Pop Quiz!

Can you name the one common ingredient found in each of these foods:

Oscar Mayer Bologna

Oscar Mayer Ball Park Franks

Jimmy Dean Sausage

Heinz Tomato Ketchup

Miracle Whip

Cheez Whiz

Nabisco’s Wheatsworth, Stoneground Wheat Crackers

Wheat Thins

Keebler’s Club Crackers

Nabisco’s Original Premium Saltines

Ritz Crackers

I’ll give you one hint: it contains no nutritional value other than calories.

Yup, you guessed it: high fructose corn syrup.

It’s everywhere! This insidious ingredient lurks in places that most of us never even think about looking. The above list is only a partial sample of the first two aisles in my local supermarket. No wonder sugar consumption has increased nearly 30% since 1983. (Source: Center for Science in the Public Interest) No food is safe from the clutches of corn syrup!

I live very close to a decent chain-supermarket. We have a fair selection of produce, a good selection of “natural foods” (by the way, why don’t they ever have a sign in a supermarket for “unnatural foods”?) and a nice-enough quantity of local products. And yet, in the entire row of sandwich bread, only one brand, yes, ONE brand, does not contain any corn syrup (Rudi’s Organic Bakery). Can someone please tell me why do sandwich breads need corn syrup?

High-fructose corn sweeteners are cheaper to produce than sugars from cane and beets, which is why they are more widely used. There is a theory that the body processes the fructose in high fructose corn syrup slightly differently than it does cane or beet sugar, which some believe alters the hormones that regulate our metabolic rate, and apparently this also forces the liver to produce more fat into the bloodstream. Basically what this means is that our bodies are “tricked” into eating more and at the same time, we store more fat.

Proof? Ever have a soda and not feel full, despite the fact that a regular can of Coke or Pepsi contains no less than 13 teaspoons of sugar!

Bottom line: read your labels! America is getting fat because corn syrup is E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E! So, consumer: BEWARE!

U.S. Guidelines and more broccoli

I've often daydreamed about writing the next big diet

book and making goo-gobs of money. I  already have the

title: "Moderation NOW!" But, when I sit down to write

I can only get as far as: "Eat less junk; eat more

good food. Oh, and exercise more." Somehow I don't see

a big New York publisher thinking that this

scintillating advice would propel me to the top of the

charts. Plus, I'm certain they'd want me to flesh the

thing out a bit.



But now the US Government has beaten me to the punch.

In late January, they issued their first

recommendations in five years. The "Dietary Guidelines

for Americans" proclaim that as Americans we should

cut back on our added sugars and cholesterol and trans

fats. The Guidelines tell people to eat whole foods

and to increase their fruits and vegetables, among

other things. They are telling people when ordering a

sandwich to ask for whole wheat instead of white

bread. Can you imagine the CEO of Wonder Bread right

now? (Honey, do what would you think of me retiring a

little early?) And, not only that, but they advocated

a very shocking recommendation: exercise 30-90 minutes

a day!



I'm so proud to be an American right now (well, until

next Thursday,Inaguration Day, when I will hang my head

in shame). Perhaps thissimple message of reducing calories

and exercising more will help curb the obesity epidemic in

this country. And, if it doesn't, perhaps it will simply help

boost the "whole foods" industry in this country which has

next to zero dollars for advertising. I once read that the yearly

advertising/marketing budget for the apple industry is less

than what M&M Mars budgets for one of their best selling candy

bars for six months.



In celebration of the new food guidelines, I want to

share with you one of my most favorite weeknight

meals. Ok, I know that most of your children will not

eat this dish, but if you like garlic and you like

broccoli, here’s a little twist that should delight

your mouth and satisfy your soul. Broccoli Rabe (or

Raab or de Rape, as it’s also known) is a slightly

bitter green that should appeal to anyone who loves

broccoli, spinach, kale, mustard greens, etc.



Broccoli Rabe over Whole Wheat Pasta



1 lb. of broccoli rabe or if you can't find it, 1

bunch of broccoli (but, do try to find it!)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

8-10 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2-3 teaspoons chili pepper flakes

1 lb of whole wheat pasta, preferably linguine or

fettuccine

Lemon wedge

Fresh Parmesan cheese



Wash broccoli rabe, drain, and cut off the woody hard

stems. 



Bring at least 5 quarts of water to a rolling boil in

a large pot or pasta cooker. Add 2-3 teaspoons salt

and the broccoli rabe and cook until tender, about 3-5

minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain.

Reserve cooking water to cook pasta.



In a food processor or blender, add broccoli rabe and

½  cup cooking water and puree.



Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan, add

the garlic and hot pepper. Cook over low heat for

about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic!



Add the broccoli rabe puree and cook for 2 minutes,

stirring to thoroughly coat the garlic.



Cook the pasta. Reserve one cup of pasta water to thin

the sauce.



Add the pasta and a little of the pasta water to the

broccoli puree. Coat the pasta completely. Add more

pasta water if necessary. Squirt a little fresh lemon

juice on top and serve immediately.



Have a nice chunk of Parmesan cheese on the table to

freshly grate on top.

Broccoli

For years I've enjoyed this stalky vegetable steamed on a plate, stir-fried in a wok, pureed into soup, stuffed into a pie or plunged raw into a bowl of dip. I wouldn't say I LOVED broccoli. It was always good, but not my knock-down absolute favorite vegetable. No, that place was always reserved for the artichoke. That is until I discovered roasted broccoli.

Roasted broccoli. Yes, roasted. Roasted as in a large pan, drizzled with olive oil and salt and cooked in a 400 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, roasted. Think potato, but different: tender, muted green, succulent. I've been on a roasted broccoli kick for about six months now. Every week I buy at least two pounds of broccoli for the sole purpose of roasting it. Mainly we eat it as a side dish, but a few weeks ago I created my new favorite lunch, which I will graciously share with you now:

1 whole wheat tortilla, slightly warmed
1 cup roasted broccoli, preferably cold from the frig
1/4 avocado, sliced
5 green olives, sliced
A slice of sharp cheddar or goat cheese
A squirt of fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Place the tortilla on a large plate. Arrange broccoli, avocado, olives, and cheese on top of the tortilla. Squirt a little lemon juice on top, and finish off with salt and pepper. Roll up and place on a plate next to a handful of those good, fried in olive oil potato chips. Then make yourself sit down (this is the hardest part for me!) in a serene place and eat this sandwich (ok, ok, it's a wrap, but it's not one of those icky, flavorless, often gooey-to-the-tooth tortilla wraps you'll find in the refrigerated section of Whole Foods). I hope you will enjoy this lively, savory, salty, fatty, good for you creation as much as I do.

Potato Chips

Last night I read in a magazine, "The bottom line is that it's got to be pleasurable. Otherwise you take away one of the most important aspects of food: It nurtures your body but also your sense of satisfication. ... Indulgence is a part of the balance of life."

Have you ever noticed that if you eat a bunch of bad, unsatisfying food, you feel bad? And, more importantly, you don't feel satisfied. What happens then is you start eating more food in hopes of becoming satisfied. However, if all your eating to satisfy your body is processed foods or foods made with cheap ingredients (for example, foods full of trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup), you feel, well, cheap and icky.

That being said, I love potato chips. I love the salt. I love the crunch. I love eating them after I have something super sweet. I love them with a sandwich. I love the oil that comes off on my hands that I wipe onto my jeans. I love the way fizzy water tastes after I eat a handful of them. In short, there's absolutely nothing I don't love about potato chips.

My husband loves them, and, now my children love them, too.

And, it is my childrens' love for them that has changed me. Pre-children (PC) I would pick up a bag of chips and not notice much other than if they were ridged. (Ridges? Who needs 'em?) But, now that I am the gateway to most of the food my children consume, I have changed my ways. No longer do I pick up any old bag of chips. Now I scan each bag and read labels so closely that usually wails are heard from the shopping cart sounding something like: "Mama, just buy them, pleeeeeeeeassssssssseeeeee!"

As with a multitude of other foods out there, I have come to adopt the snobby philosophy of: if it's not made really well and with good (read: good for your body) ingredients then don't eat it!

If you gotta eat chips (and I do!), Buy good potato chips. Really good potato chips. Potato chips that don't contain any of those nasty artery-clogging trans-fats. Buy the potato chips cooked in olive oil. Why not? Yes, yes, I know they're like five times the price. But, basically you shouldn't be eating them in the first place! When you feel like indulging, have just a few. Enjoy them. Savor them. Linger over every chip. The more you take the time to enjoy the chips, the more satisfied you'll be. Plus, if you know they're expensive, you're more likely to keep them a special treat and not be tempted to cram every chip in your mouth at warp speed!

So, as the blog states: EAT GOOD FOOD!