Saturday, July 18, 2009

Summer Comfort

Winter is the time for comfort food. It’s the time for thick stews and spicy chili and roasts resting in their juices. It’s the time for wrapping yourself in a blanket, flipping on the tv, and eating holiday cookies in a gnarly sweater. Some people do this all year long, but they are probably very depressed.

Summer is supposed to be the time to shed all that extra clothing, baggage, or weight. We eat light foods like salads and seafood and fruit desserts. But what about when you have a car accident on a sunny day, or your summer fling breaks your heart, or the A/C stops working during a heat wave? Life is frustrating all the time, with no concern for the season. It’s not only the weather we seek comfort from in our food.

But food is not my primary source of comfort. My first love is reading. When I’m tired, when I’m stressed, when I’m lonely, there’s no better cure than to curl up in bed with a book. But I also realize that reading and eating are closely linked in my mind. Some people can’t use the bathroom without a magazine in hand, but I can’t enjoy my dinner or even a five minute breakfast without some reading material on the table. I used to read a book at the dinner table as a child, baffling and annoying my parents who love to talk. It was meant to be a compliment to the food. The better my mom’s cooking, the more I wanted to read while I ate it.

Seeking comfort on a cold, rainy day in June, I went to a used book sale. Wandering through stacks of books under a giant tent, I remembered long summer days in grade school where I had nothing to do all day but watch The Price is Right and I Love Lucy, and read piles of books – mysteries mostly. Now I was more interested in the cookbook section. Typically at these things you’ll find a variety of diet cookbooks, microwave cookbooks, and issues of Bon Appetit from 1983. Occasionally you’ll find something unique - like an African cookbook.

For $3, I bought a cookbook with recipes like beef tripe soup and clam and peanut stew, neither of which I plan to make. But I also came across a recipe for a cold cucumber soup. It was nothing more than a potato soup cooked, then pureed and chilled with some chopped cucumber stirred in, and a dash of pepper sauce. Summer is the only time of year I would want to eat cold soup.

When I made the soup, I was expecting something as simple as the recipe sounded, and I was a bit skeptical about chunks of cucumber in my potato soup. So I was surprised when I found myself licking my bowl (I don’t do this in public, I promise). The crunchy cucumber played off nicely against the creamy potato, and the cold soup was well heated by the pepper sauce.

This, then, is summer comfort. A good book, or a good cookbook, a cold, spicy, hearty soup, and the ability to lick your bowl clean without anyone watching.

Cold Cucumber Soup
Yields 2 quarts

Ingredients:
1 cup white onions, chopped finely
2 oz. butter
1 cup peeled and cubed white potatoes (1/2 inch cubes)
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
a few drops Tabasco (more if you like it spicy)
2 quarts chicken stock
1 cup fat free plain yogurt
2 cups peeled and diced cucumbers

In a 3 quart saucepan, saute the onions in butter. Add potatoes, salt, white pepper, tabasco, and chicken stock. Cook until potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Puree with immersion blender, or transfer to blender or food processor to puree until smooth. Return soup to pan. Add yogurt and cucumbers and stir to combine. Check the seasoning and adjust if needed. Chill 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Fiction: Eating healthy is too expensive

I hear this excuse on a daily basis, even from my husband. But let's call a spade a spade: an excuse is just that...an excuse. Not to be mistaken for a reason. Even in working with a low-income population in rural America, it's my job to make proper nutrition a feasible reality to everyone and on any budget.


Eating a more nutritious, balanced diet does not require breaking the bank. How one can justify fast food for every meal (DOLLAR/VALUE MENU OR NOT!) as a less expensive alternative to balanced home-cooked meals is sorely mistaken. The toll is not only on their waistline and their wallets, but on their overall health status.


So, 10 ways eating healthier doesn't have to cost you more:


1. Buy seasonal products. Fresh artichokes will run you $1.99-2.99 each right now, yes. Darn. Ouch. But a $0.10 ear of corn? Compare that to the canned or frozen versions. You're coming out well ahead, guaranteed.


2. Research. I make regular trips to Aldi for avocados, bell peppers, and other fresh produce. I'm saving bundles. And if you take lessons in guacamole-making from yours truly, you can make 4x the amount of guacamole from scratch as you can buy at Taco Bell or Taco Bueno.


3. Portions: if you're eating less volume, you can save lots of money. What a thought!


4. Water is cheaper than soda, shakes, Slurpees, etc. So is Crystal Light.


5. Use "heartier proteins" (to quote Katie Cavuto, the RD on The Next Food Network Star) such as beans in your meals. Beans are an excellent source of protein and fiber...and they're PACKED with vitamins and minerals.


6. Canned and frozen products are perfectly nutritious options for getting in your fruits and vegetables. While fresh is preferred, consuming fruits and vegetables from any source is a far step above consuming none at all. Be sure to rinse your canned vegetables to rid of excess sodium, and buy your fruit in water or natural juices. Anything packed in syrup (light or heavy) should be avoided.


7. Buy the generic. I love Fiber One bars and they're sold in bulk at retailers like Sam's Club. Walmart, however, has a generic brand with identical nutritional content and ingredients for 30% less cost. You'll find this is commonly true in snack foods and grains, such as cereals.


8. Items such as turkey pepperoni, turkey kielbasa, reduced-fat peanut butter, light or sugar-free syrup, and turkey hot dogs cost the exact same as their high-fat and/or high-calorie counterparts. Choose the healthier option!

9. Create meals using cheap, staple items such as potatoes and eggs. These products offer loads of nutrients, but as with all foods, should not be eaten in excess. Breakfast for dinner, anyone?


10. Substitute similar products. Lean ground beef comes with a heavier price tag than it's 80% lean version. So, opt for ground turkey instead.


And please, never forget the price tag of poor health. The cost of chronic diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), and diabetes will eventually weigh down much more than your pocket. Consider the emotional, physical, and economical costs your friends, family, and loved ones will pay for your ill-health. The toll is much greater than the cost of that which we choose to fuel our bodies.

Scare tactics are never a first resort, but hindsight is always 20-20 when it comes to our health: don't wait until it's too late to make positive changes in order to preserve your health.

BBQ Etiquette

1. Never try to tell the griller how to do his or her craft.(a pair of tongs can be very dangerous when used properly)
2.Do NOT try to sample the meat before it is served.(have you ever tried digging a two-prong fork out of your skin)
3.Never put ketchup on a grilled hotdog unless you want to be seated out back with the other critters.
4.Do not be seen drinking your beer from a glass.This will lead to instant expulsion.(tossed out on your rear)
5.Absolutely never show up at a BBQ with a bottle of wine. Beer or sweet tea is BBQ fare.(save that wine for your next romantic evening back at the trailer)
6.Be social. after all a BBQ IS a social event.(sittin in the corner by yourself is inviting the serial killer label)
7.NEVER go into the host or hostess house to use the bathroom without first asking.(unless you wish to lose something very important to you)
8.Do not under any circumstances utter the three most disgusting words to cross a BBQer's ears "I'm a vegetarian".(this is a hangin offense in some circles)
9.Never ask the cook if they could use some help.(cook will spend rest of the day muttering under their breath "If I wanted you're damn help I'd ask for it)
10.Always remember to invite the neighbors.(if the former vice-president of the United States can "accidentally" shoot someone and get away with it, don't you think it would be even easier for your lounge chair loving neighbor)