Nutritious.com

Puffer Fish, death or ecstasy?

2010-06-30T22:06:00.000-07:00

Puffer fish or fugu is the only delicacy forbidden to the Emperor of Japan, for his own safety. Puffer fish are the second most poisonous vertebrae in the world, after the golden poison frog.The flesh of the puffer fish or fugu is considered a delicacy in Japan (as fugu) and Korea as (as bok) . In 1603-1868 The Tokogawa Shogunate prohibited the consumption of fugu on Edo and its area of influence.When the power of Shogunate weakened, people started to eat fugu again. During the Meiji era, (1867-1912) fugu was again banned in many areas of Japan . Fugu contains lethal amounts of the poison tetrodotoxin in the organs ,especially the liver area and ovaries,and also the skin. The poison is a sodium channel blocker, which paralyzes the muscles while the victim is fully conscious and eventually dies from asphyxiation. There is no known antidote for fugu poisoning. The standard medical approach is to support the respiratory and circulatory system until the poison dissipates.

Starting 1958, Japan only use licensed chefs to prepare puffer fish or fugu. The license chef know how to remove and isolate the poisonous part of the fish when preparing it. The offals (liver and ovaries) contain the toxic poison and a precise skill in removing it is a must. The chef have to wear thick gloves when processing the fish to protect them from the poisonous sting of the fish spines that can pierce them while skinning the fish . To ensure that the poison is contained in the opals, the fish is skinned alive. In Japan selling of fugu liver is illegal. Some stubborn chefs disregard this rule and eat the liver, which often result in death. During the post war era where many people in Japan were left homeless and without food, these people dig the restaurant garbages and ate what was thrown out. Deaths have resulted because they ate the liver and opals that were discarded . Now the restaurant are required to store the discarded opals and liver in a locked container. In Thailand, many people died because of eating the fugu fish, which came with the fisherman's catch. The people who bought and prepared the fish were unfamiliar with the fish and unaware of the poisonous nature of the fish.

To become a licensed fugu chef one must undergo 3 years of apprenticeship before being allowed to take an official test. Only 35% pass the rigourous test which is written, illustration and actual preparation of the fugu fish. In addition the licensed chef must also have artistic skill. The most popular puffer fish dish is fugu sashimi,also called fugu sushi, or tessa. The fish is sliced thinly using a fugu hiki knife so that the pattern of the plate ,where the fish is to be served can be seen throughout the plate and are often arranged in the form of a chrysanthemum flower which is significant to Japanese culture and symbolic of death. When fugu is deep fried it is called fugu-kare-age. When the fins of the puffer fish or fugu are fried and soaked in hot sake, the dish is called hiri-sake. A fugu stew prepared with traditional vegetables is called fugu-chin or tetchini. The skin of the fugu is sliced thinly and added to salad in a dish called yubiki. The soft roe (shirako) of the blowfish, a variety of puffer fish is a highly prized Japanese item. It is often sold in department stores around Japan in tiny wood gift boxes. I have eaten the soft roe of the cod, and it is quite delicious eaten with melba toast and a dash of brandy over it. The appearance of the shirako is similar to cod milt and but by far more expensive.

A dish of puffer fish or fugu can cost approximately $50.00 and can be found as low as $20.00. A full course (usually 8 servings can cause between $100-200.00 or more. Fugu has become one of the most celebrated and notorious dish in Japan.
As of 2008, due to advances in fugu research, a non toxic fugu can now be mass produced. The farmers farm the fugu by separating them them from tetrodotoxin-laden bacterias. Usuki, a town in Oita Prefecture ,became famous for selling non-poisonous fugu. So far no one has been poisoned or died from eating the fish.

In some remote area of Japan, the puffer fish or fugu is pickled, which allows the poisonous part to be eaten . The exact method is not known and kept as a secret . From what someone can surmiss, the process involves lengthly saturation of the fish in sake and salt for over 3 years.

Strict fishing regulation are now in place to protect the dwindling fugu population from being depleted. Most fugu are harvested in the spring during the spawning season and then farmed in floating cages in the pacific ocean. The largest wholesale market for fugu in Japan is Shimonoseki. Fugu prices rise in the fall and peak in winter,which afecionados claim is the best time to eat fugu, as the fugu fatten themselves before winter to survive the cold. The fugu are shipped to the restaurant alive and only licensed chef are allowed to prepare them for the public.

As a child I have seen puffer or fugu fish washed in the seashore and was informed earlier on of the danger and poisonus nature of the puffer fish . We were only allowed to look and are forbidden to touch the fish. The Japanese who live in our town know how to prepare and eat the fish. Japanese restaurants in town did not serve the fish in their menu, if they did, it is only to a few select Japanese clientile. Since there is an abundance of fish from the sea , rivers and fish ponds, there was no desire to eat this ugly looking fish. Since I have not eaten fugu I can not describe the taste. People who ate fugu say that it is quite delicious and worth the risk . The centuries of trouble that Japan had to go through to make this delicacy survive means there is something special about it. I have been told that the taste is decadent! As for me, the risk is far too great to arrive at an ecstasy.

What cooking oil is best for you?

2010-05-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

All liquid vegetable oils are low in saturated fat and contains no cholesterol , palm and coconut oil are however high in saturated fat and becomes solid at room temperature.
Irregardless of whether the fat or oil is liquid or in solid form , a teaspoon of oil or fat contains 45 calories. Using a lot of oil in your cuisine can add up calories. Some people use non stick cooking spray, like PAM spray and Healthy way and butter buds. After reading the ingredients of the aerosol pan coating, I had second thoughts of using it. The label states it has water,isobutane,propane,soybean,lecithin,sorbic acid ,potassium sorbate and beta carotene. Sounds scary. I wonder what the residue can do to the environment. Butter buds however do not contain threatening ingredients but it is inconvenient to use and the taste did not agree well with my taste buds. It is a personal choice. Try it ,you may like it

Do not give up the fat, instead, choose the fat or oil you use and use it in moderation.
There are things we need to know about oils before choosing what oil is best for you.
1st what health benefit does the oil give you and second you need to know the smoke point so you know which oil to use for your cooking.

Fats or oils are categorized into the following: saturated,polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.

The bad fats or oil ( Saturated)

Saturated fats raises total cholesterol and LDL ( bad cholesterol)
Trans Fat is present in many processed product . If the label does not indicate trans fat,look at the ingredients, if the product label list hydrogenated fat or partially hydrogenated fat ,the product has trans fat.
Palm oil and coconut oil are highly saturated .
Vegetable shortenings is a good example of saturated fat that is from vegetable
Lard.butter and the fat from your meats (pork fat & skin,chicken fat & skin,turkey skin,beef & fish ) is high in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Vegetable shortening,block margarine( stick not the tub) butter, cottonseed oil, palm kernel and coconut oil are high in saturated fat . There is a rumors in the Asian community that virgin coconut oil is good for you and is tauted as having health benefits, such as lowering one's cholesterol and preventing heart attack. I have not read any credible information that validates this claim.

The good oils

Monounsaturated fat - is an oil that reduces total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol(bad cholesterol) and raises HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). Oils that are rich in monounsaturated fats are extra virgin olive oil,canola oil,macademia oil,grape seed oil,flax seed oil ,soy, pumpkin and mustard seed oil.

More information to know:
Flax seed is an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids but spoils quickly and requires refrigeration.
Canola oil has the lowest saturated fat among the cooking oils. Canola is grown exclusively in Canada and Northern USA. It is rich in omega 3 & 6 fatty acid .Canola oil is extracted from rapeseed , a member of the mustard family. Canola oil, like mustard oil has been used for thousands of years The current concern pertaining to canola is the use of a petroleum product hexane to extract the oil from the rapeseed.Consumers are concern about the toxicity of canola oil and the harmful effect hexane has on the environment, Canola has been noted as the cause of a host of diseases including glaucoma, emphysema,anemia and mad cow disease. The smoke point is high and is excellent for frying. The verdict? its not final. The canola oil manufacturers are making measures to correct the concerns. In the meantime its all up to you to decide whether you want to use it or not.

Polyunsaturated fats lowers LDL (bad cholesterol ) and raises HDL (good cholesterol). Getting too much of this oils has been linked to suppression of the immune system and growth of malignant tumors in animals

Grape seed is mostly imported from Italy. It is the French chef's choice of oil because it does not impart flavor to the food and does not taste greasy . It is however a polyunsaturated fat and a fragile oil not suitable for frying.

Soy contains omega 3 and 6 fatty acid but is usually subject to hydrogenation

Moderate oils

Safflower oil,and sunflower oils are both rich in omega 6 fatty acid and low in saturated fat. Corn oil has moderate amounts of saturated fat and is usually hydrogenated. It is also rich in omega 6 fatty acid. Peanut oil is high in saturated fat but not as high as butter

Extra virgin olive oil is rich in mono unsaturated fats . It contains phytochemicals that may help reduce total cholesterol and protect against cancer. This is the preferred oil in the Mediterrenean diet. Crete, a small country along the Mediterrenean sea includes cold press olive oil in there daily fare. It is usually cold press and extracted from the flesh of the ripe olives. Light olive oil does not offer the health benefits of the EVOO because most of it is lost during the refining.EVOO imparts a delicious flavor to vegetables,meats and pasta. Not the ideal oil for baking, because the flavor does not marry well with cakes and pastries.. Also not a good candidate for deep frying.

Marine oil is found in fishes that lives in the cold waters such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardine. It contains omega 3 fatty acid. Studies shows that it may help reduce cholesterol level and helps reduce total blood cholesterol. It maybe important in preventing heart attack and other illness such as rheumatoid arthritis and clogged arteries. Unfortunately there are no oils available for you to buy, to get this benefits,you need to eat cold water fishes at least 2 times per week. The eskimos are carnivorous, there diet is high in fat from the blubber or fat from whales which they eat to keep them warm yet the incidence of heart disease is low as compared to the rest of the world. It is partly because there daily fare includes salmon and cod liver ,2 great sources of omega 3.

Heres a chart to show you at a glance some of the popular oils and there characterize
Some of the data in this chart was obtained from Sue Gilbert, MS,Nutritionist Blog

Type of oil Polyunsaturate fat Mono unsaturated fat Total Unsaturated fat Saturated fat Smoke point
Olive oil 9% 77% 86% 14% 365 Deg F
Sunflower oil 77 % 14 % 91% 9% 468 Deg F
Soybean oil 61% 24% 85% 15% 458 Deg F
Safflower 77% 14% 91% 9% 500 Deg F
Canola oil 36% 58% 94% 6% 442 deg F
Corn oil 62% 25% 87% 15% 448 Deg F
Peanut Oil 34% 48% 82% 16% 439 Deg F
Palm oil 10% 39% 49% 51% N/A
Coconut oil 5% 9% 14% 86% N/A
Sesame oil N/A N/A N/A N/A 408 De F
Lard N/A N/A N/A N/A 348 Deg F
Butter N/A N/A N/A N/A 350 deg F
Almond oil N/A N/A N/A N/A 420 deg F
Rice bran oil N/A N/A N/A N/A 490 deg F
Grape seed N/A N/A N/A N/A 428 deg F

Smoke point is the temperature at which oil can be heated before it smokes or discolor.
Oil breaks down and create acreolen, , an obnoxious smelling compound, that maybe potentially hazardous to your health.

A word of advice: fry frozen vegetables and breaded products (sweet potato,french fries ,breaded fish ,etc) when frozen.
Avoid overcrowding the fryer or frying pan with too much food, as this will lower the oil temperature and will cause the food you are frying to absorb more fat.
I hope all the above information will help you decide which oil to use.

Agave Nectar or syrup-things you need to know

2010-05-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

My sister in law introduced me to agave syrup, she said it is 1.4 to 1.6 times sweeter than sugar. I said great! I purchased a small bottle of the Organic Blue Agave Sweetener. She said it is a good substitute for honey and because it is sweeter than sugar a little goes a long way.It tasted yummy so I use it in everything, in my tea, coffee, toast. In short I am embarassed to tell you that I consumed the whole 11.7 oz bottle in 1 week which translated to 1,404 calories or about 200 calories per day or almost 1/2 lb. weight gain in i week and if I did not stop,it could have totaled to 2 pound weight gain for something that I normally did not need to use. Agave was new to me. Normally I read about the product before I go head on with it. My sister in law is a diabetic and she tells me she read somewhere that it does not raise blood glucose. Great! Nevertheless I was curious so I research agave. This is what I found out.

Agave nectar, syrup or sweetener is manufactured in Mexico. This sweetener can be processed from different types of agave plant. However, the blue agave is the preferred agave for making agave syrup. This plant is spiny with swordlike leaves .The plant resembles a yucca. Blue agave is high in carbohydrates which produces a high percentage of fructose in the final nectar

It will take 7-10 years before an agave plant is ready to produce nectar. To harvest nectar from a mature agave plant,the top of the plant is cut, thus revealing the core or "pina" which weighs about 50-150 pounds. Nectar is collected from the "pina" by siphoning it daily. Similar procedure for making tequila.

The main polysaccaride is called inulin or fructoscan. The hydrolyzed juice is filtered and heated at low temperature to breakdown the carbohydrates into simple sugars then concentrated into a syrup where the color range from light amber to dark amber, like pancake syrup. The syrup contains, iron,calcium ,potassium and magnesium.
The vegans use agave as sweetener because it is plant base, Individuals who follow a raw food diet argue that while manufacturers label some agave product as raw, it is not so, because it still is subjected to heat of over 100 deg F . A Newly patented alternative has been approved by US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) . Instead of subjecting agave to heat to convert polysaccharides into simple sugars, a mold, aspergillus niger is added to the product to hydrolyze the polysaccharide fructose extract into fructcose by fermentation.

Now that we know how agave is processed , lets find out what benefits it has to offers that sugars and honey do not.
Agave nectar or syrup contains primarily fructose . The percentage of fructose and glucose varies from one manufacturer to another. Some manufacturer water down there product by adding honey to the product because it is cheaper than agave. The claim that agave syrup or nectar is natural is untrue. Agave nectar is not a natural sweetener. It has more concentrated fructose than high fructose corn syrup,neither is it raw or natural as the agave manufacturers claim it is.

Natural sugar is called levulose and is found in ripe fresh fruits along with vitamins,minerals and pectin. Agave contain fructose which is formed when complex carbohydrate is hydrolyzed. Unlike glucose which is absorb by all cells in the body, fructose is absorb and digested in the liver, which in turn increase your triglycerides. After the liver digest the fructose,it is stored as fat. Since it does not get converted into blood glucose,like other sugars,it does not raise blood glucose. Fructose inhibit keptin levels, a satiety indicator, which can result in weight gain. Increase trigylcerides and weight gain can put one at risk for metabolic disorders like diabetes, high blood pressure,heart disease. This explains my weight gain from consuming agave I could not figure out why I was hungrier than usual. I also had my blood drawn for my regular doctors visit and my triglycerides and cholesterol which was always normal was elevated.

The verdict: Agave is a bad sweetener. I will stay away from it .

Sour sap or Guayabano fruit ,role in cancer treatment

2010-06-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at the number of tropical fruits and vegetables that are now becoming a source for the treatment of various illness especially that of cancer. I grew up in a country where almost every house have a guayabano tree growing in their backyard. Guayabano tree is a moderate size tree, and bears fruit all year long. The tree is not a prolific fruit bearer. The fruit which is quite large ,irregular shape and greenish in color and is covered with conical nibs. It usually ripens during the rainy season or moonson, as it is called in South East Asia. The fruit grows very close to the truck or stem which supports its weight. The fruit must be picked when matured other wise it will be bruised and picked on by birds. When ripe,the fruit emits a citrusy,soury smell signaling that it is ready to be eaten. It takes a few days or a week in the kitchen counter for the mature fruit to ripens. Usually it is ripe when it is soft to touch,like that of avocado. The skin of the fruit is thin and leathery. Upon opening the fruit,you will see segments of creamy flesh . The pulp covers the seeds which is quite large and numerous. Put a fruit segment in your mouth and savour the ambrosial taste. Guayabano grows wild in the amazon forest of Brazil where it is called graviola. The Spaniards refer to the fruit as Guanaba.

Extracts from guayabano can attack cancer cells safely and effectively without causing extreme nausea,weight loss and hair loss. It protect the integrity of the immune system and avoid deadly infection . It makes one feel stronger throughout the course of there chemotheapy treatment. Guayabano kills malignant cells in 12 types of cancer ,including colon, breast,lung and pancreatic cancer. Guayabano is said to be 10,000 times more effective in slowly cancer than andriamycin , a commonly used chemotherapy drug.

The compounds extracted from guayabano selectively haunts down and kill only cancer cells and not the good cells.
South Americans traditional medicine uses various parts of the guayabano including the bark leaves,roots,fruits and fruit seed in the treatment of of heart disease, asthma,liver problems and arthritis. The National Cancer Institue performed the 1st scientific test in 1976. Results showed that guayabano leaves and stems were found effective in attacking and destroying. malignant cells. Numerous uses of guayabano in folklore medicine shows healing properties. The seeds have emetic property and used for treating vomiting . Crushed leaves is applied directly to the wound to promote healing. Juices are taken orally as a remedy for arthritis,haematuria and liver ailment. The decoction of the young shoots is used as remedy for gallbladder , as well as coughs,catarth,diarrhea,dysentery, lice, bedbugs and indigestion. In addition the root bark is used as antidote for poisoning.

I combed the Farmers market, Asian,Mexican and African and Indian stores to see if they sell the frozen fruit or if anyone grew the fruit in there backyard. The fruit can grow in Vista, San Diego, Fullerton California and some parts of the LA basin that has a microclimate that is subtropical. The only guayabano I found is canned sour sop juice which is a product of Thailand. The brand is FOCO. The great thing about this find is that the juice list the first ingredient as water and the second ingredient is sour sop puree 25%. I purchased a dozen of the canned juice and intend to go back for more. If you live in the East Coast, you can go to Canada where guayabano is sold in the market (the restricitons for foreign imported fruit is not as strict as USA).
Mexico is in close proximity to California where they grow guyabano which they call guanaba, however one can not take it back to the USA, I guess the same thing goes for Canada

Besides the alleged medicinal property of guayabano, the fruit is also high in fiber and vitamin C.
The internet offerings for guayabano is in the form of capsules,drinks and pills .
If you know someone who grows this fruit in their backyard,please let me know and I would like to purchase some.
Also I would like to know more healing fruits and vegetables that you might know, that I do not know.

Truffles, a treasure from the earth

2010-06-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

Truffles is one of the most expensive natural food in the world and can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars per pound. These delicacies had been found in Europe, Asia,North Africa and North America. Only 3 species are commercially important. In Texas, Tuber Texensis is collected, in Oregon, it is the white truffle Gibbosum. The Oregon white truffles is still in its infancy but truffles is harvested in sufficient amounts to meet commercial demands. The Oregon truffles cost about $150.00 per pound. Truffles have to reach maturity to be able to acquire that pungent, earthy smell that connouseur go crazy for.
The European truffle cost is prohibitive. Sometimes the Black Perigord from France is referred too as the black Gold.

Truffles grow in close myocorrhizsal association with the roots of specific tree and grow underground beneath the roots. Truffles range in size from a walnut to a small potato. The tuber is gnarled like a ginger, or like that of a withered potato. The season for truffle is from September to May. If you are in Italy or France during the truffle season, visit the markets and you will find truffles for sale . Beware, you can not touch them, nor can you touch any produce. The Italians and French people prize their produce. You just have to judge the item by sight. If you buy truffles, I am not sure if you can take your purchase back to the US anyway. When it is in season all the restaurant have it on the menu so eat and enjoy!

There is another variety of truffle that never reach the world market place , and that is the desert truffle. As soon as the first spring rain fall, the Bedouins scours the wide sand plains that starts from the East of Damascus and stretched hundreds of miles to Bagdad for signs of telitale grasses and cracks indicating that truffles lies beneath the surface. Desert truffles are a specie of the mushroom family and a distant relative to the European Truffle. They are packed with protein, and often used as substitute for meat in the Middle East

The two most expensive truffles are the French black truffle (tuber melanosporum) from the Perigord region of Southwest France. and the white odorous white truffle( tuber magnatum) of Alba in the Piedmont district of Italy. The black truffle is used in making pate de foe gras, and is an ubiguitos ingredient in French Provencial cooking. The white truffles from Italy is usually eaten fresh sprinkled on top of salads,sauces,souffle and other prepared dishes. When shavings or thin wedges of truffles are added to a dish, the dish is glorified. In Italy the white truffle is crushed with olive oil,filtered and dispense in a 3 ounce medicine bottle with an eye dropper. No one knows what they do with the truffle pulp , some suspect that it is canned and sold to the foreign market.

In Europe the truffles were harvested with the aid of a female pig (swine) , which are able to detect the smell of the truffle because the smell is liken to the smell that a male pig emits. Lately, they stopped using the female pig as it devours all or most of the truffles found. Dogs are now trained to haunt this delicacy since they can be trained to search and find this jewels and are happy to get a different reward. In Cordon Bleu cooking school, the truffles are kept in the kitchen safe. If you take a course in French provencial cooking, they will issue you a piece of truffle, mine was the size of small withered potato. One of my classmate who was a Canadian actress thought it was trash that was placed in her supply bin by mistakes, so she threw it in the trash. The instructor made her pick it up and gave us a lecture of how expensive this ingredient was.

The smell of truffles can permeat other food. If you store a piece of truffle in your rice bin, the rice will acquire the taste of truffle. Put it in a basket with eggs and the eggs will taste like truffles.This is especially true of the white odorous truffle from Italy.

If you buy a fresh truffle, do not wash it in water, chances are it has already been cleaned. I was told that the best way to clean truffles is to use a brush sans water, this will remove the dirt or soil attached to the truffles. If you want to store truffle, put it in a container with madeira wine and refrigerate. When I make gallantine and other cooked dishes requiring truffles, I use truffle peelings which can be purchased in specialty stores in 7oz can and cost about $40-45 a can. And then there is the 6oz white truffle oil spritzer that you can spray on salads for a delicious truffle taste. The cost of either black or white truffles is prohibitive and unless I am impressing someone, I will not use the whole truffle. You can buy truffles on line from different France company but the price is not stable, it is like the stock market , it goes up and down based on availability.

Probiotic and Prebiotic there role in our digestive health

2010-06-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Probiotic and Prebiotic has a symbiotic relationship in the gut. Probiotic are the good or beneficial bacterias that resides in our gut. For the probiotic to thrive and flourish ,they need prebiotic to provide them with food. Prebiotics are found in the fruits and vegetables that we eat. They are fibers that are indigestible to humans, but provide food to the beneficial bacterias.

The beneficial bacterias or probiotic are resident of the human intestinal flora. Poor nutrition, frequent dietiting, alcohol, drugs, especially antibiotic (kills the good and bad bacteria) anti acid, caffeine, soda, stress and chlorinated water can cause havoc in ones intestinal flora. These condition significantly reduces the number of beneficial bacteria that are present in your gut. These beneficial bacteria patrols your intestinal flora and destroys the bad bacteria that results from a bad diet. If they become outnumbered by the bad bacteria problem can result in diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis,diverticulitis,crohns disease,Gerd (gastro eosophageal reflux disease) etc. Visit to your physician can result in more drugs to alleviate the pain and discomfort . If the problem persist hospitalization is no longer an option but a life saving strategy

Maintaining a good intestinal flora depends on more than 400 type of friendly bacteria that lives in our digestive tract.
When the number of these good bacteria is reduced, we need to supplement it with food items containing probiotics and improve our overall nutrition. Probiotic thrives best in a moist medium and is usually incorporated in milk and dairy products such as yoghurt and kefir. It is also available in capsules and other dairy preparation.

Caviar, a treat from the Caspian Sea

2010-06-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

Caspian sea or also called Qazun in the ancient map is the largest body of water on earth by area . it is bounded by Northern Iran, Kazakstan , South Russian, Western Kazakstan, Turkmenistan and Western Azerbaijan. The Caspian sea holds a large number of sturgeon fish priced for their eggs called Caviar. The sturgeon fish reaches maturity between age of 15-20 years and can live up to 100 years.

There are 20 varieties of sturgeon, 6 varieties inhabits the caspian sea and 3 produces the 3 most sought for caviar. The 3 types of caviar are the Beluga, Sevruga and 0ssetra. In 2005 , the US banned importation of caviar . The highbrow clientile did everything in their power to undo this act . In 2007 ,the United Nations lifted the ban. For what kind of New Year celebration will there be without caviar to celebrate it with!. The bad news is the supply of caviar from the caspian sea is dwindling,which means the cost will escalate, but I am sure the feast will go on irregardless. There is also news that the oil beneath the Caspian sea is worth over 12 trillion dollars. Drilling the oil will disturb the sturgeon fish habitat. The question that is still unanswered is: will the countries involved vote to keep the sturgeon or mine the oil.?

According to caviar afecionados,the best tasting caviar comes from Iran. The beluga caviar is the most expensive of all caviar and can fetch a price from $75.00 to over $100 an ounce. The Russian caviar ranks next to Iran. Iranian tourist are allowed to bring 2 kilos of caviar when visiting the US . I had the privileged of eating this scrumptious delicacy from a Persian friend and I agree, the Iranian beluga caviar is the tastiest of all, but the other varieties are too, they are not as black and big as the beluga, but they are packed with intense flavor and marine aroma , sought for by afecionados.

The one ounce bottled caviar from the grocery store is not descriptive of the taste of the real caviar. People who claim they do not like caviar must have been served this type of caviar, which is usually a heavily salted lumpfish roe. The heavy salting acts as a preservative to make the fish roes shelf safe. In France, the term caviar only refers to the roe of the sturgeon fish. In the US, caviar refers to the fish roe from the following fishes: salmon,paddle fish,flying fish,lumpfish and american golden white fish . I had eaten the salmon roe which cost between $40-50 a pound and is quite delectable. Caviar is salted to preserve the roe from spoilage, malossol refers to the degree of saltiness of caviar. Pressed caviar is the thick jammy residue of eggs that were broken during processing. It has very intense flavor that is a bit of an aquired taste. Serve it with sour cream,chopped eggs and chive over blini and it is a match made in heaven. This is how I was introduced to caviar.

The Russian Tea Room in New York City use to serve a ton of caviar annually. It is a shame that it is now closed. According to Bruce Sobol of Caviarteria, "caviar is the only food with no known threshold of excess , a spoonful maybe enough,but a bowl is not too much". If you suffer from hypertension, stir away from caviar, as it is salty. Caviar has 47 vitamins and minerals. An ounce of caviar provides 74 calories or 1,188 calories per pound, 68 grams of fat, and 25% cholesterol.

Organic vegetables, is it worth the price you pay?

2010-06-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

France and Italy pioneered organic farming and small scale agriculture. The taste of their produce is the best . The French and Italians have no second thoughts about paying the price for these delicacies. Emilia Romagna, a small province in Bologna, Italy, grow the finest and tastiest produce surpassing the quality of French produce, and the world. These vegetables are grown in the alluvial plains where the soil is naturally fertile .

Italy and France started farmers market long before the United States conceived the idea. They eat what is in season and utilized locally grown produce. In France foreign produce can be seen sold in produce markets, usually imported from countries where they had previous political influence, a good example is the abundance of Vietnamese produce , both fruits and vegetables. Except for the fruits, the France people have strong affinity to there own vegetables and doubt that the foreign produce influenced there set cuisine.

One of the reason that prompt americans to go organic is the green revolution. It is all about saving the planet . The second most important reason is the safety of produce . A growing number of serious health food advocates have stopped buying produce sprayed with pesticide or chemicals for fear of the cancer forming residue. This concern gave rise to commercial organic farming and widespread increase of health food stores touting the virtues of organically grown produce and selling them 5-6 times more that the cost of non organic produce. In 2007 Harris pool stated that 30% of americans buy organic food occassionally, there reason is, organic produce is safer and better for your health.

Organic is big and getting bigger. In 2006 , the sale of organic food in the US totaled to 16.7 billion (Figure from Organic Trade Association). Overall amount does not specify how much was spent in organic produce. This amount is less than 3% of the overall sales of food and beverage. In 2009, the 1st Lady, Michele Obama began digging a portion of the South lawn of the White house to plant an organic vegetable garden. Concern about childhood obesity and rise in the number of diabetics is a national concern.

Farmers who practice sustainable farming can only operate in small scale basis since the requirements of USDA (United Sates Department of Agriculture ) for growing organic produce is strict and specific . The farmers argue that when you buy organic , you do not buy a product, you buy a way of life that is committed to not exploiting the planet ( by Ed Maltby, Executive Director of North East Organic Dairy Producers Alliance).

If you want to use organic produce, here is a guideline for you to use.

When the label indicates that the product is all natural, free range, or hormone free, it is not organic. It is only describing how the produce or product is raised or grown.

Organic food should have the following labels or USDA Seal
100% organic (USDA guidelines for growing and or raising a produce is followed 100%)
Organic 95% means there is a slight variance that was not meet
70% or less organic means only 70 % or less of the ingredients is organic and 30% is not.

Organic farmers do not use pesticide or insecticides to banish the insects or pest but use alternative methods ,such as growing plants that will entice beneficial insects and birds to visit there site and then feast on the pest that cause havoc to there produce.Instead of chemical fertilizers, they use compost and crop rotation and mulching or hand weeding. Organic farmers whose annual income from the sale of organic produce is $5,000 or less are exempt from getting a certificate but must follow all of the USDA guidelines. You will encounter this if you go to farmers market where organic backyard farmers sell their excess produce for a nominal cost. It is also a place where you can find rare fruits and vegetables from other countries that are grown locally sans the pesticide.

Goverment research continue to find better ways of protecting the environment and the consumers. Although the use of acceptable pesticide continues , they are now use increasingly in combination with non-chemical control practices, a farm management system known as IPM (Integrated Pest Management). The goal is to use all possible technology to keep pest population below economic injury. Pesticides are only used when there is a demonstrated need. Sample method is breeding,crop rotation,biological control and use of a bug vac- a type of vacuum cleaner that inhales the pest and spares the plants. Through research they found out that increasing the sugar content of fruits will repel white flies .

While organic produce are free from synthetic chemicals, one should be aware that the plants produce their own natural toxicants and organism, which are sometimes more harmful than the established acceptable chemical residue. Individuals who choose to eat organically grown produce should be informed that organic foods are not necessarily free from pesticide residues. Contaminations from wind drifts, soil shifts and ground water are factors that can affect the process of growing organically grown produce. In addition, animal and plant waste presents a special problem in the treatment of compost , especially when animal manure is added.

Of particular concern with our fast growing world is the increasing use of imported produce. Seasons are defiled. Fruits and vegetables that are not in season in the US are available year round coming from Chile,Panama, South East Asia and other countries that gained permit to sell there produce to the US market. The growing regulation is not the same as the US and the the process of inspecting the imported produce entering the US is at random. Not every piece of produce is tested for pesticide

Finally there is no evidence that organically grown produce is superior in quality ,safety or nutrient content as compared to the conventionally grown produce. Inspite of reassuring statements from the governmental agencies responsible for the public protection of our food supply. For this reason, it is important that we become more sensitive to our changing environment, and take more responsibility for ourselves. Some sensible protective measures is to eat a variety of vegetables. This practice helps minimize the exposure to any one pesticide. Eat what is in season, off seasonal produce are imports and maybe subjected to less rigorous pesticide surveillance plan.

Irregardless of the source of your produce, it is a good practice to wash and store your vegetables in your refrigerator crisper to ensure freshness and to prevent nutrient loss. Deep green vegetables and citrus contains Vitamin C, a heat labile vitamin that is destroyed by prolong exposure to light and air. The practice of hoarding fresh vegetables when on sale is not advisable. Properly stored fresh fruits and vegetables must be consumed within a week.

Some chemicals breakdown naturally after harvest and are diminished by washing,peeling and cooking. While some people worry about the potential danger of pesticide residue, others are non cha lant about it. Often, I see people in the produce section of a supermarket,sneaking and sampling unwashed produced without guilt!

99 Cents store,answer to a bad economy

2010-06-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

I use to be a snob and would not go to these types of store. It took 3 visits with my sister in law in tag and I was hooked.
It is a place to find good buys and your dollar stretched longer. With our current economy, the fruits and vegetable surplus that would otherwise go to food banks and food pantry's are now sold to a wholesaler and is supplied to retail 99 cents store. Not everything sold in 99 cents store is good but some are. You need to check the product expiration date & the condition of the cans.

When the economy is good, the yuppies and the baby boomers will not wink an eye to buy limestone lettuce which retails at $5-8.00 a head. With the tight economy, people are holding on to there cash and looking for good buys. 99 Cents store reminds me of Woolworth, except there is no soda fountain and it sells produce. Of course you can not find truffles or saffron here but if you are looking for basic canned goods, like black beans, enchilada sauce,spaghetti sauce and noodles, they have it. Quantity and type is sporadic. One time I found basil & tomato pasta ,an upscale brand in one pound box for 99 cents. Another time I went, I found white fresh asparagus (argenteuil) for 99 cents a bunch which will otherwise sell for over $6.00 a bunch or more in upscale stores, and then there was a time I found haricot vert in one pound box, I wish I can freeze it but experience tells me the taste is diminished when frozen. I bought 5 -1 pound bags which I prepared in different ways and ate with abandon for a week.

Lets talk about the produce. The produce of course are not organic,but the nutrient content is equal to the ones you buy from the regular supermarkets. The tomatoes,cucumber, peppers, zucchini,other squashes are number #2 or mishapens. This means that the size is not uniform but the nutritional value is not diminished with the shape. The romaine lettuce hearts are excellent. Baby spinach is a bargain at 0.99 cents a bag. Somehow I have bad experience with bananas , I get brown spots when they ripen, so I scratch it off my list.

Did you know that if you wash and rinse the produce, you get rid of most of the pesticides. I buy my package salads from either Costco or Trader Joe and I still wash them. Cooking also destroy the pesticides. Eat variety of fruits and vegetables so you are not constantly consuming the same vegetable treated with the same pesticide, which can have a cumulative effect.
Also buy only produce you can consume within 3 days. Buying lots of produce because it is cheap, but will linger in your refrigerator to rot is not a wise thing to do. First, the nutrient content is diminished ,second, did you know that vegetables can also turn toxic? Rotten vegetables emits odor and can permeate the smell to other food in your refrigerator

Except for the frozen fruits and vegetables I stay away from the refrigerated and frozen items at 99 cents store, but you may want to look and see if you find something of interest to you. Also the meats and the fish (frozen) are not worth your time.

See for yourselves.

Eating raw fish is like playing Russian roulette

2010-06-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

Salmon infestation with tapeworm is on the rise. It has tripled from an average of .32 per 100,000 people to at least 1 case per 100,000 per year in kyoto ,Japan. As the craze for sushi and sashimi increased, so too has the worm spreads. Tapeworm can grow up to 25 feet inside your intestinal tract and will feast on your body's nutrition, exhaust your body's vitamin B12 causing severe anemia and weakening your body's defenses by suppressing your immune system. In 2006, a Chicago man sued a restaurant claiming he had acquired a 15 foot tapeworm from eating an undercooked salmon salad.

Incidence of tapeworm and anisakis infection use to be restricted only to people of Scandinavian decent, as they are high consumers of gravlax, a lightly marinated salmon ( marinating salmon does not kill the tapeworm or anisakis larvae) and to Jewish woman who use fresh water fishes like pike,carp and white fish in preparing a traditional dish called gefilte fish. During the preparation, the woman taste the raw fish mixture to determine if the seasoning is adequate before cooking the dish. Lox is solely made from salmon,and is cured with salt and should be safe to eat, but is now another subject of study . Incidence of tapeworm and anisakis infestation has been found in South American ceviche and raw or green herring, a dish popular in the Netherland. Last Fall, CDC (Center for Disease Control) was prompted by an outbreak of fish tapeworm in California. Four individuals were affected. This individuals ate sushi which included salmon.

In the US, the salmon used in sushi bars are frozen and from salt water. The health department mandates that all seafood and fish used for preparing sushi and sashimi must be frozen before use to -10 deg F for 24 -48 hours before it is sold in the fish market. Avoid fresh water fish including wild salmon and striped bass, because they spend part of there life in fresh water. Also avoid pacific rock cod,also known as pacific red snapper ,as this fish eats the feces of sea lions and other marine mammals., so it can pick up parasites adopted to mammalian bodies. Halibut from the West has been found to have parasites. Fresh atlantic salmon is safe because all of these salmon are raised in salt water. The mackerels used in salad bars are marinated in vinegar , squid is purchased frozen, which kills the parasite . All Bonito fish is infested and is rarely served in US sushi bar except when serving Japanese clientile. In my research of articles regarding eating raw fishes, I have not encountered any mentioning tuna as a worm carrier.

Food and Drug Administration, sampled fish sold in Seattle, and found them to have no tapeworm but contain anisakis simplex. Anisakis is a herring worm. It is a round worm that is carried and transmitted by salt water fishes such as flounder,cod,haddock, yellow tail ( hamachi) and ling (a type of cod). It happens when the large fish eats the little fishes. When anisakis is swallowed it results in a disease called anisakis. This will make your stomach chum. Sometimes when ingested, and before it reaches your stomack, the worm will tickle your throat prompting you to cough it out or vomit the worm, if you are lucky. Anisakis can bore in your stomack or gut lining causing mild to severe abdominal pain and inflammation, often within an hour of eating the worm. The only way to get rid of the worm out of your body is by endoscopy or surgery . In addition, it can also cause mild to severe allergic reaction to some people. There is no cure for anisakis. The larvae can travel to the muscle tissue in the body. In severe cases of anisakis infestation, the body's (WBC) white blood corpuscles will gather around the worm to fight off the infection and form a mass or granuloma often misdiagnosed as a tumor.

Anisakis is visible to the naked eye as a whitish thread or fleck in the fish tissue and should not be confused by the veins and sineus that they resemble. If the flesh of the fish looks mealy,it is a sign that it may be infested with the anisakis worm. Segments of the fish tissue that may indicate the prescense of tapeworm larvae is a whitish cyst in the fleshy tissue. If this is the case, inform the sushi chef if you are eating in a sushi bar about it and stop eating from that sushi bar. Chances are they are not buying quality fish product . If you like to make your own, make sure you know where to purchase safe fish for sushi. Since your health is at stake, the rule is not to buy cheap fish to make sushi, but rather, buy the best and safest fish to make sushi. Keep it on ice on your way home and until you prepare and eat it. If you have freshly caught fish, gut it immediately after you catch it, but do not eat it raw. Icing does not kill the anisakis and tapeworm larvae. This fish is best cooked and well done.

Tape worm can be cured by a drug known as Yomesan,a drug classified as niclosamide and legally available only from CDC (Center for Disease Control) . According to Sandy Fork,Director of the Parasitic Disease Drug, the number of request for Yomesan has increase from 41 in 1968 to 3,414 in 1980. Request for the drug came mainly from eating raw fishes by American travelers returning from various parts of the world and to the South East Asian refuges who arrived in the the US with tapeworm.

If you like to go fishing and enjoy eating raw fish, gut your fish immediately after you catch it and before freezing . This will reduce anisakis and tapeworm infestation. Marinating the fish will not kill the larvae, freezing following FDA mandate will, but will diminish the taste. Commercial fishing vessels that catch fishes for the Japanese market guard there investment by equiping their vessels with a blast freezer to immediately blast freeze the fish they catch, and a holding freezer to hold the blast frozen fishes to -10 deg F until they reach shore and unto the fish market for the big auction.

Inspite of the risk that one encounters when eating raw fish, affecionados continue to eat sushi and sashimi . In the US, sushi and shashimi eating use to be limited to the highbrow. Lately sushi bars are now found everywhere and sushi and shashimi are consumed by people of all level of income.

Be careful when eating raw fish!

Souffle making,success or disaster

2010-06-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Souffle is one of the dishes that many people are hesitant or afraid to prepare because of previous experiences that resulted in kitchen disasters. Many of my acquaintances believe it to be true. This notion however is wrong. It is certainly much easier to cook a souffle than poach an egg. I have been to elegant dinners where souffle is served to climax a dinner, or so called " piece resistance", yet it is really simple to prepare. Souffle is a dish that one can not make in advance. There are some preparation you can do to get ahead, but the final baking is last minute. This dish is perfect for a party of 6- 12 but in excess of that,failure awaits. When you want to order souffle dessert in a restaurant it is best that you inform the waiter ahead of time.

About Souffle:

There are 4 types of souffles; those based on butter and flour sauces; those made with potato and cornstarch panades; souffle made with cooked egg yolks and souffles made with only eggs and a spirit flavoring. The 1st 3 are baked in the center of a preheated oven. The 4th type of souffle must be baked in the lower third of the oven

The main ingredients of souffle are eggs. The yolk is separated from the egg whites. The egg yolk and egg white both play a significant, but separate role. The butter and the flour forms the basis of the sauce. The eggyolk enrich the sauce. The egg white is beaten until stiff, and folded into the sauce to lighten it. The air that is incorporated into the souffle causes the souffle to rise as it cooks. The souffle rises to form a fluffy golden brown cloud, like a ballon filled with air with the end held by your fingers. At this point the souffle must be served immediately, before the air escapes and the souffle collapses.

These are the tools you need to have a perfect souffle:

1. A calibrated oven.
2. Souffle dishes
3. A cooper mixing bowl
4. A wire whisk
5. Ballon whisk
5. Wooden spoon
6. Parchment or wax paper
7. string (soak in water to prevent from burning)

Steps to preparing souffle

This recipe can fill an 8 cup or 2 quart souffle or 6 -6oz individual souffle cups
Souffle dishes have straight sides to allow the souffle to rise unobstructed. Ramekins can be used if you do not have french souffle dishes. I use individual 6oz ramekins because they cook faster. Bigger containers as in 11/2 quart-2 quarts takes 25-30 minutes to cook.

1. Prepare the souffle dish. Cut a 5" parchment or wax paper to encircle the souffle dish to allow 2" overlap. The width of the parchment paper is about 13 1/2 " adequate to wrap around a 6oz souffle dish
2. Fold the parchment paper in half lengthwise. Make 1/2 " fold at the folded edge . Butter or flour the inside of the dish and about top 3rd of the wax paper. If you are making dessert use sugar and butter.
3. Wrap the folded paper around the souffle dish . The paper should extend 2" above the rim of the souffle dish.
4. Tie a string around the paper to hold it in place.
5. Set aside the prepared souffle dish.

Recipe for a dessert souffle

3tbsp butter
4tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup whole milk
6 egg yolks
8 egg whites
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar*
3 tbsp liqueur (brandy or grand marnier
1/2 C sugar

* If you are using a cooper bowl omit this ingredient

Preheat the oven at 425 deg F for ten minutes, then reduce the heat to 400 deg F when you place the souffle in the oven

Procedure:
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan. When the butter is melted ,remove from the heat . Add all the flour all at once stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent lumping.
2. Return the sauce pan to the stove with moderate heat to cook the batter for one minute.
3. Using a wire whisk, add the liquid slowly to the flour mixture until a smooth sauce is form.
4. Remove the pan from the heat, then add the egg yolk one at a time,mixing well after each addition.
5. Stir in the liqueur. Cover the sauce and set aside.
6. Beat the egg whites using a ballon whisk until it forms soft peaks. (Make sure the egg whites are free of any yolks and the bowl is clean and dry). If you prefer to use an electric mixer ,do so.
7.Stir 1 cup of the beaten egg whites into the warm sauce to cool the sauce.
8.Slowly fold the sauce gently into the remaining egg whites,using a spatula. Each time you fold in the sauce, the mixture deflates,like letting air out of a ballon.
9. Pile the mixture carefully into the prepared souffle dish up to the rim of the dish.
After you fill the souffle dish,take a small knife a, insert 1" deep into the center of the souffle mix and swirl the knife in a circle once.
10.I Use a cookie sheet to hold the individual souffle dish for ease in handling. I leave the baking sheet in the oven when
I am preheating the oven, then I put the souffle dishes on top of the cookie sheet .
11 Bake dessert souffle in the lower third of the oven. When spirits are added to souffle they tend to overflow.
12.Slowly close the oven door and wait for the souffle to cook.
12. Souffle should be ready in 15 to 18 minutes (individual) and about 25-30 minutes if you use a 2 quart souffle dish.
13. Souffle is ready when it has risen above the rim of the dish and the top is golden brown and firm to touch. If it wobbles when touched, the souffle needs a few more minutes to cook. Close the oven door carefully.
14, When the souffle is ready, you must serve it immediately. Remove the collar in the kitchen and wrap a starched white napkin around the souffle dish. This is where the drama begins.
15.Before serving,quickly plunge a spoon in the middle of the baked souffle and move the souffle slightly towards the side. This will allow the steam to escape and delay the collapse of the dish. A well cooked souffle will hold its shape for at least 4 minutes before collapsing.
14.Sprinkle with confectioners sugar or a dollop of whipping cream.

Once you prepare the souffle once or twice you will get the hang of it and preparing the dish is going to be a breeze.

Bon Appetit

Avocado,another super fruit vegetable

2010-06-09T17:03:00.000-07:00

Avocado is a fruit vegetable. Although high in caloric content per serving, it is packed with nutrients that help booster the absorption of fat soluble vitamins in the body such as alpha and beta carotene and lutein when food rich in these nutrients are consumed with avocado.

Avocado originally is a native of tropical america.and is widespread in Peru, Guatemala,Costa Rica and Western States of America. The fruit is shaped like an elongated pear with greenish or yellowish leathery skin. The flesh is green with brownish vein and a semi firm consistency when ripe. In the middle of the fruit is a single seed covered with brown bark-like skin. The skin of some exotic varieties are light to dark green or purplish in color and have smooth skin.

Israeli's were the first people to bring avocado out from its land of origin. In a short while ,they produced sufficient amounts of avocado to supply the entire European market.

There are many kinds of avocado found in major supermarkets,ethnic grocery stores and farmers market. If you live in California, farmers market is the best place to get good buys during the summer months. Backyard growers sell numerous varieties of avocados that is not normally sold commercially because some are difficult to transport. My favorite one is the mexicola,which is the smallest of all the avocados. It is a Mexican variety . The fruit ripens in late summer. The skin is smooth, glossy with a purplish tinge.The seed is large relative to the fruit, except for the seed, the skin and flesh is edible and very delicious.

The following types of avocado are sold commercially .

Fuerte is the best known variety and ripens in November to June . it is a Mexican-Guatemalan variety. This avocado tree is sensitive to climate changes. Fuerte flowers early making it susceptible to frost and wind. The skin is thin and has a mild nutty flavor.

Bacon is a Mexican variety and ripens in November to march. It has smooth to medium thin skin and a greenish to yellowish flesh and good flavor

Zutano is a Mexican variety. The fruit is medium size ahd has a thin green skin and fair flavor. The fruit ripens in October to February.

Hass is a Guatemalan avocado and ripens in April to November. The skin is thick and pebbly and has a rich nutty flavor.

Jim is a long necked Mexican avocado that ripens in October to January. The skin is thin and very smooth. The flesh has a creamy texture.

Reed originated from Guatemala. The fruit is round ,about the size of a softball,with rough skin. The flesh is buttery and has excellent flavor.

Occasionally, you will find a finger size and shaped avocado called cocktail avocado. This can be found sold in upscale supermarkets or farmers markets during the summer months. These fruit are formed after the embryo of the pollinated Mexican -type avocado dies due to dry winds .This avocado is pricey . But if you wish to impress your friends,serve it in your cocktail parties as a crudite. Just wash, pat dry and serve, and make sure the avocado is firm and ripe, otherwise it is bitter.

One cup of ripe avocado (about 150 grams) provides 240 calories.22 grams fat,3grams saturated fat,3grams protein,about 219 IU of Vitamin A, the B vitamins ,folate,panthothenic acid, and choline. Minerals in avocado are calcium,iron, magnesium,potassium,Zinc,copper,manganese and sodium, It also is a source of lycopene and other plant sterols.
The fats in avocado is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat.

If you love mexican food, avocado is a delightful accompaniment to many mexician dishes like tacos,burritos etc. The fruit marries well with tomatoes,chilies,lemon and cilantro,producing a mouth watering dish called guacamole. Guacamole is a great dip for crudite and as accompaniment to tortilla chips.

Avocado when in season is relatively inexpensive . 1/8 of a medium avocado equals to 1 serving of fat. Use avocado in place of mayonnaise when making a sandwich. Cube firm ripe fruit and add to fresh salad. Make ice cream or guacamole out of overriped avocado. I eat avocado by squeezing the juice of a lemon and salt on the fruit and scooping it with a spoon.

If you happen to purchase unripe avocados and would like to use some, here's what you do. Take a paring knife and make one deep slit on the avocado . Put the avocado in the microwave oven and microwave first for 2 minutes. If the avocado is still hard, microwave again for another minute. To ripen unripe avocado, put in a brown paper bag and store in your pantry shelf.Avocado usually ripens in 4-7 days. If the avocado is immature, the fruit will shrivel and eventually soften but the taste is inferior to the mature ripe avocado.

Heres a recipe for guacamole:

4 medium size avocado
2 pcs. serrano pepper,wash,cut in halve to remove stem,seed and seed cavity.Mince.
2 handfull of minced fresh cilantro leaves
juice of 1 lemon
4oz non fat sour cream
1 tsp garlic powder
2tsp. salt

Wash avocado.Cut in half. Remove and discard seed and cavity.
Put avocado,serrano pepper,minced cilantro,juice of lemon sour cream and salt and pepper in blender.
Pulse twice.
Correct seasonings to your taste.
Serve with crudite or baked tortilla chips.

Morning glory, how to flower when vine fails to bloom

2010-06-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

I love morning glory . It is a must have plant for me. This plant is an annual in my area, so every year I buy a morning glory vine, already in its glory,twinning,flowers and all. This year after April Fools Day I purchased a 5 gallon blooming morning glory . I planted the vine in an area that will provide sun all day as is in the requirement. According to the instruction, this vine will grow in any soil condition and will tolerate drought. They also have fast growth and twinning habits which is excellent for the trellis outside my bathroom. It will provide shade to my house and reduce cooling cost.

In April, the rainfull came and the temperature dropped with days of cold spell. The winds created havoc . My vine looked like it went to the war, but resilient. The flowers came the first week I planted it and then stopped. I was worried that the gophers had taken a bite of the roots, I check gopher activity and there was none. I augmented the soil with Amend, since I did not enrich the soil when I transplanted it. I waited 2 weeks, no flowers, but the vine is twinning all over the place. I fertilized with a high phosphorus fertilizer to help bring it to bloom, still no flowers.

I have asked every person I know who likes plants and no one know's whats wrong. My garden experience is worthless if I can not make this vine flower. I check the internet for tips on how to flower morning glory but none of my query's resulted in an answer on how to flower morning glory. Each day I check the vine to see if there are buds , but to my dismay, the vine is all leaves.

By the end of April on to mothers day, my garden is ablaze with flowers from my flowering trees, but none on my morning glory. On the 3rd week of May I went to the post office to buy stamps, the post lady had a picture of morning glory with hummingbird feeding on it on her stand. I asked if she grew morning glory in her yard and she said yes. I asked her how to flower a morning glory and she said, just don't water it for a week, maybe you are spoiling it, it is better to ignore it.
I did just that. After a week my morning glory started to bud and since then the vine greeted me blooms of beautiful blue flowers each morning.

I also did not know that morning glory represents love in vain. According to the Victoria Language of Flowers, they attribute various properties and sentiments to flowers ,so people can communicate their feelings to the type of flowers given ,such as a suitors gift to a lady there are interested in. Nice to know. And also, did you know that morning glory is poisonous?

Until then, I will continue to share my gardening experiences . Follow my blog.

Can cooking school turn you into a top chef?

2010-06-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

Cooking schools like universities can only produce top chefs if the students are passionate about cooking and of becoming a chef. For this reason, not all cooking school graduates end up becoming top chef. In the same way as not all doctors are great.I am a dietitian by trade, and also a certificated chef from Cordon Bleu,Paris,France.I chose to hone my dietitian skills and kept my cooking skills on the side.

Most of the top chefs went to cooking school with the exception of Rachel Ray who had a personal mentor, her Mom. Cooking school teaches you the basics, how to make sauces , techniques in cooking and taste of food, role of spices and ingredients,equipments and presentaton. Here you have a paid mentor who guides your steps using a lesson plan. Creativeness is individual and will eventually come out of you in time. When I went to cooking school, I did not even know how to break an egg.

After finishing cooking school, I pursued graduate studies and put aside my chefs hat. I worked in many facets of nutrition,but my interest in food prevailed. As I mature in my career, I seek for management positions so I can influence the food preparation sector of the hospitals where I worked and get involved in menu development and training of the kitchen staff. Since hospitals have a lot of restrictions on food due to the type of clientile we serve, the directions I ventured in is the cafeteria and catering sector, where with limited budget, and inexperienced staff, I produced and presented fabulous meals that awed our guest I wrote the menus and food specifications, worked with vendors to get the right product and or reasonable alternatives. I wrote easy to follow recipes to guide the staff on food preparation and worked with them in set ups and presentation. I was tired, but I was in cloud 9 . I knew in my heart that If I took a clinical dietitian job, I did not have to work hard, will get paid equally if not more, but I will be bored.

I have influenced many cooks in my career, a few now work in restaurants and others are now chefs. During my hospital adventure, one of the cooks came to me and asked how I coined the names of the dishes in the menu I wrote. I look at him and said, I did not create the dish, the names of the dishes either came from there creator, or someone who is responsible for making the dish popular. For example Chicken Doria, was named after Chef Doria who created the dish when he was the chef at Waldorf Astoria. Lasagna bolognese, is an italian dish that was created by a famous chef in Italy. People who are in the food industry recognize dishes by there names. Chicken Doria is chicken with cucumber sauce. When they eat the dish,they know how it should taste. This is called an educated palate. If you have not tasted chicken Doria it is hard for you to judge if the Chicken Doria served to you taste right. The judges in the food network cooking contest have educated palates, they are either chefs or food connoisseur, otherwise how can they rightfully judge?

If you want to pursue a chefs career, get interested in food. Dine out to experience the taste of different foods. This will educate your palate. Know the food trends. Work as an apprentice in a restaurant. Many of the top chef's worked in restaurant here and abroad to learn the business. Some started as dishwashers. Watch what the chefs are doing,know the names and taste of the food. Osso Bucco, is an Italian dish made from veal shanks. To know how it really taste is to go to a real italian restaurant which is quite pricey. Working in a restaurant that serves the dish get you to taste it for free.

If you watch the Food Network, Iron Chef contest, the chefs in the contest are presented with a secret ingredient which they have to use in the dishes they prepare. They have one hour to prepare the dishes.There is no time to check the computer for recipes, or call a friend for advice. A seasoned chef looks at the secret ingredient and already have an idea what food or ingredient marries well with it and how best to prepare it. Years of experience in cooking molds a person into what one can call an expert ,in this case a chef.

One day,I overheard an acquaintance say," I bought Julia Childs cookbook so I can cook like her". French cooking is one of the most complicated cooking style to follow especially if you are following a traditional recipe. Second, to know that you have succeeded in cooking the dish you need to have tasted the food so you have an idea of the taste, and how the finish product looks, and third, this is my own personal test, is when my children eats it.

Cook as often as you can afford. Julia Child's boeuf bourguigon is a classic. Instead of serving beef roast to your family, prepare boeuf bourguigon. When serving your family at home, garnish the plates to practice your presentation. Invest on white dishes so the food can present well. Learn what capers, juniper berries, saffron, truffles and other ingredients can do to food. Read about it, buy and cook it if your budget can handle it. The people that joins the baking contest for pies and cake,bake everyday to hone there skills. Practice makes perfect applies to cooking as well.

Good Luck!

Manchurian or Kombucha Tea,things we need to know

2010-06-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

A years ago a friend gave me a kombucha fungus or disc with the instruction that to keep it alive I must feed it black tea with sugar , and when another liken fungus appears,about 7 days from the brewing solution, I am obliged to give the new disc to someone and give the same instruction to propagate it. I did just that. After the first batch was formed, and I started drinking the fermented liquid,I notice that I got dizzy and nauseous and suffered from persistent diarrhea so I stop using it. In short I was not able to propagate the fungus but once.

The lesson here is to find out more about a food product or medication before we ingest it. When we take an over the counter pill, we read the label,if we are sick, the doctor ask questions about our illness before he or she prescribes a medication for us. In my case, I took my friends advice without checking out if manchurian tea has has adverse effect on people.

The first recorded use of Manchurian or kombucha tea was in 221 B.C. during the Chinese Empire of the Tsin-Dynasty. It was referred too as "The Remedy for Immortality" or "The Divine Tache". 2 centuries later, Dr. Kombu from Korea brought it to Japan during the reign of the Emperor of Tokyo about 414 B.C. The use of the tea became widespread , and soon reached Russia, India and the world.

Some of the attributes that users are touting regarding the tea is that, it promotes longevity. They say that Siberians and Russians who had been drinking the tea lived to be over 100 years old and are healthy and happy. They attribute this gift of life to manchurian or kombucha tea. Dr. Pan Pen from Japan reports that manchurian tea helps restore hair growth and greying of hair and straightens the eye sight. It can be used as a natural antibiotic. Reduce weight,lower uric acid and cholesterol levels, cure rheumatism,arthritis ,kidney disorders,gout, boils,arteriocloroses,hypertension ,rebuild the stomack flora and increase blood circulation . There are other attributes that are too numerous to mention. Sounds great so far

Kombucha fungus has a built in membrane-form and is a symbiosis of yeast cells and different bacterias.This bacterias are: Bacterium gluconicum, acetobacter ketogenum and pichia fermentans. Kombucha fungus need to live in a solution composed of black tea and sugar. Given the right temperature, they will multiply . Unlike yeast, kombucha fungus is not a spore bearer. They multiple by a process producing glucuronic acid,lactic acid ,aceitic acid and high levels of the B vitamins. The culture transform the sugar and black tea into enzymes useful for the body. The resulting brew also had been found to have 0.5% alcohol.

This is the instruction I received to propagate this so called miracle tea

Make sure you use enamel or glass pot containers. Metal rimmed pots are forbidden. Remove hand jewelries when handling the mushrooms . Use wooden or plastic spoon.

Heres how to prepare the brew:

Heat 31/2 quarts of water in an enamel or glass pot . Bring to a boil, then add 1 cup of light brown sugar and let it boil for five minutes. Turn off stove, add 5 teabags (lipton or other black tea brand) .Cover for 5 minutes,then remove the tea bags and discard.. When the prepared tea is cool, put the fungus on top of solution. The fungus should float, it it sinks, it will resurface again so do not worry. Cover the pot with a cheese cloth to allow air circulation and store in a cool place with the ambient temperature of 70-75 deg F. After 7 days, the fungus has self propagated itself by forming another fungus right under the original one. Separate the disc, and start making your brew again. Give the other disc to someone .

The tea where the fungus stayed in for 7 days is what you drink . Strain the tea using a fine sieve. Store in a a glass pitcher or jar or plastic and keep it refrigerated. Take 4oz of the brew daily.

Adverse reaction to drinking the tea had been publisized but none of the magazines and newletters that recommends the tea notified users of such ill effects.

1. Because the procedure does not include aseptic procedure (home made) the cultures are largely contaminated with anthrax and aspergillus,a fungus dangerous to people with lowered immune system.
2. Lead poisoning has been associated with kombucha tea brewed in glazed ceramic pot.
3. Kombucha tea is acidic, this may cause gut toxicity,allergic reaction,jaundice,head and neck pain and vomiting.
4. Do not take kombucha tea if you are diabetic, when taking blood thinners,blood pressure medications,hupertensive medication, taking antibiotics and cortocosteroids or have kidney disorders

in 1995 a report of 2 incidents in Northwest Iowa was publisized related to drinking kombucha tea. Both took the tea for 2 months and the source of the tea is from the same culture.The decision made by IDPH (Iowa Department of Public Health) an,CDC (center for Disease Control) and Food and Drug Administration was unanimous. A news release notified the residents to stop drinking the tea until the cause of the 2 cases had been evaluated. Both of the patients had cardiac arrest, metabolic acidosis,respiratory distress and elevated lactic acid . Both were resusitated, one recovered but the other did not recover and died after 3 days.

Another incident reported was that of a 22 year old male newly diagnosed with HIV who took kombucha tea and had shortness of breath and afebrile at 103 deg F within 12 hours of ingesting the tea.

If you are compelled to take the tea , do your homework. Take sanitary precautions, make sure you are not on prescribed or over the counter medication or taking any herb supplement that may interfere or interact with the substances present in kombucha. It is very critical that you spend time researching on the adverse reaction that it may cause in your situation. Talk to your doctor. Listen to your body .You and you alone can tell the difference. The health benefits touted are mostly based on personal experience and not a documented scientific facts, nor is it based on human research.

Merienda,a collection of pilipino mid-day snack,introduction

2010-06-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

Merienda means mid day snack. It is usually consumed between lunch and dinner . The pilipino version of merienda food can be as simple as pandisal (salt bread) and hot chocolate or coffee and can be a smagosbord of native cakes and noodle dishes. It all depends on how much money you want to spend and how hungry you are. In the past 2 decades, new creations of the so called merienda food came about, due partly to the economic condition of our country and pilipino ingenuity. Parts of chickens and fish that would normally go to waste are now comouflage to look like something else. Street hawkers sell this types of merienda along with the traditional ones .These vendors can be on foot, on a portable cart equiped with makeshift fryer, in a bicycle with storage compartments, sitting in front of there homes or established in the food section of the wet markets. This sort of merchandising is designed for office workers,shoppers,travelers in buses and cars. There is no escape, eating is a favorite past time of the pilipinos and food is made available to the consumers at all points. Of course if you wish to seat and enjoy a nice merienda meal there are many restaurants that are open to serve you day and night.

On one of my visits to the Philippines, I asked my friend Bing Crisologo,who have numerous connections in Dagupan City to take me to a place where kakanin (rice cakes) are prepared commerically. We went to the place at 12AM to see the initial preparation and continue on till the crack of dawn to observe the final cooking and packaging of the kakanin. There was the bibingkang galapong, nilupak, suman sa lihya, cassava cake,ensaymada, ube, kalamay,leche flan,banana que,camote que,etc. The preparation is labor intensive. Were it not for my friends influence, I would have never been allowed to observe the secret preparation.

Next, we hired a pastry chef to tutor me on how philippine pastries are made. Everything is so secretive, and all the recipes he brought were numbered with no names. We made siopao, hopia,brazo de mercedes,sans rival, fruit of the Gods,pandisal etc. All of which I will share with you.

My last food adventure was to see the street hawkers hawk there wares in the street. We went to the different sections of Manila, near universities,offices, wet markets and shopping centers, there I saw the street hawkers in action, and what a scene. Chicken intestines in skewers,called " Isaw", Battered and fried day old male chicks called Big O is a favorite merienda for jeepney drivers. In the stand are several sauces that you could dip the chick. It is a popular pulutan for beer drinkers.
Because the street hawkers merienda food is now part of the pilipino cuisine, I will include a section in my book : Street Hawkers

The rest of the book will be a collection of traditional merienda recipes using available ingredients in the United States. The recipes are native to the philippines . The instruction for preparation will be simple. Except for Puto bungbong where a specially made vessel is used to steam the puto, the rest of the recipes can be prepared using simple kitchen utensils.
This recipes are designed for second generation pilipinos in the US , who wants to go back to there roots and learn to prepare authentic pilipino dishes.

Until then, visit my blog for delicious merienda recipes.

Lectin-are you intolerant to beans?

2010-06-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Have you experienced having stomack ache ,diarrhea or discomfort after eating beans,peanuts ,legumes or pulses? Lately there seems to be a large number of people who are suffering from chronic digestive disease and auto immune conditions . Food intolerance, allergy or sensitivity to a particular food content maybe the cause of the problem. IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) Crohns disease, colitis,lysis of adhesions ,persistent diarhhea maybe caused by ingesting foods that the body can not digest or tolerate.

Lectin is present in all foods.It is a sugar binding protein found in seeds and other parts of certain plants that binds with glycoprotein and glycolipids in the surface of animal cells causing agglutination. Ingesting too much undercooked lectin can cause nausea,diarrhea and vomiting and also food poisoning. Food with high concentration of lectin are beans,grains (cereals and pulses) seeds and nuts.These foods maybe harmful if consumed in excessive amounts in uncooked or improperly cooked form. Adverse effect may include nutrient deficiencies and immune (allergy) reaction which can lead to GI discomfort or distress through interaction of lectin to the epithelial cells.

The trend towards consumption of unprocessed food, although more nutritious and beneficial to the body can result in increase consumption of lectin. When food with lectin is ingested, it binds with specific type of carbohydrates. If lectin happens to attached to the right cell membrane in the gut wall or artery ,gland or organ it will disrupt the membrane and cause cell damage and may initiate a series of immune or autoimmune events leading to cell death. Lectin can be inactivated by specific carbohydrate known as mono or oligosaccharides which can bind with lectin and prevent the protein from attaching to the carbohydrates in the membrane. Glucosamine is specific for wheat lectin and it is this specificity that may protect the gut and cartilage from cell inflamation and destruction in wheat (gluten) responsive arthritis. Known drugs and supplements can inactivate these substances to protect the cells from harm, however these drugs may have adverse effects to the body. The safest step however is to avoid known toxic lectin . Common food include soy and wheat products including oil from these products. Avoid deadly nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant. Gluten found in wheat ,rye,barley ,malt and oats , legumes and all beans including soy and peanuts.dairy, all milk,cottage cheese,yoghurt,kefir and eggs. The epithelial lining is a continous natural barrier between ingesting food in the GI tract and the blood supply. When intact it allows only good stuff like nutrients to pass through,if its damage it will allow entrance of lectin and other undesirable compounds to bind with the carbohydrates and can result in cell death.

There is no magic bullet to prevent lectin from entering your body. It is however prudent to make note of foods that appears to give you discomfort. Since cure is individualized, in addition to the listed foods to avoid, be attentive to the needs and reaction of your body when you consume foods.

Gac ,another super fruit-new kid in the block

2010-05-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Gac is a fruit new to the United States but has been in existence for centuries in South East Asia. The scientific name is Momordica Cochinchinnesis Spreng. It is botanically classified as family cucurbitaeceae. It is not an eating fruit but a fruit vegetable that must be cooked to render it edible. The Vietnamese calls it Day Gac, In India it is known as Bhat Kerala, the Thai 's calls it Fak Kao.

The fruit is oblong or round and becomes reddish orange when ripe. Unlike bitter gourd (momordica charantia), the rind of the gac is hard and covered with conical points, about 1" high. Gac is produced by a rampant vine that is grown in trellis as an ornamental plant in South East Asia. The fruit is harvested when ripe and when the skin turns orangey red. Harvesting is only once a year and between August and February. During special occassions, such as weddings and new year, the edible seed, seed membrane and oil of the ripe fruit is added to rice to impart a red color. Perhaps because red signifies good luck and white is is regarded as a sign of death. This red rice is called Xoi gac in Vietnamese. While gac is indigenous to South East Asia, there is no cookbook written that uses gac as an ingredient other than for making red rice (xoi gac) . Gac is mostly used for medicinal purposes, for the treatment of dry eyes,night blindness, applied to open wounds as a poultice to stimulate wound closure and development of new skin.

The interest on the fruit came about because of the efforts of Thuy-Le Vuong, PHD who wrote a paper on Gac in 1998 for her Doctoral Dessertation at UC Davis,California. In her paper, she compared b- carotene content of Gac with summer and winter fruits and vegetables in Vietnam. She found out that in the ripe GAc fruit, b-carotene is the dominant carotenoid with concentration as high as 35,500 mg/100g. In addition to b-carotene,lycopense was the only carotenoid present in quantifiable amounts. In addition to carotene, gac pulp also contain significant amount of oil. Fatty acid analysis indicate that gac contains 10,198 mg per 100 gram edible portion. Of the total fatty acid of the gac pulp,70% are unsaturated,50% of these are polyunsaturated. 2 major fatty acid present in gac pulp is linoeleic, about 3,206 mg per 100 gram edible portion and alpha linoleic acid at 215 mg per 100 gram edible portion.Both fatty acids are polyunsaturated.

Chronic vitamin A deficiency continue to be one of the most resistant nutritional problems in developing countries. In 1985 the prevalence of Vitamin A deficiency disorders(VADD) in school age children in Vietnam exceeded WHO's (World Health Organization) cut off point criterion for public health problem that VADD in Vietnam received international attention. This is inspite of the fact that Vitamin A deficiency is not difficult to identify,the causes are well understood,treatments are available and vitamin A sources are plentiful.

Awareness of the prescense of Gac and its nutrient content is only known to a few scientist. In Vietnam, Gac is now being grown and processed commercially in the Red River Delta Areas to meet Global demands . It can be found sold on line in the form of a beverage G3 ,in soft gel as a vitamin supplement and also in powdered form. Gac is the worlds concentrated source of beta carotent and lycopene.

Chayote,an interesting vegetable fruit to try

2010-06-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

The food revolution started in the early 80's. Many unknown vegetables suddenly started to appear in the upscale market. These vegetables are not new and not native to the United States. Modern technology in agriculture and transportation made it possible for these exotics to reach our table. Not that our vegetables are boring but the need for variety lends excitement to our cuisine.

Chayote originated in South American and became widespread in tropical and subtropical countries including some parts of the United States where the weather is subtropical ,like Florida . It is not known how chayote reached Louisiana, where they call it Mirliton, but there cook books list this vegetables in a variety of dishes. Emerill, a native of Louisiana and one of the top chef's in TV had demonstrated how to cook mirliton in many occasions. Louisiana is one of the US state that is passionate about food.

Chayote is known by many names. The Society Islands refers to chayote as "christophene." The Jamaicans calls it "Chocho". The Australian calls it "Ceschoka". The Chinese calls it "buddhas hand" and the Floridan's calls it "alligator pear". Chayote is the Mexican term for the vegetable. The Mexican as well as the Pilipinos believe that consumption of chayote will help reduce blood pressure.The Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders eat the fruit, tops and flowers. They add the tops to meat stews and stuffs the flower with meats concoctions, then deep fry the stuffed flowers like beignet.

I have only known the chayote with a smooth skin, but when I went to Mexico City I have seen very large chayotes with hairy spikes. I have also encountered the smallest variety of chayote called perilita (named after chestnuts) . In South America, the tuber or root of the mature chayote vine is relished. I once grew this rambling vine in the hillside of Pasadena and had experienced eating the tuber. The taste of the cooked tuber is like artichoke bottom.

The chayote that we are going to discuss is the common chayote found in major, upscale supermarkets, ethnic supermarkets and farmers market . This chayote is light green in color and is shaped like a pear. A fruit can weigh about 1/2-2 pounds. I live in Los Angeles and this vegetable fruit is available year round. During the winter months,chayote is pricey . The fruit is however inexpensive during the summer months. Its not exaggerating when I say that when I planted chayote, I can harvest as much as a hundred or more fruit from a vine given the right soil and ample water. I begged to have people accept them, including writing recipes that will make them come back for more. The vegetables can be diced or sliced ,cubed or boiled and stuffed with meats and cheeses. The fruit by itself is bland but has a refreshing taste to it.

Chayote can be eaten raw as crudite. The seeds of the immature chayote can be eaten, however the mature seed which is found in the middle of the vegetable has to be removed and discarded. The young chayote can be consumed in its entirety. I love to stir fry this vegetables with shrimps as the chayote and shrimp marries well. In Cajun cuisine, the chayote is usually halved then boiled. The pulp scooped, then diced and mixed with meat and sauce, then stuffed back and baked to make a yummy dish.

If you want to grow this fruit, 1st make sure you have plenty of space and plant it in an area where it can get at least 6 hours of sun. If you live in an area where gophers are active, protect your plant with chicken wire. To start the plant, you need to buy a mature fruit and let it stand in your kitchen counter until you see a shoot coming from the bottom of the fruit,then 1 or 2 leaves will emerge. This is the time to plant. If you have gophers, make a wire basket. Put your plant inside the wire basket and plant the whole thing in the ground with the shoot sticking up. Water well.You can grow this vegetable in your pergola or provide a trellis. The leaves are large and the flowers look like squash flower but smaller.

Cruciferous vegetables ,what are their virtue?

2010-06-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

During the 80's cruciferous vegetables are limited to cabbage,broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, collard greens,chard, kale and mustard greens. Now new discoveries of other cruciferous vegetables came about increasing the number of choices. I am not particularly crazy about cabbage and brussel sprouts,because they have that bitey taste and pungent smell to it. Nor do I like to eat broccoli raw. I enjoy cabbage in coleslaw and as raw salad accompaniment to many Mexican and Asian dishes.

Cruciferous vegetables have cancer fighting properties. They contain a kind of phytochemiclas known as isothiocyanates,which stimulates our body to breakdown potential carcinogens.Cruciferous vegetables are rich sources of Vitamin C and A and numerous nutrients with potential anti cancer properties: diindolymethane, sulforathane and selenium. Diindolymethane and sulforathanea and other sharp tasting substances in these vegetables are produced from glucosinolates.

People avoid these vegetables because they were warned that cruciferous vegetables can potentially be goitrogenic (induce goiter formation) Cruciferous vegetables contain enzymes that interfere with the formation of thyroid hormones. To prevent this from happening, cook the vegetables for 30 minutes. Cooking will significantly reduce the enzyme that can cause an interference, which is the goitergens and nitriles. High intake of cruciferous vegetables can inhibit the incorporation of iodine in the thyroid hormone and also the transfer of iodine into milk by the mammary gland.

Cruciferous vegetables have been implicated in some pharmaceutical interactions. This vegetables are powerful inducers of the microsmal cytochrome, which is responsible for the metabolism of many pharmacological agents. This means that the enzyme in cruciferous vegetables expedites the process of drug metabolism . This reaction could produce drug plasma concentration that is less than the therapeutic range making the drug less effective.

Eating cruciferous vegetables is like driving a car in a construction zone: proceed with caution. They offer many health benefits and can not be ignored because of some handicap. In addition cruciferous vegetables can help decrease the body's load of unhealthy estrogens and reduce the overall unhealthy condition of estrogen dominance. Dr. C.W. Randolph also states that a "very noticeable" benefit of eating cruciferous vegetable will be decreased abdominal circumference of the waist, also called girth. He recommends that we eat 2-3 servings of cruciferous vegetables daily, and to prepare them by boiling,steaming,stir frying and baking for at least 30 minutes. The reason for cooking is to reduce the amount of enzyme responsible for causing hyp thyroidism. If you eat raw cruciferous vegetables he recommends that you limit your intake to 2-3 servings per week.

The following are names of other cruciferous vegetables other than those mentioned already: horseradish,land cress,ethiopian mustard,kohlrabi,broccoli romanesco, wild broccoli,chinese broccoli, bokchoy, mizuna, rapini,flowering cabbage,chinese and napa cabbage,turnip greens and root, mustard see,brown, black and green, tatsoi,arugula,watercress,radish,daikon and wasabi.

Edible flowers: Ways to enrich and accent your food

2010-06-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

I recently dined at a restaurant and was served soup with edible flowers floating on it. Edible flowers are again in vogue. This trend is not new. Using flowers for food and garnish maybe new to some but the practice of using flower for food dates back to the Roman times, European, notably the English people, the Middle Eastern, chinese and Indian cultures.
During the Victorian era , the use of edible flowers for food was popular. Tea time is accompanied by crystalized flowers (sugared), usually violets, and scones are served with apple blossom, rose petal jam or jellies or other flowered jelly.

A delicate tea of Chinese origin is jasmin tea,made from the flowers of a jasmin shrub.. In Mexico , a delicious tea is made from the flowers of the hibiscus which they call" Te de Jamaica". If you have seen the movie, "The Last Emperor", there is a scene where the Emperor and the Empress are dining. During the conversation, the Empress got upset and lost her royal finished, she took the cattleya orchid from her plate , bite it, and then started to chew the orchid with an angry expression in her face. The flower was cattleya skinneri, an orchid specie ,said to be edible.

I particularly love nustursuim flowers. The young leaves and flowers are a great addition to salads. The flowers perk up the greens in salads with there hue of bright colors and add verve to the salad. The flower buds can be picked before they open and preserved in brine, like capers. Roses,pansies,marigold,crocus (crocus sativa) violets,orange blossom, banana blossom,sassafras, squash flowers etc are example of edible flowers. Number one rule in growing edible flowers is not to spray the plant with pesticide. Pick only fully open flowers and in the cool of the day, after the dew evaporates. Sample the flower before harvesting,the taste can vary according to soil condition, fertilization and environmental condition.One last thing, do not pick flowers from the roadside,even if you think it is edible because it can be contaminated with pollutant which can make you sick. If you are not sure that a flower is edible,do not eat it. Do not eat flowers from the florist, and farmers market unless they are labeled as edible flowers.

Edible flowers can be successfully grown in any garden as long as they are not sprayed with pesticide. Start with good soil and the location should provide at least 4-6 hours of sun. I usually amend my soil with compost and do not use chemical fertilizer , but you can. Follow the seed direction on how to grow the plant. I do not spend the extra buck to buy organic seed. I buy regular flower seed, soak it overnight in water, and broadcast the seed where I want it to grow, when the plants are 2" tall, I thin it. Nursery plants had been sprayed with pesticide and fertilized with chemical fertilizer to be ready for the market. Customers will not purchase a flowering plant with no flowers. Since pesticides are systemic,the plant already has the pesticide in its system to give it vigor.

Before you add the edible flowers to your food, please it wash well. I spread the washed flowers in paper towels until the water dries out. If you have not tried eating edible flowers, you can be missing out. Some nutrients present in the flowers are vitamin C, A, potassium,iron,phosphorus etc. Since the use of edible flowers is minimal, such as use as garnish or flavoring, nutrition is not the dominant issue, but artisty and beauty of food presentation. If you have eaten paella, you already ate edible flowers because saffron comes from the stamen of the flower crocus sativa. Chicken feed manufacturers add marigold flowers to the chicken feed so the chicken can produce eggs that have bright yellow yolks. Do not forget the farmers market, they usually sell flower jams and jelly and maybe edible flowers.

Baby food,a new fad to lose weight

2010-06-11T16:11:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Aniston is in the limelight,not for her role in a movie but the dieting trend she is on: the blend or baby food diet! Sources say that she lost 7 lbs in 1 week. She is on a diet to prepare for her upcoming movie ,"Just go with it" ,where her role is to wear lots of little dresses. She hired celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson who put her on the blend or baby food diet. The blend or baby food diet includes fruit smoothies,pureed oatmeal,pears with cinnamon, soups containing dandelion greens and a dinner of lean meat and vegetables plus lots and lots of water.

Except for the fruit from the smoothies,oatmeal, pears and the vegetables from the dinner meal, the baby food diet lacks carbohydrate,needed for energy. The only fat is from the meat that she consumes once a day. Her diet is lacking in essential fatty acids, not to mention the vitamins and minerals that is missing in her limited diet. The protein from meat I assumed is 4oz. This should provide her 28 grams of protein and about 10 grams of fat , which is inadequate to meet her nutritional needs.The baby food she consumes is designed to meet a toodler's nutrition needs and definetely inadequate to meet an active women's nutritional requirements.

To stay on the diet for 2 or 3 days is fasting, to exceed this timeframe is asking for trouble. Eventually her energy will diminish and her body will go on ketosis (the body burns her own fat to use as energy). The part where she drinks lots of water is to rid of the toxic waste .

Beware of fad diets, they can do more harm than good.

The trend is to eat a full adult meal and use the baby food to make up for the rest of the meal that one normally takes, i.e breakfast,lunch or dinner. It is just to fill the gap. If the full meal is a balance meal, then the baby food eaten between meals and when hungry is just a to fill the sweet tooth. We eat more than what our body needs anyway . Eating takes time. People are faced with what to eat and in so doing end up eating something they did not plan to eat to begin with, it happens to me often. Nowadays you order a green salad to cut down on calories, you end up with more calories than expected because it has nuts, rich salad dressing,etc. 1 small bottle junior tapioca pudding is only 4-6 oz and probably contain
140 calories.

The idea behind all these is convenience, because of there hectic schedule. The question is why a baby food?
It limits the quantity of food eaten

Raising chicken organically

2010-06-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to have a chicken coop so I can raise chicken organically, get fresh laid organic eggs and chicken meat free from antibiotics and growth hormones. In case you do not know, the dressed chicken we buy in the store is called spring chicken. They are about 21/2 to 3 pounds in weight. The larger chicken is a hen and usually weighs 5 pounds. The spring chicken is a 21/2-3 week old chicken. A day old chick is delivered to the contract grower along with feeds laden with antibiotic to reduce mortality , and growth hormone to ensure that the chicken is ready for the market. In 21/2-3 weeks, the chicken is already full grown and is picked up by the chicken company to be dressed and sold in the market. The larger chicken or hen is about 5 to 6 weeks old. These chickens never had a chance to sleep. The light is on all day and all night long, and they feed all day long. The beaks of the chicken is filed so they do not pick on each other as they are placed in tight quarters. Talk about cruelty to animals! Also if we eat the chicken, the antibiotic is in there system because it is constantly in the feeds, when we get sick and need antibiotic , will the prescribed antibiotic work to boost our immune system. I wonder.

As soon as I had time to spare, I had someone build a chicken coop in my backyard. The coop is large enough to provide a dormitory for the chicken to roost at night, the area below is dirt where I planted grass , a place they can play and feed during the day, called free range. The air circulates and they get ample amount of sun. I make there feeds from millets, rice and other seeds and corn and enrich there diet with cut up fruits and vegetables that would otherwise go to my compose pile. The chicken are now 11 weeks old. They are not as big as the spring chicken sold in the market but I can assure you they are tastier and healtier to eat.

I use the chicken manure as fertilizer since I grow my vegetables organically (without use of chemical fertilizer). I let them dry before I collect them. I grind the chicken manure ,then mix them with compose to fertilize my vegetables. When I trim my vegetables, I chop up the leaves (except the rhubarb) and feed them to my chicken.

My uncle who raises chicken for a poultry company tells me that organically grown chicken eggs have pale yolks. The yellow in the egg is not a bright yellow. I found out later on that the manufacturers of chicken feed add marigold flowers which is an edible flower to the feed so the chicken will lay eggs with bright yellow egg yolks. I grow marigold anyway because it is a deterrent for rabbits. Just make sure not to spray the marigolds with pesticide if you are going to add it to the chicken feed. The chicken will start laying eggs when they are about 20 weeks old, this means I have to start adding the marigold flowers to there feeds a few weeks before they start laying eggs.

I am a city girl and loves the metropolitan cities. But let me tell you what joy I get when I wake up in the morning to feed the chicken and my ducks.

If you like to grow organic chicken let me know and I will share you some experiences I had encountered.
I will keep you posted regarding the progress of my chickens. And oh, by the way, about a month ago when there was a cold spell in California, some of the chicken developed colds. My gardener told me to squeeze fresh lemon in there drinking water to get rid of the cold and it did. Another victory!

Hara hachi bu, the secret to Okinawa's longevity

2010-05-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

In Okinawa, Japan seeing a 90 year old man climbing a tree to pick fruit is a common scenery. The Okinawan elders are among the leanest and longest lived people on earth. They are slim,agile and there minds are clear and lucid. The number of elders with diabetes, heart disease and obesity are few. There anti oxidant diet protects them from hormone dependent cancer,breast,prostate ,ovarian and colon cancer. Woman do not use estrogen replacement therapy during menopause since there are no menopousal complications, probably because they consume substantial amounts of soy which supplies them with genestein, that acts like estrogen. The elders have more DHEA than americans of the same age. There high level of testosterone help maintain muscle mass and estrogen protects against osteoporosis. This means few fractures and hip replacements. Elders age gracefully and usually stay lean as opposed to there western counterpart, where weight gain accompany aging. It is not uncommon to see elders farming,playing sport ,riding bicycle and going to the market to shop and or waking up at the crack of dawn to go to the fish market in the pier to buy fish and or hear the latest news in town.

Whats there secret? Hara hachi bu means eat until you are 80% full. Along with physical activity that is built into there lifestyle and eating a diet that is comprised of fresh fruits and vegetables( mostly home grown) . The Okinawans eat at least 7 servings of vegetables per day, which includes goya or bittermelon cooked with rice ,(the dish is called champuru) sweet potato, sweet potato tops , bittermelon leaves,pepper leaves, black strap molasses,loofah,cabbage,squash,bell pepper etc.They grow any vegetables that can sustain limited rainfall. Okinawan cuisine is a fusion of Chinese,Japanese and Southeast Asian Cuisine. Soy in fermented form is used in preparing miso ( a soup with seaweed) which is consumed daily. Dairy is consumed in limited amounts. Pork, goat and fish is there protein source, unlike mainland Japan, Okinawa was not influence by Buddisim. Okinawan's famous saying is " cooking begins with pig and ends with pig".Every part of the pig is utilized in there cuisine including blood,inards,feet ,snuff,ears etc. all except the hair. Rice is there staple and is usually imported because the climate in Okinawa does not sustain growing of rice. Brown and white rice is used interchangeably. The rest of the food they consumed is grown in the island . The seaweed they consume is from the seas that sorrounds the island.

Whats the drill? The Okinawan's eat 500 calories less than there western counterpart.
Bittermelon or goya is one of there staple food and is said to simulate digestion and prevent dyspnea and constipation.
It is also rich in Vitamin A and C . It contains lectin which is found to increase insulin sensitivity
Like Japan, fermented soy in the form of miso is consumed daily.

This is the Okinawa's guide to eating:
1. 75% of there daily diet consist of miso soup,soy,tofu ,turmeric tea, water, brown rice ,whole grain breads, and lean protein from fish.
2. The remaining 25 % consist of lean red meats and fattier fish , eggs,butter,oil, pork, goat, poultry ,foods with high sugar
such as desserts ,fruit juice ,carbonated beverage,wine and hard liqour.
3. Hara hachi bu- eat until you are 80% full.

This eating and lifestyle model clearly illustrate that we need to review our food choices and lifestyle,and select foods that will influence our health. We need to eat fresh and unprocessed foods, keep active,stay lean by eating less but including all the foods needed to meet our body's nutritional needs.

If you need help in developing a meal plan that will meet your nutritional needs, please let me know and I will gladly help.

Savouring the taste of organically grown chicken

2010-06-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

My chickens are 11 weeks old and ready for the table. They weigh about 4 to 41/2 pounds. Under the tutorship of my sister in law, we butchered 3 of the chickens . The rest I am going to save as layers. The bred of the chicken we butchered is cornish cross. We made stew out of 1/2 of one chicken and freeze the rest for future use.The chicken had minimal fat, the only fat we found is the fat covering the visceral organs. The part of the chicken where most fat accumulates ( near the tail and in the neck below the skin) has insignificant amount of fat. The flavor of the finished dish and the chicken flesh by itself is ambrosial, and can not be compared to the supermarket chicken. This make me even more want to raise my own chicken for my consumption and continue on with what I am doing, and that is, feeding them organic food,fruits and vegetables.

Here's how we cook the chicken:

1/2 chicken about 2-21/2 lb cut up in serving pieces
1 tbsp.kosher salt (rub this over the cut up chicken meat

Prepare the following:
1tbsp. vegetable oil
5 cloves of fresh minced garlic
3-4 " fresh ginger root,peeled and minced
1 medium onion,slice
11/2 quart water

4 medium size chayote ,peeled, cut in cubes
2 bunch of spinach,wash,trimmed and cut up

Heat oil in a soup pot. When oil is hot,add the garlic and saute until fragrant.
Add the ginger and saute until shriveled but not burned.
Stir in the onions and saute until wilted.

Add the salted chicken to the saute, and mix well. Braise chicken with the saute mix for about 3 minutes.
Add the water,reduce to simmer ,cover and cook until chicken is soft.
When chicken is soft,add the chayote and mix well. Continue to simmer until the chayote is soft.
Correct seasonings ( i use salt and white pepper if needed) in this case, the flavor is great with the salt alone.
For extra flavor, add 1 can of fat free chicken broth. if you are cooking organic chicken, this step is not necessary because the chicken is packed with flavor.
Bring the mixture to a quick boil, add the spinach,cover and turn off heat. Leave the cover for 3 minutes.The steam will cook the spinach.

Serve as soup.

Bon appetit