Actually Yummy Veggie Burgers

Mention veggie burger to anyone ordering food in a restaurant and they'll blanch. Unfortunately this healthy food has a bad reputation, especially when ordered out. It's usually a vile greenish color with mushy peas and heaven only knows what else squishing out of it. However there are a few restaurants bent on changing the much maligned burger

Today's Dining section in the New York Times had an excellent article about this revolution. Dining regular Jeff Gordinier interviewed various American chefs who redefined the plain veggie burger. Some added beet juice to give the interior that look of rare meat while others added prunes(!) for chewiness. Most cooks stuck with using the typical veggies, of peas, cauliflower, squash and chickpeas to get a nice, healthy but delicious burger.A big help was how the burgers were cooked, mostly over hickory to give them a smoky flavor.

How did these rate? The priciest ones that Manhattan has to offer got the best rating. This comes out of Hillstone down in the Village is is a whopping $16.00 However it is also the best tasting and has the most meat like texture. The burger is made out of a composite of brown rice, black beans and red beets. Other sort of come close such as the croquette at Westville and the chickpea laden one from Burger and Barrel, both also in the Village. Some do fail sadly enough .It's probably because there's been little effort put into them. As with any dish a veggie burger has to be thought out and planned carefully, then expertly executed to make it work.

Veggie burgers can be just as tasty as other burgers. They don't have to have that "ugh" factor that puts diners off them. Thanks to a chef's creativity, they can be just as delicious and satisfying as the real thing.

Killer Foods

Surprisingly enough your diet may be killing you. I'm not talking about the fried food and beef here but the good stuff. Some fruits and vegetables can have some negative side affects. We all know about their attributes but did you know they also have a dark side? Yup. What may look like a plate of pure healthy may actually be bad for you.

Take for example the beet. Yes it's good for you in moderate doses. Who doesn't love it in a salad covered with vinaigrette and set off by onions? Yet eat too much and it can cause kidney damage. It's also not recommended for people who suffer from kidney stones. The same applies to the iron rich spinach. We're all taught from an early age to venerate spinach yet it does have a dark side. Again it's not good for those suffering from kidney stones. However it still is a good green to eat so have it at least once a week.Then there are tomatoes. Yes they are tasty and are good from salad to soup however they are high in acid. This is a bad thing for those suffering from stomach disorders.

Fruits should also be eaten with care too. The main reason is that they are packed with sugar - albeit the natural kind. Gobble down too many apples and bananas and you'll gain weight. Some berries like strawberries contain powerful allergens which can cause all sorts of painful rashes and hives. Ditto for oranges. Eating a lot of this fruit can bring on the case of hives - definitely not a good thing with the winter wool season coming.

Veggies and fruits are healthy for you. However , like with any other foods, don't over do your intake! Ea in moderation and they'll remain healthy and good for you!

Wild Honey

The flowers are in bloom and the bees are buzzing about our gardens and fields. What does this mean? Honey. It's been around for centuries, sweetening everything from food to beverages along with acting as a natural antiseptic. Nowadays there are so many different types. Foodies can have a field day picking out the various traditional and gourmet ones.

What is honey? It's a sweet and viscous fluid produced by honey bees and derived from flower nectar. It consists of sucrose which give its it intense sweet flavor. It contains minute amounts of vitamins and minerals as well as small amounts of antioxidants (chrysin, pinobanksin, vitamin C, catalase, and pinocembrin). It's been around since ancient times with records showing that there were beekeepers as early as 700 BC. It was used in ceremonial and funeral rites because it was rare and also symbolized the sweetness of life. The ancient Greeks and Israelites used it regularly as did other civilizations. It was the sweetener of choice until the 1700s when sugar from beets could be processed. Now many people use it to help lower cholesterol and lose weight. Honey is also the preferred method to suppress coughing in children.

Like any other food honey has become gourmet in the past few years. Yes, you can still buy the regular golden honey in your local supermarket but there are also artisanal ones as well.A lot of foodies lust after honeys that have been made with lavender or heather. Some even have been infused with herbs to zests to add more zing to them. There are also honey sticks and hard honey candies to satisfy any one's natual sweet tooth.

Honey has been around for centuries and it will continue to be popular. This natural sweetener is perfect on anything and even tastes good alone. Try some during this flower filled May.