"Not surprisingly, with the cultivation of taste comes the natural cultivation of manners. "
Training the Palate in France
This article comes to me by way of a friend, John C. and serves as a reminder of what food is supposed to look like. It also reminds me of Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution" series that was on TV last year. If you can find it, there were about 8 episodes that are worth watching.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
"We all see the national madness; but what is national sanity?...What is wrong is that we do not ask what is right
"
-G.K.Chesterton, What's Wrong With the World
I just started reading the quotable G.K.Chesterton's What's Wrong With the World and got as far as the third page before coming across this quote that jumped out at me. (Full text of this book is available here, quote taken from the last paragraph of Chapter I) They say that although this book was written over 100 years ago it is just as relevant today as it was then, and so far I cannot argue.
-G.K.Chesterton, What's Wrong With the World
I just started reading the quotable G.K.Chesterton's What's Wrong With the World and got as far as the third page before coming across this quote that jumped out at me. (Full text of this book is available here, quote taken from the last paragraph of Chapter I) They say that although this book was written over 100 years ago it is just as relevant today as it was then, and so far I cannot argue.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Breakfast
Five weeks ago we decided to take a stab at the paleo diet. We were already eating pretty healthy (or at least I thought we were), so I wanted to see how much different my diet would be if I "went pale." As I expected, it wasn't too much of a shock to my eating habits, but it did require some conscientious effort to avoid certain foods; namely, wheat, dairy, and legumes (beans). I'll explore each of these on it's own in future posts.
One of the challenges we've faced since starting this paleo-leaning diet is what to eat for breakfast. For me, breakfast used to consist of 1 cup of Old Fashioned Quaker Oats with a handful of raisins and some brown sugar mixed in...not terrible. Occasionally (once to twice per week) I'd have a bagel or donut...pretty terrible. On the paleo diet, all of this is out on account of eliminating all forms of grain and wheat. The paleo people (such as Robb Wolf, in his book Paleo Solution) will recommend a breakfast of eggs and chicken or fish. Really? Am I supposed to wake up and grill fish every morning? And can I really afford to buy enough meat and fish so that I have enough leftovers for breakfast and lunch the following day? (I suppose if I bought lower quality meat I could, but doesn't that defeat the purpose?) I don't disagree with the notion, but it's just not practical for me.
Further, my mind tells me that breakfast time is a time for baked goods, not grilled meats. I suppose this mindset has been formed out of habit, but I really look forward to enjoying my hot breakfast with a hot cup of coffee, and leftover chicken doesn't satisfy my morning cravings for something hot and sweet.
While I haven't found that silver bullet to replace my oatmeal or bagel, I have settled in on a few different staples. We have been eating a lot more eggs since starting the paleo diet, and most of them for breakfast. I can now fry an egg (in coconut oil) in under 3 minutes, from start to cleanup, so this is a good quick bite. We've also been mixing in some fresh fruit and trying some new melons, which has been fun. But the bulk of my breakfast has been paleo granola. How can you make grain-free granola, you ask? Well, I guess you can't so maybe this isn't, strictly speaking, granola but you'd never know it if I didn't tell you.
We got the basic recipe here, but we have been experimenting with different oils, nuts, and fruits and have settled in on our own recipe, which I've listed below. Feel free to switch ingredients in and out to suit your taste, but the main ingredients that make up the bulk of the granola are the almonds and coconut, so you're going to want to keep those pretty close to the recipe.
This granola is great to eat by itself, but we've also had it as cereal using almond milk instead of cows milk and it's not bad. On a related note, I've also made the decision that I'm not going to be so strict about not eating dairy, but that I will try to eat dairy that hasn't been processed: raw milk from grass fed cows and local yogurt whenever possible. Our primary milk, however, is Trader Joe's Organic Whole Milk, and I'll drink that from time to time too. (There's a lot to say about milk...another great topic to explore)
So, without further ado, our take on Paleo Granola:
Essential Ingredients
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut oil or almond oil (I use a combination of these!)
Optional Ingredients to Taste
5-6 finely chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/3 cup finely chopped dried banana chips
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together the honey and oils and drizzle over the dry ingredients. Mix with your hands until the oil is distributed, let your dog lick your hands after. Spread the mixture out over a large cookie sheet and place in the oven at 275 degrees. Cook for 60 minutes, turning the granola every 15 minutes.
When it comes out, it'll be slightly soft, by once it cools it gets nice and crispy like granola. Enjoy by itself, over yogurt, or as cereal!
One of the challenges we've faced since starting this paleo-leaning diet is what to eat for breakfast. For me, breakfast used to consist of 1 cup of Old Fashioned Quaker Oats with a handful of raisins and some brown sugar mixed in...not terrible. Occasionally (once to twice per week) I'd have a bagel or donut...pretty terrible. On the paleo diet, all of this is out on account of eliminating all forms of grain and wheat. The paleo people (such as Robb Wolf, in his book Paleo Solution) will recommend a breakfast of eggs and chicken or fish. Really? Am I supposed to wake up and grill fish every morning? And can I really afford to buy enough meat and fish so that I have enough leftovers for breakfast and lunch the following day? (I suppose if I bought lower quality meat I could, but doesn't that defeat the purpose?) I don't disagree with the notion, but it's just not practical for me.
Further, my mind tells me that breakfast time is a time for baked goods, not grilled meats. I suppose this mindset has been formed out of habit, but I really look forward to enjoying my hot breakfast with a hot cup of coffee, and leftover chicken doesn't satisfy my morning cravings for something hot and sweet.
While I haven't found that silver bullet to replace my oatmeal or bagel, I have settled in on a few different staples. We have been eating a lot more eggs since starting the paleo diet, and most of them for breakfast. I can now fry an egg (in coconut oil) in under 3 minutes, from start to cleanup, so this is a good quick bite. We've also been mixing in some fresh fruit and trying some new melons, which has been fun. But the bulk of my breakfast has been paleo granola. How can you make grain-free granola, you ask? Well, I guess you can't so maybe this isn't, strictly speaking, granola but you'd never know it if I didn't tell you.
We got the basic recipe here, but we have been experimenting with different oils, nuts, and fruits and have settled in on our own recipe, which I've listed below. Feel free to switch ingredients in and out to suit your taste, but the main ingredients that make up the bulk of the granola are the almonds and coconut, so you're going to want to keep those pretty close to the recipe.
This granola is great to eat by itself, but we've also had it as cereal using almond milk instead of cows milk and it's not bad. On a related note, I've also made the decision that I'm not going to be so strict about not eating dairy, but that I will try to eat dairy that hasn't been processed: raw milk from grass fed cows and local yogurt whenever possible. Our primary milk, however, is Trader Joe's Organic Whole Milk, and I'll drink that from time to time too. (There's a lot to say about milk...another great topic to explore)
So, without further ado, our take on Paleo Granola:
Essential Ingredients
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut oil or almond oil (I use a combination of these!)
Optional Ingredients to Taste
5-6 finely chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/3 cup finely chopped dried banana chips
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together the honey and oils and drizzle over the dry ingredients. Mix with your hands until the oil is distributed, let your dog lick your hands after. Spread the mixture out over a large cookie sheet and place in the oven at 275 degrees. Cook for 60 minutes, turning the granola every 15 minutes.
When it comes out, it'll be slightly soft, by once it cools it gets nice and crispy like granola. Enjoy by itself, over yogurt, or as cereal!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)