Food Philosophy Series -------------------------- Part 1: EAT CLOSER TO NATURE

"Food" made in a science lab is not food.  It is not fuel. 

Processed foods and premade items often contain chemical preservatives and additives that are simply more waste for the body to deal with and filter.  Toxins are stored and ultimately, our health is compromised.  My goal as a chef is to use clean, all-natural ingredients at all times.  And to find easy ways to make things people love while sticking to this principle.  Occasionally I'll "cheat" and use a canned item but I make sure it's organic and with NO preservatives or scientific chemical ingredients which I cannot pronounce.

"Eat closer to nature"  What does this mean? 
This philosophy means: 

• Eat things with as few ingredients as possible that are NOT made in a factory.
• Shop the perimeter of the grocery store.  Ever noticed what's in the middle aisles? Junk food and soda.  Processed goods.  Cleaning products.  
• Enjoy the REAL thing...Just use a little less if calories or portion control are a problem for you.
• Eat homemade desserts when you decide to indulge.  Homemade desserts, while still full of sugar and yummy, sinful stuff, are fresh and made without the chemical preservatives, artificial flavors and colors.   

Today's Main Event
BUTTER  vs.  MARGARINE

Today's contenders will battle it out in a heated match of natural vs. artificial, real vs. fake, original vs. hyped...

In Column 1:  "Pure Butter! Hailing straight from the farm, it's got one and only one ingredient...CREAM!  Butter is the favored contender in today's competition.  Butter doesn't need smoke & mirrors to exhibit it's pure flavorful contribution to cooking."

In Column 2-5:  "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter/Margarine/Parkay!  Hailing from, well, I'm not sure.  It's been hyped and we've heard it all before, but turns out, these guys may not be so good for us.  Check out that long list of ingredients and decide for yourself."

(You might ask yourself, what is "vegetable colouring",  "modified milk ingredients", "artificial flavours", "vegetable monoglycerides", "potassium sorbate" or BHT? And why is it okay to entrust our health to huge corporate conglomorates where the bottom line is the priority? )

After careful consideration and a little lable reading, BUTTER is the clear WINNER here!  CREAM! That's it. Pure, simple, cream. ONE ingredient and nothing else used to dominate the opponents. 

Things to Note in above ingredient list:

• BHA - BHT = Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and the related compound butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are phenolic compounds that are often added to foods to preserve fats. http://chemistry.about.com/od/foodcookingchemistry/a/bha-bht-preservatives.htm
• Sodium benzoate is a preservative. It is bacteriostatic and fungistatic under acidic conditions. It is used most prevalently in acidic foods such as salad dressings (vinegar), carbonated drinks (carbonic acid), jams and fruit juices (citric acid), pickles (vinegar), and condiments. It is also used as a preservative in medicines and cosmetics.^{[1] [2]} As a food additive, sodium benzoate has the E number E211.  It is also used in fireworks as a fuel in whistle mix, a powder that emits a whistling noise when compressed into a tube and ignited.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_benzoate 

This is simply creepy that we think it's okay to ingest these things.  I wonder why cancer rates are so high and what could a lifetime of eating these chemicals be doing to our bodies internally?
The thing to take away from this is:  A little knowledge can go a long way.  Reading a label, which takes just a few extra seconds at the market, can really help you make better choices. 
Maybe you are concerned about cholesterol or caloric intake?  
Here are some options...

1. Less is More:  Use less amounts of butter in cooking, and enjoy it, knowing your body can process real butter without the introduction of chemical ingredients and/or preservatives.
2. Use Olive Oil instead of butter as it has cardiovascular benefits and may actually help lower cholesterol. http://www.health-benefits-of-olive-oil.com/olive-oil-ingredients.html
3. Try FLAX OIL on toast instead of butter. (Look for a brand without preservatives, please)
4. When baking:  Use Applesauce to replace 'vegetable oil' or 'butter' in a recipe. 

Salad Dressing Alternatives:    FAST-EASY-HOMEMADE-ALL NATURAL

1. Combine the following in a jar and shake (store in fridge)

• 1 T Dijon Mustard
• 1 tsp Honey or Agave Nectar
• Dash garlic powder
• 1:3 ratio of Balsamic or White Wine Vinegar to Olive Oil or Flax Oil
• Sea Salt / Pepper to taste

2.  Don't feel like making dressing?

• Drizzle olive oil over salad + squeeze fresh lemon or orange wedge + pinch of sea salt/pepper = toss!

You've Heard it Before..."Drink More Water"

My Doctor says:

Drink "1/2 Your BodyWeight in Ounces"

For Example:

You weigh:  150 LBS  (divide by 2)

You Should Drink: ~75 oz of Water per day

(not coffee, soda, fruit juice, or diet drinks)

Typically, we hear

"Drink 8 Glasses of water a day"

Eight glasses may seem like alot.

Especially if you have to keep refilling.

TRY these tips to entice you to drink more water:

• Carry a large-size water bottle and sip throughout the day.
• Squeeze a lemon wedge into the bottle to have refreshing Lemon Water each time you refill.
• Lemon H2O is also a liver cleanser.
• Freeze a little water in the bottom of the bottle before filling and you'll have refreshing "Ice Water".
• Add a bit of Grapefruit or Orange Juice (just a little to avoid too many calories) to give a burst of flavor to your water. Serve over ice.

 A couple things to Note:

1. A constant feeling of hunger may be masking your body's need for hydration.  Not drinking enough water and eating processed low-water content foods (IE:  any type of junk food, nuts, protein bars, bread, pasta) may leave you in a constant state of dehydration. (High Water Content Food great for snacking = Apples, Carrots, Fresh Pineapple or Watermelon chunks, Berries...You get the idea?)
2. Struggling with Headaches?  May be partly due to dehydration. So drink up!
3. For every cup of coffee or caffeinated drink, consider drinking a glass of water.  Caffeine is dehydrating.  (And coffee stains your teeth so "rinsing"with a glass of water may hydrate and keep your teeth pearly white!)

See also Last Week's snippet:

Boring Water No-More

Ideas for more palatable H2O

Add any combination of the following to a bottle or pitcher of water.  Keep it in your fridge.

• Sliced Cucumber + Lemons + Fresh Mint Leaves
• Sliced Strawberries + Orange Slices
• Limes + Lemons
• Basil + Pineapple Slices (or the core of pineapple which is not typically eaten)

It's Time for a Change.

Kicking old habits can be easy with an open mind and willingness to try new things.

Instead of turning up your nose at green vegetables, or cringing at the thought of drinking plain water because "it's boring", why not seek out ways to make it interesting or simply give it a try even if you think you may not like it.

Embrace a little change and see it as a challenge. 

*****

To kick it off, here is a simple recipe.

Forget the mushy, overcooked and underseasoned green peas from your past and try this at home!

Lemon-Garlic Green Vegetables
This recipe will work for any of the following:
Broccoli, String Beans, Asparagus, Brussel Sprouts

(Start slowly and choose the one most appealing to you.)

You'll need:

large pot of water

strainer

large mixing bowl filled with 1/2 ICE + 1/2 WATER (aka: Ice Bath)

saute pan

Green Vegetable of Your Choice - washed and slice or chopped to desired size

Extra Virgin Olive oil (regular Olive Oil is okay too)
Fresh garlic - 1 clove, peeled and sliced
1/2 fresh lemon
sea salt & pepper

BLANCH:
Bring pot of water to boil and add your choice of vegetable.
Simmer for 30 seconds to 1 min until tender but NOT mushy.
DO NOT OVER COOK - Veggies should have slight crunch but not raw.
SHOCK: (this stops the cooking process & retain the bright color of vegetables)
Strain vegetables then pour directly into Ice Bath
Stir gently until all veggie are cooled.
DRAIN:
Strain again and set aside.

Heat saute pan for 30 seconds over med-high heat.

Add 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil and allow to heat for a few seconds.

Add sliced garlic only for a few seconds

(IF YOU BURN THE GARLIC, WASH PAN AND START OVER. Bitter garlic is not worth it)

Add green-vegetables and toss to coat with oil. Once vegetables are heated through, add juice of 1/2 lemon, pinch or two of sea salt and pepper and toss again.

Pour into mixing bowl and serve!

*****

Boring Water No-More

Ideas for more palatable H2O

Add any combination of the following to a bottle or pitcher of water.  Keep it in your fridge.

• Sliced Cucumber + Lemons + Fresh Mint Leaves
• Sliced Strawberries + Orange Slices
• Limes + Lemons
• Basil + Pineapple Slices (or the core of pineapple which is not typically eaten)