Underwater Video

Here's some underwater video footage that we were able to capture while we were snorkeling at Hunauma Bay. Thanks to Caleb and John for the use of their camera, and Danielle for editing it for us. Love the music you used, Danielle! Good job!!!

J & G Steakhouse Reviewed

Here in D.C., we have the newest creation from Jean-Georges. Located in the newly renovated Hotel Washington now a W Hotel, J-G bills J&G as a collection of his favorite dishes from his New York restaurants, as well as an inspired steakhouse menu with composed and simply grilled items. Premium meats and a global selection of fresh fish will be the backbone of the menu, including the highest quality raw items from East and West Coasts, uniquely creative appetizers, as well as prime cuts of meat char grilled to perfection with side dishes, including vegetables and potatoes.


With all of that, I fell into risotto and snapper, but more about that later. The hotel and lobby do make an attempt at modern hotel chic. However, the bones of the old Hotel Washington are neo-classical with columns, marble and soaring ceilings. So, I'm not sure if the décor works in the space.

Neither do I think the suffocating service works. They are certainly trying hard. Wait staff is constantly checking on the status of the meal and diners, as are additional floor managers and assorted persons. However, I think really good service isn't asking me if I need more water or diet coke (at lunch), but anticipating my need and fulfilling it without question. Similarly, I found the multiple intrusions during a business lunch distracting. This is Washington - we are either talking policy/politics, checking our Blackberry's or engrossed in our friends. We don't want to talk to the staff. That said, they were all nice people. Maybe they will just tone it down a little.

As for the meal, I chose the lunch-time tasting menu, which in this recession I suppose can be called a value meal although it checks in at $28. I started with the mushroom risotto. It was different than a traditional risotto, lighter and color and less in saltines, no parmeggiano I imagine. The forest mushrooms on top were fine. More inspired was the snapper. I don't even remember what it was over, but I remember the sauce had some heat to it, which I found interesting and fun. Maybe my mind remains transfixed on the desert. I chose the chocolate cake with melted chocolate in the center and a small dollop of ice cream. Modestly portioned (a good thing) and extremely tastey. All in all, a good lunch which I would recommend.

Butternut Squash Sauce...B12 & Weight Loss...Dental Health and Halloween...National Peanut Board

Happy Hump Day! I can't decide what I want to blog about today, so I am blogging about 4 completely unrelated things: Butternut Squash Sauce, B12 and weight loss, the best Halloween candy to consume to preserve your dental health, and blog post recognition from the National Peanut Board. And of course, my diabetic diet from yesterday (2 days to go!). So, here we go...

Last night I decided to make a modified version of a Butternut Squash Sauce recipe I ran across while perusing the Weight Watchers recipe board.

First I peeled and seeded one large butternut squash. I cubed the squash and simmered it for about 30 minutes in 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock with 6 cloves of crushed garlic, fresh ground pepper, and 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar. I added about 2/3 cup fresh chopped basil leaves about 20 minutes into the cooking process.

 

While my squash was simmering, I enjoyed a DELICIOUS (best beer ever??) Southampton Pumpkin Ale. YUMMMYYY!!!

 

Once my squash was nice and tender, I blended it into a thick paste.

I added the Butternut Squash Sauce to some whole wheat tube noodles. I topped the dish off with goat cheese crumbles and pine nuts (not pictured).

Question: Does this sound or look appetizing to you? My dear, dear husband ate this creation, Lord love him. The taste and flavors were WONDERFUL, but the consistency was that of baby food. What should I do differently next time?

In other news...B12 injections and weight loss. I feel the need to address this because I see SO many patients who hear that B12 injections will induce weight loss. This is COMPLETELY FALSE. Here's what Mayo Clinic has to say about B12 and weight loss...

Question: Vitamin B-12 injections for weight loss: Do they work?

Answer from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

There's no evidence that vitamin B-12 in any form — including vitamin B-12 injections — enhances weight loss. One study published in 2005 suggested that people who took a number of different supplements, including vitamin B-12, gained weight more slowly over a 10-year period than did those who took no supplements. However, many factors must be considered when interpreting the study results, including the fact that people who take dietary supplements tend to be more health conscious — which may contribute to better weight management. 

If you're hoping to lose weight, resist the lure of quick and easy solutions. What counts is a healthy lifestyle. Enjoy healthier foods and include physical activity in your daily routine.

Verdict from this RD: "If it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is!"

And...dental health for Halloween candy?

As an avid Julie Deardorff reader, I was happy to see this article in the Chicago Tribune today featuring the best and worst candy for your TEETH! New research is showing that the first line of defense in preventing cavities is xylitol-containing candies and gums. So, the low down on candy....

BAD ENOUGH
(Examples: Pixy Stix, Sweet Tarts)
Trick: Yes, Pixy Stix are a sack of sugar. But if poured directly on the tongue, it won’t touch teeth, leaving nothing for cavity-causing bacteria to feed on. Powdery candy also dissolves quickly, before bacteria can cause damage.

Why this scares dentists: There is no such thing as “best” candy for teeth.

BAD BAD
(Examples: Hershey’s Kisses, M&M’s)
Trick: Chocolate, which won’t stick to teeth for long periods of time, contains calcium, which could help protect tooth enamel. Research shows dark chocolate with at least 65 percent cocoa content is a potent antioxidant. Still, moderation and timing are important. “It’s better to eat four chocolates at one time rather than having one chocolate every three to four hours,” said Dr. Girish Herekar, a dental expert for justanswer.com.

Why this scares dentists: At room temperature, chocolate clings to tooth enamel. When it melts, it sinks into the crevices of teeth. Try freezing it to make it better for your teeth.

AHHH! BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD!
(Examples: Snickers, Almond Joy, Twix)
Trick: Caramel, nougat and other fillings add sugar, which may erase chocolate’s benefits.

Why this scares dentists:  Candy with fruit or nuts is “sticky and can get caught in the pits and grooves of teeth, causing decay,” said Dr. Julie Barna, a spokeswoman for the Academy of General Dentistry.

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Examples: jelly beans, candy corn, Dots, Tootsie Roll, Skittles)
Trick: It takes longer to eat, so you may eat less. But the higher the melting temperature something has, the worse it is for teeth.

Why this scares dentists: “If a 5-year-old ate an orange jelly bean and didn’t brush, I could look three hours later and still see orange in the grooves of his teeth,” Weinstein said. “Sticky, chewy candies linger there for hours and can create a higher acid content, which allows the bacteria to feast.”

 Question: What's YOUR favorite Halloween candy? I'm a Twix and Butterfinger fan. Almond Joy, too. Oops! Ironic - I scheduled my dentist appointment TODAY.

And lastly, I received an AWESOME email from the National Peanut Board today! The email read:

Dear Nicole,

I want to thank you for posting the Q&A on peanut butter. It’s always great to hear a dietitian’s point of view on the healthful benefits of peanuts and peanut butter. The charts you provided were also wonderful. I will keep them on hand for future reference. I enjoyed your post so much I posted the link on my company’s, the National Peanut Board, Facebook fan page. You can check it out here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Peanut-Board/63476447613#/pages/National-Peanut-Board/63476447613

I would like to send you some nutritional information on peanuts and peanut butter and some peanut flour. Peanut flour is an emerging product from the peanut industry and is different from peanuts and peanut butter. In order to make the flour, fat must be removed during the process, making it a lower fat product that still contains all the protein and nutrients peanuts have. It can be used in many cooking applications from baking to soups, sauces, desserts and beverages. If you would like to try some please send me your address and I will ship it out to you.

Thank you again for the post!

All the best,

Lindsay Spencer  

Lindsay Spencer

Communications Coordinator | National Peanut Board

Tel | (678) 424-5753

Fax | (678) 424-5751

Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Flickr | Blog | nationalpeanutboard.org

­­­­_______________________________________________

I, of course, happily responded with my address. What a cool email to receive, huh? I've also asked Jenny of PB & Jenny to write a guest post on peanut butter. We'll see what she comes up with for us! Check out her blog, it's fun!

As for my diabetic diet yesterday, it went something like this...

Breakfast:

1 serving mini shredded wheat (3 carbs)

1 cup skim milk (1 carb) 

     Total: 4 carbs

Lunch:

2 cups chicken noodle soup (1 carb)

6 ounces fat-free Greek yogurt (1 1/2 carbs)

1 small apple (1 carb)

     Total: 3 1/2 carbs

Dinner (it was totally a random meal...)

1 chicken enchilada with black beans, chicken, 2% shredded cheese, and enchilada sauce (2 carbs)

1/3 cup whole wheat pasta (1 carb)

3 Tbsp Butternut Squash Sauce (<1 carb)

     Total: 3.25 carbs

Snack: 

1 graham cracker (1 carb)

1 Tbsp peanut butter (0 carbs)

Side note: Today was taste test #6 or 7 at work -- Buffalo Chicken Lasagna and it was a HUGE hit! I had the most participants to date -- 15!!! :)

Long...post...sorry...!!!

Spaghetti with cuttlefish ink

There is a first dish made of seafood, which is really curious for taste and for its very particular aesthetic. The spaghetti with cuttlefish ink, a dish from the color black, not always attractive, for someone it is too strange, for others is mysterious and charming, but above all taste amazing and really good.






Ingredients for 4 people:
500 g spaghetti, 250 g of cuttlefish, 3 cloves of garlic, 500 g of peeled tomatoes, half a glass of white wine, extra virgin olive oil, parsley, red pepper, salt.


Preparation:
Clean and chop the cuttlefish , be careful to pick the bag with black and put it in a dish apart.
In a saucepan sauté the chopped garlic in the extra virgin olive oil, add the chopped cuttlefish. Later pour the wine. Add the tomatoes peeled and chopped, add salt and cook for about 20 minutes.

Add a pinch of red pepper, chopped parsley and finally add the squid ink contained in the bag. Cook the spaghetti "al dente", and mix into the pan with the sauce.
Garnish with chopped parsley.

A MUFFULETTA

The month of November begins with a very important feast, "All Saints", but the day more celebrated is the next November 2nd, the celebration of the dead, here called "the feast of the dead."

During this day, in Palermo, in the past, but the majority of people, still now, went to the cemetery to visit their relatives passed away.

They organized for the occasion a sort of picnic, carrying with them food to be consumed quickly outdoors.

Tradition has it that now, regardless of whether you go to the cemetery, in Palermo in the morning of this day, people eat " a muffuletta", round loaves with sesame seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, sardines (or anchovies), extra virgin olive oil , salt, pepper, oregano and vinegar.

"A muffulette" can be seasoned "cold", or you can first heat the oil in a pan with the sardines, to further flavor the whole.
Another version of the muffuletta is with oil, salt, pepper, oregano, anchovies in olive oil and fresh ricotta.