Cleaning Out Your Dietary Closet

I recently went through a rough week of gall and stomach problems. The reason for these problems I had created such a toxic diet  for myself. It took a week of throwing out and skipping all that junky food. Mine was not a healthy diet to begin with, with a overload of salty , sweet and fried. it was time to clean out.

One of the biggest taboos for anyone with gall problems is caffeinated drinks.That meant nixing the Pepsi along with hot cocoa out of my life. Luckily I am a big BAI fan and it was easy to change over to this tasty but all natural juice (also luckily their newest flavor is Kula Watermelon, a lovely light flavor that reminds one of hot summer nights eating chilled slices of melon).Grape and apple juice are also gallbladder diet must haves.Again, I love grape juice so this was a big plus to switch over (another good thing about grape juice - it freezes well so I will be making ice pops this summer with it) The herbal tea switchover takes some getting used to - herbal blends sometimes have a medicinal taste and aftertaste to them. Chamomile is the best  and can be tempered with  a small drop of dark honey. The diet also requires subbing in honey and agave for sugar. Water is a definite must. It helps to flush everything from the liver to the gallbladder. I will have to give up the usual glass of tap to spring water, which is always a plus.

Fried food and snacks are big cholesterol causers, Cholesterol is the main ingredient in gall stones and sludge, a kind of slimy grit that can clog up gall ducts . Potato chips are definitely off the table as are French fries. Surprisingly there is a substitiute. Green beans. Steam them first and then chill with a simple vinaigrette dressing (olive oil and vinegar are allowed, in fact the last is encouraged).Eat them with your fingers and it has that fun finger food feel. You can also just steam and pat dry with a paper towel. They then can be dipped into a homemade vinaigrette for less mess..If you want you can add some fruit  such as blueberry or pomegranate to the vinegar for  a delicate sweet flavor. Kale, along with Brussels sprouts will be turned into tasty chips if I want a fun snack. Garbanzo beans are another can eat.I have already made hummus, a lighter version of what 's sold in the stores. This recipe I found a few years ago on the internet and it is easy to make.I'ts mixing pureed cannelini and white beans with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and the juice of half a fresh lemon.

This is only the beginning of the new diet. Tomorrow I'll be highlighting the new meal plan I'll be following. It's another step to acquiring good gut health.

Lasagna And Love

Life is like a box of chocolates , according to Forest Gump. To author Samantha Kendell, life is like lasagna. This may seem funny but those reading her breakout book, Life Through Lasagna Eyes (Piaott Publishing)  will soon see why.It's a filling treat for the soul and the heart.

The author, Samantha Kendell, makes all sorts of lasagna, both as a caterer and supplier for Whole Food Markets. Upon first glance I thought she'd include a recipe or two but her lasagna recipe is of a different one. She compares the tasty dishes layers to ones' life. There is the bottom layer, the base and then the various fillings such as the cheese and meat along with the sauce. I love the chapter about the Ouie Goie.It's all about loving again and how she compares love to the aroma of fresh baked lasagna,This inspirational book is also a valentine to Ms. Kendell's daughter ,Amanda who was sadly a victim of Chicago's gun violence. Instead of crumbling as many would have done, she admirably goes on, incorporating stories of her eldest's sass and strength . These are wonderful  a mother celebrating a daughter's love of basketball and good cooking - actually the reason Ms. Kendell's life took a culinary turn.

I love this book and plan on giving it as a birthday and holiday gifts to friends and family.It truly is a must have and will get anyone  through low points in their lives. I love the different stories of giving and receiving. One episode stands out  - when her landlord gifts her with a bedroom set so she doesn;t have to sleep on the floor. Another involves watching a little boy who swings so hard he can't get off and bubbles up laughing about his "dilemma". This is the balm Ms. Kendell needs soon after losing her Amanda. Laughter is mentioned many times in this book and this is what makes it so uplifting. She recommends we share our good memories and  always have good humor  in our lives like we always need salt and pepper. This is also an inspirational book, as Ms Kendell tells us to go for our dreams as she went for hers.

Life Through Lasagna Eyes is not your typical recipe book yet it does have the best recipe for life. Read it and you will want to improve or add to your own "lasagna". What a tasty treat this book is!

A Bite of Pure Energy

Everyone  needs a pop of energy. Unfortunately those store bought bars are more filled with sugar and gluten than they are anything else. Luckily there's a new recipe book that has dozens of recipes. They're flavorful and low calorie but above all - easy to make.

Energy Bites (Penguin Random House Publishers) is a bright, poppy little book that's chock full of interesting facts as well as recipes. It was written by Kate Turner and Annie Nichols are also blogsters and Ms. Turners is known for her healthy recipes.All are gluten and dairy free so anyone could eat them..Kids to experienced home chefs can make these thanks to the easy how to pictures. It's a simple formula.Nuts plus dried fruit plus plus powders ad sticky stuff for binding. It ends with a dip in coatings.  There is an extra section on how to cook the various components along with how to roll and dip them as well as cook them.The ingredients come from health food stores. There is bee pollen and chia seeds along with raw honey and coconut oil.Luckily , the books starts out with an illustrated dictionary  that thoroughly explains the ingredients, even some of the more common ones like cacao and almonds.

What are the combos? Interesting ones. There is the perfect for after school apple pie.It's mixing rolled oats with pecans. The powdered super fruit from Peru ,lucuma is also added for a boost. Tropical immune boosters are packed with turmeric along with the exotic dried mango and baobab powder. Some bites could actually masquerade as appetizers. Raw broccoli and maca, a South American type of radish . It also has tahini and onion in it for more boost but it would be great  starting off a healthy barbecue. There are also sweet potato spicy bites, perked up with red onion, cumin and turmeric . The bites could also end a meal too as with the raw chocolate energy bites that has mashed avocado to give them a ganache texture. Try the frozen ones too,that involve avocado and banana along with cacao nibs and chia seeds. It's mixed with almond milk to get that creamy iced cream texture.

Energy Bites is a great book for those who want to nibbles to keep them going.It's a fun poppy book full of information as well as recipes. Buy it today for some fun and healthy eating.

Mississippi Roast A New Classic

The South is known for classic dishes, such as ham and grits, biscuits and chicken Now there's a dish ,Mississippi Roast that is right up there with them. It's now a Pinterest classic.

Times Food writer classic, Sam Sifton wrote about this amazing dish in yesterday's Wednesday 's issue.It's a simple dish of beef chuck slow cooked with powdered ranch dressing , and butter.There also au jus gravy added and a few pepperoncini added for bite.It was created by Robin Chapman of Ripley ,Miss. She put everything in her slow cooker one day fifteen years ago and what came out is culinary history. It was a buttery stew that her family gobbled up.It was also devoured up by the local community thanks to Ms. Chapmans best friend, Karen Farese put into her church's cookbook. The result went viral .

It was then shared on Pinterest which means it was shared with the world.It was also a hit on Facebook too as well on several food blogs. Mr. Sifton decided to make this on his own. Gone are the mixes with their chemical  flavors. He made his own ranch  dressing using apple cider and buttermilk . Paprika was also thrown in for color and bite. The result? Just as good as the original recipe. His family devoured it as heartily as it was at Ms. Chapman's table. Personally I would go with Mr. Sifton's recipe.I'd rather have the homemade dressing  and only half a stick of butter. You can add the pepperoncini if you like . Again,I'm not a big fan so that's one ingredient nixed.Serve it with egg noodles or in a sandwich.

Mississippi Roast is soon to be an American classic, on the same level as Jello cake or Dr Pepper ribs. It's a tasty dinner that's easily made and easily eaten. Try it and see what the South has been raving about for years

African American Cooking Reimagined

African American cooking is not just soul food. It's much more, taken from the two hundred year old disapora that ripped Africans from their countries and roots.Native foods came with them, forever altering American tastes and dishes. Now there is a movement to bring those flavors to  current dining trends.

Regular contributor to the Wednesday Times Food section, Jeff Gordonier wrote an extensive piece on this. There is a new generation of African American chefs that are fusing history and imagination to create dishes that go beyond the typical soul food marriages of cornbread and barbecue or collard greens with ribs.There might be collard greens but they're reimagined  cooked Japanese style with a coating of sesame dressing. This is what Nicole A Taylor did to them in her new cookbook " The Up South Cookbook. There is also more embracing of original vegetables such as eggplant and peanuts, along with spicing, reminiscent of West African spice markets..African cooking is not taught or just ignored in the Euro centric cooking schools.Many chefs have to take their own trips to countries such as Ghana or Nigeria to acquire recipes or base theirs on older ones.

What about soul food? It's there and many chefs will cook it. It's origins are from the farm, with the mantra  "If it grows, together then it goes together."However it does get a fine tuning. Creole Shrimp and grits get a California zing with sweated vegetables at Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland,CA.Chef Tanya Holland keeps the richness but adds some baby spinach and cumin for a healthy kick. Some newer soul food restaurants will smoke pork belly on site as well as having shrimp that comes from Baja California as opposed to the Gulf of Mexico. Many chefs make regular visits to their local farmer's markets for the same freshness that 19th and earlier 20th Century  home chefs incorporated in their dishes. For years these dishes were either dismissed or lost  because they were deemed unimportant yet real soul food is healthy and flavorful,It's also a link to the West African countries that served as their basis.

African American cooking and West African foods have contributed so much to American culinary scene, It is finally being celebrated in many delicious ways. It's about time

Soup-er Fun All Year Long

Imagine having an array of healthful and yummy broths, consommes and soups at your fingers all year long. These help in hydrating and  nourishing, as well as in detoxing and cleansing. It sounds too good to be true but it can be done. A new cookbook can show soup lovers and concerned eaters how to.

The cookbook is called Souping(Random House Publishing) and was written by Allison Velasquez who is an authority on souping or living on soups to nourish and cleanse the body. This is a great book for those who are into the Paleo bone broths  as well as those who detox their bodies on a regular basis. There is an entire guide on that with helpful hints about how to ease in and out of one. Readers should keep in mind that the cleanses are not just for losing weight. They're also geared for improving both body and mind. The ingredients are not only seasonal - all four seasons of souping are here - but natural. The author recommends using purified water  along with coconut oil. There is suggestions about what herbs to use for flavoring along with using sea salt. What not to use? Bouillon cubes. If you have to make your own broth, use chicken or beef, whether from leftover roasts or from your local butcher.Soupers will fi d it easier to make the spring, summer and fall broths and soups . Winter is a bit trickier,because all the ingredients must be fresh.

How is it making soups and broths by season? Spring and summer sound more like drinks, Many are fruit based and may take some getting used to by traditionally minded home chefs.There is a bright , sunny colored mango. Serrano pepper gives it zing.This last also figures heavily in a pineapple and kale pottage. Are there any traditional soups? Yes, but they don;t have the chunks of meat, veggies or pasta that  most are used to cooking and eating.A winter root vegetable soup is the perfect chill chaser. There is a nice mix of sweet potatoes, butternut squash and parsnips, flavored with onions and garlic. A vegetable broth will basil can be made year round and it's brightened up with the juice of four lemons. What about the bone broths. These are the best for you. and Ms Velazquez gives a good one, a mix of beef and turkey zinged up with tomato paste and apple cider vinegar. Home chefs could also try a chicken broth with jalapeno peppers, not the usual consomme.

Souping is not just  making and eating soup on a cold winter's day.It's also cleansing and fortifying the body.This new cookbook and how to will help you do that. with guidance and car

e.

A Trip To The Tropics

Saturday's monster snowstorm has us all longing for balmy breezes with a pina colada in hand or a plate full of chicken jerk under a Caribbean moon. Even though we can't visit Hawaii or Jamaica, we can certainly take a culinary trip to their foods. In fact , there could even be a luau planned despite the snow!

Many think Polynesian and Hawaiian is just pineapple and poi.Its much more than that, we have the Hawaiians to thank for sea salt. They were the first to use it along with various fish and seafood. European settlers brought in pork and chicken which are the backbones of the cuisine.Try the Khal Bi an Asian (the cuisine is also heavily influenced by Chinese, Japanese and Korean settlers to the islands) dish of marinated short ribs. Butterfly short ribs and then let them soak for four hours in a marinade of soy sauce and honey , spiced up with garlic and ginger root. Sesame oil gives it its's smoothness Serve with a variation of somen salad, using the ultra thin  Japanese noodles (vermicelli can be subbed in) mixed with kamaboko, processed white fish  and shredded lettuce. You could also add pepper and tomatoes - yes they're grown in paradise too - and dress wit rice wine vinegar  and sesame oil. Torikatsu is another Hawaiian specialty that uses panko breaded chicken breasts served with a tangy side sauce made with A-1, catsup, along with soy sauce and sugar. You can add a dash of hot sauce for true tradition or omit it for a milder dip.

The Caribbean is another great winter destination. It gives us tongue searing jerks and spicy callaloos. Jerks are a blend of the super hot Scotch bonnet pepper, allspice and thyme. It's easy to make at home,however due to the pepper's fieriness, It's highly recommended to use rubber gloves.. Home chefs can sub in a pepper with lesser heat. Lime or orange juice is added to make it into a paste. For a true island zing  use a slug of rum for some kick and sweetness. Jerks can be used on everything from beef to chicken but it is a standard with pork.Some Jamaican recipes call for lamb and even fish.
Callaloo is a type of spinach, popular in Trinidad and Tobago along with Guyana.Luckily it's now found in markets every where and made with garlic and thyme. Scotch bonnet can be added to give it enough heat for a fireplace along with lemon juice. Try it Virgin Island style with eggplant , okra and sweet potato for a kind of veggie stew.For quick snack food , make Jamaican patties.It's a curry flavored crust surrounding a spicy chopped beef or chicken filling. It's a great weekend dish to  make and have with a chilled ginger beer.

Foodies can turn their kitchens into culinary getaways  by cooking foods of the tropics Try a sweet Hawaiian dish or a fiery jerk to remind one of balmy nights  and warm turquoise seas.It's almost like a vacation to your favorite island!