The Healthy Cooking Coach

Move Over Olive Oil, Make Way for Avocado Oil

Are you concerned about your health? Who isn’t? If so, you’ll want to avoid polyunsaturated vegetable oils, such as corn, safflower, sunflower, cottonseed, soy, canola, and generic “vegetable” oils. They're found in the majority of canned, bottled, boxed, frozen, packaged, and processed foods sold in supermarkets and natural foods stores. To avoid them you'll need to read labels on everything. Making more of your family's food at home will help you avoid these insidious oils.

Photo right Karly's Carob or Chocolate Sauce over fresh peaches with Vanilla Ice Dream by Rachel Albert Matesz ©

What’s wrong with vegetable oils?
Polyunsaturated oils are highly susceptible to rancidity from exposure to heat, light, and oxygen. In the industrial processes used to extract vegetable oils for sale in supermarkets, oils are exposed to enough heat, light, and oxygen to produce peroxides. These give the oils a bad taste and smell so they are bleached and deodorized before being put on the market or used to make synthetic fats (margarine and shortening).

Even if the oils were to survive industrial processing undamaged, they are typically packaged in clear bottles and stored in brightly lit groceries at room temperature. They are more or less rancid by the time someone takes them home. Then people at home usually store them at room temperature (why not, that’s what they do in the stores), and often use them for cooking.

Want to see vegetable oil turn to plastic/ Brush a baking pan with safflower oil, then bake it at 350˚ F––you’ll have trouble getting the glue off the pan with any solvent. That's what's happening inside your body when you eat a diet rich in vegetable oils as most Americans do.

Even if you get cold-pressed oils packaged in dark bottles and keep them refrigerated, as soon as you eat them conditions are correct for converting them to the pesky peroxides. Remember, your innards are always hot (98.6˚ F), and loaded with oxygen. What happens when peroxides get loose in your blood? Damage to arterial tissue and plaque!

What’s a cook to use?
For cooking and baking, your best bets are real butter, ghee (clarified butter), lard, beef tallow, palm oil, non-hydrogenated palm shortening, and coconut oil. Yes, those are all healthy, traditional fats that your body knows how to deal with.

I know, for years doctors and dietitians have been blaming animal fats for heart disease and cancer, and recommending people eat vegetable oils instead. But they were (and still are wrong!), history and research implicate vegetable oils as the real culprits. For more than 2 million years before the industrial revolution, vegetable oils were rare and fake fats made from those oils, such as margarine and shortening, were unknown.

Photo right: Goat Cheesecake topped with Karyl's Carob or Chocolate Sauce and homemade Caramel Sauce by Rachel Albert Matesz ©

We've been duped
In America during the past 100 years animal fat intake has remained virtually constant, while consumption of processed unsaturated vegetable oil products has increased more than four-fold, parallel with rates of major degenerative diseases––obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. So naturally saturated fats and oils can't be to blame. How can they when people are eating less of them (less butter, lard, and tallow) and downing vegetable oils in amounts previously never seen in history?

What about olive oil?
Extra-virgin olive oil is great for salad dressing and moderate to low heat cooking (best below 350 or 400˚F and medium or medium low heat, not high!), but in some recipes, such as homemade mayonnaise, sweet salad dressings, and dessert sauces, its strong herbaceous flavor can over power other ingredients. Enter unrefined avocado oil. Not only is it good for these applications, but you can also use it for sautéing, pan frying, and roasting vegetables.

What about coconut oil?
From a health standpoint, coconut oils is an excellent addition to the diet and a great substitute for less healthful oils. However, in some applications it doesn’t work, either because it becomes too hard when refrigerated (in a salad dressing or mayo for example), because its flavor can be too strong (in sweet salad dressings or mayo), or because its smoke points is too low.

Coconut oil is heat stable, but it doesn’t have a particularly high smoke point (its smoke point is generally listed as approximately 350°F). This limits its use for some types of cooking (see examples below).

Ode to avocado oil
Avocado oil has a fatty acid profile similar to olive oil. It is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. Compared to olive oil, it has a very high smoke point, over 500°F, which makes it ideal for baking, roasting, and pan frying.While you can use it for deep frying, I don't frying on a frequent basis and if you do it, a more saturated fat would be safer (think palm oil, palm shortening, rendered beef tallow, or lard).

Avocado photo right: Mid-American Marketing Corporation >>>

When used for salad dressings, avocado oil won’t interfere with the other flavors. It also makes an excellent mayonnaise! Almost all commercial mayonnaise is made from soybean, safflower, sunflower, or canola oil, the oils you need to avoid. You can make mayonnaise with olive oil but it doesn’t have the look or the traditional flavor people expect.

How does it taste?
If you like avocados, you’ll like avocado oil. It has a mild flavor and blends well with both sweet and savory ingredients. It’s not my main source of fat or oil by any means, but it’s a great alternative to have on hand for some of the applications listed above. Sometimes I make sweet salad dressings using a reduction of fruit juice (try the Poppy Seed Pineapple, Orange, or Cherry Drizzle recipe found in The Garden of Eating). I used to use flax oil for this, but over time I've virtually eliminated this oil from my diet because it contains a lot of polyunsaturates, it’s inferior to fish oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, and you can’t use flax oil for cooking.

Using avocado oil
I've made the sauce recipe (below) for a couple of dozen classes and events, including a recent Arizona Herb Association meeting, People love the flavor and texture of it. Avocado oil provides the healthy fat required to give body and texture to this recipe, balancing the sweetness of the syrup. It keeps the sauce pourable, so you don’t have to heat it to be able to pour it over fresh berries, fresh or frozen bananas, homemade ice cream or Ice Dream (from my latest book, The Ice Dream Cookbook). Avocado oil's mild flavor slips seamlessly into this and other recipes. By using it avocado oil in recipes where olive or coconut oil don't work, you can avoid the hazards of both refined vegetable oils and hydrogenated oils.

My recent taste test
I recently tried Avocado Oil Supreme® from Mid American Marketing Company at www.coconutoil-online.com. I think it tastes great. I’ve tried it in heated and uncooked applications. The only thing I would change if I were consulting with the company is that I would package it in glass rather than plastic containers. If you buy this oil, I suggest you transfer it to glass bottles (dark ones if possible) upon arrival and remember to store it in the refrigerator. They also sell exceptionally good virgin pressed coconut oil and other coconut products. I tried avocado oil from Whole Foods Market, which I also liked. The latter is packaged in glass bottles, making it safer for health and the environment. I am not sure how the two compare price-wise.

Karly’s Carob Sauce       

Hands-On: 20 minutes/   Cooking: 0 / Yield: 1 3/4 to 2 cups; 14 to 16 servings

One of my cooking students, Karlene Blair, shared this recipe with me. She got it from raw foods chef Becky Johnson. You can use carob powder or unsweetened cocoa powder. For a less sweet taste use only maple syrup in the recipe below.

Some of my recipe testers thought the chocolate version tasted like Hershey’s Syrup®. It’s easy to prepare, and remains pourable right from the refrigerator, where it will keep for months.

Notes: If you have celiac disease, use unsweetened cocoa powder rather than carob powder. Most brands of carob powder are made on equipment shared with wheat, which can cross contaminate the carob.  If you follow a moderate to low-carb diet, consider this a special treat, not daily fare.

FYI: Store avocado oil and almond oil in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pure maple syrup or combination of raw honey and maple syrup (agave nectar for vegans)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup unrefined almond oil or avocado oil
• 1/2 cup raw or roasted carob powder, sifted if lumpy (see variation below for chocolate)
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon finely ground unrefined sea salt (e.g. Celtic Sea Salt or Redmond Real Salt)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or alcohol-free vanilla flavoring
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract or alcohol-free almond flavoring

1. Sift the carob or cocoa powder if lumpy. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level the top with a butter knife. Combine all ingredients in a blender, Vita-Mix, or food processor or in a medium bowl with an electric mixer or immersion blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Scrape the mixture into custard cups or wide mouth jars, then cover, and refrigerate.
3. If you wish to thin the sauce before serving, run the jar under warm water or allow it to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Alternatveily add a few tablespoons of warm water to the portion you plan to serve right away. Don’t add water to the entire batch as this can cause premature spoilage.

2 tablespoons (carob): 122 calories, 0.2 grams protein, 18.6 grams carbohydrate, 5.3  grams fat, 18 milligrams sodium

2 tablespoons (chocolate): 121 calories, 0.5 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrate, 5.7 grams fat, 18 milligrams sodium

Variations:

*   Karly’s Cocoa Sauce: Replace carob powder with unsweetened cocoa powder.

Source for nutrition info above: The Garden of Eating: A Produce—Dominated Diet & Cookbook by Rachel Albert Matesz & Don Matesz (Planetary Press, 2004)
© Copyright 2004

Source for recipe above: The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Dream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes and Sauces by Rachel Albert-Matesz (Planetary Press, October, 2008)
© Copyright 2008

Money Saving Tips for Your Food Budget

When it comes to buying and cooking chicken, there are so many ways to save money.

Good, better, and best
Although pasture-raised chickens are the best bet nutritionally and ecologically, not everyone can afford to buy it or to eat this kind of poultry exclusively. I consider certified organic or local, antibiotic-free, free range the next best bet in my book (The Garden of Eating), but again, this may not be in your budget now or as a weekly expenditure.

That's dark meat chicken there: a meaty chicken back and a small thigh. The back from a cut up fryer has a fair amount of meat on it. It's not to be wasted.

I’m all for local, organic, and grass-fed and I’m also practical. If you don’t have the income to eat that way or do it it 100%, then you make the best choices within the confines of your current economical situation. I think it’s more important to eat a protein- and produce-rich diet, even if it’s not 50% or even 100% organic, local, or pasture-raised. So, with that in mind, check out the tips below. If you have tips I haven’t thought of, let me know by posting your comments below.

1) Stock up on your favorite cuts or parts when they go on sale
Check out the weekly ad specials that show up in your mail box. Here in Phoenix, AZ, Sprouts Market, Sunflower Market, Frys, Safeway, and Food City offer weekly specials on so many food. You can find poultry, meat, fresh vegetables, and fruits at prices even people on very limited budgets can afford.

2) Buy more dark meat poultry
For the cost of boneless skinless chicken breasts, you can usually buy two to four times as much dark meat chicken. Yes, it’s higher in fat, but fat’s not bad. We need fat in our diets. It increases satiety at meals, makes the meat more moist, and means you don’t have to add oil to it in cooking. Besides, dark meat poultry (thighs and drumsticks) contains more iron and zinc than breast meat so it gives you a nutritional boost for your buck that you don’t get from white meat chicken.

3) Buy more bone-in poultry
I know a lot of people like buying boneless, skinless chicken. I’ll admit that I buy it sometimes (usually when it’s on a sale or I need it for a particular recipe), but I don’t buy it all the time. Bone in poultry costs less than boneless. Sure the boneless breast halves and strips are easy to handle, but it’s not that much harder or more time consuming to cook bone pieces. Baked, roasted, or grilled chicken thighs or drumsticks take very little hands-on prep and yield delicious meals.

4) Make bone broth
Buying chicken on the bone provides the main ingredient you need for making Bone Building Broth (recipe below), a more nutritious alternative to those cartons of preservative-free chicken broth sold in natural foods stores and the health food aisle of supermarkets. You can cook the bones all day or overnight in a slow cooker (aka Crock Pot®) Strain it, cool it, bottle it (I use wide mouth quart and pint canning jars), label it, refrigerate it, then freeze it once it’s cold. If you go through a quart of this broth (technically stock) every week and use home made, you can save $150 to $200 a year.

To learn about the Benefits of homemade Bone Broth click here and here.

You don’t have to make bone broth every week. I make it about once a month. In the meantime, you can stash the bones in bags in the freezer (I use leftover, meaning previously used and rinsed, zip-top bags for this). Take the bones out and cook them when you want, when it fits your schedule. It takes less than 10 minutes to assemble and get the pot cooking. You can make it big batches in a large stock pot or slow cooker. Figure about 30 minutes total for assembling, straining, pouring into jars, labeling, and sealing the pine and quart jars with screw on lids. I like to vacuum seal the broth in wide mouth canning jars using a Tilia Food Saver, but you don’t absolutely have to vacuum seal. Remember to leave an inch of space below the lip in the jar.

5) Cook a chicken or two
Serve the chicken the first night, as is with whatever seasonings you put on it before cooking whatever or condiments you like. Cook two or three chickens at a time if you have a big family so you’re sure to have leftovers. You can chill then freeze some of the meat after stripping it off the bones.

If you don’t like eating the same meal the next day, transform the chicken into a new dish the next day. After cooking the meat, freeze what you don’t plan to consume within three days. That's curried chicken salad in process>>>

You can turn a single roast chicken into multiple meals with different seasonings and condiments, particularly if you make the chicken fairly plain the first time around. Think curried chicken salad, chicken waldorf, Cobb Salad, chicken over green salad with vinaigrette or avocado and salsa, Shredded chicken in chili, chicken in lettuce wraps with Thai flavored condiments, stir fried veggies with chicken and peanut sauce added at the last minute, chicken, chicken tacos, chicken burritos or enchiladas (if you eat tortillas) and so on. Note: These same strategies apply to cooking chicken breast meat, whether you bake, roast, grill, or poach it.

6) Cook ahead and in quantity
Whatever chicken parts you cook, cook with multiple meals in mind. This is the key to having great food on hand when hunger strikes. Leftover chicken provide the perfect addition to pack lunches, easy to assemble dinners, even breakfast. Serve it as is or slice, dice, shred, or chop it. Dress it up, sauce it, toss it, and season it with different condiments or accentuate it with different side dishes to add variety to your meals.

There are so many ways to make tradeoffs that pay off. Let me know if this posts gives you new ideas to save time and money.

Basic Bone-Building Broth

Total hands-on: 20 to 30 minutes/ Cooking: 10 to 20 hours /Yield: 4 quarts

I save all the bones from boning and cooking chicken, turkey, beef, bison, venison, and pork––even if we’ve  nibbled on them. I separate meat bones from poultry bones in recycled bags in the freezer. When I have enough, I make a thick, milky, gelatinous, mineral-rich broth. I read that a cup of bone stock/broth may contain as much calcium as a glass of milk. Because I make mine so thick, it probably contains more. I use it to make sautéed greens, Better Brussels Sprouts, Better Barbecue Sauce, Lean & Creamy Dressings, stir-fried vegetables, gravy, soup, and stews (see index for recipes).

Note: Sea vegetables add trace minerals, including iodine and chelate heavy metals (including mercury) and radioactive isotopes from your body. I start cooking this in the morning or after lunch or supper, and let it to cook all day or night. If you’re only cooking bones from breast parts, the broth won’t turn milky, but it will still be delicious.

Ingredients (for a large batch):
3 to 4 pounds poultry raw or cooked bones, from whole carcasses, fryer parts, backs, necks, or wings     of chicken, turkey, duck, guinea fowl, game hens, etc.
3 tablespoons lemon juice, organic red wine vinegar or raw apple cider vinegar
2 bay leaves and/or 2 to 3 (5-inch) pieces kelp, kombu or alaria sea vegetable
12 peppercorns, optional
1 teaspoon each dried rosemary and thyme, optional
1 large onion, quartered
1 large carrot, quartered, optional
5 to 6 quarts filtered water, or slightly more as needed to amply cover bones

1. Combine ingredients in 8-quart stockpot. Add water to cover bones. Cover and bring to full rolling boil over medium heat. Reduce to medium-low to keep broth gently bubbling. Skim off foam that rises to surface during first 30 minutes.
2. Simmer 10 to 14 hours, or until broth appears milky. Add more water if needed to keep bones covered. To add more nutrients, mash with potato masher after 8 hours.
3. Uncover and simmer 1 hour longer, or until reduced to 4 quarts. Remove bones with large slotted spoon or pour through colander over extra-large bowl. Return broth to pot and place in sink filled with several inches of ice water. Cool for 30 minutes.
4. Strain and ladle into 1-quart Mason jars or freezer containers allowing 1 inch of head space in each container. Label, date, and refrigerate. Broth will thicken as it cools.
5. Skim off and discard fat layer before using or freezing broth. You can freeze some of the broth in ice cube trays and transfer to larger freezer containers. Use refrigerated broth within 10 days. Use frozen broth within 9 months.

Nutrition breakdown not available

Variations:

*  Slow Cooker Version: Combine all ingredients, except water, in 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add water to within 1 inch of top. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, if possible, then reduce heat to LOW and continue to cook for 8 to 10 hours.

Source for recipe: The Garden of Eating: A Produce—Dominated Diet & Cookbook
© Copyright 2004, Rachel Albert-Matesz

Chebe Bread

I first heard of Chebe (pronounced chee-bee) Bread® when I led a cooking class for Lynn Rae’s Ries’ Gluten Free Cooking Club shortly after I moved to Phoenix, AZ, in December of 2004. I noticed people enthusiastically talking about the product but at the time I didn’t check it out.

Photo right Rachel Albert Matesz ©2009

Fast forward to April of 2009. I had a table at a gluten-free food fair sampling Ice Dream (dairy free coconut milk frozen desserts), Chocolate Chip Blondies, and Apple Apricot Compote from my latest book, The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy- Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces. Someone was there sampling Chebe bread sticks. I picked up a few packages of their mixes, stashed them in my pantry, and didn’t do anything with them for a several months. When I started testing them, I was glad I did. I don't eat a lot of bready or starchy foods and they made a great weekend treat, several weekends running.

Before I tell you what I like about them and which flavors I’ve tried so far, let me tell you what Chebe is and why you want to get excited about it!

What is Chebe?
Chebe® Bread is based on the Brazilian "pao de queijo" (Brazilian cheese bread). It’s quick and easy to prepare and delicious. Millions of Brazilians enjoy it daily. If you visit Brazil, you will see it in the airport as you arrive, on the street cafés of any town, in fancy restaurants,  grocery stores, and in people's homes. It looks like white bread an

Chebeis free of common food allergens, such as wheat, gluten, corn, soy, yeast, potato, rice, peanuts, and tree nuts. It’s also grain-free, making it suitable for people who follow a paleo or primal diet! If you follow a special diet that eliminates any of the foods listed above, you’ll want to try this product.

Photo right: Blanched Veggies, Steak Tartare, Angeled Eggs & Chebe Rolls by Rachel Albert Matesz ©200)

Old fangled food
Chebe is not a new fangled food. It's an old food with a long history of use in the human diet. The main ingredient in Chebe bread is manioc (a.k.a. Cassava, a woody shrub from the spurge family) that’s native to South America where it’s been used extensively for thousands of years. Anthropologists and botanists believe that wild populations of M. esculenta subspecies flabellifolia were the progenitors of domesticated cassava.  West-central Brazil is the most likely place for the first domesticated of the plant 10,000 years ago. You can read more about the history of this root plant on Wikipedia. Unprocessed Casava root photo from Wikipedia>>>>

Cassava root
Cassava produces an edible starchy tuberous root that serves as a major source of carbohydrates for many of the world’s people. According to Wikipedia, “Cassava is the third largest source of carbohydrates for human food in the world.” It’s a staple food in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. This traditional food has a long history of use by hunter gatherers as well as primitive and modern agriculturalists. Flour made from the cassava root is called tapioca. It can be used to replace wheat flour in baked goods. The root itself can be baked, boiled, fried, mashed, and used in many of the same ways we use potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams.

Allergy friendly bread alternative
Although you could tinker with tapioca flour to try to make breads, crackers, pizza, and other baked goods, it’s a lot easier to just pick up a package or two of Chebe bread mix.

Chebe products include gluten-free, oven-ready frozen dough and bread mixes. All of the products are corn free, peanut free, and tree nut free, soy free, potato free, and rice free (whew!) Five of the bread mixes are also lactose free and casein free. The products are produced by a 100% gluten-free manufacturer in a gluten free facility, so they're celiac-safe.

Photo right Rachel Albert Matesz ©2009>>>

Quick, easy, and versatile Chebe Dry Mixes
Just add eggs, oil, cheese (optional: I’ve made batches with and without) and either water or dairy or non-dairy milk, then mix, form, and bake! I used my handy, dandy 14-cup Cuisinart Food Processor with the metal blade for super fast and easy mixing. This model even has a bread kneading mode, which is particularly handy. You don’t absolutely need a food processor but it certainly speeds up the process. A bread mixer would work as would mixing with your hands to produce a smooth dough.

What can you do with Chebe?
You can use Chebe Bread mixes to make dinner rolls, breadsticks, focaccia, pizza crust, sandwich or burger buns, cinnamon rolls, calzones, crackers, tortillas, desserts, and much more! You can add your favorite herbs and spices to their Original or All-Purpose mixes or try their flavored mixes, such as Garlic-Onion Breadsticks Mix, Pizza Crust Mix, Focaccia Italian Flatbread Mix, or Cinnamon Rollup Mix.

Chebe Frozen Dough-Freezer To Oven Easy!
Chebe is also sold as Oven-Ready Frozen product, that can go from the freezer to the oven. You can buy Chebe Rolls, Original or Tomato-Basil Breadsticks, Pizza Crusts, or Sandwich Buns.

What I tried
First I tried the Chebe Focaccia Flatbread Mix. I followed the recipe on the package, except that I added 3 more tablespoons of (nut) milk to the mix; chalk it up to living in the desert. I studded the dough with olives half way baking (optiona). The instructions were clear and easy to follow. I liked the bread best right out of the oven although I think I would either roll it thinner the next time, bake it longer, or crank up the heat during the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking for a crispier crust. I will definitely make this again. I might even try to make it like Indian Naan.

Photo right by Rachel Albert Matesz ©2009>>

Then I tried the Chebe Bread Mix to which I added the optional Parmesan Cheese and the additional water listed. I shaped the dough into small balls (picture right and also above) and baked. I thought these were pretty good but next time I would use a different kind of cheese (cheddar or mozzarella) or omit the cheese altogether; I found the Parmesan overpowering. I don’t eat a lot of cheese and prefer milder flavored and moister varieties when I do eat it.

Next I tried the Garlic & Onion Chebe Breadstick Mix. I omitted the optional Parmesan Cheese. I added another 3 to 4 tablespoons of water along with the optional teaspoon of baking powder then shaped the dough into oblong mini garlic rolls. It didn’t taste particularly garlicky to me, still this was my favorite shape and texture! The baking powder added loft, which I like in bread.

Photo right by Rachel Albert Matesz ©2009

I allowed space between each roll for even browning, and after the baking time had elapsed I cut open the rolls my friend and I planned to serve and stuck them under the broiler briefly to crisp the tops and spread them with butter at the table.

I plan to try adding baking powder to the other mixes and also trying a batch with baker’s yeast, even though the latter will require a longer wait before baking. I used to make traditional sourdough breads so I’m curious to see how much of a rise I can get with the Chebe and a slow rising yeast process.

The last experiment (so far; I still have more frozen product to test) involved frozen Chebe Bread Sticks. Not only was the dough already mixed it was shaped into 16 thin sticks. The directions say to place the frozen bread sticks on a non-greased baking pan, keeping 1/2-inch space between them. If your freezer is as cold as mine, you will need to let the frozen dough thaw, at least partially, on the counter so you can separate the frozen sticks, otherwise the pieces that stick together will be doughy even after the baking time has elapsed. I stored the leftover breadsticks in the original package at room temp, and heated some of them the next day. Really nice.

Keep checking back!
I plan to test and review more Chebe products. Let me know if you try these products and what you think.

Where to find Chebe products
If you live in Phoenix, Arizona, you can buy Chebe bread mixes at Gluten Free Creations Bakery, 2940 E Thomas Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85016-8035. You can find in many natural foods stores, such as Whole Foods Market, on the baking aisle. If you can’t find Chebe at a local store local retailer, you can order it on line from Amazon using these links or directly from the company or ask the manager or grocery buyer of your favorite store to stock the product.

Chebe webletter
You can sign up for the Chebe Webletter, an email newsletter the company sends out about once a month. It contains news & announcements, online coupons, and spotlights a recipe using Chebe Bread Products. To view past webletters, or to subscribe, click here and then click the Webletter drop down menu.

To order Chebe products from Amazon, click the links below.

My review of Hungry Monkey

I thoroughly enjoyed Shauna James Ahren’s book, The Gluten Free Girl and the updates she gave on her blog as she progressed through her pregnancy and the birth of her baby. So when she recommended the new book, Hungry Monkey: A Food Loving Father’s Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater by Matthew Amster-Burton, I knew I had to read it.

It was worth waited almost two months for my local library to cough it up. I waited my turn, impatiently. Well, not so impatiently, I had a stack of books already checked out plus a handful of books on my shelf awaiting review. Still, I really wanted this book.

Is this book for you?
Shauna puts it well, “Do you have a child you’re trying to feed Thinking about having one? Love food? Or just want to laugh so hard that your belly hurts?” If any of the above apply, read this book! You don’t need to be a parent to get absorbed in the book, the life of the characters, or feel inspired to try some of the author’s recipes.

Page turner
I found Hungry Monkey utterly delightful and engaging from page one….and I don’t have children and don’t plan to have any. (The closest I will get to having kids in this life is my two lovely cats.) I found Matthew Amster-Burton's writing punchy, witty, utterly honest, and instructive (for eaters of all ages and those who share food with them!). I found myself rereading certain passages because I found them so smartly written. I secretly hoped I could absorb some of Amster-Burton’s wondrous way of writing about food and life!!

Photo credit right: Lara Ferroni >>>>

What’s it all about
So Hungry Monkey is about a Seattle food writer and former restaurant critic, Matthew Amster-Burton, and his attempts to raise an adventurous eater.

It focuses on his daughter’s development as an eater (and eventual helper in the kitchen), his life as a self-employed stay at home dad who does dinner, how to deal with the ever changing tastes of children, how to get dinner on the table even when you only have 30 minutes to cook, how to avoid making different meals for the grownups and kids, and how to have more fun shopping for food, cooking it, and eating more meals at home.

I don't believe in baby food
Amster-Burton had me smiling, laughing, and nodding as he challenged and debunked rules about what to feed children and when outlined in popular books. His first rule of baby food is that “there is no such thing as baby food,” a rule he shares with famous chef Jacques Pepin and his daughter Claudine.

Jacques Pepin says:
“Except for very spicy food, she was served exactly what we ate from the time she was an infant. When she didn’t like something, we barely acknowledged the fact. Conversely, when she ate spinach, broccoli, or chard, we  never congratulated her because we didn’t want her to feel that she had done something special.”

Like both of these authors, I don’t believe in baby food. Don’t get me wrong. I believe a baby’s first food and primary food should be breast milk and that nursing should continue as long as possible (1 to 3 years). However, once a baby expresses interest in what the rest of the family is eating, I think s/he should be given that! Not bland, bottled veggie and fruit purees followed by a steady stream of fabricated foods sold in separate sections and packages in supermarkets.

Photo credit right: Lara Ferroni

I think the whole notion of children needing and requiring separate foods from their parents is an artifact of our modern food processing and marketing industries! In traditional cultures around the world babies, toddlers, preteens, and teens don’t eat an different diet than their parents. Babies may need their food finely minced. Teens may need more fat, more calories, more food overall, but that can easily be accommodated by a diet of whole/real foods, the same things mom and dad eat.

That said, Amster-Burton isn't against all baby food. He admits to adding Gerbers' fruit purees to greek yogurt, something he himself still eats. (I'm not sure what's in a bottle of Gerbers but you can do the same thing with the fruit sauces from my latest book, The Ice Dream Cookbook. I've done it and it's really delicious.)

Break all the rules
Ambster-Burton questions, then breaks the rules found in the baby books in an honest and humorous way. You know, the rule that say, “Strong flavors scare babies.” Nonsense. His daughter Iris was into spicy food as a baby. She loved habanero chili con carne with beans, frozen Indian food, Ants on a Tree (that’s a Thai dish), and spicy chicken enchiladas.

On the topic of enchiladas, Amster-Burton questions the idea that “it is important to wait several days after the introduction of any new food in order to see if that new food will trigger an allergic reaction.” How realistic is this for a parent?

 “A four- to seven-day wait after every new food? For how long? This advice, repeated everywhere, makes me break out in hives. Iris’s first favorite food, chicken enchilads, contains about a dozen ingredients––some of which practically nobody is allergic to, like cilantro. (Okay, I know cilantro tastes like soap to some people, but that’s not an allergy, and those peole are missing out on some really good salsa.) I could have made the enchiladas with just tortillas the first week, then tortillas and chicken the following week, then tortillas and chicken and onions, and so on for twelve weeks. Sounds like an interesting performance art project, but not much like dinner.

Photo credit right: Lara Ferroni

“Laurie and I have no food allergies. If we did, I’m sure we would have been a lot more cautious. But this advice is so cautious, hardly anybody follows it.”

Then there’s the rule that you should “Never feed your baby nonorganic food. Super Baby Food, page 39: Only certified organic food should be used to make food for your precious baby.”

 “If you’re baby’s not particularly precious, you can just spike her bottle with Miracle-Gro.”

 “I’m being flip because I don’t have a good response to this. Like many people, sometimes I buy organic and sometimes I don’t. It depends on how much money I have in my pocket and how the produce looks. When I’m shopping at the supermarket, the organic produce is often inferior to the conventional––and I’m not talking about the kind of cosmetic blemishes that food writer’s like me tell you to overlook. (Nobody has to be told abou the virtues of ugly tomatoes anymore, right?) I compared the Italian parsley the other day and the organic wasn’t just twice the price–––it was jelly, which means old. Then again, maybe it got old because no one was buying it because it was twice the price, because of bad subsidies….My brain is tarting to hurt.”

I like it, I like it!
I like that first and foremost, Amster-Burton is a real person sharing real-world experiences that other parents can glean tips from. He doesn't talk down to the reader, doesn't tell you that you have to elaborately decorate your child's food to make him or her eat. Have you see the cookbooks that feature all the cookie cutter sandwiches and foods made to look like animals, toys, and other play things?

Cumin-Ginger Carrot Coins; Photo Chef Rachel

He's also practical. I admire his priorities, his passion for cooking and eating with his daughter (and wife), the time freedom his chosen career and lifestyle affords him, his sense of humor. I liked reading  about his enjoyment of fat – good fat – butter, pork fat, lard, olive oil, and coconut milk – the traditional stuff and how it makes food taste great. He says “Many of the world’s most delicious foods cannot be successfully made in a low fat fashion.” I agree!

At a time when so few people eat home cooked meals and fewer still know how to cook from scratch, I found reading about a father who was excited about sharing food with his baby refreshing. How many dads get the chance to introduce their children to new foods, teach them how to cook, and share convey-belt sushi? Or to be the only “snack dad” in preschool?

Here's how Amster-Burton puts it:
“In retrospect, I think I was gung-ho about sharing our food with Iris for the same reason people share food with each other everywhere: it’s fun. It was the first opportunity for Iris and me to share an experience and enjoy it for the same reasons…”

Photo credit right: Chef Rachel

Not just a good read
After the writing, the next best thing about Hungry Monkey is the recipes, which are written clear, concise, and enticing. I found so many I wanted to try that I stopped flagging them halfway through. Many of them are easy enough to make on weeknight, even if you only have 30 minutes (add more time for side dishes). While the recipes aren’t paleo, primal, or strictly whole foods, and many of them contain wheat or dairy, you and I can easily make substitutions if necessary.

Recipes I want to try
Browned & Braised Brussels Sprouts
Lemony Chard & Escarle
Beer Braised Shortribs with Wheat Berries (I will omit the wheat berries)
Broiled Teriyaki Mackerel (I love mackerel sushi)
Thai Shrimp Curry
Chicken Strips with Thai Dressing

Here's what I tried
Chicken Stew with Smoked Paprika and Cumin-Ginger Carrot Coins. Both were easy to assemble. The carrots cook all of 20 minutes to prep and cook. I've roasted carrots with ginger and love them and cumin's one of my favorite spices. I served it with Asian Mint-Flavored Pork Chops (from a magazine) and sauteed mustard greens with onions (from my Garden of Eating book).

Chicken Stew with Smoked Paprika......Photo credit: Chef Rachel

The chicken cooked while I did other things during the day. The wine and smoked paprika enhanced the tomato in the stew and the reduction of pan juices made up for the loss of flavor that many slow cooker recipes suffer from. These are just two of the user friendly recipes you will find in Hungry Monkey.

Chicken Stew with Smoked Paprika

Time: About 6 hours, mostly unattended (slow cooker recipe)        Serves: 4 to 8

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 rib celery, diced
8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
3 tablespoons smoked Spanish Paprika
3/4 cup red wine
salt and pepper (I used 3/4 teaspoon finely ground unrefined sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper)

1. Place the onion, carrot, and celery in a slow cooker. Add the cihcken thighs, stacking them in two layers, bone side up. Add tomatoes, paprika, wine, and salt to taste. Cover and cook on low heat 5 hours or until the meat is very tender.
2. Remove chicken and most of the tomatoes to a platter. Strain liquid into a saucepan. Discard onion, carrot, and celery. Bring the liuqid to a boil and reduce to less than one cup. Add pepper to taste. Serve chicken with mashed potatoes and reduced braising liquid for drizzling.

Photo credit right: Chef Rachel

Note: I didn't drain the liquid from the canned tomato and it still came out great. I didn't serve the chicken with mashed potatoes. Instead, I served it today with a baked sweet potato with butter and a crisp green salad one day and will probably have it with blanched mixed vegetables tomorrow. The rest I'm freezing for future meals.

You can check out Matthew Amster-Burton’s blog" Roots & Grubs

I hope you read and enjoy this book! If you find a book you think I would like to read and review, drop me a note and let me know.

Mmmm! Meatballs

They’re a great high protein, low-carb entree. They’re easy to assemble and require very little hands-on time. You can mix up a single, double, or triple batch in short order. You don’t need to sauté or stir them while they cook. You can simmer them on top of the stove in a little bit of broth or bake them in the oven, depending upon the season and your preferences.

Mix up the meats
A single meatball recipe can be varied almost endlessly with different kinds of meat. Try beef, buffalo, lamb, ground chicken, turkey, pork, venison, or ostrich. I like to use a single meat rather than a mix of two; that gives me more variety throughout the week.

I’ve watched 14 month old babies and picky adults devour these meatballs made with lamb. So don’t be shy, give the meat and herb variations a try even if you think you don't like a particular kind of meat.

Note: If you use chicken or turkey breast meat or ostrich to make meatballs, add a tablespoon or two of olive oil or avocado oil or 3 to 6 tablespoons of chopped, toasted almonds, walnuts, or pecans per pound of meat to add moisture or replace the 1/4 cup of milk or broth (used to soak the oats) with cream or full-fat coconut milk.

Sub different herbs and spices
You can vary the herbs and spices you add to the meatball mix, making Italian, Greek, German, Mexican, Thai, Cajun, or Chinese flavored meatballs. You can very the kind of sauce you serve with them. I like to serve them with my Better Barbecue Sauce (see YouTube video and recipe link below) from my book, The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook. Of course you could use your favorite home-made or store bought spaghetti sauce or some other tomato sauce. Sometimes I serve meatballs without any sauce at all.

Serve them any way you like
You can serve them as an appetizer, and entrée or a snack. Dab ‘em with your favorite flavored mustard (Jalapeno, Roasted Garlic, Onion, Honey Mustard, or some other flavor; try True Natural Taste Mustard, my favorite brand, which also happens to be gluten-free!), or a hot-and sour or sweet-and-sour sauce.

Serve them over a green salad with vinaigrette. Wrap leftover meatballs in lettuce leaves after dabbing with mayo, mustard, fruit-sweetened ketchup, or salsa and guacamole, then secure with tooth picks. Serve leftover meatballs as a sausage stand-in with eggs and cooked veggies for breakfast.

Meatballs minus the pasta
You don’t need pasta for a great meatball meal (see ideas above). Of course if you do want pasta you can choose a gluten-free variety made from brown rice or quinoa. I prefer serving them without grain––-over spaghetti squash or mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower or over steamed or blanched vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower and carrots; asparagus with cauliflower and carrots; or finely shredded and sauteed kale with red onions. Serve them as a side dish with a crisp, colorful green salad, sauteed leafy greens, or blanched vegetables and a delicious dip or dressing.

Here’s my favorite meatball recipe and my signature sauce. Note: The barbecue sauce is more like a ketchup or all-purpose tomato sauce so don’t wait for a barbecuing occasion to make it and slather it on your favorite foods.

Herbed Meatballs                
Prep: 20 minutes/ Cooking: 15 to 20 minutes/Yield: 24 meatballs; 6 servings

Notes: Be sure to transfer frozen meat to the refrigerator 24 to 48 hours before cooking. You can use rolled oats (oatmeal) in place of bread crumbs.

If you have celiac disease be sure to by certified gluten free oats or bind the meatballs with dried shan yao (Radix Dioscorea), a starchy white tuber sold as dehydrated slices in Chinese markets and herb shops. You can powder the shan yao in a blender or coffee-grinder, then add it to meat mixture below.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Celiac safe rolled oats (aka oatmeal) or powdered Shan Yao (see notes above)*
• 1/4 cup almond, cow, or goat milk or 2 tablespoons cream or coconut milk + 2 tablespoons water
• 1 medium to large egg or 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbs or 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs: Italian blend, Herbes de Provençe, or combination of 2-3 herbs: sage, thyme, marjoram, oregano, basil, thyme,
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin or dry mustard
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotlé or black pepper
• 1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes 
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon finely ground, unrefined sea salt or 1 to 2 tablespoons wheat-free tamari soy sauce
• 1/2 cup minced onion or 1 tablespoon freeze dried onion or shallot flakes
• 1 to 1 1/4 pounds 90 to 96 percent lean ground beef or bison
• 1/2 cup water, if simmering meatballs only

1. In a medium bowl, combine oats (or shan yao) and milk. If possible, soak for 1 to 8 hours in the refrigerator. Add eggs, herbs, cumin or mustard, pepper, garlic, parsley, salt or tamari, and onion.
2. Crumble meat into a large bowl and add the mixture from step #1 above. Mix with clean bare hands pulling apart rather than squeezing and packing to evenly distribute seasoning (I use disposable gloves). Do not over mix. Shape into 24 (1-inch) balls.
3. To simmer: Bring 1/2 cup water to boil in a 12-inch skillet. Add meatballs; cover, reduce heat; simmer 15 to 20 minutesuntil the same color throughout. Remove lid; cook away liquid.
4. To bake: Omit 1/2 cup liquid. Bake meatballs on parchment-lined baking sheet in a preheated 350˚ F-oven for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, until done.
5. Serve, then freeze any leftovers you don’t plan to to use within 3 days.

1 serving (beef): 140 calories, 19 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate (1 g fiber), 5 g fat, 26 mg calcium, 202 mg sodium

Variations:

• For egg-free meatballs: Replace the egg with 1 1/2 teaspoons Energy Foods Egg Replacer dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water and whisked after 5 minutes or 1 tablespoon flax seed meal mixed with 3 tablespoon hot water and allowed to stand for 5 minutes, then mixed again and added to the meat.
• Turkey or Chicken Meatballs: Replace beef with ground chicken or turkey. If using breast meat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil or3 to 6 tablespoons chopped, toasted almonds, walnuts, or pecans.
• Ostrich Meatballs: Replace ground beef with ground ostrich above; see variation above for adding oil or nuts for moisture.
• Replace herbs in the master recipe with 1 teaspoons ground coriander; increase cumin to 1 teaspoon; add 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 clove garlic.

Source: The Garden of Eating: A Produce—Dominated Diet & Cookbook by Rachel Albert-Matesz © Copyright 2004

Better Barbecue Sauce   

Prep: 20 minutes/Cooking: 20 to 30 minutes/Yield: 2 1/3 cups; 9 servings

This mild, slightly smoky sauce contains less sugar, less sodium, and fewer calories than conventional barbecue sauce. You can use it liberally at the table the way you’d use ketchup or tomato sauce, over meatballs, meatloaf, burgers, steaks, roasts, chicken, turkey, pork chops, even salmon.

Note: Consider making a double batch because this sauce taste so good and freezes well.

Note about ingredients: Look for ground chipotlé pepper powder in the spice or ethnic section of natural foods stores, gourmet markets, and Hispanic grocery stores.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or unrefined coconut oil
• 1 cup minced fresh onion
• 1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt or 2 tablespoons wheat-free tamari soy sauce (cut in half if using salted broth)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon) or 1 teaspoon garlic granules
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (preferably ground fresh)
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/3 teaspoon ground chipotlé (smoked dried jalapeno pepper powder)
• 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled basil
• 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled oregano, optional
• 6-ounce can salt-free, sugar-free tomato paste
• 1 1/4 cups water or homemade chicken or vegetable broth or stock (Page 000, 000, or 000) or preservative-free chicken or vegetable broth, such as Imagine Foods or Pacific Brand
• 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar or 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon stevia extract powder (a brand with no fillers and no FOS)
• 1 or 2 tablespoons honey, agavé nectar

1. Heat oil and onions in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. After adding liquid, whisk until smooth.
2. Bring to a low boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer with the lid ajar or cover with a spatter screen, and stir periodically, until thick, 20 to 30 minutes. 
3. Pour sauce into 1or more wide-mouth glass jars. Cover when cool, and refrigerate. Freeze what you don’t plan to use within 2 weeks.

Variations:

• For Cajun Ketchup: Replace the garlic, cumin, mustard, chipotlé, basil, and oregano with 1 tablespoon of mild, salt-free Cajun spice blend. You can replace honey with maple syrup.

Source: The Garden of Eating: A Produce—Dominated Diet & Cookbook by Rachel Albert-Matesz © Copyright 2004

Thanks to Sunwest Appliance Distributing & Cooking Studio AZ for letting us use their kitchen for taping these two videos.

Primal Pizza

Meatza
Looking for a different kidn of pizza? One that’s gluten-free, grain-free, and low in carbs? Try this. I found a blog called Against the Grain cool recipe on line for something called Meatza. It looks a lot like a regular pizza––complete with red sauce, veggies, and cheese. You can cut it with a knife and fork or pick it up with your hands. 

Apparently there are a variety of low-carb, grain-free recipes for pizza-like creations that use baked ground meat as the base (for a crust) instead of dough. The flavor of the red sauce and cheese stand out. The meat is merely the back drop. 

You’ll find more variations on the Meatza theme on line. Dana Dana Carpender’s book, 500 Low Carb Recipes cookbook (published in 2002) also contains a Meatza! recipe. She may have been the inventor of it. I don’t know. My friend, Don, and I made Meatza weekend before last. We both thought it was delicious for dinner and worth making again. We split the leftovers and both had enough for another meal the next day.MMM! Meatza for breakfast! I had mine with blanched veggies and a side of fruit.

This recipe comes from Karen Barnaby. Here's what she says:

“If you’ve missed pizza, here’s the answer. I’ve kept the counts separate for all the components so you can make up your own toppings. Too bad about pineapple!” 

I think she means it’s off limits for those on strict low-carb diets, which I'm not on. If you’re following a moderate carb diet, you can add the pineapple. I don't mind! 

Note: “It’s important to drain the mushrooms. There is no traditional crust to absorb any liquid, so your meatza will wet and sloppy if you don’t.”

Meatza Crust

Yield: 1 (12-inch) meatza or 8 good slices; I made two 10x12-inch pizzas

Ingredients:

1 pound regular ground beef (I used leaner)
1 pound ground pork (I used beef throughout)
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon finely ground salt (I used sea salt)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Combine the pork, beef, onion, garlic, egg, cheese salt and pepper. Mix well. Pat out evenly onto a 16-inch rimmed pizza pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully pour out the juices that have accumulated in the pan. The meat will have shrunk to about  12-inches and this is fine. If you make two 10x12 pies you'll have two slightly smaller squares like this:

    * Total: 2767 cals
    * Fat: 217 grams (mine was lower in fat)
    * Carbs: 7 grams
    * Fiber: 1 grams
    * Protein: 184 grams

Mushrooms & Topping

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound sliced mushrooms
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup thinly sliced bell pepper - red is nice
1 cup tomato sauce
12 ounces full-fat mozzarella cheese, grated (I used part skim mozzarella)
1 teaspoons dried oregano, optional

1. In a large frying pan over high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and fry until they are browned and the liquid has evaporated.
2. Scoop the mushrooms out of the pan into a sieve to drain and add the peppers to the pan. Fry until the peppers are slightly limp. Add to the mushrooms.
3. Preheat the broiler to high. Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the base and scatter with the mushrooms and peppers.
4. Cover evenly with the cheese and sprinkle with the oregano. Broil until bubbly and lightly browned. Cool on a rack for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

    * Total: 1520 cals
    * Fat: 120 grams
    * Carbs: 40 grams
    * Fiber: 6 grams
    * Protein: 242 grams

For the whole thing:

    * Total: 4287 calories (mine would be lower w/changes I made)
    * Fat: 337 grams (mine would be lower w/changes I made)
    * Carbs: 47 grams
    * Fiber: 7 grams
    * Protein: 426 grams

You'll see the finished pizza above.

Note: I used store bought tomato sauce. To make your own, click here

Wild Thaiger Restaurant Review

I love cats. Big cats, small cats, house cats, wild cats. I really like Thai food too. So I was excited to try Wild Thaiger, a Thai restaurant in downtown Phoenix. I’d heard great things about it from Lexi D., one of my former cooking students and cooking assistants who worked there for a while, and from Heather W., one my best friends, who has eaten there on numerous occasions.

My first trip visit
I met my cooking assistant, Mary, and her husband, Steve, for dinner at Wild Thaiger in mid June. We  hadn’t yet hit triple digit temps here in Phoenix, so we sat outside in the restaurant’s airy patio.

I ordered the Thaiger Ribs (1/2 rack for $9.95) –– marinated Thai style ribs with a green chili sauce. I had them replace the rice with extra vegetables. This was my first time ordering ribs in a restaurant. When my order arrived at the table, my heart sunk for a moment. I wondered where the vegetables were. Turns out they were hiding under the ribs. End of disappointment.

Once I found the mix of sliced, crisp tender Chinese cabbage, bok choy, and carrots with a side of piquant mildly hot green chili sauce (like a thin salsa), I was happy. The half rack of ribs was tender, juicy, and meaty. Best of all, I had enough meat and sauce left for the next day’s lunch. Perfect!

Mary ordered Kiewan Curry ($8.95) with firm tofu. It consisted of eggplant, green beans, onions, and peppers in a thick and creamy green curry sauce with bamboo shoots, served with Jasmine rice. Mary loved the thickness of the sauce; it wasn’t watered down like some places make it, and the interesting mix of vegetables. Her rice as tender and sticky, cooked just right.

I tried a bite of the eggplant in the sauce and was amazed.  I don’t usually care for eggplant—it’s one of those vegetables I could live  without and never miss. That one bite changed my mind! It was tender, juicy, and flavorful complimented by the pale green sauce on top. I’d be willing to try something like that at home.

Steve ordered the Peanut Passion ($9.95) –– tender marinated chicken, grilled to perfection, served with sticky white rice, lightly seasonal steamed vegetables and a thick, rich peanut sauce.  Steve liked the variety of vegetables that were different from what he’s usually served in Thai restaurants. (It’s been so long I don’t recall what veggies were on his plate.)

I tried a bite of his chicken and loved it. The chicken had a great taste and texture (I tried a couple of bites) from being seasoned and grilled prior to being combined with the vegetables and topped with a generous amount of sauce.

We all felt satisfied with our meal. We contemplated dessert. Their coconut ice cream sounded good, but since it wasn’t dairy free and one of my dining companions was, we decided to skip it. Besides, I make the best non-dairy coconut ice cream. I figured I could eat it at home any time and share it with them another time.

The verdict
We all agreed that the food was fabulous. We would go back. On a scale of 1 to 10 we gave the food  an 8 1/2 or 9 out of 10. On a scale of 1 to 5, we would probably rate it a 4 or 4.5. Mary thought her curry was a little pricier than what she would have gotten at a hole in the wall mom and pop Thai restaurant, but Wild Thaiger is not that. It has a classy atmosphere and it’s a little more gourmet. You pay a little more for that.
 
My second visit
On my second trip to Wild Thaiger, I met Calli, a former cooking assistant who interned with me last spring during one of her final nutrition courses at ASU. We like a lot of the same kinds of foods and I thought she would have fun reviewing the place. So we met there for lunch. Check out her blog Food Nerdz

My order
I got an appetizer: the Satay Sampler ($8.95), which consisted of 2 small skewers of three different meats: chicken, beef, and shrimp, marinated in savory coconut curry, served with peanut sauce and a side of cucumber chutney plus a side of sautéed vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, Chinese cabbage, and one other vegetable that I can’t recall because I misplaced some of my notes and it’s been a couple of months since we went) with extra peanut sauce ($2).

I thought the shrimp had a clean taste and was cooked perfectly, not overdone. The chicken and beef were flavorful. The peanut sauce was thick and sweet with hint of heat. Although I liked the flavor of what I ordered, next time I would order a lunch special or other entrée because I found the portion for the entrée disappointingly small. I rarely order apps so I didn’t have a realistic idea of how much food it would provide. I rate my dishes as 3.5 out of 5. I liked what I ordered on my first visit better.

Calli’s order
Calli ordered Jungle Love ($15.95), which featured thinly sliced wild boar with exotic vegetables in a hot and spicy red chili sauce. She described the dish as having a perfect heat, texture, and flavor. She’s a huge fan of peanut sauces and she thought Wild Thaiger's was scrumptious.

“…there were no overpowering after tastes to where you feel like you taste it for the rest of the day. This dish was so colorful. rich, and spicy. Veggie-lovers dream (the boar was good as well),” she said.

Calli shared some of her entrée with me. I thought it was good and the portion was generous, but I wouldn’t order it again. I thought it was pricey for what it provided. It did leave me wondering where they were getting wild boar. Calli gave her dish 4.5 out of 5.

Atmosphere
I liked Call’s take on the place: “This place was fun, modern, clean cut, elegant, but still authentic-feeling. Sometimes Thai restaurants can have a bad smell when you first walk in the door. Wild Thaiger had a ‘good grub’ smell as soon as I walked in the door. You can see the chefs cooking and hear the sizzling of yummy food being seared. Lunchtime made for a full house and there was not an empty table! Outside dining is super cozy, couches and all, very cute.” We rated it 4 out 5 in this category.

Service
Calli’s view: “Servers are helpful in describing what certain dishes are. Any requests were speedily met. It did take a while to get our food, but it was a huge lunch rush, so that was to be expected.” She gave it a 4 out of 5.

Allergy awareness
If you have wheat, gluten, or other allergies, your best bet is to go during non peak times. If you go (or call!) during the lunch rush, you’re liable to reach harried wait staff who don’t have a lot of time for extensive questions about the preparation of the dishes you’re interested in. The first time I called to ask about whether they are familiar with and know how to serve customers with gluten intolerance and whether the kitchen staff knew how to avoid cross contamination, I was met with a harried waitress who was very short with me and said they were too busy in the kitchen to deal with that. I was so disappointed. I'd already eaten there twice and made the mistake of not finding all of that out beforehand. I don't have celiac disease, I simply prefer and feel best when I avoid gluten. However, many of my cooking students and clients must strictly adhere to a GF (gluten-free) and often CF (casein-free) diet and I am on a mission to find and review local restaurants that serve their needs.

So, I shelved my notes typed from visit #1 and tossed out my notes from visit #2. Last week I called again to see if a different employee might have a more positive response to my questions. She did. I suggest that you call during off hours if you have special needs you want addressed and that you avoid going during the busiest times (lunch rush Monday through Friday) if you need to special order and ask a lot of questions. They do a booming lunch trade.

Should you go?
Here's what Calli’s said:
“If you love Thai---> GO
If you are looking for a new place to try--->GO
If you began salivating while reading--->GO”

Wild Thaiger is located in downtown Phoenix at 2631 N Central Ave. 1 1/2 blocks South of Thomas Road. East side of Central Ave., just north of Durant's Restaurant. Parking at the rear of building. For mapquest and directions, click here. They have plenty of parking in the back. For directions and more info visit their web site.

You can help
I’m always on the look out for restaurants that accommodate people with food allergies and intolerances, particularly those that know how to serve people on wheat-free, gluten- free, and dairy-free diets. If you know of restaurants in the greater Phoenix area that meet this criteria, please email me and let me know the name of the establishment and what you like best about it.  

My preview of Fresh The Movie

 

I recently previewed a new food flick called FRESH, a film my Ana Sofia Joanes. 

FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. The film introduces us to pioneers in the fresh and local food movement who have witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model where farms have become factories and consumers have come to rely on nameless, faceless entities for their food. 

A solution orientation

FRESH reveals the challenges these pioneers have faced as they’ve confronted the consequences of our current factory farming system: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of our natural resources, corporate control, and the obesity epidemic. FRESH gives us glimpses of the problem, but spends more time on the solutions. By forging healthier, more sustainable alternatives, the pioneers featured in this film offer a practical vision for the future of our food, our nation’s farmers, and our planet. Unlike another film in the same genre, Food Inc., FRESH portrays a hopeful message about the possibility of a sustainable food system and culture. I found it an upper rather than a downer. [Photo right from Polyface Farm]

A glimpse of the problem

FRESH shows us what’s wrong with our current industrial food system with its mono-cropping, mono-culture, factory farmed foods, and producers who focus on productivity and alleged efficiency. The film reveals how the centralization and industrialization of our food system has gone against Nature and the problems this has created. 

Never before in history have cows been fed dead cows, chicken manure, and other animal by-products. We (meaning humans) have created the runoff that poisons rivers and streams, the toxic bacteria that has been showing up in our food with increasing frequency, the superbugs that threaten our health, and the super pests that threaten the food we feed upon. 

Small is beautiful

The film shows us what’s right about farms that are doing what nature intended, raising food on a smaller scale, using simple, sustainable methods that are beneficial for animals, people, and the environment. We see how their holistic methods actually produce more food with fewer inputs and expenses and without the pollution and other adverse effects. 

FRESH emphasizes our role as stewards of the animals and the environment. We see what life on a sustainable farm (Joel Saliton’s Polyface Farm) looks like, what the animals look like, and how much happier they and the people raising them are. Photo right Egg Mobile on Polyface Farm

We meet a farmer who gave up the factory farming system and started raising livestock in open spaces without drugs, antibiotics, or artificial additives, who saved $14,000 a year in vet bills in his first year of raising pigs on pasture. We see that it’s not impossible, impractical, or expensive to give up the conventional farming model for something better.

Studies actually show that medium size organic/biodynamic/farms are more sustainable than any size industrial farms. How can this be? The myth of productivity from factory farms fails to factor in all the expensive inputs required to keep the machine going. We learn from Michael Pollan that “Cheap food is an illusion. There’s no such thing as cheap food. The real cost of the food is paid somewhere. It’s paid for by the environment…or our health.” 

FRESH shows us that we don’t need the industrial food system and that it actually costs less to start and maintain a farm in the style of Joel Saliton (the father of the grassfed, pasture-raising movement) who has a multi-species, rotational system that produces more money per acre of food than farmers raising only cows on their land. Photo right: 100% Pastured Beef on Poylface Farm

Government and farming gone awry

Our government subsidizes grain and soybean farmers and processed foods but not fresh vegetables, fruits, or local small-scale food producers. Did you know that 70% of the grain and soy produced by our current agricultural system goes to feed animals that are not designed to eat grain and soy? We’re wasting most of our prime farmland growing food unfit for the animals we feed it to. Imagine what we could do if we converted that land to sustainable farms that feed animals what they’re designed by nature to eat: grass.

Farmers raising commodity crops (corn and soy) are paid less for their products than it costs to produce them? Is that crazy or what? A small number of companies control our food system from seed to plate!  That’s insanely unstable. We have corporate monopolies bankrupting our soil and our ability to be food self-sufficient. A lot of our farming is being outsourced to other countries. 

We must stop the insanity

Our food supply is dangerously susceptible to shocks and shortages due to weather and disease. By design, we don’t have a system based on local food. The buy fresh, buy local system makes sense ecologically, nutritionally, economically, socially and on other levels. Cheap food comes at the cost of abusing people, animals, and the environment. But don’t expect big government to solve this problem. The solution has to come from the ground up. It has to start at a grassroots level. 

Photo right: Happy pigs on Polyface Farm

A FRESH solution

Fresh food is really a social justice issue, a human right. A local food system would employ more people rather than displacing them. It requires less fuel to transport food directly to consumers in the local environment. The workers earn more money while building the local economy providing fresh food that tastes great. We win!

We can create a different kind of world. We can vote with our $$. FRESH, the movie, provides hope and a vision for a better world. It shows how we can change the food system over the next 50 years. Visit their web site to find showings in your area, watch trailers, and to learn how you can take action, visit: http://www.Freshthemovie.com

You won’t find FRESH at your local theater 

FRESH isn’t being packaged and promoted through conventional distribution channels so you won’t find it in theaters nationwide like Food Inc., a similar but less hopeful film that recently hit theaters around the country. It’s creators and marketing team wanted to market the film on a grassroots, community level, using it as an activist tool. They wanted supporters to purchase a license and host screenings in their own neighborhoods, ideally with local activists and food leaders on hand to answer questions and engage in discussion after the film. 

Here’s how it works

If you want to be a partner in promoting the movie, you can sign up, purchase a screening license, and host a screening of FRESH. You pay a screening license ($100 or $200 depending on the size of the screening). In exchange you’ll receive a screening kit consisting of several DVDs that you can sell at the event (for $20 each) to cover some of the licensing fee. You’re also given access to electronic promotional materials and a downloadable discussion guide.You’re encouraged to ask for a small donation or to charge for tickets to recoup the licensing fee and, if you like, raise money for FRESH or an organization of your choice.  

When you sign up to host a community screening on the FRESH website, your screening is listed on their site where our visitors can find out about it and RSVP. You can then sign in on their website and modify your event, create new events, and manage your email list. If you’re ambitious about getting the word out, you can also reach out to your constituencies, friends, and colleagues, and to follow up the event with resources and call to action. 

How’s it working?

So far their model is working, in part because of the timely nature of the film but also because FRESH is so positive and great at motivating people rather than scaring them. Using this model they've organized more than 600 screenings of FRESH around the world in the past three months!  They are partnering with an educational distributor to get the film into schools. 

If you host a larger or screening for more than 100 people, they waive the licensing fee and, instead, sell tickets directly on their site, charging $10 per ticket, and using the revenue to fund their outreach efforts. Those how want to share in the profits can charge a higher price per ticket and receive a portion of the proceeds. 

I wish 

I wish they would just release the film the way THE SECRET was released, where people can pay per view ($4.95) and buy the DVD if they want (for $24 or less). I think that would mean a lot more people see the film and feel motivated to action. I think they'd reach a critical mass much faster. Not everyone has a big screen TV. Not everyone wants to pay a $100 licensing fee to be able to view the movie. Some people don't have the option of viewing it in their cities or neighborhoods yet. Me? I don't even own a TV! I watch movies on my computer in my office...and I don't have a huge screen (I wish I did!). I wouldn't invite a bunch of people over to watch it in my home office. They wouldn't be comfortable nor would I. (How'd I get to see the film? I review products, books and videos so I was able to get a sneak preview.) So if you can't find a screening to attend in your area, you'll just have to keep waiting to see this feel-good film about how we can change our food system. Check their website for more info: www.FRESHthemovie.com

Oh Fudge!

What’s not to like about chocolate… and fudge sauce? Well, you might not like the additives, preservatives, refined and often hydrogenated vegetable oils, and refined sweeteners, such as HFC (high fructose corn syrup) contained in most conventional fudge sauces sold in supermarkets and served in ice cream shops. You might not like the milk products they contain if you’re sensitive to lactose or casein. 

The solution?

You don’t have to give up chocolate or fudge sauce. You can make it at home using higher quality ingredients and alternative sweeteners. Although I use honey in cooking and baking and prefer it to other caloric sweeteners, I don’t think it’s enough to just convert a recipe from sugar to honey. After I convert from sugar to honey (1 cup sugar is equivalent to 3/4 cup honey), I replace 1/3 to 1/2 of the honey in a recipe with stevia, dates, or some combination of these. The reason? Honey still provides empty calories, calories that don’t come with vitamins, minerals or protein our bodies require. 

I think agave nectar is less desirable than honey and maple syrup in terms of its nutritional profile. It’s certainly less desirable than honey from an ecological standpoint, particularly for those of us who live in places where we can buy local honey. For those who live on the East Coast, near maple trees, maple syrup would be a very ecological choice unless one has access to local honey there as well, which many probably do.

What about agave nectar/syrup?

Agave nectar (aka agave syrup) has a long shelf life stored at room temperature. Unlike honey, it doesn’t crystallize over time, so it’s always easy to pour and measure and has a mild flavor. The main selling point is its low glycemic index (GI) which comes from its high fructose and low glucose content, roughly 92% fructose and 8% glucose. Although it has been used for centuries, it was unlikely that it was ever used in the amounts we now have access to. I would guess that prior to modern technological advances agave nectar made by natives of Northern Mexico were probably less refined and less concentrated than modern agave products.

A case against high fructose syrups 

Agave syrup or nectar and high fructose corn syrup have are similar in makeup and composition. Agave syrup is produced from the starch of the agave plant, just as corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup are manufactured from the starch of corn. When the agave has grown to 7-10 years old, the leaves of the plant are cut off, revealing the core of the plant (called the "pina"). When harvested, the pina resembles a giant pineapple and can weigh in at 50 to 150 pounds. To make the agave syrup, the juices are extracted from the pina, filtered, and heated at a low temperature with enzymes that reduce the carbohydrates into simple sugars. Lighter and darker varieties of the syrup are made from the same plants. Because of the low temperatures used in processing many varieties (under 118°F) raw foods enthusiasts generally regard agave nectar as a raw food.

I included agave syrup as an option in my recipes for vegans, who won't eat honey because they consider it an animal product (a product of animal exploitation). I also offered it as an option for people with diabetes before I understood more about the problems that too much fructose pose to health. However even where I did include it in recipes, I always recommended people use it in smaller amounts than are customary.

Cutting back on all caloric sweeteners

As you will note in my books, I recommend even when using honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup that you cut the amount you would ordinarily use in half and then supplement with stevia to reduce total sugar calories to reduce the impact of the sugar calories present in whatever sweets and treats you make. I include a chart in The Ice Dream Cookbook that shows you how to do this.

What makes this recipe different?
Unlike commercial hot fudge sauce, the recipe below is free of refined vegetable oils, hydrogenated fats and oils, cheap, refined sweeteners, and dairy products. I usually use coconut milk and occasionally use nut milk to replace milk and cream, since I find so many people have sensitivities or allergies to cow's milk products. The combination of honey (or agavé nectar for vegans) and stevia adds a sweet taste with half the customary amount of sugar calories.

Hot Fudge Sauce       

Hands-On: 20 minutes/   Cooking: 5 minutes/ Yield: 1 1/4 cups; 10 servings

This sauce makes the perfect topping for fresh berries or peaches and almost any flavor of Ice Dream (the non dairy coconut milk ice cream alternative I created for my Ice Dream Cookbook). For a rippled effect, you can layer freshly made Ice Dream and cooled Fudge Sauce in 16-ounce containers, return the containers to the freezer and serve later or another day. When you scoop out the Ice Dream, you’ll see ripples of fudge.

Note: Read labels carefully to find unsweetened baker’s chocolate. You will find many brands to choose from. Sharffenberger is my favorite. For a richer, fudgier sauce, try the second recipe below.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened premium or lite (reduced fat) coconut milk; additional 1/4 cup as needed to thin
2 teaspoons arrowroot powder/arrowroot starch (same thing)
1/4 cup honey or agave nectar*, additional 1 to 3 tablespoons as needed
1/8 teaspoon finely ground unrefined sea salt
2 ounces unsweetened baker’s chocolate, coarsely chopped or broken into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon clear stevia extract liquid
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or alcohol-free vanilla flavoring

* Note: Vegans may wish to use agave nectar (read caveats above)

1. Combine the coconut milk and arrowroot in a small saucepan. Whisk to dissolve. Add the honey and sea salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat. Add the chocolate, stevia, and vanilla, stirring until the chocolate melts. For a sweeter taste, add an additional 1 tablespoon honey. Blend, taste, and repeat one or two more times as needed. 
3. Let stand for 10 minutes, then serve hot or allow to cool. Refrigerate unused sauce in a covered heatproof bowl, a few custard cups, or a wide mouth jar.
4. Gently warm leftover sauce in a heatproof bowl in a 250° F oven, or in a double boiler or saucepan over very low heat, stirring periodically, or use the bowl-on-a-rack method (Page 000). If too thick, add 1 or 2 tablespoons additional coconut milk.

2 tablespoons (regular): 100 calories, 0.9 grams protein, 10.3 grams carbohydrate, 6.1 grams fat, 28 milligrams sodium

2 tablespoons (lite): 79 calories, 0.7 grams protein, 9.3 grams carbohydrate, 4.3 grams fat, 23 milligrams sodium

Variations:

• Add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract if desired.
• Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce: Add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract or natural peppermint flavoring with the vanilla. Add another 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon if desired. Or, replace peppermint flavoring with 1 tablespoon crème de menthe.
• Hot Fudge Sauce à l’Orange: Add 1 1/2 tablespoons minced or finely grated orange zest (colored part only) and/or 1 1/2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier, with the vanilla.
• Mocha Fudge Sauce: Add 2 to 3 teaspoons instant coffee granules or espresso powder in step #1.
• Brandied Hot Fudge Sauce: Add 1 1/2 tablespoons brandy with the vanilla.
• For a richer taste and thicker sauce: Omit arrowroot, then add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder in step #2 above.

Source: The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes, and Sauces by Rachel Albert Matesz (Planetary Press, 2008)

Note: Special thanks to Sunwest Appliance Distributing in Tempe, AZ, for allowing us to tape the video above in their Viking Showroom Kitchen. If you would like to rent their space for a special event, you can contact them via their website.