Eggs and Company

The ever versatile egg has had quite a ride in the culinary traditions of many countries; it is a nutritional icon of bakers and chefs all across the nation. Home cooks rely on this quick and easy resource for thrifty meals. Children and the elderly find the soft protein chewable and digestible. and why not include the pets on this festive gourmet parade? At less than a dollar a dozen presently, the whole family can indulge.

Medical arena scare tactics have vilified the 'poor' egg industry; first it was the cholesterol, till that theory was reversed by research on the quality vs quantity  of metabolic process of the eggs. Now the focus is directed to cage-free production and salmonella or avian flu--Buyer beware! If the consumer intends to eat eggs raw in smoothies or out of shell, then it is best to depend on field raised chickens and reputable stores.

NOW! for the fun part of 'eggdom': What I do with the humble, yet majestic source of life, this egg in my kitchen.

1) Boiled Eggs, How and When:
Gently put eggs in bottom of pan--(i use a whole dozen for various purposes) cover with cold water--add a tsp of salt--bring to a boil for five minutes--turn heat off--cover with lid for five extra minutes.
--empty hot water in sink--fill pan with cold water till that is warm--empty again--Put a towel on counter--then roll each egg with GENTLE pressure to crack the surface only--pull--peel--rinse egg.( i let other eggs soak in the cold water while i peel the diaphenous inner skin off the smooth egg white) done! After admiring your handiwork, grab a sharp knife to slice or cube the perfect white oval shapes. Ready?

What to do with Boiled Eggs?:
a simple white gravy can dress up a quick open faced toast:
3 heaping tablespoons of flour--i cup of milk--salt and pepper to taste--shake all in a glass jar--let a spoon of olive oil or bacon grease or best coconut oil heat on medium in sauce pan--add liquid to pan--stir constantly till thick, add more milk or water or broth till smooth--add egg cubes--five minute total and you are serving a nutritious go-to breakfast, lunch or why not dinner.
serving suggestions: bacon bits, parsley leaves, green onion slices, pepper flakes and grated cheese all add flavor and eye appeal, savor!

Egg Salad:
 a standard which requires only clean hands and a gourmet mind:
Armed with any kitchen tool capable of smashing the rubbery food into submission; you reduce the eggs which have not quite deserved an award for successful peeling. let rest in bottom of glass bowl--now in separate bowl, you mix any or all the following ingredients--3 Tsp mayonnaise--1 tsp mustard<if you must> Dijon for sure--a dash of pickle juice ( i prefer bread-and-butter or sweet gherkins) a pinch of salt and a sneeze of pepper..red pepper flakes or red bell pepper cubes, green ones and even yellow ones for color and texture! add to the eggs. Don't taste yet! wait an hour as flavors blend and cool.
Serve on toasted sour dough or on crackers, with an olive on top of course!. let imagination play with your food! mint or parsley add to digestibility.  a discreet lemon squeeze brings out the essence of freshness.

Now for Quiche:
Easy way first:
Buy 2 pie shells--lightly poke shells with fork tips, paint surface with coconut oil or melted butter--bake in oven at 375 for only five minutes ..
In a large glass bowl, 1 cup of milk-- 3 large eggs--a dash of salt and pepper--sprinkle of onion soup mix--a tsp of baking soda--a tbsp of flour.and a bag of frozen spinach, or can of drained spinach-- mix well--pour evenly in shells--add grated cheese on top--bake 45 minutes till brown and dry crust.
 for Better Quiche?make own homemade crust--use half and half-- fresh spinach and pan fried onion cubes--fresh Gruyere swiss cheese and six eggs--rich and creamy.
 Bon Appetit!

Dress up leftovers with yellow eyed slices, or throw onto salads for that restaurant effect and taste.
cut eggs in half lengthwise and plant flowers like violets or rose petals along with bushy lemon balm or verbena sprigs on its sunny heart, pink Himalayan salt or red pepper flakes will finish the garnish;. fun and crunch!sprinkle wine vinegar or rice vinegar and oil across tops; voila!

Going to Zero Waste Week.

In a very productive year on my food agenda, I dare not complain. In 2013 yardening (that's turning your yard into a garden with a Y)  has been proven to satisfy my chewing muscles. Now, how do I store and eat all of this abundance? There shall be no waste in this household. I aim to starve the compost pile and put the worms on a diet. This is my 'Zero Waste Week pledge!

Although I have been a near zero waster for all of my conscious life, I find there is some possibility of refining the art of home foods management. My inspiration is kept current by reading the writings of Rachelle Strauss, aka, Mrs green at My Zero Waste blog. She is a diligent router of all manner of wasteful behavior and a positive influence on the path to personal or corporate responsibility. Her honest and thorough posts, her family videos and tips incite readers to reduce, use, re-use or recycle all that is bought.

The annual event of ' Zero Waste Week' is coming up in September and I am ready to join the fray. Not exactly a frenzy as I live in a far off rural community, but accessible by medium low tech laptop plunking..by the second of next month, I should have enough photos and how-to's to satisfy the do-it-yourself saver of precious nutritional resources. Please follow the recycled brick path to my yarden and climb the wooden stairs to the kitchen for a peak at how a french born writer remains dedicated to some modicum of preservation.

Mind set at zero: no cement block necessary to keep freezer door locked, no double stacking canned goods or jars of preserves in the gluttonous cupboards. I am saving for a food dryer < next year>.

Meanwhile back at our humble home;

dried foods take much less space than canned goods, so, I thread a needle with strong cotton and pass it through the goodies..usually in the center because it is unnerving to have to pick up your gardening efforts from the floor, no matter how clean it is..and a pitiful picture of me on all fours blowing dust before the project is completely ruined. 'True Grit' is a movie, not a crunchy food alternative.

Washed and towel dried mushrooms Agarics, boletus, chanterelles or morels, or cleaned, cubed fruit, apple slices, pears, apricots, plums or veges such as peppers, carrots, rutabaga, winter squash, all keep well when sliced thin enough to dry in a day or two for good measure. Hang in convenient area, away from walking patterns ( our basement has adequate ventilation, so I can suspend my scrumptious garlands from the beams with strong nails, of course) and set a fan on high, till the poor veges and fruits of the land are reduced to shriveling remnants of their former beauty.

To store the winter treats, I loosely roll some around in a bowl of cinnamon sugar for snacks, or simply stack the thinly sliced yellow or green squash in clean, dry glass jars, store in darkest corners of shelves to add to soups, sauces or use as dip chips..mmm!

For my flop of the day, I confess that tomatoes have not been my most successful drying experiment; they slid off, squished together and ultimately ran away with molds and mildews prior to joining some other failed trial in the very forgiving compost area. Someone has to feed the beneficial nematodes?

Reminder to self—save for food dryer-- <or make one out of wood slats and nylon screen, plus fan>. Plan to shrink a few exotics when on sale..kiwis, pineapples, bananas, seedless grapes, mangoes, papayas, quince..I think I hear the strawberries squirming in their patch out back!

I am definitely no joiner, but this is something I can use to sharpen my ecological muscles.

Zero Waste Week, Sept 2-8 2013.wherever you are..on facebook or at myzerowaste.com

Sunchokes: Jerusalem Artichokes, growing and eating them

Sunchokes: Jerusalem Artichokes, growing and eating them.

image credit urban artichoke. com

it is now late spring and the Jerusalem artichokes are poking out from under late snows, the old mulch has melted into fertile cover and keeps weeds from showing up. I am still eating some of the roots, plants are ready for summer shade and shine..they look so perky in yellow crowns on my kitchen table.

Just as a child with a sunny disposition can bring joy in the house, the sunchoke plant is a source of moments of happiness in the garden. From spring buds to tall spikes blooming bright yellow above one's head, there are many stages and uses for this humble vegetable. Easy to plant and to nurture; no fuss, or fertilizer, add a little neglect, some water by its feet in dry summer makes the morning happy time..it offers nutritional benefits as well as sheltering properties.

Plant against a wall and find the temperatures drop within the dwelling. Put a few tubers 4 inches into any well drained soil and reap a free crop, sunchokes are prolific. A perennial resurgence of this abundant food source makes it convenient as bean stalks or permaculture favorite. A few small tubers in winter or spring in a sad corner and a fiesta of small sunflower heads by August. To hide compost bins, to soften the wind on prized flowers. Harvest by October onward, the tubers stay underground under 2-4 inches of any mulch all winter-long; a fresh meal at the ready, lift mulch, dig out tubers, leave the rest under leaves, straw, coffee grounds and eggshells for later.

Cooking sunchokes is like preparing potatoes: clean with brush and running water, boil till tender(approx 15 minutes) water will turn a bluish-green color.

Baking is tastier as flavors are concentrated, put them in roasting pan, spray with a little olive oil, add sea salt. Bake for 30-45 minutes at 375 That's all. Carrots and celery make great roasting companions for the small tubers.

Mashed sunchokes are tender treats, depending on texture preferences, you may wish to use a blender on small burst of pulse, till peels have disappeared add a beaten egg and dash of milk and sourcream the creamy substance. Again carrots and parsnips make great additives to this dish. Sprinkle with parmesan, or gruyere, parsley flakes, turmeric and garlic powder.

There is a hint of fennel subliminal aroma to the sunchoke, close your eyes and search for the food memory bank to sort out this delicate perfume, is it licorice? Is it celery like? The unique savor is intriguing especially when stir-fried with other root vegetables. Add a dash of soya sauce or sesame oil.

image credit urban artichoke.com

I must add that topinambours or topines as these are called in France are not always welcome to the table; the farm wife next door explained to us that they had eaten so many of them during the war, she never wanted them to come inside her kitchen—in any form- not even in a bouquet. “ non merci! These are for the rabbits”.

I like rabbit food, so I appreciate such delicacies as a salad of grated sunchokes with dressing of mayonnaise, Dijon mustard , wine vinegar and grape-seed oil. Sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve alone or add to tuna salad, potato salad or green salad, it tastes nutty and crunchy.

For a quick snack, slice sunchokes thinly, and make a dip out of sourcream, crushed bean or humus, green onion, parsley leaves and celery leaves chopped very small. Sea salt and pepper, perhaps some curry spice or garlic powder if preferred.

The tubers hold anti-diabetic properties as they contain inulin ( not insulin) the digestive qualities of this root vegetable make it a must for the table of the conscious gourmet, it is economic to grow; why not plant just a few in a sunny location or partial shade and watch it thrive. 

www.urbanartichokes.com will take you to delectable imagery, the word sunchokes evokes many a dish and myriad blooms of heliantis, the sun flower. 

THREE FRENCH SOUPS

THREE FRENCH SOUPS.

Nourishment comes in many a form and soup is an easy way to conjugate economy with ecology. Sumptuous velvety concoctions or interesting flavors can be achieved in one large pot...add water and spice—savor slowly. Here are ways to reach 'Zero-Waste' and 'Maxi-Taste' in one simple bite.

These three recipes demonstrate the possibilities and adaptations of my most prized mixer. Vitamix came into my life at a time when using every bite was essential to my family's nutrition; its power could reduce fish bones and eggshells to smooth and assimilable liquid minerals in seconds of pulsing.

Basic ingredients can be changed according to regional and seasonal availability, or as a way to use neglected leafy vegetables in garden or refrigerator; an excellent excuse to take someone on a foraging or fishing trip through the countryside.

Green soup..Soupe verte:

Ingredients:

1 quart of water.

A of your choice of leafy greens:

cabbage, beet , turnip greens, lettuce, dandelion, sorrel..or a mix of all; flavors blend very well as they are mitigated by the root vegetables and onion.

2 unpeeled potatoes.

2 parsnips or turnips.

2 small onions cubed.

2 cloves of garlic.

2 tsp each of parsley flakes.

1 tsp sea salt, ground black pepper to taste.

2 Tsp sweet cream or butter.

Preparation:

Wash greens under running water or in a bowl of cold water with a spoon of lemon juice or vinegar.

Cube potatoes and onions, cover with water in large pot, bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes.

Add chopped greens and minced garlic to large pot, simmer for 5 to10 more minutes, till greens are limp.

Allow cooling period; then ladle into the blender, pulse to a rough texture..

when potatoes and onions are white specks in a verdant velvet sea..you are ready.

Serving suggestions:

Sour cream or butter, gently stirred in hot soup help to absorb the pro vitamin A and other fat soluble components of the vegetables, plus, one single spoonful of it tastes so rich against the calming effect of the greens.

Croutons or Melba toast slices are always welcome in liquid soups or floating atop with chopped parsley..

Fish soup: faux bouillabaise.

To use whatever fish is available and make a one step nutritional experience, consider the powerful calcium and protein boost of less commercially desirable water creatures..Never waste a single trout skeleton or fish head again, you can reduce the valuable leftovers of a good meal to a tasteful creamed soup. You can use less expensive species or prolific ones such as carp.

Ingredients:

1 quart water.

1 Tsp olive oil.

2 fish heads and bones or whole fish. Any type.

1 large onion, 1 small head of garlic.

2 large tomatoes or 1 small can of stewed tomatoes.

2 celery stalks.

2 green peppers.

1 sprig each of parsley, oregano and dill. (or use 1tsp of the powdered herbs).

1 tsp curry powder. (or cumin, clove and turmeric)

1 tsp sea salt.

Preparation:

Wash fish in cold water with 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar, lay in deep pan with herbs, cover with water , bring to boil, simmer on low for 30 minutes.

Chop onions, and garlic cloves, fry swiftly in olive oil 5 minutes till transparent.

Add cubed tomatoes and peppers.

Pour over fish and simmer an additional 10 minutes.

Allow to cool then blend thoroughly; bones will be melted into the smooth rusty colored broth.

Serving suggestions:

Again, adding a spoon of sour cream lends a creamier taste and aids in the absorption of the essential nutrients, lycopene, Omega 3s, trace minerals and calcium..

Croutons rubbed with a garlic clove bring a Mediterranean pungency to the 'one bowl' meal.

Fresh parsley sprinkled on top tempers the aroma.

Watercress soup; faux vichyssoise.

A creamy cold soup for springtime celebration, quick and easy, and oh so sumptuous!

Ingredients:

1 quart water.

1 large bunch of watercress.

2 large potatoes.

1 onion, 1tsp sea salt, pepper to taste.

½ cup plain yogurt or sweet cream.

Preparation.

Scrub and cube unpeeled potatoes, bring to boil, simmer for 20 min.

Cut off stringy roots from cress, rinse very thoroughly, chop stems and leaves. Add to potatoes, simmer for additional 5 to 10 min.

allow cooling period, add yogurt or sweet cream, blend till light unctuous green.

Serving suggestions.

Cold or hot, this simple soup is refreshing and mineralizing. Provides iron and tastes like a vege smoothie.

Pour icy cold in glass bowls for a European flair. Decorate with parsley sprigs and sesame cracker crumbs.

 A  side bowl of macademia nuts or cashews lends a contrast to the so-smooth-so-soft texture of the cress soup.

Bon appetit! With gratitude to the Green family from My Zero Waste blog and Little Green blog. for their steady influence toward healthful living.

Spring' sGreen Cure.

Spring Green Detox:

Following seasonal changes, body and mind experience a resurgence of vitality as days get longer; it is essential to prepare for the physical and spiritual renewal ahead. After a more sedentary period, cells may be laden with toxins, intestines and organs are clogged with digestive residue; this is the time to take advantage of plant life to gently cleanse our systems and to add minerals and vitamins in their original interactive properties.

As winter ends, I pull out bags and baskets to gather herbs and greens which some may view as noxious invaders. Foraging tools include light colored clothing, water resistant shoes, hat, hand shovel, small knife or kitchen scissors, paper bags, I also recommend a field book of wild edibles for novice students of nature.

Roadsides may be contaminated with heavy metals from traffic dust and emissions, so I avoid harvesting within 40 feet from any street. The risk of pesticide residue presents real danger along sidewalks or farmer's fields, due to current agricultural practices I must remain at safe distance of cultivated areas. This leaves only woodlots, open range and known neighbors. The sight of an abandoned lot or untended hedges provides comfort to the forager or hunter-gatherer; I skip along wood sides with eye trained to familiar new leaves, secure in the promise of wild foods a turtle or a hare would be fond of.

When the first dandelions peak from cracks and leaf mats around the house, I use a small weed-puller tool to dig up the whole plant. Salads and omelettes benefit from the addition of fresh greens. Stews, sauces, dips and purees can hide the less presentable ones. Add onions or garlic for healthful flavoring. Smooth the taste with a spoon of sour cream and yogurt if not yet accustomed to plain vegetable taste. After a long winter of preserves or processed foods, the digestive track may need tender input.

Chicory begins to bud as a rosette as soon as sun warms the soil, the veins of this dandelion family are reddish then, and make a fine addition to soups. They are diuretic and exert a cleansing action on the biliary ducts, liver and gallbladder, as do the vegetative cousins; artichoke and thistle.

I collect sorrel rosettes by inserting knife below center and sever the tap root, or cut with scissors. The tart oxalic acid is milder than spinach but vibrant in a perky romaine lettuce salad. Iron and multiple trace minerals in this enriching vegetable are absorbed with the aid of its vitamin C content.

I begin munching on all sorts of violets, Viola papilionacea is astringent, I can sense the cleansing properties within the anti-oxidants enhancing vision and immune system. Sautéed in stir fry or added to salads and deserts, they are a welcome texture, leaf and flower. (Note; only harvest the tops) the roots are emetic, could cause some unpleasant vomiting.

Plantains are best picked young, you can identify the flat lanceolate leaf and rosette spread flat on the ground. All species of plantago contain mucilage, a beneficial fiber which lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides; used as herbal teas or boiled for greens, they have a soothing and anti-inflammatory effect.

Daylilies are plentiful, not on the gourmet list, but seasoned with scallions or butter, they provide ample fiber and minerals. Young sprouts make great company for a fish platter. Very young spikes moisten an omelette. Sprinkled with vinaigrette like a bland leek, they can be wrapped with cheese and ham. Steamed, they assume the role of companion to potatoes or rice dishes, thicken vegetable soups when pureed and make .

Chickweed' s long wispy strands add excellent nutrition to salads. these plants are best snipped with scissors( unless you enjoy tedious hours untangling them at the kitchen counter later). The mild herb provides much needed vitamins and minerals. I eat most of them on the spot, and may share with the chickens if plentiful.

Matricaria, also called pineapple weed, a chamomile, can provide soothing relief and it tastes as its common name. the fine lacy leaves add visual appeal to humble salads, or as garnish next to fish or squash..yes, it is polite to munch on the decorations in this case..

Within a few weeks of incremental addition of greens, the body will feel scrubbed and rinsed within. There is no magic pill to improve clearer function and motion, the solution to dietary overload lives in the whole plants, ask any cat. Animals instinctively know which herbs smell just right to purge processed pet foods or winter silage out of their systems...i wonder if they feel as good as i when crunching on fresh greens.

The anticipation of pure relief and rejuvenation surges through glands, and i wait for sunshine to coax familiar herbs from the rich loam of the Midwest...If foraging is not on your schedule, perhaps a farmer's market is on your path.

I hear spring coming in the kitchen.

Get Your Footprint Out of My Plate!

Please get your foot out of my plate.

Between all the insistent issues surfacing in the media and the din of my conscience, i can hardly enjoy a meal anymore. And then, i feel compelled to explain the history, the science and reasoning behind the food footprint on my table. Few seem to share the joy of first spring dandelions and summer portulaca, wonder why?

First came the calories, then the carbohydrates, soon to be superseded by twins Cs of climate change. Well, we have not worked our way out of the alphabet, here comes Carbon. How much carbon are you worth? Warning it's a negative, you only win by losing, that's the nature of the big Cs.

Confessional banter would have the public in a knot over the assumption that calories and carbs are the number one enemy. The market drivers and fear mongers have done a very good job of proliferating ideas and products into the public psyche. Judging by statistics of how-to books in print on those subjects one would assume a high effectiveness ratio—Not so!

However, one look at the CDC files on obesity, the opposite results are striking. Basic child psychology would prove that when you wish to instill caution and character, you do not scare and overwhelm the participant. In this case, if you wish to alert the masses about carbon expenditures, refrain from confusing the issue with heavy science and argument. Serve it cool and light. Remember to step lightly upon the subject.

During the hyper caloric scare, i watched many a housewife avoid fruits because -- they were dreaded carbs. And none could be convinced that the fiber and vitamin content was essential to metabolic wellness; the magazines said...So went the scales and calorie charts, the lists of lists. And the weight gain, the more obsessed, the more desperate; that's hard on the hormonal response cycle. Research has proven the ill effects of worry on body fat deposits.

And then the dreaded fat scare..so many people told me that they avoided –avocados—because the it contained too much fat? Disregarding the fact that this 'innocent' fruit provides necessary lipids and minerals..the same folks shunned olive oil in favor of corn oil? Which doctor sold these ideas? The one who told them not to eat the perfect food..(that would be chocolate) I mean eggs..which are a reliable source of complete protein, with a balance of good cholesterol..add soy to that and you'll get so smooth a digestive track, you'll skid onto the health path to zero waste...That easy!

Several battles lost, one more hill for the average person to climb. Now Joe Public is told to lighten his food burden. Buy local, buy unwrapped or bulk, buy less meat. The ordinary person just mastered the GI (glycemic index), the heart healthy diet and that 'thing you hang on your hip to count your steps while doing housework. Scales and measuring tape rust in the closets, the Bow Flex died of premature abuse and neglect, now what? A computer memory jogger to alert you of new findings to disprove previous advice? Ha...it's everywhere.

Just as food prices rise along with gas and energy prices, Mr average can't pay attention to both the election circus, and, the Climate Change salesmen. One citizen can only do so much. The anxiety is driving people away from good conscience. Green vendors and promoters must take it easy on the bottom of the economic pyramid. A backlash of not so healthful consumerism would be ugly. Can you see disgruntled housewives going on donut binges, kids spitting vege pizza on the counters, disgusted men crushing arugula on the rug..The gross factor potential is huge here; there's no bottom to the food revenge dilemma.

Consider a single mother after work, meal planning a total loss, she pushes a screaming kid in the basket and drags another around the center aisles. She knows she can't afford enough fruits, so, canned will have to do, canned in Peru? Who cares at ninety nine cents for a large can. The fresh meat case does not even deserve a glance when bologna still hovers at the low end of nutrition-- Processed, cheap, cheap, cheaper the focus, plastic clean wrapped and red under lamps, kids will love it. From Argentina, Australia? Don't matter. Milk in plastic bottle, price up again. Gotta get outta here!

And i want to disrupt this woman's routine to ask her to take a minute to read the tiny little print somewhere out of the way on these pretty packages in her basket? I don't think so. I want to write an article for a magazine that she only buys for the weight loss claims in bold title on front page? Who am i to convince this burdened being to change her thinking when she has no time to think between all actions and daily reactions? I can only offer small advice under guise of economy, not ecology, at least, not yet.

When economy squeezes the bottom rungs of society, the message of cause and effect will finally persuade those who need to hear it most. At present, it is not the caviar from Canada or Russia that will tax the carbon debt on earth; how much of the crunchy fish eggs have you spread on your crackers lately? No, the major culprits of greenhouse gas pollution are the meat on the daily plate, the chicken Mc Something and the quick fix white flour fluff with processed high fructose ingredients. I perceive my civic duty as one easy recipe at a time, from scratch, and into the meals of the many. There are solutions..of course..

Many blogs carry a soft footprint; they furnish concise information in easy to follow how-to..The world at your fingertips, old world, new science, straight to your plate..and just wait till you savor the photography to salivate by..just a few samples below..

http://attractingwellness.net/

http://sweetartichoke.com/

gicrockpot.wordpress.com/

momphotographer.wordpress.com/

Bon Appetit! OK, yes, yes i DO enjoy my food.

A Fondness for Food

Some articles pop-up out of the search engines, by the luck of the spiderbots and the online draw; this article I wrote for Karen Hanrahan of Best of Mother Earth, in June '08 keeps surging across cyberspace , so I thought that I would revive it, I mean revise it...to sing the song of reinforcement to the green choir, friends who already know how to live well—but need reassurance or perfect reincarnation.

The original writing still exists in its other form:
http://bestofmotherearth.com/2008/06/21/a-fondness-for-food-by-nadine-sellers.html

---------------------------- 

 

Food has been on man’s mind ever since man has had a brain. Or so i assume. The act of feeding is a primordial animal need and concern, just ask any Frenchman.. Some cultures center on different aspects of eating; Asians have traditionally searched the balance of nutrients, as in Yin and Yang and its medicinal effects upon the body. Latin peoples have sought deep joy around family feasts. Jivaros have crystallized tribal unity around the dinner ritual, your head or mine? Sorry for interjecting terrible anthropological humor in the subject, but food is a serious topic, yes, yes ask any French chef <not know for humor>.



Movies have filled the box office on the single food theme, beginning with the 1987 Danish classic Babette's Feast, to deliciously portray an extravagant social feat. “Soul Food”, then the 2001 Tortilla Soup, and onto “ Like Water for Chocolate”.  Tears and saliva spilled over popcorn.
 
Obsessive food compulsion has permeated regional folklore, I was always puzzled by the American dictum of “ she must be pregnant; she craves pickles and ice-cream” I wondered how all the other women in the rest of the world could find out if they were with child if they had no such foods to clue them in? The survival of the species must be at stake....

The number of cook-books in bookstores and on neighbor's shelves surprised me as well, especially when the proud cooks displayed an amazing lack of culinary skills—despite the educational material at hand right there with glossy full page photos and how to forks at ready!..Perhaps the difference between the bibliophile and the instinctual cook was never so evident. I felt like saying, please throw the book in the stew, add pepper and salt with two bay leaves and a sprig of parsley.

Even more shocking to me as a new immigrant was the fact that a person of a 'certain age' would reach for the cook's bible to make pancakes, pancakes or pasta? And men were said to be able to boil water and barbecue a perfectly good cut of beef to death.

Of course when I was offered a Fannie Farmer's revised edition of her famous cook-book as a wedding present, I cried, my throat closed, my eyes shut and I spent the longest seclusion in recorded bathroom history. I was convinced that someone believed me inept and un-marriageable. Looking through shelves at the super-market, I am sure that many high school graduates are aiming for a total misuse of their home economics curriculum. There is so much shelf space devoted to  processed artificially prepared foodstuffs that it is increasingly difficult to find pure ingredients to nourish body and mind.

Food is more than something to chew on, animal instinct insures proper selection. Newly developed modern science has diverged from nature in the art of supplying wellness to society, consumers. Folklore used to be a vehicle of long held knowledge, but the diaspora has disseminated and confused the principles of food as medicine. When the Jewish philosopher physician Maimonides found chicken soup to be a cure for such respiratory problems as asthma, he did not know that scientists would corroborate his theories, eight centuries hence.

When the Egyptians worshiped the trusty garlic plant, they only had empirical savvy about its capacity to treat cryptoccocal meningitis. Then Pliny the elder, the Roman do gooder found it to be beneficial for thinning the blood, (among its many properties). I can just see an Italian mother serving garlic laden sauce to her ailing family, “eat and your Tuberculosis will get better”, well actually, researchers have indeed proven the efficacy of allicin against myco-bacterium Avium and especially as treatment for TB.

So what do the rest of us do on a regular day to improve our food intake? If it were only an act of nutrition, we’d trot over to some fast food place and stuff something in the dotted line that says "open face- insert here”, and presto, human is fed (up). I do know folks who would casually perform this soulless routine as feeding time. They can also simultaneously hold a conversation with co-workers and hold a cell phone by other ear. Is this a diminished ritual or a multitasking feat?

Attitude holds power in the pursuit of wellness, starting from the selection of fresh locally grown produce to the preparation of the food,. The connectivity between the supplier and the consumer can extend the value of the meal. Ever since i was tall enough to order, I had a respectful relationship with the family butcher, i would stretch up and ask for my father’s preferred cuts over the market’s marble counters. Nothing but the best for those who appreciate quality. In this country we trust our local butcher at Hy-Vee, we treasure this although we seldom use the privilege.

Farmers markets provide joy, the anticipation of organic produce in a direct path to your table adds an essential pleasure to mere consumption. Green grocers do present a small array of locally grown produce. Here in the Midwest, Amish farmers offer seasonal vegetables, sorry, I grow my own, and drown in green gifts come harvest time, I swear I should not grow any squash, but then, friends may not grow any either and i' d be virtually squashless.

There is no evident continuity in the plastic wrapped processed meat or canned veges, the ultimate product has been intercepted by an army of middlemen on the search for rapid profits and long shelf life. Laboratories have provided clues to sensory enhancement and whole generations have been addicted to artificial sweeteners and flavors. The palate is fooled by clever additives and sweet mimicry of HFCs, but the body is not fooled my dear!

Just check the occurrence of common illness and related cause and effect of malnutrition.You will be able to correlate the lack of fiber to that digestive problem, or worse. Better serve a colorful palette of deep orange, yellows and purples to ward off skin and eye problems, build preventive immunity with deep shiny greens and yellows, add fruits of matching hues and be certain that between the crayon worthy dinners and a chew worthy cup of whole grain food, the doctor will still have enough patients, and you'll have money left for fun—or more real food.. i wish i had a handy camera to show and tell...

Hippocrates wrote " let food be your medicine”, he knew of the complexity of active phyto-nutrients in ordinary ingredients. A return to natural foods and carefully processed supplements would ease the health crisis in developed countries. Immune systems need the whole range of vitamins and minerals from a variety of plants and elements. Modern pharmacology has cleaved a divide between food and drugs, while the forty previous centuries had connected the art and science of food as wellness. Inseparably so.

The body knows, the nose knows.
take your senses on a daily trip to the markets and grow some primal instinct at the heart of your nourishment. Go on a window shopping tour of gourmet shops, buy small jars or pack of spices, your happy table will tell you stories to fill more than the stomach. There is a glow about the well fed person; and nature holds the mystery.