Wine drinkers healthier, but should the credit go to the wine or them?

In a trio of studies on wine and health, one questions whether it’s the wine or lifestyle that makes drinkers healthier; the other two show that it’s indeed the wine (or at least the grapes) that may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

As a fan of wine, shall we say, I’m always happy to pass along good news about wine and health. Well, Wine Spectator’s website recently reported on three studies that did my heart good. The first was “a new French study, scheduled to be published in an upcoming issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, that finds that people who drink moderate amounts of wine are healthier in several key categories than nondrinkers.” And this being a French study, “moderate” to them meant drinking a half bottle of wine a day. Continue reading “Wine drinkers healthier, but should the credit go to the wine or them?” →

Women chefs raise $19,200 for Greater Chicago Food Depository at 14th annual Girl Food Dinner

We’re big fans of the Greater Chicago Food Depository and all they do to help fight hunger. So I was delighted to hear the results of the 14th annual Girl Food Dinner, held this past Sunday night at West Town Tavern. The sold out event brought in an amazing $19,200 to the organization; 100% of the $150 ticket price paid by 85 lucky attendees went to the Food Depository, as did the proceeds of a raffle held at the event.

The annual event is called the Girl Food Dinner because the meal is prepared exclusively by Chicago women chefs. Continue reading “Women chefs raise $19,200 for Greater Chicago Food Depository at 14th annual Girl Food Dinner” →

Books, DVDs and… bananas? Baltimore turns libraries into Virtual Supermarkets

In an experimental program to improve nutrition, the Baltimore health department has turned two public libraries into virtual supermarkets where patrons can order groceries along with their bestsellers.

We have always been card-carrying fans of public libraries. The stack in the photo above is a modest example of how many books we may have checked out at any given moment. To us, libraries are one of the most noble inventions of civilization. So when we read about the public libraries in Baltimore taking part in a pilot program to help people in underserved communities have better access to healthy food, we were delighted, but not overly surprised.

I’ve written here in the past about food deserts—communities with little access to supermarkets or other sources of healthy food options. Continue reading “Books, DVDs and… bananas? Baltimore turns libraries into Virtual Supermarkets” →

Hold the salt: FDA plans to gradually limit salt allowed in processed foods

Excess sodium in our diets is linked to hypertension and heart disease that kill thousands of Americans each year. The Food and Drug Administration has announced plans to wean us off oversalted foods.

Finally food and its effects on our national health are starting to get some attention. In February, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the launch of the ‘Let’s Move’ campaign to end childhood obesity in the United States. Films like King Corn and Food, Inc. have focused the spotlight on how our food is produced and what that does to our health, our workers and the environment. And now, the Washington Post reports that the Food and Drug Administration is planning an unprecedented effort to reduce the salt Americans consume each day, Continue reading “Hold the salt: FDA plans to gradually limit salt allowed in processed foods” →

Braised Lamb Shanks: Honest meaty goodness

Slow-cooked Braised Lamb Shanks, flavored with generous amounts of onions, shallots, garlic and rosemary—a seriously satisfying main course. Recipe below.

I remember the first time I ordered lamb shank in a restaurant. It came out looking like a giant Flintstones club on the plate, impressively [frighteningly?] large and unmistakably honest about its animal origins. I was immediately hooked.

Seafood has in the past given me pause by looking too much like the original creature—I used to be troubled by my dinner staring back at me, for instance. Now, though, I think that if you’re going to eat animal flesh—and I am—you need to respect the animal and own up to what you’re doing. With its protruding shank bone and knobby joint, lamb shank leaves no doubt. Continue reading “Braised Lamb Shanks: Honest meaty goodness” →

Potato Root Vegetable Mash-up: A colorful, flavorful, healthy spin on mashed potatoes

Mashed potatoes, that venerable side dish, gets a lively makeover with sweet potatoes, parsnips and garlic. Recipe below.

Let me start by saying I love mashed potatoes. They can be a creamy, delicious addition to many meals and a blank canvas for many sauces. But they can also become, well, a blond and bland default side dish.

Here’s an easy way to liven things up, visually and tastewise, with two or three simple additions. A few weeks ago, I sang the praises of sweet potatoes when I made Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Shallots. The Center for Science in the Public Interest calls them a “nutritional All-Star—one of the best vegetables you can eat.” Added to mashed potatoes, they bring beautiful color to the plate and their signature sweetness.

Parsnips bring a lot to the nutrition party too. They’re rich in cancer-fighting antioxidants and high in cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. Parsnips are also a good source of folic acid, which is shown to reduce risk of heart disease, and may help prevent dementia and osteoporosis. Continue reading “Potato Root Vegetable Mash-up: A colorful, flavorful, healthy spin on mashed potatoes” →

Broccoli Rabe with Pasta: An underappreciated winter green becomes a show-stealing side

Sautéed with prosciutto, garlic and crushed red pepper, broccoli rabe combines with Cannellini beans and small pasta to become a standout side or a satisfying meal in its own right. Recipe below, with a vegetarian variation.

A recent Sunday found us at Quartino having lunch with Marion’s sister Lena. Just off Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, Quartino specializes in “authentic Italian small plates” and pizza. With painstaking attention to architectural detail, the comfortable, rambling space feels as if it’s been around far longer than the less than five years it’s been open. Just as much attention is paid to the food. We ordered a pizza and three small plates to share. All were delicious.

Interestingly, though, the scene stealer was an unassuming little dish of broccoli rabe, made with red chili, garlic, onion, olive oil and pork stock. Before we’d even paid the check, I knew I would be doing something with this multi-named, misnamed winter green.

Broccoli rabe [rob] or rapini [rah-PEE-nee], also called “raab, rapa, rapine, rappi, rappone, fall and spring raab, turnip broccoli, taitcat, Italian or Chinese broccoli, broccoli rape, broccoli de rabe, Italian turnip and turnip broccoli,” according to What’s Cooking America, isn’t related to broccoli at all. It’s actually a relative of turnips and cabbage. Enjoyed throughout the Mediterranean and China, it is used extensively in Chinese and Italian cuisine. And it’s finally gaining popularity here in the United States. Continue reading “Broccoli Rabe with Pasta: An underappreciated winter green becomes a show-stealing side” →

What are we really eating and who’s watching it?

Yet another wave of food recalls has food safety, food additives and FDA’s changing role in food enforcement in the news.

The argument for real food just keeps getting stronger. On March 4, Daily Kos reported that “the Food and Drug Administration [FDA] announced a recall of 30 processed foods containing HVP—hydrolyzed vegetable protein—a widely used flavor enhancer, due to ‘possible salmonella contamination.'” As of noon on March 8, the number of recalled products had risen to 108.

But what is HVP and why is it in everything from salad dressings to soups, potato chips, hot dogs, dips and even ready-to-eat tofu dinners? Wikipedia says that the flavor enhancer “is produced by boiling cereals or legumes, such as soy, corn, or wheat, in hydrochloric acid and then neutralizing the solution with sodium hydroxide.” And as Helene York reports in an article for The Atlantic Online, “HVP could be in almost any food.” The term food industry suddenly sounds especially appropriate. Continue reading “What are we really eating and who’s watching it?” →

Hunger in America 2010: A major hunger-relief charity delivers a troubling report

In its first comprehensive report since 2006, Feeding America shows how the economic downturn is increasing risk of hunger for a growing number of families and creating pressure on relief organizations.

The French have a saying: Jamais deux sans trois—never two (catastrophes) without three. There is certainly no shortage of catastrophes, disasters and ongoing problems in the world today. The latest to capture world attention is the devastation created by the earthquake in Haiti.

And just this month, Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity organization, issued Hunger in America 2010, “the largest study of domestic hunger,” according to their website. The report shows that hunger is increasing at an alarming rate in the United States. Continue reading “Hunger in America 2010: A major hunger-relief charity delivers a troubling report” →