Written by Hilary on August 25th, 2010
A site called Chicago Healers (www.chicagohealers.com) emailed me today to let me know about five of the most nutritious spices, compiled by practitioner Dr. Helen Lee. I don’t always agree with these types of superlatives, but I appreciated the refresher of which benefits certain spices have. (I say “spices” as a general term, encompassing herbs/seasonings/etc.)
1. Cinnamon
· Reduces blood glucose level in Type 2 diabetics
· Lowers triglycerides and “bad” LDL cholesterol
· Great anti-inflammatory helping to reduce pain and discomfort, soreness, and muscle aches
2. Oregano
· Powerful anti-oxidant and cancer-fighting herb
· Phytochemcals in oregano act as anti-bacterial/viral/fungal/parasite chemicals which also aid in optimal digestive health
3. Ginger
· Powerful antioxidant properties which help to reduce damage from free radicals that causes aging and degeneration
· Helps heartburn, morning sickness and nausea/motion sickness
4. Tumeric/Curcumin
· Decreases inflammation of arthritis
· Increases immune function, healthy liver
· Research is also finding it may prevent Alzheimer’s Disease
5. Garlic
· Helps to improve immune system, improve blood sugar, improve skin conditions such as acne & warts
· Reduces triglycerides and reduce arterial plaque between 5-18%
I frequently use cinnamon, ginger and garlic in my cooking, but not so much oregano and tumeric. Note to self.
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Tags: cinnamon, garlic, ginger, healthy, nutrition, oregano, tumeric
Written by Hilary on August 24th, 2010
My colleagues surprised me on my birthday last spring with a cupcake party!
These little works of art come from Cupcake Cafe in Manhattan.
You could choose from chocolate cake with chocolate icing, vanilla cake with chocolate icing, vanilla cake with chocolate icing and vanilla cake with vanilla icing. Most people don’t notice if a batch of cupcakes has one combination missing, but I do. I feel a deep sense of calm with a complete set.
Maybe I should say frosting in place of icing? I’m not really sure. This stuff was really creamy, not sugary.
I’m glad I snapped a photo because let’s just say they didn’t live long.
Posted in Restaurants, art | 1 Response »
Tags: birthday, cake, chocolate, cupcakes, frosting, icing, nyc, vanilla
Written by Hilary on August 23rd, 2010
We moved apartments one year ago Tuesday. Because we were the first renters of a just-renovated unit, it felt brand new. (Never mind that the building was built in 1930.)
This is a snapshot of our kitchen from before we even moved in (you can see that there were still a few remnants of the renovation). What you see is the entire kitchen (or, to be more precise, the kitchen portion of the one room that is our entryway, kitchen, dining room and living room altogether).
So, if you’re ever puzzled by my tendency to seriously simplify recipes or invent multiple uses for one kitchen gadget, the reasoning is: four cubic feet of counter space, junior-sized appliances and cabinets that collectively would comprise just the breakfast cereal portion of most people’s pantries.
But we do think our kitchen is pretty (even if currently no longer as polished as in this photo). Plus, I view its small size as a fun challenge- and something that bonds non-takeout-food New Yorkers together. Not to say I don’t look forward to something bigger someday.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Responses »
Tags: apartment, kitchen, nyc, small
Written by Hilary on August 22nd, 2010
One of my favorite inventions this summer has been this Carrot Tomato Soup. I started with the most basic ingredients- carrots, tomato sauce, water and salt. And then before I decided what to add next, I tasted it: perfect. Stop there!
Simple, tasty and healthy, it’s the perfect summer soup.
Carrot Tomato Soup
1 pound carrots, scrubbed or peeled and then diced
8oz tomato sauce (1 small can)
8oz water (could substitute milk or cream for a creamier soup)
1 tsp sea salt
Black pepper to taste
Optional: olive oil to drizzle on top
1. Boil or steam carrots until tender. Let cool.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine carrots with tomato sauce, and water. Blend until smooth.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Put in fridge if you’d like to serve a chilled soup, or reheat on stovetop for a warm soup. May also serve room temperature, as is my custom. You may choose to drizzle some olive oil on top of each portion before serving.
Posted in Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetables | No Responses »
Tags: carrots, pepper, recipe, salt, sea salt, simple, soup, tomato sauce, tomatoes
Written by Hilary on August 21st, 2010
Nothing like a four and a half month break to renew one’s blogging spirits. Hope that goes for the readership side as well!
Summer has been going fast, as always, and has consisted of a lot of travel and great eats everywhere. Above, a snapshot of a June breakfast with friends in Southampton: roasted vegetable omelets with cheese, fruit salad of blackberries, oranges, and bananas, and toasted La Miche bread with assorted jams.
Looking forward to catching up with many new recipes and food products in the months to come!
Posted in Uncategorized | No Responses »
Tags: bananas, Breakfast, jam, jelly, La Miche, omelet, oranges, roasted vegetables, Southampton, toast
Written by Hilary on April 5th, 2010
Fever is a new beverage that claims to produce feelings of pleasure and euphoria.
It comes in three flavors: Kiwi + Strawberry, Pineapple + Coconut, and Mango + Banana.
I tried the Mango + Banana and I liked the flavor. I can’t say that I felt much effect in terms of energy or mood, but I think I’m a bad judge of this kind of thing. I also don’t feel much effect from coffee/caffeine. And, I’m pretty much in a good mood 95% of the time.
Thanks to Lauren for sending me a bottle to sample.
Available at GNC. If you try a bottle, let me know if you feel happier or more energized.
Posted in Products | No Responses »
Tags: banana, beverage, coconut, drink, energy, euphoria, happiness, kiwi, mango, strawberry
Written by Hilary on March 24th, 2010
The Eat Clean Cookbook by Tosca Reno is full of healthful, delicious recipes. I enjoyed making many recipes in this cookbook, but there is one I return to again and again: Corn Muffins. (Often I make it as cornbread in a loaf pan.) Maybe it’s because I’m married to a southerner, but in our house, you can never have too much cornbread around.
Super Simple Corn Muffins by Tosca Reno
Dry Ingredients:
1 and 1/3 cups / 320 ml whole-wheat flour
1 1/3 cups / 320 ml cornmeal
1/3 cup / 80 ml skim milk powder
2 Tbsp / 30 ml Sucanat or rapadura sugar
2 tsp / 10 ml baking powder
2 tsp / 10 ml baking soda
1 tsp / 5 ml finely ground sea salt
Wet Ingredients:
½ cup / 120 ml unsweetened applesauce
2 cups / 480 ml skim milk, soured with 2 Tbsp / 30 ml lemon juice
2 Tbsp / 30 ml coconut oil, canola oil or melted butter
4 egg whites, beaten
1. Preheat oven to 425°F / 220°C. Line a muffin tin with unbleached paper liners.
2. Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. Place wet ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix together well.
4. Add wet to dry ingredients and mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix.
5. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until just golden on top.
—
A cool thing about this cookbook is that Tosca Reno has some signature ingredient blends that she incorporates into several recipes. Power Flour, for example, is a combination of various flours that can be used in place of regular or whole-wheat flours. She also has a recipe for Eat Clean Cooking Spray to use in place of PAM or the like.
Thanks to Rechelle for sending me a review copy of this cookbook. I’ll be using it for years to come.
Posted in Book Club, Recipes, Side Dishes, Snacks | No Responses »
Tags: cookbook, corn, cornbread, muffins, power flour, Tosca Reno
Written by Hilary on March 22nd, 2010
VivAgave is a soluble fiber derived from the organic blue agave plant. Add a tablespoon added in yogurt, oatmeal, milk, coffee or even mac n’ cheese and you’ve upped your fiber intake 40% of the recommended daily intake–in 40 calories.
VivAgave is available in 3 varieties: plain, vanilla and cocoa. The flavor of both the plain and vanilla is very subtle (nearly tasteless, really), though the vanilla had a delicious scent. I didn’t try to cocoa so I’m not sure about that one.
With agave’s connection to the sweet and syrupy agave nectar, I was expecting this to be sweet. It’s not. Which is fine, but don’t add it to a recipe as a sugar substitute or you’ll wonder why that banana bread tastes really different. 
You can, however, add it as an addition to said banana bread recipe for a healthy fiber boost.
Among other selling points of the product, it’s a Prebiotic can be used to aid in the growth of “good” intestinal bacteria, it has a minimal impact on blood sugar and will not raise triglycerides, and inulin helps the body absorb calcium and magnesium.
Thanks to Isabella for sending me some to sample!
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Tags: agave, cocoa, fiber, inulin, organic, plain, vanilla, VivAgave
Written by Hilary on March 21st, 2010
Organics are for Everyone’s Date Syrup is a delicious syrup made from dates. Organic dates and…. nothing else.
How is it so smooth and luxurious and sweetly complex? Truly, it’s nature’s candy.
Better than candy, it also nutritious with all of the vitamins and minerals of dates.
Here are my top 3 [...] Continue Reading…
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Tags: almonds, coconut, dates, greek yogurt, organic, pancakes, syrup, tahini, yogurt
Written by Hilary on March 20th, 2010
Reusable shopping bags were all the rage a few years ago, and a lot of us accumulated quite a few of them.
My mom gave us some for Christmas, Whole Foods gave me one on Earth Day, an artist with a day job at Scoop gave me one outside of [...] Continue Reading…
Posted in Products | No Responses »
Tags: bags, fashionable, graffiti, its-laS-tik, metallic, New Orleans, reusable, shopping
