Chicago says, “Walk the Walk”

Nearly 3,000 readers have voted in the Chicago Tribune online poll asking, “With the nation’s obesity crisis worsening, some advocates say it’s increasingly critical for health care workers to “walk the walk” and serve as role models. Do you agree?” An overwhelming 75.1% of readers reported “yes”. And, I agree.

In the nutrition world, I expect to be judged by my patients based on my weight status. This makes sense to me, and it’s only fair. When I worked at Rush University Medical Center for a summer, I recall seeing the masses of doctors and nurses outside smoking. Let’s just say I didn’t think highly of their actions. Same goes for staff at my current job. While completing my dietetic internship, even a respiratory therapist in a nursing home missed a code blue because he was out on a cigarette break. Oh, the irony.

The article uses the non-health related example of finances. Financial advice may not be best sought by a CPA who had just filed bankruptcy. Duh. But for doctors and dietitians, for example, what’s the goal? Perfection?

The article opens in talking about Sharon Salomon, a Phoenix-based Registered Dietitian. She says that while she teaches clients how to eat right and lose weight, she would use the word “fat” to describe her own physique. Professional deal-breaker? Surely to some, and I can’t blame people for discrediting a professional unable to live-up to their own advice.

As for myself, I don’t claim to be the epitome of health or nutrition, but I do practice what I preach: moderating the bad and always working to increase the good. When I encourage patients to consume more fruits and vegetables, I affirm this by saying that we ALL need to eat more fruits and vegetables, as it’s difficult for ANYONE, myself included, to consume 5-9 of those babies a day! Being healthy is very difficult, and today’s day and age creates an environment in which temptations are impossible to always dodge.

I commit to being a role-model for patients, family, friends, and loved ones. While I’m not perfect, I do make a conscious effort each and every day to make it a healthier one.

[1]. Deardorff, Julie. Weighty Issue Rages in Surgeon General Debate. Chicago Tribune. July 28, 2009.

Cornelius Gallagher, working in Long Island

July 31

Remember Cornelius Gallagher, the former chef of Oceana and a Food & Wine Best New Chef (class of 2003)? He left Oceana in 2006 and took a good job at a catering company to start raising funds for his own restaurant.
Well, I ran into him recently at an Australian beef luncheon, and he now is corporate chef for a Long Island company called the Bohlsen Restaurant Group, which owns Prime in Huntington, H₂O in Smithtown, Tellers in Islip and Beachtree in East Islip.
He says they’re now working on opening an Italian place called Verace, in East Islip, slated to open this November or December, and one of those big-box Asian restaurants (you know, like Buddakan, Tao, Buddha Bar etc.) in Babylon, which they hope to open by the end of next year. They haven't picked a name for it yet.
He looked well.
The picture in this blog entry is a screen capture from an article I wrote about Neal in 2006. This link ought to work if you’d like to read it. If it doesn’t, let me know.

Sushi and cinema.

On Tuesday, I went to Estepona and we had lunch at a japanese restaurant call Yamato, were you can eat in a buffet and they cook the food for you at the moment. We had tuna maki sushi, and salmon and tamago suchi; gyozas, yakitori chiken... it was really nice; I love japanese food and we had a lovely time. I went with paula and Cris, two friends from my office... I want to repeat very soon!

Gyozas, so delicious!

This week I've been alone at home, and it was all very quiet; the only bad thing is that here is SO hot... 43ºC!! yes! Yesterday we had 43ºC!! I hope today it would be a little bit colder...

On Wendesday I had lunch with Rose, Jose and Jairo, "The Lisbon Team"; I cooked chiken curry, it was delicios! i'm pretty good cooking curry! Then, at night, we had a henna tattoo workshop. It was my first time making this kind of tattoos, but it was ok.

And yesterday we went to the cinema just for seeing "Up", the new Pixar's film. Its WONDERFUL, right now it's my favourite Pixar's film ever... so cute and beautiful!

I was wearing a black and white lolita skirt by Anna House; Little red ridding hood t shirt by Stradivarius, black socks by Macmillan Alice and my white tea party shoes by Secret Shop. And almost all the accesories were made by myself with clay; I'm pretty good on it, do you like them?



Bonus picture nº 1: Rose & me making the freak in a very small carrousel.


Bonus picture nº 2: My Mando Diao's t official shirt! I love it!


And tonight we´re going to Fangoria (it's a disco at Jerez) for a party!! I'll make pictures!

Enjoy your friday!

Safe Bet

It hasn't been a great couple of weeks in terms of home cooking. Some very busy days at work and a few weddings here and there on the weekends has not led to a lot of meals being made in the kitchen.

For times like this it's always good to have some standbys that you know are easy and reliable. For me, these dishes typically involve pasta, anything with garlic bread, eggs and chicken parm.

Mmm...I can't put into words how much I love chicken parm. I don't even really like chicken but when they're thinly pounded, breaded and covered with cheese, de-lish! Not to mention that it goes well with pasta AND garlic bread. Heaven.

This recipe is pretty basic. The only things I would really emphasize are to use fresh breadcrumbs if you can (it really makes the texture a whole lot better than store-breaded chicken) and to properly season at every step. I should probably point out that I am a salt fiend and may have a tendency to overseason, but even if you use less salt and pepper than I do I would still recommend that you make sure your chicken, egg and breadcrumb mixture is all seasoned. That way you won't get any bland bites. Also, the sauce isn't really anything special - just your standard tomato sauce using whole canned tomatoes, but it's nice and fairly tomato-y which works for me!

Oh, and I used a cup of cornflake crumbs because for some reason we have some kicking around the kitchen and have been adding them to everything. They were actually really good and added a nice extra crunch to the chicken, so I'm keeping it in the recipe.

Chicken Parmesan

Sauce
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 16 oz. can whole tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat some olive oil in a medium-sized pot and add onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute or so. You don't want the onions or garlic to burn so make sure the heat isn't up too high.

2. Add tomatoes and give it a stir. Add herbs and let simmer for awhile. If you have a couple of hours, great but most of the time I do this for about 20 minutes to a half hour (I am clearly not claiming that this is an "authentic" tomato sauce by any means, but it's simple and tastes pretty good!). Add tomato paste to desired texture, depending on how thick you like your sauce (this will also vary based on how long you cook the sauce for)

Chicken Parm
4 chicken breasts
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk

1 cup breadcrumbs (preferably fresh)
1 cup crushed cornflakes (or just more breadcrumbs)
1 cup grated parmesan
4 tsp black pepper
3 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
cheese (I used havarti, you can really use any cheese you want)

1. Flatten chicken - Using a meat tenderizer or mallet (I use a rolling pin and cover the chicken with plastic wrap), flatten chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. Depending on how large the breasts are, I also sometimes cut the breasts in half first.

2. Combine egg and milk in a shallow dish, beating lightly with a fork. Add salt and pepper to season. Combine breadcrumb mixture in another shallow dish.

3. Dip chicken breasts in egg mixure and coat with breadcrumbs.

4. Heat a large frying pan to medium heat and add some canola oil. Once heated through, fry chicken breasts for about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. If you're worried about the chicken cooking through, cover with a lid while it's cooking. I don't generally find this a problem since the chicken has been pounded down.

5. Cover with cheese and cook under the broiler for a couple of minutes, until cheese is bubbly. Serve with tomato sauce and pasta, if that's what you're doing.

twenty years, two girlfriends.

29th july 2009

it's our 1st date *wink wink*. i mean, since finaz blk dr russia, our 1st date utk jln2.

owhhh. sgt seronok. sampai2 i mmg attack MPH dlu. MPH member's sale!

dkt situ pon stuck bout an hour. sbb ade dlm 4-5 books yg rase cam nakkk sgt3!!!

but 4 sure la x ckup duit plak nnt kan. then i decided to take this book.

it was the last book i saw & terus rase nak ambik. there goes my 60++~

and...after that mmg round2 je. mls nak tgk movie since da x de cerita best sgt. we went to... topshop, sasa, watsons, ms. read, JJ, guess, and many other places and plg x leh bla time survey perfume la kan. finaz is totally falling in love with my chanel - chance. and we were like, looking over all places utk survey perfume2. tester x yah ckplah... mmg bnyk sgt. owh yar, perasan x, mostly workers dkt counter2 make up cam high class skit such as CD, La Mer, Chanel, DKNY, majority semua berlagak cam sombonk2. pilih customer nak layan. this is based on pengalaman n pemerhatian sdiri. majoriti camnih la. but yg friendly, mmg best~!!! but, tah pape je... kalo pk blk la kan, kalo die org nak pndng hina dkt customer yg nmpk biase2 je kan, pk la. customer pon leh pndng hina dkt die org yg kerja setakat layan org tuh. haih~

then. cam da ptg2 skit, makan!!! secret recipe. owhhh. lame gile teringin nak mkn cake die kot! ahah... yup. teringt dkt BH~ we took bout an hour. then jln2 lg. then last b4 blk, mkn choc sundae from Mc D with auntie anne's. then, balikkk... but mmg best. cam, the whole day just jln survey all the things n shop. OMG. seriously bnykkk sgt baju, kasut, semuaaa like lawa2. i guess if i've got 1million cash, blh habis kot 1 hari d mid valley tuh. seriously. insya allah habis. and yar, i'm happy spending my time with her. thanks babe. thanks 4 trying ur best 2 make sure that i'm really ok. beta akan jauhkan diri dr kemurungan~ hukkk.

finaz & me

30th july 2009

sejak beberapa hari ni, mcm da jd adat. lepas subuh, tak terus tidur balik.

bgn, tgk barn buddy [kebun d fb]. seawal mane pun bgn, mesti ade je org curi. tension~

mama selalu ckp. hidup sy dah bahaya. sbb dikawal oleh internet. haha.

dlm pukul 8am, sy tdow blk. sampai 9:30am. mandi, siap2, gi klinik dlu. mama demam.

jmpe dr mariam~! rindu dr! owhhh. dr ckp lame x nmpk muke sy. ok la tu.

tande sy sehat... alang2 tuh. sy check air kencing jgk. sbb kencing x lawas tuh~

alhamdulilah semua ok. ingt nak borak2 n gelak2 lg. tp ramai pesakit lain...
then. drive-thru mc d. akhirnya, double cheeseburger. lame kempunan~

brunch dlm kereta. then mama hantar ke LRT.

all the way to KL central, it took me bout 20mins if i'm not mistaken.

and i saw this guy... not so tall, & yet, not shorter than me. it reminds me of him.

with her semi-formal dress code, a kinokuniya bookstore plastic bag, his calm face...

owh yup, he walked-in the train from KLCC. i just looked at him 4 a moment.

then, i just looked out of the window, as i usual did. and suddenly, he's standing in front of me.

i don't know. i felt, ermmmmmmm... safe. and, both stopped at KL Central.

then i continued my way to mid valley. waiting for KTM, would be the bored thing ever.

owh yup. i went there to meet my dearest friend from melawati, ili athirah.

it's been 5 years. wahahahaha...crazy~

then. ili got a few prob with her iphone n transport. so, i went to the ATM. n jeng3...

finally i bought that cardigan yg sampai tdow pun termimpi2 kan. ahah~

and i went to nose as well...there goes my money flying without wings~

and and. i've tried my best to avoid myself from entering MPH, studio R, Body shop.

it's hard. yes it is very hard. btw. few minutes later, i met ili. and, went to metrojaya.

and, we ate gelato fruity ice cream~! delicious... it remind me of him. again.

it was 5pm when we're heading to KLCC. owh...iphone ili berjaye dselamatkan.

so, we decided to duduk2 dkt taman2 air pancut tuh. ramai btol couple merendek~

me & ili.

both of them were asking me a same question.

d mane sy beli selendang sy? ngeh3... nah nah nah. carik!!! XD

http://shawl-d-homyshop.blogspot.com/

http://lovelyaustere.blogspot.com/

http://radiusite.blogspot.com/search/label/shawl

and tak lupe...nak promote butik shawl cik iqah~! hee. =]

http://iqahshawlsparadise.blogspot.com/

not 2 4get, sy akan blk ke kuching, sarawak agak awal. which is...tomorrow night. idk, somehow kene cepatkan. so, x dpt nak keluar dah. kene cancel plan. ahah...tak packing lg. esok tgh hari la. haha. my flight would be around 10pm, kot? kot la. but lepas maghrib da gerak ke KLIA. so... i'll be away [insya allah... ] from 31st july - 5th august. nobody gonna miss me instead. owh barn buddy... sape curik, mmg nak lepok2 je. haha. farm ville, ladangku~! and plg penting... LOLA syg busyuk. i'm gonna miss u bby. i guess this is the 1st time kot i'll b away from u. lola pandai2 cari mkn taw? sruh sape2 mandikan... happy2 menari, kiss, gadow, tgk tv, hug, buat lawak dgn kwn2 pet yg lain taw? erm. yup. i wouldn't bring my lappy n broadband. i'm too lazy 4 that. but if... IF tibe2 on9 kejap dkt fb tuh, mama la tuh yg rajin bwk. hahahahahah...

so. till then. take care ppl. be selfish. well i mean, in a positive way la kan. life goes on~

I could actually see myself watching this

July 31

I’ve gone on the record many, many times as basically not being able to watch food TV, not because it’s bad (much of it is, but that’s beside the point) but because I want to turn my brain off when the TV’s on, and if it’s about food I have to pay too much attention. I hate that.
Unless it’s Jacques Pépin. I’ll watch Jacques Pépin.
I particularly hate cooking competition shows, because to me food is art, not sport.
But I might actually tune in to the next season of “The Next Iron Chef,” because on it are a lot of chefs that I like.
Here’s the list:

Nate Appleman (celebrity chef of the moment, just left San Francisco for New York)
Dominique Crenn (Luce, in San Francisco)
Brad Farmerie (Public, Double Crown etc, NYC)
Amanda Freitag (The Harrison, NYC)
Jose Garces (Philadelphia’s darling these days)
Eric Greenspan (The Foundry on Melrose, LA)
Jehangir Mehta (Graffiti, New York)
Seamus Mullen (Boqueria, New York)
Holly Smith (Cafe Juanita et al, Seattle area)
Roberto Treviño (Budatai, in San Juan)

I don't really know Nate. I met him at the Beard Awards when he was named Rising Star Chef:
"Congratulations."
"Thanks."
I don't think that counts.
Dominique is a charming French woman who ran an all women's kitchen in Jakara, which is, like, crazy. Here’s a link to an interview I had with her.
Brad is just about the nicest person you’d want to meet, and one of the few chefs I know who manages to keep chicken off of his menu (he might be serving it these days — I don’t know — but for many years he didn’t)
I just met Jose very briefly a few years ago, when he was chef at a Stephen Starr place called El Vez. He seemed cool and innovative.
Jehangir is a brilliant pastry chef and good conversationalist, and Graffiti’s an interesting restaurant, in a good way.
Seamus can spin a yarn like no one’s business, and tells good stories about his world travels (here’s a previous blog entry with him in it, in case you’re curious). And I respect anyone who buys whole pigs.
Holly Smith does all sorts of interesting things at Cafe Juanita. I haven't interviewed her in awhile, but I remember having a good conversation with her about squab back in 2001.
This link to that story might work, but it was so long ago that it might not, and so, an excerpt:
“I like throwing things like truffle oil and foie gras on squab,” says Holly Smith, chef-owner of Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, Wash.
She menued it once on a sweetbread ragoût with fava beans and morels bound in marsala, butter, truffle oil, thyme and sea salt.
“My friends would come and order it, but other people would say, ‘I didn’t know you were supposed to have all that stuff on a plate,’” she says.
Her squab appetizers sell better, she says, such as the half squab she served with potato gnocchi rolled around an almond-coated date and accompanied by foie gras and a syrup of vin santo.
“I think it likes a little sweetness and it also loves a little richness thrown on,” she says.

I haven’t met Amanda, Eric or Roberto, but I wish them well anyway.

Step by Step Brisket Cooking Instructions

Here is a step by step brisket cooking tutorial for your enjoyment. You can use this with a charcoal grill or smoker. If you use a charcoal grill cook only over indirect heat.

The first step to delicious brisket is to prepare the meat. A 10-12 pound brisket works best for me. Make sure your brisket has some fat on it as this is a key to tenderness. The first thing you want to do is drain you're brisket in the sink for at least 10 minutes. Once you have done this you should score the fight layer by cutting squares right down to the meat. Now you have a decision to make. Do you want to use a dry rub or marinate your brisket in a liquid concoction.

Here are recipes for wet marinade and a dry rub
wet
5 slices bacon, minced
1 c. minced onions
1 1/2 c. beef broth
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/2 lemon, quartered
2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
cook bacon and add all ingrdients to sauce pot and heat until bacon is done
put brisket in a glass,stainless or copper bowl or pan(never use plastic) cover, refrigerate and let stand overnight

DRY RUB:

2 tbsp. seasoned salt
1 tbsp. cracked black peppercorns
1 tbsp. cracked white peppercorns (I substitute ground white pepper)
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. dry mustard
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. distilled white vinegar

mix all ingredients together and pat unto brisket
wrap brisket in aluminum foil and let rest in refrigerator 2-4 hours

Now its time to cook
Start your fire. I use a charcoal water smoker grill with beef broth in the water pan
when the coals are ready(usually around 30 minutes)its time to place the brisket on the grill. ALWAYS cook the brisket fat side up as the melting fat is what will tenderize the brisket. Cover the grill and cook for 8-12 hours. Remove brisket from grill and wrap with foil. Let brisket rest for 1 hour. Slice and enjoy
It is really a very easy process to make a great brisket so please give it a try

If your looking for a good smoker then check out http://www.ibuybarbeques.com/

Lunch slump much?

I got a blog request this week from my friend up in Chicago. She wants to know lunch and snack ideas, as well as times of the day to be eating. Kristin, here you go…it’s a long one!

Eating right while managing a busy career and life can certainly be a challenge, but it’s also certainly very manageable if you keep things fresh, exciting…and plan ahead! As far as times of the day to be eating, this certainly varies on an individual basis. Personally, I bring with me everyday to work a snack to have before lunch, as well as one to have after lunch, which is typically in the car on my way home from work.

Ideally, I don’t recommend going more than 5-6 hours without eating. And 3 smaller meals with 2-3 healthy snacks a day is a great routine to get into. However, listening to your body is extremely important as your body will tell you when it’s hungry. If you’re not hungry, save the snack or have a later lunch. No reason to eat when you’re not hungry. Unless, of course, you’re my husband and refuse breakfast…in which case I recommend stock-piling a box or two of granola bars or cereal in your desk drawer. I force Mark to do this, and he typically has a mid-morning breakfast at work each day. The times at which you eat during the day should fit with your schedule. Find a pattern that works for you and be flexible. Packing things that aren’t too messy, labor-intensive or time-consuming to prepare ahead of time is also key.

Make snacks satisfying – include both carbohydrate and protein in a snack so that they are more satisfying and filling. Great snack ideas include:

- apple slices dipped in ½ c. fat-free yogurt

- 1 ½ sheets of graham crackers and 1 c. low-fat/fat-free milk

- 1 medium banana and 1-2 Tbsp peanut butter

- small handful of almonds

- apple and a 1 oz. slice of cheddar cheese

- string cheese and wheat crackers (6-7)

- a slice of bread or 6-7 crackers with 1-2 Tbsp peanut butter

- a high-fiber granola bar

- 1 serving of animal crackers and an 8 oz. glass of milk

- a Luna bar

- a fat-free/sugar-free pudding cup

- 2/3-3/4 c. cottage cheese and peaches/pineapple/melon

- 2-3 Tbsp hummus and 6-7 crackers

- 1 oz. meat and 1 oz. cheese with 6-7 crackers

- carrots, celery, cucumber, and bell pepper slices with 2 Tbsp light ranch dressing

…to name a few ideas!

As for lunches, here’s some ideas. Those asterisked have recipes below! Be creative…plan ahead…enjoy!

- almond butter and apple slices on wheat bread

- tuna salad in a pita

- chicken salad flatbread (Flatout is a popular, healthy brand)

- crab salad in a whole wheat, high-fiber tortilla

- egg salad* sandwich on whole wheat

- cracker sandwiches made with 2% cheese and lean luncheon meat (turkey, ham, roast beef, chicken)

- cold whole-wheat pasta salad with low-fat Italian dressing (include 2% cheese cubes, turkey pepperoni, salad peppers, olives, bell peppers, artichoke hearts, onion, and cherry tomatoes

- cherry tomato, mozzarella, and fresh basil pita with Flaxseed Lemon Vinaigrette*

- BLT sandwich on whole wheat*

- pear and Swiss cheese sandwich on whole grain bread with Flaxseed Lemon Vinaigrette

- taco salad with 1 serving of whole grain tortilla chips

- grilled mozzarella and tomato sandwich on whole wheat

- Chicken Caesar salad pita (use bagged low-fat Caesar salad mixes – just add grilled chicken strips!)

- Pin wheels – roll-up luncheon meat, cheese, veggies, and condiments in a tortilla and cut into rolled bites held together with toothpicks

- Cold pizza!

- Leftovers!

Other suggestions:

- Pre-mix mayonnaise made with canola oil (see Monday’s blog) with yellow, brown, or honey mustard to mix delicious flavors…and cut out fat and calories!

- Make your lunch the night before.

- Commit to trying a new lunch each week

- Aim to make your co-workers jealous of your packed lunches – it’ll happen if you put in a little effort!

- Include something you love – if you’re a salty kinda person, opt for a bag of baked chips for a side to your meal, and if you’re a sweets kinda person, opt for a small cookie or pudding cup to compliment your meal

Recipes (taken from The Flexitarian Diet by Dawn Jackson-Blatner)

Egg Salad

1 boiled egg, chopped**

2 boiled egg whites, chopped**

2 tsp. mustard

1 Tbsp light canola mayonnaise

1 stalk celery, chopped

½ c. cucumber, chopped

Dash of pepper

2 slices of whole wheat bread

Mix the ingredients together and spread onto bread.

**Substitute tofu for the egg for a vegetarian meal!

Nutrition Information: 310 calories, 11 g. fat, 693 mg. sodium, 5 g. fiber

BLT (Balsamic, Lettuce, and Tomato) – This is a favorite of both mine and my parent’s!

4 Tbsp hummus

2 slices of whole grain bread, toasted

¼ avocado, mashed

Romaine lettuce

Tomato, sliced

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Spread hummus on one slide of toast and avocado on the other. Top hummus with lettuce and tomato, and drizzle with vinegar. Close sandwich and enjoy!

Nutrition Information: 370 calories, 15 g. fat, 434 mg. sodium, 9 g. fiber

Pear and Swiss Sandwich

2 slices whole-grain bread, toasted

1 small pear, thinly sliced

1 oz. (1 slice) Swiss cheese

2 tsp. mustard

Nutrition Information: 300 calories, 6 g. fat, 440 mg. sodium, 9 g. fiber

Universal Lemon-Flax Vinaigrette

¼ c. lemon juice (1-2 lemons)

¼ c. flaxseed oil

¼ c. white balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together. Keep in fridge up to 7 days.

Nutrition information (2 Tbsp): 88 calories, 9 g. fat, 59 mg. sodium, 0 g. fiber

Get to packin’!

Useless things (quick and stupid post)

Nowadays there's plenty of social networks around the net. Some of them are fun, like facebook 8for me facebook is fun) but others are just silly... and I'm addict to them! Like Twitter! I made an account recently and I didn't use it for two months.. and now, I'm using it a lot...

I leave you here all my "useless accounts": twitter, facebook, pouppegirl... add me if you want!

(And now, Libertad's useless things!)

* Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sahakiel
* Facebook: Libertad Sahakiel
* Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertad-sahakiel/
* Pouppe Girl: http://pupe.ameba.jp/profile/Bjgy8pPwLxTJ/
* Modepass: http://modepass.com/Sahakiel


This, with my two blogs (here and the Metrobblogen one) are the things I use more... I'm leaving the links in my link's box...

By the way (and looking to Modepass), my friend Fernan told me about two more fashion communitys that I must join... and as you can see, today I'm not so busy at work :)

I'll post later about my japanese lunch on Tuesday! And as Laia reminds me, I must post my new Mando Diao's t shirt too, yaw!!

Paolo Mendoza

There are three more couples that I need to post very soon. It took me a while to fix a lot of things about my life and career but after I post all the customers I had last year, I will post my first Artist Chef stint here in Saigon. Will definitely keep you posted.

Thanks Paolo for giving me my favorite cake---The Mango Torte from Dulcelin. But I love the Tony Cuerva better if I have a choice :p But seriously, most of my customers are very sweet. They do love me that's why I love them also in return. Actually this is not the first time for me to receive a present from my customers and I just want everyone to know that I am happy and thankful for that. I am also grateful with all the customers I had through the years. I know I'll be having more of them soon here in Ho Chi Minh City :-)

hugs,
joanie xxx

Melts in your mouth, not in your hands...and more

You may have heard rumors about green M&M dye and "mojo" but the blue M&M dye may have its perks, too. And proof of it.

Research at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that rats suffering from spinal cord injuries were able to walk again after being injected with the compound Brilliant Blue G (BBG). BBG is the same dye found in blue M&Ms and blue Gatorade, go figure. Side effect: the mice turned blue [1]. I think it’s rather adorable, don’t you?

Previous research performed in 2004 looked at adenosine triphosphate (ATP), also known as the “energy currency of life”, and its effect on spinal cord injuries. The results found that oxidized ATP blocked the affect of ATP which caused harm due to the sudden influx of ATP which killed off healthy cells after an injury. What does this matter? Well, BBG acts in the same way as oxidized ATP following spinal cord injuries -- favorably. In spinal injuries among rats which cause immobility, those treated with BBG were able to walk again while those left untreated never regained their mobility [1].

Why is this important? Approximately 15% of humans suffering spinal cord injuries receive steroids; the majority of spinal cord injuries (85%) are left untreated. Steroid treatments work moderately well, at best. Treatments such as BBG provide ground-breaking research. While BBG does not offer a cure, it offers more potential improvement than ever before [1].

Researchers are currently looking into getting the first clinical trial for BBG use on humans to be approved [1].

[1]. Blue M&Ms Linked to Reducing Spine Injury. CNN. July 28, 2009.

You are miss, but never forgotten.

Award-winning director Yasmin Ahmad, has made many great movies and countless advertisements that has made us all tear.

She will be missed, but never forgotten for the master piece she have have created will continue to inspire other proud Malaysians to reach for the sky. I know, because its from her short clips that reminds me to be a better person, not only for self, but also for family and friends.

Rest in Peace.

Together with this post, i attach one of her many clips she made. This on is one of my favourite.

Eat This, Not That: Mayo

I had a blog topic request from my amazing mommy. So, mom, here you go!

Her topic proposal: Mayo with olive oil. She said in an email, “I’ve seen it advertised and on the shelf today. Us consumers will need to know it it’s good because it touts the words olive oil. If it is indeed beneficial, how much?”

Simple answer: It’s a condiment that contains calories, fat, and in some cases cholesterol. It should be used in moderation.

Reality, however, is not omission from the diet. So, let’s discuss.

Between the choices offered by Hellmann’s, my recommendation in order of “dietary preference” would be:

1. Hellmann’s Canola Cholesterol-Free
2. Hellmann’s Low Fat
3. Hellmann’s Light
4. Hellmann’s with Olive Oil
5. Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise

The logic?

The lowest option calorically is the low-fat Hellmann’s measuring in at 15 calories and 1 gram of fat per serving (1 tablespoon). The problem with it is the ingredients – water and modified cornstarch being the two main ingredients. Also, the sodium (while not high) is higher than any other Hellmann’s product. It is also the lowest in “good fat” – mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs and PUFAs).

Hellmann’s Canola Cholesterol-Free comes in as #1 in my book because it is 50% lower in calories than Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise, contains no saturated fat, no cholesterol, and is lower sodium than the Hellmann’s made with olive oil. The olive oil product contains 5 more calories than the canola product and 5 milligrams of cholesterol, as well as 0.5 grams of saturated fat. Also, the olive oil product is not made of pure olive oil, but also contains soybean oil. Further, when you log-on to www.hellmanns.com, the olive oil product is asterisked and noted to not contain olive oil. If that’s confusing and unclear to a dietitian, it’s certainly unclear to consumers.

Canola oil is a heart-healthy oil and inexpensive. It offers similar MUFA and PUFA content as olive oil, and can be used diversely in cooking and baking.

Mom: Buy the Hellmann’s Canola Cholesterol-Free. Love you!

A Meal That Tastes Real

The cooking never stops. Every day I am chopping and slicing, sauteing and braising and boiling, baking and burning. And the cleaning - oh the cleaning that must come after the cooking. How often is the phrase "cooking and cleaning" uttered? The "cooking" is inevitably followed by the cleaning. It's not "cooking and lamenting" nor "cooking and relaxing". No, it is NOT EVEN "cooking and eating".

Which is just a damn shame.

And so every night, after the boiling and the braising and the peeling and the roasting AND the eating, I have a sink full of dirty dishes waiting for me, taunting me on the road to relaxation. Some nights I ignore them. It's okay, I live alone and if I ignore a dish it will not take revenge, except perhaps in the emission of odors (it's bad to ignore any dish that once held fish). Eventually though, I must face the music of the dishwasher - and yes, I do have a dishwasher so it may seem unfair to complain, but everything still needs to be detached from the caked on food. I do not have a garbage disposal, so my sink also requires a good cleaning now and then.

Tonight I decided to take a break. Although I am averse to frozen meals, Trader Joe's has some good food items (salsa verde, lox, olive tapenade, and double chocolate cookies are my favorites) and the short ribs looked good to me. But I remembered why I don't buy frozen meals when I ate the dish - the mealy vegetables and strange tasting sauce were not the best. And that is why I like to cook it myself.

I like having a meal that tastes real, like a sun tan not a fake bake. Like a documentary, not reality TV. Like real love instead of lust. It lasts longer, it's more satisfying, and it's more memorable. And sometimes it tastes so good, it makes me want to tell everyone about it, even if it's as common as oatmeal chocolate chip cookies or pasta with shrimp. Because even when real love is so common with all the couples that I know, I bet all of them think they're pretty special. And that the cooking is totally worth all the cleaning.


Pasta with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce (from Giada's Kitchen)
4 to 6 servings

With recipes like this, you end up with leftovers of an ingredient like bottled clam juice, which you're never going to use up. My solution, because I liked it so much, was to make this dish again a few days later.

1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 15 oz can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup bottled clam juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup of the basil, 1/4 cup of the parsley, and the red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine and simmer for another 2 minutes. Add the clam juice and cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the cooked shrimp, the drained pasta, and the remaining basil and parsley. Toss together until all ingredients are coated with the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve.

Noting a Life: Dinner Notebooks

When the group from First Congregational Church of Berkeley and I arrived in Spain from Morocco, our first stop was Marbella. I knew the name immediately from Chicken Marbella which is one of my favorite dishes, originally from the famous Silver Palate Cookbook. You’ll find the recipe below. But I had always called it Chicken Marbella—like Mar-bel-la. To my surprise the city’s name was pronounced Mar-bay-a. So now I know, Chicken Mar-bay-a.
















We spent one night. I didn’t eat Chicken Marbella—in fact it wasn’t on the menu. But I can tell you exactly what I did eat at Bar California: salad with carrot, tunafish, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, and onions and poured my own oil and vinegar. Then I had Shrimp Pil-Pil which is shrimp in boiling hot olive oil and garlic served in a small casserole. A Barbarillos (white?) and a Rioja (red) to drink. Then we went off to a bar and I ate Cuarent Tres, which means 43, almonds from Catalonia, and Poncho Cabineros, a spicy liquor, which I loved. Please correct my Spanish.

The reason that I know exactly what I ate is that since 2004 I have been writing down my dinners (and on trips all three meals) along with important information like where, with whom, what and the cookbooks I used, wine, etc. I put the information in little 4 x 6-inch notebooks which are easy to take along on a trip and to restaurants if I think a meal may be worth recording in detail.

At the end of each month, I put this information on a spreadsheet, clearly a throw-back to my 16 years as an administrator at Duke University. Then at the end of the year I tally it up. Here’s what it looked like the first year 2004 and the most recent year 2008: Cooked dinner for guests 46/38, Cooked dinner for myself or myself and Katherine 80/84, Ate leftovers 84.5/63, Take-out 0/4, Out at restaurants 50/57, Out at friends 23/17, Out shared (mostly holidays) 3/6, Catering 4/0, Traveling (mostly restaurants) 75/97. They each add up to 366; I don't know why. But close enough.

There is no real reason for recording my dinners in this way. I think originally it seemed like a fun project—and I love projects. I do occasionally go back, as I did above, and check out what I ate on a particular date, like Saturday, March 20, 2004.

Sometimes I think that I am providing a future graduate student with a masters thesis on what a white, middle-aged, middle class, woman ate between 2004 and whenever I decide to stop.

But mostly I like to keep track of my life. I call the bookshelf that holds all these notebooks and others you will hear about at another time Noting A Life.

Moon Grub

This is more for fun than anything...plus it's probably Trivial Pursuit-worthy.

Flying to the moon requires more compact, efficient, high-tech nutrition than that required on flights to say…Mercury (duh, right?). Designed using “scientific nutrition”, astronauts are certainly not bragging about “pills and paste”, the space-ready food served on their menus in the past. Such products were designed to provide calories, vitamins, and minerals... however, astronauts won’t eat the stuff. The “pills and paste” are packaged in squeeze tubes or as bite-size cubes coated in gelatin to keep crumbs from escaping. Warren Belasco, author of “Meals to Come: A History of the Future of Food” describes the food as “edible biomass, food for function, not for the soul [1].” No kiddin’.

Astronauts were losing a lot of weight not only in part to the extremely unappetizing food, but also in part due to their increased energy needs. While “floating” sounds easy enough, a lot of energy is expended in space as opposed to gravity-ridden Earth. The calcium needs of the astronauts are also increased as bones regenerate more slowly in space.

However, Apollo astronauts were the first to have hot water aboard their space craft which allowed for dehydrated foods which were packaged like the military’s meals ready to eat (MRE’s) [1]. Unfortunately, the foods were typically consumed out of a pouch, allowing them to eat with a spoon versus the retired “pills and paste” alternatives in the past [2].

Flying in space causes a shift in body fluid to the head causing a decreased sense of smell. Because 85-90% of what we taste is what we smell, astronauts commonly use hot sauces, soy sauce, and other bold flavors to season their food and increase the flavor. Overall, the advances in selection and quality for our space crews have drastically improved. Those working for NASA have 180 varieties of freeze-dried foods from which to choose. They can even opt to include some of their favorite foods in the form of freeze-dried. A menu cycle is typically 7-days and many shuttle crews allow on foods representing their country to share with other astronauts. Carbonated products such as colas, however, are avoided as they cause “dry burps” when mixed with gravity.

Moral of the story: foodies probably wouldn’t be too thrilled about the cuisine in space. I’ll stick to my day job, that’s for sure.

[1]. LaRue Huget, Jennifer. Houston, We Have a Menu. The Washington Post. July 21, 2009.

[2]. Suddath, Claire. What Do Astronauts Eat in Space? Time. July 20, 2009.

Menu 8: A Second Spanish-influenced dinner

Chicken Marbella
Now that we have the pronunciation straight, we can proceed. Within the last year I have discovered that not everyone shares my affinity for sweet and savory in the same dish. I recently mentioned Chicken Marbella to Jessie, a dear friend of a friend, who said that she would never fix anything that had chicken and prunes together. She just wasn’t drawn to those combinations. What you have probably noticed by now is that I am drawn to those combinations. In fact, they jump off the page of a cookbook and into my lap. Sweet and salty. Raisins and bacon. My mouth waters. I want you to know that I fully confess to this affinity and won’t take offense if you don’t share it.

What is really great about Chicken Marbella is its ease: you can marinate the day before, then put it in your pots or pans, pour in the wine and sprinkle sugar, and bake. None of that nasty browning business. The thighs are much more forgiving than chicken breasts which tend to dry out.

8-10 chicken thighs, skin and extra fat removed
½ head of garlic, peeled and pressed
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes
1 cup pitted green olives
¼ cup capers with a bit of juice
3 bay leaves
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup wine
2 tablespoons chopped flatleaf parsley or cilantro

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs, garlic, oregano, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Add the salt and pepper. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight. You can also make it in the morning and refrigerate for the day.
2. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
3. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in one or two large shallow baking pans or clay pots and spoon the marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle the chicken with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.
4. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when the juice from the thighs runs clear, not pink, when pricked.
5. If you’ve cooked in the clay pots, then leave them as they are. If you’ve cooked in not-so-pretty pans, transfer the thighs, prunes, olives and capers with a slotted spoon to a serving platter, moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and pass the remaining juices in a small pitcher. Sprinkle the clay pots or the platter generously with parsley or cilantro.
Note: This dish can be served right out of the oven or at room temperature.

4-6 servings
Adapted from Julee Ross and Sheila Lukins’ The Silver Palate Cookbook

Coconut Rice
This rice is actually Cuban, but it goes with the Marbella so nicely. Both speak Spanish fluently. The photo doesn't reveal how tasty this dish is. Delicious. But not very visually stimulating.

2 tablespoons oil or butter
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons minced or grated fresh ginger
1½ cups basmati rice
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (comes in a can)
1½ cups water
1 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oil or butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, but not brown, about 1 minute. Add the rice and sauté until the individual grains are shiny, about 1 minute.
2. Add the coconut milk, water, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and cook the rice until all of the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and let the rice stand, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve at once.

If you want to make it a bit ahead of time, you can rewarm it in a low oven.

4-6 servings
Adapted from Steven Raichlen’s Miami Spice

Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
I am crazy about these tomatoes, especially the cherry tomatoes. Fresh sliced regular tomatoes or cherry tomatoes would be great with this meal as well. Both the roasted and fresh add a necessary color to the plate.

















3 pounds small to medium tomatoes of any kind or color
OR
2-3 boxes of cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Cut the regular tomatoes in half crosswise and remove the seeds.
OR
Poke a hole in each of the cherry tomatoes.
2. Place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Mix together.
3. Place the cherry tomatoes or the regular tomatoes with their cut side up in a single layer on low-sided pans lined with parchment paper or silpat. Roast in a 350ºF oven. No need to preheat. You can use convection mode on either roast or bake if your oven has that feature.
4. Bake in the oven until the skins are wrinkled and juices evaporated somewhat. The flesh should still be moist and soft to the touch. For regular tomatoes, count on 1-2 hours; for cherry tomatoes, one hour should be sufficient. If you are using convection, the times will be shorter. You can remove the tomatoes that are starting to caramelize (and potentially burn) if you desire.
5. Remove from the oven and cool.

4 servings
Adapted from a Ramekin’s cooking class taught by Mary Karlin, August 2004.