In the very first episode of Bite-size Green TV, host Angelina Le Grix interviewed Laura Stec, chef and co-author of Cool Cuisine: Taking the Bite Out of Global Warming. Making a half-hour TV episode work as a webisode was challenging; but with some careful editing, the highlights of their discussion fit within the 5-minute limit recommended for web viewers. Included are some great tips for how to cook produce that's in season at the farmers' market in the winter.
Next webisode: chef Laura demonstrates how to bring out the true flavors of fresh, local vegetables.
Showing posts with label healthy food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy food. Show all posts
January 29, 2012
December 30, 2011
Healthy Food Books Giveaway
In preparation for the new year, we finally went through the cookbook shelves and picked a few that we just don't use anymore. All of them have worthwhile information; but these days we rely on the internet for recipes more than print books. And in our small home, every bit of space counts.
Rather just send the whole pile to the local Goodwill and hope they find good homes, I thought I'd offer them up to friends and other readers. First priority will go to anyone who responds quickly and can take an in-person handoff. After that, I'll use media mail to distribute; and what's left will be donated.
Over the coming weeks, I'll review/promote a few of my favorites. For today, here's the general list:
Rather just send the whole pile to the local Goodwill and hope they find good homes, I thought I'd offer them up to friends and other readers. First priority will go to anyone who responds quickly and can take an in-person handoff. After that, I'll use media mail to distribute; and what's left will be donated.
Over the coming weeks, I'll review/promote a few of my favorites. For today, here's the general list:
- Diet for a Small Planet, by Frances Moore Lappe (1975 ed)
- Recipes for a Small Planet, by Ellen Buchman Ewald (1973)
- Laurel's Kitchen, a Handbook for Vegetarian Cookery and Nutrition (1982)
- Crockpot Cooking (1975)
- Yeast Connection Handbook, by Wm Crook MD (1996) [about candida]
- Joyce Chen Cookbook (1976)
- Learn Chinese Cooking in Your Own Kitchen (1976)
- Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook (1998)
- Free to Eat, by Bronwyn Schweigerdt (2010)
- Great American Writers' Cookbook (1986)
October 27, 2011
Food Day Goals
Over the last few weeks, Occupy Wall Street has caused much bemusement, some irritation, and some admiration for its lack of a defined agenda. And for the last few decades, Earth Day has inspired a host of actions with no single to-do list driving it.
But Food Day?
If anyone asks, "What's this one about, now?" - the answer is clear and concise:
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But Food Day?
If anyone asks, "What's this one about, now?" - the answer is clear and concise:
December 31, 2009
Adventure Year
2009 was indeed a year of adventures in healthy eating, replete with marvelous meals, trips to a variety of farmers' markets, and meeting local chefs and farmers. Learning to move the stories from the page and onto video and TV became an adventure in its own right. Like all great adventures, the journey was never solitary, always grounded in and enriched by community.
May 2010 hold more adventures, with an equally fascinating cast of characters. And more pie.
May 2010 hold more adventures, with an equally fascinating cast of characters. And more pie.
November 28, 2008
Gluten Free Pumkin Pie
This year's Thanksgiving pumkin pie was ambitious for two reasons: using real local pumpkin for the filling, and making the crust gluten-free.
Of the two twists, the first was easier and more successful. I simply split the sugar pumpkin in half with a cleaver, gutted it with a knife and spoon, and turned the halves dome-side up in a baking pan with a half inch of water. Then I baked them til soft, and scooped out the brilliant orange flesh for mixing in the food processor with the usual ingredients.
The crust warranted a test run, and could have used two. The first try involved only two ingredients: gluten-free ginger snap cookies and butter. It came out a little too sweet and too oily; and the exposed edge burnt. Despite all that, it was pretty yummy. The second try cut some of the butter and added tapioca flour. It performed well as a crust, but didn't taste as complementary with the filling. On number 3 - and there's bound to be one - I think we'll just dial back the tapioca flour, and maybe add some crushed almonds.
September 25, 2008
Covering West Coast Green, Live
Live blogging at West Coast Green is an endurance event; and day one has gone well.
We started the day with a good breakfast - baked yams, and black tea. Lunch was tuna with tortilla chips, gluten-free cornbread with cheese, and a nectarine. At the conference, we carried Clif Bars and Mojos just in case, and re-usable water bottles. Bananas and Dagoba chocolate kindly set out to share in the press room held me over til dinner; but my blood sugar did dip by 6:30 pm when the last sessions wound down and the tradeshow floor closed.
For dinner, we restored ourselves at McCormick and Schmicks, a few blocks walk from the San Jose Conference Center. Lots of fresh fish well-prepared, with plenty of veggies. Skipping dessert would have been a good idea; but we were celebrating a fabulous day.
West Coast Green, while billed as a green building event, is really more about sustainable development overall than simply the construction aspect. The imperative of a healthy food system is by no means ignored by the designers, policy makers and other professionals, and activists. When we've consumed as much of this amazing buffet as we can, there will be lots to digest for months to come.
We started the day with a good breakfast - baked yams, and black tea. Lunch was tuna with tortilla chips, gluten-free cornbread with cheese, and a nectarine. At the conference, we carried Clif Bars and Mojos just in case, and re-usable water bottles. Bananas and Dagoba chocolate kindly set out to share in the press room held me over til dinner; but my blood sugar did dip by 6:30 pm when the last sessions wound down and the tradeshow floor closed.
For dinner, we restored ourselves at McCormick and Schmicks, a few blocks walk from the San Jose Conference Center. Lots of fresh fish well-prepared, with plenty of veggies. Skipping dessert would have been a good idea; but we were celebrating a fabulous day.
West Coast Green, while billed as a green building event, is really more about sustainable development overall than simply the construction aspect. The imperative of a healthy food system is by no means ignored by the designers, policy makers and other professionals, and activists. When we've consumed as much of this amazing buffet as we can, there will be lots to digest for months to come.
July 8, 2008
Diet Pepsi vs. Iced Tea
I love iced tea; but for years my diet Pepsi addiction has caused me to neglect it. I drove my frugal self to Costco to buy the 36-packs, only to find that the more I had on hand the more I would consume. And every time I went out to lunch and ordered iced tea, I felt so well indulged. But at home and work I grabbed that aluminum can instead of brewing a pitcher.
This summer I decided to reverse that trend. Why?
First, it's a little embarrassing to be seen with a can of soda always in hand when everyone knows that healthy food is your passion. They see the contradiction right off. And what can I say, except nobody's perfect ? (and I never did aspire to be Greener than Thou, thank Gosh)
More importantly, I had an niggling fear about the long term effects on my health. The phosphoric acid in colas is hard on the body's calcium supply; and with osteoporosis in my family, I need to take calcium, not give it away. Also, what about drinking from aluminum everyday? Don't those cans get heated in the trucks, just like the cookware we don't use anymore for fear of Alzheimer's? I can't find a credible answer on that issue; but I love my brain and want it work well even after my teeth are nubs and my bones are brittle.
So I did what I often prescribe to others who would go green - made it easier to do the right thing than the wrong thing. I stopped stocking sodas at home or work, and started making iced tea in the morning, to drink with lunch and an afternoon snack (I could make it later in the day, if I bring in some decaf bags). I have really enjoyed a tall, icy cup on demand; and the switch has also plugged a small leak in my wallet. (A couple bucks on tea bags will see me through a whole month.) Only once in the last month have I felt an overwhelming urge to find a vending machine and blow a dollar on 12 ounces of carbonated, flavored water. And you know what? It wasn't all that.
This summer I decided to reverse that trend. Why?
First, it's a little embarrassing to be seen with a can of soda always in hand when everyone knows that healthy food is your passion. They see the contradiction right off. And what can I say, except nobody's perfect ? (and I never did aspire to be Greener than Thou, thank Gosh)
More importantly, I had an niggling fear about the long term effects on my health. The phosphoric acid in colas is hard on the body's calcium supply; and with osteoporosis in my family, I need to take calcium, not give it away. Also, what about drinking from aluminum everyday? Don't those cans get heated in the trucks, just like the cookware we don't use anymore for fear of Alzheimer's? I can't find a credible answer on that issue; but I love my brain and want it work well even after my teeth are nubs and my bones are brittle.
So I did what I often prescribe to others who would go green - made it easier to do the right thing than the wrong thing. I stopped stocking sodas at home or work, and started making iced tea in the morning, to drink with lunch and an afternoon snack (I could make it later in the day, if I bring in some decaf bags). I have really enjoyed a tall, icy cup on demand; and the switch has also plugged a small leak in my wallet. (A couple bucks on tea bags will see me through a whole month.) Only once in the last month have I felt an overwhelming urge to find a vending machine and blow a dollar on 12 ounces of carbonated, flavored water. And you know what? It wasn't all that.
June 18, 2008
Celiac? We'll see
For years I've had experiences I just attributed to allergies, anemia, blood sugar . . .
Like most symptoms of celiac (a condition where the person lacks an enzyme to digest the protein of certain grains, called gluten), they are easy to write off as something else.
And then came Sunday, with its increasing raft of unpleasantness (all of the above). By late afternoon and after 3 serious servings of wheat (toast x2, waffles x2, and a pupusa), I could barely hold my head up and walk around the house, much less finish a coherent sentence. It really feels like being drugged, beaten up, and heckled. A lost evening, sleep with anti-inflammatories, and a difficult Monday morning at work, trying to keep enough focus to be productive. Right then I started figuring out what I could eat without gluten. And the rest of this week has been, if not perfect, really good.
So we'll see what the blood test says, what my doctor says, and where I go from here. High hopes!
Like most symptoms of celiac (a condition where the person lacks an enzyme to digest the protein of certain grains, called gluten), they are easy to write off as something else.
- Why do my hands sometimes feel like I have arthritis, when I show no other signs? Why does that soreness and stiffness come and go?
- Why do I feel fine til bed some evenings; and other evenings feel overwhelming tired, sluggish, achy, irritable and like I can't think?
- Why do I have mornings after enough sleep when I just can't get into gear, even after black tea?
And then came Sunday, with its increasing raft of unpleasantness (all of the above). By late afternoon and after 3 serious servings of wheat (toast x2, waffles x2, and a pupusa), I could barely hold my head up and walk around the house, much less finish a coherent sentence. It really feels like being drugged, beaten up, and heckled. A lost evening, sleep with anti-inflammatories, and a difficult Monday morning at work, trying to keep enough focus to be productive. Right then I started figuring out what I could eat without gluten. And the rest of this week has been, if not perfect, really good.
So we'll see what the blood test says, what my doctor says, and where I go from here. High hopes!
June 8, 2008
A Greener Sunset Weekend
Sunset Magazine hosts a Celebration Weekend each year at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California. We attended today for the second time. As usual, there were tours of the test kitchen, access to the beautifully landscaped grounds, tented stages with seating for lectures and demonstrations, dozens of vendor booths, and more than enough sunshine.
This year, a discernibly deeper green tinge permeated the event, both driving and responding to consumer demand for more environmentally friendly products and services. In addition to Sunset's standard practices such as discounts for transit riders, bicyclists, and shuttle users, notable new green elements included:
Healthier food samples. No instant pudding this year - Kraft's high fiber snack bars, cereals, crackers and even cheeses (an 'active' line, with probiotic fiber added); Safeway's salads, carrots with cucumber feta dip, and a light dessert of chocolate bits with fresh fruit made return visitors of many happy grazers.
On-site food waste collection. Most samples were served on paper (napkins, cups, trays) or with compostable plastic (the corn starch forks). Well-distributed throughout the grounds were clusters of clearly marked receptacles, one for recyclable bottles and cans, one for trash, and one for compost. Eyeballing the contents, it appeared that visitors got it.
A stronger emphasis on succulents, drought tolerant species, and native plants, both at the lecture stages and the demonstration gardens.
An "eco-lounge" stage, with speakers on topics such as What is a Carbon Footprint?, Compost, Solar 101, and Eating Locally.
More vendors of specifically green products and services, such as Ecofabulous, Terrapass, Solar City, and Branch (sustainable design). Most of them had booths in the far corner by the eco-lounge; but a few were sprinkled throughout the more traditional vendor areas(eg, Numi Tea and Akeena Solar).
Sponsor Chrysler worked hard at marketing its vehicles as green, exhibiting a new hybrid, a flex-fuel vehicle, and a concept car (electric with a fuel cell backup) in addition to its regular minivan and sedans.
Sunset offered an organic cotton T-shirt and a bamboo fiber cap, both as contest prizes and as event merchandise (at a large discount, comparing the event price to comparable retailers).
City chickens in the demonstration garden pecked happily in the dirt, with a sign previewing their appearance in the August magazine article, "The One-Block Feast."
My favorite green feature, however, was not new or newly packaged as eco-friendly. The California Artisan Cheese Guild provides a free tasting gallery each year with samples from some of the finest small cheesemakers of the region. Today's selection included Three Sisters Farmstead Cheese's Serena (as nutty and intense as a Dutch beemster); Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company's Original Blue; Cypress Grove Chevre; and Harley Farms goat cheeses. Nothing says sustainability to me like the best of the Slow Food movement.
This year, a discernibly deeper green tinge permeated the event, both driving and responding to consumer demand for more environmentally friendly products and services. In addition to Sunset's standard practices such as discounts for transit riders, bicyclists, and shuttle users, notable new green elements included:
Healthier food samples. No instant pudding this year - Kraft's high fiber snack bars, cereals, crackers and even cheeses (an 'active' line, with probiotic fiber added); Safeway's salads, carrots with cucumber feta dip, and a light dessert of chocolate bits with fresh fruit made return visitors of many happy grazers.
On-site food waste collection. Most samples were served on paper (napkins, cups, trays) or with compostable plastic (the corn starch forks). Well-distributed throughout the grounds were clusters of clearly marked receptacles, one for recyclable bottles and cans, one for trash, and one for compost. Eyeballing the contents, it appeared that visitors got it.
A stronger emphasis on succulents, drought tolerant species, and native plants, both at the lecture stages and the demonstration gardens.
An "eco-lounge" stage, with speakers on topics such as What is a Carbon Footprint?, Compost, Solar 101, and Eating Locally.
More vendors of specifically green products and services, such as Ecofabulous, Terrapass, Solar City, and Branch (sustainable design). Most of them had booths in the far corner by the eco-lounge; but a few were sprinkled throughout the more traditional vendor areas(eg, Numi Tea and Akeena Solar).
Sponsor Chrysler worked hard at marketing its vehicles as green, exhibiting a new hybrid, a flex-fuel vehicle, and a concept car (electric with a fuel cell backup) in addition to its regular minivan and sedans.
Sunset offered an organic cotton T-shirt and a bamboo fiber cap, both as contest prizes and as event merchandise (at a large discount, comparing the event price to comparable retailers).
City chickens in the demonstration garden pecked happily in the dirt, with a sign previewing their appearance in the August magazine article, "The One-Block Feast."
My favorite green feature, however, was not new or newly packaged as eco-friendly. The California Artisan Cheese Guild provides a free tasting gallery each year with samples from some of the finest small cheesemakers of the region. Today's selection included Three Sisters Farmstead Cheese's Serena (as nutty and intense as a Dutch beemster); Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company's Original Blue; Cypress Grove Chevre; and Harley Farms goat cheeses. Nothing says sustainability to me like the best of the Slow Food movement.
May 15, 2008
Make any Dish Healthier
My golden rules for healthier eating:
1. Add veggies
2. Share
Last night's supper reminded me how often and easily I apply these two rules.
It was hot, and I didn't want to bake or use the stovetop. So I threw together a salad, and then scrounged the fridge and pantry.
A box of Trader Joe's Satay Peanut Noodles called my name.
This dish is packaged as a to-go meal, with just noodles and sauce in a microwavable box. One person can scarf it down in a few minutes, for 600 calories, 6g saturated fat, and almost no fiber.
But I prepared it as I usually do, dumping it into a bowl and then stirring in whatever veggies I find in the crisper. Last night it was green beans, broccoli and zucchini. Then I heated it, split it into two big bowls, and shared.
Voila! We each had a little over 300 calories, 3g sat fat, and a decent amount of fiber and phyto-nutrients.
1. Add veggies
2. Share
Last night's supper reminded me how often and easily I apply these two rules.
It was hot, and I didn't want to bake or use the stovetop. So I threw together a salad, and then scrounged the fridge and pantry.
A box of Trader Joe's Satay Peanut Noodles called my name.
This dish is packaged as a to-go meal, with just noodles and sauce in a microwavable box. One person can scarf it down in a few minutes, for 600 calories, 6g saturated fat, and almost no fiber.
But I prepared it as I usually do, dumping it into a bowl and then stirring in whatever veggies I find in the crisper. Last night it was green beans, broccoli and zucchini. Then I heated it, split it into two big bowls, and shared.
Voila! We each had a little over 300 calories, 3g sat fat, and a decent amount of fiber and phyto-nutrients.
April 5, 2008
A Locavore's Dream Come True
The Bay Area must be one of the easiest places in the country for an aspiring locavore.
Today my local farmer's market opened; and I went mostly to see what could possibly be in season. In the grocery, most of the produce like red bell peppers is coming up from Mexico; so I figured there would be some root vegetables and winter greens - not much else.
What a surprise! There were only six produce stalls; but I could have made many meals from them, without sacrifice. I saw: artichokes, asparagus, potatoes, lettuce, spinach, mixed salad greens, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, chard, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, leeks, 3 types of mushrooms, zucchini, sweet peppers (red, yellow, orange and green), long neck squash, brussel sprouts, tomatoes (not so nice looking), old apples, cilantro and a few Asian herbs I couldn't name, strawberries, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, bok choy, and radishes. Not all of it was organic; but quite a lot was.
I budget my farmer's market visits like a trip to Las Vegas - I only take what I plan to spend. For $18, I picked up 2 gorgeous bunches of asparagus, 3 lovely artichokes, 1 bunch (6) of baby bok choy, and 3 quarts of strawberries. I learned that asparagus has been in season for 6 weeks already in the San Joaquin Delta; and that the season is less than half over. Of these items, all were hoped for, but only the bok choy was expected. I can't wait to see what comes into season next! And next week, I'll take two bags with me, and more money. It's a gamble I'm sure to win.
Today my local farmer's market opened; and I went mostly to see what could possibly be in season. In the grocery, most of the produce like red bell peppers is coming up from Mexico; so I figured there would be some root vegetables and winter greens - not much else.
What a surprise! There were only six produce stalls; but I could have made many meals from them, without sacrifice. I saw: artichokes, asparagus, potatoes, lettuce, spinach, mixed salad greens, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, chard, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, leeks, 3 types of mushrooms, zucchini, sweet peppers (red, yellow, orange and green), long neck squash, brussel sprouts, tomatoes (not so nice looking), old apples, cilantro and a few Asian herbs I couldn't name, strawberries, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, bok choy, and radishes. Not all of it was organic; but quite a lot was.
I budget my farmer's market visits like a trip to Las Vegas - I only take what I plan to spend. For $18, I picked up 2 gorgeous bunches of asparagus, 3 lovely artichokes, 1 bunch (6) of baby bok choy, and 3 quarts of strawberries. I learned that asparagus has been in season for 6 weeks already in the San Joaquin Delta; and that the season is less than half over. Of these items, all were hoped for, but only the bok choy was expected. I can't wait to see what comes into season next! And next week, I'll take two bags with me, and more money. It's a gamble I'm sure to win.
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