Rethinking Eating

 Can people rethink the way they eat? Can those good fruits and veggies be treated the same way as potato chips and candy? Surprisingly the answer is yes.It starts with both adults and kids and it leads to a healthier life overall.

Regular contributor Pete Wells, who also struggles with weight problems wrote this fascinating piece in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Humans ave a tendency to eat foods that give them a dopamine or "happy feeling hit".It's called hedonic hunger where the tastiest and often bad ,over processed foods are craved and eaten.Yet the same theories can be applied to healthy eating too. Neuroscientist Dana Small , one of the world's top neuroscientists of food decisions learned that er own choices led her to almost developing Type Two Diabetes.Not wanting to become a diabetic she went on a diet.It wasn;t a good experience for her.All the diets she had been on were nothing more than joyless deprivation. She had to rethink eating which  she did. She looked for the sweetest priest raspberries which are low glycemic and rich in fiber.  She applied hedonic eating to healthy eating and it paid off. She followed the Raspberry Principle and made foods that she'd be excited to cook and eat. There were chicken and tofu stir fries, generously spiced with turmeric coriander ,cumin and garlic.

Anybody can be retrained to think how to eat. In England, British food journalist, Bee Wilson, founded TastEd,a non-profit group, dedicated to training teachers to show students to sniff, poke prod and ogle fresh fruits and veggies along with the all important tasting them.Ms. Wilson says "Kids have never been taught that broccoli, apples or lettuce is something they might enjoy."They've been told to eat five a day and that was it.That doesn't;t make a child want to pick up any produce and eat it. Nutrition campaigns show these good foods as chaste and the campaigns haven't changed since the 1950's.It's changing .Dr. Emmaue J. Ezekial an oncologist and bioethicist at the University of Pennsylvania suggest healthy eating and the occasional scoop of ice cream. It;s showing that moderation is they key to healthy eating.He nixes soda yet promotes alcohol, saying that three to four drinks a week are fine. Doing this can reduce stress, anxiety and depression.There is also mindful eating or analyzing what you eat.The secret tot his is eating slowly and concentrating on the taste and texture of the food being eaten jam Chozen Bays who has written two books a bout it suggests eating slowly, fully chewing and savoring before taking another bite. It turns out that after the third bite a tasty food like chocolate loses its' appeal.

People CNA be taught to eat right.It just takes a shift in mindset to do so.Healthy eating is within the human range .It's just up to the eater to follow this.

Celebrating The Harvest with Chakalaka

 By now everyone is tired of every tomato , pepper and squash dish under the sun. everyone has had their fill of ratatouille, gazpacho and stuffed squash boats. Yet there is another dish - different and exciting to try that involves all this mid summer veggies.

Regular contributor and chef Yewande Komolafe wrote about this dish in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section.It is a South African dish whose recipe varies from family to family. The basic recipe has to include the four elements, salt, fat ,acid heat.It is a perfect dish for the busy home chef.In its' simplest form it;'s a condiment or relish. Spoonfuls of it are placed beside meats or fish . Elaborate versions can be served with a whole egg on it.even steamed fish ,heavily laden with herbs can also top it. rice or pap, a South African porridge made with maize. It came about by migration and adaptation with versions incorporating Chiles from other parts of the continent along with masala spices from Southeast Asia and baked beans from Europe.Laborers from nearby Mozambique, Botswana,Lesotho and Eswatini (Swaziland) who worked in the mines wanted a hearty dish that would keep well over long periods and distances. were most likely responsible for it's introduction.

What's in chakalaka? According to Ms. Komolafe canned veggies and beans work well too so it can be made in the cooler months too.Use canned kidney and pinto beans,. chickpeas or black eye peas for the protein. Tender tomatoes can be replaced with fresh from the garden squash or eggplant. Starchier veggies like carrots can be replaced with cabbage or winter squash. A spoonful of tomato paste will keep the acidity. Ms Komolafe gives two recipes, one for the actual dish and one with bratwurst and caramelized onions.It's basically a stew that starts with cooking an onion in vegetable oil for three to four minutes. spices such as garam masala, garlic ginger and chiles. One teaspoon salt and half a teaspoon of pepper are added and then the tomatoes bell peppers and  the juice of one lime. Carrots are added and everything is stirred  simmered until the liquid is thickened. Add the beans if wanted, Take off the stove and then cool Chakalaka can be refrigerated for up to ten days or frozen up to three months. However it can be served hot with polenta or rice  as a healthy dinner.

Chakalaka is the perfect dish for those garden veggies. Make it as a main meal or as a side. Its a different spin on those summer harvest recipes.

A Different July Fourth

This is by far the strangest July Fourth weekend any of us have experienced. As the past few months have taught us anything is that we need to care for our families and others. How do we do that? By offering good food, whether homemade or restaurant bought.

Families can still have barbecues even if they're socially distanced.It can be done. Even if it's just the immediate family there's still can be hot dogs and hamburgers, graced with sides of macaroni and potato salads. If more people are coming then check out Melissa Clark's article in Wednesday's New York Times Food section about a barbecue in the age of Covid 19, There won't be shared ribs or s'mores but you can have delicious grilled chicken that everyone can take off the grill themselves, along with bags of chips and homemade  no bake butterscotch custard. You can still have beach and park picnics if you're six feet apart from everyone. Some snack bars may be closed yet there may be food trucks offering everything from burgers to taco in the beach and park parking lots. If not, then get out the cooler and stuff it with picnic classics. Think hero sandwiches, chock full of such treats as mortadella and prosciutto , graced with tomatoes lettuce and some kind of dressing. For a more sophisticated vibe try pan bagnat the Provencal classic that has everything in it from hard boiled eggs to anchovies in it along with tomatoes and Dijon mustard. Have bottles of sparkling mineral water to wash it down along with flavored seltzers.

If that's not your style, then eat out. Many restaurants and even diners are now offering outdoor dining, perfect for the evenings. Event tents are popping up in their parking lots , protecting tables and customers. They're worth visiting (although if it looks too crowded, think about ordering the food and bringing it home). There's something about dressing up after three months of lock down wearing ratty clothes and actually eating something you personally haven't slaved over. It's time to get that shrimp cocktail with the giant shrimps or the filet mignon with pomme frites. Better yet it's ordering all the fun food like pot stickers or mozzarella sticks , washing them down with fancy drinks or large refreshing glasses of iced tea. For those who love the different ethnic cuisines, it's spending a warm night enjoying pasta under the stars or chicken curry amidst balmy breezes. Take advantage of the coffee shops and bakeries too.  Some also have tables and chairs set up on their sidewalks too. Meet friends for iced coffee and cupcakes and catch up on what's been going on.

Yes, this will be a July Fourth for the books. Make the most of it. Use it as a template for the holidays to come. Just remember to care for family and friends. Offer them good food, whether from your grill or your favorite restaurant,