I've read multiple recipes lately that call for a Meyer Lemon. I always just use a regular lemon, not thinking there was a substantial difference.
I saw Meyer lemons in our grocery store last week and thought I better figure this out.
It turns out the Meyer lemon was brought to the U.S. in the early 1900's from China. Compared to traditional lemon plants, the Meyer lemon is squat and considered an ornamental garden pot plant.
While still grown in China, California is a major supplier of our Meyer lemons.
Popularized by Martha Stewart, it is believed the Meyer lemon is a cross between a lemon and an orange, providing both flavor profiles.
I'm certain to try one in the future, but it seems to me that if a recipe calls for one, a mixture of orange and lemon juice will result in a similar flavor substitute.
I first came across the term Flavorist about a month ago while reading Eric Schlosser's book, "Chew on This", a hard look into the fast food industry's food and practices. A flavorist is a chemist who creates artificial and "natural" flavors from chemicals.
Since then, I have seen the terms "artificial flavors" and "natural flavors" on many things -- including some from brands and sources I trust more than others.
CBS's 60 Minutes did a short clip into the world's largest flavor creation company, Givaudan, last Fall. Getting any level of access is extraordinary, so enjoy the video when you get a moment.
Most of the flavor companies occupy space along the New Jersey's turnpike, one of them being International Flavors and Fragrances, and they employ tens of thousands of people -- all with the goal of making your taste and smell experience addictive. The companies that employ them do so to sell you more, but even the so-called "natural flavors" are less than desirable.
Flavorists are chemists. They use man-made chemicals (or chemicals made from natural sources) to create the flavors we crave. Complicated flavors like coffee and meat can take hundreds of different chemicals to complete. And the US Government does not require disclosure of what is actually present in the flavorings -- thus the simple phrases of artificial and natural flavors on the ingredient list.
Natural and artificial flavors are made at the same factories and often use the same chemical, one is just derived from a natural source. And often that natural source has nothing to do with the plant, fruit, etc, you are actually tasting.
Schlosser writes that the addictiveness of McDonald's french fries in the early decades was because they were fried in beef fat, lending the beef taste to the potato (Burger King uses chicken flavoring). However, citing health concerns over beef fat, the US Government banned it and in 1990 McDonalds switched to using vegetable oil "flavored" with beef fat. If you want the real deal, beef fat is still used in McDonald's restaurants in Australia, Japan, Canada and Mexico.
As an example of the hidden ingredients inside "artificial flavoring", consider the strawberry shake at a fast food restaurant. Just the artificial strawberry flavoring alone includes the following ingredients:
amyl acetate
amyl butyrate
amyl valerate
anethol
anisyl formate
benzyl acetate
benzyl isobutyrate
butyric acid
cinnamyl isobutyrate
cinnamyl valerate
cognac essential oil
diacetyl
dipropyl ketone
ethyl butyrate
ethyl cinnamate
ethyl heptanoate
ethyl heptylate
ethyl lactate
ethyl methylphenylglycidate
ethyl nitrate
ethyl propionate
ethyl valerate
heliotropin
hydroxyphrenyl-2-butanone (10% solution in alcohol)
ionone
isobutyl anthranilate
isobutyl butyrate
lemon essential oil
maltol
4-methylacetophenone
methyl anthranilate
methyl benzoate
methyl cinnamte
methyl heptine carbonate
methyl naphthyl ketone
methyl salicylate
mint essential oil
neroli essential oil
nerolin
neryl isobutyrate
orris butter
phenethyl alcohol
rose
rum ether
undecalactone
vanillin
solvent
Yum! Enjoy that strawberry shake!
Like the world of colorants, it may be wise to limit or avoid processed foods that need flavoring of any kind to sell. Limited or no research has been done on the long-term effects of consuming these chemicals.
Double Dipping became famous in an episode of Seinfeld when George Costanza famously double-dipped his tortilla chip much to the dismay of a watcher.
Since then, people have been extra aware of double-dipping (triple dipping or more in the case of our kids). We have family members who seem to be the self-designated double-dip police.
So as we approach Super Bowl weekend when snacks and corresponding dips reign supreme, how concerned should we really be if somebody double-dips? Does it really matter?
School lunches are often overlooked by parents. Perhaps some parents really don't care, but for many others, school lunch is something never seen.
Our kids are not yet of an age where school lunch is an option, but it is a worry. And it should be for anyone with OR without kids. Kids fed well have better test scores and school attendance -- a major plus for society in the long-term.
A year ago I received an empty school hamburger patty box for moving some household stuff. I was grateful for the box, but was mortified that the ingredients said 80-some-percent beef. What!? Why isn't a hamburger patty 100% beef and what was the mysterious unstated filler? McDonald's patties are 100% beef. Not quality beef, but 100%.
The USDA determines what is acceptable for our kids to eat for lunch and private companies help fulfill those requirements through awkward pairings like pizza sauce being classified as a vegetable or a flavored ice-pop being classified as a fruit.
In a word. the food our kids get at school is pure junk or "rubbish" as Jamie Oliver says.
I read (in one night) a book titled "Fed Up with Lunch". It is written from a Chicago school teacher who, for one year, ate school cafeteria food and blogged about it each day. I think for many, the food selection will shock them. I certainly think it will spur some people to action to try and find solutions for the woefully inadequate nutrition our kids receive.
If you really dig into how school lunches and the infamous food pyramid are developed, you will find a money-trail that leads from Congress back to the manufacturers/growers of certain types of food. I find this disturbing. Our health -- our kids health -- traded for profits and campaign contributions.
Solutions are not easy and regulations make many options unsuitable. But, solutions start by being aware and I encourage everyone to read this book followed by Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma and help find solutions to better feed our kids.
Our kids joined the ranks of millions before them this past Christmas and planted (or pasted) chia seeds on their Chia Pet, but the exact same seeds on their Pet are packed with nutrients and have been consumed for thousands of years in some cultures.
Chia seeds are quickly being recognized as a superfood.
Formally known as salvia hispanica, it is a flowering plant in the mint family. It's name, Chia, is derived from a word meaning "oily". In fact, it's the oil that makes it rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.
Chia is an ancient food grown today in Mexico (where it was first cultivated), Bolivia, Argentina, Ecuador, Australia and Guatemala.
It's nutritional qualities are amazing. According to the USDA, one ounce of chia contains 11 grams of dietary fiber (42% daily value), 18% daily value of calcium, 4 grams of protein or 9% daily value (a complete protein that offers all of the amino acids essential to humans, and also contains B-vitamins, iron, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, potassium, sodium, fiber antioxidants and the anti-inflammatory flavonoid quercetin.
So how do you use these nearly tasteless seeds? In liquid, the seeds form a gel-like substance making them ideal for drinks, smoothies or oatmeal. Ground, they make a great addition to baked goods. Or eat the sprouts from your Chia Pet or add them to a salad. The ideas are endless.
We bought a large bag of chia seed at Costco for about $7, but there are plenty of other grocery or health food store providers or look on Amazon.
Grow them, have fun with them, but certainly consider eating them.
One of my many takeaways was the powerful anti-cancer combination of Turmeric, Virgin Olive Oil and Black Pepper.
David says of olive oil, (pg. 112) "olives contain an abundance of antioxidants such as acteosides, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, and phenylpropionic acids. The direct effect of such molecules is to limit the initial development of cancer. Particularly when it is virgin, olive oil also contains secoiridoids and lignans, both known antioxidants that have been linked with slower progression of cancer."
Of turmeric, he writes (pg. 114) "No other food ingredient has such a powerful antiinflammatory effect. The principle molecule responsible for that effect is curcumin. In the labratory, curcumin inhibits growth in a large number of cancers: colon, prostate, lung, liver, stomach, breast, ovarian, brain, and leukemia, for example. It also inhibits angiogenesis and forces cancer cells to die (through the process of cell suicide known as apoptosis. In mice, curcumin prevents the development of several types of tumors caused by chemical carcinogens. Additionally, curcumin inhibits the growth of human tumors when implanted in mice."
He mentions that Indians consume and average of 1/4-1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric each day and experience 1/8 as many lung cancers, 1/9 as many colon cancers, 1/5 as many breast cancers, 1/10 as many kidney cancers, and 1/50 as many prostate cancers as Westerners of the same age. He cited this database.
So what do my eggs have to do with it? Well, I was using organic (cage free) eggs and organic extra virgin olive oil anyway when I fried an egg. And I also always use fresh cracked black pepper. After reading this book, I simply add a good does of organic turmeric to the mix and I have cancer fighting eggs!
Turmeric is not overpowering, so it doesn't alter the taste of the eggs much. The most notable difference is the distinct yellow color. But I am proud to explain to visitors why their eggs are yellow.
Try it at home and enjoy your own cancer fighting eggs and let me know how you liked them.
Add virgin olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and turmeric to other dishes as often as you can and pick up a copy of the anti-cancer book.
