Wish Upon A Chef

 Life is a funny thing.


Wine Syrup
Makes about 1 cup

If you are looking for an interesting read about ingredients found in food and some everyday household products, This Is What You Just Put In Your Mouth by Patrick Di Justo provides an in-depth look. 


This book contains reprints of Justo's weekly articles as they originally appeared in Wired magazine from 2006-2013.  The articles began out of curiosity about what was in certain foods and products that are commonly used.  Some of the things won't surprise or gross you out, but knowing some of the things may make you think twice.

It is light reading in the sense that you wouldn't just sit down and read the book from cover to cover in one or two sittings, but rather thumb through and read a few pages at a time.  It can make for interesting conversation as you're sitting around with friends enjoying drinks before dinner. "Hey!  Did you know that Vita Coco coconut water that you are drinking contains Gibberellins?"  Or maybe during dessert when you inform everyone that the Cool Whip they just dolloped on their piece of pie contains sex grease!

The book really makes you stop to think about how many corporations and companies are not very forthcoming with information when it comes to ingredients and production of their product.  And these are products that we eat, that touch our skin, or that we come into contact with on some level.  It pays to research products and companies if you are concerned about your health and well-being! 

 I received this book free to review from Blogging for Books. The opinions expressed in this review are my true thoughts and feeling regarding this book. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Do you ever have one of those moments where you walk into a room and have no idea why?  Or maybe you totally forget what you're talking about in mid-sentence? 

Yeah, me too.  And if it's happening to me at the ripe old age of 40 too many, how bad will it be in 10, 15, or 20 years? 

Que The Healthy Mind Cookbook by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson.  I couldn't get my hands on this book with 120 recipes to "enhance brain function, mood, memory, and mental clarity" fast enough. 

Along with recipes, photos and a lot of food and brain related research, The Healthy Mind Cookbook also contains a section called The Culinary Pharmacy that lists 80 ingredients used in the book with notes about the roles they play in helping memory, mood, energy, sleep and more.  The information was garnered from peer-reviewed studies conducted with humans and animals in a lab specifically looking at the connection between food and the brain.  Even though science has not yet proven definitive connections between diet and the brain, it is still a very important connection to study.

It is somewhat expected that fading memory and advanced age go hand in hand because it was believed that the brain was incapable of producing new cells to replace old or damaged ones.  But recent discoveries show that new brain cells can, in fact, be produced.  Omega-3's are linked to a chemical known for jump-starting neuron growth and foods rich in vitamin E like nuts, seeds, broccoli and citrus also show a link to increased neuron growth activity.

Personally, I don't need years of research and studies along with approval from the FDA or government to tell me that food affects stress, anxiety, mood, depression, memory, cognitive function and learning.   Realizing that our brain is comprised of 60% fat, it makes me wonder if the deprivation of fat due to years of the low fat/no fat diet fads could be the cause for the onset of Alzheimer's and dementia.  Do I want to take a chance with my brain health?

NO.  NO.  NO.

I want my medulla oblongata to have a fighting chance! 

After my initial glance through the book, I had no doubt that it would be one that was given a coveted spot on my kitchen counter instead of being relinquished to gather dust on the overburdened cookbook shelf.  I chose 17 recipes to try and as of this posting, I've prepared 5 of them and have not yet been disappointed.  I like the book because it makes me get outside of my real food box - it contains combinations and  ingredients that I don't normally purchase or already have on hand.  Nothing weird, just different items like chili paste and bean thread and fresh mint.  The book also contains a resource for buying special ingredients online in case you can't find them in your local grocery store.  I also liked the fact that ingredients are repeated in recipes throughout the book without being redundant or repetitive.  It helps to not waste food. 

The Thai It Up Steak Salad (pictured on the book cover) scared me at first with it's inclusion of fish sauce and bean threads but I was very pleasantly surprised.  The marinade/dressing was very spicy from the chili paste, but I couldn't stop myself from eating it.


The Shrimp-Stuffed Avocados 2.0 is perfect for lunch or as a quick and light summer dinner on the patio. I was piggish and ate two servings at one sitting.  I had some "stuffing" left over and served it over salad greens.  I liked the combination of the crunchy apple with the smooth, rich and creamy avocado.     


I eat a lot of seafood but honestly tire of so much shrimp and salmon.  The Baked Halibut with Tomato, Mint and Fennel broke up that monotony.  The  topping was an interesting combination that I wouldn't have thought about and again, it scared me but I was game to try something new and I'm so glad I did.  I served it alongside wilted fresh spinach from my garden.  I had a bit of the tomato, mint and fennel mixture leftover and tossed it with some nice chunks of Feta cheese and served it over salad greens. 


The Rosemary and Pear Muffins was written for making mini muffins and I gave thought to changing them up to make standard sized muffins instead.  But I stuck with the plan and in retrospect, I'm glad I did.  They are perfect bite-sized savory morsels.  I've enjoyed a couple for breakfast each morning at my desk with an apple and slice of cheese. 

Julie's Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage was a great way to use up the remaining red cabbage from the Thai salad and since it keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator, it's been a great side dish addition to lunches and dinners this week. Crunchy, colorful and tangy, it's been a nice change from my regular green salads. 

There are so many more recipes that I want to try, but I already declare The Healthy Mind Cookbook by Rebecca Katz and Mat Edelson a great addition to my real food cookbook collection! 

I received this book free to review from Blogging for Books. The opinions expressed in this review are my true thoughts and feeling regarding this book. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.


 

I received this book free to review from Blogging for Books. The opinions expressed in this review are my true thoughts and feeling regarding this book. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

It's no secret that I love the Boy Toy more than I love goat cheese.  And that, people, is ALOT.  As long as we've been together, I still get all twitterpated about date night with him. 

We had initially planned to go back to "our place" for Valentine's Day - the same restaurant where we've had dinner for the past two years, but after Boy Toy brought home a $300 souvenir speeding ticket from our California trip a few weeks ago, I made the offer to have dinner at my house instead.  I don't get the opportunity to cook for him often and I was uber excited about our plans all week.  I planned an easy-to-prepare menu complete with a sinful dessert and picked up a couple of bottles of wine that I had been wanting to try.  (This label combination made me giggle because I'm dirty like that.  50 Shades of Grey ain't got nothing on me!)


During our flights to and from California, Boy Toy entertained himself by streaming episodes of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on my iPad (am I turning him into a foodie??) and at one point he turned to me and asked if I thought he would like polenta.  "Yes! Of course you would!" I said. (I really had no idea if he would or not but I always try to further his interest in food so I was very agreeable that he would absolutely LOVE it while at the same time wondering if I would even like it.)  I decided the next chance I had, I would test the polenta theory.  Keep in mind that you do have to plan ahead when making it as it requires several hours (or overnight) to cool.





Lemon Rosemary Steak with Mushrooms
Serves 4

4 (6-ounce) grass fed sirloin steaks, about 1/2 inch thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 spring fresh rosemary
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup water

Pound steaks lightly with meat mallet to slightly thin.  Season both sides of steak with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet over high heat, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic cloves. When the pan is hot, add 2 of the steaks and cook for 1 minute. Flip steaks, add rosemary to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Transfer steaks to a platter and keep warm. Add remaining olive oil and repeat process with steaks, garlic and rosemary. Remove steaks to platter and add mushrooms to pan and saute for about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, water and any juices accumulated from steaks, lower heat to medium and cook for about 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook about 1-2 minutes more.

Discard rosemary and garlic, spoon pan sauce and mushrooms over steaks and serve.

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Polenta cakes topped with mushroom pan sauce from the steaks

Polenta Cakes
Serves 4

1 cup cornmeal
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, divided
shredded cheese (Cheddar or Parmesan works great)

Bring water and salt to a boil. Gradually sprinkle in cornmeal, whisking continuously until all cornmeal has been added. Simmer until mixture becomes thick, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep cornmeal from sticking to bottom.. Once mixture is done cooking, stir in butter and pour mixture into a lined baking sheet making sure polenta is at least ½” thick. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to cool for at least 2 hours (up to 2 days).

Slice polenta into 8 cakes. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and place 4 polenta cakes in a skillet. Grill cakes for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Flip and grill until other side is golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from skillet and repeat with remaining polenta.

Serve topped with shredded cheese.   I also topped with mushrooms and pan sauce from the steaks

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Molten Chocolate Lava Cake with Caramel Filling
Serves 4

1 stick unsalted butter, plus melted for brushing
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
6 ounces 70% dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
Pint of salt
4 tablespoons store-bought caramel sauce

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Brush four 6-ounce ramekins with melted butter.  In a small bowl, whisk the cocoa powder with 1 tablespoon of the flour; dust the ramekins with the cocoa mixture, tapping out the excess.  Transfer ramekins to a sturdy baking sheet.

In a medium saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter with the chocolate over very low heat, stirring occasionally.  Let cool slightly.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat granulated sugar with the eggs and salt at medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes.  Using a rubber spatula, fold in the melted chocolate until no streaks remain.  Fold in the 1/4 cup flour.

Spoon 2/3 of the batter into the prepared ramekins, then spoon a tablespoon of the caramel sauce on top.  Cover with the remaining chocolate batter.  Bake in the center of the oven for 16 minutes, until the tops are cracked but the centers are still slightly jiggly.  Transfer ramekins to a rack and let cool for 5-8 minutes.

Run the tip of a knife around the edges of each cake to loosen.  Invert a small plate over each cake and, using pot holders, invert again.  Carefully lift off the ramekins.