Medicine does not always mean a little white pill. Everyday foods that we eat can actually have curative powers. Here is just a sampling of the "natural cures" that you can find right in your own kitchen.
Milk
We've all experienced the heat from a little too much hot sauce, but whatever you do, don't down that glass of water! Instead, have a glass of milk handy. Milk relieves the burn on your tongue more effectively than water, as it washes away the oils in the spices, while water doesn't.
Bananas
Feeling bloated from polishing off that bag of pretzels last night? Bananas, which are high in potassium, help regulate the fluid balance in your body, which can counteract bloating.
Eggs
Bui's is not considered the best hangover cure for nothing! The secret? The eggs in the sandwiches. Eggs contain enzymes that combat the toxic by-products of alcohol being metabolized by the liver.
Almonds
When that 3 p.m. afternoon slump hits, skip the coffee and grab a handful of almonds instead. These nuts are not only rich in protein, but they also contain magnesium, a mineral that plays a vital role in converting sugar into energy.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Natural Cures
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Upcoming Food Events
Taste of Philly
Where: Hall of Flags, Houston Hall
When: Thursday March 26, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
What: A fundraiser for Givology, an organization dedicated to helping children in need of education in developing countries. Food will be served from many popular Philadelphia restaurants, including Roy's Restaurant, Jimmy John's, Davio's, Asia Bakery, Bistro St. Tropez, Sang Kee, Kabul, Dahlak, Bubble House, and more.
How Much: $8 on Locust Walk, $10 at the door
Chef Tim Spinner of Distrito
Where: Foster's Urban Homeware, 399 Market St.
When: Saturday March 28, 2:00 pm
What: A free cooking demonstration with chef de cuisine Tim Spinner from Jose Garces' restaurant Distrito, focusing on modernizing traditional Mexican dishes.
How Much: Free!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Friday Blog Lovin' - Back to the future
Blog: Paleo-Future
Back in 1943, there were big plans for kitchens of the future. Check out this blog if you don't mind disappointment: our "future" doesn't include counter tops that open up to reveal waffle makers.
Note: Click here to see the original post.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Founding Farmers
Although I spent the majority of my spring break at home in Washington, DC catching up with friends and family, I had the opportunity to try out one of the city's most popular new restaurants, Founding Farmers. Owned by a collective of 42,000 North Dakota family farmers, the restaurant utilizes seasonal, locally grown ingredients to prepare an American menu that mixes classic with contemporary.
My party of four had to endure a half hour wait for Sunday brunch, but examining the restaurant's inventive interior kept me totally occupied. Tucked into the lower level of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) building in the transitioning neighborhood between Georgetown and downtown Washington, Founding Farmer's surprises with its chic farm motif, ranging from oversized jarred vegetables to a dairy cow invasion in the men's room.
Our novice waiter was friendly, if inconsistent, but we were anxious to try the food we had all come for, and once it arrived, it didn't disappoint. My bacon and sausage hash was perfectly prepared, balancing the flavors of the meat, potatoes, and poached eggs on top. Two of my companions opted for the scrambled eggs, which they seemed to eagerly devour almost before I took my first bite, and my other friend tried the specialty french toast, prepared "New Orleans style," with a cream soak followed by a deep fry. The entrees were delicious, but the side portions of fruit available with each main dish tasted fresh off the farm, and that alone gives me enough reason to plan a return trip.Tweet
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Calimocho
During my amazing visit to Spain over spring break, I couldn’t get enough of the food . . . and drink! Making full use of the drinking age of 18, I had my fair share of sangria and exquisite wine (and learned that Spanish beer isn’t all that great). Of all the drinks I had, one stood out the most: Calimocho. Popular during street gatherings (yes, I saw plenty of high schoolers drinking on the streets), Calimocho is a mix of red wine and Coca Cola, in approximately equal proportions. It really is a cheap man’s drink, in a very drastic way--Calimocho is sometimes even made in a plastic bag!
My friends and I headed to the Retiro Park in Madrid armed with a two liter bottle of coke, 3 Euros worth of red wine, and plastic cups. After emptying out some of the coke, we poured in approximately 3/4th of the bottle of wine, and voila!
It really is an unusual taste, like sour cherry coke. The first few sips were dubious, but I really started to enjoy the peculiar combination of fizzy caffeine and the tartness of the wine. Needless to say, we had no trouble finishing the two liters.
Some people may call Calimocho a trashy wine cooler, but I thought it was oddly refreshing, and so easy to make! Some variations include using white wine instead of red, and adding flavored vodka. So here is another idea to add to your list of cocktails for spring fling!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Homemade Pesto
Try out this ridiculously simple recipe for homemade pesto! This should be enough to make 4 servings of pesto pasta or to coat 4 breasts of chicken.
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/2 cup walnuts
6 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
Pulse blend the basil, walnuts and garlic with a food processor to chunky bits. Add in 1/2 cup of the EVOO with the food processor at low speed. Pulse blend with the grated cheese and lemon juice. The lemon juice helps the pesto retain its color and adds a delicious tangy flavor.
Enjoy with Rigatoni pasta or use as a marinade for pesto chicken.
To store, keep the pesto in a glass jar and top it off with the remainder EVOO.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Fogo de Chao
Steak is the American food and Fogo de Chao has some of the widest varieties of cuts of meats ready to serve. Located on the corner of 13th and Chestnut, it is a short SEPTA ride away.
Right near City Hall and the heart of Philadelphia, Fogo de Chao is located in a pristine part of Center City. Once you walk in, you are immediately welcomed by a friendly host. As a Brazilian Steakhouse, Fogo de Chao has a unique experience. There is an elaborate salad bar for starters and a little place card on the table for you to begin your carnivorous adventure. Once you flip over the place card from red to green, the waiters come over and bring you whatever steak you fancy.
In a sense, Fogo de Chao is much like a buffet, except the food is brought to you. Their selection of fire-roasted meats is plentiful. From chicken to beef and everything in between, Fogo de Chao has it all. Waiters will bring you sirloin, ribs of any kind, filet mignon, chicken legs, lamb chops, sausages, and everything I tried was cooked to perfection.
At first the sheer variety of cuts may be overwhelming, so slow down and try a little bit of each meat. Don’t be shy to kindly pass off a cut you don’t want and flip over your place card if you want to take a rest from eating; this helps notify the waiters. The salad bar helps you in between because the meats are dense. But be sure to try their most esteemed cut, called the Picanha.
Fogo de Chao offers lunch Mondays through Fridays and is open for dinner every day. The price is fixed like a buffet, albeit a little more expensive (around $30 for lunch and $50 for dinner). Still, the Fogo de Chao experience is one you won’t want to miss out on.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Foobooz.com The Blog
New to Philadelphia? Wondering what the restaurants are like here in the City of Brotherly Love? Well, with Philly being a city of bloggers, there are a lot of sites out there highlighting the city’s thriving restaurant scene. Few have been more successful, however, than my personal favorite: Foobooz.com.
Foobooz is devoted to bringing Philadelphians the best in “food, drink, gossip and deals” in the city’s restaurants. Its bloggers declare that “food and drink are keys to happiness, and there are few places better to indulge in other than Philadelphia.” They prove this statement by providing weekly updates on the best new eateries, bargains, and hidden treasures that this city’s restaurant scene has to offer.
To be honest, I have been a diehard Foobooz fan for about six months, and I check the blog almost daily for updates. It lets me know the latest in closings, so I can try out that restaurant before it shuts down for good. It also highlights notable openings, so I can keep up with what’s new and trendy in Philadelphia eating. Foobooz also provides info on local culinary events in the area, from Restaurant Week to Center City Sips, so if you’re looking for something fun to do you can always be in the know.
Their site even provides a demographic of their readers: young adults with college educations who often dine out (sounds like many Penn kids). The bloggers have compiled a list of their “Best of Philly” picks, along with event calendars and maps of every bar, eatery, lounge and café in the region. You’d be hard pressed not to find a good suggestion amongst the numerous posts.
They also provide fun little updates like “Eyeball Benders” that showcase an interesting photo of a local eatery so readers can test their knowledge of restaurant decor. All in all, whether you are a newbie to the Philly scene or a seasoned veteran, Foobooz is definitely worth checking out, especially if you want to keep up with the latest happenings. Also, it doesn’t hurt to look cool when you can make restaurant suggestions to your friends.
Monday, March 9, 2009
French Women Don't Get Fat - The Myth Unveiled
After about six weeks of living in Paris during my semester abroad, I began to notice something rather peculiar- everyone on the exchange program (myself included) seemed to be getting leaner by the day. What was more bewildering was that there had been no drastic change in our eating habits or any sudden adoption of a smoking ritual for the sake of full cultural assimilation. On the contrary, we were all being treated to 3 course meals, either by our host families or in the arrays of restaurants and cafés from the 1st to the 16th quarter. So what was happening to us? Were we magically being morphed into the slender silhouettes of teenage French girls who as they become women never seem lose their adolescent frame? To this question, Mireille Giuliano, former executive of Veuve Clicquot and LVMH, offers a few explanations in her best-selling book French Women Don’t Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure. A synopsis or other form of oversimplification cannot do this truly witty, interesting, and non-dogmatic piece of writing any justice, so I will simply attempt to recall the points that stood out the most to me while I was transitioning into the habits of a French woman.
Generally speaking, French women seem to be blessed with good genes. They don’t diet, they’ve never seen the inside of a gym, and they are constantly eating baguettes. Yet they don’t get fat. Despite our tendency to regard them as having a superior genetic make-up, Giuliano explains that it is not by good fortune, but rather by fortunate habits that French women are able to stay slim sans effort. A fundamental difference between the American and the French way of burning calories is physical exercise or a lack thereof. In Paris, for instance, the ease with which public transportation can be utilized makes having a car highly impractical. Therefore everyone either walks to their destination, takes the metro (which requires a lot of walking through tunnels and hiking stairs), or rents a vélib (public bicycles). Simply put, they exercise without even thinking of it. Elevators are also rarely spotted in French buildings meaning that if you live on the 13th floor of your building, you will most likely need to trek up at least 14 flights of stairs, multiple times a day. I for one underwent the grueling task of always having to climb up to the 15th floor each time I went to visit a friend, but as I got used it, it stopped feeling like work. So you see, in the US, gyms are mainly a simulation of the day by day habits of French people and because these habits are embedded into their routine (no change of clothes, no sneakers and no extra shower) it’s not work. In the book, Giuliano offers some tips on incorporating these “non-exercise” exercises into your daily habits such as deliberately seeking out stairs to climb and shunning all elevators. Oh, such discipline.
HERE French Women Don’t Get Fat discusses how these women have been culturally conditioned to think about food in a way that is more favorable to attaining and maintaining a slender figure, such as learning to appreciate the flavors of fresh ingredients rather than obsessing over the calorie count of a meal.
The mentality towards food is another differentiating factor of French vs. American eating habits. Suggesting no fads and no irrational exclusion of carbohydrates, Giuliani emphasizes the importance of using fresh seasonal ingredients to create wonderfully flavorful meals. In contrast to the American food market, which is bombarded with processed, packaged, and chemically enhanced produce, French foods tend to be simple and more natural, thus less harmful to your system. The principles she advocates are very retro; for instance, eating in moderation. French women also eat meals made up of diversified content; some greens, a protein, and a carbohydrate (each ingredient is a star on its own). The combination of all food groups even in the smallest portions leads to a higher degree of satisfaction and satiation. Exclusion of a certain food will only lead to a more intense craving of it. As an avid connoisseur of food and wine, Guilano also communicates the pleasures of eating delicacies such as oysters that she frequently complements with a glass of champagne (Veuve Clicquot most likely), a combination that is as high in gratification as it is low in calories.
Despite our newly modernized version of conventional wisdom, three course meals are essential. French Women Don’t Get Fat claims that sitting down to have a meal with wine, chatter, and a constant change in tableware makes the event more ceremonious and thus more anticipated (you’re also less likely to eat between meals). Although these meals tend to be three courses or more, they are extremely small in portion (French women would probably fall over their seats if they were ever to be served what we consider to be a normal plateful of pasta from Red Lobster). For me, it took a while to adjust. During the meal, I would find that each course was never filling, but by the time desert was plated (yoghurt, fruit, or a cheese platter) I realized that it was such a delightful and refreshing finale to the overall-meal. I no longer felt like I needed another crepe. More interestingly, I began to appreciate the feeling of not being overly full substituted with the fulfillment of having had a meal that caters to every dimension of my cravings.
The book is wonderful. Giuliani goes into more detail about tips on how French women stay thin such as never snacking (they just don’t eat between meals…it’s crazy), favoring dark chocolate over milk chocolate, and eating beautifully baked baguettes that are surprisingly low in calories ( baguettes in France tend to have a thinner crust and airier middle than those here). Carbohydrates are not your enemy!!! The book is also decorated with a ton of recipes after each chapter or segment such as Dr. Miracle’s leek soup. Unlike other books, French Women Don’t Get Fat doesn’t provide a magical diet. Instead it reminds us of how food used to be approached before diets and fads called for eradicating proteins, banishing carbs, and acquiescing to weird concoctions of lemon, maple syrup and God knows what else.Tweet
