & White Chocolate (photos by Rick Tango)
According to a Reuters report posted on Yahoo! News, "The chocolate enjoyed around the world today had its origins at least 3,100 years ago in Central America not as the sweet treat people now crave but as a celebratory beer-like beverage and status symbol."
Researchers have discovered evidence of the cacao plant in pottery vessels dating from about 1100 BC in Puerto Escondido, Honduras. The cacao plant is the source of chocolate. The discovery predates by 500 years prior evidence of cacao use in Mesoamerica. Cacao was an important luxury commodity among the Aztecs and other civilizations before the arrival of Europeans.
We're guessing that chocolate lovers will be around for at least another 3,000 years!
If you'd like to read the Reuters report cited above go to: Chocolate began as beer-like brew 3,100 years ago
If you’d like to try fantastic chocolate from Theo, our favorite chocolate maker, click on any of the following:
Theo Organic Chocolate Confections
Organic Chocolate from Ghana's Cacao
Organic Chocolate from the Ivory Coast's Cacao
Organic Bread & Chocolate Bars
If you'd like to try a handmade chocolate cheesecake so rich it's almost sinful go to: Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
If you'd like to try a wonderful Tex-Mex recipe calling for chocolate go to: Mole Sauce
  
Wild Blueberry Jam, American Black Walnuts & Native Pecans, Wild Blueberry Syrup (photos by Rick Tango)
Eating well for better health is widely understood, but now some foods hailed for keeping your heart healthy could also make you smarter. According to a new study, diets rich in antioxidants may actually reverse age-related declines in cognitive behavior.
“Diets containing 2%, 6%, or 9% walnuts, when given to old rats, were found to reverse several parameters of brain aging, as well as age-related motor and cognitive deficits,” says James Joseph, PhD, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University in Boston.
Findings from the studies by Dr. Joseph and his colleague Barbara Shukitt-Hale, PhD, show for the first time that shorter chain fatty acids found in plants, such as walnuts, may have beneficial effects for the brain similar to those from long chain fatty acids found in wild salmon and other deep, cold-water fish.
In previous research, Joseph and his colleagues showed that old rats maintained for two months on diets containing 2% high antioxidant strawberry or blueberry extracts exhibited reversals of age-related deficits in cognitive behavior. In the brain, antioxidant molecules wage war against molecules known as free radicals, which can harm brain cells. The present research shows that walnuts can have a similar effect.
Some of the most powerful antioxidants are highly concentrated in the deep-blue pigments of wild blueberries. USDA studies measured the antioxidant activity of more than 40 fruits and vegetables and ranked blueberries #1. Wild blueberries contain more antioxidants than their cultivated cousins.
To read the press release from the Society for Neuroscience on the topic go to: Diet of Walnuts, Blueberries Found to Improve Cognition
If you’d like to get smart with a purchase of jam crafted in small, hand-made batches of organically grown berries go to: Maine's Wild Blueberry Jam
If better thinking through baking & cooking with walnuts sounds right go to: Bakers Bounty! Fancy Large Premium Black Walnuts & Native Pecan Halves
To purchase a mind ehancing, smooth pouring, heavenly tasting syrup go to: Wild Blueberry Syrup
If a purchase of wild salmon sounds like a good route to great thinking go to: Alaskan Smoked Wild Sockeye Salmon
Holiday Turkey (© Photographer: Paul Cowan | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
Does everyone enjoy having leftover Thanksgiving turkey as much as we do? There are the sandwiches in the days that follow, but we thought we’d pass on a more imaginative and very healthy use of your cooked bird from Roger Corder’s book, “The Red Wine Diet, Drink wine everyday and live a long and healthy life" (Penguin Group USA).
In the book Professor Corder writes, “This main course salad is a lovely mixture of colors, flavors and textures…The combination of beans, cranberries, and walnuts puts some protective polyphenols on your plate. Bell pepper, cucumber, and red onion give you a generous serving of vegetables. The salad is a good source of vitamin C, folate, and B-group vitamins, along with selenium, zinc and iron.” All that, and a single serving delivers plenty of protein and only about 500 calories.
Ingredients for 4 Servings
• 1 Cup adzuki beans or black beans, soaked overnight
• ½ Cup brown rice
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Teaspoons white wine vinegar
• ½ Teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 Large green bell pepper, chopped
• ½ Cucumber, chopped
• 1 Red onion, finely chopped
• ½ Cup dried cranberries
• ½ Cup roughly chopped walnuts
• 7 Ounces cooked turkey
• Salt & freshly ground pepper
Preparation
1. Drain the soaked beans, place in saucepan, cover with cold water-do not add salt-and bring to boil for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 to 50 minutes, until tender. Drain well.
2. Cook the rice in a saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 25 to 35 minutes, or until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.
3. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir the dressing into the beans while they are still warm.
4. When the mixture has cooled, stir in remaining ingredients. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves.
Reprinted with the kind permission of Penguin Group USA ©.
If you’d like to purchase Roger Corder’s groundbreaking book go to: The Red Wine Diet, Drink wine everyday and live a long and healthy life
To order a world class olive oil and our favorite go to: L'Autunno Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
To purchase a truly unique white wine vinegar go to: Pear Chardonnay Vinegar
The Royal Treatment™ Facial Cream (image courtesy of BeeCeuticals Organics)
Some green entrepreneurs are new to the world of sustainable living, but for others an eco-friendly endeavor is part of a lifelong commitment to better health and a better world.
Take Julie and Richie Gerber, founders of BeeCeuticals Organics, who have been involved with health and wellness since they first met over 30 years ago. Together, they saw the desire for natural foods evolve from the fringes of society in the early 1970s to the widely popular movement it is today. Now the couple has created BeeCeuticals to offer body care products that are naturally healthy, biodegradable, sustainable, and cruelty free.
In the 1970s Julie was a yoga teacher and Richie a vegetarian jazz sax player. They moved to Maine, started an organic farm, built their own energy efficient home, taught T’ai Chi Ch’uan and vegetarian cooking classes, while also teaching in the local schools. Their veggie diet seems to provide them with an awful lot of energy!
After several years, the two licensed nutritionists moved to Florida and opened a small neighborhood health food store. They shared their knowledge with customers, held educational events, gave cooking classes, wrote wellness newsletters, ran a restaurant, and more. For 10 years Richie hosted the Natural Grocer Radio Show, a pioneer in South Florida talk-radio. They managed all that while raising their son, Isaac. He's now the website designer and webmaster for the family business.
Julie and Richie have created a very special body care line for BeeCeuticals Organics. They select only the highest quality ingredients for their products, using certified organic botanicals, extracts, oils and butters, and of course, therapeutical bee products. Each product contains their healing Organic Holistic Honey Blend™. They never use sodium laureth/lauryl sulfate, parabens or synthetic fragrances.
They strive to be as gentle on the environment as their products are on the body by offsetting 100% of their power usage with wind and solar power in partnership with Carbonfund.org.
If you’d like to learn more about Julie & Richie’s company and their line of healthy and eco-friendly body care products go to: BeeCeuticals Organics
Thank you Susan Tango!
Life can be tough, but every so often great news arrives. We heard some great news recently when we attended a presentation at New York’s French Culinary Institute. The presenter was Professor Roger Corder, who has authored, “The Red Wine Diet, Drink wine everyday and live a long and healthy life” (Penguin Group USA); a promising title.
The professor is a charming man who likes eating well and drinking good wine. He’s spent nearly a decade solving the mystery of the “French Paradox”: Why is it the French have a diet high in unhealthy fats, yet lower rates of heart disease than people with similar diets?
Here’s the great news: It’s because they drink two or three glasses of red wine everyday, protecting the body’s vascular system. And, as Sir William Osler put it in 1892, “A man is as old as his arteries.”
Not all red wines deliver equal benefits. Those who live in southwestern France, the Gers region specifically, reap the greatest benefits from daily imbibing. It seems the wines from Gers are particularly high in procyanidins, the component that Professor Corder’s research found to be the hero of vascular health. The presentation had more good news for us; procyanidins are also found in dark chocolate. His eating program features other procy-rich foods such as walnuts, berries, apples, and pomegranates.
We asked Professor Corder which wine-growing regions in America produced the best wines for protecting our health. He said that there are 3,000 registered winemakers in the U.S., and he hadn’t had time to visit them all. (We suggested he get on it.) He did say that wines grown in the State of Washington held great promise for a long and healthy life.
In the chapter of his book providing guidance for searchers of the heart healthiest wines he wrote, “Cabernet Sauvignon is the grape of choice for classic California reds, and it has given me the best results.” Pinto Noirs are also a very good choice. Among the wines he studied from the State of Washington he obtained the best results for heart health from a “Bordeaux-style blend from Matthews cellars: Red”.
The book offers many more selections of heart healthy wines from around the world and solid advice on judging any other wines you might come across. A sampling of Professor Corder’s recommendations convinced us that plenty of heart healthy wines have the richness and depth of flavor to please wine enthusiasts of all stripes.
Enjoying fine wine in moderation to preserve your health is pretty easy advice to take. You’ve probably guessed that binge drinking is out, but abstinence may be less healthy than two or three glasses of red wine a day. Professor Corder illustrated his findings with a quote from Paracelsus, the famed 16th-century physician who wrote, “Wine is a food, a medicine and a poison - it’s just a question of dose.”
The scientific research in the book is presented in clear language with enough humor to make it an entertaining read. We’ve made it part of our library, and expect to be referring to it for many years to come.
Professor Corder’s conclusion at the end of his presentation, “Drinking procy-rich wines in moderation and eating dark chocolate could help you live a longer healthier life.”
Some days the news just doesn’t get any better.
If you’d like to purchase Roger Corder’s groundbreaking book go to: The Red Wine Diet, Drink wine everyday and live a long and healthy life
 
(Images courtesy of American Farmland Trust)
We join our friends at the American Farmland Trust in urging everyone to make their voices heard on the 2007 Farm Bill. Farm bill progress in the Senate is completely stalled. It's imperative a farm bill is passed this year. America's farmers and ranchers deserve a better farm bill, and the progress they've made should not be erased.
The Senate Agriculture Committee needs to hear from you.
Please call both your Senators as soon as you can and tell them to support Dorgan-Grassley. The Dorgan-Grassley amendment will provide more equitable farm aid to small- and medium-scale family farmers. In addition, money saved can be used for important programs to conserve healthy soil and fresh water, fund beginning farmer programs, and undertake organic research.
You can get more information and find your Senators' phone numbers at: American Farmland Trust
Thanks for supporting family farmers and doing your part to create a sustainable future!
Avocado Tree (© Photographer: Stuart Taylor | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
Vegetarian cooking is not just for vegetarians. We can all benefit from adding more vegetarian cooking to our diets and cutting down on processed meats. There are plenty of delicious vegetarian dishes we can enjoy. Below is a delightful dessert recipe we got from the California Avocado Commission. Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds that can contribute to the nutrient quality of your diet. They are sodium- and cholesterol-free and have only 5 grams of fat per serving, most of it the monounsaturated kind. Avocados were once a luxury food reserved for the tables of royalty, but now California avocados are enjoyed around the world by people from all walks of life.
Ingredients
• 2 California avocados, seeded, peeled and mashed
• 1 Can sweetened condensed milk
• ½ Cup lemon juice
• 2 Cups heavy cream
• *Raspberry Sauce
• 10 Ounce package of frozen raspberries
• ½ Cup currant jelly
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 1 ½ Teaspoon cornstarch
Preparation
1. Blend avocados, milk and lemon juice in blender until smooth.
2. Whip 1 cup heavy cream; fold avocado mixture into whipped cream.
3. Spoon mixture into 4 cup serving dish; refrigerate 3 to 5 hours.
4. Prepare Raspberry Sauce.
5. Just before serving, whip remaining 1 cup heavy cream.
6. Spoon 1/2 cup whipped cream on each plate.
7. Spread into 5-inch circle with back of spoon.
8. Drizzle a thin line of Raspberry Sauce in a circle near the center.
9. Drizzle another thin line of Raspberry Sauce in circle 1 inch from outside edge of cream.
10. Using a knife, draw through whipped cream and Raspberry Sauce beginning at center and going to outside edge.
11. Spoon avocado mousse on side of whipped cream; serve with Raspberry Sauce.
*Raspberry Sauce Preparation
1. Thaw raspberries; heat with jelly to boiling.
2. Combine water and cornstarch; stir into raspberry mixture.
3. Heat to boiling; continue to boil and stir 1 minute.
4. Cool sauce.
5. Press through sieve to remove seeds before serving, if desired.
Copyright Courtesy of California Avocado Commission
To learn more about California avocados, their heath benefits & growing an avocado tree go to: California Avocado Commission
Cardiology Stethoscope (photo by Dean Jenkins, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Going on a high-fat diet to improve your health doesn’t sound like a good idea. Recent scientific evidence indicates that it is a terrible idea.
Citing research findings from the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, a Reuters article posted by Yahoo! News reports, “The high-fat Atkins diet can cause long-term damage to blood vessels, as well as some of the inflammation linked with heart and artery disease.”
Dr. Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, presented his findings to a meeting of the American Heart Association. Among the popular diets studied, Dr. Miller said the Atkins diet “is the worst.” Diets that achieve weight loss through low-fat regimens were found to be significantly healthier.
If followed, almost any diet will lead to rapid weight loss and a sharp drop in cholesterol, but maintaining those benefits over a long term poses a challenge. Unlike past studies, Dr. Miller’s looked at the results after people stopped losing weight on any of the diets and reached a weight plateau, or maintenance stage.
The Reuters article goes on to say,
Most studies have shown that diets that stress vegetables, low-fat sources of protein such as beans and legumes, and whole grains provide the best long-term weight loss. Many low-fat diets allow processed carbohydrates such as white flour, which have also been shown to be unhealthy, experts agree.
If you’d like to read the Reuters article cited above go to: High-fat Atkins diet damages blood vessels: study
To learn more about keeping heart healtthy through diet & nutrition click here: American Heart Association
An American Family Farm (photo by Rick Tango)
Educated consumers want to buy from companies that not only claim to be “green”, but honestly “mirror their socially conscious values.” That’s according an article in the advertising trade journal Brandweek. It’s a market trend we’re thrilled to hear about.
The Brandweek article is based on a study recently released by BBMG, New York, a marketing agency. The article further explains, “Chief among these values are health and safety, corporate honesty, eco-friendliness, promoting local producers, and convenience, all of which factor into a consumer’s consideration.”
At American Feast we try every day to live up to those values to the best of our ability. From the start, we’ve been determined to not only sell great-tasting food, but to furnish visitors to our site with the best information we can find on sustainability and healthful choices.
We’ve published numerous items extolling the virtues of purchasing from local farmers markets and given volunteer time in support. (We shop at them too, but that's just great fun!) We report on efforts by folks across the country who are working for a healthier environment and a better world. We strive to be open about all our company practices because we’re proud of the way we conduct our business. As for convenience, we may be a small company, but we’re dedicated to being a giant when it comes to the level of customer service we provide.
If you’d like to read the Brandweek article cited above go to: Research Finds Consumers Looking Beyond the 'Greenwashing'
Sweet Potatoes (photo by June.C.Oka, courtesy of morguefle.com)
Our good friend Evelyn Kimber of the Boston Vegetarian Society and the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival helped us get permission to pass this wonderful stew recipe on to you. This year the Festival took place on Saturday, October 20th. If you missed it, try and get there next year, it’s a lot of healthy fun for the whole family and definitely worth the trip. This recipe was taught at the Festival by Chef Cathi di Cocco, Owner of Café di Cocoa.
“Café Di Cocoa-Food for the Soul” opened in Bethel, Maine in 1996. It’s a charming 28-seat vegetarian restaurant located on Main Street in a Victorian farmhouse. Since then they’ve added a retail Market and Bakery located next door. Chef/Owner Cathi di Cocco feeds & educates crowds of people through her in-house cooking classes, food tasting, community soup kitchen and Summer Cooking Camp for Kids. The web site is under construction. Plans for a cooking school & educational center are in the works. Vegetarian eating must be providing Chef Cathi with plenty of energy!
Ingredients for 8 Quarts
• 3 Large onions, sliced
• 4 Tablespoons, chopped garlic
• 10 Pounds sweet potatoes, peeled & diced 1”
• ¼ Cup vegetable oil
• 1 Gallon water or mild veggie stock
• 4 Kefir lime leaves (or zest of 2 limes)
• 4 Red peppers, cut into bite sized strips
• 8 Cups zucchini cubes (or veggies of choice)
• 1 Pound extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into cubes
• 2-3 Tablesoons Thai curry paste (Maesri brand, “Chu Chee”)
• ½ Cup organic evaporated cane juice
• 4 Tablespoons grated ginger root
• 4 Tablespoons chopped lemon grass (frozen is fine!)
• 3 14-Ounce cans coconut milk (or 1 can plus 1 bar dried coconut)
• ½ Cup natural peanut butter
• 1 Bunch cilantro, cleaned & stemmed
Preparation
1. Over medium heat in large heavy-bottomed stockpot.
2. Saute onions and garlic in oil for about 5-8 minutes or until tender but not colored.
3. Add sweet potatoes and continue to cook for 15 minutes.
4. Add water or stock and lime leaves.
5. Bring to boil; simmer 20 minutes.
6. Place peanut butter and chili paste in medium sized bowl and add 1 ladle of “broth”.
7. Stir to melt and return to soup pot.
8. Add red pepper strips, cubed veggies, tofu, sugar, ginger, lemongrass, and coconut milk.
9. Simmer until all veggies are tender-about 15 min.
10. Ready to serve as is or if you prefer a thicker stew, simply ladle a few cups of the stew chunks into a blender with a small amount of broth and carefully puree till smooth.
11. Hot liquids expand when blended! Stir back into the pot.
12. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Submitted by Cathi DiCocco, Chef/Owner of Café DiCocoa in Bethel, Maine.
To make a reservation to dine at Café DiCocoa & try more of Chef Cathi’s delicious creations give a call to: (207) 824-5282
To get more info on the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival and learn more about the sponsoring organization go to: Boston Vegetarian Society
Healthy Weight Loss (© Photographer: Sandra Gligorijevic | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
Being 25 pounds overweight will not increase your risk of dying from heart disease or cancer according to a recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
An Associated Press report posted by Yahoo! News quotes the study's lead author, Katherine Flegal of the CDC as saying, "Excess weight does not uniformly increase the risk of mortality from any and every cause, but only from certain causes."
Researchers were surprised to find that having a little extra weight actually seemed to help people survive some illnesses. That finding is disputed by many health experts, but the study’s results were embraced by those who believe it possible to be fat and fit.
Carrying 39 extra pounds does increase the risk of dying from diabetes and kidney disease. Obesity “raised the risk of death from heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease, and several cancers previously linked with excess weight, including breast, colon and pancreatic cancer,” according to the AP report.
If you’d like to read the AP report as it appeared on Yahoo! News go to: Extra weight won't raise death risk
If you’d like to purchase the entire CDC study go to: Journal of the American Medical Association
Smart & Stylish! (photo by Aileen, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Some 90% of people carry a version of the gene which leads to better scores on IQ tests for breastfeeding children. That’s the conclusion of researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, who used data from two previous studies involving over 3,000 children.
According to an article in BBC News, children with the right version of the gene tended to score seven points higher on IQ tests if they were breastfed, enough to put them in the top third of the class. In the article, Catherine Collins, a dietician at St. Georges Hospital in London and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, said the study highlighted the interaction between nutrition and genetics.
If you'd like to read the BBC News article cited above go to: Gene 'links breastfeeding to IQ'
To view a previous post on the topic go to: Organic Dairy & Meat Improves Mothers' Breast Milk
Turn It Off (© Photographer: Monika Wisniewska | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
Among medical professionals it is widely believed that television is a contributing factor to the obesity of adolescents. Sedentary viewing and snacking displace physical activity, making kids easy targets for advertisers selling unhealthy foods.
An article in the October 2007 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports the results of a study that found, “Food ads made up just over one quarter of TV ads viewed by adolescents with the most commonly viewed products of fast food, sweets, and beverage products well within the reach of their own purchasing power.”
The article’s authors, Lisa M. Powell, Glen Szczypka, and Frank J. Chaloupka, wrote, “Fast food was the most frequently viewed food product category comprising 23% of all food-related advertisements among adolescents.”
To view previous posts on this topic go to:
1. Food Giants Still Marketing Junk Food to Kids
2. Kellogg to Limit Selling Junk Food to Kids
3. Fast Food Chains Ready to Spend for Prime Time TV
4. Selling to Kids
Sappho and Alcaeus by Lawrence Alma-Tadema (oil on canvas, 1881, public domain image)
Looking for a pleasing apetif? Master mixologist and friend of American Feast, Gary Regan, has just provided us with a recipe for one from his friend Rafael Ballesteros, a native of Spain. Gary says, “It's presumably Rafael's salute to the ancient Greek poet who was reputably born on the island of Lesbos, circa 620 B.C. The formula for Sappho is fairly simple in nature, but the resultant drink is incredibly complex”.
Gary has a request, “If you try this one, please raise your glass to Rafael as you take your first sip. And if you have a sizable disposable income, you might want to consider throwing the glass against the wall after you drain it. Rafael would like that.”
Ingredients for 1 Drink
• Green Chartreuse, to Rinse Glass
• 2 1/2 Ounces Gin
• 1/2 Ounce Campari
• 1/4 Ounce Cointreau
• 1 Orange Twist, for Garnish
Preparation
1. Pour the Chartreuse into a chilled cocktail glass, and by tilting the glass and rotating it at the same time, coat the entire interior with the liqueur.
2. Discard the excess Chartreuse.
3. Fill a mixing glass two-thirds full of ice and add the gin, Campari and Cointreau.
4. Stir for approximately 30 seconds.
5. Strain into the prepared cocktail glass.
6. Add the garnish.
If you’d like to purchase the book on spirits & cocktails that Gary calls, “My Baby” go to: The Joy of Mixology: The Consummate Guide to the Bartender's Craft
If you’d like to purchase a terrific bartender’s guide authored by Gary's partner Mardee go to: The Bartender's Best Friend: A Complete Guide to Cocktails, Martinis, and Mixed Drinks
To visit Gary and Mardee’s wonderful web site and sign up for their very witty newsletter go to: Ardent Spirits
Grilled Brats (photo courtesy of Nueke's)
In exciting news from Reuters, a German historian has uncovered the world's oldest known recipe for bratwurst while doing research in an archive in the town of Weimar. Dated 1432, it is nearly 600 years old.
The bratwursts were made of beef and pork. According to the guidelines, sausage makers had to use only the purest, unspoiled meat. Not doing so meant facing a fine of 24 pfennigs, which was the equivalent of a day's wages. In Medieval Germany town markets had committees set up to act as quality control monitors.
Some believe Brat comes from an Old High German word (spoken between the 9th and 11th centuries) that means meat without waste. Wurst means sausage and probably comes from the word "wirren" that originally meant mixture.
When you cook sausage you are performing one of the oldest cooking techniques. The first recorded cookbook "Apicus Cookery" from approximately 228 A.D. has sausage recipes in it. Apicus lived in Rome. But who knows when and where this technique began.
The Reuters article quotes Historian Hubert Erzmann, 75, as saying, "The discovery shows that there were already consumer protection laws in the Middle Ages."
To read the Reuters article cited above go to: Historian finds oldest recipe for bratwurst
If this item has given you a hunger to purchase some prime bratwursts go to: Applewood Smoked Bratwurst
I f you'd like to purchase some delicious jalapeno relish to have with your brats go to : Texas Longhorn Bread & Butter Jalapeno Dip Mix
If you'd like to purchase a great mustard to slather on those brats go to: Stone Ground Mustard
Bar Tool Set (© Photographer: Veronika Trover | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
William Grimes of the New York Times has penned a very enjoyable read about the man who “established the image of the bartender as a creative professional.” The man was Jerry Thomas, and he reigned as the sporting king of all barmen in the latter half of the 19th century.
Much of Mr. Grimes' article draws from information contained in a new book about Thomas from author David Wondrich, “Imbibe!” (Perigee Books). Mr. Wondrich, is the drink correspondent for Esquire. The book's larger-than-llife subject had the itinerant career of many sporting men of the day. His travels led him to bars in New York, San Francisco, St. Louis, New Orleans, Chicago and Charleston, S.C. Thomas was so celebrated that while holding sway at the bar of the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco he was getting $100 a week; a higher salary than the vice president of the United States was being paid.
According to the article by Mr. Grimes,
As he wandered, he picked up on the latest developments in the art, inventing new cocktails and building a serious following for his particular blend of craftsmanship and showmanship, epitomized in his signature drink, the Blue Blazer, a pyrotechnic showpiece in which an arc of flame passed back and forth between two mixing glasses.
If you’d like to read the article in the New York Times cited above go to: The Bartender Who Started It All
Produce & Egg (photo by Mary Thorman, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Researchers from Great Britain's Newcastle University have found up to 40% more antioxidants in organic fruit and vegetables than in non-organic. The team of scientists raised fruit and vegetables, and reared cattle on adjacent organic and non-organic sites across Europe in a four-year study funded by a £12m European Union grant.
Professor Carlo Leifert, the Project Coordinator, said:
We have shown there are more of certain nutritionally desirable compounds and less of the baddies in organic foods, or improved amounts of the fatty acids you want and less of those you don't want...Our research is trying to find out where the difference between organic and conventional food comes from.
In the past, some researchers have speculated that pesticides might inhibit the production of nutrients in fruits and vegetables.
To read a report by BBC News on the topic go to: Study hails organic food benefits
To view previous posts on this topic go to:
1. Organic Food Offers Flavor, Nutrition, Safety & Sustainability
2. Organic Dairy & Meat Improves Mothers' Breast Milk
3. For a Healthy Heart: Organic Tomatoes
4. Old World Scientists Agree: Organic Is Healthier
5. Organic Is Better
Salt Shaker (photo by Michael Connors, courtesy of morguefile.com)
In an effort to save lives and reduce disability from stroke and heart disease, 17 of Canada’s leading health groups and professional associations have urged comprehensive action to reduce sodium levels in food.
“Increased blood pressure is the leading risk factor for death, causing most of the strokes and much of the heart disease our country faces,” says Dr. Norm Campbell of Blood Pressure Canada. “It is estimated that almost one in three Canadians who have hypertension would have normal blood pressure if there was less sodium in our food.”
To read the full press release on which this item was based go to: Reductions needed in the sodium added to foods
To view previous posts on this topc go to:
1. Cutting the Salt in Food Doesn't Increase Spoilage
2. Too Much Salt!
 
Kona Beans (photo courtesy of Kona Coffee Cultural Festival)
Aloha from Hawaii! This time the folks from the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival on Hawaii’s Big Island have given us a mouth-watering recipe for a heavenly rich entrée. It was one of the winners from the Festival’s Kona Recipe Contest. If anyone wants to invite us over to indulge in this Crusted Rack of Lamb we promise we'll be on time and bringing wine! A Pinot Noir from Oregon or a Cabernet from Napa Valley will pair beautifully with this entree.
Ingredients for 4 Servings
Lamb:
• 8-Bone Rack of Natural Lamb
Seasoning Mixture:
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Fine Ground Kona Coffee
• 1 Tablespoon Extra Fine Ground Red Sea Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Fried Garlic Chips
• 1 Tablespoon Mixed & Cracked Red, White, Green & Black Pepper
Glaze:
• 1 Stick of Butter
• 1 Cup of Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Lemon for Juice
• 5 Ounces Kaluha
Macadamia Crust Mixture:
• 1 Cup Fine Ground, Toasted Macadamia Nuts
• 1 Tablespoon Seasoning Mixture (see above)
Preparation
1. Combine all the Seasoning Mixture ingredients and mix well.
2. Dissolve butter, brown sugar, and lemon juice in sauce pot.
3. When sugar is dissolved and caramel consistency is evident, add in the Kaluha.
4. Incorporate the Kaluha into the caramel to thin the sauce to a Glaze.
5. Separately combine the toasted Macadamia nuts and 1 tablespoon of the Seasoning Mixture to make the Macadamia Crust Mixture.
6. Clean and trim rack of lamb; then rub with Seasoning Mixture.
7. Brush on the Glaze and grill until medium rare or desired temperature.
8. Glaze should be brushed on continuously during grilling to get a nice caramel finish.
9. When cooked to desired temperature remove from grill and let sit for a couple of minutes.
10. Then brush with Glaze one more time and roll the lamb in the Macadamia Crust Mixture until evenly coated.
11. Cut into 8 chops.
12. Pour a little more Glaze over the lamb just before serving, or pour some of the glaze on the plate and place lamb chops on top of the Glaze.
To learn more about the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival held in November visit the Festival’s official web site: Kona Coffee Cultural Festival
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